Rudolf Steiner

Letters, Documents, Ritual d104s, and Lectures from the Cognitive-Ritual Section of the Esoteric School: 1904-1919 Documents of a New Beginning after the First World War: 1921-1924 (CW 265)To ground his project of founding the new mysteries of Anthroposophy in spiritual history, Rudolf Steiner always sought to unite with and transform where possible the older initiatory streams such as Freemasonry and Rosicrucianism. In November 1905, both Steiner, who was General Secretary of the German Section of the Theosophical Society and Arch Warden of its Esoteric Section, and Marie von Sivers were invited to "join," in a purely formal way, the Order of Ancient Freemasons of the Memphis and Misraim Rite, allowing him to form his own Mystic Temple, Mystica Aeterna, in Berlin. On this basis, Steiner created--freely and out of his own spiritual experience and inspiration--the Cognitive-Ritual Section, or Misraim Service, of the Esoteric Section. "Everything was done as it must be when spiritual reality is to be investigated directly and experienced in full consciousness." Though outwardly similar to existing Masonic rituals, forms, and legends, the spiritual content Steiner gave was new and vital. Especially important was the ritual work, reverently undertaken with a deep sense of responsibility and of the sacramental nature of all human activity. This astonishing volume of rich, primary materials contains letters, documents, ritual texts, meditations, and lectures pertaining to Steiner's teaching of the Misraim Service. Ritual symbols (such as the mallet, the triangle, the right angle, the compass, the rule, the Rose Cross, and the pillars of Jachin and Boaz), as well as the Temple Legend of Hiram Abiff and Solomon and the story of Cain and Abel, all find their place here. The ritual texts are given in full, with illustrations and descriptions of making the ritual objects. There are numerous fictional and superficial books available on Freemasonry, but this unusual volume reveals the deep, esoteric nature of true Masonic rituals and practices and how they form some of the roots of Anthroposophy. Freemasonry and Ritual Work contains an introduction, a brief chronology of Rudolf Steiner's life, and an index. It is the first complete English translation of Zur Geschichte und aus den Inhalten der erkenntniskultischen Abteilung der Esoterischen Schule 1904-1914 (GA 265).

A Compilation of Six Different Translations Rudolf Steiner's German verses are presented side by side with six translations along with paraphrased text by Owen Barfield, each representing a facet of the original. Reflecting the passage of the sun between the spring and fall equinoxes--Easter to Michaelmas and back again--Rudolf Steiner's Calendar of the Soul is composed of corresponding verses that reveal the polarity of the earth's rhythm of breathing out and breathing in. The light of the Soul Calendar's true language--our soul's language--shines through these translations of Steiner's 52 mantric verses, enabling those who contemplate them to imbue their own soul's language with their wisdom.

13 lectures, Stuttgart, October 3-15, 1922 (CW 217)"This cycle of lectures 'to the younger generation' speaks of a pathway to a Michaelic harvest for ears that have the goodwill to hear." --Carlo PietznerRudolf Steiner presented these lectures to about a hundred German young people who hoped to bring Waldorf education into the culture of their time and for the future. Steiner stressed upon his listeners the great importance of "self-education" as a prerequisite to all other education. His was an attempt to guide the youth toward understanding themselves within the world situation. Steiner showed how the stream of generations had been interrupted by eighteenth-century intellectualism, emphasizing that they would have to reject the general acceptance of impersonal social routine, dead intellectual thinking, and personal and social egoism. Steiner discussed the need, instead, for a form of education permeated by art and feeling, which brings inner nourishment that can grow throughout one's life. It was his view that, without such an education, society will not reach a future built on moral love and mutual human confidence--a truly human culture. A previous translation of these lectures was published as The Younger Generation: Educational and Spiritual Impulses for LIfe in the Twentieth Century (1967). Original German title: Geistige Wirkenskr fte im Zusammenleben von alter und junger Generation. P dagogischer Jugendkurs (GA 217). This Collected Works edition includes a new introduction, notes, and an index.

According to the initiate-research of Rudolf Steiner, humanity is in a continual process of transformation and evolution. Modern-day consciousness, based as it is on sense perception and abstract logic, differs considerably from the consciousness of ancient humanity. At that time, says Steiner, the human being was seen to be a microcosm, a concentration of the laws and activities of the cosmos. The loss of such knowledge today has led to the existential quest for meaning, and even the cul-de-sac of atheism. In these comprehensive lectures, delivered to an English audience, Rudolf Steiner indicates how it is possible for people to rediscover their connection to the cosmos. He describes how one develops higher faculties of consciousness - what he calls Imagination, Inspiration and Intuition - and gives a vivid description of life after death and the individual's progress through the planetary spheres. It is in these spheres, he explains, where tasks and goals for future incarnations are prepared in cooperation with the spiritual beings of the heavenly hierarchies. The lectures culminate in a call for mankind to take its own destiny in hand through conscious and free development of spiritual capacities. The new edition of this fundamental work features a revised translation as well as previously-unavailable addresses and question-and-answer sessions.

Modern science can speak with authority regarding only a tiniest fraction of the earth's interior. We have, quite literally, scratched just the surface of our planet. Can we truly know what lies beneath our feet, in the unimaginably deep depths of the earth? Can the phenomenon of spiritual investigation add to this question? In this comprehensive volume, with notes and an introduction, Rudolf Steiner's utterances on this theme have been brought together for the first time under one cover. His unique overview gives a picture of the nine layers of the earth as they become visible via the research of the spiritual scientist. The layers range from the familiar 'mineral' on which we live, to the innermost core which Steiner connects to human and animal powers of reproduction. In between are layers such as the 'Mirror Earth', which represents qualities of extreme evil, and the 'Fire Earth', which is connected to natural catastrophes. The information Steiner conveys is never abstract or theoretical, but intimately related to the human being. The Fire Earth, for example, is acutely affected by people's will. When the human will is chaotic and untutored, says Steiner, it acts magnetically on this layer and disrupts it, leading to volcanic eruptions. He also describes other natural catastrophes - such as extreme weather and earthquakes - in connection to the interior of the earth and karma.

10 lectures, various cities, 1913-1914 (CW 152) In February of 1913--a landmark year for Rudolf Steiner and Anthroposophy--the first General Meeting of the Anthroposophical Society was held. In September, the Foundation Stone for the Goetheanum was laid in Dornach. The ground for Anthroposophy as we know it today was established. Such is the background for the remarkable lectures contained in this volume. Outwardly, they begin to set the record straight. Inwardly, they seek to establish a right relationship of service to Christ and the spiritual worlds in accord with the spirit of the times, the archangel Michael. For the first time, Rudolf Steiner reveals openly the need for a true "Michael School" and that he and Anthroposophy, the fruit of his spiritual research, are earthly representatives of Michael. Christ and Michael are the explicit guiding lights of this collection, which itself represents a profound act of Christ-Michael service. With courage, devotion, and conviction, Rudolf Steiner, now free and independent, the "teacher" of his own "school," sets about unveiling the truth and reality, as he knows it. Again and again, he returns to the sacrificial deeds of Christ--creative, sustaining, and enabling our humanity--before, during, and after Golgotha. The teaching at the heart of this volume, as it is at the heart of the Christ, is selflessness: the overcoming of egotism and the primacy of the other. "We must become selfless--that is the task of culture today for the future. Human beings must become more and more selfless. Therein lies the future of right moral life actions, the future of all acts of love that can occur through earthly humanity." C O N T E N T S Introduction by Christopher Bamford 1. Esoteric Science and Esoteric Development--Initiation2. Christ at the Time of the Mystery of Golgotha and Christ in the 20th Century3. The Michael Impulse and the Mystery of Golgotha (1)4. The Michael Impulse and the Mystery of Golgotha (2)5. Christ's Path through the Centuries6. The Three Spiritual Preliminary Stages of the Mystery of Golgotha7. The Christ Impulse across the Ages and It's Power in the Human Being8. The Christ Spirit and Its Relation to the Evolution of Consciousness9. Progress in the Knowledge of Christ: The Fifth Gospel10. The Four Sacrifices of Christ: The Three Precursors of the Mystery of Golgotha Approaching the Mystery of Golgotha is the first complete English translation of Vorstufen zum Mysterium von Golgatha (GA 152).

In the best tradition of the literature of ancient wisdom, Cosmic Memory reconstructs, from the akashic record, events that span the time between the origin of the Earth and the beginning of recorded history. This spiritual research includes a profound investigation of the origins, achievements, and fate of the Atlanteans and Lemurians - the remarkable 'lost' root races that developed the first concepts of 'good' and 'evil,' manipulated natural forces, laid the foundation for human legal and ethical systems, and defined and nurtured the distinctive yet complementary powers of men and women that brought humankind, many centuries ago, to its highest artistic, intellectual, and spiritual attainments. Through this discussion of our true origins, Cosmic Memory offers a genuine foundation for our lives, allowing us to realize our real value, dignity and essence. The reader is shown our human connection with the world around us as well as our highest goals and true destiny.

While we know of Ahriman from Persian mythology, Rudolf Steiner spoke of him as an actual, living spiritual entity. This being, he said, works to embed people firmly into physicality, encouraging dull, materialistic attitudes and a philistine, dry intellect. In these extraordinary lectures Steiner, in rare prophetic mode, talks about an actual incarnation of Ahriman on the earth and the potential consequences. Just as Christ incarnated in a physical body, so would Ahriman incarnate in the Western world - before 'a part' of the third millennium had passed. Steiner places this incarnation in the context of a 'cosmic triad' - Lucifer, Christ and Ahriman. Ahriman will incarnate as a counterpoint to the physical incarnation of Lucifer in the East in the third millennium BC, with the incarnation of Jesus Christ in Palestine as the balancing point between the two. Over the period during which Steiner developed anthroposophy - a speaking career that spanned two decades and more than six thousand lectures - he referred to the idea of Ahriman's incarnation only six times. These six lectures, together with an additional supporting excerpt, are reproduced in their entirety, and under one cover, for the first time.

'Those who observe human nature with regard to the smallest things will find that everyday experiences can also lead to an understanding of the greatest actualities...' In a refreshingly practical series of lectures, Rudolf Steiner speaks about the nature of the human soul and how it can be metamorphosed and raised to a higher consciousness. He studies the spiritual significance of various expressions of human nature, including laughing and weeping, sickness and health, error and mental disorder, positivity and negativity, and conscience. Steiner also discusses the nature of prayer, mysticism, the mission of art, and the significance of language. Throughout the talks he refers to many key historical figures, including Zarathustra, Socrates, Plato, Homer, Wagner, Goethe, Hegel and Angelus Silesius. These inspiring lectures form the conclusion to "Transforming the Soul, Volume 1", but can also be read independently.