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Karmic Relationships III
GA 237

28 July 1924, Dornach

VII. The New Age of Michael

We have traced the events in the physical and super-physical worlds which underlie what is now striving to make itself known to the world in Anthroposophy. We know, my dear friends, that in the last few decades two very important incisions have occurred,—important for the whole evolution of mankind. There is the one to which I have so often drawn attention, I mean the end of the so-called Dark Age at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. An age of light has now begun as against the preceding age of darkness. We know that the age of darkness led eventually to that condition of the human soul which closed the spiritual eyes of man completely to the super-sensible world. We know that in ancient times of human evolution it was a common condition of mankind to see into the spiritual world, albeit in a dream-like and more or less instinctive way. To doubt the reality of the spiritual world was utterly impossible in olden times of human evolution. But if that old condition had continued—if mankind had lived on in that instinctive vision of the spiritual world—there would never have arisen in human evolution what we may call the Intelligence of the individual human being, the manipulation of the intellect or reasoning faculty by the individual, personal man. And this, as we know, is connected with that which leads the human being to freedom of will. The one is unthinkable without the other. Thus in that dim, instinctive condition which once belonged to mankind, wherein they experienced the ever-present spiritual world, man could not attain to freedom, nor could he attain to that independent Thinking which we may call: the use of Intelligence by the single human individual.

The time had to come for these two things: The free and personal use of Intelligence, and the freedom of the human Will. Hence for human consciousness the original, instinctive vision that penetrated to the spiritual world had to disappear. All this has now been accomplished. Though it is not quite clear to every single man, yet it has been accomplished for mankind in general. With the close of the 19th century, the dark age—the age that darkened the spiritual world, yet at the same time opened up the use of Intelligence and of Free Will to man—had run its course. We are now entering upon an age when man must once again be touched—in the ways that are possible—touched by the spiritual world in its reality.

True, we cannot say that this age has begun in a very light-filled way. It is as though the first decades of the 20th century had brought over humanity all the evil that mankind has ever experienced in the course of history. And yet in spite of this, the possibility has come into the general course of human evolution, to reach the light of spiritual life. It is only by a kind of inertia that men have persisted in the habits of the age of darkness. They have carried these habits on into the 20th century; and just because the light can now arise, illumining the truth, these habits of the age of darkness have come forth in a far more evil form than was possible in the Kali-Yuga when they were justified.

Now we also know that this direction of all humanity towards a new age of light was prepared for through the fact that at the end of the 1870's the Age of Michael began. Let us place again before our souls what it means to say that the Age of Michael began with the last third of the 19th century.

We know that as we are surrounded here by the three kingdoms of outer Nature, the mineral, plant and animal kingdoms in the physical world of sense, so we are surrounded in the spiritual world by the higher kingdoms of which we have spoken in so many connections as the kingdoms of the Hierarchies. Even as we descend into the kingdoms of Nature, beginning with man and coming down to the animal kingdom, so, as we ascend to the super-sensible, we come to the kingdom of the Angeloi. The Angels have the task of guiding and protecting the individual human being as he passes from earthly life to earthly life. Thus the tasks that fall to the spiritual world in relation to the individual human being, are allotted to the Beings of the kingdom of Angeloi.

We then go on up to the kingdom of Archangeloi, who have the most varied tasks. Now it is one of their tasks to guide and direct the fundamental tendencies of successive ages in relation to man.

Thus for about three centuries before the end of the eighteen-seventies, there was what we may call the dominion of Gabriel. For one who studies the evolution of humanity, not on the surface as is customary today, but in the depths, this dominion of Gabriel is expressed in the fact that the deepest and most important impulses in the process of humanity during that time were implanted in those forces which we may call the forces of heredity. Never were the forces of physical inheritance that work through the generations so important as in the three centuries preceding the last third of the 19th century.

Let us see, my dear friends, how this expresses itself. We know that in the 19th century the problem of heredity became the most pressing and important in the consciousness of men. Man felt how his qualities of soul and spirit are dependent on heredity. It was as though at the last moment he came to feel what had been holding sway in human evolution as a real Law of Nature in the 16th, 17th, and 18th, and in a great part of the 19th century.

During that time it was so indeed: man carried even into his spiritual development the qualities he had inherited from his parents and ancestors. During that time those qualities became especially important which are connected with physical reproduction. Again we find an outward sign of this fact in the great interest which was felt at the end of the 19th century in the question of reproduction and indeed in all sexual questions. In the centuries to which I have just referred, the most important spiritual impulses had approached humanity in this way, they had sought for realisation through physical inheritance.

Now the age in which Michael leads and guides humanity will stand in complete contrast to all this. I mean, therefore, the age that began at the end of the seventies of the last century,—the age in which we are, and the impulses of which are interwoven with what we are also learning to know as the new Age of Light beginning in the 20th century. For the streams of these two impulses work together.

Today we will dwell upon this question: What is the characteristic feature of an Age of Michael? I say, of an Age of Michael. For the spiritual guidance and leadership to which I have just referred is as follows. It is always so: one of the Beings of the kingdom of Archangeloi has the spiritual leadership in human evolution for about three centuries, in that region where civilisation is predominantly taking place.

Gabriel, as I said, had the leadership in the 16th, 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. His place is now taken by Michael. There are seven of these Archangels who lead humanity, and thus the several guidances of the Archangeloi recur in cyclic order. We today, who live in an Age of Michael, have every reason to call to mind the last Age of Michael which happened in the spiritual guidance of mankind.

The last Age of Michael preceded the founding of Christianity, preceded the Mystery of Golgotha. It came to an end in ancient times approximately with the deeds of Alexander and with the founding of the philosophy of Aristotle.

If we follow out all that took place in ancient Greece and the surrounding countries for about three hundred years before the time of Alexander the Great and Aristotle, we find ourselves once more in an Age of Michael. An Age of Michael is characterised by many different conditions, but especially by this, that in such an age the most spiritual interests of humanity (according to the particular disposition of the time) become predominant. In such an age especially, a cosmopolitan, international character will permeate the world. National distinctions cease.

Now it was above all in the Age of Gabriel that the national impulses within European civilisation, with its American appendage, became so firmly rooted. In our Age of Michael, in the course of the next three centuries, these national impulses will be completely overcome. This is the case in every Age of Michael: a common feature runs through all humanity—something of an all-human character, as against the special interests of single groups or nations.

In the last age of Michael's dominion on the earth, before the Mystery of Golgotha, it found the following expression. Out of the conditions that had taken shape in ancient Greece there arose that mighty historic tendency which led eventually to the campaigns of Alexander. In the campaigns of Alexander, Grecian culture and civilisation was carried, with extraordinary genius, right into Asia and Africa, and spread through many nations and peoples who until then had adhered to quite different things. This stupendous deed found its culmination in what was then founded in Alexandria. It was a great cosmopolitan movement, seeking to give to the whole of the then civilised world the spiritual forces that had gathered on the soil of ancient Greece. Such are the things that happen under the impulse of Michael, and that happened then too under his impulse.

Now those who took part in these earthly deeds, done in the service of Michael, were no longer upon the earth during the time of the Mystery of Golgotha. All the beings who belonged to the realm of Michael—no matter whether they were disembodied human souls, transplanted by death into the spiritual world when the Michael Age had run its course, or whether they were souls who never incarnated upon the earth—they all were united in a common life within the super-sensible world, in the time when upon the earth the Mystery of Golgotha was taking place.

We must make fully present to our heart and mind the facts that lie before us here. If we choose the aspect of the earth, my dear friends, if this earth is our standpoint, then we say: Humanity on the earth reaches a certain point in earthly evolution. Christ, the lofty Spirit of the Sun, is arriving on the earth, incarnating in the human being Jesus of Nazareth. Those who dwell on the earth experience the fact that Christ, the great Spirit of the Sun, arrives among them. But they have little knowledge that could really cause them to understand the greatness of the stupendous and unique event.

All the more knowledge have those disembodied souls who are gathered around Michael and who are living in the realm of the Sun-existence in worlds above the earth. All the more do they know how to value what is taking place, as they witness it from their different aspect. These souls witnessed what was then taking place for the World, from the Sun. Christ who had hitherto worked within the realm of the Sun, who had only been attainable in the Mysteries when they ascended to the Sun-existence—Christ now departed from the Sun to unite Himself with earthly humanity upon the earth. This was what they witnessed.

It was a mighty and awe-inspiring event, above all for those who belonged to the communion of Michael. For, those who belong to the communion of Michael have a peculiar connection with all that represents the cosmic destinies proceeding from the Sun. They had to take their leave of Christ, who until then had had His dwelling-place in the Sun and was thenceforth to take His place on the earth. This is the other aspect.

But there was another thing connected with it, which we can only rightly understand if we take the following into account. To think—to live in thoughts that spring forth from within—as we do today, was impossible for the men of ancient times. They might be wise, indeed infinitely wiser than modern humanity, but they were not ‘clever’ in the sense of cleverness today. Today we call a man clever who is able to produce thoughts out of himself, who is able to think logically—to bring one thought into connection with another, and so forth. In olden times there was no such thing—no such thing as Thoughts independently produced. The Thoughts were sent down to the earth at one and the same time with the Revelations that came to man from the spiritual world. Man did not think and ponder, but he received the spiritual content by Revelation, and he received it in such a way that the Thoughts came with it. Today we think and ponder about things. In those ancient times the impressions which the souls received brought the Thoughts with them. The Thoughts were inspired, not self-made Thoughts. Now he who ordered the Cosmic Intelligence which thus came to man along with the spiritual Revelations—he who ordered this Cosmic Intelligence, who had, so to speak, dominion over it,—is the same spiritual Being whom we, when we make use of our Christian terminology, call the Archangel Michael. He had to administer the Cosmic Intelligence in the cosmos.

We must make clear to ourselves what this really means. It is a fact that such human beings as Alexander the Great, though in a somewhat different context of ideas, had a distinct consciousness of the fact that their thoughts came to them by way of Michael. True, the spiritual Being whom we mean, was called by a different name. We are making use of the Christian terminology, but it is not the terminology that matters. Such a man as Alexander the Great regarded himself as none other than a Missionary of Michael, an instrument of Michael. He could think in no other way than this: Michael is acting on the earth, and I am the instrument through which he acts. Such was the conception, and this gave him the strength of will in deed and action. Nor did a thinker in that time think differently than thus, that Michael was working in him and giving him the thoughts.

Now this too was connected with the descent of Christ to the earth: Michael and his hosts witnessed not only the departure of Christ from the Sun, but above all they saw how Michael himself was gradually losing his dominion over the Cosmic Intelligence. Quite distinctly they saw from the Sun that revelations would no longer come to men from the spiritual world with the content of Intelligence. They saw that the time must come when man himself must reach his own intelligence on the earth. It was a significant and incisive event to see the Intelligence pouring down, as it were, to the earth. By and by, I if may use this expression, the Intelligence was no longer to be found in the heavens; it was let down to earth.

This was fulfilled especially in the first Christian centuries. In the earliest Christian centuries we still see those human beings who were capable of it, having at least a few glimpses of what was flowing to them with the content of Intelligence as revelations from beyond the earth. This went on even into the 8th or 9th century A.D. Then came the great moment of decision. It came in such a way that Michael and those who belonged to him, no matter whether incarnate or discarnate, must say to themselves: “Men upon earth are beginning to become intelligent themselves—beginning to bring forth their own power of understanding from within them. The Cosmic Intelligence can no longer be administered by Michael.” Michael felt that the dominion over the Cosmic Intelligence was passing from him—falling from his grasp. While down below—looking down on to the earth—they saw this new age of Intelligence, beginning from the 8th or 9th century onwards. Men were beginning to form their own thoughts for themselves.

I have already described, my dear friends, how in certain special Schools—for instance in the great School of Chartres,—they handed down the traditions of what had once been revealed to men, steeped in the Cosmic Intelligence. I described to you how much was achieved in the School of Chartres, especially in the 12th century; and I tried to indicate how the administration of Intelligence on the earth literally passed over to individual members especially of the Dominican Order. We need only look into the works that arose out of Christian Scholasticism—that wonderful spiritual stream which is so entirely misunderstood today, by its supporters no less than by its opponents, because they do not observe its really important feature. We need only look into these Scholastic works and see how they wrestled to understand what is the real and deep significance of Concepts—of the content of Intelligence—for mankind and for the things of the world. The great conflict between Nominalism and Realism was developed especially in the Dominican Order. The ‘Nominalist’ sees no more than names in general concepts. The ‘Realist’ sees in them real spiritual content, made manifest in the things of the world. The whole of Scholasticism is a wrestling of mankind for a clear understanding of the Intelligence that is pouring in. No wonder that the main interest of those around Michael was directed above all to what was unfolding upon the earth in this Christian Scholasticism. In all that St. Thomas Aquinas and his pupils, and many other Schoolmen, were bringing forth, we see the earthly stamp and impress of the Michael stream of that time—the Michael stream, the administration of Intelligence, of the light-filled Spiritual Intelligence.

And now the Intelligence was here on earth. Now man had to strive for clarity as to its meaning. Looking down from the spiritual world, on to the earth, one could see how that which had belonged to the realm of Michael was now unfolding down below, outside of his dominion, for it was unfolding in the beginning of the dominion of Gabriel.

The Wisdom of Initiation—the Rosicrucian wisdom which was going forth at that time—consisted in this, that one had a certain clarity of understanding for these facts.

Especially in that time of history it is important to see how the earthly and the super-sensible are connected. Outwardly the earthly life looks as though it had been loosened, cut off from the super-sensible,—and yet it is connected. You can see how it is connected from what I described in our last lectures.

The super-sensible facts that here follow, can only be described in pictures, in Imaginations. They cannot be put into abstract concepts. They must be livingly described. Therefore I must now describe what happened in the beginning of the age when the Spiritual Soul, and with it the Intelligence, enters in and becomes a part of humanity.

Several centuries had passed since Michael, in the 9th century A.D., had seen arriving on the earth what had hitherto been the Cosmic Intelligence. He now witnessed its further course on earth. He saw it flowing onward now on earth, especially in Scholasticism. This was below. He on the other hand gathered around him those who belonged to his realm in the domain of the Sun. He gathered them all—human souls who happened to be in the life between death and a new birth, and those, also belonging to his realm, who in their own evolution never enter into human bodies yet have a certain connection with mankind. You may imagine, those human souls especially were there, whom I have mentioned as the great teachers of Chartres. Among the greatest who at that time, at the beginning of the 15th century, were in the hosts of Michael and had their deeds to do in the spiritual world,—among the greatest of them was Alanus ab Insulis. But all the others too were there, those whom I have named as belonging to the School of Chartres. United with them were the others who by now had returned to the life between death and a new birth, who had come back again from the Order of the Dominicans. Souls, therefore, belonging to the Platonic stream were intimately united with souls who belonged to the Aristotelian times. All these had experienced and undergone the several impulses of Michael. Many of them lived in such a way as to have witnessed the Mystery of Golgotha, not from the earthly aspect, but from the aspect of the Sun. And at that time, at the beginning of the 15th century, their situations in the spiritual world were fraught with peculiar significance.

Then there arose under the leadership of Michael something which we may call, as we must use earthly expressions, a super-sensible School. What had once been the Michael Mystery—what had been told to the Initiates in the ancient Mysteries of Michael, and must now become different, since the Intelligence had found its way from the cosmos to the earth—all this Michael himself now gathered up, expressing it again with untold significance to those whom he had gathered around him in this School of Michael. For it was a super-sensible School of Michael at the beginning of the 15th century. All that once lived as the Michael Mystery in the Sun Mysteries now became alive again in super-sensible worlds. It was a wonderful summing-up of the Platonism that had been continued in the Aristotelian manner, and of all that Alexander the Great had carried into Asia and down into Egypt. It was expounded how the ancient spirituality still lived in this. In this super-sensible School all the souls took part who had ever been connected with the stream of which I have now been speaking to you in many lectures. I mean the souls who are now predestined to belong to the Anthroposophical Movement,—whose karma, as it takes shape, leads them to the Anthroposophical Movement. For all that was taught in that School was taught from this point of view, that in the evolution of humanity below, the Michael principle must thenceforth be developed in a different way, namely through the Intelligence of the human soul itself.

It was pointed out how at the end of the 19th century (in the last third of this century) Michael himself would once again assume dominion upon the earth. Throughout the intervening time since the age of Alexander, the six other Archangels would have fulfilled their several dominions. Now a new Michael Age would begin. But this new Michael Age must be different from the others. For the other Ages of Michael were such that the Cosmic Intelligence had always expressed itself in the common sphere of humanity. But now,—thus said Michael in super-sensible worlds to his pupils,—now in the new Michael Age something quite different would be required. For what Michael had administered for men through many aeons, pouring it into earthly existence in living inspirations, this had now fallen away from him. But he was to find it again when at the end of the seventies of the 19th century he would begin his new earthly rule. He would find it again at a time when, to begin with, an Intelligence bereft of spirituality had taken root among men. And he would find it in a peculiar condition,—most intensely exposed to the Ahrimanic forces. For in the very time when the Intelligence was descending from the cosmos to the earth, the aspirations of the Ahrimanic powers grew ever greater, striving to wrest the Cosmic Intelligence from Michael as soon as it became earthly Intelligence, striving to make it dominant on earth alone, free of Michael.

Such was the crisis from the beginning of the 15th century until our day—the crisis in the midst of which we are, which expresses itself as the battle of Ahriman and Michael. For Ahriman is using all his power to challenge Michael's dominion over the Intelligence that has now become earthly. And Michael, with all the impulses that are his, though his dominion over the Intelligence has fallen from him, is striving to take hold of it again on earth at the beginning of his new earthly rule, from the year 1879 onwards. Human evolution stood at this decisive point in the last third of the 19th century. The Intelligence, formerly cosmic, had become earthly, and there was Ahriman, wanting to make it altogether earthly. He wants to make it continue in the way that began during the age of Gabriel, making it earthly, making it an affair only of the human communities of blood—an affair of the generations, the forces of reproduction and inheritance. All this Ahriman desires.

Michael came down towards the earth. He could alone desire to find again, on earth, what had had to take its own course in the intervening time in order that man might attain Intelligence and Freedom. He could alone desire to find it again in such a way that he might take hold of it on earth and become, within the earth once more, Lord of the Intelligence that is now working within mankind. Ahriman versus Michael: Michael finding himself obliged to defend against Ahriman what he had ruled through the aeons of time for the benefit of humankind. Mankind stands in the midst of this battle; and among other things, to be an anthroposophist is to understand this battle to a certain extent at least. It shows itself everywhere; in its true form it is there behind the scenes of the historical events, but it shows itself even in the facts that lie manifest before us.

My dear friends, those who were in that super-sensible School of Michael partook in the teachings which I have outlined so very briefly. The teachings they heard were a repetition of what had been taught in the Sun Mysteries since ancient time. They were already a prophecy of what was to be achieved when the new Age of Michael began. They were an inspired call, a solemn challenge to those who are gathered around Michael, to hurl themselves into his stream and take hold of his true impulse, to the end that Intelligence may once again be united to the being of Michael.

While these wonderful teachings were going forth to the souls in that super-sensible School directed by Michael himself, the same souls were taking part in an awe-inspiring event that could only appear within the evolution of our cosmos after long, long epochs of time. We on the earth, when we speak of the Divine, look up to the super-sensible world. When we are in the life between death and a new birth, as I have indicated once before, we really look down on to the earth, albeit not the physical earth. As we look down on to the earth, great and mighty, divine-spiritual workings reveal themselves to us. Now at the time (at the beginning of the 15th century) when that School began, of which I said that many souls within the realm of Michael took part in it, at that very time one could witness something that is repeated in cosmic evolution after only long, long centuries. As one looked down to the earth, one witnessed, as it were how Seraphim, Cherubim and Thrones—the members of the highest Hierarchies—were accomplishing a mighty deed. It was in the first third of the 15th century, in the time when behind the scenes of modern history the Rosicrucian School was founded. Ordinarily when one looks down to the earthly realm from the life between death and a new birth, one sees the deeds of the Seraphim, Cherubim and Thrones taking place in a uniform and steady way. One sees the Seraphim, Cherubim and Thrones carrying the Spiritual from the realm of the Exusiai, Dynamis and Kyriotetes down into the Physical, and by their power implanting the Spiritual into the Physical. But, ever and again after long epochs of time, one witnesses an awe-inspiring departure from what is thus seen in the ordinary course of being. It was in the Atlantean time that such a thing had last shown itself, as seen from the aspect of the Supersensible. What is taking place at such a moment in humanity shows itself thus:—As one looks down from the spiritual world, one sees the earth in all its realms flashed through by lightning flashes; one hears a mighty, rolling thunder. It was one of the cosmic thunderstorms that take their course while human beings upon earth are as though wrapt in sleep. But it revealed itself mightily to the spirits around Michael.

Behind all that took place historically in the soul of man at the beginning of the 15th century, there stands a tremendous process which revealed itself to the pupils of Michael at the very time when they were receiving their teachings in the super-sensible. In Atlantean time, when the Cosmic Intelligence, while remaining cosmic, had taken possession of the hearts of men, such an event had taken place; and now for the present earthly realm it once again broke forth in spiritual lightning and thunder. Yes, it was so indeed. In the age when men were conscious of the earthly historic convulsions only,—when the Rosicrucians were going forth, when all manner of remarkable events were happening of which you can read in external history,—in that age the earth appeared, to the spirits in the super-sensible worlds, surrounded by mighty lightnings and thunderclaps. The Seraphim, Cherubim and Thrones were carrying over the Cosmic Intelligence into that member of man's organisation which we call the system of nerves and senses, the head-organization. Once again a great event had taken place, It does not show itself distinctly as yet, it will only do so in the course of hundreds or thousands of years; but it means, my dear friends, that man is being utterly transformed. Formerly he was a heart-man; then he became a head-man. The Intelligence becomes his own. Seen from the super-sensible, all this is of immense significance. All the power and strength that lies in the domain of the first Hierarchy, in the domain of the Seraphim and Cherubim who reveal their strength and power through the fact that they not only administer the Spiritual within the Spiritual, like the Dynamis, Exusiai and Kyriotetes, but carry the Spiritual into the Physical, making it a creator of the Physical,—all this their power the Seraphim, Cherubim and Thrones now had to apply in accomplishing a deed such as takes place, as I said, only after many aeons. And one might say: What Michael taught to his own during that time was heralded in the earthly worlds beneath with thunder and lightning. This should be understood, my dear friends, for these thunders and lightnings must become enthusiasm in the hearts and minds of anthroposophists. And whoever really has the impulse towards Anthroposophy—(though it be unconsciously as yet, for men do not know it yet, but they will learn it in good time)—whoever has this impulse within him, still bears in his soul the echoes, the after-echoes of the fact that in the circle of Michael he received yonder heavenly Anthroposophy. For the heavenly Anthroposophy went before the earthly. The teachings given at that time were to prepare for what is now to become Anthroposophy on the earth.

Thus we have a double super-sensible preparation for what is to become Anthroposophy on the earth. We have the preparation in the great super-sensible School from the 15th century onward, and then we have what I have described as an Imaginative cult or ritual (Cultus) that took shape in the super-sensible at the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th century, when all that the Michael pupils had learned in the super-sensible School before, was cast into mighty pictures and Imaginations. Thus were the souls prepared, who afterwards descended into the physical world, being destined through all these preparations to feel the inner impulse to seek for what would work as Anthroposophy on earth.

Think of them all! The great teachers of Chartres took part. They, as you know from my last descriptions, have not yet come down again, but they sent out before them those who worked above all in the Dominican Order, having held a kind of conference with them at the turn of the 12th and 13th centuries. All these souls afterwards came together again—those who with fiery lips had declared ancient and sacred teachings in the School of Chartres, and those again who had wrestled in the cold and clear, but heart-devoted works of Scholasticism, to master the true meaning of Intelligence. All these were among the hosts of Michael, learning the lessons of the School which I have indicated.

We have this School of Michael, and we have the great Imaginative ritual at the beginning of the 19th century, of the effects of which I have also spoken. Then we have the significant fact that at the end of the eighteen-seventies the dominion of Michael began again. Michael prepares once more to receive, down here on earth, the Intelligence that fell away from him in the intervening time. Intelligence must become Michael-like again. We must understand the sense of the new Age of Michael. Those who come today with the inner urge to a spirituality that already shows such Intelligence within it, as in the Anthroposophical Movement, are souls who are already here at this day according to their karma, to pay heed to what is taking place on earth in the beginning of the Age of Michael. But they are connected with all those who have not yet come down again. They are connected above all with those of the Platonic stream who still remain above, in super-sensible existence, under the leadership of Bernardus Silvestris, Alanus ab Insulis and the others.

Those who are able to receive Anthroposophy today with true and deep devotion in their hearts—those who are able to unite themselves with Anthroposophy—have within them the impulse, as a result of all they experienced in the super-sensible at the beginning of the 15th century and at the beginning of the 19th century, to appear again on earth at the end of the 20th century together with the others who have not yet returned. By that time anthroposophical spirituality will have prepared for what must then be realised, through the community of them all, namely, for the fuller revelation of all that has been supersensibly prepared through the different streams that I have named.

My dear friends, the anthroposophist should receive these things into his consciousness. He should understand that he is called to prepare already now that spirituality which must expand ever more and more, till the culmination is reached at the end of the 20th century, when true anthroposophists will be able to be here again, united with the others. Conscious the true anthroposophist must be that the need today is to look with active participation and to co-operate in the battle between Ahriman and Michael. Only when a spirituality, such as is seeking to flow through the Anthroposophical Movement on earth, unites with other spiritual streams, will Michael find the impulses which will unite him once more with the Intelligence that has grown earthly but that in truth belongs to him.

It will yet be my task to show you by what refined and clever means Ahriman is seeking to hinder this, so that you will see how sharp is the conflict that rages in our 20th century. Through all these things we can become aware of the earnestness of the time and of the courage that is needed if we are to take our right place in these spiritual streams. Yet at the same time the man who truly receives these things may say to himself: “Thou human soul, if only thou understand, mayest be called to help in making sure the dominion of Michael.” Then there can arise in the human soul an inner joy of devotion, a song of gladness that it is given to him to be so filled with strength. But this feeling of strong courage and courageous strength must first be found. For it stands written above us in spiritual letters: “Be conscious that you will have to return before the end and at the end of the 20th century, which you yourselves have prepared. Be conscious how it will then be able to take shape, even as you prepared it.”

To know oneself in the very midst of this battle, this decisive conflict between Michael and Ahriman, is one thing, my dear friends, that lies inherent in true anthroposophical enthusiasm and inspiration.

Siebenter Vortrag

Dieser Vortrag, wie Sie voraussetzen werden, muß eine Fortsetzung der Betrachtungen sein, die hier angestellt worden sind über den inneren Werdegang im Karma der Anthroposophischen Gesellschaft. Wir haben die Ereignisse in der physischen und überphysischen Welt, welche dem zugrunde liegen, was augenblicklich aus Anthroposophie sich der Welt kundgeben will, verfolgt. Wir wissen ja, meine lieben Freunde, daß wir zwei wichtige Einschnitte in dem Entwickelungsgang der Menschheit gerade in den letzten Jahrzehnten zu verzeichnen haben. Der eine Einschnitt ist derjenige, auf den ich öfters aufmerksam gemacht habe: der Ablauf des sogenannten finsteren Zeitalters mit dem Ende des 19. und dem Beginn des 20. Jahrhunderts. Ein lichtes Zeitalter gegenüber dem finsteren Zeitalter hat begonnen. Wir wissen ja, daß dieses finstere Zeitalter eingemündet ist in diejenige menschliche Seelenverfassung, welche die geistigen Augen der Menschen verschließt gegenüber der übersinnlichen Welt. Wir wissen, daß es in alten Zeiten der Menschheitsentwickelung ein allgemeiner Zustand des Menschen war, wenn auch traumhaft, wenn auch mehr oder weniger instinktiv, so doch hineinzuschauen in die geistige Welt. Zu zweifeln an der Wirklichkeit der geistigen Welt, das war in älteren Zeiten der Menschheitsentwickelung ganz unmöglich. Hätte dieser Zustand aber fortgedauert, hätte die Menschheit weitergelebt in diesem instinktiven Hineinschauen in die geistige Welt, so würde dasjenige in der Menschheitsentwickelung nicht heraufgekommen sein, was man Intelligenz des einzelnen Menschen nennen kann, die Handhabung des Verstandes, der Vernunft durch den individuellen, durch den persönlichen Menschen. Und damit ist ja verknüpft, was den Menschen zur Freiheit seines Willens führt. Das eine ist nicht ohne das andere denkbar.

In jenem dumpfen, instinktiven Zustand des Miterlebens der geistigen Welt, wie er einmal vorhanden war, kann der Mensch nicht zur Freiheit gelangen. Er kann auch nicht zu jenem selbständigen Denken gelangen, das man den Gebrauch der Intelligenz durch das einzelne menschliche Individuum nennen kann.

Beides mußte einmal kommen: der freie persönliche Gebrauch der Intelligenz, die Freiheit des menschlichen Willens. Deshalb mußte sich für das menschliche Bewußtsein der ursprüngliche, instinktive Einblick in die geistige Welt verfinstern. Das ist alles vollzogen, wenn auch nicht ganz klar für jeden einzelnen Menschen, so doch für die Menschheit im allgemeinen; so daß mit dem Ablauf des 19. Jahrhunderts dieses finstere Zeitalter, das die geistige Welt verfinstert, dafür aber den Gebrauch der Intelligenz und des freien Willens eröffnet, nun abgelaufen ist. Wir treten in ein Zeitalter ein, in dem an den Menschen wieder herandringen soll auf den Wegen, auf denen das möglich ist, die wirkliche geistige Welt.

Gewiß, man kann sagen: dieses Zeitalter hat nicht in sehr lichtvoller Art begonnen. Es ist so, als ob gerade die ersten Jahrzehnte des 20. Jahrhunderts alles Schlimme über die Menschheit gebracht hätten, was diese Menschheit jemals im Geschichtsverlaufe erlebt hat. Aber das hindert wiederum nicht, daß im allgemeinen die Möglichkeit in die Menschheitsentwickelung eingetreten ist, in das Licht des geistigen Lebens einzudringen. Und es ist nur so, daß die Menschen eben einfach, ich möchte sagen, wie durch Trägheit fortbehalten haben die Gewohnheiten des finsteren Zeitalters, daß diese in das 20. Jahrhundert hereinragen und daß sie, weil es ja lichtvoll werden könnte um die Wahrheit, schlimmer sich ausnehmen, als sie vorher, wo sie berechtigt waren, im finsteren Zeitalter, im Kali Yuga, sich ausgenommen haben.

Nun wissen wir ja auch, daß sich dieses Hinwenden der ganzen Menschheit zu einem lichtvollen Zeitalter vorbereitet hat dadurch, daß mit dem Ende der siebziger Jahre des 19. Jahrhunderts die Miichaelzeit begonnen hat. Wollen wir uns einmal vor die Seele stellen, was das heißt, die Michaelzeit habe mit dem letzten Drittel des 19. Jahrhunderts begonnen.

Wir müssen uns da klarmachen, daß ebenso wie uns die drei Reiche der äußeren Natur, das mineralische Reich, das pflanzliche Reich, das tierische Reich in der physisch-sinnlichen Welt umgeben, uns in der geistigen Welt die höheren Reiche umgeben, die wir als die Reiche der Hierarchien ja jetzt schon in den verschiedensten Zusammenhängen bezeichnet haben. Ebenso wie wir, wenn wir heruntersteigen in die Reiche der Natur vom Menschen aus, zu dem tierischen Reiche kommen, so kommen wir, wenn wir hinaufsteigen in das Übersinnliche, zum Reich der Angeloi. Die Angeloi haben die Aufgabe, die einzelnen Menschen zu führen, zu schützen, indem diese Menschen von Erdenleben zu Erdenleben gehen. So daß also die Aufgaben, die der geistigen Welt mit Bezug auf die einzelnen Menschen erwachsen, den Wesen aus dem Reiche der Angeloi obliegen.

Kommen wir dann hinauf in das Reich der Archangeloi, so haben diese Archangeloi die verschiedensten Aufgaben. Aber eine dieser Aufgaben ist diese, die Grundtendenzen der aufeinanderfolgenden Zeitalter mit Bezug auf die Menschen zu lenken und zu leiten. So war durch etwa drei Jahrhunderte hindurch bis in das Ende der siebziger Jahre des vorigen Jahrhunderts dasjenige waltend, was man nennen kann die Herrschaft des Gabriel. Diese Herrschaft des Gabriel äußerte sich ja für den, der nicht an der Oberfläche, wie man es heute gewöhnt ist, sondern in den Tiefen die Entwickelung der Menschheit betrachtet, darin, daß ungeheuer bedeutsame Impulse für das Geschehen in der Menschheit in jene Kräfte verlegt wurden, welche man Vererbungskräfte nennen kann. Niemals waren so bedeutungsvoll die Kräfte der physischen Vererbung, die durch die Generationen hindurch wirken, als in den letzten drei Jahrhunderten vor dem letzten Drittel des 19. Jahrhunderts.

Das drückte sich dadurch aus, daß das Vererbungsproblem geradezu ein drängendes Problem wurde im 19. Jahrhundert, daß die Menschheit empfand, wie seelische, wie geistige Eigenschaften im Menschen abhängig sind von der Vererbung. Man lernte zuletzt noch empfinden, was im 16., 17., 18. Jahrhundert und durch einen großen Teil des 19. Jahrhunderts wie ein Naturgesetz in der Menschheitsentwickelung waltete.

In dieser Zeit brachte man diejenigen Eigenschaften auch in seine geistige Entwickelung hinein, die man von seinen Eltern und Voreltern ererbt hatte. In dieser Zeit wurden insbesondere wichtig alle die Eigenschaften, die mit der physischen Fortpflanzung zusammenhängen. Wiederum ist ein äußeres Zeichen dafür das Interesse, das man den Fortpflanzungsfragen, überhaupt allen sexuellen Fragen am Ende des 19. Jahrhunderts entgegengebracht hat. Die wichtigsten geistigen Impulse kamen in den genannten Jahrhunderten an die Menschheit so heran, daß sie sich durch die physische Vererbung zu verwirklichen suchten.

In vollständigem Gegensatze dazu wird das Zeitalter stehen, in dem Michael die Menschheit lenkt und leitet, das mit dem Ende der siebziger Jahre des vorigen Jahrhunderts begonnen hat, in dem wir drinnenstehen, und das seine Impulse zusammengliedert mit dem, was wir nun auch kennenlernen als das im 20. Jahrhundert beginnende lichte Zeitalter. Diese zwei Impulsströmungen wirken ineinander. Heute wollen wir zunächst auf das hinschauen, was die Eigentümlichkeit eines Michael-Zeitalters ist. Ich sage, eines Michael-Zeitalters: denn sehen Sie, mit dieser Lenkung und Leitung, von der ich eben gesprochen habe, steht es so, daß durch etwa drei Jahrhunderte eines der Wesen aus dem Reiche der Archangeloi die geistige Führung der Menschheitsentwickelung auf demjenigen Gebiete hat, wo sich die Zivilisation in hervorragender Weise abspielt.

Wie gesagt, Gabriel hatte die Führung im 16., 17., 18, 19. Jahrhundert. Er wird jetzt abgelöst durch Michael. Es gibt sieben solche Archangeloi, welche die Menschheit führen so, daß sich die einzelnen Führungen durch die Archangeloi zyklisch wiederholen. Indem wir heute im Michael-Zeitalter leben, haben wir alle Veranlassung, uns des letzten Michael-Zeitalters zu erinern, welches einmal in der Führung der Menschheit da war. Dieses Michael-Zeitalter, das noch der Begründung des Christentums, das noch dem Mysterium von Golgatha vorangegangen ist, schließt etwa ab im Altertum mit den Taten des Alexander, mit der Begründung der Philosophie des Aristoteles.

Wenn wir alles das verfolgen, was in Griechenland, im Umkreise von Griechenland in vorchristlicher Zeit bis zur Zeit Alexanders des Großen, bis zur Zeit des Aristoteles geschehen ist durch drei Jahrhunderte hindurch, so haben wir auch da ein michaelisches Zeitalter. Ein solches Michael-Zeitalter charakterisiert sich durch die verschiedensten Verhältnisse, insbesondere aber dadurch, daß in einem solchen Michael-Zeitalter die geistigen Interessen der Menschheit, je nach der besonderen Veranlagung, die ein solches Zeitalter hat, tonangebend werden. Namentlich wird es so sein, daß in einem solchen Zeitalter ein kosmopolitischer, ein internationaler Zug durch die Welt geht. Die nationalen Unterscheidungen hören auf. Gerade im Zeitalter des Gabriel begründeten sich innerhalb der europäischen Zivilisation und ihres amerikanischen Anhanges die nationalen Impulse.

In unserem Michael-Zeitalter werden sie im Laufe von drei Jahrhunderten vollständig überwunden werden. In jedem Michael-Zeitalter ist es so, daß ein allgemeiner Zug durch die Menschheit geht, ein allgemein-menschlicher Zug gegenüber den speziellen Interessen von einzelnen Nationen oder Menschengruppen. In jener Zeit, in der die Michael-Herrschaft auf der Erde war vor dem Mysterium von Golgatha, äußerte sich dieses darin, daß aus den Verhältnissen heraus, die sich in Griechenland gebildet haben, jene gewaltige Tendenz entstand, die zu den Alexanderzügen führte, in denen die griechische Kultur und Zivilisation in einer genialen Weise nach Asien hinein, bis nach Afrika hinüber verbreitet wurde, und zwar durch Völkerschaften, die bis dahin sich zu ganz anderem bekannten. Die ganze ungeheure Tat fand ihren Abschluß in dem, was in Alexandrien begründet worden ist: Ein kosmopolitischer Zug, der das Bestreben hatte, die geistigen Kräfte, die in Griechenland sich gesammelt hatten, der ganzen damals zivilisierten Welt zu geben.

Solches geschieht unter dem Impuls des Michael und geschah auch damals unter dem Impuls des Michael. Und diejenigen Wesen, die beteiligt waren an diesen irdischen Taten, die im Dienste des Michael geschahen, sie waren ja während der Zeit des Mysteriums von Golgatha nicht auf der Erde. Alle diejenigen Wesen, die in den Bereich des Michael gehörten, gleichgültig ob es Menschenseelen waren, die nunmehr nach dem Ablauf des Michael-Zeitalters durch den Tod in die geistige Welt entrückt wurden, ob es also entkörperte Menschenseelen waren oder solche, die niemals auf der Erde sich verkörperten, sie alle waren verbunden miteinander in gemeinsamem Leben in der übersinnlichen Welt in der Zeit, in welcher auf Erden sich das Mysterium von Golgatha abspielte.

Man muß sich nur auch für das Gemüt recht gegenwärtig machen, was da eigentlich vorliegt. Wenn man den Aspekt von der Erde aus wählt, dann sagt man sich: Die Erdenmenschheit ist da an einem bestimmten Punkte der Erdenentwickelung angekommen. Der hohe Sonnengeist Christus kommt auf der Erde an, verkörpert sich in dem Menschen Jesus von Nazareth. Die Erdenbewohner haben das Erlebnis, daß Christus, der hohe Sonnengeist, bei ihnen ankommt. Sie wissen nicht viel, was sie veranlassen könnte, dieses Ereignis in der entsprechenden Weise zu schätzen.

Um so mehr wissen die entkörperten Seelen, die um Michael sind, und die im Umkreise, im Bereich des Sonnendaseins leben in überirdischen Welten, zu schätzen, was für sie von dem anderen Aspekte aus geschah. Sie erlebten das, was damals für die Welt geschah, von der Sonne aus. Und sie erlebten, wie der Christus, der bis dahin innerhalb des Sonnenbereiches gewirkt hatte, so daß er von den Mysterien aus nur zu erreichen war, wenn man sich in den Sonnenbereich erhob, Abschied nahm von der Sonne, um sich mit der Erdenmenschheit auf Erden zu vereinigen.

Das war aus dem Grunde ein gewaltiges, ungeheures Ereignis gerade für diejenigen Wesen, die zur Michaels-Gemeinschaft gehören, weil diese Michaels-Gemeinschaft mit alledem, was von der Sonne ausgehendes kosmisches Schicksal ist, ihren besonderen Zusammenhang hat. Abschied nehmen mußten sie von dem Christus, der bis dahin seinen Platz in der Sonne hatte, der von da ab auf der Erde seinen Platz einnehmen sollte. Das ist der andere Aspekt.

Gleichzeitig mit diesem war aber etwas anderes verbunden. Man kann das nur in der richtigen Weise einschätzen, wenn man das Folgende beachtet. So nachdenken, so in Gedanken leben, die aus dem Inneren herausstoßen, konnten die Menschen der alten Zeitalter nicht. Sie waren unter Umständen weise, unendlich viel weiser als die neuere Menschheit, aber sie waren nicht in dem Sinne dessen gescheit, was man heute gescheit nennt. Heute nennt man einen Menschen gescheit, der Gedanken aus sich selber produzieren kann, der logisch denken kann, der einen Gedanken mit dem anderen in Zusammenhang bringen kann und so weiter. Das gab es damals nicht. Selbständig erzeugte Gedanken gab es nicht in alten Zeiten. Die Gedanken wurden mit den Offenbarungen, die einem aus der geistigen Welt kamen, zu gleicher Zeit auf die Erde heruntergeschickt. Man dachte nicht nach, sondern man empfing den geistigen Inhalt durch Offenbarung, aber man empfing ihn so, daß die Gedanken dabei waren. Heute denkt man über die Dinge nach; dazumal brachten die seelischen Eindrücke die Gedanken mit, Die Gedanken waren inspirierte Gedanken, nicht selbstgedachte Gedanken. Und derjenige, der die kosmische Intelligenz, die in dieser Weise sich mit den geistigen Offenbarungen zur Menschheit begab, ordnete, der im besonderen über diese kosmische Intelligenz sozusagen die Herrschaft hatte, das ist eben diejenige geistige Wesenheit, die wir, wenn wir uns der christlichen Terminologie bedienen, als den Erzengel Michael bezeichnen. Er hatte im Kosmos die Verwaltung der kosmischen Intelligenz.

Man muß sich nur klarmachen, was das heißt. Denn wenn auch in etwas anderem Ideenzusammenhange, so hatte doch ein Mensch wie zum Beispiel Alexander der Große durchaus ein deutliches Bewußtsein davon, daß ihm seine Gedanken auf dem Michaels-Wege kamen. Gewiß, die entsprechende geistige Wesenheit hieß anders. Wir bedienen uns hier der christlichen Terminologie, aber die Terminologie macht es ja nicht aus. Als nichts anderes sah sich ein solcher Mensch wie Alexander der Große an denn als einen Missionar des Michael, als ein Werkzeug des Michael. Er konnte gar nicht anders denken als: Michael handelt eigentlich auf der Erde, und ich bin derjenige, durch den er handelt. So war die Auffassung. Das gab ja auch die Kraft des Willens zu den Taten. Und ein Denker in der damaligen Zeit dachte auch nicht anders, als: Michael wirkt in ihm und gibt ihm die Gedanken.

Verbunden war mit diesem Herabsteigen des Christus auf die Erde dieses, daß nun Michael mit den Seinen nicht nur diesen Abschied des Christus von der Sonne sah, sondern er sah vor allen Dingen, wie ihm, dem Michael, die Herrschaft über die kosmische Intelligenz allmählich entfällt. Man sah ganz deutlich dazumal von der Sonne aus, daß nicht mehr aus der geistigen Welt die Dinge an den Menschen herankommen werden mit dem intelligenten Inhalte, sondern daß der Mensch selber zu seiner Intelligenz auf der Erde einmal gelangen müsse. Es war ein einschneidendes, ein bedeutsames Ereignis, gewissermaßen hinunterströmen zu sehen auf die Erde die Intelligenz. Sie ward nach und nach nicht mehr — wenn ich mich des Ausdruckes bedienen darf in den Himmeln gefunden, sie ward auf die Erde hinuntergelassen.

Und in den ersten christlichen Jahrhunderten erfüllte sich das besonders. Wir sehen, wie noch die Menschen, die solches vermochten, in den ersten christlichen Jahrhunderten wenigstens manche Einblicke hatten in dasjenige, was mit dem Inhalt der Intelligenz ihnen zuströmte aus den überirdischen Offenbarungen. Das dauerte noch so bis in das 8., 9. nachchristliche Jahrhundert. Dann kam die große Entscheidung. Dann kam die Entscheidung so, daß sich ja Michael und die Seinigen, gleichgültig ob sie nun verkörpert oder entkörpert waren, sagen mußten: Die Menschen auf der Erde beginnen intelligent zu werden, den eigenen Verstand aus sich herauszubringen; aber die kosmische Intelligenz kann nicht mehr von Michael verwaltet werden. Michael spürte, wie ihm die Herrschaft über die kosmische Intelligenz entschwand. Und unten, wenn man auf die Erde hinsah, da sah man, wie vom 8., 9. Jahrhundert ab dieses intelligente Zeitalter begann und die Menschen anfingen, die eigenen Gedanken sich zu bilden.

Nun habe ich Ihnen dargestellt, wie in einzelnen besonderen Schulen, zum Beispiel in der großen Schule von Chartres, die Traditionen fortgepflanzt worden waren von demjenigen, was einstmals, in kosmische Intelligenz getaucht, den Menschen sich offenbarte. Ich habe Ihnen dargestellt, was alles in dieser Schule von Chartres, insbesondere im 12. Jahrhundert, geleistet worden ist, und ich versuchte auch darzustellen, wie dann übergegangen ist namentlich an einzelne Mitglieder des Dominikanerordens geradezu die Verwaltung der Intelligenz auf Erden. Man schaue sich nur einmal an die Werke, die aus der christlichen Scholastik erwachsen sind, aus jener wunderbaren Geistesströmung, die sowohl von ihren Anhängern wie von ihren Gegnern heute ganz verkannt wird, weil sie nicht nach ihrer Hauptsache angesehen wird. Man sehe sich an, wie da gerungen wird, zu erkennen, was Begriffe eigentlich bedeuten, was der intelligente Inhalt für die Menschheit und für die Dinge der Welt eigentlich bedeutet. Der große Streit zwischen Nominalismus und Realismus entwickelt sich namentlich innerhalb des Dominikanerordens. Die einen sehen in den allgemeinen Begriffen nur Namen, die anderen sehen in den allgemeinen Begriffen geistige Inhalte, die sich in den Dingen offenbaren.

Die ganze Scholastik ist ein Ringen der Menschen nach Klarheit über die hereinströmende Intelligenz. Kein Wunder, daß das Hauptinteresse derer, die um Michael waren, sich gerade dem zuwendete, was da als Scholastik auf Erden sich entfaltete. Man sieht in dem, was Thomas von Aquino und seine Schüler, was andere Scholastiker geltend machen, die irdische Ausprägung dessen, was dazumal MichaelStrömung war. Michael-Strömung: Verwaltung der Intelligenz, der lichtvollen, der spirituellen Intelligenz.

Jetzt war sie auf der Erde, diese Intelligenz. Jetzt mußte man über ihren Sinn in Klarheit kommen. Von der geistigen Welt aus gesehen, konnte man unten schauen auf der Erde, wie dasjenige, was in den Bereich des Michael gehört, sich nun unten, außer der Herrschaft des Michael, gerade bei der beginnenden Herrschaft des Gabriel entfaltete. Initiationsweisheit, Rosenkreuzerweisheit, wie sie sich dann ausbreitete, bestand ja darinnen, daß man einige Klarheit hatte über diese Verhältnisse. Gerade in dieser Zeit ist es bedeutsam, hinzuschauen auf die Art und Weise, wie das Irdische zusammenhängt mit dem Übersinnlichen. Denn das Irdische nimmt sich so aus, als ob es gewissermaßen losgerissen wäre von dem Übersinnlichen — aber es hängt zusammen! Und Sie können ja sehen aus dem, was ich in den letzten Stunden dargestellt habe, wie es zusammenhängt. Dasjenige, was übersinnliche Tatsachen sind, kann ich nun nur in Bildern, in Imaginationen zusammenfassen. Das kann man nicht durch abstrakte Begriffe darstellen, da muß man bildhaft schildern. Deshalb muß ich schildern, was sich nun im Beginne desjenigen Zeitalters, in dem sich die Bewußtseinsseele und damit die Intelligenz in die Menschheit eingliederte, zutrug.

Es waren schon einige Jahrhunderte her, seit Michael auf der Erde hatte ankommen sehen im 9. nachchristlichen Jahrhundert dasjenige, was früher kosmische Intelligenz war. Und er sah es fortströmen auf der Erde, fortströmen jetzt namentlich in der Scholastik. Das war unten. Er aber sammelte diejenigen, die in seinen Bereich gehören im Sonnengebiete, er sammelte sie, ob sie nun Menschenseelen waren, die gerade in dem Leben zwischen dem Tode und einer neuen Geburt waren, er sammelte auch diejenigen, die zu seinem Bereiche gehören und die niemals in menschlichen Leibern ihre Entwickelung finden, die aber einen gewissen Zusammenhang mit der Menschheit haben. Sie können sich denken, daß insbesondere diejenigen Menschenseelen da waren, welche ich Ihnen angeführt habe als die großen Lehrer von Chartres. Einer der bedeutendsten, die damals unter den Scharen des Michael im beginnenden 15. Jahrhundert in übersinnlichen Welten ihre Taten zu verrichten hatten, war ja Alanus ab Insulis. Aber auch alle anderen, die ich Ihnen genannt habe als der Schule von Chartres angehörig, sie waren vereinigt mit denen, die nun auch schon wieder in dem Leben zwischen dem Tod und einer neuen Geburt angekommen waren, die aus dem Dominikanerorden entstammten; Seelen, die der platonischen Strömung angehörten, waren da innig vereinigt mit denjenigen Seelen, die der aristotelischen Strömung angehörten. Alles das hatten diese Seelen durchgemacht, was gerade Michael-Impulse sind. Viele dieser Seelen lebten so, daß sie das Mysterium von Golgatha nicht vom Erdenaspekt aus, sondern vom Aspekt der Sonne aus mitgemacht hatten. Sie waren dazumal im Beginne des 15. Jahrhunderts in der übersinnlichen Welt gerade in bedeutsamen Lagen.

Da entstand unter der Führung des Michael etwas — wir müssen ja irdische Ausdrücke gebrauchen -, was man nennen könnte eine übersinnliche Schule. Was einstmals Michael-Mysterium war, dasjenige, was in den alten Michael-Mysterien verkündet worden war den Eingeweihten, was jetzt anders werden mußte, weil die Intelligenz vom Kosmos ihren Weg auf die Erde gefunden hatte, das faßte in ungeheuer bedeutsamen Zügen Michael selber für diejenigen zusammen, die er jetzt sammelte in dieser übersinnlichen Michael-Schule im Beginne des 15. Jahrhunderts. Da wurde alles das wieder lebendig in übersinnlichen Welten, was einstmals in den Sonnenmysterien als Michael-Weisheit gelebt hat. Da wurde dann in einer grandiosen Weise zusammengefaßt, was in aristotelischer Fortsetzung Platonismus war und durch Alexander den Großen hinübergebracht war nach Asien, hinuntergebracht war nach Ägypten. Es wurde auseinandergesetzt, wie da drinnen noch die alte Spiritualität lebte. Da nahmen alle die Seelen, die immer mit jener Strömung verbunden waren, von der ich jetzt schon durch einzelne Stunden spreche, jene Seelen, die eben prädestiniert sind, der anthroposophischen Bewegung anzugehören, ihr Karma für die anthroposophische Bewegung zu gestalten, an jener übersinnlichen Lehrschule teil. Denn alles, was da gelehrt wurde, wurde unter dem Gesichtspunkte gelehrt, daß nun auf andere Art in der Menschheitsentwickelung unten, durch Eigenintelligenz der menschlichen Seele, das Michaelsmäßige ausgebildet werden müsse.

Hingewiesen wurde darauf, wie am Ende des 19. Jahrhunderts, im letzten Drittel des 19. Jahrhunderts, Michael selber auf der Erde seine Herrschaft wieder antreten werde, wie ein neues Michael-Zeitalter, nachdem die sechs anderen Archangeloi in der Zwischenzeit, seit der Alexanderzeit, ihre verschiedenen Herrschaften ausgeübt hatten, beginnen werde, aber ein Michael-Zeitalter, das anders werden müsse wie die anderen. Denn diese anderen Michael-Zeitalter waren eben so, daß da die kosmische Intelligenz immer sich in dem AllgemeinMenschlichen ausgelebt hat. Jetzt aber — das sagte dazumal Michael im Übersinnlichen zu seinen Schülern — wird es sich im Michael-Zeitalter um etwas ganz anderes handeln. Dasjenige, was Michael durch Äonen verwaltet hat für die Menschen, was er ins irdische Dasein inspirierte, das ist ihm entsunken. Er wird es wiederfinden, wenn er Ende der siebziger Jahre des 19. Jahrhunderts seine Erdenherrschaft antreten wird. Er wird es wiederfinden, indem eine zunächst von der Spiritualität entblößte Intelligenz unter den Menschen unten Platz gegriffen haben wird; aber er wird es wiederfinden in einem besonderen Zustande; er wird es wiederfinden so, daß es ausgesetzt ist im stärksten Maße den ahrimanischen Kräften. Denn in derselben Zeit, in der die Intelligenz vom Kosmos auf die Erde sank, wuchs immer mehr und mehr die Aspiration der ahrimanischen Mächte, diese kosmische Intelligenz, indem sie irdisch wurde, dem Michael zu entreißen, sie auf der Erde allein, Michael-frei, geltend zu machen.

Das war die große Krisis vom Beginne des 15. Jahrhunderts bis heute, die Krisis, in der wir noch drinnenstehen, die Krisis, die sich ausdrückt als der Kampf Ahrimans gegen Michael: Ahriman, der alles aufwendet, um streitig zu machen dem Michael die Herrschaft über die Intelligenz, die jetzt irdisch geworden war — Michael, der sich bemüht, mit allen Impulsen, die er hat, nun, nachdem ihm die Herrschaft über die Intelligenz entfallen war, sie wiederum beim Beginne seiner irdischen Herrschaft vom Jahre 1879 an auf der Erde zu ergreifen. In dieser Entscheidung stand ja die Entwickelung der Menschheit im letzten Drittel des 19. Jahrhunderts. Da war irdisch geworden die frühere kosmische Intelligenz, da war Ahriman, der diese Intelligenz ganz irdisch machen wollte, so daß sie fortlaufend wird in der Art, wie sie in dem Gabrielischen Zeitalter eingeleitet worden war. Ganz irdisch werden sollte diese Intelligenz, nur eine Angelegenheit der menschlichen Blutsgemeinschaft sollte sie sein, eine Angelegenheit der Generationenfolge, eine Angelegenheit der Fortpflanzungskräfte. Das alles wollte Ahriman.

Michael stieg herunter auf die Erde. Er konnte dasjenige, was nun einmal seinen Gang in der Zwischenzeit hat machen müssen, damit die Menschen zur Intelligenz und zur Freiheit kommen, nur auf der Erde wiederfinden, so daß er es jetzt auf der Erde ergreifen muß, so daß er innerhalb der Erde wiederum Herrscher wird über die Intelligenz, die aber jetzt innerhalb der Menschheit wirkt. Ahriman gegenüber Michael, Michael in die Notwendigkeit versetzt, gegen Ahriman zu verteidigen, was er durch Äonen hindurch zugunsten der Menschheit verwaltete — in diesem Kampfe steht die Menschheit drinnen. Anthroposoph sein, heißt unter manchem anderen: diesen Kampf wenigstens bis zu einem gewissen Grade zu verstehen. Und überall zeigt er sich. Seine eigentliche Gestalt steht hinter den Kulissen des geschichtlichen Werdens, aber überall zeigt er sich in den Tatsachen, die im Offenbaren liegen.

Meine lieben Freunde, diejenigen Seelen, die dazumal in der übersinnlichen Schule des Michael waren, sie nahmen teil an den Lehren, die ich Ihnen eben flüchtig skizziert habe, die bestanden in der Wiederholung dessen, was in den Sonnenmysterien seit alten Zeiten gelehrt worden war, die bestanden in der prophetischen Vorausnahme dessen, was zu geschehen hat, wenn das neue Michael-Zeitalter beginnt, die bestanden in den hinreißenden Ermahnungen, daß diejenigen, die um Michael sind, sich hineinstürzen mögen in die Michael-Strömung, die Impulse aufgreifen mögen, damit die Intelligenz wiederum mit der Michael-Wesenheit vereinigt werde.

Während diese wunderbaren, diese grandiosen Lehren in jener übersinnlichen Schule, dirigiert von Michael selber, an die entsprechenden Seelen gingen, nahmen diese Seelen teil an einem gewaltigen Ereignis, das sich nur nach langen Zeiträumen innerhalb der Entwickelung unseres Kosmos zeigt. Es ist, wie ich schon einmal angedeutet habe, so, daß wir von der Erde aus hinauf weisen in die übersinnliche Welt, wenn wir vom Göttlichen sprechen. Sind wir aber in dem Leben zwischen dem Tode und neuer Geburt, so weisen wir eigentlich hinunter auf die Erde — aber nicht auf die physische Erde; es zeigt sich da Gewaltiges, Grandioses, Göttlich-Geistiges. Und gerade in diesem Beginne des 15. Jahrhunderts, als diese Schule ihren Anfang machte, von der ich sprach, wo zahlreiche Seelen im Bereich des Michael an dieser Schule teilnahmen, da konnte man zu gleicher Zeit etwas sehen, was, wie gesagt, nur nach langen, langen Zeiträumen sich wiederholt im kosmischen Werden: Man sah gewissermaßen beim Hinunterblicken auf die Erde, wie Seraphim, Cherubim und Throne, also die Angehörigen der höchsten, der ersten Hierarchie, eine gewaltige Tat vollbringen.

Es war im ersten Drittel des 15. Jahrhunderts, es war in der Zeit, als hinter den Kulissen der neuzeitlichen Entwickelung die Rosenkreuzerschule begründet worden ist. Schaut man sonst von dem Leben, das man hat zwischen Tod und neuer Geburt, hinunter auf das Irdische, sieht man gleichmäßig vor sich gehende Taten der Seraphim, Cherubim und Throne. Man sieht, wie die Seraphim, Cherubim und Throne das Geistige aus dem Bereich der Exusiai, Dynamis und Kyriotetes hinuntertragen ins Physische, durch ihre Macht das Geistige dem Physischen einpflanzen. Von diesem, was man so gewöhnlich im Fortgange des Werdens schaut, zeigt sich nach großen Zeiträumen immer etwas grandios Abweichendes: Es war zuletzt in der atlantischen Zeit, daß sich so etwas auch vom Aspekte des Übersinnlichen aus gezeigt hatte. Was da in der Menschheit geschieht, das zeigt sich, indem man jetzt, von der geistigen Welt aus, die Erde in ihren Gebieten durchzuckt sieht von Blitzen, indem man mächtig rollende Donner hört. Es war sozusagen eines jener Weltengewitter — für die Menschen der Erde ganz wie im Schlafe ablaufend, für die Geister, die um Michael waren, mächtig sich zeigend.

Hinter dem, was sich im Beginne des 15. Jahrhunderts geschichtlich abspielte in den menschlichen Seelen, steht eben Gewaltiges. Dieses Gewaltige zeigte sich gerade, während die Michael-Schüler ihre Lehren im Übersinnlichen empfingen. Zuletzt geschah während der atlantischen Zeit, als die kosmische Intelligenz noch kosmisch geblieben war, aber von den menschlichen Herzen Besitz ergriffen hatte, auch so etwas, das für das jetzige Gebiet, das irdische Gebiet, sich nun in geistigen Blitzen und Donnern wiederum entlud. Ja, es war schon so. In dem Zeitalter, das nun die irdischen Erschütterungen erlebte, in welchem die Rosenkreuzer sich ausbreiteten, in welchem allerlei merkwürdige Dinge geschahen, die Sie ja in der Geschichte verfolgen könnten, in diesem Zeitalter zeigte sich die Erde für die Geister im Übersinnlichen umtobt von gewaltigen Blitzen und Donnern. Das war, daß die Seraphim, Cherubim und Throne die kosmische Intelligenz überleiteten in dasjenige Glied der menschlichen Organisation, das die Nerven-Sinnesorganisation ist, die Kopforganisation.

Es war wieder ein Ereignis geschehen, welches sich heute noch nicht deutlich zeigt, erst im Laufe von Jahrhunderten und Jahrtausenden sich zeigen wird, und darin besteht, daß der Mensch vollständig umgestaltet wird. Der Mensch war vorher ein Herzensmensch. Der Mensch ist nachher ein Kopfmensch geworden. Die Intelligenz wird seine Eigenintelligenz. Das ist, vom Übersinnlichen aus gesehen, etwas ungeheuer Bedeutsames. Alles das wird da gesehen, was an Macht und Kraft im Bereich der ersten Hierarchie liegt, im Bereich der Seraphim und Cherubim, die dadurch ihre Macht und Kraft äußern und offenbaren, daß sie das Geistige nicht nur im Geistigen verwalten, wie die Dynamis, die Exusiai, die Kyriotetes, sondern das Geistige hineintragen in das Physische, das Geistige zum Schöpferischen des Physischen machen. Diese Seraphim, Cherubim und Throne, sie hatten Taten zu vollbringen, die, wie gesagt, nach Äonen nur sich wiederholen. Und man möchte sagen: was von Michael den Seinigen in der damaligen Zeit gelehrt worden ist, das wurde unter Blitzen und Donnern da unten in den irdischen Welten verkündet. Verstanden sollte das werden, denn diese Blitze und Donner, meine lieben Freunde, sollten Begeisterung werden in den Herzen, in den Gemütern der Anthroposophen! Und derjenige, der wirklich den Drang zur Anthroposophie hat, der hat heute noch unbewußt, die Menschen wissen noch nichts davon, sie werden es schon kennenlernen -, der hat heute die Nachwirkungen in seiner Seele davon, daß er damals im Umkreis des Michael jene himmlische Anthroposophie aufnahm, die der irdischen voranging. Denn die Lehren, die Michael gab, waren solche, die damals vorbereiteten, was auf Erden Anthroposophie werden soll.

Und so haben wir eine doppelte übersinnliche Vorbereitung zu dem, was auf Erden Anthroposophie werden soll: Jene Vorbereitung in der großen übersinnlichen Lehrschule vom 15. Jahrhundert ab; dann dasjenige, was ich Ihnen geschildert habe, was im Übersinnlichen als ein imaginativer Kultus sich abbildete Ende des 18., im Beginne des 19. Jahrhunderts, wo in mächtigen imaginativen Bildern ausgestaltet wurde, was die Michael-Schüler damals in der übersinnlichen Lehrschule gelernt hatten. So wurden die Seelen vorbereitet, die dann herunterstiegen in die physische Welt, und die aus allen diesen Vorbereitungen den Drang erhalten sollten, hinzugehen zu dem, was dann als Anthroposophie auf Erden wirken soll.

Denken Sie nur, an alledem nahmen ja teil die großen Lehrer von Chartres. Sie sind, wie Sie aus meiner Darstellung der letzten Zeit wissen, noch nicht wieder herabgestiegen. Sie haben diejenigen Seelen vorausgeschickt, die dann vorzugsweise im Dominikanerorden gewirkt haben, nachdem sie zuerst eine Art Konferenz mit ihnen abgehalten haben um die Wende des 12. und 13. Jahrhunderts.

Dann sind ja alle diese Seelen wieder zusammengekommen: diejenigen, die in Chartres uralte Lehren verkündet hatten mit Feuermund, und diejenigen, die gerungen haben in der kältesten, aber herzergebenen Arbeit um das Erringen des Sinnes der Intelligenz in der Scholastik. Sie gehörten alle zu den Scharen des Michael, die in der angedeuteten Lehrschule lernten. Und die anderen waren Seelen, wie ich sie Ihnen charakterisiert habe in den zwei Gruppen, die ich dargestellt habe.

Wir haben diese Lehrschule des Michael. Wir haben den imaginativen Kultus, dessen Wirkungen ich Ihnen auch angedeutet habe, im Beginne des 19. Jahrhunderts. Wir haben das Bedeutsame, daß mit dem Ende der siebziger Jahre die Herrschaft des Michael wieder beginnt, daß Michael sich anschickt, wiederum in Empfang zu nehmen unten auf der Erde die Intelligenz, die ihm in der Zwischenzeit entsunken ist. Diese Intelligenz muß michaelisch werden. Und verstehen muß man den Sinn des neuen Michael-Zeitalters. Diejenigen, die heute mit dem Drang zu solcher Spiritualität kommen, welche schon die Intelligenz in sich enthält, wie das in der anthroposophischen Bewegung der Fall ist, sie sind heute gewissermaßen Seelen, die eben nach ihrem Karma im heutigen Zeitalter da sind, die dasjenige auf der Erde zu beachten haben, was im beginnenden Michael-Zeitalter auf der Erde geschieht. Und sie hängen zusammen mit all denen, die noch nicht wieder herunter gekommen sind; sie hängen vor allen Dingen zusammen mit denjenigen, die aus der platonischen Strömung unter Führung des Bernardus Silvestris, des Alanus ab Insulis und der anderen noch droben geblieben sind im übersinnlichen Dasein.

Aber diejenigen, die heute mit wahrer innerer Herzenshingabe Anthroposophie aufnehmen können, die sich mit Anthroposophie verbinden können, sie haben den Impuls in sich, aus dem, was sie erlebt haben im Übersinnlichen im Beginne des 15. und im Beginne des 19. Jahrhunderts, zusammen mit allen den anderen, die seither nicht wieder heruntergekommen waren, mit dem Ende des 20. Jahrhunderts auf der Erde zu erscheinen. Bis dahin wird vorbereitet sein durch anthroposophische Spiritualität dasjenige, was dann aus der Gemeinsamkeit heraus verwirklicht werden soll als die völlige Offenbarung dessen, was übersinnlich durch die genannten Strömungen vorbereitet worden ist.

Meine lieben Freunde, der Anthroposoph sollte das in sein Bewußtsein aufnehmen, sollte sich klar sein darüber, wie er berufen ist, schon jetzt vorzubereiten, was immer mehr und mehr als Spiritualität sich ausbreiten soll, bis die Kulmination kommen wird, wo die wahren Anthroposophen wieder dabei sein werden, aber vereinigt mit den anderen, am Ende des 20. Jahrhunderts. Bewußtsein soll der wahre Anthroposoph haben, daß es sich heute darum handelt, teilnehmend hineinzuschauen und mitzuarbeiten an dem Kampf zwischen Ahriman und Michael. Nur dadurch, daß eine solche Spiritualität, wie sie durch die anthroposophische Bewegung fließen will, sich vereinigt mit anderen Geistesströmungen, wird Michael diejenigen Impulse finden, die ihn mit der irdisch gewordenen Intelligenz, die eigentlich ihm gehört, wieder vereinigen werden.

Es wird nun noch meine Aufgabe sein, Ihnen zu zeigen, mit welch raffinierten Mitteln Ahriman das verhindern will, in welchem scharfen Kampfe dieses 20. Jahrhundert steht. Des Ernstes der Zeiten, des Mutes, der notwendig ist, um in richtiger Art in spirituelle Strömungen sich einzugliedern, kann man sich aus all diesen Dingen heraus bewußt werden. Aber indem man diese Dinge in sich aufnimmt, indem man sich sagt: Du Menschenseele, du kannst dazu berufen werden, wenn du verstehst, mitzuwirken an der Sicherung der Michael-Herrschaft - kann zu gleicher Zeit das entstehen, was man nennen möchte einen hingebenden inneren Jubel der menschlichen Seele, so kraftvoll sein zu dürfen. Aber die Stimmung zu dieser mutvollen Kraft, zu diesem kräftigen Mut muß man finden. Denn geschrieben steht über uns mit übersinnlichen Lettern: Werdet euch bewußt, daß ihr ja wiederkommen werdet vor dem Ende des 20. Jahrhunderts und am Ende dieses 20. Jahrhunderts, das ihr aber vorbereitet habt! Werdet euch bewußt, wie das dann sich ausgestalten kann, was ihr vorbereitet habt!

Sich zu wissen in diesem Kampfe, sich zu wissen in dieser Entscheidung zwischen Michael und Ahriman, das ist etwas, was zu dem gehört, meine lieben Freunde, das man anthroposophischen Enthusiasmus, anthroposophische Begeisterung nennen kann.

Seventh Lecture

This lecture, as you will assume, must be a continuation of the observations that have been made here about the inner development in the karma of the Anthroposophical Society. We have followed the events in the physical and superphysical world which underlie what Anthroposophy is currently trying to make known to the world. We know, my dear friends, that there have been two important turning points in the development of humanity in the last few decades. The first is the one I have often pointed out: the end of the so-called Dark Ages at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. A light age has begun in contrast to the dark age. We know that this dark age has led to that state of the human soul which closes people's spiritual eyes to the supersensible world. We know that in ancient times of human development it was a general condition of man to look into the spiritual world, even if in a dreamlike way, even if more or less instinctively. To doubt the reality of the spiritual world was quite impossible in older times of human development. But if this state had continued, if mankind had lived on in this instinctive looking into the spiritual world, then that which can be called the intelligence of the individual human being, the use of the intellect, of reason by the individual, by the personal human being, would not have arisen in the development of mankind. And this is linked to what leads man to freedom of will. The one is not conceivable without the other.

In that dull, instinctive state of experiencing the spiritual world, as it once existed, man cannot attain freedom. Nor can he attain that independent thinking which can be called the use of intelligence by the individual human being.

Both had to come once: the free personal use of intelligence, the freedom of the human will. Therefore, the original, instinctive insight into the spiritual world had to darken for the human consciousness. This has all been accomplished, if not quite clearly for each individual human being, at least for mankind in general; so that with the end of the 19th century this dark age, which darkens the spiritual world but opens up the use of intelligence and free will, has now come to an end. We are entering an age in which the real spiritual world is to approach man again in the ways in which this is possible.

It can certainly be said that this age has not begun in a very bright way. It is as if the first decades of the 20th century in particular had brought everything bad upon humanity that humanity has ever experienced in the course of history. But that, in turn, does not prevent the possibility of penetrating into the light of spiritual life having generally entered human development. And it is just that people have simply, I would like to say, as if by inertia, retained the habits of the Dark Ages, that these carry over into the 20th century and that, because it could become full of light for the truth, they are worse than they were before, where they were justified, in the Dark Ages, in the Kali Yuga.

Now we also know that this turning of all mankind towards an age of light was prepared by the fact that the Michael Age began at the end of the seventies of the 19th century. Let us imagine what it means to say that the Michael Age began in the last third of the 19th century.

We must realize that just as we are surrounded by the three kingdoms of outer nature, the mineral kingdom, the vegetable kingdom and the animal kingdom in the physical-sensual world, we are surrounded by the higher kingdoms in the spiritual world, which we have already described as the kingdoms of the hierarchies in the most diverse contexts. Just as we come to the animal kingdom when we descend into the kingdoms of nature from man, so we come to the kingdom of the Angeloi when we ascend into the supersensible. The Angeloi have the task of guiding and protecting individual human beings as they pass from one earthly life to another. So that the tasks, which arise for the spiritual world with regard to the individual human beings, are incumbent on the beings from the kingdom of the Angeloi.

When we then come up into the kingdom of the Archangeloi, these Archangeloi have the most different tasks. But one of these tasks is to direct and guide the basic tendencies of the successive ages in relation to human beings. Thus, for about three centuries up to the end of the seventies of the last century, what can be called the rule of Gabriel prevailed. For those who do not look at the development of mankind on the surface, as we are accustomed to do today, but in the depths, this dominion of Gabriel manifested itself in the fact that tremendously significant impulses for events in mankind were transferred to those forces which can be called hereditary forces. Never have the forces of physical heredity, which work through the generations, been so significant as in the last three centuries before the last third of the 19th century.

This was expressed by the fact that the problem of heredity became a pressing problem in the 19th century, that mankind felt how mental and spiritual qualities in man are dependent on heredity. People finally learned to feel what had been a natural law in the development of mankind in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries and for a large part of the 19th century.

During this time, people also brought into their spiritual development those qualities that they had inherited from their parents and foreparents. At this time all the qualities connected with physical reproduction became particularly important. Again, an outward sign of this is the interest that was shown in reproductive issues, and all sexual issues in general, at the end of the 19th century. The most important spiritual impulses came to mankind in those centuries in such a way that they sought to be realized through physical heredity.

In complete contrast to this will be the age in which Michael directs and guides humanity, which began at the end of the seventies of the last century, in which we stand, and which combines its impulses with what we are now also getting to know as the age of light beginning in the 20th century. These two impulse currents interact with each other. Today we first want to look at what is characteristic of a Michael Age. I say a Michael Age: for you see, with this guidance and leadership of which I have just spoken, it is so that for about three centuries one of the beings from the realm of the Archangeloi has the spiritual leadership of human development in that area where civilization is taking place in an outstanding way.

As I said, Gabriel had the leadership in the 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th century. He is now being replaced by Michael. There are seven such Archangeloi who guide humanity in such a way that the individual guidance by the Archangeloi is repeated cyclically. Living today in the Michael Age, we all have cause to remember the last Michael Age that was once present in the leadership of humanity. This Michael Age, which preceded the foundation of Christianity, which preceded the Mystery of Golgotha, ended in antiquity with the deeds of Alexander and the foundation of Aristotle's philosophy.

If we follow everything that happened in Greece, in the area around Greece in pre-Christian times up to the time of Alexander the Great, up to the time of Aristotle, through three centuries, then we also have a Michaelic age there. Such a Michaelic age is characterized by the most diverse conditions, but especially by the fact that in such a Michaelic age the spiritual interests of mankind, depending on the particular disposition that such an age has, will set the tone. In particular, it will be the case that in such an age a cosmopolitan, an international trend will run through the world. National distinctions will cease to exist. It was precisely in the age of Gabriel that national impulses were established within European civilization and its American appendage.

In our Michael Age they will be completely overcome in the course of three centuries. In every Michael Age, there is a general movement through humanity, a general human movement towards the special interests of individual nations or groups of people. At the time when the Michael reign was on earth before the Mystery of Golgotha, this was expressed in the fact that out of the conditions which had developed in Greece there arose that tremendous tendency which led to the Alexander campaigns, in which Greek culture and civilization were spread in an ingenious way into Asia, as far as Africa, by peoples who until then had professed quite different things. The whole immense deed came to a conclusion in what was founded in Alexandria: a cosmopolitan movement that had the ambition to give the spiritual forces that had gathered in Greece to the entire civilized world of that time.

This happens under the impulse of Michael and also happened then under the impulse of Michael. And those beings who were involved in these earthly deeds, which took place in the service of Michael, were not on earth during the time of the Mystery of Golgotha. All those beings who belonged to the realm of Michael, regardless of whether they were human souls who were now raptured into the spiritual world through death after the end of the Michael age, whether they were therefore disembodied human souls or those who never embodied themselves on earth, they were all connected with each other in common life in the supersensible world during the time in which the Mystery of Golgotha took place on earth.

You just have to make it clear to your mind what is actually going on. If one chooses the aspect from the earth, then one says to oneself: Earth humanity has arrived at a certain point in earthly development. The high solar spirit Christ arrives on earth and embodies himself in the man Jesus of Nazareth. The inhabitants of earth have the experience that Christ, the high sun spirit, arrives with them. They do not know much that could cause them to appreciate this event in the appropriate way.

The disembodied souls who are around Michael and who live in the orbit, in the realm of sun existence in supernatural worlds, appreciate all the more what happened for them from the other aspect. They experienced what happened for the world at that time from the sun. And they experienced how the Christ, who until then had worked within the solar realm, so that he could only be reached from the Mysteries by rising into the solar realm, took leave of the sun in order to unite with earthly humanity on earth.

This was an enormous, tremendous event especially for those beings who belong to the Michael community, because this Michael community has its special connection with everything that is cosmic destiny emanating from the sun. They had to say farewell to the Christ, who until then had his place in the sun, who from then on was to take his place on earth. That is the other aspect.

At the same time, however, something else was connected with this. You can only assess this in the right way if you consider the following. The people of the old ages were not able to think like this, to live in thoughts that emerge from within. They were wise under certain circumstances, infinitely wiser than modern mankind, but they were not clever in the sense of what we call clever today. Today we call a person clever who can produce thoughts from within himself, who can think logically, who can connect one thought with another and so on. That didn't exist back then. Independently generated thoughts did not exist in ancient times. Thoughts were sent down to earth at the same time as the revelations that came to us from the spiritual world. One did not think, but received the spiritual content through revelation, but one received it in such a way that thoughts were present. Today one thinks about things; in those days the spiritual impressions brought the thoughts with them, the thoughts were inspired thoughts, not self-conceived thoughts. And the one who ordered the cosmic intelligence that came to humanity in this way with the spiritual revelations, the one who in particular had, so to speak, dominion over this cosmic intelligence, is precisely the spiritual being that we, if we use Christian terminology, call the Archangel Michael. He had the administration of the cosmic intelligence in the cosmos.

You just have to realize what that means. For although in a somewhat different context of ideas, a man like Alexander the Great, for example, had a clear awareness that his thoughts came to him through Michael. Certainly, the corresponding spiritual entity was called something else. We are using Christian terminology here, but the terminology is not the point. A man like Alexander the Great saw himself as nothing other than a missionary of Michael, as an instrument of Michael. He could not think otherwise than that: Michael actually acts on earth, and I am the one through whom he acts. That was the view. That also gave him the power of will to act. And a thinker at that time could not think any differently than this: Michael works in him and gives him the thoughts.

Connected with this descent of the Christ to earth was this, that now Michael with his own not only saw this farewell of the Christ from the sun, but he saw above all how the dominion over the cosmic intelligence gradually fell away from him, Michael. At that time one could see quite clearly from the sun that things would no longer come to man from the spiritual world with their intelligent content, but that man himself would one day have to attain his intelligence on earth. It was an incisive, a significant event to see intelligence streaming down to earth, so to speak. It was gradually no longer - if I may use the expression - found in the heavens, it was let down to earth.

And this was particularly true in the first Christian centuries. We see how, in the first Christian centuries, the people who were able to do this still had at least some insight into what flowed to them from the supernatural revelations with the content of intelligence. This continued until the 8th, 9th century after Christ. Then came the great decision. Then the decision came in such a way that Michael and his people, regardless of whether they were embodied or disembodied, had to say to themselves: People on earth are beginning to become intelligent, to bring their own minds out of themselves; but the cosmic intelligence can no longer be managed by Michael. Michael felt the control of the cosmic intelligence slipping away from him. And down below, if you looked at the earth, you saw how from the 8th, 9th century onwards this intelligent age began and people began to form their own thoughts.

Now I have shown you how in individual special schools, for example in the great school of Chartres, the traditions of that which once, immersed in cosmic intelligence, revealed itself to mankind were propagated. I have shown you all that was accomplished in this school of Chartres, especially in the 12th century, and I have also tried to show you how the administration of intelligence on earth was passed on to individual members of the Dominican Order. Just take a look at the works that grew out of Christian scholasticism, that wonderful intellectual current that is completely misjudged today by both its supporters and its opponents because it is not regarded as the main thing. Look at how people struggle to recognize what concepts actually mean, what the intelligent content actually means for humanity and for the things of the world. The great dispute between nominalism and realism developed within the Dominican Order in particular. Some see only names in the general concepts, others see spiritual content in the general concepts, which is revealed in things.

The whole scholasticism is a struggle of men for clarity about the incoming intelligence. No wonder that the main interest of those who were around Michael turned precisely to what was unfolding on earth as scholasticism. We see in what Thomas Aquinas and his disciples, what other scholastics assert, the earthly manifestation of what was then the Michael current. Michael current: administration of the intelligence, the luminous, the spiritual intelligence.

Now it was on earth, this intelligence. Now it was necessary to clarify its meaning. Seen from the spiritual world, one could see below on earth how that which belongs to the realm of Michael was now unfolding below, apart from the dominion of Michael, just at the beginning of the dominion of Gabriel. Initiatory wisdom, Rosicrucian wisdom, as it then spread, consisted in the fact that one had some clarity about these relationships. Especially at this time it is important to look at the way in which the earthly is connected with the supersensible. For the earthly appears as if it were in a sense detached from the supersensible - but it is connected! And you can see from what I have presented in the last few hours how it is connected. I can now only summarize that which are supersensible facts in images, in imaginations. You can't describe it in abstract terms, you have to describe it pictorially. That is why I must describe what happened at the beginning of the age in which the consciousness soul and thus intelligence was integrated into humanity.

It had already been several centuries since Michael had seen that which was formerly cosmic intelligence arrive on earth in the 9th century AD. And he saw it flowing away on earth, flowing away now especially in scholasticism. That was below. But he collected those who belonged to his sphere in the solar region, he collected them, whether they were human souls who were just in the life between death and a new birth, he also collected those who belonged to his sphere and who never found their development in human bodies, but who had a certain connection with humanity. You can imagine that there were especially those human souls whom I have mentioned to you as the great teachers of Chartres. Alanus ab Insulis was one of the most important of those who had to perform their deeds in the supersensible worlds among the hosts of Michael at the beginning of the 15th century. But all the others whom I have mentioned to you as belonging to the school of Chartres were also united with those who had already arrived again in the life between death and a new birth, who came from the Dominican order; souls belonging to the Platonic current were intimately united with those souls belonging to the Aristotelian current. These souls had gone through everything that Michael impulses are. Many of these souls lived in such a way that they had experienced the Mystery of Golgotha not from the earth aspect, but from the aspect of the sun. At that time, at the beginning of the 15th century, they were in significant situations in the supersensible world.

There, under the guidance of Michael, something arose - we must use earthly terms - that could be called a supersensible school. What had once been Michael-mystery, that which had been proclaimed to the initiates in the old Michael-mysteries, that which now had to be changed because the intelligence from the cosmos had found its way to earth, was summarized in tremendously significant features by Michael himself for those whom he now gathered in this supersensible Michael-school at the beginning of the 15th century. Everything that had once lived in the solar mysteries as Michael-wisdom came to life again in the supersensible worlds. There was then summarized in a grandiose way what had been Platonism in its Aristotelian continuation and had been brought over to Asia and down to Egypt by Alexander the Great. It was explained how the old spirituality still lived in there. There all the souls who were always connected with that current of which I am now speaking through individual lessons, those souls who are predestined to belong to the anthroposophical movement, to shape their karma for the anthroposophical movement, took part in that supersensible school of teaching. For everything that was taught there was taught from the point of view that the Michael-like must now be formed in a different way in the development of humanity below, through the human soul's own intelligence.

It was pointed out how at the end of the 19th century, in the last third of the 19th century, Michael himself would take up his reign again on earth, how a new Michael age would begin after the six other Archangeloi had exercised their various reigns in the meantime, since the time of Alexander, but a Michael age that had to become different like the others. For these other Michael-ages were just such that the cosmic intelligence always lived itself out in the general human. But now - as Michael once said to his disciples in the supersensible - the Michael Age will be something quite different. That which Michael has administered for mankind through the eons, that which he inspired into earthly existence, has been lost to him. He will find it again when he takes up his reign on earth at the end of the seventies of the 19th century. He will find it again in that an intelligence initially stripped of spirituality will have taken hold among men below; but he will find it again in a special state; he will find it again in such a way that it is exposed to the strongest degree to the ahrimanic forces. For at the same time that the intelligence sank from the cosmos to earth, the aspiration of the Ahrimanic powers grew more and more to wrest this cosmic intelligence, by making it earthly, from Michael, to assert it on earth alone, Michael-free.

This was the great crisis from the beginning of the 15th century until today. This was the great crisis from the beginning of the 15th century until today, the crisis in which we still stand, the crisis that expresses itself as the fight of Ahriman against Michael: Ahriman, who spends everything to wrest the dominion over the intelligence from Michael, which had now become earthly - Michael, who endeavors, with all impulses he has, now, after the dominion over the intelligence had slipped away from him, to seize it again at the beginning of his earthly dominion from the year 1879 onwards on earth. The development of humanity in the last third of the 19th century stood in this decision. There the earlier cosmic intelligence had become earthly, there was Ahriman, who wanted to make this intelligence completely earthly, so that it would become continuous in the way it had been introduced in the Gabrielic Age. This intelligence was to become entirely earthly, it was to be only a matter of the human blood community, a matter of generational succession, a matter of reproductive powers. Ahriman wanted all that.

Michael descended to earth. He could only find again on earth that which once had to take its course in the meantime, so that men might come to intelligence and freedom, so that he must now seize it on earth, so that within the earth he again becomes ruler over the intelligence, which, however, now works within mankind. Ahriman towards Michael, Michael put into the necessity to defend against Ahriman what he administered through aeons in favor of mankind - mankind is in this struggle. To be an anthroposophist means, among many other things, to understand this struggle at least to a certain degree. And it shows itself everywhere. Its actual form is behind the scenes of historical becoming, but everywhere it shows itself in the facts that lie in what is revealed.

My dear friends, those souls who were then in the supersensible school of Michael, they took part in the teachings which I have just briefly outlined to you, which consisted in the repetition of what had been taught in the solar mysteries since ancient times, which consisted in the prophetic anticipation of what is to happen when the new world is born, They consisted in the prophetic anticipation of what is to happen when the new Michael Age begins, they consisted in the rapturous exhortations that those who are around Michael may throw themselves into the Michael current, may take up the impulses, so that the intelligence may again be united with the Michael entity.

While these wonderful, these grandiose teachings in that supersensible school, directed by Michael himself, went to the corresponding souls, these souls took part in a tremendous event which only shows itself after long periods of time within the development of our cosmos. As I have already indicated, when we speak of the Divine, we are pointing upwards from the earth into the supersensible world. But when we are in the life between death and a new birth, we are actually pointing down to earth - but not to the physical earth; something mighty, grandiose, divine-spiritual is revealed there. And just at this beginning of the 15th century, when this school of which I spoke made its beginning, when numerous souls in the realm of Michael took part in this school, there one could see at the same time something which, as I said, only repeats itself after long, long periods of time in the cosmic becoming: One saw, as it were, looking down upon the earth, how seraphim, cherubim and thrones, that is, the members of the highest, the first hierarchy, accomplish a mighty deed.

It was in the first third of the 15th century, at the time when the Rosicrucian School was founded behind the scenes of modern development. Otherwise, if one looks down from the life one has between death and the new birth to the earthly world, one sees the seraphim, cherubim and thrones performing their deeds evenly. One sees how the seraphim, cherubim and thrones carry the spiritual from the realm of the exusiai, dynamis and kyriotetes down into the physical, implanting the spiritual into the physical through their power. From this, which one usually sees in the progress of becoming, something grandiosely deviating always appears after great periods of time: It was most recently in the Atlantean period that something like this also appeared from the aspect of the supersensible. What is happening there in humanity is shown by the fact that now, from the spiritual world, one sees the earth in its regions shot through with lightning, by hearing mighty rolling thunder. It was, so to speak, one of those world thunderstorms - for the people of the earth quite as if they were asleep, for the spirits who were around Michael they showed themselves powerfully.

There was something powerful behind what took place historically in human souls at the beginning of the 15th century. This power manifested itself just as the Michael disciples were receiving their teachings in the supersensible. Finally, during the Atlantean period, when the cosmic intelligence had remained cosmic but had taken possession of the human heart, something similar happened, which for the present region, the earthly region, was now again discharged in spiritual lightning and thunder. Yes, it was like that. In the age that now experienced the earthly upheavals, in which the Rosicrucians spread, in which all kinds of strange things happened, which you could follow in history, in this age the earth appeared to the spirits in the supersensible to be ravaged by mighty thunderbolts and lightnings. That was when the seraphim, cherubim and thrones transferred the cosmic intelligence into that part of the human organization which is the nerve-sense organization, the head organization.

An event had happened again which does not yet show itself clearly today, will only show itself in the course of centuries and millennia, and consists in the fact that man is completely reshaped. Man was previously a man of the heart. Afterwards man has become a man of the head. Intelligence becomes his own intelligence. Seen from the supersensible, this is something tremendously significant. All that is seen there which lies in power and strength in the realm of the first Hierarchy, in the realm of the Seraphim and Cherubim, who express and reveal their power and strength by the fact that they not only administer the spiritual in the spiritual, like the Dynamis, the Exusiai, the Kyriotetes, but carry the spiritual into the physical, make the spiritual the creative of the physical. These seraphim, cherubim and thrones had to accomplish deeds which, as I said, only repeat themselves after eons. And one would like to say: what was taught by Michael to his own at that time was proclaimed with thunder and lightning down there in the earthly worlds. This was to be understood, for these thunderings and lightnings, my dear friends, were to become enthusiasm in the hearts, in the minds of the anthroposophists! And he who really has the urge for anthroposophy, he still has it unconsciously today - people know nothing of it yet, they will come to know it - he has today the after-effects in his soul of the fact that he then absorbed that heavenly anthroposophy in Michael's circle which preceded the earthly one. For the teachings which Michael gave were those which at that time prepared what was to become anthroposophy on earth.

And so we have a double supersensible preparation for what is to become anthroposophy on earth: That preparation in the great supersensible school of teaching from the 15th century onwards; then that which I have described to you, which took shape in the supersensible as an imaginative cult at the end of the 18th century, at the beginning of the 19th century, where what the Michael disciples had learned at that time in the supersensible school of teaching was developed in powerful imaginative pictures. In this way the souls were prepared who then descended into the physical world and who were to receive from all these preparations the urge to go towards what was then to work on earth as anthroposophy.

Just think, the great teachers of Chartres took part in all this. As you know from my account of recent times, they have not yet descended again. They sent ahead those souls who then worked primarily in the Dominican Order, after first holding a kind of conference with them at the turn of the 12th and 13th centuries.

Then all these souls came together again: those who had proclaimed ancient teachings with mouths of fire in Chartres, and those who had struggled in the coldest but most heartfelt labor to attain the sense of intelligence in scholasticism. They all belonged to the flocks of Michael who studied in the school of learning indicated. And the others were souls as I have characterized them for you in the two groups I have presented.

We have this school of Michael. We have the imaginative cult, the effects of which I have also indicated to you, at the beginning of the 19th century. We have the significant fact that with the end of the seventies the reign of Michael begins again, that Michael is preparing to receive again down on earth the intelligence that has in the meantime slipped away from him. This intelligence must become Michaelic. And the meaning of the new Michael age must be understood. Those who come today with the urge to such spirituality, which already contains the intelligence in itself, as is the case in the anthroposophical movement, they are today, so to speak, souls who are there according to their karma in the present age, who have to observe on earth what is happening on earth in the beginning Michael age. And they are connected with all those who have not yet come down again; they are above all connected with those who from the Platonic current under the leadership of Bernardus Silvestris, Alanus ab Insulis and the others have still remained above in the supersensible existence.

But those who today can accept anthroposophy with true inner devotion of heart, who can connect with anthroposophy, have the impulse within themselves to appear on earth at the end of the 20th century from what they experienced in the supersensible at the beginning of the 15th and the beginning of the 19th century, together with all the others who have not come down again since then. By then, anthroposophical spirituality will have prepared that which is then to be realized out of the commonality as the complete revelation of that which has been prepared supersensibly by the aforementioned currents.

My dear friends, the anthroposophist should take this into his consciousness, should be clear about how he is already now called to prepare what is to spread more and more as spirituality, until the culmination will come, where the true anthroposophists will be there again, but united with the others, at the end of the 20th century. The true anthroposophist should be aware that today it is a matter of looking in and participating in the battle between Ahriman and Michael. Only by uniting such a spirituality, as it wants to flow through the anthroposophical movement, with other spiritual currents, will Michael find those impulses that will reunite him with the intelligence that has become earthly, which actually belongs to him.

It will now still be my task to show you with what ingenious means Ahriman wants to prevent this, in which fierce battle this 20th century stands. One can become aware of the seriousness of the times, of the courage that is necessary in order to integrate oneself into spiritual currents in the right way, from all these things. But by taking these things into oneself, by saying to oneself: You human soul, you can be called to this if you understand how to participate in securing Michael's rule - at the same time there can arise what one would like to call a surrendering inner rejoicing of the human soul to be allowed to be so powerful. But one must find the mood for this courageous strength, for this powerful courage. For it is written above us in supernatural letters: Be aware that you will return before the end of the 20th century and at the end of this 20th century, which you have prepared! Become aware of how that which you have prepared can then take shape!

Knowing yourselves in this struggle, knowing yourselves in this decision between Michael and Ahriman, that is something that belongs, my dear friends, to what one can call anthroposophical enthusiasm, anthroposophical enthusiasm.