Anthroposophical Views Dora Wagner

A bigger splash

Dora Wagner

Maybe today I am the breast that gives you milk. But don't forget: it is not my breast that nurtures you. It is the milk.

Greek proverb

Because our galaxy appears like a milky bright ribbon in the sky, we call it the Milky Way. According to Greek mythology, however, it came into being because the mother of the gods, Hera, spilled her divine milk when suckling Heracles, a demigod, born of an affair between her husband Zeus and the mortal Alcmene. To endow this son of the supreme Olympian with godlike qualities, the new-born was brought, unrecognised, to Hera, who nursed the baby out of pity. But when it sucked so violently that it caused Hera pain, she pushed the child away and her milk splashed across the sky, forming our galaxy, named after the Greek word for milk, 'γάλα' (von RankeGraves,1984). Milk also plays an essential role in other mythological and religious genesis. Dhanvantari, for example, the physician of the gods in Hindu mythology, and the originator of Ayurveda, emerged from an ‘ocean of milk’, the primordial sea (Ions, 1988). It seems the evolution of humanity has always been confluent with milk; rock carvings in the Sahara, for example, show that the first livestock cultivation, in prehistoric times, entailed various milking techniques. (Le Quellec, 2011). In many past societies, milk, dairying and the nurturing breast figured prominently in creation myths and in religious and cultic practices (McCormick, 2012). Still today, dairy products are highly valued in nutrition, but also in personal care and medicine. Cleopatra, reputedly the most beautiful woman of antiquity, is said to have regularly dipped her body in donkey milk. Modern scientific knowledge concedes that milk fat and lactic acid have a moisturising and soothing effect; the milk proteins promote elasticity, making the skin smooth, supple, and soft to the touch (Kocic et al., 2020).

In his lectures to members of the Anthroposophical Society in 1905, Rudolf Steiner referred to the mythological, symbolic and nutritional significance of milk in human evolutionary history. He described the white opaque emulsion as ‘moon food’, associated with the feminine, and relating to a time when our earth was still united with the moon. According to his worldview, when humankind had not yet set foot on solid earth, it was fed on a milk-like nourishment, absorbed and ingested from the outside world. Steiner described this lactic substance as a lifeblood running through the entire earth where, he considered, lunar forces were still active. When the moon split off, however, these forces were left to concentrate in specific organs of living beings. Gradually, plant food took the place of moon food; at first being only the aerial plant parts, which Steiner described as ‘sun food’ (Steiner,1905). The conflict between these two forms of nutrition and associated states of mind seems also to form the basis of the Biblical story of Cain, the farmer, and his brother Abel, a nomad and cattle shepherd (Baatz, 2017). In the following period, Steiner continues, the consumption of plants that had not ripened in the sun— the underground parts of the plant, the roots —became essential. Pure minerals, such as salt, were now also added to food. In anthroposophical terms, this led to a significant strengthening and hardening of the human being, and to a stronger bond with the earthly world. This bondage became even stronger when hunters switched to killing animals, meat appeared, and animals were sacrificed in bloody cultic customs. In the next period, the consumption of wine emerged, as in the cult of Dionysus. Steiner saw wine as separating the human being from the spiritual world, preparing it for materialism, which he saw as a necessary stage in the development of humanity (Steiner, 1905). In Biblical terms, when changing water into wine at the wedding in Cana, as with the celebration of the Lord's Supper, Christ signalled transcendence from bloody animal sacrifices to a new future offering bread and wine instead (Zilling, 2011). Steiner considered this prophetic— that in the future humanity would have to change from eating dead animals to eating dead plants. Steiner predicted that in the next cultural epoch humans would eat a vegetarian diet and, even later, a purely mineral diet would follow (Steiner,1905). Humanity would then be able to produce food from dead matter, and life could be sustained from non-living substances.

Steiner spoke about nutrition in great detail, and in various contexts, in order to raise awareness of the influence of food on health and illness, but also on spiritual development. He believed that one day people would eat much more consciously than they do today. The highest basic principle of anthroposophical nutrition is the free decision of the human being (Steiner,1894). Consequently, there are no forbidden or permitted foods, merely recommendations. It is felt that everyone should decide for themselves which foods are beneficial to them. Another basic principle of anthroposophical nutrition is the threefold division of a plant into root, leaf/stem, and flower/fruit. Each part is believed to stimulate a specific area of the human body: root vegetables are seen as beneficial to head and nerves; leaves and stems to have a positive effect on heart and lungs; buds, flowers and fruits to stimulate metabolism. To achieve a harmonious balance, it is recommended to eat all three parts of plants every day, to favour food from biodynamic cultivation, to consider the rhythms of nature and the seasons, and to prefer regional products. Raw vegetables should make up a quarter to a third of daily food intake, as they offer greater resistance to the digestive system than cooked food and thus activate self-healing powers. According to anthroposophical nutritional teachings, cereals have a spiritual content, carrying the forces of life, strengthening the sensory powers, promoting concentration and stimulating digestion. Other food recommendations include oilseeds and nuts. Sugar is considered overly processed and is rejected in favour of alternative sweeteners, such as Sugar Beet and Maple syrup, whole Cane Sugar, Honey, dried fruits, herbs and spices. Mineral and spring water, as well as herbal and fruit teas, are recommended as beverages, while alcohol is to be avoided and such as coffee and black tea drunk only in moderation.

Whilst eating meat is not expressly forbidden, it is not recommended or, like fish and eggs, should be consumed in moderation— at most, once or twice a week. These animal products are seen as binding the soul-spiritual too strongly to earthly-material conditions (Kühne, 2008). The regular consumption of milk and dairy products is explicitly suggested for balancing a materialistic and a spiritualised consciousness. Breast milk, a yellowish-white secretion of the mammary glands, is considered the optimal nutrition for infants, completely covering their needs up to about six months of age without the necessity of adding further food. If breastfeeding is not possible, anthroposophical paediatrics recommends cow's milk diluted by lactose and almond paste, to which cereal porridge is later added (Madeleyn,1986).

The milk of mammals varies from species to species, depending on the growth rate and the climatic conditions of the region in which the species evolved. Certain ingredients aside, however, the composition of milk from some ruminants— cow, sheep, goat, buffalo, camel, llama, yak and deer — and Equidae (horse and donkey) largely corresponds to human milk. Although, of all these varieties, mare's or donkey's milk is most similar to that of humans, cow's milk has always been preferred for practical and economic reasons (Claeys, 2014). After weaning, humans, like all other mammals, no longer really need breast milk and, since the ability to metabolise lactose is therefore no longer required, our body reduces production of the enzyme lactase. However, due to a genetic mutation, most Europeans can drink milk throughout their lives without getting a stomach-ache. There is considerable controversy as to whether industriallyprocessed, homogenised cow's milk has a harmful effect on human health. Homogenisation breaks up the fat droplets in the milk, allowing them to penetrate the intestinal septum and pass directly into the blood. Since there is no longer a labelling requirement, even milk with organic certification can be homogenised. Only Demeter-certified milk is guaranteed not to be. Demeter e.V., named after the Greek mother goddess Demeter, is the oldest organization of organic farmers in Germany, inspired by Rudolf Steiner, cultivating their fields biodynamically since 1924. Due to its circular farming system, Demeter agriculture is considered to be the most sustainable form of farming, far surpassing the requirements of EU organic regulation. For toddlers like me, who could not tolerate the specific protein in cow's milk, the nutraceutical properties of donkey's milk, which make it beneficial for sick and elderly people alike, would have been particularly suitable. But, since donkeys were rather rare in our region, and since goat's milk also has finer clotting proteins and smaller fat globules, I had a goat nana and shared her milk with her infant.

In anthroposophical medicine, ‘Quarkwickel’ (curd compresses) are used externally, for their cooling, analgesic and soothing effects on many inflammatory and painful conditions— arthrosis and rheumatic complaints, bronchitis, mastitis, sore throat, pneumonia, oedema and haematoma. When milk turns sour, it separates into solid (quark, curd) and liquid (whey). Curd compresses are cool or slightly warmed wrappings, usually consisting of three layers of fabric, that are placed around the body part. The first layer contains the curd, the second and third layers cover it and keep the affected part of the body warm. Curd compresses havea gentle, sucking and liberating effect; releasing watery congestion and removing metabolic toxins from the body. Inflammatory substances are expelled and excessive metabolic processes calmed down— all of which has a very pleasant, cooling and painrelieving impact. The effects of curd can be intensified by adding corresponding herbal essences. Extracts of Arnica (Arnica officinalis) or Calendula (C. officinalis), for example, can be drizzled and lightly spread onto the side of the compress in contact with the skin. It is important for the poultice not to be too wet or too cold. A compress of curd that is too cool can cause reactive overheating when applied to local inflammations. Therefore, curd should never be applied directly from the fridge, but when lukewarm. Curd can have a very different consistency in different countries, and the fat content also varies. For a long time, low-fat Quark was considered the remedy of choice for poultices in Germany, more recently curd with an unreduced fat content has been considered more suitable. As always, it is always important to be aware of individual sensitivities and to practice self-care when stimulating selfhealing.

In today's world, it is obvious that we humans are ruthlessly extracting everything from our planet and ourselves, and thus milking our own livelihoods dry (Kristof & WuDunn, 2010). We should be grateful for the great gift of life on this beautiful planet and work to ensure that its milk and honey will continue to flow. We should exercise more care, be more mindful, and remember that only that which we nurture in ourselves and in others grows and flourishes. In this spirit, contributing to the subsistence and preservation of life seems to me to be of utmost importance, in whatever ways we each may be able to do so.

Images ‘Milking scene' petroglyph from Jebel el'Uweynat (Libyan Desert). Photo from an engraved panel in Wadi Tiksatin, courtesy of Jean-Loïc Le Quellec. All other images adapted by Dora Wagner from private, public domain or creative commons works, including: Schindler, Osmar (1884-1927), ‘Demeter’, Historic Wall Décor

References Baatz, U. (2017) Kain & Abel. Brennstoff; Ausgabe 50: Wien Claeys, W. et al (2014) ‘Consumption of raw or heated milk from different species: An evaluation of the nutritional and potential health benefits’, in Food Control (42):188–201 Ions, V. (1988) Indian Mythology. Hamlyn: Rushden Kocic, H. et al. (2020) ‘Favorable effect of creams with skimmed donkey milk on skin physiology’, in Dermatologic Therapy, 33 (4) Kristof, N. D. and WuDunn, S. (2010) Half the Sky: How to Change the World. Virago: London Kühne, P. (2008) ‘Anthroposophische Ernährung. Lebensmittel und ihre Qualität; Arbeitskreis für Ernährungsforschung’ Le Quellec J.-L. (2011) ‘Provoking lactation by the insufflation technique as documented by the rock images of the Sahara’, in Anthropozoologica 46 (1): 65–125 Madeleyn, R. (1986) Zur Ernährung nicht voll gestillter Kinder in den ersten Lebensmonaten (To nourish not fully breastfed children in the first months of life.); Beiträge zu einer Erweiterung der Heilkunst nach geisteswissenschaftlichen Erkenntnissen 39(4):125-130 McCormick, F. (2012) ‘Cows, milk and religion: the use of dairy produce in early societies’, in Anthropozoologica 47(2): 101-113 Steiner, R. (1905) Notizen von einem esoterischen Lehrgang in Form von einunddreißig Vorträgen, gehalten in Berlin vom 26. September bis 5. November 1905 Steiner, R. (1894 [2018]) Die Philosophie der Freiheit Verlag Freies Geistesleben von Ranke-Graves, R. (1984) Griechische Mythologie. Übersetzt von Hugo Steinfeld: Rowohlt Zilling, H. M. (2011) Jesus als Held. Odysseus und Herakles als Vorbilder christlicher Heldentypologie. Paderborn: München/Wien/Züric