The Path of the Soul After Death

The Path of the Soul After Death
Author: Peter Selg
Publisher: SteinerBooks
Total Pages: 186
Release: 2010-10
Genre: Body, Mind & Spirit
ISBN: 0880108347

14 lectures, Kassel, June 24 - July 7, 1909 (CW 112) Beginning at the turn of the century, Rudolf Steiner began to express a passionate interest in Christianity. For him, the event he called the "Mystery of Golgotha" is more than the central event of Christianity; it is, in fact, the turning point in time for all human and earthly evolution. In his Autobiography, Steiner clarified his views on Christianity: Some of what I said and wrote during that period [1890s] seems to contradict the way I described Christianity later on. This is because, when I wrote the word Christianity, I was referring to the teachings of a "world beyond" that was active in all Christian doctrines at the time. The whole meaning of religious experiences pointed to a world of spirit, one that was supposed to be unattainable by human intellect. Whatever religion might have to say and whatever precepts for moral life it might offer arise from what is revealed to human beings from outside. My own direct, inner perception of spirit objected to this; it wanted to experience the worlds of both spirit and the physical in perceptions of the human being and nature. And my ethical individualism objected to this. It rejected the external support of commandments for morality; such support came instead as the result of spiritual soul development within the human being, where divinity lives. That was a trying time for my soul as I looked at Christianity. This period lasted from the time I left the Weimar work until I wrote my book Christianity as Mystical Fact. These kinds of tests are obstacles, placed in one's path by destiny (or karma), and they must be overcome through spiritual development. In these talks, Rudolf Steiner offers his profound insights into the essential truths behind the Christ event, as well as the historic and prehistoric events--on Earth and in the spiritual worlds--leading up to the turning point in time. He shows that the ancient mysteries of the East, the Persians, the Egyptians, the Greeks, and the streams behind those impulses--going back to Atlantis and Lemuria--all lead to the event of Christ's incarnation and the Mystery of Golgotha, through which the Earth became the body of Christ. Further, Steiner talks about what those events mean for the future of humanity and the Earth. The Gospel of St. John and Its Relation to the Other Gospels is an essential document in the literature of Christology and for understanding the central place of esoteric Christianity in Anthroposophy. The Gospel of St. John and Its Relation to the Other Gospels is a translation of Das Johannes-Evangelium im Verhältnis zu den drei anderen Evangelien, besonders zu dem Lukas-Evangelium (GA 112).

The Influence of the Dead on Destiny

The Influence of the Dead on Destiny
Author: Rudolf Steiner
Publisher: SteinerBooks
Total Pages: 247
Release: 2007-12
Genre: Body, Mind & Spirit
ISBN: 0880108363

6 lectures, Stuttgart, Dec. 26, 1919 - Jan. 3, 1920 (CW 299) To one who understands the sense of speech The world unveils Its image form. To one who listens to the soul of speech The world unfolds Its true being. To one who lives in the spirit depths of speech The world gives freely Wisdom's strength. To one who lovingly can dwell on speech Speech will accord Its inner might. So I will turn my heart and mind Toward the soul And spirit of words. In love for them I will then feel myself Complete and whole. Rudolf Steiner (Translated by Hans and Ruth Pusch) During the first year of the first Waldorf school, Rudolf Steiner agreed to give a science course to the teachers, which was to be on the nature of light. At the last minute, he was asked to give an additional course on language, which he improvised. "The Genius of Language" is the result. Steiner demonstrates how history and psychology together form the different languages and how ideas, images, and vocabulary travel through time within various cultural streams. He describes how the power to form language has declined, but that we can still recover the seed of language, the penetration of sound by meaning. He also explains how consonants imitate outer phenomena, whereas vowels convey a more inner sense of events; he talks about the differentiation of language as it is influenced by geography; he speaks of the "folk soul" element and the possibility of "wordless thinking"; we hear about the capacity of language to transform us and of its importance to our spiritual lives. This is not just a course on language for those who love words but demonstrates ways to teach children. This little book will prove tremendously valuable to both educators and parents-in fact, to anyone who wants a deeper understanding of language and its significance for our lives. This volume is a translation from German of Geisteswissenschaftlische Sprachbetrachtungen (GA 299).

Nature and Spirit Beings

Nature and Spirit Beings
Author: Rudolf Steiner
Publisher: Rudolf Steiner Press
Total Pages: 282
Release: 2022-05-04
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1855846004

‘Suppose you have seen an event, have formed an idea about it, and you say something that is not true – in other words, something that is a lie. Then what flows from the object is correct and what flows from you is false and this collision is a terrible explosion; and each time you do this, you attach a gruesome being to your karma which you cannot get rid of again until you have made good what you lied about.’ – Rudolf Steiner In a previously-untranslated volume of lectures, Rudolf Steiner presents shattering insights regarding the interaction of human and spiritual beings. He speaks, for example, about how perfumes can give certain spirits access to people on earth, or how phantoms, spectres and demons can be created through human deficiencies – or even how the arts of architecture, sculpture, painting and music allow ‘good’ or ‘hideous’ entities to enter our world. As he states: ‘Learning about the effects of spiritual beings is of much greater help than moral preaching. A future humanity will know what it is creating through lies, hypocrisy and slander.’ The lectures are divided into two broad thematic groups: the first relating to the inner path of knowledge and its relation to the yearly festivals, and the second focusing on the work of elemental beings in our everyday world. The 18 lectures are complemented with notes, an index and an introduction by Christian von Arnim.

Rosicrucianism and Modern Initiation

Rosicrucianism and Modern Initiation
Author: Rudolf Steiner
Publisher: Rudolf Steiner Press
Total Pages: 251
Release: 2020-06-04
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1855845784

‘Steiner has been able to clarify the historical reality behind the Rosicrucian story, with all its aura of glamour and fantasy. That effected, he points to the enormity of its vision for the future evolution of ideas…’ – Dr Andrew Welburn (from the Introduction) In the immediate aftermath of the ‘Mystery-act’ of the Christmas Foundation Conference, Rudolf Steiner chose to speak on the subject of ‘Rosicrucianism and Modern Initiation, Mystery Centres of the Middle Ages’. Clearly connected to the events that had just taken place in Dornach – in which he not only refounded the Anthroposophical Society but took a formal position within it – Steiner begins by exploring the intellectual life of the Middle Ages and the role that Mystery culture played within it. He throws new light on the foundations of Rosicrucianism, its principles of initiation and its inherent impulse for freedom. Steiner also discusses the secret teachings of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and the dawn of the age of the Archangel Michael. In the second series of lectures, entitled ‘The Easter Festival and the History of the Mysteries’ (April 1924), Steiner describes how festivals grew out of the Mysteries themselves. He speaks of Mysteries connected to Spring and Autumn, Adonis and Ephesus, and the significance of Sun and Moon. Throughout the volume he discusses the roles of Alexander the Great and Aristotle in world history and the significance of Aristotle’s ‘Categories’. Published for the first time as a single volume, the freshly revised text is complemented with an extensive introduction by Dr Andrew Welburn, detailed notes and appendices by Professor Frederick Amrine and an index.

Background to the Gospel of St Mark

Background to the Gospel of St Mark
Author: Rudolf Steiner
Publisher: Rudolf Steiner Press
Total Pages: 300
Release: 2023-05-29
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1855846594

‘Christianity was bound at first to be a matter of faith and is only now beginning, very gradually, to be a matter of knowledge.’ – Rudolf Steiner Rudolf Steiner gave 70 lectures on the four canonical Gospels, characterizing the distinctive contribution of each of the evangelists. The Gospel of Mark is a ‘cosmic’ text that calls for an astronomical as well as a human reading. It is also critical for understanding the evolution of Christianity, which depends on knowledge of ‘the Mystery of Golgotha’ (Christ’s crucifixion, resurrection and ascension). ‘We are only at the beginning of Christian evolution’, Steiner states, reiterating that its further development will depend on spiritual knowledge. In order to develop such cognition, ‘most important of all is reverence for the great truths and the feeling that we can approach them only with awe and veneration’. Many profound spiritual truths are indeed revealed in these lectures. Among the panoply of topics covered are: ‘Mystery Teachings in St Mark’s Gospel’; ‘The Son of God and the Son of Man’; ‘The Symbolic Language of the Macrocosm’; ‘The Moon-religion of Yahweh’ and ‘The Penetration of the Buddha-Mercury Stream into Rosicrucianism’. This thoroughly revised edition includes notes and appendices by Frederick Amrine and an extensive introduction by Robert McDermott. Trans. by E.H. Goddard, D.S. Osmond & F. Amrine; Intro. by R. McDermott (Thirteen lectures, various cities, Oct. 1910–Jun. 1911, GA 124)

The Occult Truths of Myths and Legends

The Occult Truths of Myths and Legends
Author: Rudolf Steiner
Publisher: Rudolf Steiner Press
Total Pages: 213
Release: 2022-10-31
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 185584639X

In this series of previously-untranslated lectures, Rudolf Steiner describes how myths and legends portray humanity's most ancient evolutionary and spiritual history. Folklore presents ancient mystical wisdom in the form of stories – clothed in pictures by initiates – that enable individuals to understand their content in a more intellectual form at a later time.Focusing on Greek and Germanic mythology, the lectures in the first part of this volume cover the chronicles of Prometheus, Daedalus and Icarus, Parzival and Lohengrin, the Argonauts and the Odyssey, and the heroic dragon-slayer Siegfried. From these focal points, Rudolf Steiner discusses a variety of themes – from the mysteries of the Druids and the founding of Rome to the esoteric background of Wolfram von Eschenbach; from good and evil and the unjust death sentence on Socrates to the significance of marriage..The second part of this book features lectures on the nature and significance of the musical dramas of Richard Wagner. Wagner's works, from his earliest attempts to his most mature opera Parsifal, are discussed from spiritual viewpoints. Although Wagner did not have a fully conscious awareness of the deeper meanings of his compositions, Steiner suggests that his shaping of Germanic legends was driven by an instinctive, creative and artistic certainty that accords with deep occult truths.

The Mysteries of initiation

The Mysteries of initiation
Author: Rudolf Steiner
Publisher: Rudolf Steiner Press
Total Pages: 122
Release: 2021-10-14
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1855846284

In a concise study, Rudolf Steiner presents an inspirational sketch of the evolution of the Mysteries – from ancient Persia through Egypt and Greece, to the Christian era and the present day. He traces the line of initiates from Egyptian divinities Isis and Osiris to Moses, King Arthur's Round Table and the Holy Grail in the twelfth century. Steiner focuses on the process of initiation as a historical topic: how initiation worked in ancient Egypt and in the late Middle Ages. But his presentation is also inspirational, leading to the question: How can we advance to initiation now? He underscores the potential for achieving enlightenment today without a teacher in the flesh, and explains the four stages of the process towards initiation. He also highlights the need for strenuous efforts to overcome the subtle power of evil – in the form of Lucifer and Ahriman – through selfless work.The four lectures collected here form an important landmark in Rudolf Steiner's biography: the first being delivered on 3 February 1913 – the very day that the Anthroposophical Society was founded. First published in English under the title The Mysteries of the East and of Christianity and unavailable for many years, this edition has been re-edited by Professor Frederick Amrine and features appendices, an index as well as an introduction by Robert McDermott.

Four Modern Mystery Dramas

Four Modern Mystery Dramas
Author: Rudolf Steiner
Publisher: Rudolf Steiner Press
Total Pages: 572
Release: 2023-06-09
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1855846586

Rudolf Steiner’s four modern mystery dramas are powerful portrayals of the complex laws of reincarnation and karma, transporting us to landscapes of soul and spirit where supra-sensory beings are visible, active and influential. Through perception of these hidden worlds, we are given tools to comprehend the background to the struggles we face in everyday life – both in human relationships and in our attempts to practise spiritual development. Written between the years 1910 and 1913, during periods of intense inner and outer work, the dramas are powerful testimonies to Steiner’s artistic creativity. By manifesting soul and spirit forms on stage, they foreshadow a dramatic art of the future. Rudolf Steiner planned for all four mystery dramas to be performed in August 1923, but this was no longer possible because of the burning of the first Goetheanum on New Year’s Eve, 1922. They were eventually performed together for the first time in 1930 and since then have been staged regularly, in many languages, throughout the world. This fresh rendering into English by Richard Ramsbotham also features an insightful introduction by him.

The Value of Thinking

The Value of Thinking
Author: Rudolf Steiner
Publisher: Rudolf Steiner Press
Total Pages: 284
Release: 2023-05-15
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1855846462

'As soon as you start thinking about the living sphere, you have to make the thought itself mobile. The thought must begin to gain inner mobility through your own power.' – Rudolf Steiner Rudolf Steiner divides these absorbing, previously-untranslated lectures into three sections, opening with 'The Value of Thinking'. Here, he discusses the quality of thinking itself, contrasting 'dead physical cognition', 'living imaginative cognition', 'inspired cognition', and the latter's connection with previous periods of human and planetary development. He clarifies how 'visionary clairvoyance' can relate to individual intelligence, and also speaks of the submergence of ideas – the effects of sad or joyful experiences and feelings – into the unconscious. These can be 'life-promoting' or 'life-inhibiting'. In the second section he speaks about 'The Relationship between Spiritual Science and Natural Science', using a contemporary publication as a case study for how texts can be fruitfully analysed. He characterizes the spiritual-scientific method as allowing facts or personalities to speak for themselves, rather than making personal judgements. Finally, he deliberates on 'Episodic Observations about Space, Time, Movement' – kinetic formula and concepts such as the speed of light – introducing, directly from his spiritual observations, notions such as 'light ether'. The lectures are supplemented with an introduction, comprehensive notes, line drawings and an index. Eleven lectures, Dornach, Aug.–Oct. 1915, GA 164

Three Perspectives of Anthroposophy

Three Perspectives of Anthroposophy
Author: Rudolf Steiner
Publisher: Rudolf Steiner Press
Total Pages: 225
Release: 2021-04-28
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1855845873

What is truly real? Rudolf Steiner sheds light on everyday reality through spiritual knowledge, repeatedly urging us to bring anthroposophy into daily human existence. We might consciously experience the difference between consuming a potato as compared to cereals such as rye, for example – or we could grasp ordinary phenomena, such as sleepwalking, through an understanding of the threefold human being. Likewise, we might strive to comprehend how our head is the transformed organism of our previous life. Throughout, Steiner emphasizes that we can achieve spirituality on earth if only we make anthroposophy real. The twelve lectures here were delivered during the portentous year of 1923, in the context of increasing attacks from Steiner’s opponents. His architectural masterpiece, the first Goetheanum, had already been destroyed by fire, but he was yet to refound the Anthroposophical Society at the Christmas Conference. In these uncertain times, Steiner speaks of the decline of European culture and the development of materialism as a philosophy, leaving anthroposophy with no exoteric foundation on which to build. But Rudolf Steiner strikes a positive note with an exciting and constructive way forward, providing us with the tools to see the world through three key perspectives of anthroposophy: the physical, the soul and the spiritual dimensions of reality. This previously-unpublished volume is translated by Elizabeth Marshall and includes an introduction, notes and index.