Jan-Willem Pieterse

Friday, April 10, 7:00PM  

Resource Center for Nonviolence
612 Ocean St, Santa Cruz

Hearing comments about reading Steiner’s texts: “it’s difficult”, “it can hit you”, “needs to be read again”, taking delight in reading it for the umpf time shows the variety of intentions and experiences. Here and there Steiner himself describes the challenges facing smithing words that represent the underlying ideas. So, it is no wonder this induces a remoteness on that path from ideas to words, to text, to a new pair of eyes, through milling it over with new percepts ever trying to reach for these original ideas. And once the idea is reached, there is more, it needs to be placed such that its perspective finds a satisfiable viewpoint among the omni presence of others. 

Steiner found a way such that each reader has the freedom to “read” original ideas again. Not so-much through facts, but let them move, puts them in perspective, addressing a listening individual. The original seed knows it has a future: to become a seed again be it after a full life. During this lecture we will work through a couple of examples by discovering geometry, inversions, enhancement and polarities. Just as a plant is composed of roots, leaves, flower and seed-power, the written text is re-created into a wholesome form. This active approach to find the original idea is then put in perspective. Every plant withers in the fall, likewise the newly discovered ideas find new life. It takes on a new form. Reading Steiner, can be difficult but never boring be it in the words, through the composition, from the ideas, fulfilling to the reader.

Jan-Willem grew up near Amsterdam. As a late bloomer he discovered his talent with fixing things, pursuing an EE degree which soon migrated into optical engineering. Balancing academic dryness, he explored esoteric interests and anthroposophy since ’78. Immigrated ‘temporarily’ to the US, San Jose in 1986. His current interests is in all kinds of transformations and inversion taking place around him.

We request our usual donation of $20 or $10 for current paid branch members.

The Santa Cruz and Monterey Bay Branch
of the Anthroposophical Society
is pleased to present:

An Evening on Spiritual Scientific Research:

Presentations by Six Branch Members

Tuesday, March 24, 7:00 PM  

Resource Center for Nonviolence
612 Ocean St, Santa Cruz

It has occurred to Douglas Wylie and Jeanie Elliott that there may well be a lot more spiritual scientific research going on in our area than most of us are aware of, either in connection with specific Sections, or simply because individuals have been carrying questions and working with them. Many of us may not realize that we have been doing research because that sounds too high, too far beyond our capacities. But if we have learned anything from our studies of Rudolf Steiner, it is that each of us is a spiritual being with untapped capacities. Some of us have developed and followed exact, if changing and developing, research questions. Others of us have been quietly striving and living with questions we may not have considered as “research”. 

The following members will present on their research topics: 

Esther Centers: Intentional Movement And Children’s Learning

Delmar McComb: Bridging the Four Kingdoms and the Hierarchies: reflections on 35 years of Biodynamic gardening

Wanda Taylor:The Gospels

Steve Spitalny: The Sense of Life and the Modern World: a physiological basis for the lack of feeling of well-being

Carin Fortin:Understanding the Relationship Between Planets, Plants and the Human Body: farming with cosmic rhythms

Scott Olmsted:Meeting Children with an Open Question: the Waldorf approach.

Esther Centers recently finished a 24-year run as a Waldorf class teacher here in Santa Cruz and continues to support children as an educational support teacher.

Delmar McComb has been a student of Biodynamic Agriculture and Anthroposophy for over 30 years.
He is a co-owner of Blossom’s Farm, a Council Member of the Agriculture Section of North America, Delmar is an operatic tenor, having performed many leading roles with opera companies over the past 25 years.

Wanda Taylor is a mother and an anthroposophist. She loves spending time with her family, in nature, with her animals and her bees, playing volleyball and reading/studying books of many genres.

Stephen Spitalny has been part of the Santa Cruz Waldorf School since the mid ‘80’s and has been a practicing anthroposophist since then. He offers trainings, lectures, and workshops in many parts of the world.

Carin Fortin is an herb farmer, herbalist, teacher, and student of anthroposophy and biodynamics, and co-founder Blossom’s Farm. Carin currently serves as member of the circle of representatives of the AG Section at the Goetheanum and as the board president of the Biodynamic Association (BDA). Carin grew up in Switzerland and moved to the United States 28 years ago.

Scott Olmsted has been a student of Anthroposophy for over 35 years. He attended Rudolf Steiner College and earned a Waldorf Teaching Certificate in 1991. Currently a class teacher here in Santa Cruz, Scott is also able to eke out a little time for gardening and the wonderment of nature.

We request our usual donation of $20
or $10 for current paid branch members.

REMINDER – THIS WEEKEND
NOTE SATURDAY TIME CHANGES!

The Santa Cruz and Monterey Bay Branch
of the Anthroposophical Society
is pleased to present:

Laurie Portocarrero

A Mystery Drama Workshop

Exploring “The Portal of Initiation” as Theater

Friday, March 6, 7:00 PM 

Paloma Hall
4096 Fairway Drive, Soquel

We are pleased to welcome Laurie back after last year’s exciting workshop! This weekend acting workshop explores the complete text of Steiner’s first mystery drama, The Portal of Initiation, through a variety of engagements and exercises that explore the art of the actor. Laurie will be using a variety of techniques, exercises, and formats that she has developed throughout her career as an actor.

Workshop will begin Friday night at 7PM and continue on Saturday, from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM (note changed time) and from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM Sunday. If you are unable to attend the entire weekend, don’t worry – you will be welcome to come for whatever segments (Friday, Saturday Morning, Saturday Afternoon, or Sunday Morning) that you can arrange. Don’t miss this! While it does work with the entire play, the activities are sufficiently “non-linear” that you will experience benefit if you just “drop in” for part of it.

There will be a break for one hour and fifteen minutes for lunch.

It is suggested that you bring a bag lunch although it will be possible to leave for lunch.

Laurie Portocarrero is an actor, storyteller, teacher, and director living in upstate New York. Trained in the Chekhov method, Spatial Dynamics, and speech formation, she has performed internationally, notably playing Maria in Rudolf Steiner’s mystery dramas and Marie Steiner in Fire in the Temple. Laurie tours internationally with colleague Glen Williamson in original two-person pieces including Fire in the Temple. She also tours with Crossing the Veil, exploring five real near-death experiences. She teaches drama and storytelling to Waldorf teachers and special needs communities. Laurie leads a Mystery Drama exploration group and gives workshops nationally on the mystery dramas and community-building through the dramatic arts.

A donation of $125 is requested to cover workshop expenses, payment on site.No one is excluded due to financial considerations.

If you think you will coming, please send an email and let us know!

With Laurie Portocarrero
March 13-16
The Christian Community
Fair Oaks, CA

Upcoming Trainings with Bernd Ruf 

Module 5 and 11, July 5-10, 2026 in Wilton, NH

Module 6 online, May 22-23, 2026

Module 7 online, September 18-19, 2026

for more information and to register go here      

Upcoming Training with Reinaldo Naciemento

Module 5,   May 1-4, 2026 in Pasadena, CA

for more information and to register go here

An Introduction to Rudolf Steiner’s Control of Thought Exercise with Organic (Living) Thinking

Saturdays: 9:30am to 11am Pacific time • February 21, March 7 • March 21

WHAT? This Lenten practice invites participants to give up habitual, dead thinking and replace it with organic (living) thought with Rudolf Steiner’s Control of Thought exercise. The first of the Six Basic (Protective) Exercises.

HOW? Zoom- meetings will be recorded.

Participants will learn the laws of organic thinking and how to apply them directly to the Control of Thought exercise, creating their own organic (metamorphic)

thinking exercise to be practiced for 5 minutes a day during lent.
Bring a notebook and a blue, green, red and yellow writing implement.

WHY? To actively strengthen the soul force of thinking. “As long as you lack the power to reel in your thoughts, as if on a string, you cannot expect that the inner world will open itself to you.” – Rudolf Steiner, Berlin, February 15, 1904

WHO? For anyone who wants to put forth the effort to actively evolve their thinking capacity with good will.FACILITATORS: MaryAnne Young and Sally Greenberg
REFERENCE TEXTS
Enlivening the Chakra of the Heart – Florin Lowndes

How to Know Higher Worlds and Occult Science – Rudolf Steiner
RSVP: Event Calendar on https://anthroposophysocial.com

Free offering for Subscriber Members ($3.47 to $7/month-cancel anytime)

3-Year Postgraduate Therapeutic Visual Arts Program

February 28 & April 25, 2026
10am-12:30pm Pacific Time

March 19 & May 19, 2026
5:30pm-7:30pm Pacific Time

With Pamela Whitman and Ken Smith

A Zoom presentation
February 25 7 PM PT

Hosted by the Faust Branch

Robert McKay, a longtime student of Rudolf Steiner’s work, met anthroposophy at the age of 17. He is a member of the Toronto Branch of the Anthroposophical Society in Canada, and is the Chair of the Board of Directors of the Rudolf Steiner College Canada. He provides lectures and workshops on anthroposophical meditation and other topics. He is a member of the School of Spiritual Science Section for the Literary Arts and Humanities. Robert works in healthcare management.

Thank you for your support.
Your admission fees pay for honoraria for our speakers.
Admission for Faust Branch Members $5
For Non-members $10
Supporting Members and Donors, no fee
You may pay using the donate button on our website faustbranch.org
Or By Check to Sacramento Faust Branch
(mail to Treasurer, Carol Nordaas, 7620 Woodglen Dr, Fair Oaks, CA 95628)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89344942665?pwd=Po5LIMPVgoCkaaYk7gaSpYLxwg3gkC.1

Meeting ID: 893 4494 2665
Passcode: 198379

One tap mobile
+16699006833,,89344942665#,,,,*198379# US (San Jose)
+16694449171,,89344942665#,,,,*198379# US

Will the Future is a Eurythmy performance that takes you on a journey to uncover the origin of evil and the power in the human being that can transform it. The program features pieces by Franz Liszt, Sergei Rachmaninoff, J.S. Bach, Victor Hugo, Annie Lighthart, Diane Robitelle, Rudolf Steiner, and more.

Performances of Will the Future are Sunday February 8th at 3 and 6pm and March 1st at 6pm.

Sunday, March 1st at 3pm we perform: Los Tres Cerditos (The 3 Little Pigs in Spanish) a story for children and adults alike.

Reviews from audience members from our recent performance:
~Wow, I am speechless…I have seen a lot of Eurythmy in my life but never of such high quality.
~Thank you all so much for this meaningful performance! So heartwarming, funny and thoughtful!
~The creativity, the heart forces, the quality of your movements, the voice, the piano, the choice of words, it was a banquet and the souls of the human beings were changed.
~I just wanted to reiterate how wonderful the performance was the other night. Totally incredible!!

Sol Metamorfloses is a group of Eurythmists, Musicians, and Speakers who are dedicated to art as a transformative medium for their audiences and themselves.
Current members include:
Lilith Dupuis (Eurythmy)
Sebastien Dupuis (Eurythmy)
Joleen Spratt (Eurythmy)
Isaiah Spratt (Piano, Speech)
Jeremiah Turner (Speech)