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Eurythmy: Third and Intimacy

Transform the third into the soul gesture of Intimacy

Perform the third movement, rotate the forearms and continue to wear the third and continue to experience the feeling of the third within this movement:

After raising the forearms using the thirds, slowly bring the arms and hands in an arc until the forearms are pointing up supportively. Try to guide the movement from the back of your hand and let the Intimacy gesture come naturally. If you increase the gesture and tone in your arms a bit, it naturally lifts you a little onto the balls of your feet. Remain in this fulfilled attitude for a while, perceive the feeling of the third as your own soul power and become one with it.

Can you tell a difference if you do the third and the turn into the Intimacy soul gesture first in major and then in minor?


Statements by Rudolf Steiner

The gesture of the third

“In the third there is a distinct feeling of not reaching as far as the skin, but of remaining within yourself. The experience of the third is very intimate. You know that what you settle with the third you settle with yourself alone. ...

Now the point is this: When trying to give clear expression to the remaining-within-yourself in the third, it is possible to vary the movement. ... Suppose that you are dealing with a major third. Then you will show inwardness by making the arm movement go away (out) from yourself. If you express the minor third, you remain more within yourself, which you indicate with your arm back towards yourself (inwards). You have a gesture that really expresses the experience of the third."


Steiner, tone eurythmy course GA 278

Intimacy

“Now we come to things that lead more into the human being. And there we have a gesture that is supposed to express the intimacy of feeling, to visualize the state of mind that expresses the intimacy of feeling. This intimacy of feeling is expressed by standing on the front part of the foot, the heel slightly off the ground but not very high, because if you have it too high it is no longer intimate - so slightly lift the heel, otherwise stand on your foot. Then the gesture stretches both arms gently forward so that the thumb encloses the index finger. This expresses the feeling of intimacy, and so you have this gesture.

If you think there is a baby lying here (in your arms) and you want to develop some kind of intimate feeling towards the baby's angel, you can hold the baby like this and you would have the gesture of intimacy."

R. Steiner, speech eurythmy course GA 279

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