Newsletter of the Berkshire-tacoNic BraNch of the aNthroposophical society

Volume 27, issue 4, DecemBer 2016

Ella Lapointe

At this very moment stars are shiningIn the heavens of eternal being:The Spirits sent by God.May all human souls attain,In this, the realm of Earth evolving,To view their flaming light!

—Rudolf Steiner, January 21, 1909 (GA 40, p. 113) translated by Robert Oelhaf

2 Chanticleer December 2016

The Riddle of John Ernst Worrell Keely (1827–1898) by J.S. Legg

See “Keely,” p. 6

Throughout the last third of the nineteenth century John Ernst Worrell Keely of Philadelphia was a prominent and often contro-versial figure in the field of what we might today term technological innovation. Keely is remembered as a (failed) inventor, which he was in a way, but it is probably more apt to name him a discoverer. Famous during his years of activity, for a number of reasons* Keely’s work is no longer widely known. Because of the nature of his life’s work (and also owing to the fact that he had no choice but to invent the terminology he needed to explain what he was up to), Keely was often accused of trickery and de-ceit in his lifetime. Such accusations were then, and remain today, by far the simplest way of reckoning with the periodic challenges to our current understanding of the nature of reality: dismiss it as false and maintain the current prevailing worldview as long as possible.

A closer look (at anything), however, with a truly open-mind, raises far more questions than the current paradigm has answers for. To ignore this obvious fact is to cling to dogma. To explore it is to enter uncharted ter-ritory; and this was very much the territory that Keely lived and worked in for at least thirty years prior to the turn of the twentieth century.

Some students of Anthroposophy, particularly those with an interest in Rudolf Steiner’s Four Mystery Dramas† and/or the possibility of a moral or etheric technology, will have at least heard of Keely, perhaps by way of the scattered references Steiner made to the man and his work. Already during Keely’s lifetime, although he was never himself a theoso-phist, those with some insight into the spiritual were among the first to recognize his singular importance. In the first volume of The Secret Doctrine (1888), H.P. Blavatsky, who called him “an unconscious occult-ist,” devoted an entire chapter to Keely’s “discovery” of an extraordinarily powerful and heretofore unknown force that he tirelessly attempted to harness. (In other words, the discovery of an entirely new field of tech-nological innovation.)

This discovery arrived in the social milieu of the so-called Gilded Age: the post-Civil War world of the United States that was in the midst of tremendous and unprecedented economic growth, fueled by industry and technological innovation. Vast fortunes were being made through manufacturing and the rapid transportation of goods, and the potential for Keely’s discovery to emerge as a force ripe for economic exploitation was soon recognized. Following an extraordinarily impressive demon-stration before a group of wealthy investors (mostly from New York City) at Keely’s Philadelphia workshop on the evening of November 10, 1874, the Keely Motor Company was formed, the purpose of which was to fund the ongoing research and development of the so-called Keely Motor and, of course, to eventually turn a huge profit.

The fact that the Keely Motor Company never turned a profit (al-though it eventually raised more than 5 million USD in capital) or pat-ented even one invention is yet another reason for him (and the force purportedly known to him) to be so easily dismissed as fraudulent today. The Company invested a fortune on the man and his work, and was left with apparently little or nothing to show for it. But a closer look at the highly dramatic and nearly three-decade-long history of the Keely Motor Company shows a man who was clearly onto something, and

* Not least among these reasons is the fact that the vast majority of his work (plans for machines, unpublished writings, and the machines themselves) is not extant.† The work of Strader and the development of his “Strader Machine” in the Fourth Mystery Drama are deeply, unmistakably related to the story of Keely and his work.

could demonstrate this mysterious something (force or power) when compelled to do so, but who struggled mightily, and in the end unsuc-cessfully, to master it. To be sure, in Keely’s lifetime the “public-opinion” of his work fluctuated widely: praised as a world-historical genius one year; then doubted and debunked; condemned as a likely fraud; then back to being regarded as a misunderstood genius arrived before his time. This is a slightly simplified, but not inaccurate characterization of the cycle of public recognition that played out again and again, and that can be gleaned from a chronological examination of the newspapers of the time. The pivot upon which this pattern turned was the periodic invitation-only demonstrations given by Keely, usually when the cries proclaiming his fraudulence became too loud to safely ignore. These were serious affairs, and, judging from the contemporary accounts and the results of these demonstrations, the most accurate term (in English) to describe them is probably “mind-blowing.” The result would be the inevitable placation of nervous investors and the vindication (once again) of Keely in the press.‡

And herein lies an important aspect of the Keely story that can be easily misunderstood: he did not invent just one “Keely Motor” but, driven no doubt by both his own obsession and the pressures of the company formed in his name, he devised a very long line of constantly evolving experimental machines that were based on his own progressive understanding of the force that be both knew and did not know; the force that he himself could control, but the mastery of which proved ever-elusive to him.

The usages of this force were far from constrained to “perpetual mo-tion” or “free energy.” Antigravity devices (and subsequently “flying-ma-chines”), methods of healing (both physical and mental), and advanced weaponry were all imagined and executed to varying degrees. Keely de-signed and had built to exact specifications many hundreds, possibly thousands, of (expensive) machines of various sizes cast in a variety of metals. The vast majority were tossed aside, sold for scrap metal, or else melted down themselves to be recast into a new form, into the next machine.

This work continued without interruption until his death on November 18, 1898. After this, the story becomes, if it wasn’t already, difficult to follow and even somewhat improbable. The existing machines of Keely, as well as his evidently copious, though unpublished, writings were bequeathed to a Mr. Kinraide of Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, near Boston, who was said to occupy a large laboratory there situated in a cave. Kinraide had befriended Keely and his wife not long before Mr. Keely’s death; and, some time after the very public removal of Keely’s machinery to the Jamaica Plain cave, Kinraide, upon whom the subsequent (and presumably final) vindication or condemnation of the life’s work of the late inventor depended, declared that Keely’s lifelong endeavors had been based on an elaborately devised deceit.

And so the record, as far as public opinion is concerned, still stands. In the present day intellectual environment of dogmatic materialism, this is no surprise. What happened to the machinery and the writings of Keely that were spirited off toward Boston remains a mystery. It is largely

‡ Keely was also aided by the unflagging support of his most prominent bene-factor, Mrs. Clara Bloomfield-Moore, who not only supported him financially whenever relations were strained with the Keely Motor Company, but also eloquently defended him and explained the nature of work over the years in a great number of published essays and articles. These writings were collected and published as a book in 1893 called Keely and His Discoveries.

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Book Review: From Sphinx to Christ by Travis Henry

Each night as I go to bed, I usually read a little bit from a stack of books I’ve checked out of our Steiner Library in Hudson. One book I just finished has inspired me to write a review—it’s called From Sphinx to Christ: An Occult History (1912) by Edouard Schuré.

Some backstory about the author: Schuré was an esotericist of the French tradition who joined Blavatsky’s Theosophical Society. Marie von Sivers translated his books into German, including The Great Initiates, The Sacred Drama of Eleusis and The Children of Lucifer. Sivers then introduced him to Dr. S* and Schuré became a Steinerian adherent on the spot. Dr. S even staged some of Schuré’s plays, which, in a certain sense, served as precursors to the Mystery Dramas. Sadly, during the First World War, Schuré and Dr. S threw sharp words toward each other. Reportedly they later reconciled.

This book dates from Schuré’s Anthroposophic period. It is definitely an Anthroposophic book, with references to Dr. S and his teachings throughout. That’s one thing that makes the book so interesting...it’s a retelling of the Anthroposophic view of human history, but in the form of a novelistic, thrilling tale!

As an aside: I myself am aiming to someday write a book called Human Wisdom, which will include my own compiled and re-perceived history of humanity in the light of Humanosophy (my name for Anthroposophy). Much (but not all) of Schuré’s book would be a good resource.

Here are some tidbits...First, the dross: the racialist implications sprinkled throughout are

simply passé and unfruitful. Also the praise of human hierarchy. If some-thing is not fruitful, then there is something untrue or half-true about it as well. The story told by Schuré deserves to be re-written without such blemishes. But it was not too hard to skip over those passages or mentally re-language them.

The chapter about Zoroaster leading the Iranians to revolt against the Turanians was very much like Robert E. Howard’s “sword and sorcery” stories starring Conan the Barbarian. One theosophical commentator (Joscelyn Godwin) refers to Schuré’s style as “over-written.” I find much of Schuré’s writing to be beautiful, but yes, this chapter was over-written. At least it’s memorable...I’d never pictured Zoroaster as a mighty-thewed wielder of barbarian vengeance!

Besides those marks, the book was mostly beautiful and evocative. I like the dash of purple in the prose. Some highlights:

The portrayal of the shamanic transformation of the priest within the Delphic Mysteries was intense, as she assumes the persona of Apollo. All the moreso since it was a direct translation of an ancient Roman eye-witness account.

The story of the Archangel Lucifer prematurely revealing to his an-gelic comrades an image of the future human Eve was evocative. But I would add that there must have been a masculine counterpart as well...perhaps Mephistopheles (a.k.a. Ahriman), who is a fallen Archë, likewise prematurely revealed to his archangelic ‘yes-men’ an image of the kingly strength and beauty of the future Adam, so as to tempt Them to want to control and puppeteer our precious human strength and will. We see that in the flood of corporate entities and governmental agencies today, which are archangels.

This would parallel how Dr. S indicates that eroticism and controlo-holism are the two ruts into which human beings also tend to fall:

When [...] it has not been possible to awaken the most intensive interest

* “Dr. S” is my personal moniker for Rudolf Steiner.

in such world-riddles, then these energies transform themselves into what they become in most young people today. They change in two directions into urges of an instinctive kind: first into delight in power, and second into eroticism.

—Rudolf Steiner, Education for Adolescents (1922; GA 302a)(I’d say that this quote is not only relevant to young people!)I was glad to read what Schuré wrote about the ‘great initiate’ Rama,

who he explicitly equates to Manu. Before I read this, I thought that the story of Manu leading a vanguard to Central Asia began with W. Scott-Elliot’s The Story of Atlantis (which was largely ghostwritten by Leadbeater). I realize now, after looking into it further, that the story appears to origi-nate with Antoine Fabre d’Olivet, the father of French occultism. He tells the story of Rama the druid, who led a group of Celts to the east. The story was subsequently elaborated by later French authors. I suppose Leadbeater picked the story up from the French. Then Dr. S affirmed the story as part of the Anthroposophic legendarium.

So now I want to track down the other French stories of Rama, be-cause they may offer further material for a composite ‘biography’ of Manu. Also, I’m especially interested in the Celtic Mysteries, and this French tradition may offer a story of Celtic cultural origin in relation to Manu and the antediluvian oracles.

Having said that, I acknowledge that in traditional Hindu genealogies, Rama is a descendent of Manu, about 60 generations removed. But I trust that Humanosophic ‘imaginal methodology’ (spiritual science) will be able to untangle the story, in a similar way that Dr. S distinguishes be-tween Manu—who pioneered a center in Inner Asia where human beings could remain unscathed during a series of catastrophic condensations of the misty atmosphere, which, it is said, occurred over 10,000 years ago, and resulted in the global fall and ‘thickening’ of the oceans, with the water remaining in cold climes as miles-thick, uninhabitable ice overlying the land—and his later reflection as Noah—who built a center in the mountains north of Mesopotamia, where human beings could remain conscious during the soul-flood of deathly sleep which is said to have overwhelmed humanity in the year 3102 BCE. The French perception of Rama can likewise be teased out and reconciled with traditional Indian and Theosophical-Anthroposophic accounts.

Schuré’s portrayal of Jesus’ life as a young Essene made a deep impres-sion on me. This story sparked my interest in reading more esoteric and ‘historical fictive’ portrayals of Jesus’ life. (As I write this, a friend rec-ommends to me The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus...yes, I’ll have a look!) Even if such stories are contradictory or distorted or half-true, there is something to them, because every human being—including occultists and novel-ists—has the capacity to approach the story of Jesus in some way. Jesus is the most important person in the world, yet I myself have read or viewed only a few stories about his life, beyond the Gospels, the christology offered by Dr. S and Emil Bock, Mel Gibson’s skillful but materialized portrayal in The Passion of the Christ...and...er...Monty Python’s Life of Brian.

Yet here was an artistic glimpse of Jesus as a young person imbued with the wisdom and beauty of the Essenic Society, gathering the strength to step up to a destiny as the World Savior called for in Hebrew and Iranian tradition, and thence going to unite with the pathway of John, the bap-tizer in the wilderness. And with the image of the black Cross ever in sight.

Yes, this story made a deep impression. I wonder: how would such a story be embodied in these times?

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First Class Thursday, December 1, 7:45 pm At Camphill Village, Copake. Call Anke Smeele, 329-7973.

Branch Initiative MeetingFriday, December 2, 4pm All are invited who wish to take an active part in the life of our Branch of the Anthroposophical Society, or just learn more about it. We begin with a short study from Steiner’s Anthroposophical Leading Thoughts. Contact the editor or anyone listed as a participant in the group on the mailer page of this newsletter. At Windy Hill.

The University between the State and Civil SocietyFriday, December 2, 6 pm Heinz-Dieter Meyer will talk about his new book, The Design of the University: German, American, and “World Class”, field questions and speak about his research. Meyer is a native of Germany who has taught in Europe and in the USA. The book is a study of the relationship between civil society, the state and higher education and follows the emergence of the university in the US back through England and Germany, and especially to the thinker Wilhelm von Humboldt. Humboldt developed the view that quality in educational undertakings required autonomy from the state—an idea appreciated by Rudolf Steiner. These ideas are of immediate significance around the country and the world. Rudolf Steiner Library 351 Fairview Ave #610 Hudson, NY 12534 Suggested contribution $15. Proceeds will benefit the Rudolf Steiner Library. Presented by the Rudolf Steiner Library Circle of Friends.

Madonna Exhibition at Windy Hill (Opening)Friday, December 2, 7:30 pmImages of the Madonna motif as they appear in Gerard Wagner’s Metamorphoses from various periods are shown in full-scale reproduction. A number of related original mural paintings by him will be on display as well. Visiting hours: Wednesdays & Fridays 2-5 pm, Sundays 1-3 pm and by appointment. The Gerard Wagner Gallery, 1030 Rte 21, Harlemville, (518-672-5746).

Curative Education Study GroupFriday, December 2 at 7:00pmWe will be studying The Modern Art of Education by Rudolf Steiner, Lecture 2. This group meets on the first Friday of each month at the home of Christiana and Dr. Basil Williams of 83-7 May Hill Rd near Harlemville. Everyone who is inter-ested in Curative Education or Waldorf Education is invited to participate. For directions or information call 518 672-4332.

Kissing Balls and Stars-taught by Susannah WhiteSaturday, December 3, 9-12 noonComplex 3-D geometric shapes become the ornaments of the season using colorful cardstock or old treasured holiday cards. Amazingly simple, yet intriguingly complex, you must be able to use scissors with precision, and be a patient soul. The results are worth it. At the Philmont Community Center, Lake View Dr, Philmont. Suggested Donation $0-15 per workshop. Call Susannah White 716-464-0931, .

Free Columbia Saturday Painting Saturdays, December 3, 10 & 17, 9:30am-12 noonWe will work with single colors, instruction is individual in a supportive group setting. Class will continue in January. Contact Laura Summer for info and to register. Suggested contribution $0-30 per class.

The Concerts at Camphill Ghent: “Romanticism: Pre- and Post-”Saturday, December 3, 3pm A celebration of the music of Arvo Pärt, Mozart, Debussy, Martinu, Dvorak, and Elgar. We will be transported to inspir-ing lands with the unique colors of Debussy’s violin sonata, and Arvo Pärt’s sublime stillness, as well as many favorites to warm our hearts. Violinist Joana Genova and violist Ariel Rudiakov will be joining Artistic director and pianist Gili Melamed-Lev. All are welcome to meet the artist at the recep-tion following the concert. For reservations call 518.392.2760 or go to . Tickets are $45 - families; $5 - students; $25 - adults; $20 - seniors. [This program is also offered at Camphill Village Copake on Dec 2 at 7:30pm.]

First Class Sunday, December 4, 3:15 for 3:30pm Lesson 4—Cultural Hall, Camphill Ghent. Contact Anna Rée at 518-721-8508.

Rudolf Steiner’s 6 Essential Exercises—a practice groupSunday, December 4, 5:30-6:45pmAt 84 Main Street in Philmont; call 518-672-7302 for more.

First Class StudyWednesday, December 7, 7pmAt Windy Hill. Call Hanna, 325-3648, or John, 325-1113.

First Class Thursday, December 8, 7:45 pm At Camphill Village, Copake. Call Anke Smeele, 329-7973

Ave Maris Stella: Arteum Advent Painting WorkshopFriday Dec.9, 7pm—Sunday Dec.11, 2pmPainting with Hans Schumm, Eurythmy with Victoria Sander. Our aim: working intuitively towards a heart-warming image of the Madonna as it appears out of the vast cosmic ocean of the heavens. Open to all. Sliding scale.Windy Hill Studio Barn. Call (518) 672-5746 for registration or questions.

Branch Study GroupFriday, December 9, 7:30 pmEveryone is welcome! There will be a short presentation on the four Soul Calendar verses associated with the week. We will read the first part of Chapter One of Steiner’s How to Know Higher Worlds (GA 10). To prepare for the meeting: Choose a condition for spiritual training from the reading and work with it consciously. Also, prepare to have a conversation on the question of how we work with those new to anthroposo-phy. At Camphill Ghent, in the MAGNOLIA HOUSE (second building on the service road). Call 392-1014 for comments or questions about the meeting.

December Meetings and Events

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Herbal Gifts-taught by Amelia McIsaacSaturday, December 10, 9-12 noonCome make bath salts, sugar scrubs, lip balm, and more for those you love. They make perfect winter gifts. We will use the ancient wisdoms of herbs and essential oils to create beautiful, healthy, great smelling products. If possible, bring small clean glass jars with lids, and a mixing bowl. Suitable for all ages. At the Philmont Community Center. Suggested Donation $0-15 per workshop. Call Susannah White (716-464-0931).

Holiday Craft FairSaturday, Dec. 10, 11am–3pmAll are invited to come and do some Holiday shopping. Wreaths, dog treats, baked goods, wooden items, candles, and knitted/woven items are just some of the products avail-able. Come for a light filled afternoon with holiday cookies, cider, and music. At Camphill Ghent Culture Hall. Call 518-392-2760 for information.

First Class Saturday, December 10, 3:45 for 4pm Conversation re: Lesson 4—in the residence of Anna and Brian Rée, Camphill Ghent. Contact Anna Rée at 518-721-8508.

Madonna Series with Lyre accompaniment Two Sundays, Dec. 11, 6:30 pm & Dec. 18, 7:30 pm At the home of Channa Seidenberg, 29 Maple Ave. Philmont. On December 11, an introduction to the Madonna images will be given prior to the viewing. Please call Channa at 672-4389 ahead of time if you plan to attend.

Staying Connected Study GroupTuesday, December 13, 7:30pm The Staying Connected Study Group will meet at the home of Gloria Kemp and Margaret Rosenthaler to discuss Rudolf Steiner’s Karmic Relationships, Volume IV, Lecture 10. This completes the cycle of lectures on this subject that Steiner gave in Dornach. A few days after its completion Rudolf Steiner gave what was to be his Last Address and we will dis-cuss this lecture in our January meeting. In February we begin a study of the collection of lectures entitled Life Beyond Death that Steiner gave in various locations. Contact: 672-4844.

Bee Study GroupWednesday, December 14, 7pmPlease join in a conversation surrounding chapter 3 (“Queen, Workers, Drones”) of Gunther Hauk’s Toward Saving the Honeybee at the home of Charlie Doheny, 78 Summit St., Philmont. We welcome stories and questions about hon-eybees in general. For information or directions please call Charlie at 672-5270 or Basil at 672-4332.

First Class Thursday, December 15, 7:45 pm At Camphill Village, Copake. Call Anke Smeele, 329-7973.

Healing Madonnas: Book Launch, Christmas Party & Talk by Christopher BamfordFriday, December 16, 7pmPresented by SteinerBooks | Lindisfarne Books: A dark win-ter evening calls for the light of penetrating thought and the

warmth of friendly fellowship. Come join us for both as we launch a new book by Christopher Bamford entitled Healing Madonnas: Exploring the sequence of Madonna images cre-ated by Rudolf Steiner and Felix Peipers for therapy and medi-tation: questions, origins, history, and context. A talk by Christopher on the subject of the book will be followed by a festive seasonal reception co-sponsored by the Berkshire-Taconic Branch. At the Great Barrington Rudolf Steiner School. Contact: johnscott@steinerbooks.org; 413.528.8233 (ext. 4).

Holiday Wreaths and CenterpiecesSaturday, December 17, 9am-12 noon Bring the outdoors in during the holiday season with center-pieces and wreaths that you have made yourself. We will have plenty of evergreens, baskets, ribbons, candles and ornaments. Start a new tradition or relive an old one. Suitable for all ages. At the Philmont Community Center. Suggested Donation $0-15 per workshop. Call Susannah White (716-464-0931).

Rudolf Steiner’s 6 Essential Exercises—a practice groupSaturday, December 17, 10:30-11:45amAt 84 Main Street in Philmont; call 518-672-7302 for more.

Celebration of the Christmas Festival and Honoring the Spiritual Beings in Nature Saturday, December 17, 4:30-6pm, Pot Luck Supper begins at 6:00pm. We will gather to prepare healing substances for the good Earth, celebrate the Christmas Festival, and recognize the Elemental and Spiritual Beings behind the creation of Nature. All who wish to can contribute thoughts about the Christmas Festival. Songs, poetry, a recitation of the Foundation Stone meditation, music, eurythmy, and spacial dynamics will be enjoyed by all. Special Christmas preparations will be made and together we will spread the healing substances on the good Earth. Children and adults alike are invited. At the home of Christiana and Dr. Basil Williams. 672 4332.

First Class Saturday, December 17, 7pmSunday, December 18, 9am At Windy Hill. Call Hanna, 325-3648, or John, 325-1113.

A Christmas CarolMonday, Dec. 19, 7pmCharles Dickens’ classic and beloved holiday story, directed by Ted Pugh and performed by David Anderson. Suggested donation $15-20. At Camphill Ghent Culture Hall. Call 518-392-2760 for information.

The Shepherds PlayTuesday, Dec. 20 and Thursday, Dec. 22, 4pmCamphill Ghent performs the Oberufer Shepherds Play with residents, staff , coworkers, and friends. All are welcome. Call 518-392-2760 for information.

Nature Spirits Study GroupWednesday, December 21, 7pmWe will be studying Lecture 7 of Rudolf Steiner’s Spiritual Beings in the Heavenly Bodies & in the Kingdoms of Nature at the home of Christiana and Dr. Basil Williams of 83-7 May Hill Rd. For information and directions call 672 4332.

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The Seminary of The Christian Community in North America Open Course: Seeing Christ Through 20th Century ArtDecember 12–16 With Rev. Bastiaan Baan, Rev. Patrick Kennedy Looking back to the twentieth century, we see mankind go collectively through a profound crisis. We entered a dark abyss. Out of the darkness Christ revealed himself anew. Traces of this event are reflected in the art and artists who lived through it. In this course we will learn to see these traces. Visitors are invited to participate in the full daily program of the priest training. For more information in-cluding full schedule, visit www.christiancommunitysemi-nary.org. Register on-line or by email, info@christiancom-munityseminary.org or call (845) 356-0972. At the Seminary of The Christian Community, 7 Carmen Court, Chestnut Ridge, NY 10977. Course Fee: $150.00, includes breakfast.

Exploring Truth, Beauty and Goodness through Painting and Drawing Four Saturday afternoons, January 7, 14, 21, 28, 1-4pm Contact Laura Summer for info and to register. Suggested contribution $0-200

Winter Course at The Nature InstituteQualitative Understanding of Nature: Animals, Humanity and EvolutionFebruary 12 – 17, 2017A course for farmers, apprentices, and educators. In light of deep concerns about human, animal, plant, and ecological health―which are all intertwined―the question arises: how can we learn to perceive and discern quality? Goethean phenomenology is a means to perceive and understand the qualitative and dynamic aspects of nature. At The Nature Institute with Craig Holdrege, Henrike Holdrege, and Bruno Follador. For more information and to register, email info@natureinstitute,org, call 518-672-0116 or visit our website .

A Christmas CarolWednesday, December 21 at 8 pmThursday, December 22 at 8 pmFriday, December 23 at 8 pmSaturday, December 24 at 3 pmCharles Dickens’ classic and beloved holiday story, directed by Ted Pugh and performed by David Anderson. Now an 11-year tradition, the performance of this timeless story contin-ues its evolution. Let Dickens’ classic story inspire the spirit of the Holiday Season! At Solaris, 360 Warren St., Hudson, NY. Free admission. Donations gratefully received. Appropriate for ages 10 and up. Info and reservations: 518.610.0909

Holy Nights StudySunday, December 25—Thursday, January 5, 7:30PMThe Festival Study Group will meet nightly during the Holy Nights to continue discussion of Rudolf Steiner’s The Gospel of St. John and its Relation to the Other Gospels given in Kassel June 24-July 7, 1909. We will spend two evenings dis-cussing a lecture.

At the home of Basil and Christiana Williams (518-672-4332):December 25 & 26 - Lecture 3December 27 & 28 - Lecture 4December 29 & 30 - Lecture 5At the home of Margaret Rosenthaler and Gloria Kemp (518-672-4253):December 31 & January 1 - Lecture 6January 2 & 3 - Lecture 7January 4& 5 - Lecture 8

Black Box [IIIIIII]–A Collection of Arrivals and DeparturesFree Columbia Art Installation by Swedish Artist Lina-Maria LarssonFriday, December 30, 6 pm (Opening ceremony)Black Box [IIIIIII] is a participatory art project where people from all over the world are sharing their testimony of exis-tence. Come witness a Philmont-exclusive collection, with voices from near and far. Opening ceremony begins at 6 pm and will feature live music and something savory. You don’t want to miss it! [*If you would like to contribute to the collec-tion, it is still open. Please make contact: *] At Free Columbia’s Space on Main, 84 Main Street, Philmont.

December Events continued

Advance Notice & Further Afield

“Keely,” continued

thanks to the dedicated and in many ways admirable efforts of one Mr. Dale Pond* that some light of technical explication has been shed onto the work of Keely over the last few decades. But the place of Keely’s work

* See the book Universal Laws Never Before Revealed (The Message Company, 1996), edited by Dale Pond, for the most extensive collection of published articles by Keely himself (and others), accompanied by Pond’s commentary, as well as all the extant photographs of Keely’s machines and drawings. For the best account of the story of Keely and the dramatic ups and downs of his career see the first half of Free Energy Pioneer: John Worrell Keely by Theo Paijmans (IlluniNet Press, 1998). The second half of the book delves into the “occult” background of Keely’s work and, while not entirely without merit on a histori-cal level, with no grounding in either hard or spiritual science, grasps at straws.

in the present day is far from clear. Looking out at the world looming before us, with vast amounts of money pouring into the research and development of Artificial Intelligence, and the subsequent narrowing (in large circles of humanity) of the understanding of what it means to be human, together with the sense of what it is possible to develop without the aid of machinery (technology), Keely seems very outdated indeed.

Keely built marvelous machines; but these devices were not themselves the aim of his efforts. Rather, they were meant to harness, and in a sense serve this force he had discovered (called by any number of names) so that this force, through the machines, could then serve humanity. Where can we find this today?

December 2016(Please see the Events Section for details)

Su M Tu W Th F Sa1First Class

2Branch Initiative MeetingUniversity/State/Civil SocietyGerard Wagner MadonnasCurative Ed.

3Balls and StarsFree Columbia PaintingCamphill Ghent Concert

4First Class6 Exercises

5 6 7First Class Study

8First Class

9Branch Study

Arteum Painting Workshop

10Free Columbia PaintingHerbal WorkshopHoliday Craft FairFirst Class

11

Madonna Series with lyre

12 13Staying Connected

14 Bees

15First Class

16SteinerBooks book launch, talk, & Christmas party

17Wreaths & Centerpieces6 ExercisesChristmas Festival at the Williams’First Class

18First Class Madonna Series with lyre

19A Christmas Carol

20Shepherds Play

21Nature SpiritsA Christmas Carol

22Shepherds PlayA Christmas Carol

23A Christmas Carol

24

A Christmas Carol

25Holy Nights Study begins: through Jan. 5

26 27 28 29 30Black Box [IIIIIII] opening ceremony

31

Chanticleer is published monthly, September through May, and is paid for by contributions from those who receive it.The suggested annual contribution in support of the activities of the Branch, including Chanticleer, is $50.

Checks may be written payable to the Berkshire-Taconic Branch and mailed to the same at: 1030 Rte. 21 Ghent, NY 12075.

Chanticleerc/o Windy Hill

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016Chanticleer is the newsletter of the Berkshire-Taconic Branch of the Anthroposophical Society, and aims to be a listening ear and a public voice for the Anthroposophical striving in our region, through the publication of articles,

announcements, and a calendar of events.

Anthroposophy was once described by its founder, Rudolf Steiner, as follows: It is a path of knowledge, to guide the Spiritual in the human being to the Spiritual in the universe. It arises in human beings as a need of the heart, of the life of feeling; and it can be justified only inasmuch as it can satisfy this inner need.

We welcome original articles, poetry, reports, commentary, and images that have a relationship to the Anthroposophical work in our region.Deadline for submissions, including Calendar items, is the 15th of the month prior to the next month of publication.

Submissions (including Calendar items) and subscription requests should be sent via email to: . No email? Call the editor.Items selected for publication may be edited for style, content, and/or length.

Editor: John Scott Legg, 392-0214 Original Art Work: Ella Lapointe Treasurer: Caroline Gordon Shipping & Handling: Katy Lince Other Initiative Group participants: Diane Barnes, John Barnes, Leland Lehrman, Robert Oelhaf, Jordan Walker, Dr. Basil Williams Branch Initiative Meetings are listed in the calendar: anyone interested in the life of our Branch or in finding out more is warmly invited to attend.