Esoteric Youth Circle

The so-called Esoteric Youth Circle, usually called the Circle for short, is an autonomous and independent meditation community which was founded in 1922 with the participation of Rudolf Steiner. The history and aims of the circle are contained in the volume "Aus den Inhalten der esoterischen Stunden, Band III: 1913 und 1914; 1920 - 1923", insofar as Rudolf Steiner's participation is concerned (Lit.:GA 266c, p. 387ff). All other existing documents from his history are at the at the Goetheanum or the Steiner Archives in Dornach.

Meditation communities

There has always been something mysterious and secretive about meditative communities simply because their work takes place in silence, outside of our daily lives. When Rudolf Steiner began his anthroposophical work at the turn of the century, such communities were still largely protected by the religions associated with them - Buddhist, Eastern Orthodox, Jewish among others. They should in no way be equated with so-called secret societies, whose objectives are usually considered manipulative and political. The task of a meditative community is the inner contemplation and meditation of spiritual contents, which are connected with the fundamental truths and values of life and the world, in order to cultivate a relationship with purely spiritual or angelic beings so that they can help to support the progress of humanity.

Accordingly, this also means that the members are not a spiritual or social elite, but join the work because an inner urge leads them to seek cooperation with other people with precisely this aim.

This is, and always has been, the purpose and work of the Esoteric Youth Circle as expressed in the beginning by the young founding members. They sought an inner, meditative relationship to anthroposophy, which could prepare them as human beings, and thereby also society in general, to receive the new stream of spirit knowledge that was to flow into humanity's evolution.

Membership and organisation

Where someone feels the urge for a common meditation work as a burning life question in his or her own destiny and asks for it concretely in a personal conversation, or expresses it in his or her attitude, an existing member can tell him or her about the Esoteric Youth Circle. To this day, this question asked on one's own initiative and the possibility offered by the listener is the usual way to join the Circle. If someone does not feel it inwardly, he will also seldom experience anything from the Circle.

The Circle is not a community that exists as an institution in the world. It is not and has no organisation, no statutes and has no data. There is nothing to sign, no evidence of membership and no membership directory. No exchange of money takes place. The Circle does not have, and has never had, leaders, representatives or rules of conduct. Meetings are informally held locally at the discretion of the members. It is not possible to ascertain the number of members nor where they are in the world. Most are connected with the worldwide work of anthroposophical initiatives, but there are also many who are active outside. Many are members of the General Anthroposophical Society, but many others are not.

The following quotation from the initial conversations with Rudolf Steiner may clarify the relationship of the members to each other:

„To unite by a mutual promise to strive for a common spiritual goal, and in so doing to leave each other quite free in action and judgement in life - a community founded on such a thing is something quite new in the development of humanity and something that is needed today as a very necessary thing.“ (Lit.:GA 266c, p. 440)

In contrast to all other human communities, in which the actions and judgements of the individual are always subject to judgement and possible sanction, the circle cannot help but leave full freedom to each member.

Be a person in a leading position in his work, in the Anthroposophical or any other Society, or active responsibly in public life; the Circle cannot, and has not the slightest interest in exerting influence or pressure on such a person. It does not interfere in anything that is another person's life, work or decisions. Circle members do what they do in life purely on their own responsibility and never on behalf of the Circle or under its direction.

The continued existence of the Circle after the Christmas Conference

The question of the right of the Esoteric Youth Circle to exist after the Christmas Conference of 1923/24, when Rudolf Steiner called on the remaining esoteric groups in the Anthroposophical Society to gradually dissolve and become part of the School of Spiritual Science, is not an easy one.

On the one hand, the Circle was never part of the Anthroposophical Society, but independent in the same sense as the Christian Community. The reports show that Rudolf Steiner was asked by the Circle members during the Christmas meeting whether he had anything to say to them in this sense. Thus the second esoteric hour took place on 30 December 1923, but the question is not mentioned there at all. (Lit.:GA 266c, p. 479)

After Rudolf Steiner's death, there was no longer any thought of dissolving the Circle, since its organisation was not set up for such a decision. The Circle spreads from mouth to mouth mostly in individual conversations. Admission takes place in a small local group and is at most passed on orally to known Circle friends. There is no forum for such a debate anywhere. This means that the Youth Circle will exist as long as there are people who consider such a task meaningful, who are willing to do the meditations and pass them on to others at their own discretion.

Besides the Circle members, there have always been people who were aware of the existence and nature of the Youth Circle. Many participants in the Pedagogical Youth Course in 1922 knew about or were present at the preparatory talks, but did not join afterwards when it was founded. By no means all those who learn about the circle in the sense of the question and answer outlined above decide to join afterwards. The letter from Ernst Lehrs cited below shows that the Executive Committee was informed about the Circle in 1961. Although he does not report how this conversation came about, over the years there have often been situations, and in several countries, where a Circle member, on their own initiative or in response to a question, gave an oral account of the Circle, individually or in a group.

No one in the Youth Circle is obliged to keep the Circle secret, but also not to talk about it. Only the membership of others is not spoken about out of consideration for their privacy without first obtaining permission from the person concerned.

Personal practice

The question may arise as to what happens if someone feels unable to continue the meditative work they have taken upon themselves. Firstly, the pledge, called the "Angelobeformel", does not refer to the meditations, nor does it refer to the secrecy of the Circle, but only to the inner truthfulness and integrity with which one joins the community. It can be read in the above-mentioned volume. It is simply assumed that people want to do the meditations because that is what brought them to the Circle in the first place. The "Angelobeformel", for which there is no original transcript by Rudolf Steiner, was noted down by Lili Kolisko in her notebook on 11 November 1924 like this:

„I hereby promise that I enter this community, as far as I am aware, with pure thought and pure will and that I acknowledge that the judgement of my being through acceptance into the community is left to spiritual beings. - I want to make myself aware that through every transgression against this promise I act against the intentions of the spiritual beings in whose service this community places itself. - My soul would be doomed to the consequences of such a transgression.“ (Lit.:GA 266c, p. 445)

Should someone later come into an inner conflict with Anthroposophy, or through personal life circumstances find himself in a situation where he decides to stop working on the meditations - which has happened from time to time - there is nothing the Circle can do. Everyone has to work that out for themselves in their own destiny. In the best case, if the relationship with the other circle friends is undisturbed, it can be discussed and supported by the others out of friendly support. No one can be excluded from the Circle and there is no possibility of formally leaving, as there has never been any formal registration or confirmation of membership.

Ultimately, the Circle is nothing more than an informal circle of friends who share a very specific common task.

Open Letter - Ernst Lehrs 1979

The following is a letter from Ernst Lehrs, one of the founding members of the Youth Circle, through which he answered a question posed to the editors of Alan Howard's Newsletter of the Anthroposophical Society in America in the autumn of 1979. The letter was written a few weeks before his death.

„I am writing in response to your enquiry, printed in the Fall '79 issue of the American Newsletter, concerning what appears to you to be a "secret society" within the General Anthroposophical Society. As one of the founding members of this "Circle", which came into being through the assistance of Rudolf Steiner 57 years ago, I feel obliged to give as far as possible a picture of what its true nature may represent. At the time of the so-called Youth Course (available in English under the title "The Younger Generation") given by Rudolf Steiner in 1922, some of us who had taken the initiative for the course humbly approached Rudolf Steiner about a common content for our inner work. The question was stimulated in us in view of the rapid collapse of human society in its various fields. It was at the same time that the failure of the threefold movement seemed inevitable. We felt that something decisive had to be done so that the anthroposophical substance could continue to be preserved, regardless of external conditions. Purely individual meditations for one's own spiritual progress, however indispensable they may be, are not sufficient for this. What we asked for, or at least that is how we formulated it, was a "training as service" in which one wanted to serve the spirit of the time, Michael.

After some preparatory discussions between Rudolf Steiner and those who had asked him for it, we were passed on a meditative content that Rudolf Steiner described as being given "on behalf of the spiritual world". For this Rudolf Steiner described how we should use it and pass it on to others who were searching in this direction themselves. He then went on to help give birth to this community and said we should regard it as endowed by the spiritual world itself. Rudolf Steiner made a clear distinction between "founding" and "endowing". The former refers to an impulse coming from the physical world, the latter from an impulse directly from the spiritual world working into the physical.

All this came about through a solemn act. Rudolf Steiner also presented the founding group with a formula of affirmation which, when spoken before those who already belonged to the circle, represented a commitment purely to the spiritual world. We were the first to do this before the others, guided by Rudolf Steiner.

Afterwards Rudolf Steiner met twice more with the members of this community and gave them two esoteric lessons, the second of which took place on 30 December 1923, that is, during the Christmas Conference. It took place in a room in the Glass House and Mrs. Ita Wegman and Mrs. Marie Steiner were also present with him as guests. From what Rudolf Steiner said about Dr Wegman's presence, we realised that this work was in some way connected with the new School of Spiritual Science. In the months that followed, Rudolf Steiner was available to us whenever we needed him, first in person until his illness, and then in writing until shortly before his death.

In 1961 the Executive Committee in Dornach was informed in detail and to its full satisfaction about these events.

A connection between the members of this community exists only through the same mantric words, which each meditates on individually. No earthly initiative is ever taken by its members by virtue of their being members of the Circle. In some places the friends come together from time to time among those who live locally. They do this, following a hint from Rudolf Steiner, to take part in discussions on spiritual questions, for example, on the content of the two esoteric lessons if they so wish.

The community has no name of its own and Rudolf Steiner recommended that we leave it at that. However, at the beginning of the second hour he said, "I am addressing the youth in them today. For they are now the esoteric youth circle". This has led some friends to refer to it as the "Youth Circle", although most who talk about it simply call it the "Circle".

I hope it has become clear through my presentation that this community is by no means an institution on Earth, nor is there any secret about its work. Rather, it is a matter of tactful discernment between secrecy and public advertisement. Friends find their way to this work who experience within themselves questions similar to those which led to the founding of the Circle. Experience has shown that people who are seriously seeking answers to compelling inner questions are often led by personal encounters to circumstances where this work becomes known to them. The only question that remains is whether one feels prepared for the specific meditative work and is willing and able to do it.

Ernst Lehrs, Advent 1979“

Literature

• Rudolf Steiner: Aus den Inhalten der Esoterischen Stunden - Band-3 - 1913-1914 & 1920-1923, GA 266/3 English: rsarchive.org German: pdf pdf(2) html mobi epub archive.org
• Rudolf Steiner: Meditation als innere Heilung, Archiati-Vlg, München 2005, S. 60 - 61
• Ernst Lehrs: Gelebte Erwartung Mellinger Verlag(1979) ISBN 388069088X ISBN 978-3880690882
• Christiane Haid: Auf der Suche nach dem Menschen Die anthoposophische Jugend- und Studentenarbeit in den Jahren 1920-1931 Verlag am Goetheanum ISBN: 978-3-7235-1110-7
• Artikel von Ernst Lehrs im Newsletter - The Anthroposophical Society in America December 1979
• Biographischer Eintrag: Wilhelm Rath in der Online-Dokumentation der anthroposophischen Forschungsstelle Kulturimpuls
• Biographischer Eintrag: Ernst Lehrs in der Online-Dokumentation der anthroposophischen Forschungsstelle Kulturimpuls
• Brief, Ernst Lehrs - A Response to Alan Howard im Newsletter - Anthroposophical Society in America - Spring 1980
• Alan Howard - Final Note Concerning the Kreis im Newsletter - Anthroposophical Society in America - Summer 1980
• Benjamin Schmidt: Wilhelm Rath – Ein Wegbereiter der Jugend. Verlag Freies Geistesleben, Stuttgart 2018, ISBN 978-3-7725-1922-2

References to the work of Rudolf Steiner follow Rudolf Steiner's Collected Works (CW or GA), Rudolf Steiner Verlag, Dornach/Switzerland, unless otherwise stated. Email: verlag@steinerverlag.com URL: www.steinerverlag.com. Index to the Complete Works of Rudolf Steiner - Aelzina Books A complete list by Volume Number and a full list of known English translations you may also find at Rudolf Steiner's Collected Works Rudolf Steiner Archive - The largest online collection of Rudolf Steiner's books, lectures and articles in English. Rudolf Steiner Audio - Recorded and Read by Dale Brunsvold steinerbooks.org - Anthroposophic Press Inc. (USA) Rudolf Steiner Handbook - Christian Karl's proven standard work for orientation in Rudolf Steiner's Collected Works for free download as PDF.