Hear Marjatta van Boeschoten speak about how we can meet Steiner’s wishes for tolerance, warmth and openness in group work in the anthroposophical movement.
On two occasions this year in the Something Else Studio in Melbourne, with the marvels of video conferencing, we welcomed Marjatta van Boeschoten, the general secretary of the anthroposophical society in the UK.
Raised in an anthroposophical household and educated in Waldorf (Steiner) schools for her entire education, Marjatta fully engaged with the world in her professional life, firstly by training and practising as a lawyer, then as a management consultant in the business world. She became UK general secretary in 2013.
In the first recording, Marjatta speaks about her research into Steiner’s greatest desires for the movement in the last few years of his life. She also describes her experience of renewal both within the UK society after a period of challenge, and the redevelopment of Rudolf Steiner House in London, to make it a place of greater openness and purpose.
In the second recording Marjatta responds to questions focused on topics such as tolerance, tactfulness, responses to division to achieve healing, life destiny and how to find a place for our individual gifts within community.
The first presentation is a recording of a video conference held in March 2024 for the Sydney branch which we watched in Melbourne as a group at the Something Else Studio in September 2024. In this presentation, Marjatta talks about her research about Steiner’s intentions for the movement and the society towards the end of his life as well as her experience particularly with the successful renewal of Rudolf Steiner house in London.
You can listen to Marjatta’s first presentation here.
In her second presentation in October, Marjatta responds to questions gathered at the previous Something Else Studio event in September. These explore capacities for deeper social engagement, working with difficulty and conflict, individual and community destiny.
You can listen to Marjatta’s second presentation here.
Marjatta describes what she calls ‘the listening project’ as ‘pure spiritual science’. She sees listening as a way to embody the precepts of equanimity and openness that Steiner outlines among the six basic exercises he frequently recommends in his texts and lectures. She also talks about cultivating a ‘soil ‘of warmth, trust and strong social practices that can enable healthy and purposeful work together in movements and groups.
Something Else Studio is taking a break in November. You might like to attend a session or two or the complete conference on Connecting through Change or events in the tour from Christopher Houghton Budd. Our next event will focus on listening and longing on Saturday 7 December 3pm.
Reference Rudolf Steiner, Awakening to Community
human wisdom 