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Editorial

Dear Reader,

Welcome to the Christmas/Winter issue of New View. It is my hope that this issue will give food for thought over the Holy Nights and into the New Year.

The dawning of 2012 is also the year of the 150th anniversary of Rudolf Steiner’s birth. In recognition of this I hope to carry an original work of relevance in each of the year’s four issues of New View. This first issue of the New Year has an article which celebrates not only Steiner’s birth but also particularly the centenary of the performance of the first of Steiner’s Mystery Dramas, in Munich in 1911. It is a piece of original research into the identity of the man on whom it appears may well have been modelled the character of Capesius in these dramas. In order to give the author, David W. Wood’s work as complete an airing as possible, all the footnotes have been included for those who might wish to follow up his research. It is a long article but on this occasion I feel it is justified. I still see New View as a magazine to take your time with. I still feel that, in many ways, we are still swimming against the stream, salmon-like, to the source and we have learned to leap a few waterfalls and obstacles along the way to keep going.

I very much want to thank all of you who have continued to support New View, first by continuing to subscribe, but also those who have felt able to donate funds to help us bring out further issues as well as those who have bought gift subscriptions to help spread the work that we do with the magazine to other people. It will be a struggle to keep this initiative afloat until we can find ways to increase the circulation substantially. This, of course, will always require considerable sums of money. In the meantime I am at least heartened to know that New View is widely read, many readers share their copies with others and perhaps, in time, we will find ways to secure more of a future for the magazine. I know New View makes a valuable contribution to the wider world and feel that its importance as a voice, focus and inspiration for the spiritual life in our increasingly challenging times may be increasingly recognised.

Here in the Northern Hemisphere a cold winter may be likely and our friends south of the equator in their summer climes will hopefully forgive some of the more traditional seasonal references that may be found in the pages of this issue. Not least those of our guest cartoonist Zephir Delamore who has now returnd to that part of the world, to Waiheke Island, New Zealand, with a parting gift of a glance over his shoulder to our Christmas time here.

Our offering then begins with A New View of Milling, Baking and Bread by Nick Jones, a miller from the North of England who was completely snowed in for a while, mill wheel frozen solid too! So he had a moment to write us a piece about that staple of our diet, bread.

Anne Marie Cantwell follows this with an article based on research she has been doing on combined classes in one classroom; particularly with reference to Waldorf schools, with Reaching Across the Ages.

Then Terry Boardman gives us one of those seasonal references I mentioned in the title Into the Bleak Midwinter? The Indian Ocean and Korea. In this he looks back and forward at the tense relationship between East and West and what this might mean for the world as a whole.

The Imminent threat to ‘outlaw’ unlicensed herbal medicinal products by European Parliament Directive by Paul Carline raises consciousness for an issue that may be just the tip of the iceberg for what legislators in the European Union may in time force upon the peoples of Europe. Too many things can otherwise slip by unnoticed. Which gives an unintended nuance to part of the title of the next contribution Donald Pass: The Lifting of the Veil. Here, Trevor Dance gives an interesting picture of a gifted artist and a profound spiritual experience he had.

The St. John’s Beehive and the application of Goethean science is another step in New View’s support of bees. Ann Macmillan has interviewed David Greutzmacher who has developed a special relationship with these industrious and vital creatures.

In the Next Issue: A medical Theme, finds Dr Stephan Geider willing to co-edit part of the Spring issue to raise an awareness of developments in the medical realm.

Hannah Townsend then gives a very accessible way forward towards an understanding of The Puzzle of Jesus Christ, something that may well strike chords with many people. This is complemented with Herod and the Child, a thoughtful piece by Jonathan Stedall.

_The Discovery of the Heart Bell:The work of Frank Chester_is a little piece by me about the further work of a person who, I hope, will find more support and recognition for the research that he does in many areas.

_Seeking the Physical: From Porridge to Poo i_s Richard Bunzl’s next step in his series about our subtle bodies; he will write about the ‘Ego’ at Easter.

And finally, _Rudolf Steiner and Professor (Joseph) Capesius, On the Centenary of the First Mystery Drama in Munich (1910-2010)_by David W. Wood.

My special thanks once again to David Newbatt, who still manages to produce sketches and illustrations for New View at, often, the editor’s last minute request!

And to you, the reader, my very good wishes for your journey though the Holy Nights and the New Year to come, wherever you may be,

Tom Raines – Editor

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