Robert Earl Burton and The Fellowship of Friends: November 1979

Introduction

Robert Earl Burton founded The Fellowship of Friends in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1970. Burton modeled his own group after that of Alex Horn, loosely borrowing from the Fourth Way teachings of Gurdjieff and Ouspensky. In recent years, the Fellowship has cast its net more broadly, embracing any spiritual tradition that includes (or can be interpreted to include) the notion of "presence."

The Fellowship of Friends exhibits the hallmarks of a "doomsday religious cult," wherein Burton exercises absolute authority, and demands loyalty and obedience. He warns that his is the only path to consciousness and eternal life. Invoking his gift of prophecy, he has over the years prepared his flock for great calamities (e.g. a depression in 1984, the fall of California in 1998, nuclear holocaust in 2006, and most recently the October 2018 "Fall of California Redux.")

According to Burton, Armageddon still looms in our future and when it finally arrives, non-believers shall perish while, through the direct intervention and guidance from 44 angels (recently expanded to 81 angels, including himself and his divine father, Leonardo da Vinci), Burton and his followers shall be spared, founding a new and more perfect civilization. Read more about the blog.

Presented in a reverse chronology, the Fellowship's history may be navigated via the "Blog Archive" located in the sidebar below.

Friday, November 30, 1979

November 1979 Notes

Fellowship of Friends Chateau Juliette, Blake Cottage, Goethe Acedemy,Galleria October 1979

"Chateau Juliette" (later, Goethe Academy, then Galleria) arises from the Blake Cottage, October 1979

"Renaissance Vine" newsletter [summarized]

September 16: Cabernet harvest totaled 9-1/4 tons

December 1 and 2 concerts: American String Quartet

Christmas concert: Telluride Octet

1,315 members

Photos: construction at "Chateau Juliette" [former Blake Cottage, future Goethe Academy and Galleria.], and at the winery

Other Notes

November 4 and 5:

Performances of Schubert’s “Trout Quintet"

November 14:

The winter working hours have gone into effect at Renaissance. Work begins at 7:00 a.m. and concludes at 6:00 p.m., with dinner commencing at 7:30 when there is not a concert, meeting, or cinema.

Extensive clearing is underway in the area of "Chateau Juliette." The stands of Ponderosa Pine are being eliminated to make way for French landscaping.

November 17 and 18:

Performances of the Beethoven’s “Spring Sonata”

From the Fellowship of Friends Wiki Page [Defunct]:

[ed. - Thoughts from "The Teacher," Robert Burton, with apparent index number shown.]

The condition of our main accumulator considerably influences the nature of our perceptions and our behaviour. (111279.82)

Fellowship of Friends Renaissance Winery construction October 1979 Oregon House

Winery construction, October 1979 (Photo: T. Campion)