It doesn't really say much does it?
Here is a very brief snap shot of the man and a follower.
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It is no great challenge to find reverential, awestruck biographies of Rudolf Steiner; just type the name into pretty much any search engine, then stand back for the avalanche. Less so when it comes to Ita Wegman, especially in English. It is worth noting though that almost all you find will be produced by adherents or affiliates of Anthroposophy, outlining a near mystic partnership of the two from which she found the initiative to found the first Anthroposophical Clinical-Therapeutic Institute (1920) and later, (1922) to co-found the Weleda labs.
It may be that, on visiting an Anthro supportive site, you will find some assertion that Steiner was clairvoyant, and this is generally stated quite matter-of-factly, is offered as a given, with little invitation to ask further question(s) on such an assertions. Let's take a look at non-Anthro take on Steiner: again reproduced here with the permission of Dialogue Ireland.
"Anthony Storr in his book, Feet of Clay, concludes with following comments, Steiner was undoubtedly a man of high ideals and high intelligence who inspired other people and who certainly did far more good than harm. Yet his so-called 'thinking', his supposed power of supersensible perception, led to a vision of the world, the universe, and of cosmic history which is entirely unsupported by any evidence, which is at odds with practically everything which modern physics and astronomy have revealed, and which is more like science fiction than anything else. The claims he made for himself are astonishing. He had complete confidence that his own subjective powers of 'spiritual perception' revealed the truth about the universe in ways beyond the reach of orthodox science, and that the discoveries which he made in this way could be applied to every department of life, from medicine and agriculture to the education of both normal and handicapped children. This mild, gentle, good, kindly man had, at some level of his personality, an unshakeable conviction that he 'knew'. It was this utter certainty, so characteristic of gurus, which brought him followers, and made it possible for his disciples to believe in his spiritual science and embrace his teaching as a philosophy of life. Steiner's belief system is both idiosyncratic and incredible; but what he achieved in humanitarian terms is remarkable and enduring."
http://dialogueireland/dicontent/a2z/anthroposophy/ (website link no longer valid)
One can probably take it that supporters of Anthroposophy will focus on the first and last sentences here. Those of us with experience of Anthroposophy, but without being sold on it, would urge people to think about the bits in between. You, of course, can weigh all this up, acting as you see fit.
Steiner's version of reincarnation pretty much invites questions only of a supportive nature, at least from within Anthroposophy.
Do you have a problem with someone? Anywhere, workplace, classroom, car park. It can be just about anything- say bullying- either physical, emotional, or intellectual- well, according to Anthroposophical lights, this can simply be an attempt to reconcile unresolved difficulties from a previous incarnation.
So everything is cool then?
Make what you will of Steiner's version of the multi-mutual incarnations of him and Ita Wegman.
Steiner Wegman
Gilgamesh Eabani
Priests at the Temple at Ephesus
Aristotle* Alexander the Great
Schiontulander Segunda
St. Thomas Aquinas Reginald of Piperno
A relationship between life in the Spirit World where they met with the Archangel
Michael and take on his mission on Earth, known as 'The Michaelic School'
Rudolf Steiner Ita Wegman
Rudolf Steiner's Mission and Ita Wegman. Margarete and Erich Kirchner-Bockholt. Privately printed for members of the Anthroposophical Society. Rudolf Steiner Press, London 1977
*peculiarly, other approved Anthro sources have it that Steiner was a reincarnation of Plato, Aristotle's mentor.
Doesn't seem to have done 'ordinary' much, does he?
Perhaps this vouches Steiner's advanced spirituality in various incarnations.
What would you make of Steiner's pronouncement that we all alternate genders in successive incarnations? Apart, evidently, from Rudi himself.!
Equally, it might strike you that since we have absolutely nothing other than Steiner's word for it; it indicates that the entire corpus of his work represents one huge ego trip.
You, of course, can weigh all this up, acting as you see fit, maybe deciding that a consensus position would fall between the two stances. Clairvoyance or delusion? It's your call, but it might be as well for you to wonder if the people you entrust yourself or your special person to accept the clairvoyance claim. Do they also see themselves as being similarly mystical? Consequentially……well, complete this at your leisure.
Published 18/09/06
Last revision 28/04/10
