Outreach of the General Secretary

by Mary Stewart Adams

To be a member of the Anthroposophical Society in the United States at this time is to findoneself in a remarkable convergence of esoteric streams, given the 250th anniversary of the First Continental Congress, which was held September 5th to October 23rd, 1774, and the on-going centennials within the anthroposophical movement, from the culmination of the Christmas Conference January 1st to Rudolf Steiner’s Final Address, September 28th, 1924.

And while these events are sounding into our midst, a Total Solar Eclipse has recently occurred, the path of which fell largely across the US. It was April 8th, 2024, eight days after Easter, a rhythm of time marked in the Gospel stories by Thoma’ firstencounter with the Risen Christ. Theteaching is of faithfulness and of uniting in spirit-certainty toward the world’s salvation.

What’s more, this eclipse belongs to the Saros Cycle 139, which includes eclipse events in the years 1861, 1880, 1898, 1916, and so on, in an 18.6-year rhythm. Theyear 1861 was not only the year of Rudolf Steiner’s birth, but also the year that marked the beginning of the American Civil War.

I could push further into these associations, but my intent is rather to ask: Who are we in relation to esotericism in current American culture? What is necessary now to further pursue the ideals expressed in these “foundings”? And where do we give one another, or need to give one another, spirit-certainty?

Since taking on the position of General Secretary of the Anthroposophical Society in America at the Society’s online Annual General Meeting in October 2023, I have had the opportunity to travel and work with: our friends in the Spring Valley, NY, community; colleagues in Nuechâtel, Switzerland; members and friends along the central California coast; and country representatives and the leadership at the Goetheanum in Dornach, Switzerland.

In Spring Valley, together with fellow council members, we participated in the deep research and preparation the community had been engaged with throughout the year, in anticipation of the centennial of the Christmas Conference. Thiswork was rooted in the Foundation Stone, and beautifully held by eurythmy, speech, and shared study.

In Neuchâtel, our group work focused intensively on how Rudolf Steiner formed the Society through the Christmas Conference, the role of financein the associa- tion, and how we step into the new, now that we are 100 years from this act. We met from New Year’s to Epiphany at L’Aubier, a thriving biodynamic farm, restaurant, and hotel founded by Marc Desaules. Rudolf Steiner gave significantlectures on Christian Rosenkruetz in Neuchâtel, and it is easy to imagine how he lifted the veil on this mystery there, when you look out from L’Aubier over the forest and across the lake to the snow-capped Jura mountains beyond.

Thelast day of January 2024, I arrived in Sacramento, California, and despite the intensity of the weather, there was a full and lively house of friends that came out for candid conversation about what it means to be an anthroposophist in America now.

Thenext stop along the way was Santa Cruz, with the entire General Council. Thenight we arrived, Daniel Bittleston stepped across the threshold, which resulted in a weaving together of our work with the beautiful memorial services held in his honor. It was as though Daniel himself opened a door to welcome us into community, with an intimacy that only the dead can achieve.

Santa Barbara and LA were next on the list, where speech artist and fellow council colleague Christine Burke and I offeed our presentation on the Festival of Unbornness as an invitation for establishing a mid-winter celebration of welcoming souls coming to birth, as a compliment to the mid-autumn festival for those who have crossed the threshold at death.

During the time between Easter and Ascension, I traveled back to Switzerland, firstto meet with the country representatives (at more than 30, the group was said to be the largest to date), then to attend the firs annual meeting of the Goetheanum Fund Worldwide. The General Anthroposophical Society’s Annual General Assembly followed, with high anticipation that the members’ forums that formed after last year’s meeting would have a positive effecton this year’s assembly. In large part they did, but there are still challenges to be sorted out. One of the solutions presented that will have a stabilizing effecton this potential for discord was the request by the circle of treasurers, which, in a fittin move, was the opening item at the assembly: That the financial and fiscal aspects of all concerns and applications, before being brought into effect, be examined in detail and without haste for the General Anthroposophical Society and for the country societies in accordance with the treasurers’ guidelines for strengthening the Goetheanum’s finances.