Without Anthroposophy

52 Weeks of Steiner – Week 21  (This is part of a weekly serial started on Michaelmas 2023. To see the other entries, please see the post linked HERE and scroll down to the bottom for individual links)

An old German proverb says: Please wash my fur but do not make me wet! Many projects are undertaken in this spirit but you must above all both speak and think truthfully. so if anyone asks you how to become a good teacher you must say: Make Anthroposophy your foundation. You must not deny Anthroposophy, for only by this means can you acquire your knowledge of the human being.”

Rudolf Steiner
The Kingdom of Childhood, Lecture 1

I often hear families using Steiner’s educational indications in their homeschool say they use the curriculum, but leave out the “spiritual” stuff. These same families often struggle with the choice of story themes in each grade, will often want to move faster towards academics because they feel their children are ready, will often not connect with the artistic components of bringing colour in a certain way and find it difficult to do inner work to hold the space for their home and family.

These are obviously over generalizations, and not all families will question all of these aspects of the curriculum. But these questions or challenges do exist and point to a lack of a understanding of the key component in Waldorf Education – knowledge of the human being.

Anthroposophy has Greek language roots (anyone else having My Big Fat Greek Wedding flash backs? HA). The word ‘anthroposophy’ comes from the Greek anthropos meaning ‘human’ and sophia meaning ‘wisdom’. So an education that is based on anthroposophy is an education that is based on the wisdom of the human being. Of being conscious of one’s own humanity and the humanity of others. It is often felt that anthroposophy is a religion, but it is not at all. Anthroposophy is a spiritual science or we could even say a spiritual philosophy. It does not pertain to any one religion, but encompasses them all through the study of the universal archetypal image of the human being.

Ever notice how fairytales, fables and ancestral stories from around the world have the same themes? That is because they represent archetypes of humanity. Common struggles, fears, developments, celebrations and rhythms we ALL have experienced through the collective development of humanity. That is what anthroposophy highlights. That internal wisdom that we call carry within us from the experiences of all those who came before us. That stamp that makes us human and connected, no matter where we live or where we came from.

I would say, and other’s might disagree, that an education based on Steiner’s educational indications will be based on these three tenets:

1. A child is a spiritual being that comes to the earth with a past and is heading into the future with a purpose
2. A child (or human, really) has four “bodies” with different basic functions; the physical body, the life body, the soul body and the spiritual body.
3. A child will journey through three distinct phases of childhood to support the development of each of their four bodies

Every single one of Steiner’s educational indications start with these tenets as the basis. It is impossible to separate the spiritual from the curriculum, because every part of the curriculum for each grade has been created specifically for a child based on their specific phase of physical, soul and spiritual development. I have friends who subscribe to many different religions (and those who do not subscribe to any organized religion at all!), all of whom use Waldorf education in its entirety. It is not a question of religion, but of humanity.

But Marina, I don’t believe in reincarnation. I don’t believe that we have four bodies.

To those who challenge, I often challenge back with these questions: What if we took what you believe out of the equation, and only focused on understanding the concepts? What if we took belief out of the equation and only focused on observation? What if we took belief out of the equation and created space for possibility?

What would happen then?

Back to the quote above. My dad often said this little proverb whenever my desires didn’t meet up with the reality of what it entailed. It makes me smile now as an adult, but was so frustrating as a young person who didn’t want to make adjustments to get what I wanted. Wash me but don’t make me wet. Wanting something to happen but being unwilling to make the sacrifices required for it.

For some, letting go of their predetermined biases about Waldorf education and spirituality can be seen as a sacrifice. It is hard to let go of beliefs and see things in a new light, especially if you have had negative experiences with spirituality in the past. It can be uncomfortable. It can be scary.

But I ask again; What would happen if you created space for possibility, observation and understanding?

Until next time,
Marina

PS: There are also a great number of people who steer clear of Waldorf education because they believe it is Eurocentric in its festival celebrations and story choices. That is a whole other post that would make this one way too long, but I will say this: Waldorf education is what you make of it. Individualization occurs once you understand the WHYs. Waldorf education only stays Eurocentric if you follow the “original” curriculum. It was meant to be individualized within the foundation of understanding the development of the human being.

PPS: One more thing! Anthroposophy is NOT taught to the children. It is held by the teachers and influences their choices, but is never brought to the children. Steiner was very clear on this in a number of his lectures.