Elder Flowering: Lived Experiences of Growing Older Book Review by Catherine H. Decker
The Elder Flower is symbolic of endings and rebirth...
"Love of wisdom acquired from life may be compared to the flowering of a plant at the proper stage of maturity."
Rudolf Steiner, “Love and Its Meaning in the World”[1]
"If humans learn to become older consciously with every day, then this really means a meeting with spiritual beings, just as being born and possessing inherited qualities means a descent from physical beings."
Rudolf Steiner, Ancient Myths and the New Isis Mystery[2]
In recent decades, biography work has been taken up by increasing numbers of people. Yet, there has been less written about the time following middle age.The intention of the editors of Elder Flowering, Signe Eklund Schaefer and Karen Gierlach, was to put together a volume exploring life themes experienced by those seventy years old and beyond.
Having devoted many years to consciously considering one’s biography through the lens of anthroposophic understandings, Signe and Karen were interested in the ways in which one’s later years unfold. They posed the question of how individuals navigate the terrain of their later years and find a sense of integrity.
Nineteen people who had previously engaged with biography work responded to the request for submissions to this volume. The resulting collection offers personal stories which reflect the “soul gold” of many decades of lived experience and which are enhanced by a long- range view. This broad perspective provides meaningful context for the complexity of a person’s journey across the expanse of time and space.
Among the contributors to Elder Flowering, the reader will find a spectrum of family backgrounds, training and professions. We hear from artists, counselors, writers, scholars, facilitators, teachers and others who have devoted time to describe the challenges and struggles, as well as the joys and accomplishments, of their journey.
Each contribution is unique both in style and content. Some authors explain theories of human development or reference well-known psychologists or philosophers. Others candidly unspool their stories, speaking of relatives, friends and landmark events that were pivotal to their development. The audience is given a picture of the unfolding, petal by petal, of a person’s life on earth.
Aspects of Aging
Through honest reflection and sometimes great detail, these accounts illuminate aspects of aging to offer truths which are both deeply personal and universal. While circumstances vary, the reader finds particular themes which weave throughout the book. Changes in career, physical health, family constellation and loss are some of the topics discussed. One’s relationship to anthroposophy and an informed look at self development is central to these sharings. In this way, Elder Flowering feels more like a symphony than a patchwork of separate accounts.
Destiny questions are raised in many sections of this volume. With the acquired skills practised through past biography work, several writers consider their pre-birth intention when sifting through the purposes of their lives. Others describe the re-emergence of dreams and hopes from one’s youth that spiral back with new coloration. These authors trace their personal path, highlighting decisive moments and the underlying rhythms that appear over the course of a lifetime.
Many contributors speak of the impulses and values that guided their decisions. The reader is invited in to have a close look at how these individuals molded their lives, both outwardly and inwardly, listening to spiritual guidance to manifest their life mission.
Gratitude and Learning
One recurring idea found in Elder Flowering is that of gratitude. Appreciation for nature and relationships, as well as overall acceptance of one’s life are some of the outcomes that aging can bring.
Another message is the sense of continued growth and learning. A number of authors describe the experience of losing some abilities, only to discover other capacities that had not before been evident. Some wrote that while certain physical senses diminished, this created room for other, more spiritual senses to develop. Many of these elders note the rejuvenation of life forces, revealing how life has taken on a more textured palette, even after a major trauma or loss.
While some elders expanded their scope of activity, others concentrated their energies, penetrating particular questions or riddles with greater intensity. In all cases, the reader is invited along on this pilgrimage, thereby serving as witness to the dedicated efforts of each soul to mold the clay of his her life and go forward with deliberation.
Life Reflection
Throughout this book one finds verses, drawings, and poems interspersed with the narrative. Some writers use poetry to depict aspects of their lives. These artistic expressions exemplify the ever-evolving sense of freedom and creativity that many experience.
It is notable that the authors themselves found this process of reflection and writing to be of great value. This points to the benefits of biography work itself. One of the rewards of delving into Elder Flowering is the opportunity to connect with one’s own life in new ways.
That we all age is a given. Yet how we meet each new stage of life and its opportunities is the artwork of each maturing adult. Taken as a whole, the sharings revealed in this collection offer valuable insights into the less often explored realm of life beyond the age of seventy.
Relevant to anyone approaching these precious years of older adulthood or familiar with those in later life, this book seeks to shed light on the processes involved when encountering one's elder years. In this field of consciously researching the patterns of one’s life, the editors and all the contributors have offered us a most remarkable treasure.
Catherine Decker, M.Ed., is a Level III graduate of the Spacial Dynamics Institute, and has been working with young children for thirty years. She was a faculty member of the Resonare Music Foundation program for ten years and, since 2020, has been involved with a speech chorus and festival activities in Columbia County, New York. Over the years, Catherine has taken part in a number of workshops focused on biography.
[1]Lecture given in Zurich December 17, 1912 https://rsarchive.org/Lectures/GA143/English/Singles/19121217p01.html
[2] Rudolf Steiner, “Ancient Myths, Their Meaning and Connection with Evolution,” Ancient Myths: Their Meaning and Connection with Evolution, tr. M. Cotterell. Lecture given January 6, 1918 in Dornach, Switzerland. https://rsarchive.org/Lectures/GA180/English/SBC1971/19180106p01.html