A deep dive into the profound and surprising value of puppetry has captured my heart and mind for more than a year now. That’s because I’ve been working on a thesis—“Waldorf Early Childhood Education: A Balm for our Times”—for Antioch New England’s M.Ed. program in Transdisciplinary Healing Education, now complete (phew!). The choice of subject, and my angle on it, grew out of my long-held fascination with a quote by Rudolf Steiner about puppetry remedying civilization. This statement, along with Philipp Reubke’s remarks on puppetry as a unique and wondrous tool by which to engender living thinking in young children (given at the 2022 WAPASA summer conference), mushroomed into an investigation into how and why the relatively simple form of puppetry Waldorf early childhood teachers offer might serve children and, by extension, humanity itself. Below are some excerpts from the study’s introduction and conclusion that point to some of the revelations that arose.

From the Introduction

In the early part of the 20th Century, Rudolf Steiner is said to have made this intriguing statement: “Puppetry is a remedy against the ravages of civilization” (Breyer, 2013, p.15). When I first heard this, it seemed to me that the Austrian philosopher, educator, natural scientist and spiritual researcher may have overstated the power of puppetry—especially in light of how Waldorf early childhood puppetry, my focus, is approached in such an intentionally simple way. How could this grand statement be so? But how wonderful if true.

I can think of some ravages that could use remedying and, unfortunately, the list is long: Materialistic greed, screen obsession, addictions of many kinds, eroding attention spans, rampant anxiety, conflict, violence, governmental and business corruption, abuse and neglect of vulnerable people, self-absorption, isolation, impoverishment, exploitation, diminished inner lives, learned helplessness, the “othering” of others, shallow “group think,” casual deceitfulness, vengefulness—and, overall, a deficit of imagination, inspiration, intuition and initiative in the solving of problems. Perhaps, ultimately, these ills signify a lack of connection to “more than self”—that ineffable something that connects us all at core as fellow travelers along the path of life. This lack contributes to the erosion of goodwill that is so often at the core of life’s troubles. If simple early childhood puppetry, informed by Rudolf Steiner’s understanding of the human being, has the power to make a positive contribution to society, that certainly is a welcome prospect. 

What to Ponder. The researchable questions I wished to take up in my study, then, were: (1) What are the ways in which experienced Waldorf early childhood educators have come to understand the meaning of Steiner’s intriguing statement, “Puppetry is a remedy against the ravages of civilization”?; (2) What do teacher-puppeteers observe that may indicate puppetry having a remedying effect on children and adults?; (3) How do I myself experience the creative process and my own inner life as I engage in puppetry, and what after-effects might that have?; and (4) How might Steiner’s ideas of ‘living thinking’ as something essential to human freedom and creativity be supported via early childhood puppetry as practiced by Waldorf educators?

A Way Forward. Steiner’s foundational book, The Philosophy of Freedom, served as a backdrop for these questions. In it, he points the way toward achieving a state of inner freedom that involves the capacity to think independently yet in ways that are loving, intelligent, morally sound, new and alive. Actions based on this kind of living thinking are intrinsically the opposite of shallow, rote, careless, cold or separating. Genuinely free and living thinking—something we all have the capacity to develop, Steiner promises—keeps the thinker in the driver’s seat as numerous and conflicting ideas are presented, as life tends to do. As Steiner said, “We must be able to confront an idea while experiencing it; otherwise we fall into its bondage” (Steiner, 1894/1995, p. 257).

Making Connections. My goal for the thesis was to connect, in what might prove to be helpful, even unexpected, ways: The practice of Waldorf early childhood puppetry; my own observations and contemplations of creative processes around puppetry; and Steiner’s ideas about living thinking and freedom in light of the challenges of our times.

From the Conclusion

Rudolf Steiner emphasized that a developed inner space is essential to being a free human being. This developed inner space, or heart center, is where we can commune with spiritual guidance, come to know ourselves “in here,” and understand other human beings and the world “out there.” Through all the connections and communications that intersect in that space we can develop an upright moral stance that allows us meet the world with agency, creativity, engagement, wisdom and love.

Uniquely Apropos. The teachers I interviewed, authors I quoted, and my own hands-on experiences all showed that puppetry is a uniquely apropos medium through which to cultivate that inner space—and provide soul food that nourishes an upright I. This inner space is where we can overcome our own limitations in order to, first, become more fully integrated and self-examined and, from that place, effectively work together to meet the world’s challenges.

Our Core Task. Woven throughout this paper is the message that this is our fundamental life’s task: The development of an upright, integrated I. Further interwoven with this lifelong striving are ideas of living thinking, will and freedom.

Integration and Initiation. An especially strong moment of inner recognition occurred for me when Karine Munk Finser (speaking to me on the heels of her having taught a course in Hungary on The Cosmic I Am in light of Steiner’s views) described puppetry itself as initiation into becoming I carriers. That gave me pause. It was one of those times when all the different ways of thinking about and engaging in this exploration of puppetry seemed contained in a single sentence that lodged directly in my heart. I understood more clearly, upon hearing this message, that when children experience puppetry, there's a glimpse of this beholding of something bigger than themselves, and knowing that they’re not there yet but are heading in the right direction.

Why We Strive. This longing for reintegration with the I Am helps explain why we have such a striving within to learn more, do more, try harder, be better, fall and rise, carry on, find meaning. All of this requires an engaged will. 

Saying Yes. Watching gentle, transporting puppetry helps children say yes to this journey of becoming more-than-self because it is such a receptive time for them. The children feel safe, carried by the rhythm, sounds and colors of the puppetry offering, and enveloped in the “etheric blanket” and loving intentions of the teacher-puppeteers. They can stop contracting and bracing themselves against the world, and let go.

Inspiration, Creativity and Will. This project gave me many new opportunities to see creativity in an expanded light and in a more grounded way—not as colorful ideas floating above our heads that we might somehow catch on a whim and play around with, but as something essential to our humanity that is forever bound up with the primary element of free will. How valuable to be able to nurture this fundamental capacity through early childhood puppetry!

The kind of inspired thinking (and the spiritually aligned actions that result from it) that puppetry can elicit in both puppeteer and audience could be described as thinking that is fresh, innovative, responsive and fruitful, and carrying within it a glowing spark of energy-for-the-doing; it is perfectly poised between thought and real-world action and intertwined with willpower. In other words, as I have come to see, it is not enough to be inspired, the will must be engaged in response to inspiration.

Recollections of Healing. The hands-on exercises I engaged with for the contemplative, experiential portion of this study helped me to viscerally come to insights regarding inspiration, striving, uprightness and healing. For example, in my experiment using a “lifeless/life-filled” puppetry ensoulment practice, I appealed to inspiration while assuming a physical stance of uprightness; doing so had the effect of subduing my physical pain while walking so I could carry on with the walk. The experiment allowed me to overcome my resistant self and reminded me that, with spiritual support, I can burst free of limitations. This transcendence is what Steiner urged us to strive toward. It is in overcoming our small selves that we become freely moral and also, as my experience showed, stronger and more resilient.

To Act, and not React. In The Philosophy of Freedom, Steiner posited that thinking about thinking is what leads us to moral thought and action. This again relates to that pre-birth glimpse of the Cosmic I Am that sets us forth on a lifetime of striving to learn to act uprightly, from a centered place, and not merely react to life’s triggers. This thinker who thinks about thinking is the inner observer that allows for some space so that wisdom has a chance to ray in.

Staying Composed. Honing this ability to act, and not merely react, is eminently practical. We don’t have to immediately accept or reject ideas, as people so routinely do (or expect us to do); rather, we can watch with interest whether or how ideas land within and give ourselves a fair chance to consider them. No matter what is happening out there, we remain inwardly free and poised, and from this place of presence can intuit what to do and how to be right now, in these circumstances, which are always in a state of flux. Puppetry calls us to be present, flexible, responsive, intuitive, creative, courageous, generous and collaborative; these are the very qualities all of humanity needs.

Self-Inquiry and the Balancing Act. As Steiner emphasized, freedom demands regular examination of our values, priorities and motivations, lest we slip back into believing we are freer than we actually are because we haven’t checked in with ourselves regularly enough to question any assumptions or rote ideas that may be unconsciously driving us.  Puppetry can be a fruitful avenue toward maintaining or regaining balance because of all the ways it keeps us connected to imagination, intuition, inspiration and initiative—and supports us, and children, in being worthy I carriers.

The healing effects of puppetry are not exclusive to early childhood, of course. Older children can benefit, too, and as many grown-up puppeteers have attested, puppetry is a lifelong path of self-discovery. We are all still becoming.

The Greatest Remedy. Through all of the explorations that were part of this study, I have come to a more expanded understanding of what Steiner meant when he said that puppetry could be a remedy against the ravages of civilization. It is not so much about itemizing society’s ills and how puppetry might specifically help in each case. Rather, the greatest remedy of all is the general ability to think and act in freedom from this place of presence, of living thinking.