The Steiner Reading Room:
a 12 week self-led book club
In 2022, I took 30 students through this mind-expanding book. When you get the Steiner Reading Room, you're signing up for 20 hours of talks + Q&A about each chapter, a free .pdf of the book, and thought provoking worksheets.
All for just $55!
But, what's it all about?
How to Know Higher Worlds is an allegory for the spiritual path.
al·le·go·ry [noun]: a story that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning.
A traditional allegory is a teaching story about a fictional character.
But in the case of this text, the character is you.
And the allegorical nature of this text isn't just based in the words on the page. But rather: in the entire experience of the reading itself.
Because as we read, we will come across concepts that make crystal clear sense...and things that absolutely mire us in confusion. And it’s supposed to be like this.
Because this text is not only a description of the spiritual path, but also mirrors the reality of how it feels to walk it.
So, intrepid traveller... are you ready to join us?
the Steiner Reading Room is a 12 week self-guided experience centered around the reading of Rudolf Steiner's classic book: How to Know Higher Worlds.
About the book & Anthroposophy:
From Greek— Anthropos (man) Sophia (wisdom):
The wisdom of humanity and the human experience.
This text is not just about reading a description of the spiritual path.
It suggests that we actually live into the description of it.
Anthroposophy is an integral [engaged with life] Western philosophical tradition that emphasizes the importance of maintaining our duties and commitments to the world while also developing ourselves spiritually. Steiner was, in his own unique way, a true Tantrik. Outlined in this text is a three-fold path of initiation to "Higher Knowledge" [God], saturated with practices, attitudes, and dispositions to train the mind and body to become more receptive to the reality of the Spiritual World. Framed by an intense, humanistic morality—Steiner takes us on a journey to refine ourselves into our innate Wholeness, but also become resilient, ethical beings who are prepared to serve the world as embodied expressions of the Highest Reality.
In his lifetime, Steiner completed 330 spiritual works and gave nearly 4000 lectures, spanning virtually every subject of Human life: education for adults and children, architecture, art and art therapy, food and farm, civil planning, and even visioning for an ideal structure of society and economy (the three-fold social order). His purview was massive, yet: it was clearly painted by his cultural moment; a [white male] millieu concerned with categorization, evolutionary theory, and race. Included in his collection of lectures [4 lectures out of 4,000] are talks given on race and the hierarchy of the races.
In chapter 10, remnants of this antiquated and racist worldview appear before us. However, this is a teachable moment. One of the most valuable skills on the spiritual path is to be able to extricate wisdom from ANY source. In this course, we attempt to reconcile the deep Truth of what he says throughout the text with his archaic views about race... through balancing the realities of cultural context, spiritual power, and racial identity. The big question is: What do we do about Steiner in 2022? Do we throw him out, and ignore his meaningful contributions to the world in the 20th century? Or, can we recognize the incredible spiritual movement he created, and simultaneously condemn his divisive beliefs about humanity? What happens when we realize: there will never be a perfect lineage; there will never be a perfect teacher. And what if Steiner stands as one of the many Great Teachers of the 20th century who [unintentionally] taught us that you can experience incredibly refined states of Consciousness and still have a bad personality? That was the profound lesson about spirituality that we learned in the 20th century.
So: What do we do with that now? What if the most esoteric interpretation of Steiner is that he's confusing on purpose? If you are prepared to ask yourself: "What perfect truth is this imperfect being trying to communicate?"—you're not only a great candidate for the Reading Room, but you're incredibly well suited for the path itself. :)
The chapters:
1. How to Know Higher Worlds
2. The Stages of Initiation
3. Initiation
4. Practical Considerations
5. Requirements for Esoteric Training
6. Some Effects of Esoteric Training7. Changes in the Dream Life of the Esoteric Student
8. Achieving Continuity of Consciousness
9. The Splitting of the Personality in Esoteric Training
10. The Guardian of the Threshold
11. Life and Death: The Great Guardian of the Threshold
This book club is for you if:
You are confused by the notion of the spiritual path, and want to experience what a framework towards spiritual growth is actually like; what is to be expected.
You see the value of working with a spiritual teacher, but are [understandably] confused by all of the charlatan's that have poisoned the invaluable student/teacher dynamic. An integral aspect of this course is learning how to extricate wisdom from any source, including dubious ones [Steiner is included!]
You are looking to take a particular spiritual path more seriously. This course is not held with the intention to convert you to Anthroposophy. But rather with the intention to situate you better in your own path to find what's best for you.
You have an interest in integral spirituality: Life AS path, as opposed to obstacle.
You have an interest in the western occult, but want to move towards something that emphasizes morality and personal development.
You are interested in learning more about Anthroposophy—this is the perfect introduction.
Interested? Get access today.
The Steiner Reading Room is a 12 week self-guided experience. Your purchase includes a .pdf of the book, and access to over 20 hours of recorded material about each chapter of the book. At your own pace, all you need to do is read each chapter and then listen to the corresponding chapter lecture.
The Steiner Reading Room has transformed the lives of dozens of people. So many people have told me that this book has been more transformative than any self-help book they've encountered. The reason why? Satsang. Not sure what that is? You'll find out in the Reading Room. ♡ ;)