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Festival & Study Committee Invitation

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Dear Friends,

At the end of November David Gershan sent out a note saying he wanted to move towards an Advent gathering on zoom, and was looking for new voices and new energy to bring that about.  I have no idea who or how many people he sent that message to, but apparently Katja Wishart and myself were the two people who responded.  As it turned out, the endeavor was postponed, and then with David’s death, it came to a halt.

David had a strong wish to develop connections among the Anthroposophical friends in the Bay Area, especially through study and festival celebrations.  Katja and I don’t have the experience or resources to carry this project, but we believe that if we reach out to you, friends of Anthroposophy in this area, we can find a small group to pull something together.

We have let time go by, so perhaps now the most reasonable target date would be St. John’s Day, June 24th.  St. John’s Day is not represented in the book “Festivals and their Meaning,”  but there are a few lectures by Steiner on St. John’s Tide in the Rudolf Steiner Archives.  A small group could gather, maybe even over zoom, and study some of those lectures and see what inspiration might come to us, in the way of artistic work, stories, music, what have you, aiming for a zoom gathering On June 24th.

Please contact Katja or me if you would be interested in working on this.

Warm greetings,

Genie Sakaguchi

[email protected]

Katja Wishart

[email protected]

Revised Dates: Preparatory Course for Spiritual Awakening

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Revised Dates
May 12th – May 15th, 2022
108 Greenwood Ave, San Rafael

You are invited to a 3 ½ day course in practicing meditative methods leading to a deeper understanding of other beings through empathy, finding one’s own higher I, and perceiving and fulfilling one’s karmic tasks. We will practice these seven steps:

  1. Separation: Learning to detach from one’s subjective perspective
  2. Logic of the Heart: Learning to order one’s feelings and uncovering one’s sense for truth
  3. Practicing empathy
  4. Dialog with spiritual beings
  5. Meeting one’s higher self
  6. Manifesting free impulses (the zodiac meditation)
  7. Bringing it all together

These methods are a well-developed process of concentration, observation, and imagination, based on Rudolf Steiner’s How to Know Higher Worlds. They create the preconditions for having direct spiritual experiences. There are no prerequisites for this course, but all first-time participants are required to participate in full.
Revised dates: May 12th – May 15th, 2022
Schedule:
May 12th: 3:30p – 7p with one ½h break
May 13th: 10a – 7p with two ½h breaks morning and afternoon and a 2h lunch break
May 14th: 10a – 7p with two ½h breaks morning and afternoon and a 2h lunch break
May 15th: 10a – 7p with two ½h breaks morning and afternoon and a 2h lunch break
Location: 108 Greenwood Ave, San Rafael.
Cost: $275-$355 (sliding scale) for first-time participants. $175 if you repeat the course. If this is more than you can afford, please be in touch and we will find a solution.
Sign up here: [email protected]
Dietlind Kionke-Thoemmes & Max Gunther

Preparatory Course for Spiritual Awakening

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May 5th – May 8th, 2022, in San Rafael


You are invited to a 3 ½ day course in practicing meditative methods leading to a deeper understanding of other beings through empathy, finding one’s own higher I, and perceiving and fulfilling one’s karmic tasks.
We will practice these seven steps:

  • Separation: Learning to detach from one’s subjective perspective
  • Logic of the Heart: Learning to order one’s feelings and uncover one’s sense for truth
  • Practicing empathy
  • Dialog with spiritual beings
  • Meeting one’s higher self
  • Manifesting free impulses (the Zodiac meditation)
  • Bringing it all together

These methods are a well-developed process of concentration, observation, and imagination, based on Rudolf Steiner’s How to Know Higher Worlds. They create the preconditions for having direct spiritual experiences.
There are no prerequisites for this course, but all first-time participants are required to participate in full.
Dates: May 5th – May 8th, 2022
Schedule:
May 5th: 10a – 7p with two ½h breaks morning and afternoon and a 2h lunch break
May 6th: 10a – 7p with two ½h breaks morning and afternoon and a 2h lunch break
May 7th: 10a – 7p with two ½h breaks morning and afternoon and a 2h lunch break
May 8th: 3:30p – 7p with one ½h break
Location: 108 Greenwood Ave, San Rafael.
Cost: $275-$355 (sliding scale) for first-time participants. $175 if you repeat the course. If this is more than you can afford, please be in touch and we will find a solution.
Sign up here: [email protected]
Dietlind Kionke-Thoemmes & Max Gunther

Dr. David Gershan

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Dear Friends,

In the early hours of Monday, January 3rd, 2022, our dear Doctor David Gershan crossed the threshold unexpectedly at home.  He was found by a friend within hours.  

Due to the suddenness of his passing, his body will be examined to determine the cause.       

Although David’s physical body is unavailable for a vigil, we may help support and bring strength to the spiritual journey David has now embarked upon.  Our thoughts and prayers may help him best by being spoken aloud during these first few days after his death. 

David was passionate about practical applications of anthroposophy, and was active in Bay Area initiatives.  Five years ago, he spearheaded the efforts to bring Anthroposophists together for quarterly gatherings in San Francisco, and he was keen to help foster enhanced coordination between regional branches.  

A family and HIV primary care specialist, Dr. David Gershan had practiced medicine in Northern California since 1993. His former positions include Medical Director for the San Mateo County Mobile (Homeless) and STD Clinics. He also served as Civil Surgeon for U.S. Immigration medical examinations. Through the San Mateo County Health Department, Dr. David Gershan cared for patients infected with HIV. He also cared for patients at St. Mary’s Medical Center in San Francisco.  As a member of the clinical faculty at UCSF, Dr. Gershan contributed as an instructor and preceptor.

Dr. Gershan began his own medical studies as a pre-med student at the University of California, Berkeley. He continued his studies at St. George’s University School of Medicine and spent 12 months studying abroad in England. He completed his residency at the University of California, Irvine, Department of Family Medicine, after serving as an intern at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center. 

Beyond his professional duties, Dr. David Gershan participated as a cook for Open Hand, a charity focused on providing food for the very ill and enjoyed playing the cello. 

BACWTT Visiting Day | Online

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Join the BACWTT faculty for an online introduction to our Teacher Training and Foundation Studies Programs. Attendees will be able to meet current faculty and ask any questions they might have about the program and application process. This is a free public event, but registration is required. For more information and to register, please contact Tiffany Lee at [email protected]

Register Now

The Political Realm As The Key to Threefolding

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The Greater Bay Area Community Gathering is happy to announce an evening presentation by Linda Lingane,
the third of “Voices From Our Community” to share ideas and encourage conversation. Linda has been a student of Rudolf Steiner’s ideas on The Threefold Social Organism since 2014.

David Gershan is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Threefolding
Time: Jul 6, 2021 07:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87238330978?pwd=SGZjY3I2WFRCU3JjQks1WDZDU3Y0QT09

Meeting ID: 872 3833 0978
Passcode: 684535
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