In 1912, in his very first eurythmy lessons, Rudolf Steiner describes the consonants as a reaction to external influence in contrast to the vowels that weave within and reveal this inner being.

V

Rudolf Steiner took a very large pencil, a carpenter's pencil, held it loosely in his hand and said: "This is V. Learn to perceive V as having something in your hand or even just touching it."

A few days later he showed me ... two warriors making a B movement with their shields. "If they didn't do that, they could let their shields hang in a V-motion."

F

Then his voice changed, he said briskly: “And now imagine that a violent gust of wind suddenly blows into this peace. The clouds darken the sun, the brook beats waves, trees and bushes lean deep into the water, the apples patter from the trees, the hat is blown off your head, and the person up there waves excitedly to you. Lots of questions and requests come towards you from the still peaceful outside world. "Pick us up", ask the apples, "get me back", the hat calls out, "don't come too close to me", the brook warns, "make sure you come under a protective roof", the man wants to say with his wave.

And now you react with the same movement, but now very energetically and elastically. " And again he made the movement, always a short, energetic downward movement in all directions and an elastic bounce up again. “And this is how you learn to feel an F, a reaction to invigorating influence. For fiery feasts. Again try to express with your feet that you have understood this request."

Lory Maier Smits from her lessons with Rudolf Steiner, September 1912, GA 277a