IN the 1920s, Rudolf Steiner created a sort of liturgy of the natural and spiritual year in the form of fifty-two short verses. Experience—my own and others—testifies to the powerful effect that a short meditation on the relevant verse throughout the course of the year can have in respect to awakening and sensitizing the soul to each season’s unique quality and gesture.
Below is Dr. Steiner’s original Seelenkalender, or “Calendar of the Soul” verse for this week followed by my translation into English. I have opted to follow, whenever a conflict arose, the spirit over the letter in my translation efforts, attempting to convey the “mood” before the propositional content.
TWELFTH WEEK OF THE YEAR
12. Der Welten Schönheitsglanz, Erzwinget mich aus Seelentiefen Des Eigenlebens Götterkräfte Zum Weltenfluge zu entbinden; Mich selber zu verlassen, Vertrauend nur mich suchend In Weltenlicht und Weltenwärme. ∇∆ THE world’s radiance and splendour penetrate my soul to find an inborn seed of life divine and this ensconcèd kernel, laved in light its germ, enlivened, seeks the heights… my self forsaking with trust, partaking in world-warmth and world-light.
This morning I watched a duck exhibiting some odd behaviour. It flew out of our little pond in front of the house, circled round (which isn’t odd at all, they do this a lot), but then she seemingly “crashed” into the cottonwood which grows not far from the pond, and even closer to the house. Then I remembered that most of the ducks in our area are cavity nesters. And they love cottonwood trees. The pileated woodpecker, who also frequents these parts, makes holes big enough for a small duck to inhabit. So this duck (she, most likely) is enticing her young to jump from the nest. I have never witnessed this, I’m hoping today will be the day. One must be very respectful when it comes to birds, they won’t do anything when you are watching, and they know when you are watching. I tell this story because it relates directly to the meditation from this morning. Yesterday we had thunderstorms and heavy rain which continued throughout the night. The sun is slowly peeking through the clouds and world is literally shining. These lines I dedicate to the ducklings who sit safely in their nest contemplating their fall into the world.
Der Welten Schönheitsglanz,
Erzwinget mich aus Seelentiefen
Des Eigenlebens Götterkräfte
Zum Weltenfluge zu entbinden;
Mich selber zu verlassen,