The “Calendar of the Soul”
See updated 2021-2022 guide below…
In 1912 Rudolf Steiner provided a “calendar of the soul,” weekly verses that express how the changing seasons in the natural world and in our own inner lives are helping our consciousness evolve.
[View and download here a guide by Herbert O. Hagens to dates for the Calendar in 2021-2022.]
In an article first published in Orion magazine in Autumn 1999, “The One Life Within Us and Abroad,” Prof. Gertrude Reif Hughes describes Steiner’s Calendar as a personal awakening. “That year I became able to “read” the Soul Calendar as Steiner designed it to be read—meditatively.
The Calendar began to offer its gifts to me, and for the next seven years I worked with it almost daily. I saw that the verses are more like koans than poems. The descriptions not only represented processes around me but awakened me to processes occurring within my soul. Earlier I hadn’t felt that echoing, which is fundamental to the Calendar. Now I began to confirm it in my own experience.
You can read Prof. Hughes’ full article, reprinted in the Fall 2012 issue of being human, as part of a special centennial section on the Calendar linked here.
The Calendar of the Soul Online
There are several editions of the Calendar of the Soul on the internet. The one at the Lili Kolisko Institute allows you to click through to Steiner’s eurythmy for for that week’s verse. This version offers many translations with original text, and other special features. (If initially you see only the German, hover your mouse pointer over the text to see options.)
I heard there are mp3 files available in which the German Calendar of the Soul is read. However I haven’t found the right website. Perhaps you can help me.
Kelly, hi —
I haven’t been able to locate those.
Does anyone else know?
John Beck
I would like to find Calendar of the soul in German audio as well!! Please let us know. Nicolette111@icloud.com (Vancouver Island). Thank you!
Nicolette, hi – I don’t know of a German audio of the Calendar, but perhaps someone else can direct us?
UPDATE: Here is a link to a YouTube channel where the individual weeks are spoken in German:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvj5A9SG22fr1SZ3CDvV-tQ
My dear friends,
I purchased these 52 mp3 files from Kilian Voß (Voss) about three years ago. He currently is moving from Germany to England. You may reach him on Facebook.
Ken Simpson
Thanks, Ken!
Is it possible to have the weekly Calendar of the Soul verses emailed? I would love that, and I am also enquiring on behalf of a friend who originally had the idea.
Judy, hi — this is actually available through the Rudolf Steiner Archive. The link is on this page:
https://wn.rsarchive.org/Articles/GA040/English/AP1982/GA040_index.html
Thanks for asking!
Emailing of verses stopped August 2020 from RSA. Only available online. Would be great to have someone or the society to pick up the emailing service again.
Sorry that information was out of date! This is not a commitment we could undertake at the moment. Anyone else?