What’s On

with Ted Prestbury

This talk will explore the relationship between a person’s actions and the moral and legal consequences. How does the English legal system attempt to address these issues and achieve justice? Does the English legal system reflect universal spiritual laws, and can we find in it the laws of karma?

Ted has worked with Anthroposophy for over 40 years. He qualified as a solicitor in 1978 and remained in private practice until 2016. He worked as a lawyer in the city, the west end and in a country practice. He specialised in mental health work and held judicial office for 29 years.

with Dr. Peter Gruenewald

Suffering from a chronic physical or mental illness can be an existential challenge that may seemingly limit our self-expression and even social reach. It can be caused by experiences and deeds in previous lives but may also be a preparation to acquire new life skills for a future lifetime. In fact, organs that are weak in one incarnation, may become organs of strength in a next life. All illness, even physical illnesses have to be understood from their spiritual, soul, vital and physical and social aspect. Once we understand these dimensions of illness and its individual purpose, we can start to work on improving the conditions by means that strengthen our physical, vital, emotional and spiritual constitution. 

We will in this context look at two statements: ‘All illnesses are musical problems.’ (Novalis) and Paracelsus: ‘The foundation of all medicine is love.’ We will explore the question: How can we use spiritual development and initiation to work towards a true and sustainable state of health, physically, vitally, emotionally and spiritually?

 Dr Peter Gruenewald is an anthroposophical doctor, general practitioner, specialist doctor in sleep medicine and a trainer in Adaptive Resilience and stress management. He is the author of the books: Rosicrucian Alchemy. A Spiritual Christian Path (2024). Mastering Life. Rosicrucian and Magical Techniques for achieving your Life’s Goals (2022). Manifesting your Best Future Self: Building Adaptive Resilience (2020). The Quiet Heart. Putting Stress in its Place (2007).

with Graham Kennish

Any deep consideration of the truths of re-incarnation and karma will have significant impact on how we view our lives. Graham will explore how inner changes take place in our perception of the ordinary as well as the unusual, sharing events in his own life and some striking modern examples which reflect their reality.

Graham Kennish has been a Steiner Waldorf science teacher for many years, now a teacher trainer in the UK, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Armenia. Graham is a grandfather, living near Stroud with his partner Jane. He is also a driving instructor and a psychotherapist, using

Goethean Psychology - see www.goetheanpsychology.co.uk

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (born 29th September 1571; died July 1610 aged 38 years)

with Peter Van Breda

The talk will be focused on an individuality who clearly ushers in a new form of art consciousness, Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio. His colourful but also controversial life unfolded at the end of the 16th and the beginning of the 17th centuries. He was plagued by extreme behavioural episodes, his daily life was often so overshadowed by dark deeds that he found himself a fugitive on the run for most of his life. He carried though within himself the remarkable ability to paint living scenarios, mostly biblical themes, in an outstanding manner, both beautiful but often shocking. The events he paints arise out of wells of darkness but are then highlighted by shafts of light; they take place in front of you as if happening on the sidewalks of our everyday life.

In 1969 Peter had the blessing of being introduced to an anthroposophist who became a lifelong friend, Dr Jan C Louw. One afternoonarly in their friendship he enquired whether Peter had ever heard of Rudolf Steiner. After an hourlong conversation, Peter knew for certain that Rudolf Steiner and the unfolding gift of Anthroposophy would become the forefront impulse of his life. Soon he was on his way to Emerson College where he felt how a transformative seed of becoming had entered into his destiny. One gift was the two-week-long initial course given by William Mann, a devoted art historian. As the course unfolded Peter began to recognise that art through the ages was, amongst many other things, a direct indication of the phases of consciousness through which we have evolved. History of Art has remained an nnovative companion for him for over 50 years.

with Geoff Norris

In the autumn of 1924 Rudolf Steiner gave a course on Speech and Drama that was intended for professional actors. Rudolf Steiner places an important statement in the introduction to this course ‘What is important above all else is a thorough knowledge of the organism of speech, of the living structure of speech as such. This organism of speech has been produced, has come forth, out of man himself in the course of his evolution.’ Geoff will offer us an overview of the course and insights into how we can all put these into practice when we speak and listen – particularly when participating in the high social art of human conversation.

Geoff is a master teacher of Steiner Creative Speech with over 45 years of experience in the field. He is an experienced storyteller, actor and director and has performed and given workshops world-wide. He is currently training students to achieve a Goetheanum recognized siploma in Steiner Speech and has been speaking and codirecting for Eurythmy West Midlands young stage group.