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SOPHIA CIRCLE
NORTHEAST FLORIDA'S ANTHROPOSOPHICAL STUDY GROUP
Anthroposophy (noun)
[an-thro-POS-o-phy] The art and science of becoming more fully human
THE SOPHIA CIRCLE MEETING GROUPS
Sophia Zoom Circle
The Sophia Circle meets Tuesdays at 8 pm to discuss various readings from spiritual literature. For the past three months, since July 2020, we have been discussing The Gospel of St. John by Rudolf Steiner. Our sessions, formerly in person and now on Zoom, consist of reading a passage and offering thoughts, questions, speculations, opinions, experiences. The previous book we worked on was The Star in My Heart by Joyce Rupp, a great little book, sort of "easy listening" compared to Steiner. Before that we engaged with Rudolf Steiner's Isis Mary Sophia: Her Mission and Ours; that took a year. When we were determining the next book to consider, one option was Rudolf Steiner's The Archangel Michael: His Mission and Ours. Another book suggestion is Steiner's Karmic Relationships, any volume. We open and close our meetings with a prayer, a poem, a song, or an exercise. All are welcome to join, just send an email to Carrie Zarka Dooley at
Blessings!
Second Sunday Sophia Circle
Our Sunday Circle has had several incarnations. Katherine Lester had created a group which met once a month to go through Steiner's Six Basic Exercises together. Then, in April 2020, Chris Lester opened up her Zoom room for us to share and study The Spiritual Tasks of the Homemaker by Manfred Schmidt-Brabant. These meetings became weekly sources of support and inspiration for about a dozen regular attendees. Chris has plans to facilitate another round with the book, since it is so informative and helpful for the kernel of our society: the home.
Currently the Sunday Circle study group meets weekly on Zoom at 4 pm to read and discuss the witty, artistic, wise, and playful book Fairy World and Workers, a Natural History of Fairyland by Marjorie Spock. She describes the gnomes, undines and sylphs in delightful ways. She writes that Rudolf Steiner spoke about how vital it is that we get to know these fairy workers and honor the work they do, so that their efforts prosper to carry the Earth forward in its evolution.
For this reason, a few of us have planned to gather on Tuesday, September 29 in Hanna Park, near where the Spring River Waldorf classes meet. We'll celebrate the Equinox and Michaelmas with our own Autumn Elementals Celebration, making a Preparation, singing songs, and telling stories to invite, celebrate, and honor the Elementals around us. For those who want to join our effort from your own location, here are some activities suggested from School of the Elemental Beings by Karsten Massei:
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When you are out, grab a little dirt and take it with you.
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If the creek is full of dead leaves clear them away.
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Touch and caress the flowing water with your hand.
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Warm the cold stone with the warmth of your hand.
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Make a little fire and feed it with the wood of various trees.
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Put oil on the stones.
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Decorate the place with flower petals.
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Scatter flower petals in the water.
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Fill a small bowl with milk and put it there.
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Crush incense between stones and add it to the water.
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Kindle a fire; it gives us hope in the dark night.
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Walk along there wherever your feet carry you.
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Sing as you hear it sounding here.
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Read something beautiful to us.
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Make a fire on the stones in the river.
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Create a beautiful form out of stones.
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Take this stone with you – it has meaning.
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Make a beautiful little place where we can once again breathe quietly.
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Carry water from downstream and add it into the river upstream.
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Play like a child with what you find.
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Turn the stones.
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Make a fire with a lot of smoke.
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Set up a burning candle.
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Write down what you hear.
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Walk attentively.
