On April 2, our colleague Carsten Callesen passed away unexpectedly. In the days and weeks since, Carsten’s community has gathered to celebrate his life together. We heard stories of Carsten’s many sides: as a father and grandfather, as a eurythmist and artist, a therapist and medical professional, and as a community member, colleague, and friend. Carsten was also an adult educator: Carsten was a member of the Curative Education Core Faculty at the Camphill School for many years, serving as an instructor, tutor, advisor, and confidant to students and faculty members alike. Carsten brought this wealth of experience to Antioch University’s Transdisciplinary MEd in Healing Education as a faculty member.
It is in this role that I knew Carsten best, first as my teacher in the Camphill Academy and later as my colleague in our Academy faculty. As I listened to the stories of Carsten’s life, and heard his booming laugh in my own memories, I started to reflect on the qualities that made Carsten such an impactful educator.
In the Core Faculty meetings for the Camphill Academy programs at the Camphill School, we begin our meetings with a verse. Given how many hats everyone wears, it is helpful to take a moment to arrive and be reminded of our present purpose. The verse reads:
For those who will to work
With those who guide
The future of humanity;
Bring forth spirit potentials
In yourself—
And so achieve
The power to awaken
Dormant faculties
In others.
Cultivate the seed points.
Foster forces of growth.
Recognize future becoming.
These last three lines capture what Carsten embodied as an educator. As a personal tutor and class advisor, he cultivated the seed points within individuals. Carsten had a particular gift for forming relationships, for helping people navigate their own crises, and for creating warm spaces that enabled you to open up, explore, and even heal. But he wasn’t just warm: Carsten also had a way of calling you to uprightness, to take seriously the task in front of you and to treat both it–and yourself–seriously. With a hearty laugh and a down to earth attitude, Carsten’s capacity to foster forces of growth meant helping students push beyond their own comfort zones. That is, after all, where growth happens. And lastly, Carsten was always on the lookout for what might be, to recognize future becoming. In our faculty meetings, he would reflect with wonder at the beautiful insights students had and the transformations they had undergone. He was not afraid to be inspired by others, and that inspiration was infectious.
Through the way Carsten embodied these three tasks, he will be with us in our work as a faculty, helping us set the tone with compassion, conscience, and wonder.
In memory of our longtime faculty member, neighbor, and friend, Carsten Callesen we share some of the parting words offered by Reverend Jong Won Choi of The Christian Community:
“Carsten was born on September 6th, 1965 in Aarhus in Denmark, as the youngest child of four children. He had a rough childhood living with his single mother who was a cook at a rehab facility for alcoholics. As a teenager and young adult, he found lively friendships through his living arrangement in student housing. There were lots of fun gatherings and a rich artistic life. There he also fostered a love for theater and performance.
Carsten was always fascinated with the idea of reincarnation. One day, he learned from a friend about anthroposophy and the teachings of Rudolf Steiner. Being interested, he researched and discovered the Camphill Movement and Eurythmy. He was already dancing in the theater, and when he saw a eurythmy performance, it was very clear to him that that is what he wanted to do.
In the summer of 1986, Carsten packed up his bike, and a little bike trailer, and headed for The Camphill Blair Drummond in Scotland. He biked the width of Denmark, then took a ferry to Scotland. Then, pulling a little trailer behind his bike, he biked over many hills in Scotland. This was new as there are not many hills in Denmark. By the time he reached The Camphill Blair Drummond, the brakes were so worn that he was coasting down hills at tremendous speeds. Just before his 21st birthday, he arrived at The Camphill Blair Drummond.
It was clear that Blair Drummond was just a stop for two years, on the way to Botton village Eurythmy school. Regardless, he put his whole self into the community. He worked in the laundry and “big Kitchen” workshops that washed all the laundry and cooked lunch for the whole community of more than 100 people, with 6-10 villagers and a few co-workers. He later also became co-houseparent of a large house with 10-12 villagers.
After finishing four years of eurythmy training in Botton village, he was wondering what was next. Then, he received a letter from his friends from Blair Drummond asking him to come to the US, to The Camphill Special School in Beaver Run.
Thus began his life in The Camphill Special School in 1992, as a coworker and eurythmist. Carsten was 27 years old then, and as we know, except for a year of sabbatical in 2001, he was fully dedicated to this community until the end of his life.
He soon met Safina, who was a co-worker. She asked Carsten, “What do you want to do with your life?” The answer was “I want to do good”. Safina said, “Let’s do it together.” They welcomed their two sons, Silvan in 1994 and Shaan in 1998. Safina and Carsten worked to create a safe, loving space for their own children and those of the school. A Space that neither of them had experienced as children. They ran a joyful strong house community for many years. In 2006, Safina left Beaver Run, and Carsten became the primary parent for their two boys.
This also began his shift from houseparent towards the medical field, teaching in the Academy, and mentoring young houseparents. He became a CPR Instructor, EMT, and the Director of Medical and Therapeutic Services. These were the main roles he carried through since then.
Whatever he did, he did it so fully and with joy and light, with his laughter, with kindness, beauty, and creativity. Everyone loved him. For many people, he was the “go-to-person” for everything, and a fine example. He gave, and gave, and gave… The endless giving quality of Christian love, selfless love, he lived.
Carsten will keep sending his blessings to his family and also to the Beaver Run community. He, as a soul so dedicated to this community, will continue to inspire the people in the community, of course from the other side of the threshold, to find their way toward the future, with open hearts, honestly, vulnerably, truthfully, and with cheerful energy.
In the joyous beauty of blossoming laughter, in the knightly dignity and power and service, and also in the bearing of burdens, we see the being, (the being of love, light and life, the being of Christ) with whom Carsten weaved his life together.
Christ knocks at the door. Yet, his knocking is so gentle and quiet that only those who seek Him can hear his soft knocking. Carsten is one of those who sought Him and heard His knocking and opened his heart to Him. As he sought Him and found Him in his life on earth, now we pray that the power of Christ will come to him. May He be with him and for him. For our dear Carsten Callesen. Yes, so be it.”
Eulogy edited for length
