The Reappearance of Christ in the Etheric
GA 118
5 March, 1910, Stuttgart
4. Mysteries of the Universe: Comets and the Moon
On a night when the stars are clear and we gaze at the expanse of the heavens, it is a feeling of sublimity that first flows through our souls as we let the innumerable wonders of the stars work upon us. This feeling of sublimity will be stronger in one person, less strong in another, according to his particular individual character. When faced with the appearance of the starry heavens, however, a person will soon be aware of his longing to understand something of these wonders of cosmic space. Least of all in regard to the starry heavens will he be deterred by the thought that this direct feeling of sublimity and grandeur might disappear if he wishes to penetrate the mystery of the starry world with his comprehension. We are justified in feeling that understanding and comprehension in this sphere cannot injure the direct feeling that arises in us. Just as in other spheres it soon becomes evident to a greater or lesser degree that spiritual scientific knowledge enhances and strengthens our feelings and experiences if only we have a healthy understanding (Sinn), so will a person become more and more convinced that, regarding these sublime cosmic facts, his life of feeling will not wither in the least when he learns to grasp what is really passing through space or remaining, in appearance, at rest.
In any presentation it is, of course, possible to deal only with a tiny corner of the world, and we must take time to learn to grasp, step by step, the facts of the world. Today we will concern ourselves with a part, a small, trifling part, of the world of space in connection with the life of man. Although a person may dimly divine it, he will learn with greater and greater precision through spiritual science that he is born out of the totality of the universe and that the mysteries of the universe are connected with his own special mysteries. This becomes particularly evident when we enter with exactitude into certain mysteries of existence.
A contrast is manifest in human life as it evolves on this earth—a contrast to be found everywhere and at all times. It is the contrast between the masculine and the feminine. We know that this contrast in the human race has existed since the time of ancient Lemuria; we know, too, that it will last for a certain period in our earthly existence and ultimately resolve itself again into a higher unity.
If we recollect that all human life is born out of cosmic life, we may then ask, if it is indeed true that what has shown itself in human life since the old Lemurian time as the contrast between man and woman has to a certain extent accompanied evolution on the earth, can we find something in the universe that in a higher sense represents this contrast? Can we find in the cosmos that which comes to birth in the masculine and feminine on earth? This question can be answered.
If we stand on the ground of spiritual science, we cannot proceed according to the maxims of a present-day materialist. A materialist can visualize nothing apart from what lives in his immediate environment and is therefore prone to seek for this contrast of masculine and feminine in everything, whereas it now applies only to human and animal life on earth. This is an offense of our time. We must bear clearly in mind that the designations “masculine” and “feminine” in the human kingdom hold good in the strict sense only since the Lemurian epoch and up to a certain moment in earthly evolution and, in so far as animals and plants are concerned, only during the ancient Moon evolution and the earth evolution.
The question remains, however: are masculine and feminine as they exist on earth born out of a higher, cosmic contrast? If we were able to find this contrast, a wonderful and at first mysterious connection would emerge between this phenomenon and a phenomenon in the cosmos. There are, of course, contrasts everywhere in the cosmos, but one must understand how to discover them in the right way. The first contrast in the cosmos whose significance for human life we can mention is that between sun and earth. In our various studies of earthly evolution we have seen how the sun separated from our earth, how both became independent bodies in space, but we may also ask: how does the contrast between sun and earth in the macrocosm, in the great world, repeat itself in man, the microcosm? Is there in the human being himself a contrast that corresponds to the contrast between sun and earth in our planetary system? Yes, there is. In the human organism—the whole organism, bodily and spiritual—it occurs between all that expresses itself externally in the organ of the head and all that expresses itself externally in the organs of movement, the hands and feet. All that is expressed in the human being in this contrast between the head and the organs of movement corresponds to the contrast or polarity that arises in the cosmos between sun and earth. We shall soon see how this is consistent with the correspondence between the sun and the heart. The point here, however, is that in the human being there is on the one hand the head and on the other what we call the organs of movement.
You can readily understand that, in so far as his limbs were concerned, man was a totally different being during the ancient Moon evolution. It was the earth that made him into an upright being, one who uses hands and feet as he does today; again, it was only on the earth that his head was enabled to gaze freely out into cosmic space, because the forces of the sun raised him upright, whereas during the ancient Moon evolution his spine was parallel with the surface of the moon. We may say that the earth is responsible for man being able to use his legs and feet as he does today. The sun, working upon the earth from outside and forming the contrast with the earth, is responsible for the fact that the human head, with its countenance, has in a sense torn itself free from bondage to the earth and is able to gaze freely out into space. That which in the planetary system is the contrast between sun and earth appears within the human being as the contrast between head and limbs. We find this contrast of head and limbs in every human being, whether man or woman, and we also find that here, in all essentials, men and women are alike, so that we can say that the contrast corresponding to that between sun and earth expresses itself in the same way in men and in women. The earth works to the same extent upon woman as upon man; woman is bound to the earth in the same way as man, and the sun frees the head of woman and of man alike from bondage to the earth.
We shall be able to gauge the profundity of this contrast if we remember that those beings, for example, who fell into dense matter too early, as it were—the mammals—were not able to attain free sight into cosmic space; their countenance is bound to earthly existence. For the mammals, the contrast between sun and earth did not become, in the same sense, a contrast in their own being. For this reason we may not speak of a mammal as a microcosm, but we can call the human being a microcosm, and in the contrast between head and limbs we have evidence of the microcosmic nature of man.
Here we have an example that at the same time shows how infinitely important it is not to become one-sided in our studies. One can count the bones of man and the bones of the higher mammals and also the muscles of man and of the mammals, and the connection that one can draw from this has led in modern times to a world view that places man in closest proximity to the higher mammals. That this can happen proceeds simply from the fact that people have yet to learn through spiritual science how important it is not merely to have truths but to add something to them. Be conscious, my dear friends, that in this moment something of great importance is being said, something that the anthroposophist should inscribe in his memory and in his heart: many things are true, but merely to know that a thing is true is not enough! For example, what modern natural science says about the kinship of man with the apes is undoubtedly true. With a truth, however, the point is not merely to possess it as a truth but to know the importance of it in the explanation of existence as a whole. A seemingly quite ordinary, everyday truth may fail to be regarded as decisive only because its importance is not recognized.
A certain familiar truth, known to everyone, becomes deeply significant for our whole doctrine of earthly evolution if its real importance is only understood: the truth that man is the only being on earth who can direct his countenance with real freedom out into cosmic space. If we compare the human being in this respect with the apes who stand near to him, we must say that, although the ape has tried to raise himself into the upright posture, he has somehow made a hash of it ... and that is the point. One must have insight into the relative weight of a truth! We must feel the importance of the fact that man has this advantage, and then we shall also be able to relate it to the other cosmic fact just characterized: it is not the earth alone but the sun in contrast to the earth—something beyond the earth—that above all makes man a citizen of heavenly space and tears him away from earthly existence. In a sense we may say that this whole cosmic adjustment that we know today as the contrast between sun and earth had to be made in order that man might be given this place of precedence in our universe. This constellation of sun and earth had to be brought about for the sake of man, that he might be raised from the posture of the animals. In the human being we thus have the same contrast that we see when we look out into heavenly space and behold the sun with its counterpart, the earth.
Now the question arises: can we discover in the cosmos the other contrast that is found on earth, that between masculine and feminine? Is there perhaps something in our solar system that brings about, as a kind of mirror-image on earth, the contrast between man and woman? Yes, this higher polarity can be designated as the contrast between the cometary and lunar natures, between comets and the moon. Just as the contrast of sun-earth is reflected in our head and limbs, so in feminine and masculine is reflected the contrast of comet-moon.
This leads us into certain deep cosmic mysteries. Strange as it may sound to you, it is true that the different members of human nature that can confront us in the physical body are in different degrees an expression of the spiritual that lies behind them. In the physical body of man, it is the head, and in a certain other sense the limbs, that correspond most closely in outer form to their underlying, inner, spiritual forces. Let us be clear about this: everything that confronts us externally in the physical world is an image of the spiritual; the spiritual has formed it. If the spiritual is forming something physical, it can form it in such a way that at a certain stage of evolution this physical form is either more similar or less similar to it, or is more or less dissimilar from it. Only head and limbs resemble as external structures their spiritual counterparts. The rest of the human body does not at all resemble the spiritual picture. The outer structure of man, with the exception of head and limbs, is in the deepest sense a mirage, and those whose clairvoyant sight is developed always see the human being in such a way that a true impression is made only by the head and limbs. Head and limbs give a clairvoyant the feeling that they are true; they do not deceive. With regard to the rest of the human body, however, clairvoyant consciousness has the feeling that it is untrue form, that it is something that has deteriorated, that it does not at all resemble the spiritual behind it. Moreover, everything that is feminine appears to clairvoyant consciousness as if it had not advanced beyond a certain stage of evolution but had remained behind.
We can also say that evolution has advanced forward from point A to B. If C were a kind of normal development, then we would be at point C as far as the human head and limbs are concerned. What appears in the form of the female body has remained as if it were at D, not advancing to a further point of development. If it will not be misunderstood, we can say that the female body, as it is today, has remained behind at a more spiritual stage; in its form it has not descended so deeply into matter as to be in accord with the average stage of evolution. The male body, however, has advanced beyond the average stage—apart from head and limbs. He has overshot this average stage, arriving at point E. A male body, therefore, has deteriorated, because it is more material than its spiritual archetype, because it has descended more deeply into the material than is called for today by the average stage of evolution. In the female body we thus have something that has remained behind normal evolution and in the male body something that has descended more deeply into the material than have the head and limbs.
This same contrast is also to be found in our solar cosmos.
If we take our earth and the sun as representing normal evolutionary stages, the comet has not advanced to this normal stage. It corresponds in our cosmos to the feminine in the human being. Hence, we must see cometary existence as the cosmic archetype of the feminine organism. Lunar existence is the counterpart of masculine existence. This will be clear to you from what has been said before. We know from before that the moon is a piece of the earth that had to be separated off. If it had remained in the earth, the earth could not have gone forward in its evolution. The moon had to be separated off on account of its density. The contrast between comet and moon out in the cosmos is therefore the archetype of feminine and masculine in the human being.
This matter is exceedingly interesting, because it shows us that whether we are considering an earthly being, such as man, or the whole universe, we must not simply think of one member side by side with others as they appear to us in space; if we do this we give ourselves up to a dreadful illusion. The various members of a human organism are, of course, beside one another, and the ordinary materialistic anatomist will regard them as being at equal stages of development. For one who studies the truth of things, however, there are differences, inasmuch as one thing has reached a certain point of evolution, another has not—although it has made some progress—and another has passed beyond this point. A time will come when the whole human organism will be studied along these lines; only then will an occult anatomy exist in the real sense. As I have told you, things that lie side by side can be at different stages of evolution, and the organs in the human body are only to be understood when one knows that each of them has reached a quite different stage of evolution.
If you recall that the ancient Moon evolution preceded that of our earth, you will realize from what has just been said that although the present moon is certainly part of the ancient Moon evolution, it is not now at that stage of evolution and does not represent it. The moon has not only advanced to the earth stage but has even gone beyond this; it was not able to wait until the earth becomes a Jupiter, and it has therefore fallen into torpor in so far as its material side is concerned—not, of course, in its spiritual relationships.
The comets represent the relationship of the ancient Moon to the sun that prevailed at a certain time in the ancient Moon evolution. The comet has remained at this stage, but now it must express this somewhat differently. The comet has not advanced to the point of normal earthly existence. Just as in the present moon we have a portion of a later Jupiter that was born much too early and is therefore torpid, incapable of life, so in our comets we have a portion of the ancient Moon existence projecting into our present earthly evolution.
I would like to mention here parenthetically a noteworthy point, through which our spiritual scientific ways of studying have won a little triumph. Those who were present at the eighteen lectures on cosmogony that I gave in Paris in 1906 3Rudolf Steiner, An Outline of Occult Science, Spring Valley, NY, Anthroposophic Press, 1979. (one cannot always present everything; one must not write one book but endless books if one wishes to develop everything). In Paris I developed a point bearing more upon the material, chemical aspect of the subject, as it were. I said that the ancient Moon evolution—which projects itself in present cometary existence, because the comet has remained at this stage and, as far as present conditions allow, expresses those old relationships in its laws—I said that this ancient Moon evolution differs from that of the earth in that nitrogen and certain nitrogenous compounds—cyanide, prussic acid compounds—were as necessary to the beings on the ancient Moon as oxygen is necessary to the beings of our present earth. Cyanide and similar substances are compounds that are deadly to the life of higher beings, leading to their destruction. Yet compounds of carbon and nitrogen, compounds of prussic acid and the like, played an entirely similar role to that of oxygen on the earth.
These matters were developed at that time in Paris out of the whole scope of spiritual science, and those who inscribed them in their memories will have had to say to themselves that, if this is true, there must be proof of something like compounds of carbon and nitrogen in today's comets. You may recall (the information was brought to me during the lecture course on St. John and the other three Gospels in Stockholm) that the newspapers have now been saying that the existence of cyanide compounds has actually been proved in the spectrum of the comet. This is a brilliant confirmation of what spiritual research was able to say earlier, and it has at last been confirmed by physical science. As proofs of this kind are always being demanded of us, it is quoted here. When such a striking case is available, it is important for anthroposophists to point it out and—without pride—to remind ourselves of this little triumph of spiritual science.
So you see, we can truly say that the contrast between masculine and feminine has its cosmic archetype in the contrast between comet and moon. If we could proceed from this (it is not, of course, possible to go into all the ramifications) and could demonstrate the full effect of the body of the moon and of the comets, you would realize how great and powerful it is for the soul—how it surpasses all general feelings of sublimity—to experience that here on earth we see something reflected and that this, in its functioning, is an exact expression of the contrast between comet and moon in the universe. It is possible to indicate only a few of these matters. A few are very important, and to these we will allude.
Above all, we must become conscious of how the contrast expressed in comet and moon works upon the human being. We must not think that this contrast expresses itself only in what constitutes man and woman in humanity, because we must be clear that masculine characteristics exist in every woman and feminine characteristics in every man. We also know that the etheric body of man is female and that of the woman, male, and this at once makes the matter extremely complicated. We must realize that the masculine-feminine contrast is thus reversed for the etheric bodies of man and woman, and so are the cometary and lunar effects. These effects are also there in relation to the astral body and the I. Hence the contrast between comet and moon is of deep, incisive significance for the evolution of humanity on earth. The fact that the Moon evolution has a mysterious connection with the relationship of the sexes, a connection that eludes exoteric ways of thinking, you can recognize in something that might seem entirely accidental, namely, that the product of the union of male and female, the child, needs ten lunar months for its development from conception to birth. Even modern science reckons not with solar but with lunar months, because there the relation between the moon, representing the masculine in the universe and the earth, and the cometary nature, representing the feminine in the universe, is decisive, reflecting itself in the product of the sexes.
If we now regard this from the other side, from the comets, we have another important consequence for the evolution of humanity. The cometary nature is as though feminine, and in the movements of the comets, in the whole style of their appearance from time to time, we have a kind of projection of the archetype of the feminine nature in the cosmos. It is something that really gives the impression of having come to a halt before reaching the normal, average stage of evolution. This cosmic feminine—the expression is not quite apt, but we lack suitable terms—shoots in from time to time like something that stirs up our existence from the depths of a nature existing before the dawn of history. In the mode of its appearance, a comet resembles the feminine. We can also express it this way: as what is done by a woman more out of passion, out of feeling, is related to the dry, reasonable, masculine judgment, so is the regular, reasonable course of the moon related to the cometary phenomenon that projects apparently irregularly into our existence. This is the peculiarity of feminine spiritual life. Mark well—I do not mean the spiritual life of woman but the feminine spiritual life. There is a difference. The spiritual life of a woman naturally includes masculine characteristics.
Feminine spiritual life, whether in a man or a woman, projects into our existence something of the primitive, something elemental, and this is also what a comet does. Wherever this contrast between man and woman confronts us, we can see it, because it expresses itself with uncommon clarity.
People who judge everything by externals criticize spiritual science because many women are drawn to it at the present time. They do not comprehend that this is quite understandable simply because the average brain of a man has overstepped a certain average point of evolution; it has become drier, more wooden, and therefore clings more rigidly to traditional concepts; it cannot free itself of the prejudices in which it is stuck. Someone who is studying spiritual science may at times feel it difficult that in this incarnation he must use this masculine brain! The masculine brain is stiff, resistant, and more difficult to manipulate than the feminine brain, which can easily overcome obstacles that the masculine brain, with its density, erects. Hence the feminine brain can more readily follow what is new in our way of looking at the world. To the extent to which the masculine and feminine principles come to expression in the structure of the human brain, it can even be said that for our present time it is most uncomfortable and unpleasant to be obliged to use a masculine brain. The masculine brain must be trained much more carefully, much more radically, than a feminine brain. You can thus see that it is not really so extraordinary that women today find their bearings more easily in something as eminently new as spiritual science.
These matters are of the greatest importance in the history of culture, but one can hardly discuss them anywhere today except in anthroposophical circles. Except in our circles, who will take seriously the fact that to have a masculine brain is not so comfortable as to have a feminine brain? This, naturally, does not imply by any means that many a brain in a woman's body has not thoroughly masculine traits. These things are not as simple as we suppose with our modern notions.
The cometary nature is something elemental; it stirs things up and in a certain sense is necessary in order that the advancing course of evolution may be supported in the right way from the cosmos. People have always had a premonition that this cometary nature is connected in some way with earthly existence. It is only in our day that they reject any such idea. Only think what a face the average scholar of today would make if the same thing happened to him as happened between Professor Bode and Hegel. Hegel once stated bluntly to an orthodox German professor that good wine years followed comets, and he tried to prove this by pointing to the years 1811 and 1819, good wine years that were preceded by comets. This made a fine commotion! But Hegel said that his statement was as well founded as many calculations concerning the courses of stars, that it was an empirical matter that was verified in these two cases. Even apart from such comical episodes, however, we can say that people have always conjectured something in this connection. It is not possible to enter into details now, since that would be an endless task, but we wish to shed some light on one main influence related to human evolution.
The comets appear at great intervals of time. Let us ask: when they appear, is their relation to human evolution as a whole such that they stimulate, as it were, the feminine principle in human nature? There is, for example, Halley's Comet, which now again has a certain actuality.4Halley's Comet, which has appeared in 1759, 1835, and 1910, is scheduled to reappear in 1986 and has already been sighted with telescopes. Halley's Comet has a quite definite task, and everything else that it brings with it stands in a particular connection to this task. Halley's Comet—we are speaking here of its spiritual aspect—has the task of impressing on human nature its own special being in such a way that this human nature and essence take a further step in the development of the I when the comet comes near the earth. It is that step which leads the I out to concepts on the physical plane. To begin with, the comet has its special influence on the two lower members of human nature, on what is masculine and feminine; there it joins company with the workings of the moon. When the comet is not there, the workings of the moon are one-sided; the workings change when the comet is present.
This is how the working of the comet now expresses itself: when the human I takes a step forward, then, in order that the whole man can advance, the physical and etheric or life bodies must be correspondingly transformed. If the I is to think differently in the nineteenth century from the way it thought in the eighteenth, there must also be something that changes the outer expression of the I in the physical and etheric bodies—and this something is the comet! The comet works upon the physical and etheric or life bodies of man in such a way that they actually create organs, delicate organs that are suitable for the further development of the I—the I-consciousness as it has developed especially since the imbedding of the Christ impulse in the earth. Since that time the significance of the comet's appearance is that the I, as it develops from stage to stage, receives physical and etheric organs it can use. Just think of it—strange as it may sound and crazy as our contemporaries will find it—it is nonetheless true that if the I of a Büchner, of a Moleschott,5Jakob Moleschott (1822–1893) and Ludwig Büchner (1824–1899) were philosophers of materialism. and of other materialists had not possessed, around the years 1850–60, suitable physical and etheric brains, their thinking could not have been as materialistic as it was. Then, perhaps, the worthy Büchner would have made a good, average clergyman. For him to be able to arrive at the thoughts expressed in his Kraft und Stoff, it was necessary not only for his I to evolve in this way but for the corresponding organization to be present in the physical and etheric bodies. If we are searching for the evolution of the I itself, we need only look around at the spiritual-cultural life of the period. If we wish, however, to know how it was that these people of the nineteenth century had a physical brain and an etheric body suitable for materialistic thinking, we must say that in 1835 Halley's Comet appeared. In the eighteenth century there was the so-called Enlightenment, which was also a certain stage in the development of the I. In the second half of the eighteenth century the average human being had in his brain this spiritual configuration that is called “Enlightenment.” What made Goethe so angry was that a few ideas were thrown out and people declared themselves satisfied. What was it that created the brain for this “Age of Enlightenment?” Halley's Comet of the year 1759 created this brain. That was one of its central effects.
Every cometary body thus has a definite task. Human spiritual life takes its course with a certain cosmic regularity, as it were—a bourgeois regularity one could say. Just as a man undertakes with an earthly bourgeois regularity certain activities day by day, like lunch and dinner, so does human spiritual life take its course with cosmic regularity. Into this regularity there come other events, events that in ordinary, bourgeois life are also unlike those of every day and through which a certain noticeable advance occurs. So it is, for example, when a child is born into a family. The cosmic regularity manifesting in the whole of human evolution takes its course under the influence of the moon, of the lunar body. In contrast to these events, there are things that always bring about a step forward, that are naturally distributed over wider spans of time; these events occur under the influence of the comets. The various comets have here their different tasks, and when a comet has served its purpose it splinters. Thus we find that from a certain point of time onward, some comets appear as two and then splinter. They dissolve when they have completed their tasks. Regularity, all that belongs to the common round, is connected with the lunar influence; the entry of an elemental impulse, always incorporating something new, is connected with the influence of the comets. So we see that these apparently erratic wanderers in the heavens have their rightful place and significance in the whole structure of our universe.
You can well imagine that when something new, like a product of the cosmic feminine, breaks into the evolution of humanity, it can cause tumults that are obvious enough but that people prefer not to notice! It is possible, however, to make people conscious that certain events of earthly existence are connected with the existence of comets. Just as something new, a gift from the woman, may enter into the everyday bustle of the family, so it is with the comets. As when a new little child is born, so it is when, through the return of a comet, something quite new is produced. We must remember, however, that with certain comets the I is always driven out more and more into the physical world, and this is something we must resist. If the influence of Halley's Comet were to continue, a new appearance of it might bring about a great enhancement of Büchnerian thought, and that would be a terrible misfortune. A reappearance of Halley's Comet should therefore give us warning that it might prove to be an evil guest if we were simply to give ourselves up to it, if we were not to resist its influence. It is a matter of holding fast to higher, more significant workings and influences of the cosmos than those of Halley's Comet. It is necessary, however, that human beings should regard this comet as an omen; they should realize that things are no longer as they were in earlier times, when in a sense it was fruitful for humanity that it should come under these influences. This influence is no longer fruitful. Human beings must now unite themselves with different powers in order to balance this dangerous influence from Halley's Comet. When it is said that Halley's Comet can be a warning; that its influence, working alone, might make people superficial and lead the I more and more onto the physical plane; and that precisely in our days this must be resisted—this truly is said not for the sake of reviving an old superstition. The resistance can occur only through a spiritual view of the world, such as that of anthroposophy, replacing the evolutionary trend caused by Halley's Comet.
It could be said that once again the Lord is displaying His rod out there in the heavens in order to say to human beings through this omen: now is the time to kindle the spiritual life! On the other hand, is it not wonderful that cometary existence takes hold of the depths of life, including the animal and plant life that is bound up with human life? Those who pay close enough attention to such things would observe how there is actually something altogether different in the blossoming of flowers from what is usually the case. These things are there, but they are easily overlooked, just as people so often overlook the spirit, do not wish to see the spirit.
We may now ask: is there something in the cosmos that corresponds to the ascent to a spiritual life that has just been indicated? We have seen that head and limbs and masculine and feminine have polar contrasts in the cosmos. Is there something in the cosmos that corresponds to this welling up of the spiritual, to this advance of man beyond himself, from the lower to the higher I?
We will ask ourselves this question tomorrow in connection with the greatest tasks of spiritual life in—our time. Today I wished to give the preliminaries, in order that tomorrow we may understand through greater relationships an important question of the present time. Much that has been said today is admittedly remote, but we are living in a cometary year. It is therefore good to say something about the mysterious relationship of cometary existence to our earthly existence. Beginning with this, we will speak tomorrow about the great spiritual meaning of our time.
Die Geheimnisse Des Weltenalls Kometarisches Und Lunarisches
In sternklarer Nacht, wenn wir den Blick in den Himmelsraum hinaustichten, dann ist es zunächst das Gefühl des Erhabenen, das durch unsere Seele fließt, indem wir die unzählbaren Sternwunder auf uns wirken lassen. Dieses Gefühl von einem Erhabenen, das da durch unsere Seele fließt, das wird sich bei dem einen Menschen mehr, bei dem andern weniger geltend machen, je nach seiner besonderen, individuellen Veranlagung. Der Mensch wird aber - und das darf insbesondere der Erscheinung des Sternenhimmels gegenüber gesagt werden -, der Mensch wird aber sehr bald seine Sehnsucht erweckt finden, etwas zu verstehen von diesen Wundern des Weltenraumes, die ihn da anblicken. Und wir dürfen wohl sagen, daß gerade dem Sternenhimmel gegenüber der Mensch am allerwenigsten vom Verstehen sich abhalten wird dadurch etwa, daß er sich sagte, es könnte ihm das ungeteilte, unmittelbare Gefühl des Erhabenen verlorengehen, wenn er mit seinem Begreifen durchdringen wollte das Geheimnis der Sternenwelt. Es ist das Gefühl berechtigt, daß das Begreifen, das Verstehen, insbesondere auf diesem Gebiete, unser unmittelbares Gefühl nicht beeinträchtigen kann. So wie es sich auch für andere Gebiete des Daseins in größerem oder geringerem Maße bald herausstellt, daß insbesondere geisteswissenschaftliches Erkennen unsere Gefühle und Empfindungen, wenn wir nur gesunden Sinn haben, erhöht, verstärkt, so kann sich der Mensch überzeugen, und wird sich immer mehr und mehr überzeugen, daß insbesondere gegenüber den großen, den erhabenen Weltentatsachen sein Gefühl auch nicht um ein weniges zusammenschrumpfen wird, wenn er erkennen, begreifen lernt, was da eigentlich durch den Raum geht oder scheinbar stillesteht.
Nun können wir allerdings die Welt in irgendeiner Darstellung sozusagen immer nur wie in einer Ecke erfassen und müssen es der Zeit überlassen, daß wir Schritt für Schritt die Tatsachen der Welt begreifen lernen. Heute soll uns ein Teil, ein kleiner, geringer Teil gerade der Raumeswelt im Zusammenhang mit dem Menschenleben beschäftigen. Ahnt es ja wohl der Mensch zunächst schon, so lernt er es doch durch Geisteswissenschaft immer mehr und mehr, immer genauer und genauer kennen, daß er aus dem Ganzen des Weltenalls herausgeboren ist, und daß die Geheimnisse des Weltenalls mit seinen eigenen Geheimnissen zusammenhängen. Das aber zeigt sich insbesondere, wenn wir genauer auf gewisse Geheimnisse des Daseins eingehen.
Ein Gegensatz gibt sich kund im Menschenleben, so wie sich dieses Menschenleben zunächst auf unserer Erde entwickelt. Dieser Gegensatz, er tritt uns überall und immerzu entgegen. Es ist der Gegensatz des Männlichen und des Weiblichen. Wir wissen, daß wir diesen Gegensatz des Männlichen und des Weiblichen auf der Erde zu suchen haben in bezug auf das Menschengeschlecht seit der alten lemurischen Zeit, und wir wissen auch, daß er eine Weile in unserem Erdendasein dauern wird und sich wiederum in eine höhere Einheit auflösen wird.
Wenn wir das, was eben gesagt worden ist, daß alles menschliche Leben aus dem Weltenleben herausgeboren ist, festhalten, dürfen wir uns fragen: Ja, wenn es schon so ist, daß dasjenige, was wir im Menschenleben seit der alten lemurischen Zeit als Mann und Frau bezeichnen, auf der Erde über eine gewisse Strecke ihrer Entwickelung mitgeht, können wir - da alles Leben aus dem Universum herausgeboren ist - irgend etwas im gesamten Universum finden, welches sozusagen in einem höheren Sinn Ähnliches darstellt wie diesen Gegensatz des Männlichen und des Weiblichen? Können wir in einer gewissen Beziehung dasjenige finden, aus dem, wie aus einem Kosmischen heraus, das Männliche und das Weibliche auf der Erde geboren ist? - Diese Frage kann aufgeworfen werden.
Nun dürfen wir allerdings, wenn wir auf dem Boden der Geisteswissenschaft stehen, nicht etwa vorgehen nach dem Rezept, nach dem der heutige Materialist vorgeht. Dieser heutige Materialist kann sich ja nichts anderes vorstellen, als was in seiner unmittelbaren nächsten Umgebung lebt, und daher ist er so leicht geneigt, das, was für das Menschenleben nur in bezug auf unsere Erde, und für das Tierleben eigentlich auch nur höchstens für Mond und Erde eine Bedeutung hat - diesen Gegensatz - in allem Weltenall zu suchen und geradezu als Männliches und Weibliches zu bezeichnen. Das ist ein Unfug unserer Zeit. Wir müssen scharf festhalten, daß die Bezeichnung «männlich» und «weiblich» für das Menschliche in jenem eng umgrenzten Sinn nur seit der lemurischen Zeit und bis zu einem gewissen Zeitpunkt der Erdenentwickelung gilt, für das Tierische und Pflanzliche höchstens noch während der Mondenentwickelung und der Erdenentwickelung. Aber es frägt sich eben: Ist das irdische Männliche und Weibliche aus einem höheren kosmischen Gegensatz herausgeboren? Wenn wir diesen Gegensatz finden können, dann würde sich uns auch ein wunderbarer, zunächst geheimnisvoller Zusammenhang ergeben zwischen dieser Erscheinung und einer Erscheinung im Kosmos. Nun gibt es allerdings überall im Kosmos Gegensätze. Man muß sie nur in der richtigen Weise aufzufinden verstehen.
Diejenigen Gegensätze im Kosmos, welche uns zunächst für das Menschenleben wichtig sind, sind so, daß wir als ersten angeben können den Gegensatz von Sonne und Erde. Wir haben zwar bei den verschiedenen Betrachtungen der Erdenentwickelung gesehen, wie sich die Sonne von unserer Erde abgespalten hat, wie beide selbständige Körper im Raum geworden sind, aber wir können auch fragen: Wie wiederholt sich denn der Gegensatz von Sonne und Erde im Makrokosmos, der großen Welt, wie wiederholt sich denn dieser Gegensatz im Menschen, im Mikrokosmos? Gibt es im Menschen selber einen Gegensatz, der in der menschlichen Natur entspricht dem Gegensatz von Sonne und Erde unseres Planeten-Sonnensystems? Ja, diesen Gegensatz gibt es! Und dieser Gegensatz ist im menschlichen Organismus — aber jetzt Gesamtorganismus, leiblich und geistig sozusagen zwischen alldem, was sich äußerlich in dem Organ des Kopfes ausdrückt, und alldem, was sich äußerlich in den Organen der menschlichen Bewegung ausdrückt. Alles das am Menschen, was sich ausdrückt als Gegensatz zwischen dem Organe des Kopfes und den Organen der Bewegung, also Händen und Füßen, entspricht beim Menschen jenem Gegensatz, jener Polarität, die wir im Kosmos als Sonne und Erde bezeichnen können. Wir werden schon noch sehen, wie sich das verträgt mit jener andern Entsprechung, wo man in gewisser Beziehung die Sonne parallelisiert mit dem Herzen; aber darauf kommt es jetzt nicht an, sondern es kommt jetzt an auf ein Gegensatzpaar: darauf, daß im Menschen der Kopf auf der einen Seite ist und auf der andern Seite dasjenige, was wir am Menschen die Bewegungsorgane nennen.
Sie können sich leicht klarmachen, daß der Mensch noch auf der alten Mondenentwickelung in bezug auf seine Gliedmaßen ein ganz anderes Wesen war als während der Erdenentwickelung. Zu einem aufrechten Wesen, das sozusagen Hände und Füße in der Weise gebraucht wie heute, hat erst unsere Erde den Menschen gemacht, und auf der Erde wiederum konnte sein Haupt nur dadurch in den Weltenraum frei herausschauend werden, daß aus einer andern Lage, wo etwa sein Rückgrat während der Mondenentwickelung der Mondoberfläche parallel war, ihn die Kräfte der Sonne aufgerichtet haben. Von der Erde, wie sie heute ist, können wir sagen: Sie ist schuld daran, daß der Mensch seine Beine und Hände so gebrauchen kann, wie er sie heute gebraucht. Die Sonne, von außen auf unsere Erde wirkend und den Gegensatz zur Erde bildend, ist schuld daran, daß das menschliche Antlitz mit dem Haupte sich sozusagen in einer gewissen Weise entrissen hat der Gebundenheit an die Erde und frei in den Weltenraum hinauszublicken in der Lage ist. Was also draußen im Planeten-Sonnensystem der Gegensatz von Sonne und Erde ist, das ist im Menschen der Gegensatz von Kopf und Gliedmaßen. Diesen Gegensatz von Kopf und Gliedmaßen, wir finden ihn bei allen Menschen, seien sie nun Männer, oder seien sie Frauen, und wir finden auch, daß für das Wesentliche dabei Männer und Frauen im Grunde genommen gleichgeartet sind. So daß wir sagen können: In bezug auf jenen Gegensatz zwischen Sonne und Erde muß auch der entsprechende Gegensatz beim Menschen sich gleichartig ausdrücken bei Männern und Frauen. Die Erde wirkt in demselben Maße auf die Frau wie auf den Mann, die Frau ist in derselben Weise an die Erde gefesselt wie der Mann, und in derselben Weise entreißt die Sonne das Haupt der Frau wie das des Mannes der Fesselung an die Erde.
Den Gegensatz, den wir eben berührt haben, werden wir in seiner vollen Tiefe würdigen, wenn wir bedenken, daß zum Beispiel jene Wesen, die sozusagen zu früh in die dichte Materie gefallen sind - die Säugetiere - es nicht bis zu dem freien Hinausschauen in den Weltenraum bringen konnten, daß sie mit ihrem Antlitz gefesselt sind an das Erdendasein. Für sie wurde der Gegensatz von Sonne und Erde nicht im gleichen Sinne zu einem Gegensatz in ihrer eigenen Wesenheit, Daher dürfen wir ein Säugetier keinen Mikrokosmos nennen. Den Menschen können wir aber den Mikrokosmos nennen. Und wir haben jetzt ein solches Zeugnis für die mikrokosmische Natur des Menschen im Gegensatz zwischen Kopf und Gliedmaßen.
Hier haben Sie ein Beispiel, an dem sich zu gleicher Zeit zeigt, wie unendlich wichtig es ist, nicht einseitig in der Betrachtung zu werden. Man kann noch so sehr die Knochen des Menschen zählen und die Knochen der höheren Säugetiere zählen und die Muskeln zählen beim Menschen und den Säugetieren, und man kann dadurch jenen Zusammenhang herstellen, welcher in der neueren Zeit für eine gewisse Weltanschauung dazu geführt hat, den Menschen möglichst nahe an die höheren Säugetiere heranzurücken. Daß so etwas geschehen kann, rührt lediglich davon her, daß die Menschen erst durch die Geisteswissenschaft lernen werden, wie wichtig es ist, nicht bloß Wahrheiten zu haben, sondern zu den Wahrheiten noch etwas hinzu. Seien Sie sich bewußt, daß jetzt in diesem Moment etwas sehr Wichtiges gesagt wird, etwas, was sich der Anthroposoph wohl ins Gedächtnis und ins Herz schreiben sollte: Wahr sind viele Sachen, aber bloß zu wissen, daß eine Sache wahr ist, das genügt noch nicht! - Es ist gar kein Zweifel, daß es wahr ist, was zum Beispiel die neuere Naturwissenschaft über die Verwandtschaft des Menschen mit den Affen sagt. Aber es kommt bei einer Wahrheit nicht bloß darauf an, daß man sie als Wahrheit hat, sondern daß man weiß, wie wichtig man die betreffende Wahrheit nehmen muß für die Gesamterklärung des Daseins. Also das genügt nicht, daß man irgendwie etwas als eine Wahrheit hat, sondern man muß wissen, wie wichtig eine Wahrheit für die Gesamterklärung des Daseins ist. Und da kann eine ganz gewöhnliche, scheinbar alltägliche Wahrheit nur deshalb nicht zum Ausschlaggebenden gerechnet werden, weil man sie eben nicht in ihrer Wichtigkeit betrachtet. Es gibt eine ganz alltägliche Wahrheit, die jeder Mensch kennt und die man nur in ihrer Wichtigkeit nehmen muß, dann wird sie tief, tief bedeutsam für unsere ganze irdische Entwickelungslehre. Das ist die Wahrheit, daß der Mensch das einzige Wesen ist auf der Erde, welches prinzipiell wirklich frei das Antlitz in den Weltenraum hinausrichten kann. Wenn wir den Menschen in dieser Beziehung vergleichen mit dem ihm nächststehenden Affen, so können wir doch nur sagen: Wenn auch der Affe versucht hat sich aufzurichten, so hat er eben dieses Aufrichten doch verpfuscht. - Und das ist es, worauf es ankommt. Man muß nur das Gewicht einer Wahrheit einsehen. Daß der Mensch diesen Vorzug hat, das muß man zunächst in seiner Wichtigkeit empfinden, dann wird man es in seiner Wichtigkeit auch zusammenbringen mit der andern eben charakterisierten Weltentatsache: daß es nun nicht die Erde allein ist, sondern die Sonne im Gegensatz zur Erde, das heißt also ein Außerirdisches, das den Menschen zu einem Bürger des Himmelsraumes zunächst macht, ihn entreißt dem irdischen Dasein. Und wir dürfen in gewisser Weise sagen: Um dem Menschen diese Vorzugsstellung in unserem Weltenall zu geben, mußte diese ganze kosmische Einrichtung gemacht werden, die wir heute als Gegensatz von Sonne und Erde kennen. Um des Menschen willen, damit er aufgehoben werden konnte aus der Lage der Tiere, mußte diese Konstellation von Sonne und Erde bewirkt werden.
So sehen wir uns auf der einen Seite den Menschen an und sagen: Wir haben an ihm denselben Gegensatz, den wir auf der andern Seite sehen, wenn wir in den Himmelsraum hinausblicken und die Sonne mit ihrem Gegenbild, der Erde, betrachten.
Nun frägt es sich: Können wir auch den andern Gegensatz, der auf der Erde sich findet, und auf den wir eingangs hingedeutet haben, den Gegensatz von männlich und weiblich, können wir den im Kosmos wiederfinden? Ist vielleicht gar irgend etwas im Kosmos - ich meine mit Kosmos unser Sonnensystem - so eingerichtet, daß sich von dieser kosmischen Einrichtung wie eine Art Wirkung, wie eine Art Spiegelbild auf der Erde ergibt der Gegensatz zwischen Mann und Frau? Ja, es ist etwas so eingerichtet. Der höhere Gegensatz, das ist der, den wir bezeichnen können als den Gegensatz des Kometarischen und des Lunarischen, des Kometen und des Mondes. Dieser Gegensatz von Komet und Mond, in ähnlicher Weise betrachtet wie der Gegensatz von Sonne und Erde, gilt für den Gegensatz von Weiblichem und Männlichem. So daß wir sagen können: Wie sich in Kopf und Gliedmaßen spiegelt die Polarität Sonne-Erde, so spiegelt sich im Weiblichen und Männlichen die Polarität, der Gegensatz Komet-Mond. Dieses führt uns nun in einer gewissen Beziehung tief hinein in gewisse Weltengeheimnisse. Nämlich, so sonderbar es Ihnen klingen mag, es ist durchaus wahr, daß die verschiedenen Glieder der Menschennatur, die uns am äußeren physischen Menschenleib entgegentreten, von verschiedenartiger Wertigkeit sind, das heißt, in verschieden starkem Maße ein Ausdruck des Geistigen sind, das hinter ihnen liegt. In Wahrheit ist am Menschen, so wie er uns als physischer Leib entgegentritt, auch nur der Kopf und in gewissem anderem Sinn die Gliedmaßen dasjenige, was am meisten in bezug auf die äußere Form den inneren geistigen Kräften, die zugrunde liegen, entspricht. Also merken wir wohl, damit wir uns hier verstehen: Es ist ja alles dasjenige, was uns äußerlich in der physischen Welt entgegenttitt, ein Abbild eines Geistigen, das Geistige hat das äußerlich Physische geformt. Wenn nun ein Geistiges ein äußeres Physisches formt, so kann es sich dieses so formen, daß dieses Physische auf gewisser Entwickelungsstufe ihm selber mehr oder weniger ähnlich sieht, oder daß es ihm mehr oder weniger unähnlich ist. Bloß Kopf und Gliedmaßen sehen als äußere Figur einigermaßen ihrem geistigen Gegenbilde ähnlich. Gar nicht ähnlich sieht dem geistigen Bilde alles übrige am menschlichen Leibe, so daß außer Kopf und Gliedmaßen eigentlich die äußere Figur des Menschen im eminentesten Sinne ein Trugbild ist. Und derjenige, dessen hellseherischer Blick geschult ist, der sieht eigentlich den Menschen immer so, daß einen wahren Eindruck nur Kopf und Gliedmaßen machen. Bei diesen hat der hellseherische Mensch das Gefühl: die sind wahr, die lügen nicht. Dagegen in bezug auf das übrige des menschlichen Leibes hat das hellsichtige Bewußtsein das Gefühl: das ist unwahre Form, das ist etwas Verlogenes, das sieht dem Geistigen, das dahintersteht, gar nicht ähnlich. Und zwar ist es so, daß alles Weibliche dem hellsichtigen Bewußtsein so erscheint, als ob es bis zu einer gewissen Entwickelungsstufe nicht vorgedrungen wäre, sondern zurückgeblieben wäre.
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Wenn wir also sagen können, die Entwickelung schreitet so vorwärts: vom Punkt A nach B, C wäre eine Art Normalentwickelung, so würden wir in C für den Menschen Kopf- und Gliedmaßenform haben. Dagegen ist die übrige Form des weiblichen Leibes so, daß der weibliche Leib stehengeblieben wäre bei D, nicht vorgedrungen ist bis zum gegenwärtigen Entwickelungspunkt, hinter diesem Entwickelungspunkt zurückgeblieben ist. Wenn man das nicht mißversteht, so kann man sagen: Der weibliche Leib, so wie er sich heute darstellt, ist auf einer geistigeren Stufe zurückgeblieben; er ist nicht so tief in das Materielle hinuntergestiegen in seiner Form, als die Durchschnittsentwickelungsstufe ist. Alles entwickelt sich vom Geistigen bis zum Leiblichen herunter. Der weibliche Leib ist auf einer früheren Entwickelungsstufe zurückgeblieben und ist nicht bis zum mittleren Entwickelungspunkt vorgedrungen. Der männliche Leib aber ist, abgesehen von Kopf und Gliedmaßen, hinausgedrungen über den mittleren Entwickelungspunkt. Er hat diesen Punkt überschritten, übersprungen. Er ist also als männlicher Leib deshalb verlogen, weil er materieller ist als sein geistiges Urbild, weil er tiefer in das Materielle heruntergestiegen ist, als es der durchschnittlichen Entwickelungsstufe entspricht. So haben wir im weiblichen Leib etwas, was sozusagen hinter der normalen Entwickelung zurückgeblieben ist, und im männlichen Leib etwas, was tiefer in das Materielle hineingestiegen ist, als entsprechend Kopf und Gliedmaßen beim Vollmenschen.
Dieser selbe Gegensatz findet sich nun auch im Kosmos, in unserem Sonnenkosmos. Und zwar so, daß dann, wenn wir unsere Erde und die Sonne als Normalentwickelungsstufe ansehen, der Komet nicht vorgedrungen ist bis zu dieser Normalentwickelungsstufe: Er entspricht im Kosmos dem, was im Menschen das Weibliche ist. So daß wir das kometarische Dasein anzusehen haben als das Urbild des weiblichen Organismus im Kosmos draußen. Und das lunarische Dasein, das ist das Gegenbild zum männlichen Dasein. Das können Sie sich ja leicht aus den bisherigen Auseinandersetzungen klarmachen. Wir haben hervorgehoben, daß der Mond ein Stück Erde ist, das abgesondert werden mußte. Wäre er in der Erde geblieben, so hätte die Erde nicht fortschreiten können in ihrer Entwickelung. Der Mond mußte gerade wegen seiner Dichtigkeit abgesondert werden. Also es ist der Gegensatz des Kometen und des Mondes draußen das Urbild des Weiblichen und des Männlichen im Menschlichen.
Diese Sache ist ja außerordentlich interessant, weil wir daraus sehen, daß wir, wenn wir ein Wesen anschauen, sei es nun ein Wesen, das auf der Erde herumwandelt wie der Mensch, oder sei es das ganze Weltenwesen, wir da nicht ein Glied einfach neben das andere hinsetzen dürfen, wie sie uns im Raume nebeneinander erscheinen, denn wenn wir das tun, so geben wir uns einer ganz unerhörten Illusion hin. Was nebeneinander ist im Raume, das ist nicht gleichwertig. Gewiß sind die verschiedenen Glieder eines menschlichen Organismus nebeneinander, und der gewöhnliche materialistische Anatom wird alle diese Glieder als gleichwertig im Raum nebeneinander betrachten. Für denjenigen aber, der die Dinge ihrer Wahrheit nach betrachtet, unterscheiden sich diese Dinge, indem das eine bei einem bestimmten Entwickelungspunkt angelangt ist und das andere noch vor diesem Punkte ist, daneben aber dennoch weitergekommen ist, und das andere diesen Entwickelungspunkt überschritten hat. Es wird einmal dazu kommen, daß der ganze menschliche Organismus nach dieser Richtung hin zu betrachten sein wird, dann wird es erst eine okkulte ‚Anatomie im wirklichen Sinne geben können. Denn so, wie ich jetzt dieses vorgestellt habe, daß die Dinge nebeneinander auf verschiedenen Entwickelungsstufen stehen, so sind alle Organe im menschlichen Organismus nur zu verstehen, wenn man weiß, daß jedes auf einer ganz andern Entwickelungsstufe angekommen ist. Man kann nicht einfach die Dinge nebeneinanderstellen, die im Raume nebeneinander stehen, weil sie nach dieser Richtung verschiedene Wertigkeit haben.
Wenn Sie sich nun erinnern, daß unserer jetzigen Erdenentwickelung eine alte Mondenentwickelung vorangegangen ist, so werden Sie sich sagen können nach dem, was eben besprochen worden ist, daß unser jetziger Mond zwar allerdings ein Stück der alten Mondenentwickelung ist, daß er aber nicht auf der Stufe der alten Mondenentwickelung steht, daß er diese nicht darstellt. Denn er ist nicht nur bis zur Erde vorgeschritten, sondern sogar über diese hinaus. Er hat es nicht abwarten können, bis die Erde ein Jupiter sein wird, und dadurch ist er in die Erstarrung verfallen. Also der Mond hat den Punkt übersprungen, er ist über die normale Entwickelung hinausgeschritten und dadurch in die Erstarrung verfallen, was seine materielle Seite anbetrifft; in bezug auf seine geistigen Zugehörigkeiten allerdings nicht.
Dagegen dasjenige, was heute auch noch so ist, dem entsprechend ist, wie in bezug auf das Verhältnis im Weltenall auf der alten Mondenentwickelung zu einer gewissen Zeit der Mond zur Sonne stand, das stellt sich dar im Kometen. Der Komet ist in diesem Entwickelungsstadium geblieben; nur muß er dieses jetzt etwas anders ausleben. Aber er ist im Stadium des alten Mondendaseins geblieben. Der Komet ist also nicht vorgeschritten bis zum normalen Erdendasein. So daß wir ein Stück viel zu früh geborenen späteren Jupiters in dem jetzigen Monde haben, der dadurch erstarrt ist, nicht lebensfähig ist, und wir ein Stück alten Mondendaseins hereinragen haben in unsere jetzige Erdenentwickelung in unseren Kometen.
Wie in Parenthese möchte ich nur sagen: Hier haben wir einen merkwürdigen Punkt, in dem gewissermaßen unsere geisteswissenschaftliche Betrachtungsweise eine Art kleinen Triumphes erlebt hat. Diejenigen, welche im Jahre 1906 bei meinem Pariser Vortragszyklus anwesend waren, werden sich erinnern, daß ich dazumal gewisse Dinge dargestellt habe, die - man kann nicht immer alles darstellen zwar auch zur Gesamterdenentwickelung gehören, aber in meiner «Geheimwissenschaft im Umriß» nicht berührt werden, weil da eben anderes hat berührt werden müssen. Man müßte nicht ein Buch, man müßte endlose Bücher schreiben, wenn man alles entwickeln wollte. Also ich habe den Punkt entwickelt, der sich sozusagen mehr auf das Materiell-Chemische bezieht. Ich habe dazumal gesagt, daß die alte Mondenentwickelung — die also in unser jetziges kometarisches Dasein hereinragt, weil der Komet auf dieser Stufe stehengeblieben ist und, soweit die jetzigen Verhältnisse ihm gestatten, diese alten Verhältnisse in ihrer Gesetzmäßigkeit auslebt -, ich habe gesagt, daß diese Mondenentwickelung sich so von der Erde unterscheidet, daß die alten Mondenwesen ebenso notwendig hatten den Stickstoff und gewisse Stickstoffverbindungen, Zyan, Blausäureverbindungen, wie die heutigen Erdenwesen notwendig haben den Sauerstoff. Zyan und ähnliches, das sind die Verbindungen, die in gewisser Beziehung dem Leben der höheren Wesen heute tödlich sind, die ihren Untergang herbeiführen. Aber eine ganz ähnliche Rolle [wie heute der Sauerstoff] spielten die Verbindungen des Kohlenstoffes mit dem Stickstoff, die blausäureartigen und ähnlichen Verbindungen.
Das sind Dinge, die dazumal in Paris aus dem ganzen Umfang der Geisteswissenschaft heraus entwickelt wurden, so daß diejenigen, die sich diese Dinge in die Seele geschrieben haben, sich die ganzen Jahre her sagen mußten: Wenn das richtig wäre, dann müßten sich doch eigentlich in den heutigen Kometen so etwas wie Verbindungen von Kohlenstoff und Stickstoff nachweisen lassen. Nun erinnern Sie sich vielleicht - mir wurde die Nachricht gerade gebracht während des Stockholmer Kursus im Januar -, wie die Nachricht durch die Zeitungen gegangen ist, daß tatsächlich im Spektrum des Kometen sich blausäureartige Verbindungen zeigen. Das ist eine glänzende Bestätigung dessen, was die geistige Forschung schon früher sagen konnte, und was durch die physische Naturwissenschaft ihre nachträgliche Bestätigung gefunden hat! Solche Beweise werden von uns immer gefordert, darum sei dies angeführt. Wenn ein so eklatanter Fall da ist, ist es wichtig, daß wir Anthroposophen darauf hinweisen, und uns — das soll ohne Hochmut gesagt werden - dieses kleinen Triumphes der Geisteswissenschaft auch erinnern.
So also sehen Sie, daß wir in der Tat jenen Gegensatz des Männlichen und des Weiblichen im Kosmos in einem höheren Sinne, gleichsam seinem Urbild nach, wiederfinden können in dem Gegensatz des Kometen und des Mondes. Und wenn wir von da ausgehen könnten — was ja natürlich nicht in alle Verzweigungen hinein möglich ist - und könnten nun gerade die volle Wirksamkeit des Mondenkörpers auf der einen Seite und die der kometarischen Sterne auf der andern Seite darlegen, dann würden Sie sehen, wie großartig und gewaltig, wie, man möchte sagen, alles sonstige allgemeine Gefühl des Erhabenen Überragendes für unsere Seele die Empfindung ist: Wir sehen hier auf der Erde etwas abgebildet, und das äußert sich auf der Erde in seinen Funktionen genau so, wie der Gegensatz des Kometen und des Mondes im Weltenall. - Aber nur auf einige dieser Dinge kann hingedeutet werden. Einige dieser Dinge sind wichtig, und darauf soll hingewiesen werden.
Vor allen Dingen müssen wir uns der Wirksamkeit jenes Gegensatzes auf den Menschen bewußt werden, der sich da ausdrückt in Komet und Mond. Wir müssen ihn uns nun nicht bloß so denken, daß dieser Gegensatz sich nur ausdrückt in alledem, was zum Beispiel Mann und Frau in der Menschheit ist, sondern wir müssen uns klar sein darüber, daß sozusagen männliche Eigenschaften in jeder Frau und weibliche Eigenschaften in jedem Manne sind. Wir wissen ja auch, daß der Ätherleib des Mannes weiblich, und der der Frau männlich ist, und dadurch wird die Sache gleich außerordentlich kompliziert. Da müssen wir uns jetzt klar sein, daß dasjenige, was im Manne weiblich ist, nämlich der Ätherleib, zu dem, was in der Frau männlich ist, nämlich wieder der Ätherleib, den Gegensatz umkehrt, daß da sozusagen die Wirkung des Kometarischen und Lunarischen sich umkehrt in bezug auf den Ätherleib. Auch in bezug auf den astralischen Leib und das Ich sind die Wirkungen da. So daß also jener Gegensatz des Kometen und des Mondes tief einschneidende Bedeutung hat für die Menschheitsentwickelung auf der Erde. Nun, daß die Mondenentwickelung mit der Beziehung der Geschlechter einen geheimnisvollen Zusammenhang hat, der sich einer exoterischen Betrachtungsweise allerdings entzieht, den Sie aber kennenlernen werden, das drückt sich Ihnen ja unter anderem in dem scheinbar ganz Nebensächlichen aus, daß das Ergebnis des Männlichen und Weiblichen in ihrer Zusammenwirkung, das Kind, zehn Mondenmonate zu seiner Entwickelung vor der Geburt, von der Empfängnis an, braucht, und daß selbst die heutige Wissenschaft noch nicht mit Sonnenmonaten, sondern mit Mondenmonaten rechnet, weil eben da die Beziehung, die da herrscht von dem Monde, das heißt dem Repräsentanten des Männlichen im Weltenall, zur Erde und zum Kometarischen, das heißt dem Repräsentanten des Weiblichen im Weltenall, maßgebend ist, sich abbildet in dem Ergebnis der Geschlechter.
Dagegen haben wir ein anderes wichtiges Ergebnis für die Menschheitsentwickelung, wenn wir nun die andere Seite betrachten, wenn wir das Kometarische betrachten. Das Kometarische ist also gleichsam ein Weibliches, und in den Bewegungen des Kometen, in der ganzen Erscheinungsweise des Kometen von Zeit zu Zeit haben wir sozusagen Hereinragungen des Urbildes unserer weiblichen Natur im Kosmos draußen. Es ist in der Tat etwas, was sich ausnimmt, wie wenn es Halt gemacht hätte vor einer gewissen normalen mittleren Entwickelungsstufe. Nun, dieses kosmische Weibliche - es ist der Ausdruck durchaus nicht sehr zutreffend, aber es fehlen uns die geeigneten Ausdrücke -, dieses kosmische Weibliche, das im kometarischen Dasein uns vor Augen tritt, das rückt also zuweilen herein wie sozusagen etwas, was unser Dasein aus den Tiefen einer vorzeitlichen Natur aufrüttelt. So ist auch der Komet in seiner Erscheinung ähnlich sozusagen dem Weiblichen. Wir könnten es so ausdrücken: Wie zu dem trockenen, nüchternen männlichen Urteil - wohlgemerkt zu dem trockenen, nüchternen männlichen Urteil - sich verhält das, was bei der Frau getan wird mehr aus der Leidenschaft, aus dem Gefühl, aus der Empfindung heraus, so verhält sich dasjenige, was von dem regelmäßigen, nüchternen Gang des Mondes herrührt, zu dem, was eben wie scheinbar unregelmäßig zuweilen hereinragt in unser Dasein als Kometarisches. Das ist ja das Eigenartige des weiblichen Geisteslebens. Wohlgemerkt, ich meine nicht das Geistesleben des Weibes, sondern des weiblichen Geisteslebens. Das ist ein Unterschied. Das Geistesleben des Weibes hat natürlich männliche Eigenschaften in sich; dasjenige aber, was weibliches Geistesleben ist, gleichgültig ob im Manne oder in der Frau, das stellt sich herein in unser Dasein so, wie etwas, was Ursprünglichkeit, was etwas Elementares in unser ganzes Dasein bringt. Das tut der Komet auch. Und wo uns dieser Gegensatz an Mann und Frau entgegentritt, da können wir sehen, wie er mit einer ungemeinen Deutlichkeit sich ausdrückt. Es tadeln die Menschen, die alles nur nach Äußerlichkeit betrachten, die Geisteswissenschaft deshalb, weil zu ihr besonders viele Frauen kommen in der heutigen Zeit. Das begreifen die Leute nicht, daß das etwas ganz Selbstverständliches ist; Selbstverständliches ist aus dem einfachen Grunde, weil für das Durchschnittsgehirn des Mannes in der Tat dasjenige vorliegt, daß es den gewissen mittleren Entwickelungspunkt überschritten hat. Es ist trockener, verholzter geworden, es hält daher an den überkommenen Begriffen strenger fest, kann nicht heraus aus den Vorurteilen, in denen es steckt. Das ist etwas, was zuweilen von einem, der nun von der geisteswissenschaftlichen Betrachtung aus dieses männliche Gehirn gebraucht, so schwer empfunden wird: daß er in dieser Inkarnation ein männliches Gehirn hat! Denn es ist ungelenk, es ist hart und läßt sich schwerer handhaben als das weibliche, das daher auch leichter über gewisse Hindernisse, die sich das männliche Gehirn in seiner Dichtigkeit setzt, über gewisse Schwierigkeiten sich hinwegsetzt, das daher leichter folgt demjenigen, was als Neues in unsere Weltanschauung hereintritt. Insofern im Bau des menschlichen Gehirnes das Männliche und Weibliche sich auslebt, kann sogar gesagt werden, daß für unsere jetzige Zeit es höchst unangenehm und unbehaglich ist, just ein männliches Gehirn benützen zu müssen. Das männliche Gehirn muß viel ordentlicher, radikaler dressiert werden als ein weibliches. Da werden Sie sehen, daß es gar nicht so wunderbar ist, daß die Frau heute leichter sich zurechtfindet in etwas so eminent neu sich Hineinstellendes, wie es die Geisteswissenschaft ist. Das sind Dinge, die kulturhistorisch von ungeheurer Wichtigkeit sind, die man aber heutzutage kaum irgend anders besprechen kann als auf anthroposophischem Boden. Wer würde das nur irgendwie - außer als auf anthroposophischem Boden - ernst nehmen, daß es unbehaglicher ist, ein männliches Gehirn zu haben als ein weibliches? Wobei natürlich durchaus nicht gesagt sein sollte, daß nicht manches Gehirn in Frauenkörpern recht männliche Eigenschaften hat in bezug auf das, was jetzt gesagt worden ist. Die Dinge sind nicht so einfach in der Welt, als wir sie mit unseren Begriffen heutzutage zu fassen versuchen.
Aber so etwas Elementares, etwas, was aufrüttelt und in einer gewissen Beziehung notwendig ist, um den fortschreitenden Gang der Entwickelung vom Kosmos aus in der richtigen Art zu unterhalten, so etwas ist das Kometarische. Daß dieses Kometarische mit den irdischen Wesen in irgendwelchem Zusammenhang steht, das hat man immer geahnt. Nur heute ahnen es die Menschen sozusagen nicht, wollen es die Menschen nicht ahnen. Wir brauchen nur einmal zu denken, was erst heute ein Durchschnittsgelehrter für komische Augen machen würde, wenn dasselbe ihm passieren würde, was dem Professor Bode mit Hegel passiert ist. Yege/ behauptete nämlich einmal schnurstracks kühnlich gegenüber einem ordentlichen deutschen Professor, daß auf die Kometen gute Weinjahre folgten, und suchte das zu belegen dadurch, daß er auf die Jahre 1811 und 1819 hinwies, welches gute Weinjahre waren, denen Kometen vorangingen. Das tiefe heute schöne Bestürzung hervor! Aber Hegel sagte, diese Behauptung wäre so gut belegt wie manche Sternenbahnberechnung; denn es sei eben eine empirische Sache, die sich in diesen zwei Fällen verifiziert, herausgestellt habe. Wenn wir auch absehen von solchen scherzhaften Dingen, sagen können wir doch: Vermutet und geahnt haben die Menschen immer etwas in dieser Beziehung.
Nun können wir nicht auf Einzelheiten eingehen, denn diese sind sozusagen etwas, was sich nicht ausschöpfen läßt. Aber wir wollen auf eine hauptsächliche Wirkung in bezug auf die menschliche Entwickelung Licht werfen.
Die Kometen erscheinen in großen Zeiträumen. Nun fragen wir uns: Haben sie da, wo sie erscheinen, eine solche Beziehung zur gesamten menschlichen Entwickelung, daß sie sozusagen das Weibliche in der menschlichen Natur zu irgend etwas anregen? Nun, da haben wir zum Beispiel den sogenannten Halleyschen Kometen, der ja jetzt wiederum gewisse Aktualität hat. Wir könnten ja von manchem andern Kometen derlei Dinge anführen. Er hat nun eine ganz bestimmte Aufgabe, und alles, was er sonst mitbringt, steht mit dieser Aufgabe in einem gewissen Zusammenhang. Der Halleysche Komet und wir reden zunächst vom Geistigen desselben - hat die Aufgabe, in der gesamten menschlichen Natur sein eigenes Wesen so abzudrücken, daß diese menschliche Natur und Wesenheit immer, wenn er in die besondere Sphäre der Erde, wenn er in die Erdennähe tritt, dann einen Schritt in der Entwickelung des Ich weiter macht, und zwar jenen Schritt in der Entwickelung des Ich macht, der dieses Ich herausführt in seinen Begriffen auf den physischen Plan. Zunächst hat der Komet seinen besonderen Einfluß auf die zwei unteren Glieder der menschlichen Natur, auf dasjenige, was männlich und weiblich ist; da gesellt er sich dann zu den Wirkungen des Mondes hinzu. Wenn er nicht da ist, so ist die Mondenwirkung einseitig, die Wirkungen werden also anders, wenn der Komet da ist. Nun drückt sich die Wirkung des Kometen so aus: Nicht wahr, wenn das menschliche Ich einen Ruck macht nach vorwärts, da muß ja, damit der ganze Mensch vorwärtskommen kann, auch der physische und Äther- oder Lebensleib in entsprechender Weise umgeformt werden. Wenn das Ich anders denken soll im 19. Jahrhundert, als es im 18. Jahrhundert gedacht hat, so muß auch etwas da sein, was den äußeren Ausdruck des Ich im physischen und im Äther- oder Lebensleib ändert, und das ist der Komet! Der Komet wirkt auf den physischen und den Ätheroder Lebensleib des Menschen so, daß dieser physische und Ätheroder Lebensleib des Menschen in der Tat Organe, feine Organe schaffen, die der Fortentwickelung des Ich angemessen sind, dieses Ich, wie es sich als Bewußtseins-Ich insbesondere seit dem Einschlag des Christus-Impulses auf der Erde entwickelt hat. Seit jener Zeit haben die Kometenerscheinungen die Bedeutung, daß das Ich, indem es sich immer weiter und weiter entwickelt, von Etappe zu Etappe sich entwickelt, solche Organe zuerteilt bekommt, das heißt, solche physische und ätherische Organe bekommt, daß dieses fortgeschrittene Ich sie eben brauchen kann. Denn denken Sie nur einmal, so sonderbar das auch klingen mag und so schrecklich närrisch es die heutigen Zeitgenossen finden werden, es ist aber trotzdem so: Wenn das Ich des Büchner, das Ich des Moleschott und anderer Materialisten so um 1850/60 herum nicht ein geeignetes physisches Gehirn und nicht ein geeignetes Äthergehirn gehabt hätten, dann hätten sie auch nicht so materialistisch denken können, wie sie gedacht haben. Dann wäre vielleicht der gute Büchner ein braver Durchschnittspfarrer geworden. Damit er dasjenige, was er in seinem «Kraft und Stoff» zuweggekriegt hat, in Gedanken hat ausführen können, mußte nicht nur sein Ich diese Entwickelung durchmachen, die dazu notwendig war, es mußte auch die entsprechende Organisation im physischen und Äther- oder Lebensleib da sein. Wenn wir die Ich-Entwickelung selber suchen, dann müssen wir uns nur im geistigen Kulturleben umtun. Wenn wir aber wissen wollen: Was hat es bewirkt, daß diese Leute, daß die Menschen des 19. Jahrhunderts überhaupt ein zum materialistischen Denken geeignetes physisches Gehirn und den geeigneten Äther- oder Lebensleib hatten? - dann müssen wir sagen, das hat der 1835 erschienene Halleysche Komet auf dem Gewissen. Und was hat im 18. Jahrhundert bewirkt, daß damals dasjenige aufgetreten ist, was man «Aufklärung» nennt, was auch eine gewisse Etappe in der Ich-Entwickelung ist? In der zweiten Hälfte des 18. Jahrhunderts hat der Durchschnittsmensch diese geistige Konfiguration in seinem Gehirn, die man «Aufklärung» nennt. Das war dasjenige, worüber Goethe sich so erbost hat, daß da nämlich ein paar Begriffe hingepfahlt werden und die Leute sich damit zufrieden geben! Was hat diesem « Aufklärungszeitalter» die Gehirne geschafft? Der Halleysche Komet vom Jahre 1759 hat diese Gehirne geschafft. Das ist eine zentrale Wirkung in bezug auf den Halleyschen Kometen.
So hat ein jeder kometarische Körper geradezu eine ganz bestimmte Aufgabe. Sozusagen verläuft das menschliche Geistesleben mit einer gewissen kosmischen, man könnte sagen, bürgerlichen Regelmäßigkeit. So wie sich der Mensch mit einer irdischen bürgerlichen Regelmäßigkeit Tag für Tag gewissen Beschäftigungen unterzieht, sich zum Mittags- und Abendtisch begibt, so verläuft auch das menschliche Geistesleben mit einer gewissen kosmischen Regelmäßigkeit. Da hinein kommen nun andere Ereignisse, die auch beim gewöhnlichen bürgerlichen Leben nicht ganz gleich mit den gewöhnlichen Ereignissen sind, Ereignisse, durch die sich ein gewisser Fortschritt bemerkbar macht. So zum Beispiel wenn ein Kind in eine Familie hineingeboren wird. So verlaufen auch in bezug auf die ganze menschliche Entwickelung die kosmischen bürgerlichen Regelmäßigkeiten unter dem Einfluß des Mondes, des lunarischen Körpers. Dagegen verlaufen diejenigen Dinge, die immer einen Ruck nach vorwärts bringen, die natürlich auf größere Zeiträume verteilt sind, unter dem Einfluß des kometarischen Körpers. Und die verschiedenen Kometen haben dabei ihre verschiedenen Aufgaben. Und wenn einer ausgedient hat, dann zersplittert er. Daher sehen wir, daß gewisse Kometen von einem bestimmten Zeitpunkt an als zwei erscheinen und dann zersplittern. Sie lösen sich auf, wenn sie ihre Aufgabe vollendet haben. So also ist dasjenige, was sozusagen das Tagtägliche, das Regelmäßige ist, von lunarischem Einfluß, dasjenige aber, was Elementares hineinbringt, was immer Neues sozusagen eingliedert, das ist von kometarischem Einfluß. Diese Dinge, die zeigen uns auch, daß dasjenige, was scheinbar als Irrstern am Himmel wandelt, in unserem gesamten Weltenbau wohl seine gute Stelle und Bedeutung hat.
Und nun können Sie sich auch denken, daß dasjenige, was so wie etwas Neues hineingeschneit wird, wie ein Ergebnis des kosmischen Weiblichen in die Menschheitsentwickelung, daß das in gewisser Beziehung Stürme ergeben kann, die schon durchaus bemerkbar sind, die die Menschen nur nicht bemerken wollen. Aber es könnte sein, daß in einer sehr bemerkbaren Weise den Menschen zum Bewußtsein gebracht würde, wie sehr doch zusammenhängen gewisse Ereignisse des Erdendaseins mit dem Dasein der Kometen. Es ist tatsächlich so mit dem Kometen wie mit etwas, was als Neues, als Geschenk der Frau hineinkommt zu dem alltäglichen Getriebe der Familie. Wie wenn ein neuer Sprößling hineingeboren ist, so ist es, wenn durch die Wiederkehr des Kometen irgend etwas ganz Neues sich ergibt. Nur ist sozusagen für gewisse Kometen das so, daß in der Tat das Ich immer mehr und mehr herausgetrieben wird in die physische Welt, und daß wir uns zu wehren haben gegen das, was die Kometen verursachen. Denn wenn das so fortgehen würde wie beim Halleyschen Kometen, dann könnte uns ein neues Erscheinen desselben eine ganz besondere Steigerung der Büchnerschen Denkweise bringen. Das würde eine schlimme Geschichte werden. Sollte also der Halleysche Komet wiederkommen, so sollte er uns ein Wahrzeichen sein, daß er uns ein sehr übler Gast werden könnte, wenn wir uns ihm nur hingeben würden, wenn wir nicht seinem Einfluß entgegenarbeiten würden. Da handelt es sich darum, daß wir uns halten an höhere, bedeutsamere Wirkungen und Einflüsse des Kosmos, als diejenigen des Halleyschen Kometen sind. Aber es wird notwendig sein, daß die Menschen ihn in der Tat wie ein Wahrzeichen betrachten, daß sie wissen, daß es jetzt nicht mehr so ist wie in früheren Zeiten, wo es in gewissem Sinne fruchtbar für die Menschen war, daß sie heruntergestiegen sind. Jetzt ist dies nicht mehr fruchtbar. Jetzt müssen sich die Menschen mit andern Mächten verbinden, um diesen gefährlichen Einfluß, wie er vom Halleyschen Kometen kommt, sozusagen wettzumachen. Es ist wahrlich nicht, um einen alten Aberglauben aufleben zu lassen, sondern um eine tiefe Wahrheit zum Bewußtsein zu bringen, wenn hingewiesen wird darauf, wie der Halleysche Komet ein Wahrzeichen sein kann dafür, daß wenn nur dasjenige, was er bedeuten würde, wenn nur er wirken würde, die Menschheit immer mehr verflachen und das Ich immer mehr auf den physischen Plan herausführen würde, und daß dem gerade jetzt entgegengewirkt werden muß. Das kann nur dadurch geschehen, daß eine spirituelle Weltanschauung, wie sie die anthroposophische ist, an Stelle dessen tritt, was in derjenigen Entwickelungslinie geht, die der Halleysche Komet bewirkt.
So könnte man allerdings es aussprechen, daß wiederum einmal der Herrgott die Himmelsrute aus dem Himmel heraushängt, um selbst durch dieses Wahrzeichen den Menschen zu sagen: Jetzt ist es Zeit, das spirituelle Leben zu entfachen! Auf der andern Seite: ist es nicht wunderbar, daß das kometarische Dasein eingreift in Tiefen des Lebens, daß es auch in das Leben eingreift, das mit dem Menschen verbunden ist: in das tierische und in das pflanzliche Leben? Ja, es kann einer, der genau acht gibt auf solche Dinge, beobachten, wie selbst im Blühen der Blumen dann allüberall etwas anderes da ist, als es sonst der Fall ist. Die Dinge sind schon da, nur können die Menschen leicht darüber hinwegsehen, wie sie überhaupt auch über den Geist hinwegsehen, den Geist nicht sehen wollen.
Wir können uns nun fragen: Führt uns auch das in den Kosmos hinaus, was wir eben jetzt angedeutet haben, der Aufstieg zu einem spirituellen Leben? Gibt es auch für das etwas, was draußen im Kosmos ihm entspricht? Wir haben gesehen, wie Kopf und Gliedmaßen ihren polarischen Gegensatz im Kosmos haben und wie auch das Männliche und Weibliche seinen polarischen Gegensatz im Kosmos hat, so können wir uns fragen: Gibt es für dieses Heraussprudeln des Spirituellen, für dieses Hinaufschreiten des Menschen über sich selber, aus dem niederen Ich in das höhere Ich, gibt es dafür etwas im Kosmos?
Diese Frage im Zusammenhang mit den größten Aufgaben des Geisteslebens unserer Zeit wollen wir uns morgen stellen. Ich wollte heute zunächst einmal die Bedingungen dafür herstellen, daß wir uns aus einem gewissen größeren Zusammenhang heraus über eine wichtige Frage der Gegenwart morgen besser verstehen können. Zugegeben wird, daß manches, was heute gesagt worden ist, ferner liegt; aber wir leben im Kometenjahr. Daher ist es gut, wenn wir zugleich imstande sind, etwas zu sagen über die geheimnisvollen Beziehungen des kometarischen Daseins zu unserem Erdendasein. Anknüpfend daran wollen wir morgen etwas über die großen geistigen Inhalte unserer Zeit sprechen.
The Secrets of the Universe, Comets and the Moon
On a starry night, when we gaze up at the sky, the first feeling that flows through our soul is one of awe as we take in the countless wonders of the stars. This feeling of awe that flows through our soul will be more pronounced in some people than in others, depending on their particular individual disposition. But human beings—and this can be said especially of the appearance of the starry sky—very soon find their longing awakened to understand something of these wonders of the universe that gaze down upon them. And we may well say that it is precisely in relation to the starry sky that human beings will be least likely to allow themselves to be deterred from understanding by saying that they might lose the undivided, immediate feeling of the sublime if they tried to penetrate the mystery of the starry world with their understanding. It is a justified feeling that comprehension and understanding, especially in this field, cannot impair our immediate feelings. Just as it soon becomes apparent in other areas of existence, to a greater or lesser extent, that spiritual scientific knowledge in particular elevates and strengthens our feelings and sensations, provided we have a healthy mind, so man can convince himself, and will convince himself more and more, that, especially in relation to the great and sublime facts of the world, his feelings will not shrink in the least when he learns to recognize and understand what actually passes through space or appears to stand still.
Now, of course, we can only ever grasp the world in some representation, as it were, as in a corner, and we must leave it to time to learn to understand the facts of the world step by step. Today we will concern ourselves with a small, insignificant part of the spatial world in relation to human life. Although human beings already have an initial inkling of this, through spiritual science they learn more and more, more and more precisely, that they are born out of the whole of the universe and that the mysteries of the universe are connected with their own mysteries. This becomes particularly apparent when we examine certain mysteries of existence more closely.
A contrast is evident in human life as it initially develops on our Earth. This contrast confronts us everywhere and at all times. It is the contrast between the male and the female. We know that we must seek this contrast between the masculine and the feminine on Earth in relation to the human race since the ancient Lemurian epoch, and we also know that it will last for a while in our earthly existence and will then dissolve into a higher unity.
If we hold fast to what has just been said, that all human life is born out of the life of the world, we may ask ourselves: Yes, if it is true that what we have called man and woman in human life since the ancient Lemurian era has accompanied the Earth for a certain period of its development, can we—since all life is born out of the universe—find anything in the entire universe that represents, in a higher sense, something similar to this contrast between the masculine and the feminine? Can we find, in a certain relationship, that from which, as if from something cosmic, the male and female were born on Earth? This question can be raised.
Now, however, if we stand on the ground of spiritual science, we cannot proceed according to the recipe followed by today's materialists. Today's materialists cannot imagine anything beyond what lives in their immediate surroundings, and so they are easily inclined to seek this opposition — which is only significant for human life in relation to our Earth, and for animal life only in relation to the Moon and Earth at most — in the entire universe, and to designate it as male and female. This is the nonsense of our time. We must firmly maintain that the designations “male” and “female” for the human being in that narrowly defined sense have only been valid since the Lemurian epoch and up to a certain point in the Earth's development, and for the animal and plant worlds at most during the lunar and Earth epochs. But the question arises: Are the earthly male and female born out of a higher cosmic opposition? If we can find this opposition, then a wonderful, initially mysterious connection would also become apparent to us between this phenomenon and a phenomenon in the cosmos. Now, however, there are opposites everywhere in the cosmos. One only has to know how to find them in the right way.
The opposites in the cosmos that are initially important for human life are such that we can first mention the opposition between the sun and the earth. In our various considerations of the development of the Earth, we have seen how the sun separated from our Earth, how both became independent bodies in space, but we can also ask: How does the contrast between the sun and the Earth repeat itself in the macrocosm, the large world, how does this contrast repeat itself in the human being, in the microcosm? Is there an opposition within human beings themselves that corresponds in human nature to the opposition between the sun and the earth in our planetary solar system? Yes, this opposition exists! And this opposition is found in the human organism — but now as a whole organism, physically and spiritually, so to speak, between everything that is expressed externally in the organs of the head and everything that is expressed externally in the organs of human movement. Everything in human beings that expresses itself as a contrast between the organs of the head and the organs of movement, i.e., the hands and feet, corresponds in human beings to that contrast, that polarity, which we can describe in the cosmos as the sun and the earth. We will see how this fits in with the other correspondence, where the sun is parallelized with the heart in a certain respect; but that is not important now. What is important now is a pair of opposites: that in the human being, the head is on one side and on the other side is what we call the organs of movement.
You can easily understand that, during the old lunar evolution, human beings were completely different creatures in terms of their limbs than they were during the Earth evolution. It was only our Earth that made human beings upright creatures that use their hands and feet in the way they do today, and on Earth, their heads could only look out freely into space because the forces of the Sun raised them up from a different position, where their spine was parallel to the surface of the Moon during the lunar evolution. We can say of the Earth as it is today that it is responsible for the fact that human beings can use their legs and hands as they do today. The sun, acting from outside upon our earth and forming the opposite pole to the earth, is responsible for the fact that the human face with its head has, so to speak, in a certain sense, torn itself away from its bondage to the earth and is able to look freely out into space. What is the contrast between the sun and the earth in the planetary solar system is the contrast between the head and the limbs in humans. We find this contrast between the head and the limbs in all humans, whether they are men or women, and we also find that, in essence, men and women are basically the same in this respect. So we can say that in relation to the contrast between the sun and the earth, the corresponding contrast in human beings must also express itself in the same way in men and women. The earth affects women to the same extent as it affects men; women are bound to the earth in the same way as men, and in the same way the sun snatches the head of women, as it does that of men, from its bondage to the earth.
We will appreciate the contrast we have just touched upon in its full depth when we consider that, for example, those beings who fell too early, so to speak, into dense matter—the mammals—were unable to look out freely into the world space, that they are bound with their faces to earthly existence. For them, the contrast between sun and earth did not become a contrast in their own essence in the same sense. Therefore, we cannot call a mammal a microcosm. But we can call the human being a microcosm. And we now have such evidence for the microcosmic nature of the human being in the contrast between the head and the limbs.
Here you have an example that shows at the same time how infinitely important it is not to become one-sided in our observations. One can count the bones of humans and the bones of higher mammals and count the muscles of humans and mammals, and one can thereby establish the connection that in recent times has led to a certain worldview that places humans as close as possible to higher mammals. That something like this can happen stems solely from the fact that human beings will only learn through spiritual science how important it is not merely to have truths, but to add something to the truths. Be aware that something very important is being said right now, something that anthroposophists should write down in their memories and in their hearts: Many things are true, but merely knowing that something is true is not enough! There is no doubt that what modern science says about the relationship between humans and apes, for example, is true. But when it comes to truth, it is not enough to simply have it as truth; one must also know how important that truth is for the overall explanation of existence. So it is not enough to have something as a truth, but one must know how important a truth is for the overall explanation of existence. And here, a very ordinary, seemingly everyday truth cannot be considered decisive simply because one does not consider its importance. There is a very ordinary truth that every human being knows, and one only has to take it seriously in its importance, and then it becomes deeply, deeply significant for our entire doctrine of earthly development. That is the truth that human beings are the only beings on earth who can, in principle, truly freely turn their faces toward the world space. If we compare humans in this respect with the apes, which are closest to them, we can only say that even though the ape has tried to stand upright, it has failed in this endeavor. And that is what matters. One must simply recognize the weight of this truth. That man has this advantage must first be felt in its importance, then it will also be brought together in its importance with the other world fact just characterized: that it is not the Earth alone, but the Sun in contrast to the Earth, that is, something extraterrestrial, that makes man a citizen of the heavenly space in the first place, snatching him away from earthly existence. And we can say in a certain sense: in order to give man this privileged position in our universe, this entire cosmic structure, which we know today as the contrast between the sun and the earth, had to be created. For the sake of man, so that he could be lifted out of the condition of the animals, this constellation of sun and earth had to be brought about.
So, on the one hand, we look at human beings and say: we see in them the same opposition that we see on the other hand when we look out into the heavens and see the sun with its counterpart, the earth.
Now the question arises: Can we also find the other opposition that exists on Earth, which we pointed out at the beginning, the opposition between male and female, can we find it again in the cosmos? Is there perhaps anything in the cosmos—by which I mean our solar system—that is arranged in such a way that this cosmic arrangement produces a kind of effect, a kind of mirror image on Earth, resulting in the contrast between man and woman? Yes, there is something arranged in this way. The higher contrast is what we can describe as the contrast between the cometary and the lunar, between the comet and the moon. This contrast between the comet and the moon, viewed in a similar way to the contrast between the sun and the earth, applies to the contrast between the feminine and the masculine. So we can say that just as the polarity between the sun and the earth is reflected in the head and limbs, the polarity between the comet and the moon is reflected in the feminine and the masculine. This now leads us, in a certain way, deep into certain secrets of the world. Namely, strange as it may sound to you, it is absolutely true that the various members of human nature, which we encounter in the outer physical human body, are of different values, that is, they are expressions of the spirit behind them to varying degrees. In truth, in the human being as he appears to us as a physical body, only the head and, in a certain other sense, the limbs are what most correspond, in terms of their outer form, to the inner spiritual forces that underlie them. So let us note, in order to understand each other here: everything that confronts us externally in the physical world is an image of something spiritual; the spiritual has formed the external physical. When a spiritual entity forms an external physical entity, it can form it in such a way that this physical entity, at a certain stage of development, resembles it more or less, or is more or less dissimilar to it. Only the head and limbs resemble their spiritual counterparts to some extent in their external form. Everything else in the human body bears no resemblance to the spiritual image, so that apart from the head and limbs, the external form of the human being is, in the most eminent sense, an illusion. And those whose clairvoyant vision is trained actually always see human beings in such a way that only the head and limbs make a true impression. The clairvoyant person has the feeling that these are true, that they do not lie. In contrast, with regard to the rest of the human body, the clairvoyant consciousness has the feeling that this is an untrue form, that it is something false, that it does not resemble the spiritual being behind it at all. In fact, everything feminine appears to clairvoyant consciousness as if it had not progressed beyond a certain stage of development, but had remained behind.
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So if we can say that development proceeds in this way: from point A to B, C would be a kind of normal development, then in C we would have the form of the head and limbs for humans. In contrast, the rest of the female body is such that the female body has remained at D, has not advanced to the present stage of development, has remained behind this stage of development. If this is not misunderstood, one can say: The female body, as it appears today, has remained at a more spiritual stage; it has not descended so deeply into the material in its form as the average stage of development. Everything develops from the spiritual down to the physical. The female body has remained at an earlier stage of development and has not advanced to the middle point of development. The male body, however, apart from the head and limbs, has pushed itself beyond the middle point of development. It has crossed this point, jumped over it. It is therefore false as a male body because it is more material than its spiritual archetype, because it has descended deeper into the material than corresponds to the average stage of development. Thus, in the female body we have something that has, so to speak, remained behind normal development, and in the male body we have something that has descended deeper into the material than corresponds to the head and limbs in the fully developed human being.
This same contrast is also found in the cosmos, in our solar cosmos. And in such a way that if we regard our Earth and the Sun as the normal stage of development, the comet has not advanced to this normal stage of development: it corresponds in the cosmos to what is feminine in the human being. So we have to regard the cometary existence as the archetype of the female organism in the cosmos outside. And the lunar existence is the counter-image of the male existence. You can easily understand this from the previous discussions. We have emphasized that the moon is a piece of Earth that had to be separated. If it had remained in the Earth, the Earth would not have been able to progress in its development. The moon had to be separated precisely because of its density. So the contrast between the comet and the moon outside is the archetype of the feminine and the masculine in the human being.
This is extremely interesting because it shows us that when we look at a being, whether it is a being that walks around on Earth like a human being, or whether it is the entire world being, we cannot simply place one member next to another as they appear to us in space, because if we do so, we are giving ourselves over to a completely unheard-of illusion. What is next to each other in space is not equivalent. Certainly, the various members of a human organism are next to each other, and the ordinary materialistic anatomist will regard all these members as equivalent in space. But for those who look at things in their true light, these things differ in that one has reached a certain point in its development and the other is still before that point, but has nevertheless progressed further, and the other has passed that point in its development. The time will come when the entire human organism will have to be viewed in this way, and only then will there be an occult “anatomy” in the true sense of the word. For just as I have now presented it, that things stand side by side at different stages of development, so all organs in the human organism can only be understood if one knows that each has reached a completely different stage of development. One cannot simply place things side by side that are next to each other in space, because they have different values in this respect.
If you now remember that our present earthly development was preceded by an ancient lunar development, you will be able to say, based on what has just been discussed, that our present moon is indeed a part of the ancient lunar development, but that it does not stand at the stage of the ancient lunar development, that it does not represent it. For it has not only advanced as far as the earth, but even beyond it. It could not wait until the earth became a Jupiter, and thus it fell into a state of solidification. So the moon has skipped a step; it has advanced beyond normal development and thus fallen into a state of solidification as far as its material side is concerned; but not in relation to its spiritual affiliations.
On the other hand, what is still true today, corresponding to the relationship in the universe at a certain time in the old lunar evolution, when the moon stood in relation to the sun, is represented by the comet. The comet has remained in this stage of evolution; only now it has to live it out in a slightly different way. But it has remained in the stage of the old moon existence. The comet has therefore not progressed to normal earth existence. So we have a piece of the later Jupiter that was born much too early in the present moon, which has become frozen and is not viable, and we have a piece of the old moon existence protruding into our present earth evolution in our comets.
As an aside, I would just like to say that here we have a curious point at which our spiritual scientific approach has, in a sense, experienced a small triumph. Those who were present at my series of lectures in Paris in 1906 will remember that I presented certain things at that time which—although they do indeed belong to the overall development of the Earth—cannot always be presented, because other things had to be addressed at that time. One would have to write not just one book, but endless books, if one wanted to develop everything. So I developed the point that relates more to the material-chemical aspect, so to speak. I said at the time that the ancient lunar evolution — which thus extends into our present cometary existence because the comet has remained at this stage and, as far as the present conditions allow it to live out these old conditions in their lawfulness — I said that this lunar evolution differs so much from the Earth that the old lunar beings needed nitrogen and certain nitrogen compounds, cyanide, hydrocyanic acid compounds, just as today's Earth beings need oxygen. Cyanide and similar compounds are compounds that, in a certain sense, are deadly to the life of higher beings today and bring about their downfall. But the compounds of carbon with nitrogen, the cyanide-like and similar compounds, played a very similar role [to that of oxygen today].
These are things that were developed in Paris at that time from the whole scope of spiritual science, so that those who had taken these things to heart had to say to themselves all these years: If that were true, then something like compounds of carbon and nitrogen should actually be detectable in today's comets. Now you may remember — I was just told this during the Stockholm course in January — how the news spread through the newspapers that blue acid-like compounds had actually been found in the spectrum of the comet. This is a brilliant confirmation of what spiritual research was able to say earlier, and which has now been confirmed by physical science! We always demand such evidence, which is why I mention it here. When such a striking case arises, it is important that we anthroposophists point it out and remember this small triumph of spiritual science, without any arrogance.
So you see that we can indeed find the contrast between the male and female in the cosmos in a higher sense, as it were in its archetype, in the contrast between the comet and the moon. And if we could start from there — which is of course not possible in all its ramifications — and could now demonstrate the full effectiveness of the moon on the one hand and that of the cometary stars on the other, then you would see how magnificent and powerful, how, one might say, all other general feelings of the sublime and transcendent are for our soul: We see something represented here on Earth, and it expresses itself on Earth in its functions exactly as the contrast between the comet and the moon does in the universe. But only some of these things can be pointed out. Some of these things are important, and they should be pointed out.
Above all, we must become aware of the effect of that contrast on human beings, which is expressed in the comet and the moon. We must not merely think of this contrast as being expressed in everything that is, for example, male and female in humanity, but we must be clear that, so to speak, male qualities are in every woman and female qualities are in every man. We also know that the etheric body of the man is feminine and that of the woman is masculine, and this immediately complicates matters considerably. We must now be clear that what is feminine in man, namely the etheric body, reverses the contrast with what is masculine in woman, namely the etheric body, so that, so to speak, the effect of the cometary and lunar is reversed in relation to the etheric body. These effects are also present in relation to the astral body and the I. Thus, the contrast between the comet and the moon has a profound significance for the development of humanity on Earth. Now, the fact that the development of the moon has a mysterious connection with the relationship between the sexes, which is certainly beyond exoteric observation, but which you will come to know, is expressed, among other things, in the seemingly quite incidental fact that the result of the interaction between the male and female, the child, needs ten lunar months for its development before birth, from conception onwards, and that even today's science still calculates in lunar months rather than solar months, because it is precisely there that the relationship that prevails between the moon, that is, the representative of the male in the universe, and the earth and the cometary, that is, the representative of the female in the universe, is decisive and is reflected in the result of the sexes.
On the other hand, we have another important result for human development when we look at the other side, when we look at the cometary. The cometary is, as it were, feminine, and in the movements of the comet, in the entire appearance of the comet from time to time, we have, so to speak, projections of the archetype of our feminine nature in the cosmos outside. It is indeed something that stands out, as if it had stopped at a certain normal stage of development. Now, this cosmic feminine—the expression is not very accurate, but we lack suitable expressions—this cosmic feminine, which appears before our eyes in the cometary existence, sometimes comes in, as it were, like something that shakes our existence out of the depths of a primeval nature. Thus, the comet is also similar in its appearance, so to speak, to the feminine. We could express it this way: Just as the dry, sober male judgment—mind you, the dry, sober male judgment—is related to what is done by women more out of passion, out of feeling, out of sensation, so is that which arises from the regular, sober course of the moon to that which sometimes protrudes into our existence as comets, seemingly irregularly. That is the peculiarity of the female spiritual life. Mind you, I do not mean the spiritual life of women, but the female spiritual life. That is a difference. The spiritual life of women naturally has masculine qualities; but that which is feminine spiritual life, whether in men or women, enters into our existence as something that brings originality, something elemental, into our entire existence. The comet does the same thing. And where we encounter this contrast between man and woman, we can see how it expresses itself with extraordinary clarity. People who judge everything by outward appearances criticize spiritual science because so many women are drawn to it in our time. People do not understand that this is something quite natural; it is natural for the simple reason that the average male brain has indeed passed a certain point in its development. It has become drier, more wooden, and therefore clings more strictly to traditional concepts and cannot escape the prejudices in which it is stuck. This is something that is sometimes very difficult for someone who, from the perspective of spiritual science, uses this male brain to understand: that in this incarnation, he has a male brain! For it is clumsy, hard, and more difficult to handle than the female brain, which therefore more easily overcomes certain obstacles that the male brain sets for itself in its density, overcomes certain difficulties, and therefore more easily follows what enters our worldview as something new. Insofar as the male and female elements are expressed in the structure of the human brain, it can even be said that it is highly unpleasant and uncomfortable for us at the present time to have to use a male brain. The male brain must be trained much more rigorously and radically than the female brain. You will see that it is not at all surprising that women today find it easier to find their way in something as eminently new as spiritual science. These are things that are of tremendous cultural and historical importance, but which today can hardly be discussed in any other way than on an anthroposophical basis. Who would take seriously, except on anthroposophical ground, that it is more uncomfortable to have a male brain than a female one? Of course, this does not mean that some brains in female bodies do not have quite masculine characteristics in relation to what has just been said. Things in the world are not as simple as we try to grasp them with our concepts today.
But something so elementary, something that shakes us up and is necessary in a certain sense to maintain the progressive course of development from the cosmos in the right way, that is what the cometaric is. It has always been suspected that this cometary phenomenon is connected in some way with earthly beings. Only today, people do not suspect it, so to speak; they do not want to suspect it. We need only think of how a typical scholar today would look at us with amused eyes if the same thing happened to him that happened to Professor Bode with Hegel. Yege once boldly claimed to a distinguished German professor that good wine years followed comets, and sought to prove this by pointing to the years 1811 and 1819, which were good wine years preceded by comets. What deep consternation this caused today! But Hegel said that this assertion was as well proven as some calculations of the paths of stars, because it was an empirical fact that had been verified in these two cases. Even if we disregard such jocular matters, we can still say that people have always suspected and intuited something in this regard.
Now we cannot go into details, for these are, so to speak, something that cannot be exhausted. But we want to shed light on a principal effect in relation to human development.
Comets appear at great intervals. Now we ask ourselves: Do they have such a relationship to the entire human development where they appear that they stimulate, so to speak, the feminine in human nature to something? Well, there we have, for example, the so-called Halley's Comet, which is now once again of some topical interest. We could cite many other comets in this connection. It has a very specific task, and everything else it brings with it is related to this task in a certain way. Halley's Comet — and we are talking first of all about its spiritual aspect — has the task of imprinting its own nature on the whole of human nature in such a way that whenever it enters the particular sphere of the Earth, whenever it comes close to the Earth, then takes a step forward in the development of the ego, namely that step in the development of the ego which leads this ego out into its concepts on the physical plane. First of all, the comet has its special influence on the two lower members of human nature, on that which is male and female; there it joins the effects of the moon. When it is not there, the influence of the moon is one-sided; the effects are therefore different when the comet is there. Now, the effect of the comet is expressed as follows: When the human ego makes a forward leap, the physical and etheric or life bodies must also be transformed in a corresponding way so that the whole human being can move forward. If the ego is to think differently in the 19th century than it did in the 18th century, then there must also be something that changes the outer expression of the ego in the physical and etheric or life body, and that is the comet! The comet acts on the physical and etheric or life body of the human being in such a way that this physical and etheric or life body of the human being actually creates organs, fine organs, which are appropriate for the further development of the ego, this ego as it has developed as the conscious ego, especially since the impact of the Christ impulse on the earth. Since that time, comet phenomena have had the significance that the ego, as it develops further and further, from stage to stage, is given organs, that is, physical and etheric organs, which this advanced ego can use. For just think, strange as it may sound and as terribly foolish as it will seem to our contemporaries, it is nevertheless true: If the ego of Büchner, the ego of Moleschott, and other materialists around 1850/60 had not had a suitable physical brain and a suitable etheric brain, then they would not have been able to think as materialistically as they did. Then perhaps the good Büchner would have become a well-behaved average pastor. In order for him to be able to carry out in thought what he achieved in his “Kraft und Stoff” (Force and Matter), not only did his ego have to undergo the necessary development, but the corresponding organization in the physical and etheric or life body also had to be present. If we seek the development of the ego itself, then we need only look to spiritual cultural life. But if we want to know what caused these people, the people of the 19th century, to have a physical brain and the appropriate etheric or life body that was suited to materialistic thinking, then we must say that Halley's Comet, which appeared in 1835, is responsible. And what caused what is called the “Enlightenment” to occur in the 18th century, which is also a certain stage in the development of the ego? In the second half of the 18th century, the average person had this spiritual configuration in their brain that is called “Enlightenment.” That was what Goethe was so angry about, namely that a few concepts were being bandied about and people were satisfied with them! What did this “Age of Enlightenment” do to people's brains? Halley's Comet of 1759 did it. That is a central effect of Halley's Comet.
Thus, every cometary body has a very specific task. The human life of the spirit proceeds, so to speak, with a certain cosmic, one might say bourgeois, regularity. Just as human beings undergo certain activities day after day with an earthly bourgeois regularity, going to lunch and dinner, so too does the human life of the spirit proceed with a certain cosmic regularity. Then other events come into play which, even in ordinary civic life, are not quite the same as ordinary events, events through which a certain progress becomes noticeable. For example, when a child is born into a family. In the same way, with regard to the whole of human development, the cosmic civic regularities proceed under the influence of the moon, the lunar body. On the other hand, those things that always bring about a forward movement, which are naturally spread over longer periods of time, proceed under the influence of the cometary body. And the various comets have their different tasks in this. And when one has served its purpose, it breaks up. This is why we see that certain comets appear as two from a certain point in time and then break up. They dissolve when they have completed their task. So what is, so to speak, the everyday, the regular, is under lunar influence, but what brings in the elemental, what always incorporates something new, so to speak, is under cometary influence. These things also show us that what appears to be wandering stars in the sky has its proper place and meaning in our entire world structure.
And now you can also imagine that what comes in like something new, like a result of the cosmic feminine in human evolution, can in a certain sense cause storms that are already quite noticeable, but which people simply do not want to notice. But it could be that people would become aware in a very noticeable way of how closely certain events in earthly existence are connected with the existence of comets. Comets are actually like something new, like a gift from a woman, entering the everyday hustle and bustle of family life. When a new offspring is born, it is as if something completely new arises through the return of the comet. Only, for certain comets, so to speak, the ego is increasingly driven out into the physical world, and we have to defend ourselves against what the comets cause. For if things were to continue as they did with Halley's Comet, then a new appearance of the same could bring us a very special intensification of Büchner's way of thinking. That would be a terrible story. So if Halley's Comet were to return, it should be a warning sign to us that it could become a very evil guest if we were to surrender ourselves to it, if we did not work against its influence. The point is that we must hold fast to higher, more significant effects and influences of the cosmos than those of Halley's Comet. But it will be necessary for people to actually regard it as a warning sign, to know that things are no longer as they were in earlier times, when it was in a certain sense fruitful for people that they descended. Now this is no longer fruitful. Now people must connect with other powers in order to counteract, so to speak, this dangerous influence coming from Halley's Comet. It is truly not revive an old superstition, but to bring a profound truth to consciousness when it is pointed out how Halley's Comet can be a sign that if only what it would mean, if only it would have its effect, humanity would become more and more shallow and the ego would be led more and more onto the physical plane, and that this must be counteracted right now. This can only happen if a spiritual worldview, such as that of anthroposophy, takes the place of what is happening in the line of development brought about by Halley's Comet.
One could say that once again the Lord God is hanging the rod of heaven from the sky in order to tell people through this symbol: Now is the time to ignite spiritual life! On the other hand, isn't it wonderful that the cometary existence intervenes in the depths of life, that it also intervenes in the life connected with human beings: in animal and plant life? Yes, anyone who pays close attention to such things can observe how, even in the blooming of flowers, there is something different everywhere than is usually the case. Things are already there, but people easily overlook them, just as they overlook the spirit, not wanting to see it.
We can now ask ourselves: Does what we have just hinted at, the ascent to a spiritual life, also lead us out into the cosmos? Is there something out there in the cosmos that corresponds to it? We have seen how the head and limbs have their polar opposites in the cosmos, and how the masculine and feminine also have their polar opposites in the cosmos. So we can ask ourselves: Is there something in the cosmos for this effervescence of the spiritual, for this ascent of the human being above himself, from the lower self to the higher self?
We will ask ourselves this question tomorrow in connection with the greatest tasks of the spiritual life of our time. Today, I wanted first of all to create the conditions for us to be able to understand each other better tomorrow, from a certain broader context, when we discuss an important question of the present. Admittedly, some of what has been said today is more distant, but we are living in the year of the comet. It is therefore good if we are also able to say something about the mysterious relationships between the cometary existence and our earthly existence. Following on from this, tomorrow we will talk about the great spiritual contents of our time.