Shearwater Library

Freeing the Circling Stars

Last weekend a Workshop was held at Shearwater, which had at its centre an investigation of the working of money and financial processes within an educational environment. While that opening may sound a little dry and specialised, we should add that the weekend was extraordinarily inspiring and thought provoking. Locked-in ideas and assumptions were regularly exposed and dealt with in a way that was both radical, and based in a sound pragmatism. Saturday was largely a big picture exploration of possibilities in terms of self-funded education. Sunday dealt with the more practical issues related to budgets, capital investment and securing a sound financial future.

 For teachers at Shearwater it is an opportunity to grasp the inner and outer working of money as a means to fulfilling the destiny of individuals and consolidating an educational initiative. 

The workshop was delivered by Dr. Christopher Houghton Budd, who has a Doctorate in Banking and International Finance and works on raising consciousness of the history and spiritual basis of money and the flow of capital. He specialises in topics ranging from sustainable financial practices, to exploring financial markets, but has a special interest in bridging understanding of Rudolf Steiner’s work and contemporary economic conditions. Based in Canterbury, England, he travels widely as an educator and consultant, working with colleagues around the world.

Christopher is a lively and engaging speaker whose lectures and workshops really get people reconstructing and questioning their assumptions and beliefs about the nature of money.  He has worked in various organizations – political, not for profit and for profit; spent four years on the board of an elementary school and is a founder member of the Economics Faculty of the Goetheanum in Switzerland.

This is a follow up visit for Dr Houghton Budd who spoke at the school last October. Those who attended his evening lectures experienced a real encounter with economic and spiritual realities in a form that was lucidly and creatively presented. It was an experience not easily forgotten and hopefully it will be repeated in three or four month’s time. So look out for the next reminders.

Gillian Rogers