SYNOPSES
The purpose of the following synopses is to facilitate
reference to the particular themes and subjects dealt with in the
different lectures.
Lecture One
“Homelessness” — stage in spiritual
development. The reality of Beings who cannot be apprehended through
sense perception, e.g. Folk Souls or the Spirits of Nations. These
invisible Beings work through visible beings. The Spirit of the Swiss
people. The anthroposophical view of man: physical body, etheric
body, astral body and ego. In future time man will transmute these
three members into Spirit Self (Manas), Life Spirit (Buddhi) and
Spirit Man (Atma). The ego works through the three bodily members and
develops in them the threefold soul: Sentient Soul, Intellectual Soul
(Mind-Soul) and the Spiritual Soul (Consciousness-Soul). The task of
certain epochs or nations is to develop one of these soul-members.
The three former cosmic stages of man: Old Saturn (creation of
rudiment of physical body), Old Sun (etheric body), Old Moon (astral
body). The higher Beings — Angels, Archangels, Archai. Archai
are guiding Spirits of civilization epochs, also called Time Spirits:
they influence national character and temperament. Angels mediate
between the Archangels and the single human being. In future man will
be able to direct his body from outside. In order to know what a
nation is we must understand the missions of these Beings.
Lecture Two
Climate, nature of the soil, plant-cover, etc. are the
physical expression of a spiritual reality. A geographical region has
not only a physical, but also a psychic and spiritual topography or
aura. This aura is the sphere of activity of the Folk Spirit. Every
people or nation has its particular etheric aura which is dependent
upon the etheric emanations of the soil and the people domiciled in
the particular area. This aura changes with the migrations of
peoples.
Archangels cannot intervene where physical laws are
operative. The Archangel sometimes withdraws: then the nation
perishes. The etheric aura works into the etheric body of an
individual and creates national temperament. It affects only the
sanguine, choleric and phlegmatic temperaments, but not the
melancholic.
The sequence of the Hierarchies above man. Beings who
can remain behind as a deed of sacrifice are called abnormal Beings.
Abnormal Archangels responsible for the language of nations. Normal
Archangels, abnormal Time Spirit and abnormal Archangel working in
concert are responsible for the Old Indian temperament, sacred (holy)
Sanscrit language and spiritual philosophy of ancient India. Spirits
of Form create the present physical body of man which becomes the
vehicle for the conscious ego. Backward Beings responsible for the
present form of the brain. Normal Archai work in the thought life,
give impulse to creative thought of the age, e.g. Galileo.
Emphasis upon Christ's relationship with the
Beings of normal evolution. Before the coming of Christ men
worshipped the Jehovah Being.
Lecture Three
Characterization of the inner life and consciousness of
the Archangels, e.g. Folk Spirits. Archangels have three
modifications of their etheric body which correspond to the three
members of the human soul. Archangels do not share in the Sentient
Soul and lower part of the Intellectual Soul, but in the realm of
pure thought and moral feeling, i.e. in the Spiritual Soul and higher
part of the Intellectual Soul. Influences of art and religion. The
Archangel perceives rise and fall of peoples; incarnates in the
springtime of a people and withdraws in its decline. Relation of
Archai (Time Spirits,) Archangels (Folk Spirits) and Angels
(guardians of the destiny of the individual). Sometimes normal Time
Spirit intervenes in the field of the Archangel; a part of the nation
is suddenly detached and forms a new nation, e.g. the Dutch detached
from the Teutonic people, the Portuguese from the Spanish.
Interplay of abnormal Spirits of Movement with normal
Spirits of Form creates the races of mankind. Difference between the
concept of nation and that of race. Differentiation of mankind into
races is the work of the abnormal Spirits of Form (or Movement).
Racial differentiations enter more deeply into the physical.
Lecture Four
Important to understand how nations and folk communities
arise out of races. Earth passed through three states or conditions
before the present Earth condition. Ego-consciousness made possible
by the Spirits of Form or Exusiai. The seven-year periods of man's
development. Spirits of Form only interested in ego-development, i.e.
man at age of twenty to twenty-one. Reason for man's dependence
on Earth during the third of the seven-year periods.
Races began to be formed in early Atlantis. Racial types
determined by locality of birth and transmitted by heredity. Diverse
regions of Earth diversely receptive to cosmic influences. Importance
of migrations. Centres of cosmic influence (diagram). Africa (here
work forces which influence childhood), Asia (forces which influence
adolescence), Europe (forces which influence maturity), North America
(forces of decline). Today race is less predominant.
The civilization-epochs of post-Atlantis: India, Persia,
Egypt-Chaldea, Greece, Rome and Europe of today. Westward movement
brings decline of creative powers — an aging process. The
geographical areas narrowed from continents to islands and
peninsulas. Need for rejuvenation from forces of the East, but man
must find his spiritual resources within himself. Rosicrucianism
implies evolution of all mankind. Evolution of races by evolution of
nations. Plato's ancestry and race. Nation occupies an
intermediate position between race and the individual.
Lecture Five
The lecture first enumerates the spiritual Hierarchies.
Their working is manifested in the material surface of the Earth,
e.g. the rocks of Norway. This is (outer) Maya. Two kinds of
spiritual forces meet here — the forces of the Spirits of Will
raying outward from within the Earth and the forces of the Spirits of
Movement streaming in from the Universe. Formerly the Earth was in a
semi-fluid state. The Alps and eminences of the Bohemian plateau
resemble dammed up waves which have solidified. Spirits of Form
brought the fluctuating forms to rest. The elements in which these
Beings work: the Thrones in the Water-element, the Cherubim in the
Air-element and the Seraphim in Fire. The Beings of the second
Hierarchy work in the three Ethers; the third Hierarchy (Angels,
Archangels and Archai) in the intermediate realm.
Each of the planetary epochs of the Earth has its
special mission. Man owes his physical body and life of Will to Old
Saturn, his etheric body and life of Feeling to Old Sun, astral body
and life of Thought to Old Moon. The mission of the Earth epoch is to
bring about the harmony of the three from within. The element of Love
is added. Spirits of Form, creators of the Ego, are called Spirits of
Love. The contributions of the different Spirits to Earth evolution.
The need for man to raise his consciousness to higher planes.
The attendant Nature-spirits of the normal Beings of the
highest Hierarchy: Undines, Sylphs and Salamanders.
Lecture Six
For a full understanding of cosmic evolution it is
necessary to correlate the contents of the different lectures. The
creation of races described in detail. The different races are the
product of the co-operation between the seven Elohim and the abnormal
Spirits of Movement. The abnormal Spirits are centred in the five
planets and create the five root races: Mercury, the Negro race;
Venus, the Malayan race; Mars, the Mongolian race; Jupiter, the
Caucasian race; Saturn, the Red Indians. This took place in Atlantis.
The planetary forces also work in man's organic
system. Mars works in the blood. The abnormal Spirits of Movement in
conjunction with the Elohim on the Sun and Jahve on the Moon create
the Semitic race. Where they work in opposition to the Sun and Moon
forces the Mongolian race is the outcome.
Venus and Jupiter work in the nervous system via the
breathing and senses, producing respectively the Malayan racial type
and the Caucasian or European racial type. The Greeks under the
Jupiter influence; their idealization of the external world. Mercury
and Saturn work in the glandular system. Mercury is connected with
the growth forces of the body, hence Mercury creates the Negro racial
type. Saturn ossifies the glandular system and creates the Red
Indian; hence his bony features. Dialogue between a Red Indian
chieftain and a European colonist.
Red Indians preserved a clairvoyant memory of Atlantis
before the separation of the races.
Lecture Seven
In post-Atlantean times the Archangels advance to the
rank of Time Spirits or Archai. They are concerned with the events of
late Atlantis and the transition to post-Atlantis. Distribution of
races took place in early Atlantis; in late Atlantis a second
migration took place. Nuclei of future peoples left behind in Asia,
Africa, Europe. Archangels became their guiding Spirits.
Culture-epochs named after those peoples whose Archangels became the
leading Time Spirits. Time Spirit of the first post-Atlantean epoch
was the ancient Indian Archangel. In the second epoch the Persian
Archangel became the Time Spirit who inspired the original
Zarathustra. In the Egypto-Chaldean epoch the Archangel of the
Egyptian people became the ruling Time Spirit. In the third epoch an
Archangel acted on behalf of Jehovah who had chosen the Semitic
people as his own.
The two currents — pluralism and monism. Semitic
race represent monotheism in religion and monism in philosophy, cf.
Rabbinism. Other peoples represented polytheism and pluralism, cf.
trinity of ancient India. Both aspects are necessary.
Two acts of renunciation on the part of Beings of the
Hierarchies. The Greek Archangel remained as Time Spirit and becomes
guiding Spirit of exoteric Christianity. Celtic Archangel remained as
Archangel working among peoples of Western Europe, Southern Germany,
Hungary and the Alpine countries. He was leader of esoteric
Christianity. Mysteries of the Holy Grail, Rosicrucianism. Leading
Time Spirit of fifth epoch chosen from among Archangels of the
Germanic peoples. In Europe many Folk Souls acting independently:
need to individualize peoples, hence late appearance of Time Spirit
of Europe. Time Spirit of present epoch subject to impulses of
ancient Egypt — hence materialism.
In remote past there existed, before the Celtic
Archangel had established a new centre in the Castle of the Grail,
above the Earth a spiritual centre in the region of Detmold and
Paderborn. According to legend ‘Asgard’ once situated
here. From this centre the different Archangels of Europe were sent
on their different missions. In later years its spiritual mission
taken over by the Castle of the Grail. No other mythology gives a
clearer picture of evolution than Northern mythology. Germanic
mythology in its pictures is close to anthroposophical conception of
future evolution.
Lecture Eight
The characteristics of Teutonic mythology; contrast with
Greek mythology. Superficiality of analogies of comparative religion.
Relation between mythology and successive civilization-epochs. In
India high spiritual level allied to dim ego-consciousness, cf.
Vedas. Peoples of old India closely associated with Spirits of
movement and Spirits of wisdom. Unable to apprehend Christ Impulse.
Western peoples, especially the Teutonic, awakened to the ego at
elementary level of psychic development. Need to overcome old
clairvoyance. Effect of migrations. Persians looked to Spirits of
Form, Chaldeans to Archai or Time Spirits, Greeks and Romans to
Archangels and Angels, normal and abnormal. Teutonic peoples
experienced transition from old vision to new, perceived Divine
Beings working directly upon their souls.
The two races of gods in Teutonic mythology; the Vanir
and the Aesir. Odin: resigned his evolution to give the gift of
speech. His Initiation and the magic draught at the fountain of
Mimir. Hönir gives power of thought; Lödur: blood and
pigmentation. Vili and Ve, abnormal Archangels. Thor, son of Odin.
Remained behind as an Angel; transmits to the ‘I’
spiritual powers of the Archangel. Speech lives in our breathing; ego
incarnates in the blood: this is the hammer of Thor. In macrocosm,
winds and clouds related to breathing; in microcosm, thunder and
lightning to pulse-beat. Nordic man recognized Odin and Thor in
powers of nature. Niflheim and the twelve cranial nerves Muspelheim
and the forces issuing from the human heart.
From Ginnungagap, the primeval abyss, a new Earth
emerges after the three Earth incarnations of Saturn, Sun and Moon.
Imaginative pictures of Teutonic mythology replaced by concepts in
Anthroposophy.
Lecture Nine
Cognition of ego different from other forms of
cognition. When the ego knows itself subject and object of cognition
are the same. Importance of objective ego to Western peoples.
Relation between ego and spiritual Beings — Lucifer and
Ahriman. Old Testament knows only Lucifer, the serpent. Gospel writer
(cf. St. Matthew) spoke of Satan, i.e. Ahriman. Old Indians looked up
to the Devas; eschewed Asuras, beings of darkness. Persians fear
Luciferic powers within man.
Loki and his three offspring: the Midgard Snake, Fenris
Wolf and Hel.
Loki is Lucifer. Consequences of Lucifer influence:
selfishness in astral body (the Midgard Snake), falsehood in the
etheric body (the Fenris Wolf), in physical body sickness and death
(Hel).
Death of Baldur at hands of blind Hodur, an Ahrimanic
figure. Extinction of old clairvoyance. Man now subject to Ahriman.
Among Teutonic peoples clairvoyant experience did not perish
completely, but unable to accept Christianity. Initiates taught them
that attachment to physical plane and loss of vision only an
intermediate time. Perception of spiritual world would return, but
spiritual world would be changed. Lucifer would be overcome. This is
the vision of Ragnarok. Connection between innate talents of Teutonic
peoples and the vision of the future.
Lecture Ten
Subject of this lecture is the history of the European
Folk Souls. Spiritual life of Europe a unity. Mission of Europe
before and after Christ, to educate and develop the ego. Every single
nation has its special contribution to make to this task. For
development of the ego a mingling of races and nations necessary.
Tacitus describes Germanic tribes as still immersed in Group-Soul.
Celtic Folk Spirit helped to awaken ego out of group-soul life. The
Druid priests and the Mysteries. Man had to become more
self-sufficient; hence Mysteries gradually withdrew. The successive
stages of post-Atlantean civilizations. Relation of culture-epochs to
members of man's being summarized. Indians saw with forces of
etheric body; in Persians, organ of perception was the astral body;
in Egyptians and Chaldeans the Sentient Soul; in Greeks and Romans
the Intellectual Soul. In the fifth epoch the forces of the ego are
directed to the physical plane. Romans were founders of civil law and
jurisprudence; Italy and Southern Spain subject to Sentient Soul,
France to Intellectual Soul, Great Britain to Spiritual (or
Consciousness) Soul. In Britain union of ego and Spiritual Soul led
to foundation of constitutional rights and Parliamentary Government.
Outward orientation. Task of South Germanic peoples to prepare
Spiritual Soul more inwardly. Hegel and Fichte: sublimation of
clairvoyant insight of old Germanic peoples.
Polarity of India and China. Chinese civilization a
static continuation of Atlantean wisdom. The Great Wall of China.
Oceanus. The Gulf Stream encircling the old Atlantean continent. In
the sixth culture-epoch Spirit Self will irradiate the Spiritual
Soul. This civilization is being prepared by Slavonic peoples. Future
potentialities of Russian soul in Solovieff. Solovieff perceives dual
nature of Christ. His conception of a Christian Social State
contrasted with Divine State of St. Augustine. To Russian people is
given the seed of the sixth culture-epoch, but had to be nurtured by
the Christian Time Spirit (who had been the Time Spirit of ancient
Greece).
Lecture Eleven
Pictures or symbols of Teutonic
mythology contain occult truths. Reference to
Occult Science — an Outline
which describes the descent of human souls from the
planetary spheres in late Lemurian and Atlantean times and their
incarnation in human bodies. This event perceived clairvoyantly by
those on Earth. The memory of this event survived amongst Southern
Germanic peoples and was described by Tacitus in his
Germania. Worship of Goddess Nerthus. Evolution on physical plane inspired
by earlier stages of clairvoyance. Freyr, continuer of old
clairvoyance. Riesenheim. Marriage of Freyr and Gerda. Symbols of
Freyr's horse Bluthof and his magic ship. End of Kali Yuga in
1899 and the second coming of Christ. This will not be a physical
manifestation, but will be etherically perceived — at first by
a select few, then by increasing numbers of people. Need for
objectivity: occult teaching accepts neither dogmas nor authorities.
All teachings to be verified. Dangers of new materialism which looks
for Christ's return in a physical body. False Messiahs, e.g.
Sabbatai Zevi in the seventeenth century.
Ragnarok again. Picture of relics of old clairvoyance in
Fenris Wolf. Forces of old Gods no longer avail. Danger of survival
of old clairvoyance in future. Old clairvoyance must be transformed.
The Christ in etheric form will drive out old, dark clairvoyant
powers, i.e. Vidar will overcome the Fenris Wolf. Future mission of
Teutonic Archangel. Importance of Slavonic peoples for spiritual
development of all mankind. All nations to contribute to united
progress of mankind. Christ Impulse overcomes separation:
Christianity leads to ideal of the brotherhood of man.
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