Studying the Great Mystery

These studies are nothing more than the scientific research of the spiritual realm.  --study from Esoteric Science

​When I first came to anthroposophy, I came with my own question: Is there more to the human being than can be seen? Steiner wrote that modern souls are restless because the 'picture of the world' given to us is only explained by natural sciences--incomplete.

To see only the body and mind is to miss the eternal individuality (the soul) that carries our purpose and our freedom. Anthroposophy invites us to explore this topic free from dogma, urging us not to rely even on Steiner's own words (or on the faith of others) but to test and question our thoughts, to work with them, and to experience these understandings in our own daily lives. 

When we study the realm beyond physical phenomena, we must remember this study was never intended to be an escape from reality, but it is a way of entering reality more deeply. In fact, the study of the conscious realm (soul realm) still recognizes and values the natural sciences. And Steiner understood that every human being carries a deep hunger for meaning, even if they cannot name it. His lectures are meant for those who sense there is something beyond the surface/appearances/illusions of everyday life.

As teachers, if we see children only as physical beings only to be measured and managed, then the education were offer becomes narrow and utilitarian. But when we begin to sense that each child carries within them an eternal individuality, we discover a mystery that stretches beyond birth and death, and then our task may change. Teaching becomes less about filling a vessel and more about awakening what already lives within.

​Every story told, every lesson given, every handcraft offered can be approached with the awareness that we are guiding more than a body and mind, but a unique soul.

Perhaps this is the this is why Steiner invited us into this mysterious science, so that we might better serve the developing human being. For when we learn to see beyond physical appearances, we begin to sense a certain type of clarity in helping children unfold their own purpose founded in freedom.

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Learn more about the experience of Waldorf Education.

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When Education Belongs

A Handful of Stars

Telling Unwritten Tales