An Invitation to the 2nd Freedom Mystery Conference

01 Jun An Invitation to the 2nd Freedom Mystery Conference

The books written by Dr. Rudolf Steiner are not books in the usual sense. Works like The Philosophy of Freedom, Theosophy, Occult Science: An Outline, and Knowledge of the Higher Worlds and Its Attainment are nothing less than evolutionary opportunities waiting for humanity to take them up. As opportunities, they are inexhaustible. The more effort we bring to these books, the more we can gain as powers, through their light, to act creatively and practically in our lives. With Dr. Steiner’s writing, if can we find the way to engage them, we move from text to transformation, first of ourselves and eventually, of our culture.

Similarly Dr. Rudolf Steiner’s Four Mystery Dramas are not plays in the usual sense. Like other plays, they contain moments of enjoyable entertainment, gripping drama and thought-provoking dialogue, but they are far more than that. To put it plainly, for a soul ready to receive them, they are magical. When properly presented, they have a direct, almost medicinal impact on the souls of audience members. The drama, dialogue and decoration in these plays combine to have an awakening effect that works differently on each audience member.

Of course, all of this is hard work! The wear and tear of modern life leads most of us into sitting for hours a week in utter passivity watching television or movies, feebly consuming the production of someone else’s imagination, as opposed to using our own. We may well need these “down times” but we also need encouragement and support to activate our intention to grow and learn. While some solo work is undoubtedly required to engage anthroposophy, we can also find real sources of warm encouragement and flowing energy through working in groups.

The second Freedom Mystery Conference is a chance to tap into a great source of encouragement and energy. Building on the highly successful first conference in the fall of 2015, the second conference is shaping up to be an equally remarkable experience. This year’s conference, which will be held in Thornhill, Ontario from October 21 – 23, will provide participants with an innovative approach to working with Dr. Steiner’s The Philosophy of Freedom and bring this most challenging book into active dialogue with Dr. Steiner’s first Mystery Drama, the Portal of Initiation.

This year, the conference will take up Dr. Steiner’s indications in The Philosophy of Freedom for the cultivation of the life of feeling. Conference participants will be provided with experiential opportunities to explore profound questions relating to the emotional life such as:

• Is it possible to actively cultivate a feeling of love for another person?
• Can we actively fathom a feeling to discover what it can impart to us about life and the world?
• Does the orientation of the “I am” differ with respect to feelings which are passively received versus feelings which the “I am” has worked to cultivate?

First, we will work individually with exercises derived from The Philosophy of Freedom. Then we will come together in small groups to share our work in structured group exercises which , through the sharing, reveal the unique individuality of each of us. As we work our way into these substantive questions over the course of the weekend, we will witness the first two thirds of the Portal of Initiation, from the Prelude to Scene Seven, in which Dr. Steiner unfolds a picture of soul development in all its fullness through the character of Johannes Thomasius. We are especially lucky to have both Daniel Hafner and Jonah Evans as guides. These two extraordinary speakers will bring rich commentary throughout the weekend. For more information on the conference, see www.philosophyfreedom.ca. We hope to see you there!

Robert McKay