Theosophy

What Is Waldorf Education?: Three Lectures

by Rudolf Steiner

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One of the most talked about alternatives to public schooling today is method known as Waldorf education. But what is it? Simply put, it is an approch that considers the "whole" child, not just intellectual capacities. It also considers the child's whole life - how a teacher's actions will affect the child later in life, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Here is a reader-friendly Waldorf "taster." It contains three lectures on Waldorf education by Rudolf Steiner and a thought-provoking, accessible introduction by a Waldorf teacher and longtime student of Steiner’s educational methods. The lectures present what Steiner sees as the "fundamentals" of Waldorf pedagogy in a matter-of-fact, objective, non-dogmatic way. The introduction is broad and informative, explaining that, before all else, a Waldorf school must be a good school. This is a must-read for anyone involved with, connected to, or interested in Waldorf education. If you are at the point of deciding where and how your child will be educated, you cannot afford to ignore this.

Publisher: Steiner Books | More reviews: amazon.com

Facing the World with Soul (Studies in Imagination)

by R Sardello

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"Sardello begins his discussion of Soul of the World by framing his observations in a series of "Letters" to the reader. They are essays which begin with an explanation of What is World Soul?; include the topics of the built environment, education, medicine, money, technology, things, violence, beauty, and food; and end with a discussion of Hermetic Consciousness. Throughout he makes a case for changing our attitudes, our habits of seeing beauty, things, disease, the world as nouns to seeing them as verbs instead; "moving from a perception of things as entities to things as activities". He asks the reader to suspend understanding and intention in favor of attending and entanglement--to increase imagination to effect transformation, rather than to hide or seek to change or to find solutions. He suggests that this is not done by turning away from the world toward inner work but by learning to see the presence of everyday things, to see what is actually present vs. inventing theories. The best ideas, in my opinion, have to do with: Beauty vs. the notion of energy; making of the world by attention to it; the particularity of EACH inside a concept of wholeness; and "no longer looking at a thing, but being seen by it". The book departs from other New Age literature in that it does not advocate transcendence away from or out of the body (or the world) into a kind of spiritual hubris, but rather argues for loving the world better "as is". This viewpoint requires a different kind of consciousness and lots of responsibility. It also insists on exercising consistently the activity of imagination, of which Sardello reports the Sanskrit root meaning to be the "ever-changing ensnaring play of appearances". Sardello builds upon the work of James Hillman."

Publisher: Lindisfarne Books | More reviews: amazon.com

How the World Can Be the Way It Is: An Inquiry for the New Millennium into Science, Philosophy, and Perception

by Steve Hagen

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"Steve Hagen clearly emphasizes again and again throughout the book, through numerous examples, how the habit of the human mind to immediately conceive (package in terms of words, in terms of memories, in terms of the known) what it sees inevitably leads to contradiction in Reality. By proving Nagarjuna's tetra-lemma, the author demonstrates how conception of objects leads to an artificial, man made, mind made, separation of the object from the Whole and why this is the root of human misery. Hagen shows us that the assumption about "I", the individual ego that is distinct from the Whole, is the most deep rooted concept of all that the entire humanity suffers from. The discussions here echo the principles of Jnana Yoga from ancient Indian Upanishads. Hagen clearly shows how inspite of all the progress that science has made, we still remain distanced from the Ultimate Reality and also how no matter how much progress science makes, this will ever remain to be the case because science, by its very nature, is enmeshed in concepts. An absolutely enthalling book that I would recommend to all readers whose minds are ripe."

Publisher: Quest Books | More reviews: amazon.com

The Reappearance of the Christ

by Alice A. Bailey

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"Alice Bailey clearly explains the work of the Christ from a metaphysical, spiritual and religious point of view. She also correlates this work with that of the aspirant and of the disciple, who wishes to collaborate with the GREAT WORK of Salvation. A good book for meditation. A practical book for anyone, who wishes to follow in the footsteps of THE MASTER. A primer for the New world Religion."

Publisher: Lucis Publishing Company | More reviews: amazon.com

The Spiritual Hierarchies and the Physical World: Reality and Illusion

by Rudolf Steiner

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"Intriguing book. In it are each of the hierarchies recorded:
- when they became active,
- which planets were formed by which hierarchie
- how hierarchies are related to each other (only mentioned not
explained in detail with the highest hierarchies).

In the book are also mentioned:
- The zodiac and how they are related to the hierarchies; and
what it means when a certain sign is active.
- Some about what parts of the physical body of a human were
already formed in spirit world by the different hierarchies...
Cancer as symbol for the ribcage which was formed for example.
- The seven oracles in Atlantean time (Sun oracle, Venus oracle
etc.) and that the one who had the most developed ether body of
the oracles (the leaders) were selected to work through the 7
rishi's in India in a later time.
- The lowest hierarchies (Angels, ArchAngels and Archia) are
explained in great detail: (a) how they relate to the mineral,
plant and animal kingdom and that their physical body, ether body, astral body and the I are located in different spheres (Angel only physical body in the Earth, ArchAngel physical body and ether body in the Earh, Archia physical, ether and astral body in the Earth while Humans have all four parts in the Earth (in this time!!!).

Also mentioned is difference between Copernicus' astrological system (viewed from physical viewpoint) and the Ptolemeus astrology (viewed from spiritual perspective - i.e. the spiritual hierarchie view).

I found the book to be really intruiging, but it lacked (for me) how the different entities are active now in the Earth, and how can be seen which people have interacted more with certain entities than others... In the book is recorded that Venus entities were present in the Earth to bring greater wisdom at one time, and Mars entities brought about other influences but not beyond: how do they play a role now, when and how did they made their presence felt over time (as the Earth developed) etc.

So: very intruiging book, explanations about several things, but only when they first appeared. Only briefly mentioned activity later on in the 7 rishi's, Jesus, but not on when/how the different entities made their presence felt in the Earth in more recent times (or other times) with the exception of Angels, Archangels and Archia. Especially Angels are explained at length.
But what about other entities... only briefly discussing them makes it harder to see the overall picture: all the times when, and how, the entities made their presence felt.
Besides that it is an intruiging book to read.

PS I read the Ducth version!!!"

Publisher: Anthroposophic Press | More reviews: amazon.com

"I AM" Discourses (Saint Germain Series - Vol 8)

by Great Divine Director

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"I was completely drawn in by the first two books in the series, "Unveiled Mysteries" and "The Magic Presence". The energy was so compelling that it touched my heart. They provided me with an entirely new way to view my life here on the earthplane. BUT, when I read The Divine Director, I was totally pulled into another reality. His energy is so loving and so personal that one seems to be able to touch the invisibile beings around us. I have seen one thing after another come to pass through the intercession of the Divine Director in my life. The prayers that he offers at the end of each chapter are loving and compelling especially after Chapter 14. He says, "I enfold you tonight, Beloved Ones; in Our Ever-expanding, intensified Activity of your own God Presence, 'The Mighty I AM'; to flood your world with everything you require in the Service of the Light--money, food, conveyance, transportation,(partner),anything which is required." ...I thank you." His personality is so real that one begins to see the action of the Cosmic Beings in daily occurrences. So, Yes, this is the book for those who are ready to work with the Cosmic Beings in the service of our "I AM Presence"."

Publisher: St Germain Pr | More reviews: amazon.com

The Esoteric Papers of Madame Blavatsky

by H. P. Blavatsky

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2004. This compilation provides facsimiles of many of the original esoteric papers issued by Madame Blavatsky. Some of the documents included in this volume have not been seen since they were first issued. Readers will find this work to be of either supplemental or complementary interest to the following works: H.P.B.'s Collected Writings, Volume XII; The Esoteric Writings of Helena Petrovna Blavatsky; W.Q. Judge's Echoes of the Orient; The Inner Group Teachings of H.P. Blavatsky; and H.P.B.'s The Secret Doctrine, Volume 3: Occultism. See other titles by this author available from Kessinger Publishing.

Publisher: Kessinger Publishing, LLC | More reviews: amazon.com

Christianity As Mystical Fact: And the Mysteries of Antiquity

by Rudolf Steiner

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"In this book, Steiner describes how Christianity evolved from earlier esoteric traditions such as the mystery schools, Egyptian and Eastern wisdom, and Greek philosophy. Steiner interprets the life of Chrsit as a model for the path of an initiate. As examples, he offers elegant insights into parts of the gospels which have previously left me "in the dark." Some say that Steiner's approach to the Christianity has been continued by Joseph Campbell. If you like Campbell, you'll like this book. This book has reinvigorated Christianity for me-- by showing me how it can be interpreted like a myth. Now I can look at the gospels in a new manner, and gain new insights from them. I think that it helps to have a little background in Greek philosophy to read this book, but I don't think that its absolutely necessary."

Publisher: Steiner Books | More reviews: amazon.com

Choices of Love

by Dorothy Maclean

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"Dorothy Maclean, one of the cofounders of the Findhorn Foundation, writes of her experiences during the fifteen years after she published "To Hear The Angels Sing," her book telling of that community. She tells of her search for The Beloved, her name for "the eternal, complete love." She describes the love in all things -- plants, animals, rocks, trees, cities, fire -- as well as in humans. At Findhorn, she and others learned to use their powers of love to contact nature spirits, known as devas. The story of how she progressed in her ability to attune to nature spirits makes fascinating reading. For those like me who seem to take a long time to reach these levels, it is encouraging to know her learning took many years.
Maclean left Findhorn to return to her native Canada to apply her learning to ordinary living. She finds when she attunes to a situation with love, the solution is presented. When she accepts a fault or darker quality in herself, she feels divine love. I like the way she describes seeking balance in polarities. Part 2 of the book is devoted to her experiences with the souls of nature; how she contacts the divine essences of plants, volcanoes, hurricanes, the identities and souls of countries. She encourages us to do the same with loving contact, and assures us this is the way the planet will be saved. Her earlier book impressed me deeply. I enjoyed reentering her story and learning how she has continued to grow in love and consciousness through the years."

Publisher: Lindisfarne Books | More reviews: amazon.com

Anthroposophy: A Concise Introduction to Rudolf Steiner's Spiritual Philosophy

by Henk Van Oort

People today recognize Rudolf Steiner's work largely because of initiatives such as the worldwide Waldorf school movement, biodynamic agriculture, and anthroposophic medicine. Nevertheless, the comprehensive spiritual philosophy behind these movements is not so well known. In this concise presentation, based on years of teaching introductory courses on the subject, van Oort presents an overview of key aspects of Steiner's thought. He deals with concepts such as body, soul, and spirit; the relationship between humankind and the animal kingdom; and the evolution of consciousness, a topic that opens panoramic vistas of human development in the form of successive cultural periods extending over thousands of years.

Publisher: Temple Lodge Publishing | More reviews: amazon.com