The septennials are seven year cycles and were heavily featured in Rudolf Steiner’s work. Steiner was an Austrian philosopher who died in 1925 and was responsible for among other initiatives: biodynamics, an education system and anthroposophy. Anthroposophy was and is a movement defined as the ‘science of spirituality’. Much of Steiner's work focused on biographical studies as a pathway for increased consciousness and wove together the different phases of life, planetary and personal astrology, as well as spiritual, physical and other various cycles which influence human beings in both tangible and more subtle ways.

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The seven year cycles, or septennials, are an evolutionary spiral. They belong to every thing that has ever been created. There is no one who does not go through them. They are a flow, a rhythm. You may feel a new septennial approaching one or two years in advance as the energy builds and peaks, then you may feel it wane as you come to the end of one.

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Every seven years within the system there is a total change. It may be seen as the soul’s demand to be seen as an individual rather than a collective. For example, at the age of seven, the first realisation of self begins to occur. The restlessness that is felt within is due to body chemistry changes from that of an infant to that of a child.

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During the course of your life, you are gradually influenced by other elements, for example, the prejudices and opinions of our parents influence us: if a child hears something often enough they will eventually accept it as fact. What other images do children have to turn to in the early years except from those who are raising them?

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A significant part of this course is to deep dive into the septennials of your life - idenitfying themes, challenges, victories or any significant event or shift that occured. As outlined in the 'What's in the Harvest Basket?' page, a summary of each septennial, followed by the prompts for that septennial, are on this and following pages. There is a recap of the What's In the Harvest Basket? process below the prompts on each page. 

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Septennial #1: 0-7 years

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This cycle is the beginning of life and the foundation from which the physical being, personality and soul emerge. The nature of our birth is important. Rudolf Steiner believed that one's birth carries an echo of our death from our previous life. The events of our birth are a significant inital influence that contributes to our individuality and contains a powerful blueprint of our initial relationships with life and with other humans. We bring with us into this life our red (maternal) and white (paternal) threads: patterns, dynamics and themes unique to our lineage. 

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During the early years we are largely moved by the instincts of hunger, need for love, protection and support, as well as pain and the impact of our environment, both physical and humanistic. A child experiences more growth in this septennial than in any other stage of life. Becoming upright and walking, mastering language and the concepts of 'no' and 'I' are significant milestones along the path to awareness of our own individuality. 

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One important influence is the unconscious behavioural responses we learn. The culture you are born into is a huge ready-made set of responses. There is a very different physical and glandular system in this septennial than in later years. The sexual organs are not developed, the thymus is very large and in later years becomes smaller. In these early years the child has a very basic response to truth, right and wrong. A sense of morality develops very slowly as the child grows.​

 

Inner forces are working in these years to transform the body of the child from one that was inherited by the parents to one that represents the full personality of the child.

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The Exercise:

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What is the story of your conception? What was happening in your parent’s

lives when you were conceived?

What is the story of your birth? How did your mother experience it?

Can you remember how you experienced it?

Does your remembering play out in your life in other areas now?

What was your childhood like overall? Was it safe, happy, fun, loving?

What was the culture, values and habits of your family?

What were your favourite toys, games, things to do?

Did you go to school? How was that for you?

What was your personality like in this time? Were you shy or extroverted?

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After completing the prompts, divide a page into two columns. The headings for each column should be ‘negative’ and ‘positive’. In the ‘negative’ column, write an equal list of negative experiences, emotions, themes, actions and reactions from the first septennial. In the ‘positive’ column write the positive experiences, themes, actions, gifts, relationships of that septennial.

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Then, take a few moments with your eyes closed to feel into the negative list, considering each item you have written down. Then do the same for the positive list. Now, allow the two lists to merge – try to sit above or apart from the two lists and allow them to merge into one list, being, or energy – however you like to think about it. From this place, ask for a seed image to emerge, which represents the summation of this septennial, of the two lists and the merged lists.

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Your seed image may appear in your mind visually, or as thoughts describing the image, or in another way. Go with the first image that arises and open your eyes and draw it on the first round piece of paper.

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