A Discussion of the Calendar of the Soul by Andy Ward

April Branch Evening by Berkshire-Taconic Branch of the Anthroposophical Society

Andy will be starting with a history of how the Calendar of the Soul came about, how it was first used, and Steiner’s wonderful descriptions for what he had in mind for the Calendar to help people through the ups and downs of their life. Andy will also discuss different ways in how we start after Easter so that we end up with the St. John’s verse on St. John’s Day as well as discussion of Steiner’s original rhythm for the verses.

Some people are taken by the nature aspect (seasons) of the Calendar and others take up much more of the soul aspect because that is what speaks to them most. After Andy’s presentation, we will take the verse of the week, read it together, and then people will split up into pairs and write their own version of the verse (what it means to them in the context of the archetypal meaning.) Andy will bring copies of the verse so we’re all working with the same translation. We will be using the translation of Verse 3 by Hans and Ruth Pusch; please bring pen/pencil and a notebook. This will take 5 minutes or so, followed by a sharing and discussion of our own versions and what we heard in them, and also a general discussion about the Calendar of the Soul and our experiences of going through the cycle of the Calendar year after year.

Verse 3

Thus to the World-All speaks,
In self-forgetfulness
And mindful of its primal state,
The growing human I:
In you, if I can free myself
From fetters of my selfhood,
I fathom my essential being.

Andy Ward has been an Early Childhood teacher at Hawthorne Valley School for 38 years, retiring in 2020. It is a tradition in the Waldorf schools for the teachers to gather together to read these beautiful verses before the school day begins. Since 2003, Andy has begun the Alkion Center morning contemplating the verses with the Foundation Year students. It has been a life-changing experience to work with these verses over so many years.