Esoteric Development

The Five Basic Books

THEOSOPHY, AN INTRODUCTION TO THE SUPERSENSIBLE KNOWLEDGE OF THE WORLD AND THE DESTINATION OF MAN by Rudolf Steiner. The book begins with a beautiful description of the primordial trichotomy: body, soul, and spirit. A discussion of reincarnation and karma follows. The third and longest chapter of the work (74 pages) presents, in a vast panorama, the seven regions of the soul world, the seven regions of the land of spirits, and the soul's journey after death through these worlds. A brief discussion of the path to higher knowledge is found in the fifth chapter.

Paper, $6.95 #155; Cloth, $10.95 #154

KNOWLEDGE OF THE HIGHER WORLDS AND ITS ATTAINMENT by Rudolf Steiner. Rudolf Steiner's fundamental work on the path to higher knowledge explains in detail the exercises and disciplines a student must pursue in order to attain a wakeful experience of super-sensible realities. The path described here is a safe one which will not interfere with the student's ability to lead a normal outer life.

Paper, $3.95 #80

CHRISTIANITY AND OCCULT MYSTERIES OF ANTIQUITY by Rudolf Steiner. An introduction to esoteric Christianity which explores the ancient mythological wisdom of Egypt and Greece. The work shows how this wisdom underwent a tremendous transformation into a historical event in the mystery of Golgotha.

Paper, $7.95 #33

PHILOSOPHY OF FREEDOM by Rudolf Steiner. Steiner's most important philosophical work deals both with epistemology, the study of how man knows himself and the world, and with the issue of human freedom. In the first half of the book Steiner focuses on the activity of thinking In order to demonstrate the true nature of knowledge. There he shows the fallacy of the contemporary idea of thinking, pointing out that the prevailing belief in the limits to knowledge is a self-imposed limit that contradicts its own claim to truth. The possibility for freedom is taken up in the second half of the book. The issue is not political freedom, but something more subtle; freedom of the will. There are those who maintain that man's thoughts and actions are Just as determined as a chemical reaction or a honey bee's behavior. Steiner points again to the activity of thinking, from which arises the possibility of free human action.

Paper, $5.50 #116

OCCULT SCIENCE, AN OUTLINE by Rudolf Steiner. This work of nearly 400 pages begins with a thorough discussion and definition of the term “occult” science. A description of the super-sensible nature of man follows, along with a discussion of dreams, sleep, death, life between death and rebirth, and reincarnation. In the fourth chapter evolution is described from the perspective of initiation science. The fifth chapter characterizes the training a student must undertake to become an initiate. The sixth and seventh chapters consider the future evolution of the world and more detailed observations regarding super-sensible realities.

Paper, $6.95 #113; Cloth, $10.95 #112

Rudolf Steiner and Anthroposophy

MAN AND WORLD IN THE LIGHT OF ANTHROPOSOPHY by Stewart C. Easton. A new and revised edition of Dr. Easton's survey of Rudolf Steiner's Anthroposophy. This comprehensive volume of over 500 pages complete with index is an excellent guide to Steiner's thought and works. Chapter titles include: “History and the Evolution of Human Consciousness,” “Individual Spiritual Development and Human Freedom” and “Man and His Life on Earth and in the Spiritual Worlds; Reincarnation and Karma.”

Cloth, $21.00 #353

RUDOLF STEINER: HERALD OF A NEW EPOCH by Stewart C. Easton. Dr. Easton's interest in Rudolf Steiner dates from 1934, when he first came into contact with Steiner's work, and he has been involved in anthroposophical activities in one way or another ever since. A historian by profession, Dr. Easton brings together in this book innumerable facts and details of Steiner's life that have been previously unavailable to English readers. The result is an outstanding portrait of a unique personality that will satisfy a long-felt need.

Paper, $10.95 #427

Other Books on the Esoteric Path
of Spiritual Development

RUDOLF STEINER AND INITIATION by Paul Eugen Schiller. The author is a research scientist and a lifelong student of Steiner's works. In this book, translated from the German by Henry Barnes, Schiller presents a systematic discussion of Steiner's writings and lectures on the path of knowledge. Among the topics discussed are: “Fundamental Moods,” “Development of the Six Attributes,” “Sense Free Thinking, Feeling, and Willing,” “Meditation,” “Body Free Life of the Soul,” “The Rosicrucian Path of Initiation,” and “The Level of Inspirational Cognition.”

Paper, $5.95 #418

THE CALENDAR OF THE SOUL by Rudolf Steiner. This is Steiner's famous collection of 52 verses, one for each week of the year. By following the verses through the year the soul gains a deeper insight and penetration into nature and the course of the seasons. The translation was made by Ruth and Hans Pusch.

Cloth, $7.95 #28

THE STAGES OF HIGHER KNOWLEDGE by Rudolf Steiner. In these four essays Steiner describes the experience of the three higher stages of consciousness: imagination, inspiration, and intuition which are experienced by the student, as he progresses on the path to knowledge, and by the initiate. The six exercises for the heart center are characterized as a means of protecting oneself from the “danger of mischief from hurtful forces” which would arise if one practiced meditation without the exercises.

Paper, $4.50 #146

THE INNER DEVELOPMENT OF MAN by Rudolf Steiner. This is a one lecture introduction to the nature of esoteric training or path of knowledge.

Booklet, $.95 #72

PRACTICAL TRAINING IN THOUGHT by Rudolf Steiner. (Karlsruhe, 1909). This most popular pamphlet has been translated into many languages and published in innumerable editions. It is known throughout the world for its clear and concise directions for improving memory, thinking habits and powers of concentration.

Booklet, $1.50 #120

Steiner Education

The WALDORF or STEINER SCHOOL movement Is one of the largest private school systems in the world. There are numerous Steiner schools in the United States with programs from kindergarten through high school. The Anthroposophic Press offers the following titles on this important approach to education:

THE RECOVERY OF MAN IN CHILDHOOD by A.C. Harwood. Probably the best introduction to Waldorf Education available. The work shows how the Waldorf approach to education is harmonized with the developmental phases of the child. Chapter titles include: “Threefold Relation of Body and Mind,” “The Map of Childhood,” “The First Seven Years,” “The Small Child at Home and at School,” “The Temperaments,” Adolescence,” and “The High School.” The work is highly recommended to the parents of prospective students and anyone wishing a clear understanding of the Waldorf School Approach.