Transformation and Transubstantiation April 2012

Transformation and Transubstantiation 10th - 13th April 2012

The second semester of the African Seminary was held at Starways Art Centre in Hogsback in the Eastern Cape.

Gaika Kop - a painting by Anton van der Merwe

by Lisa Yiadom London, community helper in Johannesburg

"Do you know exactly what we're going to be doing here this week?" I asked my travel buddy and fellow seminary participant, Cornelius, as we entered the village of Hogsback. "Not at all." he replied, and that was the end of that. We really were entering into the unknown, a real adventure on all levels beckoned us. And that was exactly the spirit which made my time in Hogsback one of the best weeks I've had so far here in South Africa. It was a SUPER sensory experience in the truest meaning of the term!

We pulled up at Starways Arts Centre, the event location, to be greeted by a real cold snap. Admittedly this dampened my mood somewhat as I've become accustomed to the balmy Joburg Summer temperatures which so far has never failed to give me anything but a feeling of well-being. As I entered the grounds though my attention shifted away from my very British pre-occupation with the weather to the sheer beauty and ingenuity of the plot. The centre is composed of cabins and hut-like buildings within a forest. It does not stand alone, it has very much been constructed into the matrix of nature that exists there. A perfect location for fructifying the ponderings and discussions about life and spirituality that were to emerge. We grappled with questions such as do we really have free will? What is true thinking? What does Christianity really mean in our world today? These were certainly heavy-weight topics, and we only really made a beginning, but I was nevertheless left with real food for thought at the end of each conversation. What particuarly made an impression on me was a session we had with Rev. Knausenberger about the developement of ‘The I’ in the individual and within the context of human evolution. I was left with a strong sense that the incarnation we are each currently living is of pivotal significance – we have to make a decision about what we truly stand for as it may well not be so easy in future eras. Are we brave enough to make a conscious decision to work for and with The Light or are we content to serve the more malevolent powers, unconsciously or otherwise It made me question what exactly my own personal creed is. What do I honestly stand for and what am I willing to do about it?

Anton and Gwyneth, our hosts and founders of Starways, are real examples of how one can contribute to humanity in a most creative and healing way. They have a small open-air theatre, a pottery studio and an art gallery exhibiting their work to the public, and our seminary experience included opportunities to partake in their crafts. We worked with clay, sculpting pots and other forms, and this culminated in a morning of Raku-firing where we got to glaze and fire our amateur works of art in a powerful kiln exceeding 1000 degrees Celcius. There we really were confronted with what transpired to be the theme of the week – Transformation and Transubstantiation. The same too with our singing meetings – we were taught specific exercises which engage our whole body to aid, indeed enhance, the voice. We rejoiced when witnessing how each of our voices elevated in quality and integrity upon executing Gwyneth's exercises which are inspired by the Alexander Technique.

It undoubtedly was a rich experience in every way and one which I can only encourage others to participate in when the next opportunity arises. My hope is that the seeds of an African Seminary have not just been planted but are now surely beginning to sprout.

by Samuel Mirkin, studies politics, philosophy, economics and history at Rhodes University, Grahamstown

It is a challenge when at a mainstream university to pursue questions of real meaning and value to ones personal life and world view, when mainstream university thinking is limited to a fairly materialistic and Darwinian school of thought. There is very little space for questions that go beyond the material world. It is with this need that I, and I would imagine others, take an interest in the African Seminary.

My experience of the seminar has been one of enrichment and inspiration. Being able to enter into discussions and processes that accommodate a world view that includes a spiritual dimension is both inspiring and rewarding. Not only has it allowed me to further my search for answers but it has also strengthened my ability to critically question the theoretical frameworks presented at university. Questions of meaning and purpose are easily ignored or postponed when the environment one is in does not encourage them. The seminar for me has on both occasions been a process of reawakening to these questions.

This last seminar included the generous hospitality and creative contributions of Anton and Gwyneth which added a second dimension of real value to the overall experience. Entering into creative processes both with our voices and our hands through singing and ceramics was a great contrast to the dominantly intellectual work we do at university. Furthermore, witnessing the transformation of voices through a few hours of training and the transformation of clay through fire was very rewarding, illustrating the transformative capacities of the earth and human beings quite clearly.

The overall experience of the seminar has been one of inspiration and reaffirmation for me and for that I wish to thank Reingard, Anton and Gwyneth

by Cornelius Schubert, German volunteer in Johannesburg

It was a journey to the Starways Arts Centre, over dirt roads to a remote place in Hogsback in the eastern Cape. Amid the forests and hills was a place that gave the feeling that what you do can be done completely focused.

Six young adults had come together to share and have an exchange with each other and the 'earthly being' during the next few days.

The day started with the Act of Consecration of Man and ended with a Close of Day. Moments in which to come to oneself (One-Self). In between the time flowed with spiritual exchanges in the form of discussions or conversations around different themes, like 'the freedom of human beings' or stimulated by a text by Rudolf Steiner 'Trust in Thinking' and 'About Knowledge of Higher Worlds', as well as around 'my belief, my creed'. These were alternated with practical work with clay, where the four elements fire, earth, air and water challenged us to really engage with the experience: what do I wish to make, what can I make, what have I made. And then through it all to observe what has this done with me. Also part of the seminar was to learn a bit more about myself and to discover what my body is capable of when I use it correctly. We did this with voice exercises in singing and speech. Some surprises emerged doing this. It was a very lively and enlivening exchange spiritually and practically. Thank you Reingard, Anton and Gwyneth.

by Jason Higgins

The second African Seminar was a great success, with the six participants who attended all leaving with a sense of growth, revitalisation, inspiration and beautiful pieces of pottery. Reingard Knausenberger facilitating, Anton Van der Merwe giving us amazing insights into the creation of form and Gwyneth Lloyd teaching us how to awaken our voices – it was a truly enriching experience. We were also extremely lucky to have the opportunity to hold the seminar at Starways Art Centre in Hogsback in the Eastern Cape. On arriving at Starways we were amazed to find a welcoming place filled with the energy of many years of love, dedication and hard work. When one searchers for meaning and greater purpose in life it is always inspirational to discover people and places that have been formed out of an ideal for a greater purpose. Anton and Gwyneth, the couple who started Starways and have spent the last 20 years growing it, are such people and Starways is such a place. Gwyneth and Anton possess youthful energy that matched our own and their willingness to work with us combined with the magical setting made the whole experience extremely enjoyable.

Four of us from Grahamstown arrived in Hogsback around noon on the first day, where we met the two who had driven down from Johannesburg. We settled into our cute, comfortable little cabin, which had an amazing little stove in the middle to keep us cosy as Hogsback can get a bit cold. We had the first of many delicious meals in the open air theatre/ lounge/dinning area, built between the trees. Visualise rambling trees and the man-made, wood and stone, “Anthropop”, fairy-house/theatre, which would be our eating, cooking, chilling and discussion space for the next few days. With a fire always going in the middle and an abundance of warm beverages, it is indescribable how this space made you feel right at home and at ease with the world. After the first delicious tastes of this sweet place we started working with the clay. Anton who is an incredible potter led the way and allowed the clay to teach us some valuable lessons; when trying to create a form, you cannot force the clay to do what you want it to do, you must work with the clay, you need to both shape and allow your actions to be shaped. Our first evening was spent in the little chapel, where we would hold the Act of Consecration of Man each morning and the Close of Day each evening, discussing everyone’s expectations about the coming days. After singing a few songs together we all went to bed excited about what the next few days would bring.

On the morning of the second day we had our first singing workshop with Gwyneth. Gwyneth has spent many years as a professional singer, working and touring with Opera companies and is currently a lecturer at Fort Hare University. The Alexander Technique, which Gwyneth uses and has developed, is extraordinary and we all discovered that there are many parts of our body’s that we no longer use and that we possess voices which surprised everyone. Words are powerful tools and how you deliver them can be even more powerful if they come from a vessel in touch with itself. That Afternoon we read and discussed a lecture by Rudolf Steiner regarding one’s thinking and how one’s thinking can be developed. In the evening Anton gave a insightful lecture about pottery and the insights into the world that pottery can give.

We started our third day with a discussion about various aspects of the Act of Consecration of Man and the power of words. This was followed by another session with Gwyneth and accessing the power of our voices. The afternoon was spent relaxing and walking around the picturesque little town of Hogsback followed by further reading of the lectures of Steiner. That evening sitting around the fire we discussed what it means to be free, how one becomes free and what we believe freedom essentially is.

On the morning of the fourth day Reingard gave a talk on the Christian impulse in the world and what tasks this impulse has brought to the people of our time. There is no longer a place in the world for blind faith or acceptance without thought, each and every individual needs to find their own connection with the spiritual realm through awakening and developing their abilities to think, feel and act in order to reach a higher consciousness through connecting oneself to a higher plan. The afternoon was spent relaxing, sleeping and reading and in the evening we had a group home-made pizza making session in the beautiful pizza oven, also build by Anton. After we had all sufficiently filled our bellies, with some overindulging in the deliciousness, we watched a movie about the Anthroposophical impulse in the world.

On the final morning we had the opportunity to glaze, using iron, copper and cobalt glazes and then to fire our clay forms using an ancient firing technique called Raku firing. This involved getting Anton’s Raku firing kiln, which he made himself, to 1000 degrees centigrade using only wood. This we soon discovered is more complicated than one thinks and involves becoming aware of the heartbeat of the fire. We were then amazed at the transformation that the different glazes go through in the fire, with the iron, copper and cobalt, taking on many deep and beautiful colours.

Finally, I would to thank Reingard, Anton and Gwyneth for giving us such an amazing opportunity, we all hope that the African Seminar can develop into the future and that our made connection made with Starways develop and grow.