Anthroposophy in Hawkes Bay          

Calendar of Coming Events
-- Diary Dates

Friday was Matariki celebration holiday. The Constellation (aka Pleides, Subaru) rose in the morning at the same time as the Sun in mid-May.  It rises 4 minutes earlier each day thereafter, so now rising about 3 hours before the Sun, namely about 4:30am.

Yesterday was the Winter Solstice (at 2:41 pm NZT) and thus the shortest day of the year with 9h 22m daylight here in Hawkes Bay, Sunrise 7:33 am; sunset 4:55pm.

This morning it was too cloudy near the horizon to see Matariki, but, in a wonderful pairing, the waning crescent Moon shone beside the bright 'morning star' the planet Venus which is a week past its maximum elongation when it is brightest,  It will gradually diminish and after about 10 months it will begin to appear as an evening star and in about 18 months it will be as bright in the evening as it is now in the morning.  In a further 2 months it will be back to where it is now as 'morning star'.  The moon, however, rises about 52 minutes later every day and in 29.5 days will be back in the same phase.

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In the Rudolf Steiner Centre, 401 Whitehead Road, Hastings
unless stated otherwise.

• Friday 27 June. 7 pm. Leading Thoughts Study Group. p175 "Gnosis and Anthroposophy"; LT 159-161
• Saturday 28 June. 7 pm.  Winter Festival **
• Saturday 5 July. 9:30 to noon.  School of Spiritual Science.
• Monday 7 July at 7 pm. 1st of 4 Conversations on RS's Foundation Stone Meditation. Then 14, 21, 28 July.
• Friday 3 to Monday 6 October.  Salutogenesis Course.
• Monday 5 to Sunday 11 January 2026.  Social Eurythmy Course, at Michael Park School, Ellerslie.

David Urieli has offered to continue speaking on the theme he started at the Festival for the Dead - the journey of human souls after death.

We will find a date and let you know.

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Winter Festival

-- Regular Groups

Leaders of Regular Study Groups are invited to list what your group is doing, when and where and how those interested can join you.  Details to info@anthrohb.nz 

• Friday Leading Thoughts Study Group meets on 2nd and 4th Friday of the month at 7 pm in the Foyer.  All Welcome. Next meetings 7 pm on Fridays: 27 June, 11 & 25 July, 8 & 22 August, 12 & 26 September.
• Conversations on RS's Foundation Stone Meditation. Mondays 7, 14, 21 & 28 July.
• School of Spiritual Science from 9:30 to noon on Saturdays 5 July, 2 August, 6 September, 4 October, 1 November & 6 December.
• HB Branch Committee meetings 5:30 pm Thursdays 10 July, 14 August, 11 September, 9 October, 13 November & 11 December.

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 Why did Rudolf Steiner call the Christmas Conference of 1923/24
and shape it the way he did with a Foundation Stone?

Conversations on this theme start on Monday 7th July at 7pm at the Centre, then weekly.

Christopher Bacchus

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Taruna College is excited to be once again offering the following workshops:

Winter Warmer Craft workshops on the 26th July. Are you keen to try your hand at gilded letter creating; needle felting; pottery; flax weaving or tea towel printmaking! Workshops are $125 for the day, some of the workshops have an extra materials fee.

For more information or to register go to Taruna’s website https://www.taruna.ac.nz/courses-and-workshops/winter-warmers-craft-workshops/

 Enlivening the Earth Biodynamics Workshop on the 11 - 13 July 

This workshop will involve hands on stir and spread of 500, utilizing the rhythms of the biodynamic farming and the gardening calendar.  The workshop is designed for those who want to use biodynamic regenerative practice in their own farm or garden.  We are grateful to the Kete Ora Trust for sponsorship of this workshop #keteoratrust

Price $350 for the three day workshop. For more information follow our link: https://www.taruna.ac.nz/courses-and-workshops/biodynamic-learning-pathways/

Noho ora mai

 Charmaine Wilson

 Business Manager

Taruna College

33 Te Mata Peak Road

06 877 7174

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 Elemental Beings

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Threefold Musings

 Remuneration

Rudolf Steiner envisioned a system where workers receive enough to cover their needs, including those of their dependents, until they can produce another product or service of equal value. This approach emphasizes a holistic view of the worker and their social context, suggesting a more socially responsible and equitable economic system. 

This is interesting in that it equates remuneration for the past in terms of the future. It’s forward looking. It is not payment for work in terms of labouring hours, but of the product created or the service rendered.  Labour is not a commodity to be bought or sold, hence it has no price.  Yet, that ‘work is a commodity’ is the prevalent attitude of today, is it not?  That is not socially healthy.

Work and Income are separated.  Work belongs to the Economic Realm where cooperation applies in working together to solve the problems that need to be overcome to create a product or service; Income belongs to Rights Realm as a fair contract between human equals.  Did you feel your prejudice rise up just then: surely the BOSS is more than equal to the worker?

Wages are a remnant of the slavery of earlier civilisations, where the whole man was sold not just his labour.

There are many components to a successful business:

• An entrepreneur who has the initial inspiration and leadership;
• Investors who provide capital for buildings, machinery, tools, equipment, supplies, raw materials, taxes, research, reserves for development and the needs of workers, etc.;
• Managers who arrange schedules, etc.;
• Craftsmen, skilled workers, labourers who transform raw materials into products that satisfy customers’ human needs;
• Distributors and retailers who ensure products can be easily accessed by customers;
• Customers who need and  will purchase the products or services.

Everyone is necessary.

From a consumer’s perspective: as you are having breakfast, think how many people were involved in some way.  The table, chair, tablecloth, plate, spoon, stove, pot, kettle, electricity, oats, milk, salt, bread, butter, marmalade, etc.  Many thousands of people will have contributed.

This so-called "Division of Labour" has been around since Adam and Eve (bread-winner / home-maker) and will still evolve.  For a big car company to have a car come off the assembly every four minutes, then a person's contribution to each is presumably only 240 seconds - enough time to tighten a couple of nuts?

Sharing the proceeds or profits of the enterprise, whether it is successful or not successful, is the subject of agreements and contracts.  This is not to say that some should not get larger proportions than others.  But that one person or a few should get the lot is antisocial, surely.  What starts wars?

In the Cultural Realm we egotistically develop personal (unique) skills and talents which we can altruistically put to use in the service of others, of human society the world over in the Economic Realm.

When we work for an hourly wage, we are subtly influenced by the idea that we are just “earning our living” or caring for ourselves.  This has an egotistical tinge that undermines the altruistic quality of working to meet the needs of others.

When I know that my future needs will be taken of, I am then able to focus my full attention and good will to my work for others.

Otto Scharmer and Katrin Kaufer in their book: Leading from the Emerging Future:
from Ego-System to Eco-System Economies describe our time as an “Age of Disruption” which they characterize as a time of excessive consumption of materials, growth of economies and wealth perceived as desirable and inevitable, and a near-total focus on how each of us can maximize our individual gains. They conclude that we are in a time of “organized irresponsibility, collectively creating results that nobody wants.”

Things can only change if we begin to see our society for what it is and wish for change, live the change.

RB