Today, on this eve of our Autumn Zinniker Farm Biodynamic Prep Day*, I am pondering the 104th Anniversary of the Founding of the Esoteric Youth Circle = “der Kreis” (The Circle) - an independent, self-directed community of meditants – ‘a social working in the suprasensible‘ – established thru Rudolf Steiner in 1922. The task of the Circle member is an inner contemplation of mantras to be done 3 X’s a day, morning, noon & evening, using the spiritual content that came thru Dr. Steiner, to create an etheric relationship with others working with the mantras here on earth, as well as those across the Threshold, in collaboration with Powerful Spiritual Beings, (Steiner explained: “What you seek is to find a friend in the spiritual world) to foster the Christic progress in the evolution of humanity. Steiner told the original members that this: Meditation is a fulfilling of the Spiritual Will that the Time Spirit Michael bears within itself. When such meditation is practiced, a spiritual force is able to work into the earthly events. Spiritual worlds want to work into earthly events today, but they can do this only when, through human meditation, space is created for it…the power of meditating such a meditation in common increases by potentization.” To be clear – the members of The Circle do not constitute some spiritual or social elite, but join together because of an inner urge, stemming perhaps from karma, which calls them to search for an inner meditative relationship to Spiritual Science that prepares them, 1st thru an individual inner development, which then benefits the wider society as a whole, to receive the Michaelic impulse that is seeking to heal & transform the Earth. At the Founding, Steiner tells us: “It is the mutual taking on of karma that is created in such a community.” Like in The Mystery Dramas, we realize that: “What we ourselves do within the community bears no fruit for us ourselves, but for others, & that the fruits for us come from others.” After the Founding, Steiner annouced: “What has taken place now is a first in the post-Christian era: human beings themselves chose, out of freedom before the spiritual world, to join together esoterically”.
The Circle grows by word of mouth, mostly thru conversations between people. Meetings occur as a way of sharing research, personal experience with The Circle Meditation as seen thru the seasonal round, or working in conjuction with various esoteric lessons which Steiner specificly gave the members – And as the Good Doctor emphasized to the original members “To get to know each other well” thru biography work, as way of building a “new kind of community” of equal peers. The many quotations here & below, from the initial conversations with Rudolf Steiner, clarifies the relationship of the members to each other:
The Circle was never an official part of the Anthroposophical Society, it is independent in the same sense as the Christian Community, or for those of us working with the Misraim Dienst. And yet they are all connected. History shows that Rudolf Steiner was asked by the Circle members during the Christmas Conference whether they were meant to continue in light of the new impulse from the refounding of the Anthroposophical Society. In response, he gave them a 2nd Esoteric Lesson on the morning of 30 December 1923 – before Continuing the Christmas Meeting – deepening their insights to further the work on into the future. Also interesting is that among the mantras that were part of the Christmas Conference, Steiner spoke the 3rd of the so-called “Tablets” asking the Circle members to write them down, & use them in their daily work. This was before Steiner had established the ‘First Class of the School for Spiritual Science’, where the Tablets are also used. When, after much deliberation one determines that The Circle work is part of their destiny, the person makes ‘the pledge’ – to serve the spiritual world. The Circle will continue to exist, beyond death, as long as there are people that find its task meaningful, are prepared to carry thru with the daily meditations, & are called to pass it on to others, who are prepared to join the Circle. Steiner affirmed: “By persevering with the exercises we have a chance to stand up to Ahrimanic powers that no one person can withstand alone.”
Below is a letter from Ernst Lehrs, one of the founding members of the Esoteric Youth Circle, where he answers a question posed to him by Alan Howard, one of the editors of the Autumn 1979 newsletter of the Anthroposophical Society in America. This was written a few weeks before his death. “I am writing in response to your inquiry in the Autumn ’79 issue of the American Newsletter concerning what seems to you to be a “secret Society” within the general Anthroposophical Movement. As an original member of this “Circle”, which came into being with the help of Rudolf Steiner, I feel obliged to convey as far as possible a picture fitting its true nature. At the time of the so-called Youth Course (available in English under the title “The Younger Generation,”) held by Rudolf Steiner in 1922, some of us who had carried the initiative for this course out of impulses shared and agreed by us during a preparatory period, approached Rudolf Steiner in all modesty about the possibility of receiving common material for inner work. Our question had been prompted by realizing the rapid crumbling of human society in its different spheres. This was at the same time that the inevitable failure of the Threefold Commonwealth Movement became apparent. We felt that something quite definite ought to be undertaken which would ensure the continuity of the anthroposophical substance regardless of external conditions. For this purpose, purely individual meditations carried out for one’s own spiritual progress – indispensable though these are – could not suffice. What we were striving for, or so we put it, was a Schulung als Dienst (a path of inner striving as a service), whereby one wishes to serve the Spirit of the Time, i.e. Michael. After a number of preparatory conversations between Rudolf Steiner and those of us who had requested them, a meditative content was passed on to us which Rudolf Steiner said was given im Auftrag der geistigen Welt (on behalf of the spiritual world). At the same time, the manner of its use as well as indications of how to pass on this meditative work to others striving in a similar direction was explained to us by Rudolf Steiner. He then further helped the birth of this community and said that we should regard it as having been gifted (gestiftet) by the spiritual world itself. (Rudolf Steiner distinguished clearly between begründen – to found, and stiften – to institute, to endow; the former refers to an impulse originating in the physical world, the latter to one coming directly out of the spiritual world working down into the physical.) This took place in a solemn act. Rudolf Steiner also handed down to the initial group a pledge which, by being read in the presence of the others who already belong to the Circle, constitutes a commitment purely to the spiritual world. We were the first to do so on Rudolf Steiner’s advice by reading these words to one another. Subsequently, Rudolf Steiner met twice with the members of this community endowing them with two esoteric lessons, (the 1st was in Stuttgart on 13 July 1923, which BTW Steiner also gave to the Priests) the second of which was held on December 30, 1923, this is during the Weihnachtstagung (the Christmas Foundation Meeting). It took place in a room of the Glashaus; and on this occasion, Frau Ita Wegman and Frau Marie Steiner accompanied him as guests. From what Rudolf Steiner said with regard to Dr Wegman’s presence, we realized that this work was in a way linked to the newly formed Hochschule (School for Spiritual Science). In subsequent months, Rudolf Steiner made himself available to us whenever required either personally until his illness, or in writing until shortly before his death. The Vorstand in Dornach was thoroughly informed about these matters to their complete satisfaction. The connection between the members of this community is established solely through the same mantric words meditated by each individually. No earthly initiative need be undertaken by its members by virtue of belonging to this community. In some places, friends foster meetings from time to time of those locally in reach. Here again, they do so following the advice by Rudolf Steiner to engage in conversations and Gespräch about spiritual matters, e.g. based on the content of the two esoteric lessons, if they wish to do so. The community has no name of its own and Rudolf Steiner recommended that we should keep it so. However, in the opening part of the second lesson, he said, “I am addressing myself today to the youth in you. For you are after all the Esoteric Youth Circle.” This has prompted some friends to refer to it as “der Jugendkreis” but usually when it is mentioned it is spoken of as “der Kreis” (The Circle). I hope that through my description it has become clear that this community is in no way an earthly institution, nd that there is no secrecy about its work. Friends find this work who feel within themselves questions arising of a nature similar to those which have led to the original formation of this community. Experience has shown that individuals earnestly seeking answers to vital inner questions are often led by personal encounters to situations where this work may become known to them. It is then a matter of whether one is able, prepared and willing to undertake responsibly the specific meditative work described above. ~Ernst Lehrs, Advent 1979”
The history of ‘The Circle’ can be found in “Esoteric Lessons Vol. 3 – 1913-1923”. Other untranslated documents are in the Archives at the Goetheanum. Here are a few notes from the various preparatory discussions from the founding of the Group: “If I am to go into what I understand with the term “esoteric group” then let me say that if you want to take the esoteric earnestly, you must say to yourself that it is an action out of the impulses from the spiritual world. One can strive toward this. Anthroposophy is a path to this end. To build such a community would constitute a decision to set upon this path. The spiritual is a living element & so such a group must not be something dead. The group must be a force-group. The health of each part is the health of the whole. It is the mutual taking on of karma that is created in such a community. There is then mutual suffering to live through, but also mutual joy. People must be treated like fellow human beings, with all their imperfections. What you seek is to find a friend in the spiritual world. The important thing is to remain spiritually true to the friend once found. Therefore, the first requirement is that you learn quite precisely what spiritual loyalty is. Your community will have in it something of the primordial mystery of all human community. This mystery is that, what we ourselves do within the community bears no fruit for us ourselves, but for others, & that the fruits for us come from others. We must work for the progress of humanity – Just as the physical social life consists of deeds done together, so too we strive for common deeds in the spirit – thus actually, for a social working in the suprasensible. We must endeavor to carry spirit into the furthest consequences of our actions. This alone – that we bring spirit & love into our will – can make it possible to stand firmly against being overrun by the cultural machine. Too few people today develop real initiative. There is a lot of willfulness, but little will. The true meditation is a fulfilling of the spiritual will that the Time Spirit bears with itself. Where such meditation is practiced, a spiritual force is able to work into the earthly events. Spiritual worlds want to work in to earthly events today, but they can do this only when, through human meditation, space is created for it. Through meditation, something like an empty space comes about. Into this space, the spiritual beings can enter with their effects. And the power of meditating such a meditation in common increases by potentization. When we do this community-meditation, it will bring about a deeper connection of the core of our being with our sheaths. These meditations, when used correctly, could become something like windows into the spiritual world. The words & pictures given, form only half of what is to be entrusted to us. The other half we are to find ourselves through spiritual activity. Each of you must feel joy for the success of the other. You must avoid every feeling of rivalry & have the awareness that what each of you accomplishes, you accomplish through the power of all of the others. Uniting yourself through a mutual promise to strive toward a common spiritual goal – & leaving one another completely free in actions & judgements in life – such a community based on this is something completely new in the evolution of humanity. And it is what is most necessary today. For someone who comes to specific results on the esoteric path, there is always the danger of delusions of grandeur. Such a community as yours can be a protection against this. For in it, you strive together to cross the threshold of the spiritual world. And there each of you has to say that you have the efforts of all the others to thank for what you have achieved personally. Effects will arise in the destiny between human beings who are connected with us in the community physically & spiritually. The community will never die out. With the first community members who reincarnate, the community returns to Earth. By persevering with the exercises we have a chance to stand up to Ahrimanic powers that no one person can withstand. Through the reading of the oath given by Rudolf Steiner on 16 October 1922, in the presence of the others, the admittance into the community was effected. And now consider your community as having been founded by the spiritual world itself…Now get to know each other well.” This gave us the idea to tell each other our biography at the mutual acceptance into membership. What has taken place now is a first in the post-Christian era: human beings themselves chose, out of freedom before the spiritual world, to join together esoterically’. ~Rudolf Steiner, “Esoteric Lessons Vol. 3 – 1913-1923”
Dearly Beloved – It is an occult truth that after 100 years an esoteric initiative has an opportunity to be renewed. I often refer to the Rosicrucian impulse that puts forth the imagination of ‘the opening of the tomb of Christian Rosenkreutz’ – a way of signifyinga shift in the evolution of human consciousness. A circle must not become a stagnate loop. May the essence of this working rise up re-enkindled – creating a spiraling vortex that activates a Christic reality for us all. ~hag
As we traverse the Michaelmas Season please avail yourselves to these recordings: Video: Michaelmas Festival w/ Mysteria Mystica Americana Video: Michaelmas: Festival of the Future Video: Michaelmas Musings
*Hello all, We would like to invite you to our fall Preparation Making Day. We will be making one und burying three of the compost preparations. As always this is a hands on work afternoon that will also give the opportunity for conversation, to learn and ask questions. And of course work will be followed by a potluck and bonfire so please bring a dish to pass Date: October 17, 2026Time: 3pmDonations welcome: $20 suggested.Petra Zinniker, Zinniker Farm, N7399 Bowers Rd, Elkhorn, WI 53121 Zinnikerfarm.com
We’re also co-hosting a Wellness Social with The Hive Wellness & Social October 24th at 10am.This will be an unforgettable community gathering bringing together like-minded souls for a day dedicated to holistic wellness, farm-to-table nourishment, and intentional connection. Get registered here! If you are a member, send me an email and I’ll provide you with your code for your complimentary registration. We will be accepting donations at the event as well. The Hive will be bringing their sauna’s and cold plunges to the farm. Here’s what you can expect: ☯️ Tai Chi Flow: Kick off the day with a grounding Tai Chi session led by Brandon LaGreca. Register Here
Soul to Soul – a Festival to Honor our Beloved DeadAll Saints Day Sunday 1 November 2026ALL are Welcome @ the Spirit Lodge in Spring Prairie WI. 1:45 pm – Doors Open - In the kitchen: The Children color chimes & trail markers 2pm – In the Living Room: Share a story of someone across the Threshold who influenced your life 3:30pm – Downstairs: a Tone & Color Gesture Art Offering w/ our Beloved on the other-side - Sounding Bowl – Petra Zinniker Family POTLUCK: Share a dish or favorite food that your Dear Departed One loved RSVP: Hazel@CogRite.com
To honor & foster the Christian Community of Southeast Wisconsin, we gather for ‘Devotional Services’ in-between Priest Visits. All are welcome to join in this opportunity to come together for devotion, reflection, & sharing. 29 November - 13 December Please arrive by 10:15 am so that we can be ready to begin promptly at 10:30 am– when the Consecration of the Human Being is being celebrated all over the country 11:30 am - Optional Potluck-Social Time (food contributions welcome) Families welcome - Children can play downstairs during the service. RSVP hazel@CogRite.com
Consider becoming a free or paid subscriber to Cognitive Ritual: Confessions of a Modern Rosicrucian - with every $ going to support Zinniker Farm Want to bring Biodynamic Preparations to your land? Get your Zinniker Preps HERE
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