Study Groups
Santa Cruz
SOUL CALENDAR EURYTHMY FORMS
The Study of Rudolf Steiner’s Calendar of the Soul Eurythmy forms.
DATES: Monday mornings at 10 am
LOCATION: Paloma Hall, Camphill Communities, 4096 Fairway Drive
CONTACT: Szilvia Budai at szilviabudai@camphillca.org
MAN OR MATTER GROUP
Our culture is still dominated by a Knowing (Science) that believes it can only really know the material world. Ernst Lehrs shows with crystal clarity how we can know the consciousness we’re living in and transcend it. Join us in the study of his great book Man or Matter’ . It details the evolution of the “onlooker consciousness” of the present, showing how the development of our current scientific and materialistic worldview grew out of the more participatory experience of the ancients, and how through the method of scientifically oriented “exact sensorial fantasy” we can regain an integrative and holistic experience of the world.
DATES: The study group of “Man or Matter” by Ernst Lehrs takes place at 7 PM on the second and fourth Mondays of each month.
LOCATION: 120 Kenneth Street. Open to everybody.
CONTACT: David Eyes at 831-419-5581 or Daniel Bittleston at 831-212-1947 or email at danielbittleston@hotmail.com
STORY GROUP
Telling and interpreting wisdom stories.
DATES: meets usually monthly on a Sunday, 4pm.
LOCATION: 131 Cedar St, Santa Cruz
CONTACT: All welcome. Just ask to be put on the mailing list: danielbittleston@hotmail.com
THE SANTA CRUZ SOPHIA GROUP
The Santa Cruz Sophia group was initiated in the early part of the 21st century from an impulse derived from a conference in Los Angeles at which Joya and Luigi Morelli met several members of local branches (Los Angeles and San Diego) who had been exploring Rudolf Steiner’s views on the reality, development and fostering of Anthroposophia and the Divine Feminine which he felt was so important to connect with in our epoch. The next year both Daniel Bittleston and JoyaBirns presented at larger LA conference on this theme.
This included studies of Ancient Mystery Streams as well as modern Western Esotericism. Elizabeth Sevison, from San Diego Branch gave Joya her inspired verse for our group to support this important aspect of Spiritual Science, up until that time mostly overlooked worldwide. Much of our Sophia Group study has been lectures and books written by Rudolf Steiner but also works from other anthroposophists as well as non anthroposophists. We’ve derived inspiration from the likes of Mannfred Schmit Brabant, Virginia Sease, Joan Almon and Joan Allen, all who have visited in Santa Cruz over the years. Joan Allen personally visited our Sophia Group, kindly sharing with us her 40-year struggles with the Foundation Stone (which we were studying at the time).
Since the early 2000s we have met and studied many lecture series, books, musical, historical and artistic influences, sometimes incorporating artistic activities for ourselves. Members are few but committed and we meet twice monthly (Thursday mornings) at Joya’s home on the westside of SC.
During the past year we studied “The Sun Mysteries” and are now finishing up with “The Spiritual Guidance of the Individual and Humanity”. Next looking at “Evil” (a compilation of lectures by RS).
Contact: Lynnet McDermott at 831-239-7644 or email: lynnetmcdermott@sbcglobal.net
SANTA CRUZ THRESHOLD GROUP
The Santa Cruz Threshold Group has been meeting since 2011. We are an eclectic group of folks with therapeutic, legal, musical and spiritual backgrounds of many stripes, recognizing the many facets of end of life caring, learning how to organize ourselves in such a way as to be able to coordinate services for community members in need of information and support in this amazing life transition we call dying. There are alternatives to the standard mainstream practices many of us are familiar with, which often are lacking in respectful, spiritual, personal elements.
DATES: Every second Tuesday of the month, 7 pm
LOCATION: The home of Wendy Ostrow, 188 Forrest Street.
CONTACT: For more info or to RSVP, please contact Joya Birns at: 831-431-0791 or email: joyabirns@gmail.com
CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY STUDY GROUP
Rev. Wiggins will be joining and facilitating a study group to meet in Soquel approximately once per month on Friday evenings. Currently the group is studying The Reappearance of Christ in the Etheric, a collection of selected lectures by Rudolf Steiner.
DATES: please contact Cindy Brooks
LOCATION: Soquel
CONTACT: Cindy Brooks christiancommunity.santacruz@