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Editorial

Dear Reader,

Welcome to the Easter/Spring issue of New View magazine. In the northern hemisphere it is the time of a gradual journeying into warmer weather and new growth as nature here awakes from Her slumber; yet, across the equator to the south this reverses with a gradual descent to winter. We live in the same time but have very different experiences, strongly shaped by where we are. Yet what is Time?

Four times a year I struggle with production ‘deadlines’ to enable New View to be printed and sent out into the world. There are certainly moments in producing New View when I wish I could expand time, have more of it! I am certainly not alone in this as I am sure that everyone is challenged by the time available to them, from time to time (!). The sense of time shifts as we become more consciously aware of events around us; it takes time to digest them. This inner digestion when we can also feel ‘time’ pressing us, even overwhelming us, gives rise to much of the stress many experience. It is as though we each carry our own personal time and have to use it thoughtfully: “Sorry, I don’t have time for this”, or “I’ll make time” and so on… . It is always our own decision how to apportion our time, which, of course, is inextricably linked to where my attention, my focus, goes.

I was once told by a friend many years ago “Do not make an enemy of time”. I have often contemplated this. Certainly, when I grew up people generally had more time for one another. We live in an accelerated experience of time, in part because there is so much information to process. This is where discrimination enters in to help us decide what is essential and what is not essential, from moment to moment. Then we learn, particularly from Rudolf Steiner, that time reverses in the spiritual world, in the so-callled astral realm. And what of eternity, ever present in the spirit, no past no future only presence? Perceptions then have to shift to begin to encompass these thoughts, let alone their reality.

Perhaps we are given a little help to begin to understand how these seemingly very different earthly and spiritual experiences of time relate. My thoughts took me to a line from the Welsh poet William Davis in his poem ‘Leisure”: “A poor life this if, full of care, We have no time to stand and stare.”

It seems the word leisure comes into our language from the old French word ‘lesir’ which also had the meaning of something being allowed, permissible. Today leisure is an industry for pleasure; but its deeper meaning is akin to allowing oneself to refresh the soul, to contemplate for a moment (making time…) before rejoining one’s daily, earthly tasks.

Please excuse this little musing on time with you, but perhaps I am also hoping you might make, or find, the time to read and be informed, even refreshed, by what New View brings to you this Easter time.

We begin with Richard Ramsbotham exploring the connections between some extraordinary individuals, on earth and in the spirit, in Crossing the Abyss of the 19th Century: Kaspar Hauser, Arthur Hallam, Bettina Von Arnim and a Group with a “High Mission”. Due to its length it appears as two parts in this issue (offering a pause, an in between moment in the time taken to read it). Crispian Villeneuve then introduces a pseudonymous piece on Iona The Isle of Saints by Eoin (none other than D. N. Dunlop).

In The Mystery of Meeting, Benjamin Cherry reflects on the value of the human encounter that is somewhat complimented in Richard House’s interview with James Dodwell in ‘People that need to will find us, even if we’re under a rock’: Nelson Willby (1930–2010) his contribution to Anthroposophy.

Christopher Ramsbotham looks at what makes a true prince in Thoughts on the Andrew Windsor Scandal. Then Terry Boardman lays the ground for understanding ‘Semites’ with his first instalment Jews, Arabs, and the English-speaking World (Part 1): The Israel-Iran War 2026.

Charles Duquette from the USA discusses the spirit of the earth in the appropriately titled: The Grave is Empty. Also entering this Easter mood, Michael Brinch from Denmark, looks at the challenges to our abilities of observation and thinking in Resurrection: Thinking an Easter Thought.

Peter Taylor explains further the causes – and approaches by science and politicians – of what underpins weather patterns in Climate – Shift Happens

The State of Modern Childhood – 20 years on contains an informed conversation between Sue Palmer and Richard House about the dire situation facing young children.

Crossing The Abyss of the 19th Century: A Group with a “High Mission” continues Richard Ramsbotham’s article – with a further instalment to come.

Finally, a grateful, heartfelt thank you to all those of you who continue to help us survive financially with your kind, generous donations. Please keep us in mind; it is what makes the difference in keeping New View going. If any reader can also take the time to encourage another person to try out the magazine (I would make free copies for that available) who might then consider becoming a subscriber, this would help us enormously. To achieve a sufficient subscriber base to become self sufficient, not needing donations, is a dream of mine! But, perhaps more important is that at least whilst New View keeps going it is a conduit into the world for carrying anthroposophy in what I hope is a clear and relevant way.

Wishing you well wherever you may be,

Tom Raine – Editior.

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