Introduction            

            To begin with, Anthroposophy came into the world through the spoken and written word. It would go on to inspire the renewal of many fields of human endeavour. The sum total of initiatives, based on the application of Anthroposophy, became what is  known as the Anthroposophical Movement. These were businesses, farms, schools, medical practices, study groups and performance groups, just to name a few. 

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              Before the Christmas Conference of 1923, the Anthroposophical Society functioned as an independent, self-managing administrative and organisational body whose primary practical role was to run its own affairs without Steiner’s direct participation in governance. Practically speaking, the Society:

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• Conducted the ordinary business of Anthroposophy through meetings, lectures,  and performances,

• Published and distributed written material: a periodical newsletter, and printed lecture cycles 

• Handled all membership administration, dues, and internal communications,

• Acted as the outer governing/administrative vessel for the spiritual impulses of the Movement, while the living Movement itself was kept strictly separate.

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           In 1923, the Society and Movement were unified for the first time when the Society was refounded during the Christmas Conference. Steiner then united fully with the Society by becoming its President. He, and the Executive Council, then took direct leadership and responsibility for the Society, and in doing so, brought the Movement (which Steiner was already responsible for) and Society together. This was furthered through the creation of the School of Spiritual Science (with its Sections), which effectively included most, if not all, of the Anthroposophical Movement.

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           For those wanting to go more deeply into the history of the Movement and Society, see here.

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          What follows now are quotes directly from Rudolf Steiner that describe what the Movement, Society, and School was, and what he envisioned them to become:

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On the Movement

"The Anthroposophical Movement must be strictly distinguished from the Anthroposophical Society. The Anthroposophical Movement represents the infusion into human civilization of spiritual intervention and spiritual life-impulses, that can and should come into being in our time directly out of the spiritual world..." [pre-1923]

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"An anthroposophic movement can only live in an Anthroposophical Society which is a reality."

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"To give the Anthroposophical Society the form most suitable for the development of the Anthroposophical Movement: this was the purpose of the Christmas gathering…"

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On the Society

"The Anthroposophical Society can only fulfill its real nature when it feels itself as the kernel of the Anthroposophical Movement." 

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"The Anthroposophical Society is an entirely public organisation, and in no sense a secret society. Without distinction of nationality, social standing, religion, scientific or artistic conviction, any person feeling the existence of such an institution as the School of Spiritual Science - the Goetheanum in Dornach - to be justified, can become a member of the Society. The Anthroposophical Society is averse to any kind of sectarian tendency. Politics it does not consider to be among its tasks."

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"The Anthroposophical Society is meant to be a union of people who desire to further the life of the soul - both in the individual and in human society - on the basis of a true knowledge of the Spiritual World."

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"The intention of the Christmas Conference at the Goetheanum, which has just ended, was to give the Anthroposophical Society a form that the Anthroposophical Movement needs to care for it. Such a society cannot have abstract guidelines or statutes. Its real basis is the living insight of Anthroposophy itself."

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On the School

"The Anthroposophical Society looks upon the School of Spiritual Science at Dornach as the centre of its work...Members of the Society will - at their request - be admitted to the School after a period of membership to be determined in each case by those responsible at the Goetheanum. They thus gain entrance to the first class of the School of Spiritual Science."

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"The aim of the Anthroposophical Society shall be to promote spiritual research, and the aim of the School of Spiritual Science shall be to carry out this research."

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From Then to Now - Where does this website fit in?

             Currently, the centre of Anthroposophical Society, including the School of Spiritual Science with its Sections is located at The Goetheanum, in Dornach (Switzerland) (see here). There are national and regional Branches and Groups of the Society world wide, including Australia (see here). 

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                 The Anthroposophical Movement is vast, and anthroposophical initiatives do not always relate to or connect themselves with the Society. This website has been created to support such initiatives, as well as the initiatives of the Society. 

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              All anthroposophically-inspired initiatives are therefore invited to feel at home on this website. While this website has arisen independently, primarily for the sake of the Movement, it is a fully inclusive initiative intended to supplement and support what already exists in the world and provide a space for both the Anthroposophical Movement and Society. 

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              Not everyone working with Anthroposophy is a member of the Society and one does not need to be a member of the Society in order to use this website. There are individuals and groups who do not informally or formally relate themselves to the Anthroposophical Society for various reasons. This website creates a place where these individuals and groups can be active, form connections, and make their initiatives and work visible. 

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Conclusion

           You have now reached the end of the introductory journey into this website. Please now feel free to explore all of what this website has to offer - the noticeboards (that function also as a forum) with many groups and topics within, see upcoming events on the events page, explore the resources, find avenues of learning in the courses and trainings and explore the Location and Field tabs to start finding activities and groups to connect with!

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