Anyone who has ever visited Ballytobin will be in no doubt that the camphill communities offer a model of how we can live sustainably in a post fossil fuel world and, in the process, have much healthier, fulfilling, wholesome lives that are enriched with a sense of community and connection with nature.
Camphill communities were, in a way, Ireland’s first “eco-villages” and have been in existence long before the term was ever coined. Given the enormous amount of knowledge, skill and experience they have it will be interesting to explore how they might inform the transition town movement. As well as the practicalities of transforming our “outer” world there is a wealth and understanding and insights for the transformation of our “inner” world.
Over the coming year a series of public lectures are being held in Castalia Hall exploring Anthroposophy and the worldview of Rudolf Steiner, founder of the movement.
You can download the full program here.
Rudolf Steiner (1861- 1925) is probably best known today as the inaugurator of Waldorf or Steiner education, and as a forerunner in the organic agriculture movement. What is perhaps less known is that these initiatives of his, have their genesis in his philosophy of the human being and the world, which he called “Anthroposophy.”
Rudolf Steiner - "Anthroposophy is a path of knowledge which leads the spiritual in the human being to the spiritual in the Universe"
According to Steiner, there are two worlds; the earthly and the spiritual. The human being originated in the spiritual world but in the course of development became separated from it. Steiner was insistent that without this estrangement no development of human independence, thinking and creativity could have come about. He also asserted that in our time it is not only possible, but also necessary for our relationship to the spiritual world to be restored, if human progress is to continue.
Steiner’s work covers a broad spectrum and presents us with a paradigm that challenges the reductionist approach which threatens to permeate every facet of our lives. No idle dreamer, Steiner foresaw that a spiritual understanding of the human being and the world could lead to a renewal and transformation of all aspects of human activity. His work has borne fruit in spiritual research and inner work, and in a host of practical applications such as education, social renewal, the Arts, the Camphill movement and many others.
This lecture series aims to introduce some basic aspects of Steiner’s philosophy and their application in life.
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Timetable of events
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“Who was Rudolf Steiner, what is Anthroposophy?”
Friday 6 March 2009 8 p.m.
An illustrated introduction.
Martin Henry
“Agriculture for the “Futures”. Banking futures or our futures?”
Friday 3 April 2009 8 p.m.
Michael Miklis
“Contemporary Spirituality – Does the Irish High Cross have a message?”
Friday 1 May 2009 8 p.m.
A personal odyssey.
Mark Dwan
“Bringing Light into Human Encounter”
Thursday 28 May 2009 8 p.m.
Finding sources of healing for personal
and interpersonal crises.
John O’ Connor, Gladys Lydon and others.
“Meditation, the Path to Pure Thinking”
Thursday 18 June 2009 8p.m.
Sean Byrne
“What Happens when we Die ?”
Friday 28 August 2009 8p.m.
Exploring life, death and destiny.
Martin Henry
“From Natural Science to Spiritual Science”
Friday 25 September 2009 8p.m.
Dr. Nick Blitz M.B.
“Making the Invisible Visible”
Friday 16 October 2009 8p.m.
Practical techniques in the Art and Architecture of Rudolf Steiner.
Andre van Schaijk and John S. Clarke
“From Crystal Caverns to Computer Screens”
Saturday 24 October 2009 (10am to 5pm)
A workshop with experiments. Limited to 15 participants. Cost for day 20 euro.
Places must be booked.
(Refreshments provided)
Dr. Malin Starrett
“The Discipline of Speech Formation”
Friday 20 November 2009 8p.m.
Revival of the Bardic tradition.
Danijel Grcevic
“The Christmas story in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke”
Friday 11 December 2009 8p.m.
The wisdom of contradiction.
An illustrated talk.
Martin Henry
Location
Castalia Hall
Camphill Community
Ballytobin
Callan
Talks are free, donations are welcome!
Enquiries and bookings to Martin Henry
At 087 7713224 or martin33@eircom.net