You may have noticed the verse that appears in the Waldorf Weekly each week. It comes from the Calendar of the Soul, a collection of 52 weekly verses that Rudolf Steiner gave to describe the journey of the human soul within the natural world through the lemniscate of the four seasons. The verses are meant to be worked with meditatively, starting with week 1 at Easter, through the outbreath of Nature - from Spring's sprouting and blossoming into Summer's extravagant sunshine, growth and fruiting; to Nature's inbreath - plant energy contracting into seeds and the outer "death" of Fall, to Winter's quiet repose.
Steiner challenges us to observe how within the Earth (below the surface) and also within our souls, Fall and Winter actually become the time of inner wakefulness (think of the Michaelmas call to quickened inner initiative); whereas Spring and Summer are when, on a soul level, we expand out into the "sleep" of dreamy warmth and light.
The big takeaway is our profound connection to and through the natural world around us, how our inner life is reflected in the living breathing of the Earth, and how Nature finds her reflection in us.
Because the cycle starts on a moveable date, it is helpful to have a guide for how the weekly verses land in any given year. Learn more.