Like Captain Planet and the App Tengami (check out the post ‘Planetary pop-ups‘), Rudolf Steiner and the Prince of Wales (Prince Charles) have more in common than many may appreciate. They were/are both interested in education, farming without chemicals, geometry, architecture, beauty, the interconnectedness of nature, spirituality, addressing the crises facing humanity and creating harmony. In this vein, both have books with Harmony in the title which are related to the elements fire, water, earth, air and aether/spirit.

The book ‘Harmony of the Creative Word‘ contains 12 lectures by Rudolf Steiner on human beings and the elemental animal, plant and mineral kingdoms. Steiner’s name frequently appears in my exploration of the intuitive elements. I am only starting to learn about the breadth and depth of his philosophy and practice. What I have learnt so far is that he was a fervent student of Goethe, alchemy and Felix Kogutski. All of these ‘teachers’ had an elemental understanding of the world and the way it works.

‘Harmony of the Creative Word: The Human Being and the Elemental Animal, Plant and Mineral Kingdoms’ (2001). Twelve lectures by Rudolf Steiner revised and translated by M. Barton.

I’m looking forward to discovering more about Steiner’s writings and actions and how these are reflected in the initiatives that arose from or were influenced by them. These include Waldorf Schools, biodynamic agriculture and the Anthroposophical Society that has branches worldwide. One would expect the intuitive elements to be present either implicitly or explicitly.

Prince Charles book is simply called ‘Harmony‘ with the sub-title ‘A New Way of Looking at our World’. It calls for a revolution to fight what he calls a crisis of perception. Prince Charles refers to Steiner’s work on agriculture and the need to work with the grain of nature, not against it. He discusses the grammar of harmony and the spiritual dimension of our lives being seriously neglected in the west. In his book, Prince Charles calls for the need for ‘right thinking’ (Steiner also lectured and wrote about thoughts and thinking independently) and to put nature back at the heart of our considerations.

‘Harmony: A New Way of Looking at Our World’ (2010). The Prince of Wales with Tony Juniper and Ian Skelly.

In his book Prince Charles shares his solutions for a more sustainable earth, drawing on the wisdom of many cultures. This wisdom came out of a deep connection with and understanding of the elements. My opinion of Prince Charles changed considerably after reading ‘Harmony‘. It draws his diverse interests and experiences into a cohesive whole.

Exploring the connections between harmony and the elements was stimulated by Harmony Day, an event held in Australia on March 21st each year. I had intended to post this post on that date. My plan was thwarted by still learning how to use WordPress on my iPad while travelling. Something to be sorted out soon!

The message of Harmony Day in 2014 is ‘Everyone Belongs’. The event is designed to celebrate Australia’s cultural diversity. A step in the right direction to create a more harmonious world. Both Rudolf Steiner and Prince Charles also reflect on the importance of harmony, as well as the interconnectedness of nature and the lessons we can learn from it. I interpret their message as ‘everything belongs’.