Festivals Celebrated at the Centre for the Year April, 2025 to 2026
Evening for the Dead
This was done by a small group of Hohepa staff. Candles were lit for past members and friends who had passed and was followed by a performance of the dream song of Olaf Åsteson.
Mid-Winter Festival
This festival was a two-part event with a reading in the morning from the four seasons and the archangels. In the evening we were joined by Bob and Jenny from Central Hawkes Bay who treated us to some music. We also enjoyed a most excellent talk on The Light in our Darkness by Johnny Ryan, exploring the outer qualities and inner qualities of light. Very inspiring. We also heard St Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, in praise of Love.
Spring Festival
This was a very full festival that went longer than any other but was also rich in cultural offerings. It started on the Saturday with a stirring and spreading of 500 on the garden. The Sunday included a 3 pm reading on the fifth lecture from the Four Seasons and the Archangels. The evening was full with the theme of “Oh Man Know Yourself”. Bob and Jenny treated us again to some excellent music. We then heard some Russian spoken, and Leslie spoke about the counter forces active at this time of year as well as part of a mystery drama scene featuring Lucifer and Ahriman.
Summer Festival
This year was preceded by an inspiring evening lecture by Norbert Mulholland on Christian Rosenkreuz and Rudolf Steiner, which set the mood. The theme ‘Lose yourself, yourself to find anew. We were treated to good music by Bob and Jenny. Contributions by Helen Procter and John Allison. Verses were recited by the speech choir as well as Norbert speaking on the Archangel Uriel.
Christmas Gathering
A recitation of the Foundation stone meditation followed by a conversation led by John Allison, on the theme, The significance of Christ and the Mystery of Golgotha for our time’
Autumn Festival
Opened with a blaze of sound from Stephen’s bagpipes as we started our festival, a rousing sound that spoke to the verse Victorious Spirit, Blaze through the powerlessness of faint-hearted souls. Burn away self-centredness - Enkindle compassion, That selflessness, The life-stream of humanity - Wells as a source of spiritual rebirth.
We were treated to recitation of various texts. John Allison gave a talk on ‘Archangel Michael’ and a small group of singers sang us a Michaelic round.