The Gate of Death and the Gate of Birth 6th Conference for a Culture at the Threshold Dezember 1 to 3, 2017

Transcription

1 The Gate of Death and the Gate of Birth 6th Conference for a Culture at the Threshold Dezember 1 to 3, 2017 Goetheanum

2 6th Conference for a Culture at the Threshold December 1 to 3, 2017 The Gate of Death and the Gate of Birth Not only do we pass through the gate of death as immortal beings, we also enter through the gate of birth as unborn beings (Rudolf Steiner CW 297, p. 206) In our time it has become difficult to pass through the gates of birth and death with courage and confidence. Entering a new realm of consciousness as well as unknown surroundings at these thresholds of human biography, means new challenges for us which can manifest as fear and insecurity. A pregnancy without fear and a natural birth are not a matter of course any longer. Numerous preventive medical checkups in the form of prenatal evaluations of the developing foetus using increasingly differentiated technological instruments makes visible what is naturally secluded in the intimacy of the womb. This induces fear and insecurity. Prevention becomes preoccupation with the child. At the other gate of life we experience equal challenges : fear of death, but also a longing for death with the demand of assisted suicide and active euthanasia, as well as questioning the significance of the duration of palliative illness. As pregnancy guides us through birth into life on earth, the moments of death will lead us across the threshold into the spiritual world. Also a sudden death may have announced itself and in retrospect it may not have been so unannounced after all. The preparation for these thresholds, as different as they are in their direction and quality, also shows surprising similarities. Today these processes of transition demand active, positive accompaniment and support, physically and spiritually. The sixth Conference on a Culture at the Threshold will take place at the Goetheanum in cooperation of the General Anthroposophical Section and the Medical Section. We are inviting trained personnel and their coworkers, as well as parents, and all of those involved and interested in such questions, to participate actively in the lectures, the work groups and an exchange of experience at this conference. For the organizing team Joan Sleigh Matthias Girke Georg Soldner Executive Council at the Goetheanum Leadership of the Medical Section of the School of Spiritual Science at the Goetheanum

3 Friday, December 1, :00 p.m. Conference Opening and Words of Welcome by Joan Sleigh Unbornness : Human Pre-existence and the Journey toward Birth Lecture by Prof. Peter Selg, M. D. Saturday, December 2, :00 a.m. Today I have engendered You. The Concept of Birth is essential until Death Lecture by Georg Soldner 10:30 a.m. BREAK 11:00 a.m. Deepening of the Conference Theme in Work Groups and Artistic Groups 12:30 noon LUNCH BREAK 3:00 p.m. Deepening of the Conference Theme in Work Groups and Artistic Groups 4:30 p.m. BREAK 5:00 p.m. The Constellation of Birth and Death and the Freedom within the Karma of the Present Age Lecture by Mechtild Oltmann-Wendenburg 6:30 p.m. SUPPER BREAK 8:00 p.m. Festive Eurythmy Performance with the Goetheanum Eurythmy Stage Margrethe Solstad, Artistic Director Sunday, December 3, :00 a.m. Development in the Process of Death : Do the Experiences of the Human Being already live in the Process of Death? Lecture by Matthias Girke, M. D. 10:30 a.m. BREAK 11:00 a.m. Deepening of the Conference Theme in Work Groups and Artistic Groups 12:30 noon Conference Conclusion by Joan Sleigh

4 Lecturers Matthias Girke, M. D. Doctor for Internal Medicine at the Hospital Havelhöhe in Berlin. Executive Council of the General Anthroposophical Society at the Goetheanum and Leader of the Medical Section of the School of Spiritual Science at the Goetheanum in Dornach, Switzerland Mechtild Oltmann-Wendenburg Priest, emerita, of the Christian Community, Berlin Prof. Peter Selg, M. D. Doctor for Psychiatry for Children and Youth; Director of the Ita Wegman Institute for Anthroposophical Basic Research in Arlesheim, Switzerland; Professor for Medical Anthropology at Alanus University for Art and Social Sciences, Bonn, Germany; Professor for Anthroposophical Medicine at University in Witten-Herdecke, Germany Georg Soldner Pediatrician and Co-Leader of the Medical Section of the School of Spiritual Science at the Goetheanum in Dornach, Switzerland Work Groups Deepening in Conversation 1. How does an Anthroposophical Hospice work? DE Katrin Klatt and Burkhardt Mattes, M. D., Christophorus Gemeinschaftshospiz, Berlin 2. Anthroposophical Ways of Dealing with Grief DE Anja Girke, Urszula Dera, Irene Sorowski; Christophorus Gemeinschaftshospiz, Berlin 3. From Heaven to Earth : How to consciously create this Threshold. Where do Children come from? How to develop a Conscience to lead them into the Challenges of our Time? DE Bettina Mehrtens, Arlesheim, School and Kindergarten Waldorfteacher 4. Pregnancy and Natural Birth DE Katharina Guldimann, Midwive at the Ita Wegman Birth House Arlesheim 5. After Dying everthing changes Accompanying the Deceased after Death DE / EN Michael Bruhn, Zürich, Priest of the Christian Community 6. Palliative Medical Care DE Philipp von Trott, M. D.; Doctor for Internal Medicine, Oncology Center of the Hospital Havelhöhe, Berlin

5 7. Touching Thresholds Practicing to accompany the Process of Death DE Päivi Lappalainen, Lahti, Finnland, Coordinator for the Needs of the ones nearing the Threshold 8. Uprightness as a Motif of Creation. The little Child, a Being of Creation DE / EN Claudia Grah-Wittich, Frankfurt/Main, Early Support at «the hof» in Niederursel 9. Guidance at the Thresholds of Death and Birth DE Mechtild Oltmann-Wendenburg, Berlin, Priest emerita of the Christian Community 10. Touching at the Thresholds by Rhythmical Massage and Rhythmical Ointings according to Dr. Ita Wegman DE / EN Unda Niedermann, Bern, Rhythmical Massage Therapist 11. Motifs in the Fairy Tales at the Thresholds DE Annemarie Geiger, Buchenbach, Fairy Tale Researcher Artistic Groups 12. Eurythmy to the Conference Theme DE / EN Gia van den Akker, Italy, Eurythmist and Teacher 13. Eurythmy to the Conference Theme DE Erdmute Worel, Arlesheim, Curative Eurythmist 14. Speech Formation to the Conference Theme DE Gerti Staffend, Dornach, Speech Artist and Teacher 15. Painting to the Conference Theme DE Dagmar Brauer, Dornach, Art Therapist according to Dr. Margarethe Hauschka 16. Painting to the Conference Theme EN Erma Thomas, London, Painter and Art Therapist according to Liane Collot D Herbois 17. Germinating and Fading within Music DE / EN Regula Utzinger, Musician, Art Therapist, Music Therapist at the Clinic Arlesheim and Hospiz im Park Arlesheim 18. Forming Stages of Embryology (Clay Modelling) DE / EN Christian Breme, Arlesheim, Sculpturer and Waldorfteacher 19. The Metamorphosis from Mars to Mercury (Clay Modelling) DE Astrid Oelssner, Dornach, Sculptress and Teacher Various stands for information and counselling

6 We are offering child care throughout the conference! Goetheanum Reception P. O. Box CH 4143 Dornach Phone Fax Foto : Raffael-Verlag, Schweiz

7 Booking Form The Gate of Death and the Gate of Birth 6th Conference concerning Death Conference of the General Anthroposophical Society at the Goetheanum from Friday, 1 to Sunday, 3 December 2017 Booking closes: Friday, 17 November 2017 Please complete the booking form and mail, fax or to: Goetheanum Empfang, Postfach, CH-4143 Dornach Fax , Tel tickets@goetheanum.org Please fill out in block capitals! Ms Mr Name, first name Billing address private address address of institution if so, name of institution Street, n o Town Postcode Country Phone/fax I need translation into English I need child care Yes, i need child care for (age and number of children): Conference ticket without meals CHF 200 (with sponsorship¹) CHF 120 (regular price) CHF 100 (concessions²) Conference ticket with meals (1x lunch, 1x evening meal) CHF 250 (with sponsorship¹) CHF 170 (regular price) CHF 150 (concessions²) Breakfast (2x) CHF 30 Work Groups (Conversation or Artistic Groups) 1 st choice, n o 2 nd choice³, n o 3 rd choice³, n o Parking at the Goetheanum Parking permit: CHF 11 Insurance Cancellation insurance (5% of the total costs, CHF 10 minimum) See cancellation conditions in the General Information Payment methods on invoice (only Switzerland and Euro zone) Credit card (all countries) Visa MasterCard Card number: / / / Expiry date: / I would like to receive the biannual programme of Goetheanum events (in German). I agree to the terms of payment and cancellation. Place, date, signature 7SK ¹ Should you be in a position to pay an additional amount, this would help to cover the costs of the conference and support the work of the section. ² Concessions apply for students, schoolchildren, OAPs, the unemployed, those in training, military or civil service and people with disabilities who receive benefits. Proof of status has to be submitted with your booking form. ³ When registering, your first choice is no longer open, is cancelled or will be cancelled, your second and third choice will be taken into account. If your first, second or third choice is full, we will try to contact you. Please look for updated information at the start of the conference. Terms and Conditions will be sent on request or can be accessed online at

8 General Information The Gate of Death and the Gate of Birth 6th Conference concerning Death Conference of the General Anthroposophical Society at the Goetheanum from Friday, 1 to Sunday, 3 December 2017 Booking closes: Friday, 17 November 2017 Conference fees: with sponsorship¹: CHF 200 with meals: CHF 250 regular price: CHF 120 with meals: CHF 170 concessions²: CHF 100 with meals: CHF 150 Conference meals Conference meals (vegetarian with dessert) include 1x lunch and 1x evening meal at CHF 50 in total. Breakfast (2x) can be booked separately at CHF 30. The other meals cannot be booked separately. We regret that food intolerances cannot be catered for. Parking permit For the period of the conference: CHF 11 (not right next to the Goetheanum building). If you have a disability, please display your disability badge in your car. Methods of payment/confirmation On receipt of a group application, the respective institution will receive the account for the group. Subsequent bookings can only be applied for and paid on an individual basis. Credit cards (all countries): The full amount will be charged to your credit card as soon as your booking has been processed. You will receive postal or confirmation of your booking and payment. Invoice Switzerland: Confirmation of booking and an invoice will be sent to you once your booking has been processed. Please note that we only send out invoices up until 10 days before the beginning of an event. After that, payment is only possible by credit card or on arrival. Invoice Eurozone: Confirmation of booking and an invoice will be sent to you once your booking has been processed (Euro account). Please note that we only send out invoices up until 14 days before the beginning of an event. After that, payment is only possible by credit card or on arrival. Other countries: Once your booking has been processed you will receive a confirmation by post or . The amount due will either be charged to your credit card or you can pay on arrival. Bank transfers are not possible. Please note that the conference fee must be paid before the conference starts. Conference tickets: Tickets can be collected at the Reception until half an hour before the conference starts, also if you pay on arrival. We accept cash (Euro and CHF), VISA, MasterCard, ec-direct and Postcard-Schweiz. Cancellation: Bookings may be cancelled free of charge up to 14 days prior to the beginning of the conference ( , date of posting). After that, 50% of the conference fee will be charged. Meals, breakfast, parking permit and group accommodation may be cancelled free of charge up to 1 day prior to the begin of the conference ( ). Cancellation on the day when the conference begins or failure to attend are subject to a 100% invoice total. Substitutes will be accepted at no extra cost. Cancellation insurance: Subject to a payment of 5% of total costs (CHF 10 minimum) full cancellation insurance can be taken out to cover illness (including dependent children and partner), job loss and force majeure. Please ask for our terms of insurance or visit Data processing: All data will be electronically recorded and filed. Goetheanum Guest Houses and Accommodation Haus Friedwart from CHF 75, about 5 min. walk to the Goetheanum phone , Begegnungszentrum from CHF 30, about 10 min. walk to the Goetheanum phone , friedwart@goetheanum.ch Accommodation bureau rooms from CHF 55 kontakt@rooms-dornach.ch; Prices are per person per night. Prices for accommodation cannot be guaranteed. You can find further accommodations on our website: