If you live within driving distance of Sacramento, I hope you'll take advantage of not one, but two conferences the weekend of April 1, 2006: "Briar Rose and the 12 Virtues" with Claudia McLaren Lainson and Suzanne Down in Fair Oaks and "Protecting the Spirit of Childhood," co-sponsored by Rudolf Steiner College at UC Davis.
The first (March 31-April 2, 200) provides a unique opportunity to learn from therapist and frequent Waldorf in the Home presenter Claudia McLaren Lainson and therapeutic story pioneer Suzanne Down. Here is how they describe the theme "Brian Rose and the 12 Virtues":
Briar Rose is the archetype whose birth ushers in the truth of the human being as a spiritual being seeking a human experience. It is from the 12 constellations, the 12 virtues, the 12 fairies, that the 12 senses are fashioned for work on earth. It was at the birth of Briar Rose that the spiritual forces gathered gifting her with the 12 talents and blessings. How will she awaken to these gifts? She will attain these gifts by inhabiting the body and drawing up these treasures from the depths of her will. What are the hindrances to this inhabitation of the body? Much in our modern world and in our old ways of thinking will stand in her way. Each child is the Briar Rose and each teacher, parent, and therapist is the awakener. Who was the 13th fairy? That is the mystery we will be exploring. The 13th represents not only the adversarial forces to the gifts but also the wisdom of change that opens the circle into the spiral where new forces are invited into time. How do we, as educators of children, assist them in breaking through the circle of earthly karma into the spiral of evolving destiny?
Please join us for this transformative journey into the wellspring of the mystery of human development. We will explore these great secrets of spiritual development through dialogue, experiential play, and artistic activities. Each of us has a role to play if we are to deliver our children into the hands of light." For information, contact Ana Guzman at 916-863-0146.
On Saturday, April 1, 2006 the second conference on "Protecting the Spirit of Childhood" will be cosponsored by Rudolf Steiner College at UC Davis. The featured speaker will be Bruce D. Perry, MD, PhD and internationally known authority on play and children in crisis. Dr. Perry's work has been instrumental in describing how traumatic events in childhood change the biology of the brain. You will receive powerful support documenting how children's play, movement, and creative activities fuel their healthy development. For information, call (916) 961-3932 or sgill@steinercollege.edu or register at the door ($110 or $85 for students or seniors.
If you're unable to attend and want to learn more about these topics, we offer audio and video recordings of Claudia McLaren Lainson: "Times of Genius: Raising Children Who Remember Spirit' (DVD or CD); "The Art of Therapeutic Storytelling" (CD); and "The Changing Face of Authority" (CD). --Rahima
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