Eurythmy Forms for the Calendar of the Soul: Cw a 23/2(Collected Works of Rudolf Steiner)

These eurythmy forms and indications (CW A 23/2), published here for the first time in English, were given by Rudolf Steiner for the weekly verses of The Calendar of the Soul. The wealth of forms and metamorphoses in the cycle of the year is study material for all students of eurythmy. The forms can also be stimulating for those who are not practicing eurythmists but are interested in deepening their relationship with the calendar's verses and the cycle of the year. The forms and indications illumine many aspects of the verses that are otherwise hidden. Through the changing number of performers, the forms acquire their unique character. The white dresses, which are worn for all fifty-two verses, are enlivened through the changing colors of the veils. Whether a specific color is in the middle of the form or at the periphery, whether the color belongs to a large or a small form, and so on--all of these aspects create a differentiated play of forces that offers refreshment for the soul. Over the years, the forms have been frequently traced and copied by eurythmists. This has resulted in distortions of the original and inaccuracies. A faithful reproduction of the original forms is therefore necessary. In many instances, the verse is written on the same page as the form, and the form and text create a whole. In this English edition, a translation of the indications for the forms (written by Rudolf Steiner directly on the forms themselves) has been provided by Dorothea Mier. This allows the reader not only to engage with the forms themselves but also with the specific movement indications for each verse. Rudolf Steiner's lighting and costume indications for the verses are also included, along with the classic English translation of The Calendar of the Soul by Ruth and Hans Pusch.

About the Author :
Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) was born in the small village of Kraljevec, Austro-Hungarian Empire (now in Croatia), where he grew up. As a young man, he lived in Weimar and Berlin, where he became a well-published scientific, literary, and philosophical scholar, known especially for his work with Goethe's scientific writings. At the beginning of the twentieth century, he began to develop his early philosophical principles into an approach to systematic research into psychological and spiritual phenomena. Formally beginning his spiritual teaching career under the auspices of the Theosophical Society, Steiner came to use the term Anthroposophy (and spiritual science) for his philosophy, spiritual research, and findings. The influence of Steiner's multifaceted genius has led to innovative and holistic approaches in medicine, various therapies, philosophy, religious renewal, Waldorf education, education for special needs, threefold economics, biodynamic agriculture, Goethean science, architecture, and the arts of drama, speech, and eurythmy. In 1924, Rudolf Steiner founded the General Anthroposophical Society, which today has branches throughout the world. He died in Dornach, Switzerland.