Festival of Easter
GA 233a
22 April 1924, Dornach
Lecture IV
We have seen how out of the Mysteries has grown that which has bound the consciousness of man so closely to the universe that this bond found expression in the annual round of festivals, and we have seen especially how the Festival of Easter has evolved out of the principle of Initiation. From all that has been said, you must have been struck by the great importance of the part played by the Mysteries in the development of mankind.
Everything spiritual that passed through the world in ancient times, by which men were able to develop, did in fact have its rise out of the whole life and content of the Mysteries (Mysterienwesen). Making use of a modern expression, one might say: the Mysteries had a great deal of power in respect of the guidance of all spiritual life.
Now humanity was ordained from the beginning to develop freedom. That this might develop, it was necessary that the life of the Mysteries should decline, so for a long time men were not so closely associated with the powerful guidance coming from the Mysteries and were left more to themselves.
It is very certain we cannot yet say that the time has come when men have attained true inner freedom, that they are now sufficiently ripe to pass on to the next age following the one in which freedom has been gained. Truly we are unable to say this. All the same, there are a sufficient number who have gone through incarnations in which the power of the Mysteries was less apparent than formerly; and if to-day the seed of their passage through these incarnations has not yet germinated, still it is there—it is implanted in the souls of men. And as an age is now approaching which will be again an age of greater spirituality, men must begin to develop what in their present state of dullness they have not yet developed. Without appreciation, without reverence and true knowledge, a spiritual life is really not possible. We make a right use of these festival seasons when we employ them to develop, and to some small extent to implant in our souls, this feeling of appreciation and reverence for what is spiritual that has evolved in the course of human history; when we endeavour to learn as intimately as possible how and why external historical events point to spiritual facts, and carry over what is spiritual from one age into another. This is mainly possible because men come again and again into earthly existence in recurring earthly lives, and therefore carry with them into later epochs what they had experienced in earlier ones. Men are the most important factors in the further development of human history. In every age they live in a definite surrounding or atmosphere (Umgebung), and one of the most important of these was that of the Mysteries. Thus one of the most important agents in human progress is the power to carry over what was experienced in the Mysteries and to live this again, whether it be in the Mysteries themselves, where it works into humanity at large, or simply as cognition or knowledge. To-day this must be in some form of conscious knowledge (Erkennen), for the true life of the Mysteries (Mysterienwesen) has withdrawn more or less from the external life of to-day and must come forth into it again.
We are here constrained to say: It is indeed the case that if that impulse which went forth from the Christmas session here at the GStheanum really enters into the life of the Anthroposophical Society, this society, by pressing onwards to ever greater depths of knowledge, can provide the foundation of a further “living content of the Mysteries” (Mysterienwesen). This must be nurtured consciously within the Anthroposophical Society. For this society has experienced an event that can be utilized in evolution in the same way as a similar event was once utilized: the burning of the temple at Ephesus. Both there and here a great wrong lies at the root of what was done. Things present, however, different aspects on different levels, and what at one level is a dreadful wrong, may be used in accordance with human freedom in such a way that real human progress can be achieved through it.
If we are to enter into such matters with understanding we must grasp them, as I have already said, in as intimate a way as possible. We must study the special way in which the spiritual things of the world were cultivated in the Mysteries. I indicated in the last lecture how out of the spiritual observation of the constellations of the sun and moon, as practised in the Mysteries, the fixing of the annual festival of Easter was determined; further, that the other planets were regarded from the point of view of the moon. I said that according to what was experienced in the observation of the other planets a man was guided at his descent from pre-earthly to earthly existence, that his luminous etheric body was constructed in accordance with what was then seen.
Now if anyone desires to gain some comprehension of how through the forces of the moon—or rather through the spiritual observations by the moon—these etheric forces are transmitted to man, this can be done, as we have tried to do, from observation of the cosmos itself, where it is inscribed, where it exists as fact.
But it is most important that the human interest, which throughout the ages has been felt in these truths, should be permitted to influence the soul. Never did the souls and minds of men take so much interest in the descent of the soul from pre-earthly existence, never was so intimate an interest felt in the last stage of this descent, in man's clothing of himself with the etheric body, as in the Mysteries of Ephesus.
In the Mysteries of Ephesus the whole ritual practised by the goddess of Ephesus, who is named esoterically Artemis, was really directed towards participating in the spiritual blending and interweaving of life in the ether of the universe—in the cosmic ether.
We can venture to say that, when those taking part in the Mystery of Ephesus approached the image of the goddess, an enhancement of perception occurred which amounted to hearing, and what was heard might be given in the words of the goddess somewhat as follows: “I rejoice in all that is fruitful within the wide-spreading universal ether.” This expression of inward joy on the part of the goddess exercised a very profound influence on all growing, blossoming life in the universal ether. And feelings inwardly connected with this springing life breathed like a magic sigh through the spiritual atmosphere of the sacred precincts of the temple of Ephesus.
All the arrangements at this centre of the Mysteries were so directed as to enable people to say: Nowhere but at Ephesus is there so close a union with the growth of living plants, with this sprouting and springing of the being of plants from the earth. This led to the fact that within those Mysteries especially clear instructions were given concerning those secrets of the moon of which I spoke in the last lecture, and which were for the special purpose of bringing an understanding of such things to the souls of those who were adherents of the Ephesian Mysteries.
To feel himself as a light-form was an individual experience to each of these Ephesian pupils and initiates, for it was a real and living fact to them that their light-forms came to them through the moon. The instruction they received was somewhat as follows:
Those able to let the instructions they received in the places of consecration work on them were entirely taken up with this self-construction out of Sunlight that came to them, though changed, by way of the moon. They then heard as if coming to them from the sun the tones: J O A.
They knew that these tones, J O A, stimulated their ego and their astral body. J O equalled the I (ego) and astral body, and they perceived the approach of the Etheric-Light-Body in the A, forming together J O A. When these tones vibrated within the pupil for initiation he was conscious of his ego, of his astral body and etheric body.
Then it was as if there rang forth from the earth (for the man was now entered into cosmic conditions) something which enforced the J O A, making of it eh v, JehOvA. It was the forces of the earth that revealed themselves in the eh v.
The pupil now felt his whole human being in the JehOvA. He felt a premonition of the physical body as it was first on earth in the consonants which accompanied the vocalization, which in the J O A indicated the ego, the astral body, and the etheric body. It was the experiencing of himself in the JehOvA that enabled the pupil of the Ephesian Mysteries to experience the final steps in his descent from the spiritual world. At the same time the consciousness of the J O A was such that he felt himself to be in the light, that he was this tone, J O A. He was then a Man: a resounding (Klingendes) ego, a resounding astral body, within the luminous, shining etheric body. Man was then tone in light. This is the cosmic man.
Thus man is capable of accepting (aufzunehmen) that which he sees out in the cosmos, in the same way as here on earth he accepts the things he sees with his eyes when he looks out to his physical surroundings on the earth. The pupil of the Ephesian Mysteries really felt when he bore the J O A within him as if transported to the Moon-sphere. He shared in what was observed from the point of view of the moon. At that time the human being was still a universal being (Mensch im allgemeinen). It first became man and woman at its descent to earth. But man then felt he was transported to the realms of pre-earthly existence, though aware of the approach of what was earthly. This transporting of themselves into the Moon-sphere was, to the Ephesian pupils, an act of the greatest possible intimacy. They then bore within their hearts and within their souls all the things they had experienced and which sounded in their ears somewhat as follows:
Thou Being, offspring of worlds, who in thy Light-form art strengthened by the Sun under the Moon's control,
Thou art endowed by Mars with his creative resonance, with Mercury's swinging movement of thy limbs ;
Enlightened by the rays of Jupiter's wisdom, And by the love-bearing beauty of Venus,
And Saturn's age-old spiritual inwardness consecrates thee to life in space, to growth in time!
Consciousness of this filled each pupil of Ephesus. He realised that this consciousness which pulsated through him was of the greatest consequence to his humanity.
One can say: this was something which enabled a pupil belonging to the Ephesian Mysteries to feel himself most truly man. To put it trivially—when these words sounded in his ears he felt a consciousness dawn in him that connected him, through the powers of his etheric body, with the whole planetary system:
Weltentsprossenes Wesen, du in Lichtgestalt,
Von der Sonne erkraftet in der Mondgewalt,
Dich beschenket des Mars erschaffendes Klingen
Und Merkurs gliedbewegendes Schwingen,
Dich erleuchtet Jupiters erstrahlende Weisheit
Und der Venus liebetragende Schönheit,
Dass Saturns weltenalte Geist-Innigkeit
Dich dem Raumessein und Zeitenwerden weihe!
This is expressed most pregnantly in the following words spoken to the etheric body by the universe:
“Weltentsprossenes Wesen, du in Lichtgestalt, Von der Sonne erkraftet in der Mondgewalt.”
The man now consciously felt himself within the power of the moonlight.
“Dich beschenket des Mars erschaffendes Klingen Und Merkurs gliedbewegendes Schwingen.”
Here the resonance, which has something creative in it, comes to him from Mars. And that which imparts power to his limbs, that enables him to become a being of movement, comes from Mercury:
“Und Merkurs gliedbewegendes Schwingen.”
From Jupiter illumination comes to him:
“Dich erleuchtet Jupiters erstrahlende Weisheit.”
And from Venus there comes:
“Und der Venus liebetragende Schönheit.”
In order that Saturn can gather together all that completes man inwardly and outwardly, preparing him for his descent to earth, clothing him with his physical body and enabling this physically clothed being, who bears God within him, to carry on his life on earth:
Dass Saturns weltenalte Geist-Innigkeit
Dich dem Raumessein und Zeitenwerden weihe!
From all I have described you can gather that the spiritual life at Ephesus was inwardly bright and full of colour. And this inwardly bright and colourful life contained precisely all that is summed up in the thoughts of Easter, all that the consciousness of man was able to grasp as his own intrinsic worth in the whole cosmos, the whole universe.
Many of those wanderers to whom I alluded in the last lecture, who passed from Mystery to Mystery in order that they might gather the full sum of those influences that came from the Mysteries—many of these wanderers have given us the assurance: that nowhere had the Sphere-harmonies resounded so clearly, so inwardly, as they sounded at Ephesus, because of the perception they had of things as seen from the aspect of the moon. In no other place had the astral light of the world appeared so luminous as when perceived in the light of the sun flooded by the softly glimmering light of the moon—and spiritualized by this astral light as man is ensouled by it—in no other place had they been able to perceive this, or at least not with the same joyousness and inward artistic acceptance.
All this was associated with the temple which later went up in flames through criminal or crazy folly. Initiates of these Ephesian Mysteries were incarnated, as I informed you at the Christmas meeting, in Aristotle and Alexander the Great. These individuals came in touch at that time with what could still be traced of the Mysteries of Samothrace.
Now an external, apparently chance event is sometimes of great importance in the evolution of the world. Some considerable time ago I informed you that the time of the burning of the temple at Ephesus coincided with the birth of Alexander the Great. But other things also took place through this burning of the temple. Oh, how manifold and tremendous are the things that have happened in the course of centuries to those who belonged to this Temple! How much of spiritual light and wisdom has passed through these Temple Halls! And all that passed within these halls was recorded in the world-ether while the flames burst forth from out the Temple. So that one can say: the continuous Easter festival at Ephesus, enclosed as it was within the Temple Halls, has been inscribed ever since on the vast dome of the universe in respect of this dome's ether-nature, though perhaps in letters that are not perceptible to all.
And so has it been with many things. Much of the wisdom of humanity was in ancient times enclosed within Temple walls. It has escaped from these walls, has been inscribed on the universal ether, and henceforth is immediately visible there to those who have risen to real imaginative knowledge.
This imaginative knowledge is to a certain extent the interpretation of the secrets of the stars. What once was Temple-wisdom has been inscribed on the universal ether, and can thence be read by those possessing Imagination.
This can be put in a different way; yet it is the same in whatever way it is put. One can say: I go forth into the night, and gaze on the starry heavens, allowing the impression they make to sink into me. And if the necessary faculties have been acquired, that which is contained in the grouping of the constellations, in the movements of the planets, is transformed into a mighty script. And when this cosmic script is read, something emerges from it of a similar kind to what I described in the last lecture concerning the Secrets of the Moon. These things can absolutely be read in the script of the firmament by those to whom the stars are not merely objects for mathematical calculations but when they are letters in a cosmic script. Something further might here be added for the elucidation of this matter.
At the very time the Mysteries of the Kabiri arose in Samothrace, and the older Mysteries were declining, something emerged through the influence of these Kabiri Mysteries which for Alexander and Aristotle were like a remembrance of the earlier times they had passed through together in a certain century at Ephesus. (Samothrace was not a Mystery-establishment of remembrance, nor was it a place for work where development was practised; as a matter of fact the life of the Mysteries was in general decline at the time of Alexander.) In this remembrance they heard again the sound of the word J O A. Once more there sounded within them:
Weltentsprossenes Wesen, du in Lichtgestalt,
Von der Sonne erkraftet in der Mondgewalt,
Dich beschenket des Mars erschaffendes Klingen
Und Merkurs gliedbewegendes Schwingen,
Dich erleuchtet Jupiters erstrahlende Weisheit
Und der Venus liebetragende Schönheit,
Dass Saturns weltenalte Geist-Innigkeit
Dich dem Raumessein und Zeitenwerden weihe.
In this remembrance—in this historical remembrance of things long past—there lay a certain power for the creation of something new. From that moment a power went forth for the creation of something new—a very remarkable new thing which has attracted very little attention from mankind. You must try to understand how this new creation which proceeded from Alexander and Aristotle was really brought about.
Take some well-known poetic work, or any other work—the most beautiful you can find—take for instance a German translation of the “Bhagavad Gita,” GSthe's “Faust,” or the “Iphigeneia,” anything on which you set a high value, and think of its rich and mighty content, that of GSthe's “Faust,” for example. By what means is this rich content communicated to you, my dear friends? Let us take it that it is communicated to you as is done in the case of the majority of men: that at some time of your life you read GSthe's “Faust.” What came to you on this occasion on the physical plane? What was on the paper? Nothing was on the paper but certain combinations of a b c d e f, etc. These combinations were the only means by which the mighty content of “Faust” was passed on to you. When you know the Alphabet there is nothing on the printed page that is not comprised in its 26 letters. But the rich content of the “Faust” is conjured from the paper in a magic way by means of these letters. It is clear to the eye that the repetition of a b c is wearisome; it is the most abstract thing imaginable. Yet this abstract thing, rightly combined, gives you the complete “Faust”!
And now, when that cosmic world-tone of the moon was heard again—the tone in which Aristotle or Alexander were versed—the meaning of the fire of Ephesus became clear, they knew how this fire had borne out into the far spaces of the world-ether the secret of Ephesus—and there now arose in Aristotle the inspiration to establish (zu begründen) the Cosmic-script. Only this world-script could not be built on the foundation of a b c d e f; but just as ordinary script was founded on letters, the world-script was founded on thoughts. In this way letters of the world-script came into being.
When I write down the following list, the words are just as abstract as a b c d e:
Being. |
Time. |
Quantity, that is Number. |
Place. |
Quality, Attributes. |
To have (or having). |
Relation. |
To do (or doing). |
Space. |
To suffer (or suffering). |
You have here a few ideas. Learn to accomplish with these ideas which were first propounded to Alexander by Aristotle—learn to do with these ideas what you have learnt to do with abed; you then learn how from Being, Quantity, Quality, Relation, Space, Time, Place, Having, Doing, Suffering, to read the Cosmos.
In the age of abstraction something extraordinary occurred in the schools of logic. Only suppose, if in certain schools concern was not with teaching people to read, but with compiling books in which every possible combinations of a b c d had to be learnt—a c, a b, b e, and so on—but not so as to learn by this to make use of the letter in a way that could bring any rich content to their souls, this would be to do exactly the same as the world has done to the logic of Aristotle. In his logic what were called categories were put forward; they were learnt by heart, but people did not know how to make use of them. This is similar to learning the a b c by heart without knowing how to use it.
Reading in the script of the universe can be traced back to something as simple as the learning of a b c is to the content of “Faust.”
In fact, what has been put forward by Anthroposophy, and can continue to be put forward, is arrived at from these ideas in the same way as the reading of “Faust” is arrived at by means of letters. For all the secrets of the physical and the spiritual world are contained, as a world-alphabet, within these simple concepts.
You have to realize that in the course of the world's development it happened, that as opposed to the earlier direct perception of which the events at Ephesus were still the most characteristic example, something arose which had its beginning at the time of Alexander, and continued to evolve more especially during the Middle Ages, something most profoundly hidden and esoteric.
Most profoundly esoteric is the thought living in these ten simple conceptions. We must learn really to live more and more in them; we must strive to experience them in our souls, when these have a richly organized spirit-filled content, as vividly as we experience the a b c.
Thus we see, how in these ten concepts whose inner illumination and source of power has once more to be discovered, was comprised something which like a mighty instinctive revelation of wisdom endured through thousands of years. And it will one day come to pass that what seems actually to have been laid within a grave—that is, the Wisdom of the world—will once more emerge and find the Light of the world, men will learn to read in the cosmos once more, and the resurrection of that which has been kept in concealment during the interval of human evolution between the two spiritual epochs, will again be experienced.
Our purpose, my dear friends, is to reveal to mankind that which has been hidden. I can therefore say, as on other occasions: Anthroposophy is a Christmas event, and in all its acts it is also an Easter event, a resurrection experience that is connected with a burial. And it is important that we should feel, especially at this Easter Assembly, the solemn sanctity—if I may so express it—of our Anthroposophical aspirations, in that we have some perception of being able to go to-day to a Spiritual Being who stands near us, perhaps immediately beyond the threshold, and to Whom we can say: Ah! at that time humanity was blessed by a divine spiritual revelation, which shone with exceptional clarity at Ephesus, but now all that lies buried. How can I again bring forth what thus lies buried! Yet we can believe that what once has been can somewhere be found again—can be found in the grave where it was hidden.
Then a Being will answer us, as on a similar occasion this same Being answered once before: “That which ye seek is no longer here, it is in your hearts, if only ye will open them to receive it in the right way.”
Anthroposophy already dwells in the hearts of men. These men have only to open their hearts to it in the right way. Then we shall experience in full sunlight, not in the old-time instinctive way, our return to that Wisdom which lived in, and illumined the Mysteries.
These are the things, my dear friends, which I desired to bring before you at this Easter season. For to fill ourselves with that which like a sacred breath can inflame the heart of everyone who holds to Anthroposophy, and can bear us with it into the spiritual world, is an impulse which is closely associated with the Christmas Impulse given at Dornach. This impulse must not remain something that can be thought out; it cannot stop at intellectuality; it must be an impulse coming from the heart, not dry or insipid—not sentimental, but in accordance with its whole nature it must be a very solemn one.
In the same way as the flames at Ephesus were used by Aristotle to fire his heart anew, and after they had streamed up into the outer ether they had brought to him again the secrets which he was then able to grasp in their primal significance ... as the fire at Ephesus could be used in this way, it is laid upon us, and we shall soon be able to carry out the demand (I say this in all humility), it is laid upon us to use that which as the aim and purpose of Anthroposophy was carried up into the ether along with the flames of the GStheanum for the further carrying out of this purpose.
What is to be the outcome of this, my dear friends? The outcome is to be that we receive a new impulse from the GStheanum. At the annual commemoration of the sad event which falls at Christmas time, the time in which this misfortune overtook us, we must receive a fresh impulse from the GStheanum. And why? Because we should feel what formerly was more or less an earthly concern, founded and constructed as a thing of earth, has been borne up by the flames into the wide spaces of the cosmos. Because this misfortune has come upon us we ought to be able to say in recognizing the results of this misfortune: We now realize that we should not have carried this out as a merely earthly concern (Erdensache) but as one appertaining to the whole far-reaching etheric world in which the Spirit dwells: then what happened to the GStheanum becomes something that concerns the wide ether in which dwells the spirit-filled wisdom of the universe. It has been carried out far into the beyond, and we must fill ourselves with the impulses of the GStheanum that comes to us from out the cosmos.
Let us take this as we will, let us take it as an image. But the image contains a profound truth. And this profound truth can be expressed in simple words when we say: The activities (Wirken) of Anthroposophy have been permeated with an esoteric tendency since the time of the Christmas impulse, 1923. This esoteric impulse or tendency exists, for though the earthly part through the co-operation of physical fire streamed out into space as astral light ... this impulse works back again into the Anthroposophical movement if only we are in a position to receive it.
When we are able to do this we are aware of a most important factor in all that lives in Anthroposophy. This important factor or part (Glied) is the Easter-feeling (Osterstimmung), that Anthroposophical feeling that can never be persuaded that the spirit can possibly die, but that, when owing to the world it has to die, it rises eternally anew. Anthroposophy must hold to the spirit that from eternal foundations ever rises again.
Let us take this to our hearts as an Easter thought, an Easter feeling. We will then take with us from this place of meeting, when we take our way into other walks of life, something which will give us courage and power to carry on our work.


Vierter Vortrag
Wir haben gesehen, wie aus den Mysterien herausgewachsen ist dasjenige, was im Bewußtsein die Menschen mit der Welt so verbindet, daß diese Verbindung zur Darstellung kommen kann in dem festlichen Jahreslaufe, und wir haben ja insbesondere gesehen, wie das Osterfest herausgewachsen ist aus dem Initiationsprinzip. Aus der ganzen Darstellung wird Ihnen hervorgegangen sein, welche bedeutsame Rolle das Mysterienwesen in der ganzen Entwickelung der Menschheit gespielt hat.
Es ist ja mit diesem Mysterienwesen so, daß im Grunde genommen alles, was geistig durch die Welt ging, durch die Menschheit sich entwickelte, daß das in alten Zeiten alles hervorgegangen ist aus den Mysterien. Wenn man ein heutiges Wort anwenden möchte, so müßte man sagen: Die Mysterien waren sehr mächtig in bezug auf die ganze Lenkung des geistigen Lebens.
Nun war die Menschheit von vornherein dazu bestimmt, die Freiheit zu entwickeln. Zur Entwickelung der Freiheit war es notwendig, daß das alte Mysterienwesen zurückgegangen ist und eine Zeitlang die Menschen weniger im Zusammenhang standen mit einer solchen mächtigen Lenkung, wie sie von den Mysterien ausging, und gewissermaßen mehr sich selbst überlassen waren. Man kann ganz gewiß nicht sagen, daß heute der Zeitpunkt bereits herangerückt sei, in dem die Menschen sich ihre wahre innere Freiheit schon erobert haben und nun reif wären, zum Nächsten überzugehen, was auf das Zeitalter der Freiheit folgen soll. Gewiß, das kann man nicht sagen. Aber immerhin, es sind genügend viele Menschen durchgegangen durch Inkarnationen, in denen weniger die Macht der Mysterien gespürt worden ist als in früheren Zeiten. Und wenn auch die Saat des Durchgehens durch diese Inkarnationen heute noch nicht aufgegangen ist, sie ist in den Menschen. Sie steckt in den Menschenseelen drinnen.
Wenn nun ein Zeitalter heranrückt, welches wieder geistiger ist, so werden schon die Menschen das entwickeln, was sie heute in der Dumpfheit noch nicht entwickelt haben. Aber es wird vor allen Dingen notwendig sein, daß dem Erkennen, dem Schauen, dem Erleben des Geistigen, die aus der heutigen Initiation geholt werden können, entgegengebracht werde auch aus der Freiheit heraus Schätzung, Ehrfurcht. Denn ohne Schätzung, ohne Ehrfurcht ist eine wirkliche Erkenntnis, ist ein geistiges Leben der Menschheit eigentlich nicht möglich. Es ist doch so, daß wir die Festeszeiten richtig anwenden, wenn wir gerade sie dazu gebrauchen, diese Schätzung, diese Ehrfurcht vor dem Geistigen, wie es sich entwickelt hat im Laufe der Menschheitsgeschichte, ein wenig versuchen, in unsere Seele einzupflanzen, wenn wir möglichst intim hinzuschauen lernen auf die Art und Weise, wie die äußeren geschichtlichen Ereignisse Geistiges bedeuten, Geistiges von einem Zeitalter in das andere tragen. Zunächst ist es ja so, daß die Menschen in wiederholten Erdenleben immer wiederum ins Erdendasein kommen. Dadurch tragen sie dasjenige, was sie in früheren Epochen erlebt haben, in spätere Epochen herüber. Die Menschen sind das wichtigste Glied in bezug auf das Weiterentwickeln dessen, was innerhalb der Menschheitsgeschichte geschieht. Aber die Menschen leben doch zu allen Zeiten in einer bestimmten Umgebung. Und eine wichtigste Umgebung ist schon die Mysterienumgebung. Ein Wichtigstes im Menschheitsfortschritt ist das Herübertragen dessen, was Menschen in Mysterien erlebt haben und wiedererleben, sei es wiederum in Mysterien, wo es hinauswirkt in die Menschheit, sei es sonst irgendwie im Erkennen. Heute muß es ja sonst irgendwie im Erkennen sein, denn das eigentliche Mysterienwesen ist mehr oder weniger für die heutige Außenwelt zurückgegangen, muß erst wiederum auftreten.
Wir müssen ja sagen: Es ist schon so, daß, wenn jener Impuls, der durch die Weihnachtstagung von hier, vom Goetheanum, ausgegangen ist, wirklich sich einlebt in der Anthroposophischen Gesellschaft, dann wird die Anthroposophische Gesellschaft, indem sie weiter hinführt zu den Klassen, die einzurichten sind - zum Teil hat diese Einrichtung ja schon begonnen -, die Grundlage sein für das weitere Mysterienwesen. Es muß das weitere Mysterienwesen bewußt gepflanzt werden durch diese Anthroposophische Gesellschaft. Diese Anthroposophische Gesellschaft hat ja vor sich ein Ereignis, das ebenso in der Entwickelung verwertet werden kann, wie einstmals verwertet worden ist ein ähnliches Ereignis: der Brand des Tempels von Ephesus. Da und dort lag ein bedeutsames Unrecht zugrunde. Allein die Dinge nehmen sich ja auf den verschiedenen Niveaus eben verschieden aus, und es kann dasjenige, was auf einem Niveau ein furchtbares Unrecht ist, in der Freiheit der Menschen dann verwendet werden in dem Sinne, daß gerade durch solche schauderhaften Ereignisse ein wirklicher Menschheitsfortschritt hervorgerufen werde.
Nun muß man aber, wenn man auf solche Dinge verständnisvoll eingehen will, möglichst intim, wie ich schon sagte, die Dinge fassen. Man muß hineinschauen in die besondere Art, wie in den Mysterien das Geistige der Welt gelebt hat. Ich habe gestern darauf hingedeutet, wie aus Sonnen- und Mondenkonstellation, wenn man sie geistig nimmt, herauswächst die Festsetzung des jährlichen Osterfestes, und ich habe darauf hingedeutet, daß vom Mondengesichtspunkte aus die anderen Planeten geschaut werden. Und nach dem, was man erfährt im Schauen der anderen Planeten, wird der Mensch angeleitet beim Heruntersteigen aus dem vorirdischen Dasein in das irdische Dasein, wie er sich seinen Lichtätherleib bildet.
Nun, wenn man die Anschauung gewinnen will, wie dieser Lichtätherleib durch die Mondenkräfte, durch die Mondenbeobachtungen, ich möchte sagen durch das geistige Mondenobservatorium, wie diese Ätherkräfte dem Menschen überliefert werden, wenn man das recht verstehen will, so kann man es so beobachten, wie wir es nun versucht haben, aus dem Kosmos heraus, wo es eingeschrieben ist, wo esals ein Faktum existiert. Aber es ist auch wichtig, den menschlichen Anteil, der in den verschiedenen Zeiten an einer solchen Wahrheit da ist, auf das Gemüt wirken zu lassen.
Und in der Tat, niemals war der Anteil, den menschliche Gemüter genommen haben an diesem Heruntersteigen vom vorirdischen Dasein in das irdische in bezug auf die letzte Etappe, die Umkleidung des Menschen mit dem Ätherleib, niemals war ein so intimer, inniger Anteil an dieser Tatsache genommen worden als gerade in den Mysterien von Ephesus. In den Mysterien von Ephesus war es so, daß der ganze Dienst, welcher der exoterisch Artemis genannten Göttin von Ephesus dargebracht wurde, eigentlich darauf gerichtet war, das geistige Weben und Leben innerhalb des Äthers der Welt, innerhalb des Äthers des Kosmos, mitzuerleben. Man kann schon sagen, wenn die Angehörigen des Mysteriums von Ephesus sich dem Götterbilde nahten, dann war es eine Empfindung, die sich aber steigerte bis zum Anhören und die etwa so auszudrücken ist, wie wenn es die Sprache der Göttin wäre: Ich freue mich über alles Fruchttragende im weiten Weltenäther.
Es war ein tiefer Eindruck, der ausgeübt wurde durch dieses Aussprechen inniger Freude der Tempelgött in über alles Wachsende, Sprießende, Sprossende im weiten Weltenäther. Und innig verwandtes Fühlen mit dem Sprießen und Sprossen war ja insbesondere etwas, was wie ein Zauberhauch die Atmosphäre, die geistige Atmosphäre von dem ephesischen Heiligtum durchströmte. Es war dieses Mysterium schon so angeordnet, so eingerichtet, daß man sagen kann, nirgends ist eigentlich so mitgelebt worden mit dem Wachsen des Pflanzenwesens, mit dem Sprießen und Sprossen der Erde in das Pflanzenwesen hinein, als in Ephesus.
Das führte denn auch dazu, daß gerade in diesem ephesischen Mysterium mit besonderer Deutlichkeit der Unterricht gegeben werden konnte, wenn ich es so nennen darf, der darauf hinausging, besonders dieses Mondengeheimnis, von dem ich gestern sprach, an das Gemüt der zu Ephesus Gehörigen heranzubringen.
Es war etwas, was jeder wie sein eigenes Erlebnis hatte, sich zu fühlen als Lichtgestalt, weil das so lebendig gemacht wurde vor den ephesischen Schülern und Initiierten: dieses Durch-den-Mond-seineLichtgestalt-Bekommen. Und es war eine Einrichtung in Ephesus, die etwa so war: Derjenige, der diese Einrichtung in der Weihestätte auf sich wirken lassen konnte, der wurde wirklich ganz hineinversetzt in dieses Sichherausbilden aus dem den Mond umwandelnden Sonnenlichte. Dann tönte es an ihn heran, wie wenn es von der Sonne herübertönte: \(J O A\).
Dieses \(J O A\), von dem wußte er, daß es regsam macht sein Ich, seinen astralischen Leib. \(J O\) - Ich, astralischer Leib, und das Herankommen des Lichtätherleibes in dem \(A\) - \(J O A\). Jetzt fühlte er sich, indem vibrierte in ihm das \(J O A\), jetzt fühlte er sich als Ich, als astralischen Leib, als ätherischen Leib.
Und dann war es, wie wenn von der Erde heraufklänge, denn der Mensch war versetzt in das Kosmische, wie wenn von der Erde heraufklänge dasjenige, was das \(J O A\) durchsetzte, \(eh-v\). Das waren die Kräfte der Erde, die heraufkamen in dem \(eh-v\).

Und nun fühlte er, in dem khOvA fühlte er den ganzen Menschen. Das Vorgefühl des physischen Leibes, den er erst auf der Erde hatte, fühlte er angedeutet in den Konsonanten, die hinzugehörten zu dem Vokalischen, was in dem \(J O A\) andeutet Ich, astralischen Leib, ätherischen Leib. Dieses Sicheinleben in dem \(Jeh Ov A\), das war es, was den ephesischen Schüler erfühlen ließ die letzten Schritte für das Heruntersteigen aus der geistigen Welt.
Aber es war zu gleicher Zeit dieses Erfühlen des \(J O A\) so, daß man sich fühlte im Lichte drinnen als dieser Klang \(J O A\). Dann war man Mensch: klingendes Ich, klingender astralischer Leib, in lichtglänzendem Ätherleib. Dann war man Klang im Licht. So ist man als kosmischer Mensch.
Und so ist man fähig, aufzunehmen dasjenige, was man im Kosmos draußen sieht, wie man durch sein Auge hier auf der Erde fähig ist, aufzunehmen, was im physischen Umkreise der Erde geschieht.
Dann fühlte sich der ephesische Schüler wirklich, wenn er in sich trug dieses \(J O A\), wie versetzt in die Mondensphäre. Er nahm teil an demjenigen, was beobachtet werden konnte vom Gesichtspunkte des Mondes aus.
Da war der Mensch noch Mensch im allgemeinen. Er wurde erst Mann und Weib beim Heruntersteigen auf die Erde. Da aber fühlte der Mensch sich hinaufversetzt in diese Region des vorirdischen Daseins, aber eben des Herankommens an das Irdische. Den ephesischen Schülern wurde dieses Sichhinaufversetzen in die Mondensphäre eben ganz besonders intim möglich. Dann trugen sie in ihrem Herzen, in ihrer Seele dasjenige, was sie miterlebt haben und was etwa in der folgenden Weise dem ephesischen Schüler erklang:
Weltentsprossenes Wesen, du in Lichtgestalt,
Von der Sonne erkraftet in der Mondgewalt,Dich beschenket des Mars erschaffendes Klingen
Und Merkurs gliedbewegende Schwingen,Dich erleuchtet Jupiters erstrahlende Weisheit
Und der Venus liebetragende Schönheit —Daß Saturns weltenalte Geist-Innigkeit
Dich dem Raumessein und Zeitenwerden weihe!
Das war dasjenige, von dem jeder Epheser durchdrungen war. Das rechnete er zum Wichtigsten, was seinen Menschen durchpulste (der Text wurde an die Tafel geschrieben):
Weltentsprossenes Wesen, du in Lichtgestalt
Von der Sonne erkraftet in der Monagewalt,Dich beschenket des Mars erschaffendes Klingen
Und Merkurs gliedbewegende Schwingen,Dich erleuchtet Jupiters erstrahlende Weisheit
Und der Venus hiebetragende SchönheitDaß Saturns weltenalte Geist-Innigkeit
Dich dem Raumessein und Zeitenwerden weihe!
Man kann schon sagen: Es war für den zu den ephesischen Mysterien Gehörigen etwas wie sich so recht als Mensch fühlen, wenn ihm - ich will mich etwas trivial ausdrücken -, wenn ihm in den Ohren klang das, was in diesen Sprüchen liegt. Denn er fühlte ja: damit ist ihm das Bewußtsein von dem aufgegangen, wie er mit dem Planetensystem zusammenhängt in den Kräften seines Ätherleibes. Und prägnant kam das zum Ausdruck. Das ist zum Ätherleib vom Weltenall gesprochen:
Weltentsprossenes Wesen, du in Lichtgestalt,
Von der Sonne erkraftet in der Mondgewalt.
Nun ist der Mensch sich fühlend in der Gewalt des Mondenlichtes:
Dich beschenket des Mars erschaffendes Klingen.
Das Klingen, das etwas Erschaffendes, etwas Schöpferisches hatte, klang herüber vom Mars. Und dasjenige, was dem Menschen die Glieder erkraftet, daß er ein bewegliches Wesen wurde:
Und Merkurs gliedbewegende Schwingen.
Vom Jupiter leuchtet es herüber:
Dich erleuchtet Jupiters erstrahlende Weisheit.
Von der Venus leuchtet es herüber:
Und der Venus liebetragende Schönheit.
Damit dann Saturn alles zusammenfassen kann, was den Menschen abrundet innerlich und äußerlich und ihn bereitet, daß er heruntersteigen kann auf die Erde, sich mit einem physischen Leibe umkleidet und als dieses physisch umkleidete Wesen, das den Gott in sich trägt, auf der Erde weiterleben kann:
Daß Saturns weltenalte Geist-Innigkeit
Dich dem Raumessein und Zeitenwerden weihe!
Nun, aus dem, was ich da beschreibe, können Sie ja entnehmen, daß das Leben, das geistige Leben in Ephesus ein innerlich helles war, ein farbiges war. In diesem innerlich hellen, farbigen Leben war ja tatsächlich dasjenige enthalten, was im Ostergedanken zusammenfaßte alles, was man je gewußt hat über des Menschen wahre Würde im ganzen Kosmos, im ganzen Weltenall. Und mannigfache von denjenigen Wanderern - ich habe sie gestern erwähnt -, die von Mysterium zu Mysterium gingen, um das Ganze des Mysterienwesens auf sich wirken zu lassen, mannigfache von diesen Wanderern haben doch immer wieder versichert: So hell, so innig, wie ihnen in Ephesus erklungen ist die Sphärenharmonie aus diesem Wahrnehmen vom Mondesgesichtspunkte aus, wo ihnen erschienen ist das leuchtendste Astrallicht der Welt, indem sie es verspürt haben in dem den Mond umglimmenden Sonnenlichte, das durchgeistigt ist, so wie der Mensch beseelt ist, durchgeistigt ist vom Astrallichte, so haben sie an anderen Orten das nicht, wenigstens nicht mit jener Freudigkeit, mit jener inneren Künstlerauffassung wahrnehmen können.
Das alles war ja gebunden an diejenige Tempelstätte, die dann durch Verbrecherhand oder Wahnsinnigenhand in Flammen aufging. Aber Eingeweihte der ephesischen Mysterien waren ja, wie ich während der Weihnachtstagung erwähnte, wiederverkörpert in Aristoteles und Alexander. Und diese Individualitäten sind dann nahegekommen dem, was in jener Zeit noch zu verspüren war an den Mysterien von Samothrake.
Nun ist ja ein scheinbar äußerlich zufälliges Ereignis von einer großen geistigen Bedeutung in der Weltentwickelung. Es ist schon erwähnt worden unter uns, sogar seit vielen Jahren erwähnt worden: Als der Tempel von Ephesus brannte, war das die Geburtsstunde Alexanders des Großen. Aber indem dieser Tempel brannte, spielte sich ja etwas ab.
Oh, wie ungeheuer viel war für diejenigen, die zu diesem Tempel gehörten, im Laufe von Jahrhunderten geschehen! Wie viel Geistiges an Licht und Weisheit ist durch diese Tempelräume gegangen. Und alles, was da durch diese Tempelräume ging, ist ja mitgeteilt worden, während die Flammen herausschlugen aus dem Tempel zu Ephesus, ist ja mitgeteilt worden dem Weltenäther. So daß man sagen kann: Das kontinuierliche Osterfest zu Ephesus, das in den Tempelräumen eingeschlossen war, ist seither eingeschrieben, wenn auch mit weniger deutlich wahrnehmbaren Lettern, in den ganzen Weltendom, insofern der Weltendom ätherisch ist.
Und so ist es überhaupt mit vielem. Vieles von dem, was menschliche Weisheit ist, war in alten Zeiten umschlossen von Tempelwänden. Es ist den Tempelwänden entflohen, ist in den Weltenäther eingeschrieben und wird da sofort sichtbar, wenn der Mensch zur wirklichen Imagination aufsteigt. Diese Imagination ist gewissermaßen die Interpretin der Sternengeheimnisse. Man kann so sagen: In den Weltenäther ist eingeschrieben dasjenige, was einstmals Tempelgeheimnis war, und man kann es mit der Imagination daraus lesen.
Man kann aber auch anders sagen, und es ist dasselbe, wenn man anders sagt. Man kann auch sagen: Ich stelle mich in sternheller Nacht auf, beschaue mir den Sternenhimmel, lasse seinen Eindruck auf mich wirken. Und es verwandelt sich, wenn der Mensch dazu die Fähigkeit hat, das, was in den Formen der Sternbilder ist, was in den Bewegungen der Wandelsterne ist, es verwandelt sich wie in eine große Weltenschrift. Und liest man diese Weltenschrift, so kommt etwas heraus von der Art, wie ich es gestern auseinandergesetzt habe für das Mondengeheimnis. Diese Dinge sind durchaus zu lesen in der Weltenschrift, wenn einem die Sterne nicht mehr bloß sind das mathematisch und mechanisch Errechenbare, sondern wenn sie einem sind die Lettern der kosmischen Schrift.
Nun aber möchte ich noch das Folgende für die Weiterentwickelung der Sache sagen. Gerade beim Herantreten an die kabirischen Geheimnisse in Samothrake in der Zeit, als nun schon die alten Mysterien zurückgingen — Samothrake war ja noch als Erinnerungsstätte und auch noch als Pflegestätte, als Arbeitsstätte da, aber im allgemeinen ging das Mysterienwesen schon zurück in der Alexanderzeit -, da war eben ein Moment, wo für Alexander und Aristoteles durch den Einfluß der Kabirenmysterien etwas entstand wie eine Erinnerung an die alte ephesische Zeit, die ja von beiden mitgemacht war in einem bestimmten Jahrhundert. Wieder erklang da das \(J O A\)-Wort, und wieder erklang das:
Weltentsprossenes Wesen, du in Lichtgestalt,
Von der Sonne erkraftet in der Mondgewalt,Dich beschenket des Mars erschaffendes Klingen
Und Merkurs gliedbewegende Schwingen,Dich erleuchtet Jupiters erstrahlende Weisheit
Und der Venus liebetragende SchönheitDaß Saturns weltenalte Geist-Innigkeit
Dich dem Raumessein und Zeitenwerden weihe!
Aber in dieser Erinnerung, in dieser historischen Erinnerung an Altes lag eine gewisse Kraft, Kraft, ein Neues zu schaffen. Und von jenem Moment ging die Kraft aus, ein Neues zu schaffen, aber ein merkwürdiges Neues, das die Menschheit wenig beachtet hat. Denn Sie müssen eigentlich erst verstehen, wie dieses Neue-Schaffen, das aus dem Zusammenwirken von Alexander und Aristoteles ausging, nun seiner Art nach beschaffen war.
Nehmen Sie irgendein bedeutendes Dichtwerk oder anderes Werk - und Sie können die schönsten Werke nehmen -, nehmen Sie meinetwillen eine deutsch übersetzte Bhagavad Gita, nehmen Sie Goethes «Faust», nehmen Sie die Iphigenie oder irgend etwas, was Sie hochschätzen, und denken Sie an den reichen, gewaltigen Inhalt, sagen wir, an den reichen, gewaltigen Inhalt von Goethes «Faust». Und jetzt, wodurch wird denn Ihnen, meine lieben Freunde, dieser reiche Inhalt vermittelt? Nehmen wir an, er würde Ihnen so vermittelt, wie er für die meisten Menschen ja vermittelt wird. Sie lesen den «Faust» irgendeinmal in Ihrem Leben. Was tritt Ihnen denn da auf dem physischen Plane entgegen? Was ist denn auf dem Papiere? Nichts anderes ist auf dem Papiere als Kombinationen von \(a b c d e\) fund so weiter. Alles, wodurch einem der große, gewaltige Inhalt des «Faust» aufgeht, sind ja nur Kombinationen von \(a b c d e f\) und so weiter. Wenn Sie das Alphabet kennen, so gibt es nichts auf dem Papier, was dasteht, was nicht zusammenfällt mit einem der etlichen zwanzig Buchstaben. Aus diesen etlichen zwanzig Buchstaben ist etwas hervorgezaubert auf dem Papier, was Ihnen hervorruft, wenn Sie eben lesen können, den ganzen reichen Inhalt des «Faust». Und es steht Ihnen sogar etwas frei. Es steht Ihnen frei, das Hersagen von \(a b c d e\) fund so weiter furchtbar langweilig zu finden, zu sagen, das ist ja eigentlich das Aller-Allerabstrakteste. Und dennoch, dieses Aller-Allerabstrakteste, in richtiger Weise kombiniert, gibt den ganzen «Faust»!
Und nun entstand, als jenes Monden-Weltenerklingen wieder da war, in dem erkannt wurde von Aristoteles und Alexander, was das Feuer von Ephesus bedeutete, wie dieses Feuer hinausgetragen hat in Welten-Ätherfernen dasjenige, was das Geheimnis von Ephesus war, da war es, daß in diesen beiden entstand die Inspiration, die Weltenschrift zu begründen. Nur, die Weltenschrift wird nicht begründet mit \(a b c d e f\), sondern die Weltenschrift wird begründet, wie die Buchschrift mit Buchstaben, so diese mit Gedanken. Und es entstanden die Lettern der Weltenschrift.
Wenn ich es Ihnen aufschreibe, sind sie ebenso abstrakt wie \(a b c e d\):
Quantität, also Menge
Qualität, Eigenschaft
Relation
Raum
Zeit
Lage
Tun
Leiden
Da haben Sie eine Anzahl von Begriffen. Lernen Sie mit diesen Begriffen, die zuerst Aristoteles dem Alexander vorgeführt hat, lernen Sie mit diesen Begriffen dasselbe vollführen, was Sie gelernt haben mit \(a b c d\), dann lernen Sie aus Qualität, Quantität, Relation, Raum, Zeit, Lage, Tun, Leiden -, aus dem lernen Sie lesen im Kosmos.
In der Schullogik ist in der Zeit der Abstraktivität etwas Besonderes geschehen. Denken Sie nur einmal, wenn in irgendeiner Schule die Gepflogenheit wäre, die Leute nicht lesen zu lehren, sondern meinetwillen nur Bücher zu fabrizieren, in denen sie immer \(a b c d\) lernen müßten in allen möglichen Kombinationen: \(a c, a b, b e\) und so weiter - aber nicht dazu kämen, diese Buchstaben zu verwenden, um reiche Inhalte sich vor die Seele zu stellen, dann wäre das dasselbe, was die Welt mit Aristoteles’ Logik gemacht hat. In den Logiken ist es so, daß ja diese, man nennt es Kategorien, aufgeführt werden. Man lernt sie auswendig, aber man weiß mit ihnen nichts anzufangen. Das würde entsprechen dem, daßmanabcde auswendig lernte und nichts mit ihnen anzufangen wüßte. Zurück auf etwas so Einfaches, wie der Inhalt des «Faust» in \(a b c d\) — was man nur lernen muß - geht dasjenige, was Lesen in der Weltenschrift ist. Und im Grunde genommen ist das, was Anthroposophie hervorgebracht hat und jemals hervorbringen kann, aus diesen Begriffen so erlebt, wie das Gelesene des «Faust» erlebt wird aus den Buchstaben. Denn alle Geheimnisse der physischen und geistigen Welt sind in diesen einfachen Begriffen als dem Weltenalphabet enthalten.
Es ist in der Weltentwickelung das geschehen, daß gegenüber dem früheren unmittelbaren Wahrnehmen, für das die Tatsachen von Ephesus noch etwas Allercharakteristischstes sind, etwas getreten ist, was von der Alexanderzeit aus den Anfang nimmt, was sich dann später erst besonders entwickelt durch das Mittelalter hindurch, was tief verborgen ist, was tief esoterisch ist. Tief esoterisch ist der Sinn, der lebt in diesen acht, oder man kann sie auch auf zehn erweitern, in diesen acht oder zehn einfachen Begriffen. Und wir lernen eigentlich immer mehr in diesen einfachen Begriffen leben, aber wir müssen streben, sie so lebendig in der Seele zu erleben, wie man in der Seele lebendig erlebt das Abc, wenn man eben einen reichgegliederten, geisterfüllten Inhalt hat.
So sehen Sie, wie in zehn Begriffe, deren innere Leuchte- und Wirkekraft erst wiederum enthüllt werden muß, hineinlief dasjenige, was eine gewaltige, instinktive Weisheitsoffenbarung durch Jahrtausende war. Und es wird schon einstmals dahin kommen, daß man dasjenige, was eigentlich wie im Grabe ruht, die Weltenweisheit, das Weltenlicht, wiederum finden wird, wenn man wieder lesen lernen wird im Weltenall, wenn man erleben wird die Auferstehung dessen, was in der Zwischenzeit der Menschheitsentwickelung zwischen den zwei geistigen Epochen verborgen worden ist.
Wir sind ja da, meine lieben Freunde, um das, was verborgen worden ist, wieder offenbar zu machen. Wir sind ja da, um Ostern als Menschheitserlebnis zu gestalten. Und so, wie bei anderen Gelegenheiten gesagt werden konnte: Anthroposophie ist ein Weihnachtserlebnis, so ist Anthroposophie selber in ihrem ganzen Wirken ein Ostererlebnis, ein Auferstehungserlebnis, verbunden mit dem Grabeserlebnis. Es ist wichtig, daß wir gerade bei diesem Osterzusammensein empfinden - wenn ich mich so ausdrücken darf - die Feierlichkeit des anthroposophischen Strebens, indem wir etwas empfinden davon, daß wir gehen können heute zu einem geistigen Wesen, das uns vielleicht nahestehen kann, unmittelbar hinter der Schwelle nahestehen kann, und dem gegenüber wir sprechen: Ach, da war einmal die Menschheit gesegnet mit göttlich-geistiger Offenbarung, die besonders noch geleuchtet hat in Ephesus. Aber nun ist das alles begraben. Wie grabe ich aus das, was so begraben ist! Denn man möchte doch glauben, daß dasjenige, was war, irgendwie geschichtlich gefunden werden kann, gefunden werden kann in seinem Grabe.
Da wird uns das Wesen erwidern, wie einstmals im ähnlichen Fall das entsprechende Wesen erwidert hatte: Das, was ihr suchet, ist nicht mehr hie, das ist in euren Herzen, wenn ihr eure Herzen nur in der richtigen Weise erschließet.
Es ruht schon Anthroposophie in den Menschenherzen. Diese Menschenherzen müssen nur sich selber richtig erschließen können. Und das sollen wir empfinden, dann werden wir in voller Besonnenheit, nicht wie es in alten Zeiten instinktiv war, zurückgeführt zu jener Weisheit, welche in den Mysterien leuchtete und lebte.
Das ist dasjenige, was ich gerne gerade um diese Osterzeit an Ihre Herzen heranbringen möchte. Denn sich durchdringen mit dem, was wie eine feierliche Stimmung aus Anthroposophie heraus in jedem Menschenherzen, das zur Anthroposophie gehört, sich entflammen kann, darin liegt durchaus etwas, was auch hinaufträgt in die geistige Welt und was verbunden sein muß mit dem Weihnachtsimpuls, der zu Dornach gegeben worden ist. Denn dieser Impuls darf kein bloß erdachter, kein intellektualistischer bleiben, dieser Impuls muß ein Herzensimpuls sein; dieser Impuls darf kein trocken-nüchterner sein, dieser Impuls muß, nicht in Sentimentalität, sondern aus der Sache selber heraus, ein feierlicher sein können. Ebenso wie durch Aristoteles und Alexander das Feuer von Ephesus benutzt worden ist, als es in ihren Herzen neu aufflammte, aber zunächst aufflammte im Äther draußen, von dem es ihnen erneut entgegentrug die Geheimnisse, die dann gefaßt werden konnten in Allereinfachstes, wie da benutzt werden konnte das Feuer von Ephesus, so obliegt es uns, und werden wir auch schon imstande sein können, zu benutzen dasjenige, was - man darf es in aller Bescheidenheit sagen - auch in den Äther als die Flammen des Goetheanum das hinausgetragen hat, was durch Anthroposophie gewollt worden ist, weiter gewollt werden soll.
Aber was geht denn daraus hervor, meine lieben Freunde? Es geht daraus hervor, daß wir durften als Jahrestrauerfeier um die Weihnachts-Neujahrszeit, welche dieselbe ist, in der uns das Unglück hier getroffen hat, daß wir da durften einen neuen Impuls ausgehen lassen vom Goetheanum. Warum? Weil wir fühlen dürfen: Was mehr oder weniger Erdensache vorher war, erarbeitet, begründet wurde als Erdensache, das ist mit den Flammen hinausgetragen in die Weltenweiten. Wir dürfen, gerade weil uns dieses Unglück getroffen hat, in dem Erkennen der Folgen dieses Unglückes sagen: Nunmehr verstehen wir es, daß wir nicht bloß eine Erdensache vertreten dürfen, sondern eine Sache der weiten ätherischen Welt, in der der Geist lebt. Denn es ist die Sache vom Goetheanum eine Sache des weiten Äthers, in dem geisterfüllte Weisheit der Welt lebt. Es ist hinausgetragen worden, und wir dürfen uns von den Goetheanum-Impulsen als aus dem Kosmos hereinkommend durchdringen.
Nehmen wir das, wie wir wollen, nehmen wir es als Bild. Das Bild bedeutet aber eine tiefe Wahrheit. Und diese tiefe Wahrheit wird eben in einfachen Worten dadurch ausgedrückt, daß man sagt: Das anthroposophische Wirken soll seit dem Weihnachtsimpuls mit einem esoterischen Zug durchdrungen sein. Dieser esoterische Zug ist deshalb da, weil das, was irdisch war, durch das, was mitgewirkt hat im physischen Feuer, aber als Astrallicht, welches hinausstrahlt in den Weltenraum - weil das wiederum zurückwirkt hinein in die Impulse der anthroposophischen Bewegung, wenn wir nur in der Lage sind, diese Impulse aufzunehmen.
Dann, wenn wir das vermögen, dann empfinden wir in alledem, was in Anthroposophie lebt, ein wichtiges Glied darinnen. Und dieses eine wichtige Glied darinnen, das ist die anthroposophische Osterstimmung, jene anthroposophische Osterstimmung, die da niemals der Überzeugung sein kann, daß der Geist stirbt, sondern daß, wenn er stirbt durch die Welt, er immer wieder aufersteht. Und an den aus ewigen Gründen immer wieder auferstehenden Geist muß sich Anthroposophie halten.
Das nehmen wir auf, nehmen wir auf als Ostergedanke und Osterempfindung in unsere Herzen. Und wir werden, meine lieben Freunde, von diesem Zusammensein Gefühle wegtragen, die uns Arbeitsmut, Arbeitskraft geben, wenn wir wiederum an anderer Stätte stehen.


Fourth Lecture
We have seen how out of the Mysteries has grown that which in consciousness connects men with the world in such a way that this connection can come to expression in the festive course of the year, and we have seen in particular how the Easter festival has grown out of the initiation principle. From the whole account you will have seen what a significant role the Mystery Being has played in the whole development of mankind.
It is so with this mystery being that basically everything that went spiritually through the world developed through humanity, that in ancient times everything emerged from the mysteries. If you want to use a modern word, you would have to say that the Mysteries were very powerful in terms of the whole direction of spiritual life.
Now humanity was destined from the outset to develop freedom. For the development of freedom it was necessary that the old Mystery system should recede and that for a time men should have less connection with such powerful guidance as emanated from the Mysteries, and be left more to themselves, so to speak. It certainly cannot be said that today the time has already approached when men have already conquered their true inner freedom and are now ripe to pass on to the next thing that is to follow the age of freedom. Certainly, that cannot be said. But after all, enough people have passed through incarnations in which the power of the Mysteries has been felt less than in earlier times. And even if the seed of passing through these incarnations has not yet sprouted today, it is in people. It is in the human souls.
When an age approaches that is more spiritual again, people will already develop what they have not yet developed in their dullness today. But above all it will be necessary that the recognition, the seeing, the experiencing of the spiritual, which can be drawn from today's initiation, should also be met with appreciation and reverence out of freedom. For without appreciation, without reverence, real knowledge, a spiritual life of mankind is actually not possible. It is, after all, the case that we use the festive seasons correctly if we use them to try to implant this appreciation, this reverence for the spiritual, as it has developed in the course of human history, into our souls, if we learn to look as intimately as possible at the way in which external historical events signify the spiritual, carry the spiritual from one age into another. First of all, it is the case that people always come back to earthly existence in repeated earthly lives. In this way they carry over into later epochs what they have experienced in earlier epochs. People are the most important link in the further development of what happens within human history. But people live in a certain environment at all times. And one of the most important environments is the Mystery environment. One of the most important aspects of human progress is the transmission of what people have experienced and re-experienced in the Mysteries, be it again in the Mysteries, where it works out into humanity, be it in some other way in cognition. Today it must somehow be in cognition, because the actual mystery being has more or less receded for today's outside world and must first appear again.
We must say: It is already the case that if the impulse that has gone out from here, from the Goetheanum, through the Christmas Conference, really settles into the Anthroposophical Society, then the Anthroposophical Society, by leading further towards the classes that are to be established - in part this establishment has already begun - will be the basis for the further Mystery Being. The further Mystery Being must be consciously planted through this Anthroposophical Society. This Anthroposophical Society has before it an event that can be utilized in its development just as a similar event was once utilized: the burning of the temple of Ephesus. There was a significant injustice here and there. But things are different on the different levels, and what is a terrible injustice on one level can then be used in the freedom of people in the sense that it is precisely through such terrible events that a real progress of humanity is brought about.
But now, if you want to approach such things with understanding, you have to grasp them as intimately as possible, as I have already said. One must look into the special way in which the spiritual of the world has lived in the Mysteries. Yesterday, I pointed out how the determination of the annual Easter festival grows out of the constellation of the sun and moon, if one takes them spiritually, and I pointed out that the other planets are seen from the point of view of the moon. And according to what one experiences in seeing the other planets, man is guided in his descent from the pre-earthly existence into the earthly existence, as he forms his light etheric body.
Now, if one wants to gain an insight into how this light etheric body is transmitted to man through the lunar forces, through the lunar observations, I would like to say through the spiritual lunar observatory, how these etheric forces are transmitted to man, if one wants to understand this correctly, then one can observe it as we have now tried, out of the cosmos, where it is inscribed, where it exists as a fact. But it is also important to let the human part that is there in the different times of such a truth have an effect on the mind.
And indeed, never has the share that human minds have taken in this descent from the pre-earthly existence into the earthly with regard to the last stage, the cloaking of man with the etheric body, never has such an intimate, heartfelt share been taken in this fact as precisely in the mysteries of Ephesus. In the mysteries of Ephesus it was so that the whole service offered to the goddess of Ephesus, exoterically called Artemis, was actually directed towards experiencing the spiritual weaving and life within the ether of the world, within the ether of the cosmos. It can be said that when the members of the Mystery of Ephesus approached the image of the goddess, it was a feeling that increased to the point of being heard and that can be expressed in the same way as if it were the language of the goddess: I rejoice in all that bears fruit in the vast ether of the world.
It was a deep impression that was made by this expression of the temple goddess's heartfelt joy over everything that grows, sprouts and sprouts in the vast ether of the world. And an intimately related feeling with the sprouting and sprouting was something that flowed through the atmosphere, the spiritual atmosphere of the Ephesian sanctuary like a magic breath. This mystery was already so arranged, so set up, that one can say that nowhere else has the growth of the plant being, the sprouting and sprouting of the earth into the plant being, been so lived with as in Ephesus.
This also led to the fact that it was precisely in this Ephesian mystery that the teaching could be given with particular clarity, if I may call it that, which aimed in particular to bring this mystery of the moon, of which I spoke yesterday, to the minds of those who belonged to Ephesus.
It was something that everyone had as their own experience, to feel like a figure of light, because it was made so vivid before the Ephesian disciples and initiates: this coming through the moon to be a figure of light. And there was an arrangement in Ephesus that was something like this: the one who was able to let this arrangement in the place of consecration have an effect on him was really completely immersed in this forming of himself out of the sunlight that transforms the moon. Then it sounded to him as if it were coming from the sun: \(J O A\).
This \(J O A\), he knew that it made his ego, his astral body, active. \(J O\) - I, astral body, and the approach of the light etheric body in the \(A\) - \(J O A\). Now he felt himself, in that the \(J O A\) vibrated in him, now he felt himself as I, as astral body, as etheric body.
And then it was as if that which permeated the \(J O A\) sounded up from the earth, for the human being was transferred into the cosmic, as if that which permeated the \(eh-v\) sounded up from the earth. These were the forces of the earth that came up in the \(eh-v\).

And now he felt, in the khOvA he felt the whole human being. The premonition of the physical body, which he first had on earth, he felt indicated in the consonants, which belonged to the vocalic, which in the \(J O A\) indicates I, astral body, etheric body. This dwelling in the \(Jeh Ov A\), that was what made the Ephesian disciple feel the last steps for the descent from the spiritual world.
But at the same time this feeling of the \(J O A\) was such that one felt oneself in the light within as this sound \(J O A\). Then one was human: sounding ego, sounding astral body, in light-shining etheric body. Then you were sound in the light. This is how you are as a cosmic human being.
And so one is able to absorb what one sees in the cosmos outside, just as one is able to absorb through one's eye here on earth what happens in the physical orbit of the earth.
Then the Ephesian disciple really felt, when he carried this \(J O A\) within him, as if he had been transported into the lunar sphere. He participated in that which could be observed from the point of view of the moon.
Then man was still man in general. He only became man and woman when he descended to earth. But then man felt himself transferred upwards into this region of pre-earthly existence, but precisely of approaching the earthly. The Ephesian disciples were able to experience this transfer into the lunar sphere in a particularly intimate way. Then they carried in their heart, in their soul that which they had experienced and which sounded to the Ephesian disciple in the following way:
World-sprouted being, you in the form of light,
Strengthened by the sun in the power of the moon,The creative sound of Mars bestowed upon you
And Mercury's limb-moving wings,You are illuminated by Jupiter's radiant wisdom
And Venus' love-bearing beauty -That Saturn's world-old spirit-intimacy
Consecrate you to the being of space and becoming of time!
This was what every Ephesian was imbued with. He counted this as the most important thing that pulsated through his man (the text was written on the blackboard):
World-sprouted being, you in the form of light
Empowered by the sun in the power of the moon,The gift of Mars' creating sound
And Mercury's limb-moving wings,You are illuminated by Jupiter's radiant wisdom
And Venus' heft-bearing beautyThat Saturn's world-old spirit-intimacy
Consecrate you to the being of space and the becoming of time!
It can be said that for those who belonged to the Ephesian Mysteries it was something like feeling truly human when - I will express myself somewhat trivially - what lies in these sayings rang in his ears. For he felt that the consciousness of how he is connected with the planetary system in the forces of his etheric body had dawned on him. And this was expressed succinctly. This is spoken to the etheric body of the universe:
World-sprouted being, you in light form,
Strengthened by the sun in the power of the moon.
Now man feels himself in the power of the moonlight:
You are gifted with the creative sound of Mars.
The sound, which had something creating, something creative, sounded over from Mars. And that which strengthened man's limbs so that he became a moving being:
And Mercury's limb-moving wings.
From Jupiter it shines over:
You are illuminated by Jupiter's radiant wisdom.
From Venus it shines forth:
And Venus' love-bearing beauty.
So that Saturn can then summarize everything that rounds off man inwardly and outwardly and prepares him so that he can descend to earth, clothe himself with a physical body and continue to live on earth as this physically clothed being who carries the God within him:
That Saturn's world-old spirit interiority
consecrate you to being space and becoming time!
Well, from what I am describing you can see that the life, the spiritual life in Ephesus was an inwardly bright, colorful one. This inwardly bright, colorful life actually contained that which in the Easter thought summarized everything that has ever been known about man's true dignity in the whole cosmos, in the whole universe. And many of those wanderers - I mentioned them yesterday - who went from Mystery to Mystery in order to let the whole of the Mystery work on them, many of these wanderers have repeatedly affirmed: As brightly, as intimately as the harmony of the spheres resounded to them in Ephesus from this perception from the lunar point of view, where the most luminous astral light of the world appeared to them, in that they felt it in the sunlight glowing around the moon, which is spiritualized, just as man is ensouled, spiritualized by the astral light, they have not been able to perceive it in other places, at least not with that joyfulness, with that inner artist's conception.
All this was bound to the temple site, which then went up in flames at the hands of criminals or madmen. But initiates of the Ephesian Mysteries were, as I mentioned during the Christmas conference, re-embodied in Aristotle and Alexander. And these individualities then came close to what could still be felt in the mysteries of Samothrace at that time.
Now an apparently outwardly coincidental event is of great spiritual significance in the development of the world. It has already been mentioned among us, even for many years: When the temple of Ephesus burned, it was the hour of Alexander the Great's birth. But while this temple was burning, something was happening.
Oh, how much had happened over the centuries for those who belonged to this temple! How much spiritual light and wisdom has passed through these temple rooms. And everything that passed through these temple rooms was communicated to the ether of the world as the flames burst forth from the temple at Ephesus. So that one can say: The continuous Easter festival at Ephesus, which was enclosed in the temple rooms, has since been inscribed, albeit with less clearly perceptible letters, in the whole world dome, insofar as the world dome is ethereal.
And so it is with many things. Much of what is human wisdom was enclosed by temple walls in ancient times. It has escaped from the temple walls, is inscribed in the ether of the world and becomes immediately visible there when the human being ascends to real imagination. This imagination is, so to speak, the interpreter of the mysteries of the stars. One can say that what was once a temple secret is inscribed in the world ether and can be read from it with the imagination.
But one can also say otherwise, and it is the same if one says otherwise. You can also say: I stand up in a starry night, look at the starry sky, let its impression work on me. And it transforms, if man has the ability to do so, what is in the forms of the constellations, what is in the movements of the wandering stars, it transforms as if into a great world script. And if one reads this world script, something of the kind that I explained yesterday emerges for the lunar mystery. These things can certainly be read in the world script, when the stars are no longer merely the mathematically and mechanically calculable, but when they are the letters of the cosmic script.
Now, however, I would like to say the following for the further development of the matter. Just when approaching the Kabirian mysteries in Samothrace at the time when the old mysteries were already receding - Samothrace was still there as a place of remembrance and also as a place of care, as a place of work, but in general the mystery system was already receding in Alexander's time - there was a moment when for Alexander and Aristotle, through the influence of the Kabirian mysteries, something like a memory of the old Ephesian time arose, which had been experienced by both of them in a certain century. Again the \(J O A\)-word resounded, and again the:
World-sprouted being, you in the form of light,
Strengthened by the sun in the power of the moon,You are gifted with the creative sound of Mars
And Mercury's limb-moving wings,You are illuminated by Jupiter's radiant wisdom
And Venus' love-bearing beautyThat Saturn's world-old spirit-intimacy
Consecrate you to the being of space and the becoming of time!
But in this memory, in this historical memory of the old lay a certain power, the power to create something new. And from that moment emanated the power to create a new, but a strange new that humanity has paid little attention to. For you must first understand what the nature of this new creation, which emanated from the collaboration between Alexander and Aristotle, was.
Take any important work of poetry or other work - and you can take the most beautiful works - take, if you like, a German translation of the Bhagavad Gita, take Goethe's Faust, take Iphigenia or anything else that you hold in high esteem, and think of the rich, powerful content, let us say, of the rich, powerful content of Goethe's Faust. And now, my dear friends, how is this rich content conveyed to you? Let us assume that it is conveyed to you in the same way that it is conveyed to most people. You read “Faust” at some point in your life. What do you encounter on the physical plane? What is on the paper? Nothing else is on the paper but combinations of \(a b c d e\) and so on. Everything by which the great, enormous content of Faust is revealed to us are only combinations of \(a b c d e f\) and so on. If you know the alphabet, there is nothing on paper that does not coincide with one of the twenty or so letters. Something has been conjured up on the paper from these twenty or so letters which, if you can read, evokes the entire rich content of Faust. And you are even free to do so. You are free to find the recitation of \(a b c d e\) fund and so on terribly boring, to say that it is actually the most abstract thing of all. And yet, this all-very-abstract, combined in the right way, gives the whole of “Faust”!
And now, when that moon world resounding was there again, in which it was recognized by Aristotle and Alexander what the fire of Ephesus meant, how this fire carried out into world ether distances that which was the secret of Ephesus, it was then that the inspiration arose in these two to found the world writing. Only, the world script is not founded with \(a b c d e f\), but the world script is founded, as the book script with letters, so this one with thoughts. And the letters of the world script were created.
If I write it down for you, they are just as abstract as \(a b c e d\):
Quantity, therefore quantity
Quality, property
relation
Space
time
Position
Doing
Suffering
There you have a number of concepts. Learn with these concepts, which Aristotle first demonstrated to Alexander, learn with these concepts to do the same as you have learned with \(a b c d\), then learn from quality, quantity, relation, space, time, position, doing, suffering - from this you learn to read in the cosmos.
Something special happened in school logic during the period of abstractness. Just think if it were the custom in some school not to teach people to read, but, for my sake, only to produce books in which they always had to learn \(a b c d\) in all possible combinations: \(a c, a b, b e\) and so on - but would not get to use these letters to place rich content before their souls, then that would be the same thing the world has done with Aristotle's logic. In the logics it is the case that these, they are called categories, are listed. You learn them by heart, but you don't know what to do with them. That would be like memorizing them and not knowing what to do with them. Reading in the world script goes back to something as simple as the content of “Faust” in \(a b c d\) - which one only has to learn. And basically, what anthroposophy has produced and can ever produce is experienced from these concepts in the same way that what is read in Faust is experienced from the letters. For all the secrets of the physical and spiritual world are contained in these simple concepts as the world alphabet.
What has happened in the development of the world is that, in contrast to the earlier direct perception, for which the facts of Ephesus are still something most characteristic, something has arisen which starts from the time of Alexander, which then later develops particularly through the Middle Ages, which is deeply hidden, which is deeply esoteric. Deeply esoteric is the meaning that lives in these eight, or you can also expand them to ten, in these eight or ten simple concepts. And we actually learn to live more and more in these simple concepts, but we must strive to experience them as vividly in the soul as one experiences the Abc vividly in the soul when one has a richly structured, spirit-filled content.
So you see how that which was a powerful, instinctive revelation of wisdom through millennia ran into ten concepts whose inner luminosity and working power must first be revealed again. And one day it will come to pass that what actually rests as if in the grave, the world wisdom, the world light, will be found again when one will learn to read again in the universe, when one will experience the resurrection of what has been hidden in the intervening time of human development between the two spiritual epochs.
We are here, my dear friends, to reveal again that which has been hidden. We are here to shape Easter as a human experience. And so, as has been said on other occasions: Anthroposophy is a Christmas experience, so anthroposophy itself in all its work is an Easter experience, a resurrection experience, connected with the experience of the grave. It is important that it is precisely at this Easter gathering that we feel - if I may express myself thus - the solemnity of anthroposophical striving, in that we feel something of the fact that we can go today to a spiritual being who may be close to us, close to us just beyond the threshold, and to whom we speak: Oh, once upon a time mankind was blessed with divine-spiritual revelation, which especially still shone in Ephesus. But now all that is buried. How I dig up what is so buried! For one would like to believe that that which was can somehow be found historically, can be found in its grave.
Then the being will reply to us, as the corresponding being once replied in a similar case: That which you seek is no longer here, it is in your hearts, if only you open your hearts in the right way.
Anthroposophy already rests in human hearts. These human hearts only need to be able to open themselves up properly. And we should feel this, then we will be led back to the wisdom that shone and lived in the Mysteries in full reflection, not instinctively as it was in ancient times.
This is what I would like to bring to your hearts, especially at this Easter time. For to be imbued with that which, like a solemn mood from anthroposophy, can be kindled in every human heart that belongs to anthroposophy, therein lies something that also carries up into the spiritual world and which must be connected with the Christmas impulse that was given at Dornach. For this impulse must not remain a merely conceived, intellectual impulse, it must be an impulse of the heart; this impulse must not be a dry, sober impulse, this impulse must be able to be a solemn one, not in sentimentality, but out of the matter itself. Just as the fire of Ephesus was used by Aristotle and Alexander when it flared up anew in their hearts, but first flared up in the ether outside, from which it again carried the mysteries to them, which could then be grasped in the simplest terms, just as the fire of Ephesus could be used there, so it is incumbent upon us, and we will also be able to use that which - it may be said in all modesty - has also carried out into the ether as the flames of the Goetheanum that which has been willed and is to be willed further through Anthroposophy.
But what emerges from this, my dear friends? It is clear from the fact that we were allowed to let a new impulse emanate from the Goetheanum as an annual mourning ceremony around the Christmas-New Year time, which is the same time in which the misfortune struck us here. Why? Because we are allowed to feel: What was more or less an earthly matter before, worked out, founded as an earthly matter, has been carried out into the world with the flames. Precisely because this misfortune has befallen us, we may say, recognizing the consequences of this misfortune: Now we understand that we may not merely represent an earthly matter, but a matter of the wide etheric world in which the spirit lives. For the matter of the Goetheanum is a matter of the vast ether in which the spirit-filled wisdom of the world lives. It has been carried out, and we may allow ourselves to be penetrated by the Goetheanum impulses as coming in from the cosmos.
Let us take this as we will, let us take it as an image. But the image signifies a profound truth. And this profound truth is expressed in simple terms by saying that anthroposophical work has been imbued with an esoteric trait since the Christmas impulse. This esoteric trait is there because that which was earthly, through that which worked in the physical fire, but as astral light which radiates out into the world space - because this in turn works back into the impulses of the anthroposophical movement, if only we are able to absorb these impulses.
Then, if we are able to do so, we will perceive an important link in everything that lives in anthroposophy. And this one important link in it is the anthroposophical Easter mood, that anthroposophical Easter mood which can never be convinced that the spirit dies, but that when it dies through the world, it always rises again. And anthroposophy must adhere to the spirit that rises again and again for eternal reasons.
We take this up, we take it into our hearts as Easter thoughts and Easter feelings. And we will, my dear friends, carry feelings away from this togetherness that will give us the courage to work, the strength to work, when we stand again in another place.

