FOUNDATIONS AT THE PERIPHERY:

RUDOLF STEINER'S OBSERVATIONS ON STAR KNOWLEDGE

INTRODUCTION

The following summary of Dr. Steiner's observations is begun because I can find it nowhere else . . . so I intend to organize, at first chronologically, information that can aid in outlining both general principles and specific relationships of stars, sun, planets and moon with earth and man. As a detailed research project this work will do little for people without at least a general grasp of Dr. Steiner's view of solar system evolution and the consequent relationships between the heavenly bodies. Without this, many of his statements are quite unintelligible. I will therefore add explanatory contexts that seem necessary or useful as the observations progress. Within the listing of quotes, these will be in {bracketed italics}. Occasionally, I have only indicated (rather than quoted fully) repetitive facts; and in some cases of lengthy quotes that are more or less repetitive, I have just given summaries or attempted `précis'. These passages are presented in [bracketed boldface].

I have tried to limit myself to the most direct references of celestial phenomena or stages of human star-knowledge, with some purely methodological observations that qualify the nature of the information given. I have also included some representative details on aspects often claimed to be susceptible to astrological influences, but evidently not by Steiner. The interminable ` . . . s' that would be part of an extractive work like this have been omitted, with discontinuous paragraphs separated by an empty line. I have also tried to reference the context of each passage, which is why a few paragraphs may often be referenced to several pages of text. Any emphasis within quoted texts, {except bracketed italics as noted above}, are Steiner's.

I was first introduced to Dr. Steiner's work at the farm of Mike and Dorothee Chambers near Elmvale, Ontario. The collection of books required for this type of work was largely acquired from Tri-fold Books, of Guelph Ontario, with important acquisitions from Garber Communications, Blauvelt, New York State. I feel much gratitude and encouragement to the task due to the generous work of Fred Paddock and the staff of the Rudolf Steiner Library at Ghent, New York. The incorporation of many unpublished and out-of-print quotes is due to their efforts.

Those wishing to review the earliest star-knowledge statements I've found to date, should skip the following passages and go directly to 1904. However if you are little familiar with Steiner's scientific view, or need to know certain scientific prerequisites, I would like to bring forward a few statements characteristic of Steiner's view of the nature of knowledge.