We are pleased to announce a new series of community conversations and lectures starting in the fall of 2011. Throughout the year we will offer adult courses on Steiner, Waldorf education, Anthroposophy, BioDynamics and the Arts, as well as Community Circles, lively conversations that bring the PWS community together with the wider metropolitan area to discuss relevant contemporary issues.
Contact Tracy Trefethen, PWS High School faculty member, to enroll, or if you have questions or ideas for topics you wish to see offered in the future, Tracy Trefethen.
Links we think you might enjoy
"Don't Lecture me", on America Radio Works page and podcast
Current National Geographic article entitled Beautiful Brains By David Dobbs
Ken Robinson, TED talk on creativity
Fall 2011 Offerings
Adult Eurythmy Wednesday 8:45-9:45, starting October 5
Our work together will be light and playful, exploring the basic elements of eurythmy that help to create balance and harmony within ourselves, as well as ways to move together as a community.
Adult Woodworking
A 6 week course on Thursday evenings from 6-9pm. September 29th-November 3rd.Cost $150
Learn the safe operation of all major hand and power tools while designing and building a piece of your choice.For information and registration call Tom Myers 503.522.6577
Some partial scholarships available.
Adult Blacksmithing
A 6 week course on Tuesday evenings from 6-9pm. September 27th-November 1st. Cost $150
Learn the basics of forging, hammering, and tempering through the making of a coat hook, then pick a project of your own.For information and registration call Tom Myers 503.522.6577
Some partial scholarships available.
A Brave Man Slowly Wise: Parzival and Personal Growth, with Jeffrey Levy
Tuesdays, 7-9 pm , starting September 20, in the High School. $80.
How can a medieval romance be a guide to modern life? In this 8-week course, we will read and discuss Wolfram von Eschenbach's Parzival and its picture of a soul growing from dullness to doubt to compassion. Disguised as a thirteenth century adventure, Parzival reflects a sophisticated view of the relationship between inner states, the sense-perceptible world and cosmic order. Parzival, Gawan and Feirfis form a unity at the same time as mirroring how the thoughts, emotions and actions respond to similar situations. Eschenbach's masterpiece conveys archetypal realities to show the development of true compassion. Some books (Parzival by Wolfram von Eschenbach, ISBN 9780394701882) will be available for purchase at the Spring Creek store and used copies can be ordered from Powell's or Amazon. We use the translation by Mustard/Passage but other translations can provide additional insight. Minimum of six students needed for the course.
Meditation Practices and Exercises as given by Rudolf Steiner, with Beth Weiting. Mondays, 7-9 pm, in the High school. $10/evening.
Both informative and experiential, this 4-week series focuses on Steiner’s basic meditations. Sign up for all 4 weeks, or individual classes. Monday nights starting October 10. No minimum class size.
October 10: Exercises from Steiner’s lecture “Practical Training in Thought”. These are very interesting exercises, valuable for anyone, even for someone whose main interest is science. They are effective for developing a sense of truth, crucial for everyday life as well as for those on a spiritual path.
October 17: The Ruckshau Exercise (pronounced ruck sh-ow, meaning “looking backwards through memory”). Following a talk on Steiner’s ideas about the importance of memory and a description of the exercise, we will try out different versions of Ruckshau and talk about the significance of the exercise, which can strengthen and restore memory.
October 24: The Six Basic Exercises
These exercises develop strength and control of thinking, willing, and feeling, bringing positivity, equanimity and open-mindedness towards the experience of life. They are quite practical and can engender great strength and steadiness in everyday life--helpful for parents and teachers! We will explore practical and esoteric aspects of this meditation technique.
November 7: Steiner’s Calendar of the Soul verses
We will look at samples of Steiner’s Calendar verses as tools for meditation and how they can be used to bring us up to another level of development--very helpful and positive, especially with respect to any kind of difficulties in life.
The Story of Siegfried, with Beth Wieting
Mondays 7-9pm, November 14 & 28 and December 5 &12, in the High School. $10/evening.
This is a significant story for human development, especially for adults and teenagers. From the Volsunga Saga and Wagner’s Opera, Siegfried is a story of bravery and courageous initiative, told in ways that can illumine anyone’s life. Beth taught this story for years as a public high school teacher because of the many contemporary novels, especially for young people, that are founded upon symbols and details of ancient myths and legends, yet these symbols are so now jumbled they have lost their depth of meaning. Bringing this story to light now can restore meaning to old archetypes, as it The story retraces the immense psychological and spiritual significance of the older myth cycles, and Wagner brought forward many of the themes that can be a huge help for anyone feeling the many aspects of modern life--as important for women as it is for men. Siefried was the person who the god’s hopes would become the forerunner for human beings who could take responsibility in the world. He achieved what no other human being had been able to. But, one problem: he did not have a discernment for deception. A drink was given to him, socially, that was in fact intended to dim his consciousness...
Come to one or all four evenings. Beth will tell the story the first night, and from their the group will develop a conversation about the meaning and significance of the story in our time. A wonderful course to take after Parzival, as well.
Adult Eurythmy, with Cary Mass
8:45-9:30 am, in the Orchard Room. Day to be announced soon.
Community Circle Event: Circle of Peace
October 4, 7-9 pm, in the Music Room. A free event.
A discussion with local leaders of different faiths on ways young people can cultivate peace in our time. All welcome, high school age and up. This public event is free and open to high school age students and adults. No enrollment necessary.
Education and Adolescence: A Study Group with Christopher Zinn
Alternate Tuesday evenings, 7-9 pm, beginning November 3, in the high school
High school humanities teacher Christopher Zinn will lead a bi-weekly study group on education and adolescence. The group will begin with a careful reading of Rudolf Steiner’s Education for Adolescents and then examine other, more contemporary approaches to understanding adolescent development, culture, and education. Our overall purpose is threefold: to broaden our understanding of the nature of adolescence, to support our work as parents, and to enrich our participation in this educational community. Group members will be expected to purchase a copy of Education for Adolescents. Additional readings will be provided. If you are interested in joining the group, please contact Christopher at cmzinn@mac.com.
Understanding Steiner: A Study Group with Luc Schloss
Alternate Tuesday evenings, 7-9 pm, beginning January 2012, in the high school.
High school counselor Luc Schloss will lead a bi-weekly study group on several of Rudolf Steiner’s key lectures. Specific details about the study group will be posted soon.
