Affirming the ‘I'

Rudolf Steiner’s suggestion for the first day in Class 1 in the Waldorf School was to introduce the straight line and the curve: I and C. In 1983, Hannah Krämer-Steiner mentioned a little-known indication he gave for the second day, “On the following day repeat the straight line and the curve, I and C, but add this: I C )-(. You can then tell the children that they have written their first word – ‘ICH’ [German for ‘I’].”

---

Hannah Krämer-Steiner later on provided more detail (cf. Journal für Waldorfpädagogik, 1/2020, p. 56ff.) by pointing out that the straight line (both vertical and horizontal) should be in blue and the curve in red.

Guiding star for the human ‘I'

The letter I has its home in the planetary sphere of Mercury, while the CH unfolds its effect from Libra, from the sphere of the zodiac. In its uprightness the letter I works from the inside out, while we experience the breath of the CH from the outside in (Rudolf Steiner: “the breath of the Highest passes through me”). The essence and the effect of both sounds are also reflected in the eurythmy figures, in the colour compositions for thinking, feeling and will:

I: yellow-orange – red – blue

CH: orange – green-blue – dark purple

German-speakers can simply invent a little story to go with this: the experience that there is only one word that refers to myself alone is powerful and profound!

In the statue of the Representative of Humanity, Ahriman and Lucifer are depicted on the left, working together in the etheric world. This relates to the first day of school. The central image of the ‘I’ – the Representative of Humanity overcoming Lucifer and Ahriman – relates to the second day of school. This relation is a guiding star for the human ‘I’!

Translated into colour

Waldorf Schools exist on all continents. It will take some time before we will have found a suitable story made up of the corresponding sounds so that the respective word for ‘I’ can resound in every language. Until then, Rudolf Steiner’s sketch on light and darkness may be helpful. In the soft green we experience the power of Christ; it is open to both sides: the yellow components in the green provide a boundary to the fiery red above, just as the blue components do to the blue-purple below. On the second day of school we first draw the blue straight line and the red curve on the blackboard again. A new picture emerges: the teacher applies red and yellow above and purple and blue below and in between a large area of soft green. Into this area, using a strong green, he or she carefully places in large letters the word ‘I’ in the respective language. Each child then draws the phonetic symbols referring to his or her ‘I’ on the blackboard.

If you help to spread the content of the second day in Class 1, in adult eurythmy classes, for instance, or among teachers and at parents evenings, children could be given the ‘I’ affirmation they need so urgently in these challenging times. Please share your experiences with us!

---

---