Living a Spiritual Year

Book excerpt: Living a Spiritual Year, first published in 1992, is a tour de force in the understanding of Rudolf Steiner's teachings about the spiritual energies and spirit beings in the seasonal cycle of the year, and the spiritual benefits for people, in either hemisphere, of being attuned to this. This can lead to a new cycle of festivals, for each hemisphere. Being attuned to the spiritual reality behind the yearly cycle is uplifting for communities, and inspiring for the individual. Anderson integrates ancient traditions with Steiner's teachings including his esoteric Christianity, and refers to scientific research where relevant. This new, expanded edition answers the objections from critics, and has coloured graphics that help the reader visualize more clearly the wonderful influences that make the seasonal cycle so spiritually significant. Topics include: - The four ether layers in the upper atmosphere. - The springtime descent into matter and the Passover festival and how there is an esoteric 'Easter' event - the Eostre festival of the Celts - in the spring equinox of both hemispheres. - The Yuletide or 13 Holy Nights festival occurs in June in the south, and December in the northern hemisphere. - The role of shooting stars in the autumn 'Michaelmas' festival. - The spiritual influences active in summertime. - How in each season, an Archangel is the regent of the nature sprites for that hemisphere. - How to use the Soul Calendar to meditate upon each week of the year, following the seasonal cycle, in either hemisphere. About the author: Adrian Anderson, Ph.D.(2005), is an Australian born best-selling author in the ideas of Rudolf Steiner. His Doctoral Thesis is a pioneering assessment of Rudolf Steiner's spiritual philosophy, for the academic reader. He has a knowledge of many languages including Attic and Hellenistic Greek, old Icelandic and modern and medieval German, and an extensive background of research into a wide variety of subjects.