Finding Balance, Bringing the Two Worlds Together

Dorothea Mier

For my understanding, the most essential nature or essence of the Christmas Foundation Meeting is bringing the esoteric and exoteric together. That Rudolf Steiner connected himself to the Society is an incredible deed, a huge sacrifice, utterly Christian. This gives all of us such a responsibility and calls us to activity that we respond to his deed and try, as best we can, to follow his example—that we live and practice anthroposophy in all we do and, first and foremost, in how we do it. That we are ever conscious that, as human beings, we live equally in two worlds.

As members of the School of Spiritual Science we are asked, we are committed, to represent anthroposophy, to make anthroposophy ever present at all times and in all we do. Each one of us, I am sure, has to admit, sadly, how far short we are in achieving this aim, but that should not deter us from trying and continuing our striving.

The Foundation Stone Meditation is such an example: The more you live with it, the more it reveals its secrets to you, nourishes you, confirms the truth living in every part of itself, and shows its relevance to everything in life.

The art of eurythmy, born out of anthroposophy and inseparable from it, is another example of bringing the two worlds together.

The second panel of the Foundation Stone Meditation can be a guide—“you live within the beat of heart and lung,” not in the safety and security of the heart or lung but in the movement, the activity in-between, the uncertain ever-changingness. Can we embrace, celebrate the in-between, bring time into all we do, counteracting all that is involved in our digital age, bring life into our lives? The middle exists only through the movement between polarities—in the balance of the soul , and balance is not equilibrium but a breathing, to and fro. The middle is only possible between polarities—we need to work with Lucifer and Ahriman.

Is the impulse still living? I would say yes, but in need of incredible increase and strengthening. The forces against anthroposophy are strong and getting stronger, and we are being called to counteract them, to place something to balance them out, to work towards and with those beings who have the future of mankind as their goal. We must strive to recognize, for instance, the ahrimanic forces and find the strength to not be drawn down by them. As Ita Wegman says, you cannot fight them, but you can starve them—use them consciously, where appropriate, but not allow yourself to be enslaved by them. Comfort and love of ease is possibly the most prevalent tool Ahriman has.

Covid, on the one hand, could make one more aware of the need for truly human interaction, but has also lulled one into using, for example, Zoom as an alternative. So much easier and cheaper than taking the trouble and expense to meet in person. The presence of the other human being with their spiritual qualities is lacking and one has the illusion of being together. Would Rudolf Steiner have used Zoom? Possibly, probably yes, but very consciously and where appropriate and he would have given so much more to counteract it spiritually. The Covid time made one much more awake to true values. Now is the challenge: Can we learn from this, and stay awake!

Dorothea Mier was born and grew up in England in anthroposophical circles and spent twenty-five years in Dornach, where she trained and was active in eurythmy in the Savitch group at the Goetheanum. Since 1980, she has been active in Spring Valley, New York. In 2005, she retired from the leadership of Eurythmy Spring Valley but is still active teaching there, in Europe, and in Asia.