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Inspirations of Mani for the Future of Christianity and the Redemption of Evil

Troubadours and Cathars of the Languedoc. Through glimpses from a study-tour to the Pyrenees and a Concert with Eurythmy. Part 2: The Cathars

 October 31
3 pm ET – 2 pm CT – 1 pm MT – Noon PT – 8 pm UK – 9 pm CET

Carol Holmsen

Description: Zoom talk with PowerPoint about the Troubadours and Cathars of the medieval Languedoc with illustrations, pictures and musical clips. Facts and romanticized fiction. Why a presentation about the troubadours and the Cathars in a webinar series about Manichaeism? Who were the Troubadours and the Cathars? What was Courtly Love? Examples of several Troubadour songs. What were Cathar beliefs? Were they connected with Manichaeism? What was the Albigensian Crusade which led to the demise of the Cathars and the decline of the Troubadours?

This presentation is seen through the “lens” of a Concert with Eurythmy of Troubadour Music with a section on their neighbors and contemporaries, the Cathars, as well as through glimpses from a study-tour to the Pyrenees with Roland van Vliet in 2015. The 1987 series of Concerts with Eurythmy about the Troubadours and Cathars in Languedoc in the 1200’s was held in Norway. In the first part of this presentation, an attempt will be made to take a deep dive through immersion into the poetry and music of the Troubadours and the framework of ideas behind them. In the second part of this presentation, the story of the Cathars, who they were, what they believed, how they lived and their tragic end will be presented.

Bio: Carol Holmsen has worked in the teaching and health fields and has a background in eurythmy, curative eurythmy, nursing, rhythmical massage, homeopathy, English and literature. Author, translator, sheep-keeper of Old Norwegian short-tailed sheep, and a weaver.

Presentations are free, but a $15 suggested donation per presentation or $150 for the entire webinar will help to support this program and provide for a speaker honorarium.  

Please type “Webinar on Mani” or presenter’s name
 on the first line of your payment application.
 
To make your payment, please, follow the link DONATE

Or use Zelle to threefoldmankind@gmail.com

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81259450439

Meeting ID: 812 5945 0439

One tap mobile

+13126266799,,81259450439# US (Chicago) +13092053325,,81259450439# US

Threefolding as a Path for Peace

Threefolding as a Path for Peace

Sunday, November 15, 2026

10am Pacific Time / 1pm Eastern Time / 7pm Central European Time
3 hours — Keynote speakers and discussions
30 minutes — Planning for the future (optional)

With daily news about wars, where are the realistic discussions about how to create sustainable peace? 

Please join us on Sunday, November 15 for a rare opportunity to hear highly qualified speakers discuss both the underlying causes of war and the practical steps that we as individuals can take to shift the current dynamic toward peace.  We also want to hear your thoughts and responses during and after the conference. 

Our website, anthroposophysocial.org/global-threefolding, has been updated with a detailed program, speaker bios, a video about the motivations for members of the planning group, and ways to stay connected after the conference.  We have tried to keep our costs as low as possible so that the conference can be affordable to all.

We hope that you—and your friends—come away feeling inspired!

How to read Steiner by comprehending his style of writing

Jan-Willem Pieterse

How to read Steiner by
comprehending his style of writing

Friday, November 6 – 7, 7:31 PM

Resource Center for Nonviolence 
612 Ocean Street, Santa Cruz

Friday evening, Nov 6, 2026, 7:30-8:30 Introduction into Steiner’s style of writing allowing to present something new. Saturday , Nov 7, 2026, 9:30-12:00 and 13:00-15:30 (1:00-3:30pm) Workshop where we together discover the organic structure and its doings.

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 found anthroposophy. He ‘temporarily’ came to the US in 1986. Married with 2 kids and a decent library.

Inspirations of Mani for the Future of Christianity and the Redemption of Evil

Apostle of Light: Rembrandt and Mani

 October 24
3 pm ET – 2 pm CT – 1 pm MT – Noon PT – 8 pm UK – 9 pm CET

Cyril Coetzee

Description: This lecture proposes two hypotheses: Firstly, that the work of the painter Rembrandt is profoundly connected, not only to the spiritual impulse of Rosicrucianism, but also to Manichaeism, and secondly, that Rembrandt, as an individual, may indeed have a karmic/historical connection, of some kind, to the individuality of the 3rd century prophet and painter Mani. The lecture explores some of the Art Historical and Spiritual Scientific evidence to support these two hypotheses.

The lecture begins with a discussion of Rudolf Steiner’s key ideas about Rembrandt with regard to his supreme status as a pioneer of the culture of the Consciousness soul age, of the mission of Middle Europe, and of the mystery of the Ego as a fulcrum between East and West, as expressed in his Art- Historical lectures. Consideration is given to Steiner’s evident claim that a portrait of Christian Rosenkreuz was painted by Rembrandt and to how these ideas may support the above two hypotheses.

Rembrandt’s  proposed Manichaean connection is further explored under the following  headings:  Faust, Spiritual Light and Spiritual Darkness ; The Four Ancient Colors; The Rosicrucian Gaze ; The Painter as Spiritual Teacher; Painting and the Bowl of the Holy Spirit; Elchasites and Mennonites ; The Interfaith Circle of Amsterdam ; King Casper at the Nativity ; The Temple and the Christian Knight ; Three Trees, Three Crosses and the healing of the sick ; Self Portraits at the Crucifixion; Realism, Flesh and Flaying.

Bio:  South African Painter, Art Historian and Anthroposophist, Cyril Coetzee (MA Fine Arts, BA hons Literature) began his career as an Art History lecturer at Witwatersrand University. After a few years he became a fulltime artist, specializing in portraits and figurative works.

He has exhibited his work widely and has won several prizes, including the Helgaard Steyn Award for painting. He has painted numerous portraits of prominent personalities including several of Nelson Mandela, one of which was used for the International Postage stamp commemorating Mandela’s 90th Birthday.

He is best known for the 28 square meter Canvas he painted for the William Cullen Archive in Johannesburg, a work which has been documented in a collection of scholarly essays entitled: ‘T’ Kama -Adamastor, Inventions of Africa in a South African Painting’.

He has authored and co-authored several books and academic articles, including: ’The Poetry of Sight: The Art of Harold Voigt’.

Presentations are free, but a $15 suggested donation per presentation or $150 for the entire webinar will help to support this program and provide for a speaker honorarium.  

Please type “Webinar on Mani” or presenter’s name
 on the first line of your payment application.
 
To make your payment, please, follow the link DONATE

Or use Zelle to threefoldmankind@gmail.com

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81259450439

Meeting ID: 812 5945 0439

One tap mobile

+13126266799,,81259450439# US (Chicago) +13092053325,,81259450439# US

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