Aries 2016: The Excitement of Spring

Red is the color of Life, the force of the will to live. The eagerness to be alive, to create, mhm…to procreate, is palpable all around us in the first month of spring from March 19 through April 19. As the Sun passes through the constellation of stars in the Northern hemisphere, which the Ancients named Aries, we feel the urge to assert ourselves while still being vulnerable from the cold season. The young sprouts possess a tremendous force, enabling them to break the seed and push through the soil into the light. Yet, at the same time, they are very fragile.

The eurythmy gesture of Aries pulls the forces of will with the right arm from the depths below. The hand stops in front of the chest and points its fingers to the chin. All the processing we have done in the Winter has yielded us the strength and confidence to stand tall, sensitivity to connect with our heart, and courage to offer fresh ideas to the world.

The red Aries offers humans the gift of the consonants V (as in Victoria) and W (as in water).

As far as I know, Rudolf Steiner never gave any indication for the image of the gesture V. He was even reluctant to bring its movement to the eager eurythmists at the beginning of the 20^th century. Finally, he gave in, and offered what he perceived about the energy of the sound V from his visits to the spiritual worlds. V is a wave-like movement of the primordial wind, breathing Life onto the Earth.

The eurythmy gesture for W goes deep into the blue primordial waters to stir up Life on the purple thoughtful feeling, encouraged by the red purpose. The image above, created based on the Rudolf Steiner’s indications for W, is a representation of the etheric forces engaged; one should not attempt to replicate it in actual physical movement. The eurythmy gestures need to be learnt in person, as all other dance modalities.

If you feel inspired to move eurythmy, connect with the closest Waldorf school, Camphill community, Christian community, or anthroposophical center, and ask to speak with a eurythmist. All of these communities exist all over the world. If you have difficulties finding one, send me a note, and I’ll do my best to help you.

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