Newsletter 17: Sunday 26 April 2026

Anthroposophy in Hawkes Bay       

Rudolf Steiner Centre, 401 Whitehead Road, Hastings 

Events in brief

over next 2 weeks:  26 April to 10 May 2026

• Tuesday 28 April. 9:15 am. Sue Simpson's Eurythmy Term 2 begins.
• Saturday 2 May. 9:30 am. School of Spiritual Science, Lesson 4.
• Friday 8 May. 7 pm. Friday Conversation Group. Focus: "Karmic Relationships" Vol viii, Lect 6, p74.

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Later in the year:

• Monday 11 to Friday 15 May. A Story Workshop
• Saturday 16 May 3:30 pm. Matthew Frear's Presentation**
• Friday 22 to Sunday 24 May. Meditation Seminars poster with Norbert Mulholland**
• Sunday 31 May. Evening to Commemorate the Dead.
• Friday 12 June.  Talk by Dr. Richard Drexel on "Sleep" at Taruna College.
• Saturday 13 June.  ASNZ AGM and Society Day in Hawke's Bay
• Sunday 28 June,  Midwinter Festival.
• Saturday 25 July. Anthroposophy Hawke's Bay AGM. 

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EURYTHMY

Take this opportunity to explore & experience eurythmy. Taikura is in a unique position that all children can do eurythmy.  For many people the effect and benefit of eurythmy is best understood through doing it.

So come along and join us, all are welcome!

9 sessions over 9 weeks

Tuesday 28th April - 23rd June

9:15 – 10:15 am

401 Whitehead Rd

Cost $125

Contact sue.simpson0@gmail.com

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For Study Course on Refined Breathing, refer to NL 16

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Musings on Arithmetic 5

Click on link for last week's musings as PowerPoint presentation: ARITHMETIC_4_Writing_Numbers.pdf

This week's theme:   Addition & Subtraction

• Combination & Separation
• Expansion & Contraction
• Inhalation & Exhalation

The mental activity involved in Arithmetic can be considered a 'spiritual activity' and is thus a very important part of anyone's education.

Arithmetic Operations [Will]

•The result of the operation of addition [+ "plus"] (combining, gathering) is the SUM.

•The result of the operation of subtraction [- "minus"] (separation, dispersing) is the DIFFERENCE.

•The result of the operation of multiplication [ x or * "times"] (stacking) is the PRODUCT.

•The result of the operation of division [/ or ÷ "divided by"] (splitting) is the QUOTIENT [or Quota]

This activity is often shown in the form of an equation with a equals sign =.

= signifies a balance where what is on the left has the same value as what is on the right of it.

For example: ten is equal to nine plus one:  10 = 9 + 1

Number Bonds

The base of our number system is ten, 10.  It is called the Decimal System. Decimal means based on ten.

So, it is useful to know these relationships "by heart":

An Equation is a Story

•The simplest folk or fairy story has 3 elements:

1.An initial situation, a beginning, the scene is set’

2.The protagonist or main character, leaves home, goes on an adventure and carries out some action.

3.The protagonist returns home or settles, transformed as a result of the adventure.

•An arithmetical equation depicts a story, also with 3 elements:

• An initial situation, a position on a ‘number line’;
• The adventure is an arithmetical operation (action);
• The result is the homecoming.

Helen left a plum tree with 20 plums;
On the way home she met James and gave him 7 plums for his family;
When Helen arrived home she had 13 plums.

When reduced to numbers the essence of this story becomes:

20 - 7 = 13

A decimal number chart - - rather than a number line

A number line listing all numbers in order can be very long and the larger numbers soon get lost to sight.

When we write – in English [and other European languages] we start at the TOP LEFT of the page and write horizontally to the RIGHT. 

When we come to the right edge we ‘fold’ the line and continue it BELOW the first line,
and continue DOWN the page to the BOTTOM.

(there is quite a number of other languages, e.g. traditional Mandarin,
that write vertically, or from right to left) 

•We can also fold the number line: - after 9 start a new line below with 10, and so on – up to 99.

•Each decade has its own horizontal line.

•Each vertical column has the same units figure.

•To be complete, we need to start from ‘zero’. 0

We could continue with a second chart behind this one (3rd dimension) with the nombers 100 to 199; then another with the numbers  200 to 299; and so on...

Addition & Subtraction operations shown on the Chart

The value of such a chart in the classroom is that it makes the processes of addition and subtraction VISIBLE.

We have a starting position, an action or movement, coming to a final position or result.

•When we add a number under 10 we move to the Right:

•E.g.  4+3.  start at 4 and move 3 positions to the Right to a final position 7.

•When we subtract a number under 10 we move to the Left:

•E.g.  19-7.  start at 19 and move 7 positions to Left to 12.

•When we add a number multiple of 10 we move Down  to the rows below:

•E.g.  25+30.  start at 25 and move down 3 rows to 55.

•When we subtract a multiple of 10 we move Up to the rows above:

•E.g.  87-20.  start at 87 and move up 2 rows to 67.

Notice the difference between position (static) and movement (active)

Here you can visualise the above:

Using larger numbers:

Some more next week.

Robin