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Why the Christmas Eve and the Holy Nights Meditations are essential?

December 24, 2023 by Leave a Comment

R. Steiner gives the possibility for a whole new deepening of the Christmas Eve and Nights experience.

Every night through the year, around midnight, our guardian angel meets with us/touches us particularly close.

Once a year the Christ Being through an Archangel touches us very close in the night of Christmas and/or the following seven nights. This allows a “meeting” whose echos are felt long afterwards.

(2.20.1917, CW 175)

Our meditative life directed to these events helps the occult depth of the meeting process.

Wising you a Holy Christmas Time and Following Holy Nights,

R. Rentea MD

 

Cartilage Plus – Why, When

May 16, 2017 by Leave a Comment

Many cartilage products are available on the market. Especially the undenatured UC-II form of collagen has proven to be effective in increasing flexibility of the joints, and alleviating joint discomfort in osteoarthritis as well rheumatic arthritis.

Collagen supplements also help in other autoimmune conditions.

Collagen is derived from animal sources.

Rudolf Steiner points out that remedies made from animal origin affect/strengthen the etheric body. In our time when the life forces are so stressed and more and more people suffer literally from devitalization of their life forces it is no wonder that these remedies are gaining in importance.

In the True Botanica supplement, also included is Stannum (tin) in potentized form. According to Rudolf Steiner this metal (in potentized form) helps the Ego organization to enter more deeply into the etheric body of the connective tissue and strengthen it.

Ross Rentea MD

Ginger Reduces Painful Periods

May 12, 2017 by Leave a Comment

According to recent data up to 90% of young women report that they are suffering from painful menstrual periods*.

For those not willing to take the conventionally prescribed medication (or not able to tolerate it, due to the significant side effects) ginger seems to be an effective alternative.

The recommended dosing is 750mg-2,000mg in three daily divided doses for the first three to four days of the menstrual cycle.

True Botanica has paid particular attention to make this formula stronger for supporting not only the etheric body functions (anti -inflammatory effects) but also the higher ego organization. This was achieved through unique features. With the addition of the ashes of the ginger root to the final mix the formula contains not only the basic primary active ingredients, with their soothing effects, but contains also the trace minerals naturally occurring in the plant. It is these minerals that support the higher spiritual functions of the human being. The ego organization needs minerals which it then uses to directly regulate the warmth content in the body. We have indeed noted a more warming and consequently relaxing effect of this formula than after the use of other ginger products on the market. This warming effect may not only help momentarily but may also reduce the incidence of the cramps in the future.

With the increasing stress in our culture, stress that is experienced by humans of all ages- girls too (!) – it is no wonder that a “warming” ingredient is beneficial in relieving “cold” cramping (constriction) and pain.

There are many more useful applications of ginger. Its use needs to be greatly increased.

Rentea MD

 (*Pain Med.2015Dec; 16(12):2243-55 in “Dysmenorrhea and Ginger”, FamilyPracticeNews.com, 3/15/2017)

Lili kolisko’s 40th Death Day Anniversary

November 20, 2016 by Leave a Comment

Dear Friends,

Lili Kolisko died 40 years ago on 11.20.1976.

Rudolf Steiner pointed out that we can understand a lot about the spiritual intentions of a person by observing their death day and the meaning of that day.

I was surprised at the insight that one can gain about her when one looks at the verse of the  34th week in the Calendar of the Soul.

Mysteriously, what was kept of Old
With newly awakened Selfhood-being
Within my Inmost, re-enlivening itself, feel:
It should, awakening World-Strengths
Pour out into my life’s outer work
And by becoming imprint me into Existence.

This is the week when we are particular guided to combine the impulses that are coming to us from two directions (we shall discuss this shortly) in such a way that they undergo a re-enlivening. They should be felt and thus enable us to awaken within ourselves powers of the universe, the cosmos, the world. These new powers that we have should be poured into our practical work in the outer world. With this action of changing the world around us, through these spiritual forces, we can imprint a seal of our own personality into the existing world around us.

It is important to note that Rudolf Steiner does not say, does not “just” say, that we should be working in the practical physical world around us but rather that we should be active through the new powers that we can gain. We should change the world through re-enlivened spiritual impulses.

What are these “Old” and what are the “New” elements?

One can look at them on many levels.

One could simply say that we should at this time combine the, by now old, summer forces with the coming, new forces of autumn. Not incorrect. One should indeed combine the forces of warmth, of light, the glow of the outward radiating impulses of the summer with the clear, more accurate,  more self-aware, less dreamy,  forces of the autumn. Combine the Head and the Heart.

One could, however, also realize that the human Gestalt, the human form, is the result of the Old Saturn, the Old Sun, the Old Moon, and those forces are still preserved in us, they continue to act in us. These “Old” powers need to be re-enlivened with the powers of the New Selfhood, the new Ego strengths. Only by uniting the two streams can we truly make an imprint on the world, change the world in the spirit of anthroposophy, let the spirit be visible in the physical world, show that it is the spiritual impulses who are the “changers” of the world.

(Incidentally, this is of course the perennial value of the Calendar of the Soul: it shows at all times how we can be, in our inner Soul workings, in harmony with the events that Outside, in Nature, the Gods are working on. )

This verse I believe illuminates Lilly Kolisko’s lifelong work and intentionality: to create experimental situations where (confirmed by Rudolf Steiner) pure spiritual forces could be seen directly affecting the etheric forces of growth in the plants; where cosmic star forces could be seen to be real in the world; where a medicine could be arising in the future based not just on physical but also on spiritual laws.

(Lili Kolisko was of course concerned to represent spiritual life in many other areas.)

I want to draw everybody’s attention one more time to the fact that on the Kolisko website we provide every week the verse of the week of R. Steiner’s Calendar of the Soul. you will find the verses both in the original German and in my special translation that attempts to stay as literal as possible to the original translation.

But we go one step beyond that. With the help of my friend Dr. Mark Kamsler we give every week also the eurhythmy movements – with the correct colors- as given by R. Steiner. R. Steiner tells us that meditating (an if I may add moving) these verses every week can connect us to the impulses and the beings that are guiding that week.

This is one of the several efforts of the Kolisko Institute.

In the name of all co-workers and the Kolisko Institute Board I want to warmly thank All who follow us, support us and make our striving worthwhile.

In Thanks,

Ross Rentea MD

 

 

St. John, the Star Impulses and Community Life

June 24, 2016 by Leave a Comment

Dear Friends,

Rudolf Steiner characterizes summer as the time when the soul of the earth strives towards the stars- as opposed to the winter when the earth soul withdraws into its depth. The human being follows this movement as well with his/her soul-spiritual activity. In the summer we “look to the outside” to nature, to the stars, we seek guidance from “above”. Who helps us to receive the impulses from the stars and their spiritual beings?

In a surprising result of his spiritual research, Rudolf Steiner finds that we are mediated the spiritual impulses connected with the Stars through the etheric bodies of those who have crossed the threshold ahead of us, the dead.  The etheric bodies in general are filled with starry impulses.  In the case of most human beings who have gone across the threshold, their etheric bodies are dissolved relatively quickly after death, however, in the case of those who have led a particularly spiritual life and particularly in those who have died young, the etheric body is preserved for a very long time and helps the evolution of mankind.  (Lecture, May 18, 1915 )

A primary example is the being of John the Baptist who through many incarnations, has not only, out of his destiny, died at a very young age but selflessly devoted himself to the help of humanity. His powerful etheric body still helps today.

Concerning ourselves at this time of the year both with the individuality of St. John and the world of the stars would enable ourselves strongly to reconnect with the spiritual world and better understand our duties in our earthly incarnation.

(Incidentally, this is The  ideal time to do Eurythmy and express the spiritual impulses of the stars in our etheric body all the way through the physical movements themselves. For a special treat see the Eurythmy movement for the St. John verse in the Calendar of the Soul on our website.)

Furthermore, we know from Rudolf Steiner that after his death John the Baptist was the direct inspiration of the twelve apostles and became in more than one aspect their Group Soul. Following this archetypal gesture he has become one of the main impulse givers towards group work, towards community life.

It is no wonder then that Rudolf Steiner talks so fervently about the John the Baptist in the very last lecture that he gave on September 28, 1924.

In a world that is going into a direction where people are increasingly separating from one another,  in a world where debates are alarmingly often centered on characteristics of personality rather than objective issues, in a time when more than in many past decades young people are dying the world over due to violence, in a time when even countries are splitting apart  from larger communities (see the British vote of yesterday,  the results tragically being announced precisely at  St. John’s) our striving to build communities must accompany any individual goals.

At this St. John’s time we are thankful to our “Kolisko” community – and all it represents.

In the words of a meditation of Rudolf Steiner’s:
“May common feelings warm us to Human Deeds.”

Easter 2015 – what the stars are saying to us; what we can speak to the stars

March 18, 2015 by Leave a Comment

Dear friends,
This year there are some significant aspects to Easter that should give us pause for meditation.

First let’s look at the dates.

Good Friday is on April 3rd with Easter following on April 5th. These dates coincide with the original, historical Easter. According to Rudolf Steiner’s occult research the Death of the Christ on the Cross occurred on April 3rd, at 3 PM after which the Christ united His Being with the Being of the Earth and thus gave the earth its special meaning and the possibility for evolution into the future.

The falling together of the historical Easter and the actual Easter is a rare event in itself.

What seems to be even more unusual is the fact that this year a solar eclipse will occur on the date of the spring equinox. The last time that this has occurred apparently has been in 1662 (Communication of H.A. Ginsberg). The Easter date itself is set, as we all know, in connection with the spring equinox: Easter is the first Sunday after the first full moon after the spring equinox. Additionally, Rudolf Steiner points out that the spring equinox sun brings with it to the earth every year the determining impulses that mankind needs in the era of the consciousness soul.

The need to understand now the event of a sun eclipse becomes evident. In a lecture given on the 25th of June 1922 Rudolf Steiner reveals the occult significance of a solar eclipse. He elucidates that under normal circumstances good impulses emanating from the earth towards the cosmos connect themselves with the sun rays that are coming in towards us while the evil impulses that are coming out from the earth are being burned off at the same time by these sun rays, sunlight. However, during a solar eclipse evil impulses are allowed to escape from the earth, and that way a phenomenon like an open valve occurs that allows some of this “evil steam” to leave the earth. We can only ponder what this means when a solar eclipse occurs on the day of the spring equinox. (Find out in the lecture what he also says about the lunar eclipse.)

A third significant aspect is shown to us if we look towards the stars  and find that now the planet Jupiter is between  the actual constellations of  Cancer and Leo. In the human body the constellation of  Cancer coincides  with the lungs while the constellation of Leo  is represented by the heart. Their significance will become apparent for our considerations if you keep in mind  that Rudolf Steiner characterized one time  the Mystery of Golgotha as being the Mystery that occurs  in the interaction between heart and lungs. Consequently, events happening between Cancer and Leo  are related to the Easter mystery and this year  are also connected to the planet Jupiter,  the planet of wisdom and much more. Jupiter is the one who tries to reveal to us  the significance of this year’s Easter Mysteries.

It is up to each of us  to engage in serious  meditation  and perhaps share with each other our findings.  What we can speak to the stars is that we can  first and foremost  attempt to make a special connection  inwardly  to the Sun forces  by meditating on them.  Directly relating to creating a bridge  for the sun forces  to come to earth  is also the practice  of doing Eurythmy. All movements of Eurythmy originate in the Etheric Body, the part of the Human organization governed by the Sun forces.  We should try to practice these movements  particularly intensely  for the next two weeks.

Allow me to mention one more aspect briefly.  In the same lecture  referred to above  Rudolf Steiner ends  his thoughts  by observing  that there is a method  by which  the luminous sun forces  can be brought  into  the dark regions  that the root of the plants live in.  This methods consists  in burning the root  and obtaining the ashes of the plant . These ashes  spiritually still contain  the energy that comes from the light in the warmth of the sun forces. The ashes then should be mixed with the root and thus “significant remedies could be obtained”. We should be happy  that in the US the  anthroposophical supplements are available  where indeed  root formulas  also contain the ashes of the plants.  Thus the Sun and the  Earth forces are reunited alchemically. Taking such remedies  becomes now  not only a  “personal health enhancement issue”  but becomes also  a service  to the forces of the Good  in the world.

Wishing us all a Sun Light filled Easter time,

Ross Rentea

Rudolf Steiner’s Birthday!

February 27, 2015 by Leave a Comment

Today we are celebrating the 154th Birthday of Rudolf Steiner (February 27 1861)!

Rudolf Steiner disliked “commemorative and remembrance days”.

And yet he stressed the importance of Birthdays. Why? Because drawing near to the person in question on their birthday we come closer also to their angel and thus we get to understand their impulses and their personality better. We can align ourselves closer to them -or distance ourselves from them.

(I am surprised how often people remark that their birthdays were never observed in any way.)

He again and again expressed a desire to be understood not worshipped.

How often that in itself is misunderstood! Because understanding Anthroposophy is to Do Anthroposophy.

I would like to hear from the readers how they understand this.

To be better able to understand him here are some verses from his Mystery drama, The Soul’s Probation, Act 1:

My words don’t want to just convey

What they reveal when they are taken as mere sheaths of concepts;

They steer the Soul’s Powers

To the Realities of Spirit;

Their meaning is only fully comprehended

Wenn they loosen the Seeing in those Souls

Who give themselves to their Power.

They don’t result out of my research

But rather are entrusted to me by Spirits

Who have insights into the signs

By which world karma reveals itself.

To lead to the very origins of knowledge

Is purpose of these Words.

Let our activities on this day be a Birthday Gift to him.

Ross Rentea

Why we have Educational Programs at the Lili Kolisko Institute!

January 28, 2015 by Leave a Comment

We all know the saying: learn one; do one; teach one.

In that spirit the Institute has been founded by a group of colleagues that have been studying anthroposophy for over 40 years, have been practicing anthroposophic medicine for over 35 years and have engaged in anthroposophical research for over 10 years. So, after many years of learning and doing they felt that it was time to share with others their experiences and enthusiasm. The intention was and continues to be to share practical indications that lead to incorporating anthroposophy into one’s daily work. This will refresh one’s physical and spiritual health. Rudolf Steiner wanted anthroposophy to be understood as an impulse that takes hold of the “entire human being” not just become a source for “reading material”. We feel that the groundbreaking work of Rudolf Steiner is the most significant impulse that can counter the destructive tendencies of our time. But his impulses need to be taken up into one’s will and they need to be practiced – and we hope to help in the “how”!

We feel that including into our presentations research that we have actually done at the Institute, right here in the US, raises the credibility of our strivings – especially to those not intimately connected yet with anthroposophy.

Here are some of the topics we have covered for various groups:

  • Understanding and treating chronic illnesses like metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular diseases and more from an anthroposophic viewpoint.
  • The contribution of anthroposophical thinking to the mental health and development of our children – and those who care for them. Anthroposophy, spiritual science, is uniquely suited to understand the modern challenges our children face in the modern world and show pathways to decrease the negative influences resulting in physical and behavioral illnesses.
  • Clarifying why the new movement form called Eurythmy is an essential part of one’s daily physical and spiritual growth regimen; teaching the actual steps necessary for its practice.
  • Presenting insights on the history, the esoteric foundations and meditative practices of anthroposophy.
  • Presenting specific research done at the LK Institute.

As seen from above we direct our attention to both professionals and lay groups.

We have given webinars and many other contributions online. We consider nevertheless our “in person” visits to groups throughout the country to be the most significant endeavors. Nothing can replace the person to person encounters. For those workshops we have asked only for minimal monetary support – and often none at all. Any funds coming in are of course going to support the further work of the Institute. We look forward to continued invitations.

We hope thus to work towards one of the most cherished goals of R. Steiner: the creation of institutions from where anthroposophy is practiced and researched in groups and then, when joining with communities, can spread these much needed impulses into the world.

The LKI is a non- profit, 501(c)3 organization which gratefully accepts tax deductible donations.

 

A Rudolf Steiner Meditation for strengthening responsibility and against fear

January 20, 2015 by Leave a Comment

Dear Friends,

With the coming of the New Year come also the new responsibilities and obligations. However, we often get intimidated by inner and outer fears and become less able to accomplish our intentions.

A hundred years ago, in the tumultuous time of the First World War, Rudolf Steiner gave this meditation (in my translation) to a person that was being entrusted by High Beings in the Spiritual World with a particular task. This person needed strengthening because he was allowing himself to be sidelined and thus prevented from carrying out that task. Not standing firm he was essentially allowing adversary forces to succeed in purposes contrary to his own.

Doesn’t that often happen to us too? Do we not often know exactly what is expected of us spiritually/anthroposophically and yet we succumb to material needs and fears? Do we not often get overwhelmed by the world around us? Do we not often choose physical comforts over what we know to be our spiritual mission? Do we not overvalue perceived risks? Do we not need help?

This meditation will help us to neutralize misleading impressions that disable us, that make us timid. This meditation is meant to give us strength:

What do you deceiving thoughts, and images that lead me astray

Have to do with the High (purpose) that I must (do);

The Spirits want it of me after all.

Thus I remove the enmity to my own Soul,

By forcing myself to strong thinking,

Out of my timid heart,

That strongly serves me if I only will it.

As in any meditation of R. Steiner’s the cadence and the peculiar sequence of the sentences is crucial. The weaving back and forth is just as much unusual in German as it appears here in English – but we need to observe it. First the question is raised what the thoughts and images of the physical world have to do with the spiritual mission that the person knows it has to do. Then the certainty needs to be reasserted that one is aware that the good spiritual beings have entrusted one with a high mission- for each person its unique one. Then the realization comes that by forceful strong thinking (the right thinking) one can remove the hindrances that make the heart timid and thus transform it into a Courageous Heart.

Happy New Year,

From all of us at the Institute

 

Lilly Kolisko-Thank you

November 20, 2014 by Leave a Comment

On this November 20th we can warmly remember the individuality of Lilly Kolisko. She passed into the spiritual world 38 years ago. (To refresh oneself on who this personality was (9.1.1889-11.20.1976) please see our website under the About Section and where you will find a fairly complete biography of hers.)

Speaking about the painter Raphael R. Steiner once said that his worth and stature in the spiritual world was increasing every time when human beings still remembered his works and were benefitting by them. The same can be said of L. Kolisko who clearly is an inspiration to all striving human beings to this day.

In another context, R. Steiner points out in his Karma Lectures (1924) that the personality of Tycho Brahe, the astronomer – a later incarnation of Herzeloide, the mother of Parcival – was active in guiding in modern times the development of the science impulses needed to further the “spiritual science” aspect of anthroposophy.

I feel confident that Lilly Kolisko is engaged in the same inspirational stream. As one of the most successful and faithful scientific experimenters and esoteric students of Rudolf Steiner she can be a guiding light to us all.

Thank you Lilly Kolisko!

N.B. We want to thank all those who follow us on this Blog. If you would like to stay informed on our ongoing research, education and outreach activities and continue to support us please have a look at the newly updated  “Brief Report and Appeal“.

Thank you to All who make our work possible!!