one leaf at break of day

O hushed October morning mild,
Thy leaves have ripened to the fall;
To-morrow's wind, if it be wild, 
Should waste them all. 
The crows above the forest call;
To-morrow they may form and go. 
O hushed October morning mild, 
Begin the hours of this day slow,
Make the day seem to us less brief.
Hearts not averse to being beguiled,
Beguile us in the way you know; 
Release one leaf at break of day;
At noon release another leaf; 
One from our trees, one far away;
Retard the sun with gentle mist;
Enchant the land with amethyst. 
Slow, slow! 
For the grapes' sake, if they were all, 
Whose leaves already are burnt with frost,
Whose clustered fruit must else be lost—
For the grapes' sake along the wall.

— Robert Frost, “October”

~ Back in Print ~

Friedrich Nietzsche
Fighter for Freedom
Rudolf Steiner
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Immediately upon reading Nietzsche’s Beyond Good and Evil in 1889, Rudolf Steiner recognized a kindred spirit—a courageous fighter for the freedom of the human individuality who waged a fierce but unconscious battle against the unspiritual views of the age.
Rudolf Steiner met Nietzsche once in Naumburg in 1895. By this time, Nietzsche’s mental state had already deteriorated. In his autobiography, Steiner recounts his intensely affecting encounter with Nietzsche, facilitated by Nietzsche’s sister. There, Steiner describes the profound impact of being led into Nietzsche’s room and observing him lying on his bed in a state Steiner called “spirit-night.” In a radiant vision, Steiner saw Nietzsche’s ill-starred destiny, his soul yearning for the spiritual enlightenment it sought but could not fully grasp. This moment transformed Steiner’s previous impression of Nietzsche into an encompassing spiritual understanding. READ MORE

Early Beginnings of Anthroposophically Extended Medicine and Therapeutic Education in North America
Compiled by Bertram von Zabern
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How can healthcare providers strive to treat not just illness or disability, but the whole human being? Bertram von Zabern, MD, explores this question as he follows the historical thread of anthroposophically extended medicine in North America and weaves it into a tapestry illuminating the connections between the early pioneers of the field and the modern institutions, such as Weleda USA, which stand upon the foundations they laid.
In a humble and conversational manner, von Zabern shares the stories of physicians who, inspired by the impulse given by Rudolf Steiner in his 1920 lecture series Introducing Anthroposophical Medicine, set out to create a regimen of care which recognizes the human being as a spiritual being, while still attending to physical health. READ MORE

The Art of Elsa Beskow
20 Pull-Out Frameable Prints
Vintage Scandinavian Wall Prints
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This beautiful collection of twenty pull-out frameable prints includes iconic illustrations from some of Elsa Beskow's best-loved books—Around the Year, Children of the Forest, The Flowers' Festival, Peter in Blueberry Land, Woody, Hazel and Little Pip, and many more. From flower folk to curious elves, loving families to adventurous children, the prints showcase Elsa Beskow's classic whimsical style and celebration of nature. READ MORE

This Is My Treehouse
Guillaume Guéraud
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Joyful and lyrical, This Is My Treehouse observes the endless adventures our imaginations can take us on and the sanctuary offered by a space to call our own.With tender text from award-winning author Guillaume Guéraud and stunning visuals from graphic-novel artist Alfred, this evocative story celebrates the playful wonder of childhood.
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Finding the Way to Faraway Valley
Cecilia Heikkilä
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A magical, heartwarming tale of wonder and adventure, this moving picture book gently explores themes of celebrating nature and respecting wild landscapes. Cecilia Heikkilä’s stunning artwork is full of texture, color, and character.  READ MORE

From The Collected Works of Rudolf Steiner

The Anthroposophic Movement
The History and Conditions of the Anthroposophical Movement in Relation to the Anthroposophical Society: An Encouragement for Self-Examination
8 lectures to members of the Anthroposophical Society,
Dornach, June 10–17, 1923 (CW 258)
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No one has been more cutting about Christianity than Nietzsche, the minister's son. And he experiences this, let me say, with his whole being. One example is when he says—I am only quoting him, I do not, of course, advocate what Nietzsche said, but I am quoting him—that what a modern theologian holds to be true is certainly false. Indeed, one can virtually make this a criterion of truth: we recognize, in Nietzsche's sense, what is false if a modern theologian calls it true. That is roughly his definition, one of his definitions of truth. And he finds that the whole of modern philosophy has too much theological blood flowing through its veins. As a result, he formulates his tremendous indictment of Christianity, which is of course blasphemous, but which is an honest blasphemy, and therefore worthy of greater attention than the hypocrisy which is so often found in this field today. It needs to be emphasized that a person like Nietzsche, who was serious about wanting to understand the Mystery of Golgotha, was not able to do so with the means at his disposal, including the Gospels in their present form.

Anthroposophy provides an interpretation of all four Gospels. What emerges from the Gospels as the result of such interpretation is emphatically rejected by theologians of all denominations. But it was not yet available to Nietzsche. It is the most difficult thing for a scientific mind—and almost all people today have scientific minds in this sense, even if at a basic level—to come to terms with the Mystery of Golgotha. Because what does that require?

To come to terms with the Mystery of Golgotha in particular requires not a renewal of the old mysteries, but the discovery of a whole new mystery knowledge. What is necessary is the discovery of the spiritual world in a wholly new form. For with the old mysteries, including gnosis, it was only possible to stutter about the Mystery of Golgotha. Men's minds grasped it haltingly and brokenly. And this halting, broken utterance must today be turned into speech. . . .

—Rudolf Steiner, from a lecture given June 14, 1923, in The Anthroposophic Movement: The History and Conditions of the Anthroposophical Movement in Relation to the Anthroposophical Society (CW 258)

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