Donate books to help fund our work. Learn more→

The Rudolf Steiner Archive

a project of Steiner Online Library, a public charity

Awareness - Life - Form
GA 89

1903/04

Draft of a spiritual-scientific cosmology

Human existence is at a number of different levels of consciousness today. The ordinary state is the one in which we are from waking up to going to sleep. In this state we perceive things through the senses and develop ideas based on our sensory perceptions. The physical world exists for us because of this, and our powers of soul, our thinking, feeling, will intent and actions relate to this world.

Two other states of consciousness regularly take the place of the one above—dream-filled sleep and deep, dreamless sleep. These are often referred to as ‘unconscious’, but the term masks the true situation. In reality they are merely different kinds of consciousness. We might call them dimmer forms of consciousness.

Dream-filled sleep does not present objects, the way waking daytime consciousness does, but images which arise in the soul and pass away again. In the light of our ordinary consciousness, these images may seem highly confusing, yet if we gain clarity about their essential nature they can take us more deeply into the nature of the world. The way they present themselves in the soul’s night-time life cannot provide a proper basis for perceptive insight into them. This only arises for someone who develops his higher powers of insight, as described in this book,1This was not included in the fragment. Instead, a series of essays on ‘How to Know Higher Worlds’ (published in book form in 1909) began to appear in Lucifer Gnosis in June 1904; the inner training is also described in Occult Science. which will give him insight into the worlds that lie beyond the one perceived by the senses. In this chapter, a description will be given of the true facts relating to those higher worlds. Anyone who follows the way that leads to insight into these regions will then also find these facts to be true.

The first thing to strike one when it comes to the world of dreams is the allegorical character of its images. This can emerge clearly if we pay reasonably subtle attention to the colourful richness and variety of dream events. This world, which passes fleetingly through the soul, offers all intermediate stages from simple allegory to dramatic event. You dream of a conflagration; you wake up and find that you had gone to sleep by the lamp. The light of the lamp was perceived in your dream, not the way it appears to the senses in the ordinary world but as an allegorical conflagration. Or you dream that you hear a group of horsemen ride past. You wake up, and the sound of the horses’ hooves merges into the striking of the clock which has thus found an allegorical form. You dream of an animal scratching the side of your face. You wake up and find that you feel pain in that area; this pain had found its own allegory in your dream. A longer dream might be something like this. Someone dreams he is walking through woods. He hears a sound. As he moves on, someone emerges from some bushes and attacks him. A struggle ensues and the attacker shoots. At that moment the dreamer wakes up and finds that he has just knocked over the chair beside his bed. The chair hitting the floor had been transformed into the allegorical action in his dream consciousness. External events or also internal ones, as in the example of the scratching animal, may be perceived as allegories through the dream. Affects and moods may also take this form. Thus someone may have an oppressive feeling that something unpleasant is going to happen during the next few days. In his dream the feeling comes to expression in that he finds himself in danger of drowning.

The above examples characterize two qualities of dream-level consciousness—an image nature and something creative within this. Our daytime consciousness does not have this creative quality. It presents the objects that surround us the way they are in the physical world outside. Consciousness at dream level adds something which comes from a different source.

What causes this source to open up? Nothing else but that the function of the senses, on which daytime consciousness depends, has ceased in sleep. It has fallen silent, which is evident from the fact that the human being no longer has self awareness. This self-awareness is bound up with the function of the physical senses; when these fall silent, it goes down into an abyss. In the science of the spirit we refer to this by saying that the human soul has withdrawn from the physical world. Unless you want to insist that human beings cease to exist on going to sleep and are recreated on waking up, you will not find it difficult to realize that in their sleep human beings exist in a world which is not the physical world. This world is called the astral world. For the moment readers may take this term to be a name for the world of which human beings get something of an idea through their dreams. Other chapters in this book will give the term its full justification.2Those other chapters were never written.

In their dreams, human beings are in the astral world. The realities and entities of this world appear in images. The conscious mind perceives these images; but human beings have no self-awareness. An analogy from everyday life can give an idea of what the situation is. Human beings only perceive the world around them in so far as they have the organs for doing so. If they had no ears there’d be no world of sound for them, nor a world of light and colour without eyes, and so on. If human beings were to develop a new organ in their bodies, something completely new would also appear in their environment, just as light and colour appear as something completely new for someone who was born blind and has had an operation.

Just as the human physical body perceives the physical world through its organs, so does another body—a soul body—perceive the other, astral world through its own organs when we dream. It is merely that there is no self-awareness with this body. self-awareness is outside the human sphere when we are in this state.

If it were impossible for human self-awareness to arise in this state as well, we would never be able to see through the conditions which pertain here. It is however possible with the higher training, also called initiation, which has been mentioned above and is described in this book. With it we learn to develop organs in the astral body when we are in the dream state, and these are similar to the organs our physical body has for the perception of the physical world. Once these organs have developed, a self-awareness arises during the dream which is similar to the self-awareness we have in our waking life. Once this level of existence is reached the whole world of our dreams will also change to a considerable degree. It will lose the confusing richness of variety which it has in the ordinary sleeper, with an inner order and harmony taking its place which is not just the equal of our ordinary physical world but goes well beyond it with regard to these qualities. Human beings then realize that another world has always existed around them, just as the world of light and colour exists around someone who is blind. They merely were not able to see it because they did not have the organs for it, just as a blind person cannot see the world of light and colour before his operation. The significant moment when the astral organs of perception begin to function in a person is called the ‘awakening’ or ‘rebirth’ in occult science.

At this moment of awakening the individual finds himself surrounded by a higher world where things he knew before in the world of the senses have different qualities and, what is more, facts and entities exist that were unknown to him before. He will now also realize that this other world holds the images out of which the objects in the world perceived through the senses take form. It is not a bad idea to compare the way in which the physical world arises from the astral world with the way ice forms in water. Just as ice is transformed water, so the physical world is transformed astral world. And just as water is always in a state of flux, so we have the astral world as a constantly changing world of images which lies behind the physical world. The astral forms do not have the firm definition and contours we know in the ordinary world. Everything is in flux and changing. And a physical object or entity only arises as if such a flowing image were to be frozen, in a way, for a moment. Anyone wanting to apply the ideas of the physical world with its clearly defined outlines to the astral region would merely show that he does not have real insight into this world, which is of a completely different kind.

Just as the entities of the physical world are embodied in a physical body, so are the astral images a reflection of entities which do not enter into the physical world. They come to expression in a different kind of matter than does the human being living in the physical world and coming to expression in flesh and blood.

What is the nature of this astral matter? It is indeed a form of matter which human beings also have in them. It is merely that in waking everyday life it is covered over, as it were, by ideas based on the world of the senses. Human desires, wishes and dislikes, sympathies and antipathies relate to the things perceived through the senses. People desire one object and reject another. It is nowhere else but in these desires, wishes and dislikes that the source must be sought on which the state of consciousness we have in our dreams also draws when objects are transformed into allegories. The self-awareness we have by day gives our desires and wishes the nourishment they require, taking it from perceptions gained in the outside world. If the activities of the outer senses fall silent, a different, creative power comes into play and creates the images from material consisting of wishes and desires. In occult science it is said that the dreaming human being is in an astral body woven of wishes and desires and that the physical body is then without self awareness. As to initiates, or those who have been awakened, they, too, have left their physical bodies, but their self-awareness resides in their astral bodies. Just as the physical body is able to convey perception of physical things because its organs are made of the same material as the physical world, so is the initiate able to perceive the entities of the astral world because he has organs made of the material of the wishes and desires in which those entities come to expression.

The difference between non-initiates and initiates is that the astral world does not become visible to the former as an outside world, whilst it does so for the latter. This astral world remains mere inner world for those who are not awakened; they live it in their wishes and desires; but they do not see them. The initiate does not merely feel a wish; he perceives it as an object in the outside world, just as someone who is not awakened perceives tables and chairs.

The ordinary world of dreams is, however, only a faint echo of the world perceived by the initiate. This is inevitable, as there is no self-awareness involved. Yet where is our self-awareness during a dream? It has withdrawn to a higher world where initially the human being does not exist as such. Our relationship to that world may be shown in an analogy. Think of a human hand and a tool held in that hand. For as long as the hand is holding the tool the two are a whole, as it were. The latter does what the former decides. However, as soon as the hand puts the tool aside, this is left to itself; the movements of the hand merely express the will of the individual to whom the hand belongs. The physical body in daytime waking life should thus be seen as the tool of a limb belonging to a higher spiritual entity. If this extends a limb, as it were, into the physical body, sensory functions and hence self-awareness arise in that body. self-awareness ceases when the limb leaves the body. The inmost essential spirit of the human being, which is capable of self-awareness, is thus a part of a higher spirit which is extended, as it were, for periods of time and clothed in the physical body. We can get an even better idea of this if we consider the extension to go hand in hand with a tying-off process, as if a drop were to separate out from the higher spirit in our waking hours which is then absorbed again during sleep. In their waking hours, human beings are not aware of their connection with a higher spirit; they are thus truly cut off from it. During sleep, they have to be without self-awareness, for it then withdraws into the higher spirit; this absorbs it, and it rests within it.

The world of images vanishes in dreamless sleep. The physical body then seems to be lying there wholly without conscious awareness; in reality, however, its state of conscious awareness is merely one that is dimmer than the one it had in dream-filled sleep. The power to produce images has also left the physical body. Because of this, only the insights gained by individuals who have been awakened can provide insight into this state. Those who have not been awakened lack perceptions of it. For someone who has been awakened, however, the image-producing body, which before this was still loosely connected with the physical body, shows itself to have been lifted out of it. And it is not inactive now but serves to restore the energies of the physical body, which show themselves to have been exhausted when we are tired, doing so to the required level. This explains the refreshing effect of sound sleep. Tired, the physical body falls asleep. At this moment it hands its self awareness over to higher spirits. In the in-between state of dream-filled sleep the soul is still loosely connected with the physical body. The characteristic aspect of this soul is its creative nature. From the moment of waking up, it begins to use its creative powers to make perceptions mediated through the senses part of our inner life. On falling asleep, there are no more sensory perceptions of the outside world. In the in-between state of dreaming the creative element is still active, transforming itself into the allegorical images I have described; then the allegorical images also cease to develop; the soul turns the whole of its creative power to the body, on which it now works from the outside.

Anyone wishing to set the insights presented in occult science aside, would have to realize the nature of the soul’s night-time activity simply from the fact that we feel refreshed when we wake up in the mornings. Daytime life has inharmonious, chaotic qualities. Things from the physical surroundings influence human beings from all sides. First one thing enters into their inner life and then another. This brings the inner creative powers out of the order which is theirs by nature. Order and balance is restored during the night. The soul restores order and harmony. With the life we live by day the physical body gradually comes to look like a body of air with wind currents passing through it from all sides, with different parts of that body of air showing irregular relative movements. On waking up, the physical body may be compared to a body of air set in regular oscillation by the rhythm and harmony of a piece of music. And initiates do indeed perceive the work the soul does on the body during sleep as though it were a penetration with sound. In their sleep, human beings enter into the harmony of the inner life. This is the very harmony out of which they were created. Before the physical body first opened up to the outside world through its sense organs, it was wholly under the influence of this harmony which differentiated it. This is the harmony of soul, the music of the soul, which passes through the whole world. Human beings are surrounded by its sounds just as they are surrounded by the images of which I spoke earlier. This image world is the perceived real environment for those who achieve awakening through inner training, and at an every higher level this is also true for this third world. Sounds begin to arise around them. And in these sounds, the meaning of the world becomes apparent to them. Just as the form of the physical world has arisen from the images, so were these forms given their inner meaning and nature out of the sounds I have described. From this point of view all things are sound become form.

When awake, therefore, the human being is made up of three bodies:

  1. the physical body, which perceives the physical world through organs implanted in it from the outside world and which encompasses self-awareness;

  2. a body which has an inwardly mobile image character; its images are at the same time the archetypes of the physical body, the firmly defined forms of which have arisen, as it were, by becoming still and frozen out of the continually changing images of the second body;

  3. both the physical body and the image body are filled with a harmony of sound, which is a third body. In dream-filled sleep the soul withdraws from the physical body; it remains connected with the other two bodies, sounding throughout the sound body and filling the image body with images. The latter influence the physical body and impart to it dream images that are like shades. In dreamless sleep the soul is connected only with the sound body; the part of it which was in the physical body during waking hours is now outside it and works on it from the outside. This activity which flows from the soul to the physical body produces a level of consciousness which is so dim that the human being does not perceive it.

These in fact are three states of consciousness for the physical body—daytime waking consciousness, the dream state and the dreamless sleep state. The dimness of the last two clears for the initiate; thanks to this he lives in higher worlds just as the unawakened live in the physical world around them in daytime waking life. This gives us five states of consciousness, and in progressive order of clarity they may be listed as follows:

  1. the dreamless sleep state
  2. the dream-filled sleep state
  3. daytime waking consciousness
  4. the initiate’s image level of conscious awareness
  5. the initiate’s level of conscious awareness in sound

If we consider that initiates reach the last two levels as a stage of higher human development with their training in occult science, we realize that daytime waking consciousness is a level which is higher than the two which lie below it and has therefore developed from them. This is taught in occult science. There we learn that in a far distant past the human being went through a stage of evolution where he had only a dim sleep level of consciousness without any dream images; he then rose to a dim state of dream-filled consciousness before he finally arrived at the daytime waking consciousness he has today. Someone preparing for initiation takes this line of evolution further. He develops the two higher forms of conscious awareness.

There is an even higher level of conscious awareness which an initiate may reach. It is evident from the above that at the level of awareness of sound the soul is still connected with the human body. This connection may, however, cease altogether. The soul can leave the body altogether. An initiate learns to do this. If he still wants to perceive something at that point he must have developed organs of a still higher kind. When that is the case, the meaning of the world comes to direct expression in his environment, without sound to mediate it. This level of awareness, which for the time being we’ll call the highest, is called spiritual awareness, or consciousness in pure spirit. If we go back to the list above, this level would have to correspond to a state for the human being where consciousness is even duller than in dreamless sleep. This is in fact the case, in general terms. Human beings of the present age are not yet able to live out this state in reality. The soul would have to be completely out of the body; a wholly soulless state would have to interrupt dreamless sleep. This would in fact mean that the physical body was completely given over to itself, that is, temporarily dead. This is something to which the physical body must not be exposed lest it run the risk of being no longer capable of receiving the soul into itself.

In evolution, however, this state did indeed precede the level of dreamless sleep consciousness. The complete sequence of human levels of consciousness is thus the following:

  1. a low level of consciousness, the dimmest of all
  2. the dreamless sleep state
  3. the dream-filled sleep state
  4. daytime waking consciousness
  5. the initiate’s image level of conscious awareness
  6. the initiate’s level of conscious awareness in sound
  7. spiritual awareness

At the present time, the living human body has only advanced to the fourth level. Initiates can reach the higher kinds of consciousness. These also take them into higher worlds. Human evolution should be thought of, however, as the physical body itself evolving in the first three stages, having now reached a level where it still shows two other forms of conscious awareness in sleep which are remnants of earlier stages. The first stage has become completely obscured in the course of evolution. The three higher stages for initiates cannot yet come to expression in the physical body at the present time because it cannot develop organs for it. They are prophetic advance evidence of forms which the physical body will assume in future.

If we take the above as our basis for getting a real picture of the world as it is today, it is seen to be fourfold—firstly the physical world perceived by the physical senses, then a world of images which surrounds and penetrates this, furthermore a world of sound which is present in every part of those other two, and finally a spiritual world which lies behind it all.

This world was preceded by one in which man lived as in a dream. At that time the condition of his physical body was like the one in which he finds himself in his dream-filled sleep today. His surroundings were like a panorama of shifting images. Nothing was clearly outlined. This condition was at the time interrupted by another which is like our dreamless sleep today, and this in turn gave way to one which can no longer be realized today and was filled with the level of conscious awareness given as the first in the list above.

In a world that existed even earlier, man could not rise to living experience of dream images. The highest level of consciousness was that of dreamless sleep. This condition was interrupted by the lower and most dim consciousness which today has already become obscured; this in turn by a condition which has lost all significance where present-day evolution is concerned.

In the first world of which we hear in occult science, man also did not have the dull consciousness of sleep; the first of the states described above was then the highest; two others which do not come into consideration today, alternated with it.

Thus we look back to evolution in a far distant past; we perceive four stages which the human physical body has gone through. We also look into the future, when the three levels of higher consciousness which today can be reached by initiates will come to realization in the physical world. Our world will yield to a future world where human physical bodies will have organs by which a human being will be able to perceive an forever shifting world of images whilst also having self awareness, and will indeed see himself as such a world. Beyond this we perceive a world where the images will be filled with harmonious sounds expressing their inner nature. Finally we perceive a world that is spiritual by nature but will have poured its spirit out into physical nature.

This is how the evolution of the world is presented in occult science, a world in which humanity goes through its consecutive stages.3Conscious awareness - life - form. These three basic principles, each in 7 stages or metamorphoses, were mentioned here for the first time. See also Cosmic Memory. Atlantis and Lemuria (GA 11), and lectures and lecture courses in the years that followed, up to 1907/08. In a lecture given in Dornach on 27 August 1915, Rudolf Steiner referred to them as follows: ‘Very early on, I drew attention to the fact that to gain an overview of world evolution one must above all consider seven states of conscious awareness—I listed them at the time—as well as seven states of life and seven states of form. There are questions relating to life which can be answered by merely considering changes in form; there are questions we can answer by considering just the metamorphosis of life; but some phenomena, certain facts of life, cannot be answered except by rising to a point where one considers the different states of conscious awareness which apply’ [see Chance, Providence and Necessity, tr. M. Spock; New York: Anthroposophic Press 1988]. See also the lectures given at the end of December 1918, in which the principles of conscious awareness - life - form as shown as stages of initiation. Rudolf Steiner also referred to the way in which the attempt was made to show this in the forms of the First Goetheanum [How Can Mankind Find the Christ Again? tr. 0. D. Wannamaker, F. E. Dawson, G. Hahn; New York: Anthroposophic Press 1984], These stages are given names which have also been applied to the planets which surround the world.4These terms are taken from Rosicrucian occultism. See lecture given in Munich on 20 May 1907 in Bilder okkulter Siegel und Saeulen. Der Muenchner Kongress Pfingsten 1907 und seine Auswirkungen (English in Anthroposophical News Sheet 1948; 16:19-22). In the Theosophical Society people spoke only of seven spheres, rounds and globes. See also Note 18. The stage of development where man was still at the dimmest level of consciousness is called Saturn evolution; the second stage, when man lived in a dreamless sleep level of consciousness, Sun evolution; the third, when the dream level of consciousness arose, the Moon stage; the fourth, which is the present one, with man having fought his way through to clear daytime conscious awareness, Earth evolution. And the stages for the future, when the levels of higher consciousness which initiates are able to reach now will come to physical expression, are consecutively called Jupiter, Venus and Vulcan evolution.

The distinction between the levels of consciousness initiates have and those which humanity will have during those future Jupiter, Venus and Vulcan evolutions lies in the fact that the former must rise to higher worlds in order to live in those states of conscious awareness, whilst future humanity will have them in the physical world. This is because in the case of present-day initiates appropriate organs of perception are created out of the powers of those higher worlds; in future, organs which will be their equal will arise for physical bodies out of the physical environment. The human being can perceive the world around him which provides the material for his organs. In future the physical environment will have creative powers which at present belong only to the higher worlds. We can therefore see the evolution of the world to be such that higher and higher worlds are physically embodied in succession. The Earth is the fourth embodiment. Its physical differentiation is such that it is able to impress the organs for clear daytime consciousness in the organism. In the terms of occult science it evolved from a different physical state where it was only able to impress organs for dream-level consciousness in the body. This state is given the name ‘Moon’. The Earth thus developed out of this Moon by acquiring a new faculty, and that is to develop the organs for daytime waking consciousness. The ‘Moon’ had arisen from the ‘Sun’. What has now become ‘Earth’ was therefore ‘Sun’ at that time. In occult science the term ‘Sun state’ is used for the state where the cosmic body which is in that state is able to create only the organs for dreamless sleep consciousness in a human body. And before the Earth was ‘Sun’ in this sense, it was at the ‘Saturn stage’.

What gives such a cosmic body the power to create the requisite organs in the human body? It would never be able to do this if it were not that these organs were first created in human beings who were ahead of their time with regard to higher worlds. By developing Jupiter organs in advance, today’s initiates are creating the possibility for the image world around us to assume physical character. Images become rigid and assume physical bodily nature because the forms they will assume exist first of all in the spirit. Initiates thus come to reshape the cosmic body on which they dwell. The creative powers which later on will call the objects of humanity’s physical surroundings into existence shine out from them, as it were.

This is how the initiates of the Moon stage created the physical form of the Earth in the spirit before it became physical earth. They perceived the Earth as their object of a higher world.

In occult science, seven great world cycles or periods are known through which the entity is going which at its fourth level is Earth. Each period has to do with a higher development of the human body. From this insight, occult scientists see 'four-foldness’ as something which characterizes the present stage of world evolution.5See Special Note (follows), also lecture given in Berlin on 28 January 1907 (in GA 96; The Lord’s Prayer, tr. A. M. W., rev. M. Cotterel; Anthroposophical Publishing Co. 1958). This refers, for instance, to the ‘four elements’ known to Pythagoras and his school. Four is the number of the ‘macrocosm’, that is, the world which humanity presently inhabits. This has raised humanity to the fourth level of conscious awareness.

The human being is seen as ‘microcosm’ in relation to this ‘macrocosm’ in occult science. His soul already holds the potential for the future physical ‘macrocosm’. He is therefore in the process of expanding his inner ‘microcosm’ into ‘macrocosm’. The creative womb for the latter lies in him. From this point of view, the soul is seen in occult science as a creative seed for the future, an ‘inner’ principle which seeks to come to realization in something that will be something ‘outer’.

To be able to be creative in the outer world this soul must first grow mature. It must have living inner experience of the things to which it will later give outward form. Before the soul had the ability, for instance, of impressing organs for clear daytime consciousness on the physical body, it had to go through a sequence of developmental stages where it gradually acquired this ability. Thus it had to have living experience of the first state of consciousness in itself before it was able to create it; and the same holds true for the other levels of conscious awareness. These stages of development which precede the creation of the different kinds of conscious awareness in the soul are called levels of life in occult science. There are therefore seven levels of life, just as there are seven levels of consciousness. Life differs from conscious awareness in that the former has inner character, whilst the latter depends on a relationship to the outside world.

With reference to the Earth we can say that before the clear daytime state of consciousness developed on it in the human body, this cosmic body had to go through four states which may be seen as four states of life

The levels of the soul’s living experience are found if we think of the outside world as it is perceived in the states of consciousness, being made part of inner life. First we have the dimmest state of consciousness which comes before dreamless sleep. In the latter, the soul works on the body to harmonize it; the corresponding state of life is harmonization of one’s own inner life. It therefore fills itself with a world of sounding movement. Before, in the dimmest state of living experience, it was within an unmoving inner life of its own. It entered wholly into feeling this in an indifference that knew no differentiation. This lowest state of life is called the first elemental world.6See chapter on the physical world and its connection with soul land and spirit land in Theosophy, also lecture given in Berlin on 11 November 1903 (in German) in Über die astrale Welt und das Devachan (GA 88) and lecture given in Munich on 4 December 1907 (GA 98; Engl.: The Elemental Kingdoms publ. in Anthroposophical News Sheet 1946; 4: 13-16). Here, matter is experienced in its original nature. Matter begins to stir and move in all kinds of different directions. Self experience of this mobility is the first level of life and the first elemental world. The second level is reached when rhythm and harmony arise in those movements. The corresponding level of life consists in inwardly becoming aware of rhythm as sound. This is the second elemental world. The third level develops as the movements become images. The soul then lives within itself as though in a world of images that take form and dissolve again. This is the third elemental world. At the fourth level the images assume definite form; individual elements emerge from the shifting panorama. This means that it is no longer only inner living experience, but can be perceived outside. It is the world of outer bodies.

In this world we have to distinguish between the configuration which it has for man’s clear daytime consciousness and the configuration which it experiences within itself. The body truly has living experience within itself of its form, that is, of matter in regular configurations. At the next level, this mere experience of form is overcome; its place is taken by living experience of changing form. Configuration arises and changes. It would be reasonable to say that at this level the third elemental world shows itself in a higher configuration. In the third elemental world the movement from one configuration to another can only be experienced as image; in this, the fifth world, image progresses to becoming a solid external object, but this external object does not come to an end in the form, for it keeps the ability to change. This is the world of growing bodies that reproduce themselves. Its capacity for change shows itself in that very growth and reproduction. In the next world the ability is also gained to have living experience of the way the outer influences the inner. It is the world of sentient entities. The final world to be considered is one with not only inner experience of things outside but of sharing in their inner experience. This is the world of shared inner experience. The sequence for the levels of life is thus as follows:

  1. dim living experience of matter
  2. living experience of inner movement
  3. living experience of inner configuration
  4. living experience of definite boundaries
  5. living experience of changing form
  6. living experience of influence of the outside world as sentience
  7. sharing in the living experience of the outside world

The living inner experience of the soul has to be preceded by the creation of this life. For we cannot have living experience of anything unless it exists. If living inner experience is called soul element in occult science, then the creative element is referred to as spiritual. The [physical body] perceives by means of organs; the soul experiences itself inside; the spirit directs creative activity to the outside. Just as seven soul experiences preceded the seven levels of conscious awareness, so do seven kinds of creative activity precede these experiences in the soul. What corresponds to the dim experience of matter in the creative sphere is the creation of matter. Matter is flowing into the world there in an indifferent way. This sphere is called the sphere of formlessness. At the next level matter differentiates and its parts enter into relationship with one another. We then have different forms of matter which combine and separate. This is called the sphere of form. At the third level matter no longer needs to relate to matter itself; instead, forces develop in matter, forms of matter attract or repel one another, and so on. This is the astral sphere. At the fourth level matter is configured by forces around it; at the third level these had merely regulated external relationships, and now they work into the inner aspect of entities. This is the physical sphere. An entity which is at this level reflects the world around it;7The image of the mirror (see also lecture given in Cologne on 29 December 1907, publ. in German in GA 101) is one of the most important symbols of the spiritual world. It is used many times in the whole of Rudolf Steiner’s works. the forces of that world work on its differentiation.

Further progress means that the entity not only becomes differentiated inwardly in tune with the forces of the surrounding world but also gives itself an outer physiognomy which bears the imprint of this surrounding world. Whereas an entity of the fourth level was a mirror reflection of its surroundings, an entity of the fifth level expressed this surrounding world in its physiognomy. At the sixth level, physiognomy becomes something that flows out. An entity at this level creates things in its surroundings just as it first created itself. This is the level of configuration. At the seventh level configuration becomes creation. The entity which has reached this level creates forms around itself which are on the small scale what that surrounding world is on the large scale. It is the level of creative work.

The evolution of the spiritual principle thus proceeded like this:

  1. formlessness
  2. giving form
  3. embodying strength
  4. configuration in accord with the forces of the surrounding world
  5. capacity for physiognomic expression
  6. power of configuration
  7. creative ability

When Saturn evolution began, the human body was at the level of formlessness. It had to struggle through to creative ability before a soul was able to have its first, living experience of matter in it. This means that the body had to evolve through the seven levels of creative activity; after that, its soul was able to live in all parts of it. The soul then had to reach a point where it can impart its inner movement to the seven forms of the body. The first time the body went through its seven forms it was still quite lifeless itself. It was only at the seventh level, where the body became creative, that its life awoke. And it had to awaken now, for the body expended matter in the process of creation. This the soul had to replace. Then a second cycle started. The matter flowing into the body as a replacement itself went through the seven levels from formlessness to creative ability. Once it had reached that point, the soul no longer limited itself to the living experiences that came with the movement of the matter as it came flowing in but began a new level of life. Having become creative itself, the matter flowing in began to fill the body inwardly. Before, it had always only replaced what had been expended; now it settled in the body. And once again it went through all levels from formlessness to creative ability. It would first be formless when deposited in the body, and then gradually progress to forms, develop powers, configuring structures, giving them physiognomic expression, and so on. During the whole of this cycle the soul went through its third level of life. It harmonized this inner differentiation and made good any disorder that had arisen through the inner processes. Having thus created inner configuration, matter then let the outside world influence it at the fourth level. It was able to do this, for the soul which dwelt in it had now become ready to live with dim awareness in impressions coming from outside and thus restore to order any disorder caused by the outside world. In the next cycle the body no longer just differentiated itself; it assumed a new configuration under the influence of the outside world. The soul had gained the ability to regulate the process of transformation. Then a cycle came where the body perceived the influences of the outside world by being sentient of them. The soul was again the regulator at this level of existence. The body had then reached its final level; it was able to have living experience of the outside world. The soul had reached the point where it anticipated a future level, which would be the next level of conscious awareness in what for Saturn existence was a higher world. It was thus going through the dreamless sleep state in this last Saturn cycle. And in the first Sun cycle it transferred this to the physical body.

It can be seen that during the Saturn period the physical human body went through a physical stage seven times. Each time it arrived at such a stage, the soul had reached a higher level in its living experience. At the seventh stage it went beyond Saturn evolution, so that its inner experience pointed to the Sun stage.

When the Sun cycle began, the physical body had reached the point where it was able to take its own configuration in hand. Before, the soul had regulated configuration; now the body had its own configurer in it. This we call the ether body. The soul was then no longer in direct connection with the physical body; between them was the ether body, acting as a mediator. The soul’s experiences were now the ether body’s, just as before they had become the physical body’s. This ether body now must first of all go through the seven form states from formlessness to creative activity. Working to configure the physical body, the ether body was all the time losing tone. And this was continually regulated by the soul. Sun evolution went through seven physical stages in this way. At each stage, the soul had reached a higher level; at the seventh it began to anticipate a new state of conscious awareness. Still sharing the experience of the ether body as it became the creator of new structures which were in the image of the whole Sun world, it did already sense inwardly a world of images surging up and down within it.

In the first Moon cycle it transferred this world of images to the ether body and this then configured the physical body according to those soul images. Whereas at the Sun level the ether body came between physical body and soul as a configurer, so the body of images I have characterized now found its place between ether body and soul. In occult science it is known as the sentient body. For as human inner sentience of the outside world flows inward, as it were, thus making the contents of the outside world something the inner world possessed, so did the images in the body of images act from the inside to the outside, impressing their contents on the ether body which in turn transferred them to the physical body.

During Moon evolution the human being again went seven times through all the form states, letting the soul mature to a higher level in each of them. During the seventh level the soul had the ability to give its images the more perfect form; it was able to enter into the living experience of everything that happened around it on the cosmic body, and its world of images thus reflected the whole Moon world. At the same time it anticipated experience of the highest level of consciousness which would come at the next level; it began to have vision of solid forms within its changing world of images. This made it ready to influence the ether body so that it was able to develop organs in itself that were of a more lasting nature.

With this, it became possible to make the transition to the first Earth cycle. The physical body now received the solid image forms into itself; they became its organs. A fourth body then began to develop in the human being. Perceptions of external objects came in between image body and soul. In a way, the body had now outgrown the soul; it had become independent. Before that the fruits of the images which the soul had gained from the outside world had developed in it. Now the outside world was bringing out direct perceptions in the body. The inner life of the soul then became a sharing of those perceptions. This independent activity on the part of the body came to be reflected in self-awareness. This, however, only matured slowly. First the human being had to go through a cycle of forms during which only a dim life of matter was sensed in his organs; in a second cycle the influence of matter caused internal movement; the ether body was able to share in the experience of the outside world through this, and it transformed the organs to make them living instruments of the physical body. In a third cycle the image body, too, grew able to recreate the outside world. It stimulated the organs to such effect that they themselves produced images which lived in this, though they were not yet reflections of external things. It was only in the fourth cycle that the soul itself became able to enter into every part of the bodily organs; it thus separated the images from those organs and clothed the external things in them. It then had an outside world with which it came face to face as an inner, independent entity.

Now the time had also come when the organs of the body which the soul was using would from time to time become exhausted. The possibility of being connected with the outside world would then cease. Sleep would come, in which the soul would again act to harmonize the physical body via the image and the ether body, the way it had done before. In occult science, therefore, sleep appears as something left behind from earlier stages of evolution. At the present time, the human being has gone some way beyond the middle of the fourth Earth cycle. This is reflected in the fact that he is perceiving not only external objects, doing so in clear daytime consciousness, but also the laws that are behind them. The soul has begun to experience the inner reconfiguration of things.

During Saturn evolution the human body was at the level of dimmest consciousness. One should not assume, however, that other levels of consciousness did not exist in entities which at that time existed in connection with that early embodiment of the Earth. Above all one entity existing at that time had a form of consciousness equal to the waking daytime consciousness human beings have today. Conditions in the Saturn environment were however very different from those we have on Earth, and this meant that that level of consciousness also had to function in a very different way.

On Earth, the human being has minerals, plants and animals around him as objects for sensory perception. These he considers to be at a lower level, with himself at a higher level than they are. The opposite was the case with that spirit on Saturn. It had three groups of entities above itself and had to consider itself to be the lowest of the entities it was able to perceive. In occult science, those three groups of higher spirits are given different names, depending on the language a people have and the age to which their occult teachers belonged. The terms used in Christian occult science are, going from below upwards: Dominions (Kyriotetes), Mights or Virtues (Dynamis) and Powers (Exusiai).8The terms go back to Dionysius the Areopagite (1st century AD) who is mentioned as a disciple of Paul in Acts 17: 34. Treatises On the Heavenly and Ecclesiastical Hierarchies appeared in Syria in his name in the 5th century; John Scotus The fourth and lowest spirit followed, just as on Earth the human being is the highest entity above the mineral, plant and animal worlds.

Conditions being so very different, the nature of perception also differed. An initiate knows this from experience. For it is like the spiritual consciousness he achieves as his third level, going beyond waking daytime consciousness. There it seems that impressions do not come to the senses from external objects but move towards the senses from inside, flowing into the outside world from them and out there coming upon objects and life forms, to be reflected in them and then appear to the conscious mind in the reflection.

This is how it was for that spirit on Saturn. It let its vital energy flow to the things on the planet, and their reflection came back to it from all sides in infinitely many ways. It perceived its own life as mirror image reflected from all sides. And the things which reflected its nature back to the spirit were the beginnings of the human physical body. For the planet consisted of these. Anything else that was perceived appeared not on the planet but in its surroundings. The spirits called Exusiai (Powers) appeared as shining spirits which illuminated the cosmic body from all sides. Saturn as such was a dark body; it received its light not from dead sources of light but from those spirits which dwelt around it and shone out to give it light. Their light was revealed to the perception of that Saturn spirit just as today an animal body makes itself perceptible to the human being. The spirits called Dynamis (Mights) revealed themselves in a similar way from the outer periphery by resounding in spirit, and the Kyriotetes (Dominions) through something called ‘cosmic aroma’ in occult science, a kind of impression which we may compare with an odour today.

Just as the human being on Earth rises beyond perception of external things to ideas which live only within him, so that spirit on Saturn knew not only the above-mentioned spirits, which revealed themselves to it as if from inside, but also others which it perceived from the outside; in Christian occult science these are known as Seraphim, Cherubim and Thrones.9Middle English cherubin and seraphin later became cherubim and seraphim. The early plural in -ins later became -im (= Hebrew plural). Cherub and in analogy to it seraph, was introduced by Wyclif. Rudolf Steiner used different spellings, often side by side. Nothing in the compass of earthly human experience can compare with the sublime characteristics in which they showed themselves at that time.

Finally this spirit on Saturn also knew a third group who also dwelt on the planet. They populated the inner part of the planet. This was entirely made up of human bodies at the level which they had reached at the time. To get an idea of these bodies, we may compare them with automatons consisting of the most subtle etheric matter during the periods when they took physical form. They reflected the life of that Saturn spirit; they themselves were wholly lifeless and had no sentience whatsoever. Two kinds of spirits dwelt in them, however, and these developed their own life and capacity for sentience in them. They needed a basis for such development. For they did not have a physical body of their own and yet were made in such a way that they could only develop their higher faculties in a physical body. They therefore made use of the human physical body.

The bodily, soul and spiritual element was thus present on Saturn in a way similar to the one in which it exists on Earth. Only on Earth it makes up the threefold nature of the human being—his body, his soul and his spirit. Each of these is threefold in turn, with the body consisting of physical, ether and sentient body; the soul of sentient soul, rational soul and spiritual soul; the spirit of Spirit Self, life spirit and spirit human being. On Saturn, the bodily, soul and spiritual elements were not parts of one entity but existed as independent entities, the physical bodily part being the first beginnings of the human body and the actual material basis of the planet itself, the ether body being Angel, the sentient body Archangel; the sentient soul was represented by those Saturn spirits I have characterized, the rational soul by the Powers, the spiritual soul by the Mights, the Spirit Self by the Dominions, the life spirit by the Thrones, the spirit human being by the Cherubim, with the Seraphim above them all.

During the time when it was at its physical level, therefore, Saturn had a differentiated body consisting of subtle ether bodies; Angels and Archangels were active in this just as vital and nerve energies are active in the human body today. And where the latter has its sensory instruments on the outside, so Saturn was covered, as it were, with nothing but senses on its surface; these were not receptive, however, but reflective. They mirrored everything which made an impression in the surroundings of the cosmic body. The luminous Powers shone on to the surface of Saturn, and their light was reflected in many ways by that surface. Sound came to Saturn from the Mights and then went out again into space as a manifold echo; finally the aroma of the Dominions radiated to the Saturn surface, which reflected it in many changed ways. The soul life of that spirit on Saturn consisted in the perception of all those reflections.

We can call that spirit the actual spirit of the planet Saturn. For only one of its kind existed, just as in a human being on Earth there may be a rich variety of parts, senses and so on but only one self-awareness. The whole of Saturn was the body of that planetary spirit.

Saturn evolution proceeded in seven cycles in which soul life unfolded. In each of the seven cycles the planet went through the seven forms from formlessness to creative ability.

In the first cycle the Thrones were the soul element that gave direction, in the second cycle the Dominions, in the third the Mights, in the fourth the Powers and in the fifth the planetary spirit of Saturn itself. This did not have full clear consciousness from the beginning of Saturn evolution but only gained it in the fourth cycle. It was also only then that it was actually able to experience events on the planet as a soul. During the fifth cycle it was then able to be active as soul itself. During that cycle the Archangels developed into an inner life of the soul, the contents of which were taken from Saturn events. They were able to do so by using the human bodies which had by that time developed into appropriate instruments for them. This then enabled them to guide events as independently active souls in the sixth cycle. The same was then the case for the Angels in the seventh cycle.

In the fifth cycle the planetary Saturn spirit would have been unable to be active as soul in the way described if it had remained within the Saturn body. The consistency of that body would not permit this. The Saturn spirit therefore had to leave the Saturn body and act on it from the outside. A separation of Saturn into two cosmic bodies thus occurred in this cycle, though one of them, the one which had gone out, must be called Saturn soul. It was, as it were, a prophetic foretelling of the next planetary embodiment—the Sun. In its fifth, sixth and seventh cycles, Saturn was thus orbited by a kind of Sun, just as Earth is today by its Moon.

Something similar had to happen for the Archangels in the sixth cycle. They left the Saturn mass and orbited it as a new planet, known as Jupiter in occult science. In the seventh cycle something similar happened for the Angels. They withdrew their mass from that of Saturn and orbited it as an independent planet. This is called Mars in occult science.

Similar processes had already occurred during preceding Saturn cycles. In the third cycle the Powers guided soul development. In the fourth, they left the planet and orbited it as a bright, independent planet which is called Mercury in occult science. In the third cycle the same situation occurred for the Powers, who became independent as a planet called Venus. In Sun evolution, the human body which had been automatic came alive in itself. This happened because the light which previously shone on to Saturn from the luminous spirits in the periphery was now being taken up into the constituents of the Sun body itself. The Sun became a luminous planet. The perfected human bodies were developing luminous life. Sound now came in from the surroundings and the cosmic aroma was flowing from the spirits connected with aroma.

A transformation had come for the spirit of the planet Saturn. It had multiplied. One had become seven. Just as a seed is one, and there are many seeds in the ear of corn that grows from it, so did seven scions come from the one spirit of the planet Saturn during the transition to the Sun level. And its life also changed. It developed the ability to gain perceptions of a region that was one level lower. This became possible because a number of human bodies had remained behind in their development, staying at the Saturn level. This made them unable to receive the luminous life of the Sun. They became dark spots within the radiant Sun planet. The seven Sun spirits which had evolved from the spirit of the planet Saturn perceived them as a world of nature which was below them. Thus the seven spirits lived on the Sun’s surface; beneath them they beheld a world with entities which had bodies, only these were one level lower than the human bodies on Sun. The latter, however, gave them the nourishment they needed through the light they radiated. Where the Saturn bodies had only been reflecting the Saturn spirit’s own essential nature back to it, the Sun bodies held the position relative to the Sun spirits which today the Sun with its light holds for the plant world. With regard to bodily organization the human being was at the level of plant nature during Sun evolution. It would not be right to say that he actually went through the plant stage himself at that time. For the kind of plant world we have today could only develop under the specific conditions which we have on Earth. To use an analogy we may think of the Sun human body as a plant form which was turning organs towards its own planet that were similar to those which plants today develop as their flower. And just as today’s plant receives its light from an outside sun, so did the human Sun plant receive its light from its own planet, which, of course, was Sun. Today a plant puts its root down into the soil; on the Sun body this aspect was turned towards the sounds and odours that were coming in; the human being took these in and processed them inwardly. We might call today’s plant a human body which has remained at the Sun level and turned round completely. It is therefore chastely extending its organs of growth and reproduction upwards to the Sun, whilst the human being today hides them and lets them face downwards.

The human body only developed fully in this way during the fourth Sun cycle. The three preceding cycles had been preparatory. The first cycle was really only a recapitulation of Saturn existence. Its seven form levels were seven recapitulations of the levels of life on Saturn. It was only during the second Sun cycle that life flashed up in the human body. This life was not yet so fully developed that the Archangels which on Sun took the place which the planetary spirit had held on Saturn, were able to take satisfaction in it. It was rather the Powers which now sucked the energy which can flow from this life; during the third cycle the seven spirits developed from the Saturn spirit took that place; and during the fourth Sun cycle the Archangels lived in the life of the Earth bodies the way the planetary spirit had been mirrored in the bodies on Saturn. During the fifth Sun cycle the Archangels rose to a higher level of existence, and the Angels took their place on the planet. During the sixth Sun cycle the Angels, too, had developed to a level where they no longer needed the physical parts of the human body; all they still used for their own purposes was the light streaming out and in, and in this they then lived. The human physical body had become an independent entity, a model for the present-day human physical body. It behaved entirely like a physical apparatus at this level; except that it was an apparatus the parts of which were living. It was, as it were, a living instrument for the senses, though it did not take their perceptions into itself, not having the necessary degree of consciousness for this. The body was in a plant-like sleep, as it were, and that was its highest level of consciousness. Any sensory perceptions composed in it went into the consciousness of the Angels, Archangels and so on, depending on the sequence of the different Sun cycles. Those higher spirits were keeping watch over the sleeping human body.

What were the causes, the influences under which Sun evolved from Saturn? We perceive them if we take a look at the final states in Saturn evolution. Let us assume the seventh cycle had reached the fourth form level, which would be the physical one. The human body had developed so far that it was able to serve the Angels as the sense organs which mirror their essential nature for them. These have a kind of human consciousness at this level, though only by using the senses of the human body. They successively developed the higher levels of conscious awareness. The moment the Angels, too, developed to such higher forms of conscious awareness they could no longer use the human body. They therefore left it. It had to die. This meant, however, that that physical Saturn body disintegrated before the physiognomic form of the seventh cycle developed. This physiognomic level was therefore not the least bit physical any more. The planet existed only as a soul planet then. The physical form went down into the abyss. In the soul planet the Angels lived in an image consciousness that was beyond the physical. And the higher spirits were working on it with correspondingly higher forms of consciousness. At the point in time where the Angels, too, had grown beyond image consciousness, the soul planet also had to disintegrate. Its place was taken by another, where the configuring form was developed. It only floated in the world in which an earthly initiate is when he has entered into higher consciousness connected with sound. For the same reasons another planet evolved from this one at the end of the seventh Saturn cycle and this belonged to a yet higher world. The creative form of existence had been brought to realization in this.

It has been shown that as the higher spirits rose to corresponding forms of conscious awareness, satellites of Saturn always separated off and these had to float in higher worlds, for the main form of Saturn was unable to accommodate such forms of conscious awareness. Then, however, Saturn itself rose to such higher worlds. The consequence was that each time it arrived in such a higher world it would unite with whichever satellite was in that world. By the end of the seventh Saturn cycle, Jupiter, Mars, Venus, Mercury and Sun had therefore reunited with Saturn. All was one world again.

In that one world, the creative form of Saturn’s vital energy existed. Through it, the world, which had become spiritual in the way shown, was taken down again to the lower levels of existence. This was what happened as the Sun evolved. In the course of its cycles the planets that had originally developed on Saturn emerged again. Each was now, however, closer by one degree to physical existence.

If a human observer gifted with senses in their present form were able to follow the evolution of the planet I have described, he would see the cosmic body emerge from the darkness at certain times, disappearing again from the sight of such an observer for long intervals. During these, it would only be perceptible to an observer whose consciousness was able to be present in higher worlds. Distinction is thus made between twilight or night-time states of planetary existence in physical terms. Do not think, however, that the planet and its spirits grow inactive during those intervals. It merely falls into higher worlds then and thus comes to expression in an existence which is much more real than mere physical existence.

When Sun had completed its seven cycles, a time came when the human body had developed so far that it was not only able to receive the incoming light into itself and be enlivened by it, but gained the ability to let the world of sound created from the Mights continue to influence it and also to reproduce it in sounds. At this level of existence, which is called Moon evolution, the human body itself produced sounds. At the Saturn level, a sound reflected to the surrounding world by the planet was merely an echo of its surroundings; now the sound had changed as it went out into those surroundings. It had changed to such effect that it reflected in a wide variety of ways what was happening in human bodies. These human bodies had thus made the sentient body fully part of their essential nature as a third body. For it was their inner nature, their world of feelings, which was expressed in sound.

The seven spirits which had evolved out of the Saturn spirit during Sun evolution had now become seven times seven. The world surrounding them had become such that they had living experience of their own world of feeling in the sentient bodies which had developed. They then felt themselves surrounded by two worlds which were at a lower level and one which was above them. The world above them made itself felt as cosmic aroma coming from cosmic space; they experienced themselves as entities giving sound, and the two realms which were at a lower level had arisen because a region of human bodies had remained at the Saturn level and another at the Sun level. These Moon spirits were thus surrounded by entities that were like automatons and were continuing their Saturn maturation on Moon under conditions which were very different from those which existed on Saturn, and also by plant-like Sun bodies which were in a similar position.

Three kinds of entities were thus present in the actual Moon mass. The entities which were like automatons, dark in themselves, had still retained the ability from Saturn to let life shine out around them. They were not lifeless the way today’s minerals are. There was no mineral basis on Moon like the one we have on Earth. Instead there was a basis consisting of those entities. You can get an idea of them if you think of them endowed with a life that is present in every part of them, so that the mineral soil of our fields would have been a living, porridge-like mass on Moon; woody parts in this mass were like the rock masses found in softer mineral matter here on Earth. In this living basis, the parts of which may be called vegetable minerals, the Sun entities I have characterized who were at a level between present-day animals and present-day plants, had taken root. The freely moving entities dwelling on Moon were the human bodies, developmentally halfway between animal and human. They provided dwelling places for the scions of the planetary spirit of Saturn. This spirit would not have been able, however, to develop waking daytime consciousness in them. The entities always had to go out of the body to live in such a consciousness. When in the body and therefore sharing its life, they only had a consciousness filled with dream images. In this state of consciousness they would not see anything of their physical surroundings, but they let their inner experiences go out into the surrounding world in sound. The passions and desires of the Moon entities were then coming alive as sound during their sleep.

To consider just one example of this living experience, it should be noted that what we call our love life today, which is the basis of procreation, happened during dream-filled sleep on Moon. Waking daytime life was free from desire and, it has to be said, also loveless, given wholly to vision of the surrounding world. The human ancestor on Moon knew nothing of sexual relationships as yet in his daytime life. The place of the feelings people have in sexual love today was taken by dream images which only showed today’s factual reality in allegorical form.

On Moon, therefore, it was not the human ancestor who lived in the world of images when awake but the spirits who came immediately above human beings—the Angels. The dream world of the human being was clear daytime reality to them, as it were. They watched over the dreaming human world just as the Archangels had been watching over the Sun world when it was in plant-like sleep.

The first two Moon cycles were recapitulations of the preceding states of evolution. The seven forms of the first cycle recapitulated the seven Saturn cycles, and the seven forms of the second the seven Sun cycles.

During the third Moon cycle the human body had developed so far that the spirits which were at the Archangel level were able to experience its dream images as their environment; in the fourth cycle this was then the case for the Angels. The scions of the spirit of the planet Saturn were able to use the human body during this cycle to such a degree that enveloping it from outside they were able to use it to gain clear daytime consciousness. By the fifth cycle these spirits had risen to a level where they no longer had need of the physical human body; this then perceived its environs for itself but only reached a lower level of consciousness for these perceptions. Those spirits only had need of the ether body and the sentient body during this time. In the sixth cycle they also left the ether body to itself and in the seventh the sentient body.

The Moon was a re-embodiment of the Sun planet. At the time when the stage of Sun evolution was recapitulated on Moon, that is, in the second cycle, the Sun body separated from the Moon mass. This separate Sun body was inhabited by the spirits which had assumed a level of consciousness and of life, the conditions for which could not be found on the Moon itself. During the second cycle these spirits were the Powers; they had shared the life of the physical human body during Sun life. Now, on Moon, this Sun level had a limited, retarded existence in the above-mentioned animal-plants. The Powers could not live in them. Instead they gave those animal-plants life from outside by sending the light they needed to them from the Sun. During the third Moon cycle the scions of the Spirit of the planet Saturn had also reached a level where they could no longer exist on Moon. The Archangels therefore left the Moon in the fourth cycle, and in this space of time this was also the dwelling place of the Angels, as the Earth was later to be in its fourth cycle for human beings.

The other planets had emerged step by step during Sun evolution and did the same now during Moon evolution. Only they were closer to physical existence by another level now, when the Moon was at the height of its evolution, that is from the physical form of its fourth cycle onwards. With the fifth cycle, Mars, then inhabited by the Angels, reached a subtle, etheric and physical form; with the sixth cycle this happened for Jupiter, dwelling place of the Archangels. Finally in the seventh Moon cycle the same also happened for Mercury. Mars and Jupiter had grown even denser by then, the density of the former being such that it became possible to develop heat by moving its constituents and letting it flow out into cosmic space.

Earth evolution received the fruits that had ripened on Moon. The human body had by then gone through three levels of evolution. At the first it was able to be like a physical instrument that served as an organ of perception for spirits which had advanced so far at Sun level that they could dispense with any such apparatus. They were spirits already able to dedicate their work as creators to the Sun planet from outside. The spirits of the planet Saturn had had their bodily organization not in the Sun planet but in the creative powers that maintained Sun life.

On Moon, the Archangels had become the creative powers. The Angels of the Moon, which had clear daytime consciousness at the time, were able to look up to their creators and admire their bodily organization.

These three levels of planetary evolution were first of all recapitulated in the first three Earth cycles. This was to prepare the human body so that it could gain living experience in itself of the images which had evolved during Moon consciousness. It had to grow able to have not only a life and an image body in itself but also to reflect the surrounding world inwardly in its images. On the Moon it had come so far that the Angels were able to behold its images. The human Moon body was the world surrounding the Angels. And they had also advanced themselves in beholding the Moon human being; they had won through to a point where they were able to do at a higher level what they had been perceiving on the Moon. Apart from the two worlds which were below them, they also had spirits who were their equal around them. When Moon evolution had come to an end, they were able to impress the nature of those spirits into the human body. Earthly human beings were then able to see in their physical environment, whilst they dwelt in their bodies, what the Angels had only been able to behold on Moon when they rose to a higher world—those of their own kind.

The human body could only be guided upwards to this ability in stages. And this happened during the three Earth cycles. In the first, the human being was able to perceive himself as he had been on Saturn, in the second as on Sun, in the third as on Moon. During the first Earth cycle other human beings were nothing but walking automatons to him; during the second they appeared as plant-like entities; during the third they had animal character.

When the fourth cycle began, the human being was able to perceive the creations of the Angels, of his own kind, around himself. The Angels were three levels of consciousness above him. They were able to create what he perceived.

The human body now had four parts—the physical [body] which became a mirror for the surrounding world, the living [body] which was able to transform things perceived in the surrounding world into inner movement, the image body which was able to transform the inner movements and give them the character of allegories, and finally the body which became the bearer of clear daytime consciousness. This harmonized the inner images with the impressions gained of the surrounding world and thus made the connection between inner experience and the events outside.

Clear daytime consciousness was, however, limited to the physical outside world; vital processes and the images of the image body were inwardly enlivened but not perceived as outside world. The human image body remained the object of the Angels, at the next higher level, and the human life body actually that of the Archangels. All things connected with the human life body, the laws governing its growth and reproduction, were thus hidden from the human being; with regard to them his conscious awareness was at the level of dreamless sleep. For the Archangels, on the other hand, these processes were objects in their outside world on which they acted, which was like the situation a human being faces with regard to working on a physical machine. Everything connected with image consciousness, the laws which are more of a mystery to the human being, giving a particular character and mien to his countenance, specific form to his walk, and so on; everything which came to expression in his character, temperament and so on, was thus governed by the Angels. Only the things he brought about in his outer environment were subject to his own laws.

The human being developed into an entity which we may characterize like this in the fourth Earth cycle.

The Angels, having developed to creative consciousness at the Moon level, were no longer able to find a place for themselves on Earth when the image body began to belong to the human being himself, that is, from the time when the second cycle had passed its midpoint. They then withdrew to a higher community with new conditions of life; the Sun again separated from the Earth and from then on sent its powers to it from the outside.

In the third Earth cycle, the human bodies which had not reached the point in the second cycle where they could have their image body cared for by the powers gathered on the Sun had to fall into a lower form of existence. They went down from the animal and human to the purely animal level. Where could they now find the powers needed for their image body? They were not open to the Sun powers of the perfected Angels. Entities do, however, lag behind in their development at every level. Up to the third cycle, Angels had fallen behind in their evolution which were then unable to find a place on the Sun. During the second half of the third Earth cycle they were not yet able to find the capacity to ascend to the Sun. Yet they also were not able to continue to influence the image bodies of human beings who were advancing in perfection. They therefore withdrew from the Earth mass to become our present-day Moon. This is therefore a cosmic body representing an earlier part of Earth evolution in something of a hardened state. It is the dwelling place of spirits who did not want to be creators of the perfect human body. We find them active in the image bodies of animals; yet they do all the time also direct their attacks against the image body of the human being—though this is a region that has grown beyond them. As soon as the human being deviates just a little from being dedicated to his higher nature, which comes to him through impressions gained through the senses, as soon as he becomes subject to powers that influence his image body, those spirits will be able to influence him. Their activities are evident in dissolute dreams which reflect the animal desires that come from lower human nature.

When the third Earth cycle had passed its midpoint, the Earth having grown physical for the third time, conditions did not exist for a form of the physical human body that was able to take in perceptions from the outside. The physical died off. The result is that the laggard Angels’ sin of omission was no longer felt to be so painful by the entities that had ascended into Sun existence. The Moon was therefore incorporated into the Earth’s body again. When the whole Earth had gone beyond image existence and into a higher world as the cycle continued, it also united with the Sun again. The powers in the human body which in the third cycle were only able to see the image-enlivened body in the surrounding world then gained creative ability. This enabled them to enter into the fourth cycle. There they were initially still in the world which is only perceptible to spiritual awareness, but were descending to progressively lower worlds in stages. Finally the human body had developed so far that it was able to develop organs for the perception of others of his own kind; these had a subtle etheric form. The physical body thus gained the abilities for its earthly form. This was also the time when Earth could no longer be the arena for the perfected Angels; the Sun separated from the Earth with them and shone on it from outside. The physical body continued to develop. The images of the image body developed a liveliness they did not have before; the organs of the physical body provided nourishment for them in the reflected images of external objects. The time had come when the outer Earth environment was taking these images away from the Angels that had lagged behind. These then had to draw the part of the Earth that would be their dwelling place out of the Earth. The Moon once more separated from the Earth, orbiting it as a satellite.

How far had the human body come by this time? It had developed its fourfold nature. Its organization was such that it could support an ether or life body and give a home to an image body. Its sense organs also allowed the earthly surroundings to be reflected in those images. The human physical body had therefore reached a completely new level. It reflected inwards, just as on Saturn it reflected the essential nature of the Spirit of the planet Saturn to the outside. Because of this, the part of that spirit which was then its lowest principle was now able to live in it. This principle had become tied off from the spirit of the planet Saturn; it had lost the ability to receive the revelations of the upper realms and becomes the vehicle for human self awareness. The human being learned to see himself as an ‘I’. From now on he had the nature in which the planetary spirit on Saturn had revealed like an outer environment of the planet.

The human being had thus reached a level where the Archangels revealed themselves in his ether body, the Angels in his image body, and the planetary Saturn spirit in his self awareness. He was then able to advance to the level where the Saturn spirit in him would be able to relate to the image body in a way similar to the way the Saturn spirit itself did when it gradually grew out of its own planetary existence and became an inhabitant of Jupiter. The human being continued to inhabit the Earth, however, and because of this such powers could only influence him from outside. It means that the Earth came into the sphere of influence of Jupiter powers. A similar process occurred at a later level with regard to spirits which were then at a level where they only influenced the ether body from outside, from Mars.

When Sun, Earth and Moon were still one body, the human body was made of a material on that planet which was like air. Apart from human bodies, only the descendants of the human-animals from Moon were present in bodies which were in a fluid state. The descendants of the Moon creatures which had lived there as plant-minerals had reached the solid state. Apart from the liquid human-animals, there were also animal plant-like creatures [at that time] which had evolved from the lunar plant-animals. Yet whilst the former were more watery in appearance, the animal-plant-like creatures consisted of a dense porridge-like mass which when it grew more substantial came close to the material of which mushrooms are made today.

When the Sun withdrew its substance from the Earth, so that the latter had only the Moon mass in it, all conditions changed on the planet. The material of which human bodies were made condensed to become a liquid form of matter which may be compared to our blood today. Creatures which before had been liquid became solid, and the solid plant-minerals had a very dense consistency. Before the Sun separated, the life of the human body consisted essentially in a kind of breathing, taking in and giving off air-like matter. After the separation a form of nutrition evolved out of the liquid surroundings. And reproduction was also connected with this nutrition. The viscid human body was impregnated out of the reproductive material in its surroundings and divided under the influence of that impregnation. Whilst the Moon substance was still within the Earth, the development of the body was such that semi-solid parts developed in the liquid mass, gaining cartilage-like density. It was not yet able to develop solid, bone-like limb inclusions, for the Earth mass was not suitable for this for as long as it still had the Moon in it. It was only when the Moon departed, with the most substantial form of matter removed, that the beginnings of solid skeletal structures developed in the human being.

This was also the time when it became no longer possible to take impregnation material from the surroundings. With the departure of the Moon mass, Earth substances had also lost the ability to impregnate the human body. In the time that had gone before, the human body did not have two genders. The human being was female by nature, with the male principle present in its earthly surroundings. The whole Moon Earth was male in character. When the Moon departed, some of the human bodies changed into bodies of male character. They thus took the impregnating powers into themselves which before had been present in the sap of Earth itself, as it were. The female nature of the human body underwent a transformation which made it possible for the male, which had now arisen, to impregnate it.

All this happened because a form of double-sexed human body changed to become single-sexed. The earlier human body had impregnated itself with substances it took in. Now the one kind of human body, the female one, only had power to let the impregnated principle ripen. The way this happened was that the male power in this body lost the ability to prepare impregnating substances. This power remained only for the ether or life body, which had to effect the ripening process. The male kind of human body lost the potential of doing something with the impregnating material inside itself. Its female principle was limited to the ether body. This is why in present-day human beings the situation is such that in males the ether body is female, whilst in females it is male.10See Steiner’s autobiography (GA 28), chapter 37. A solid bony skeleton developed at the same time.

Another important process came first, however. When the human body changed from airy to liquid consistency, the first beginnings of an organ started to develop which would take in airy matter. This was the beginning of respiration as a separate process. At the time, substances which would later separate out from the general mass and be liquid and solid were still airy, they were part of the air. And when the liquid form of matter began to develop, the human body was not living on solid ground but in a fluid element. Its locomotion was a swimming kind of floating. And the air which was above the fluid element was much denser then. It contained not only everything which later came to be water, but many other substances were dissolved in it. The whole human breathing apparatus was therefore also different.

Before the Sun departed, the function of the whole breathing process was still different. It was to receive and give off heat from and into the environment. We may say that the warmth which human beings still prepare in themselves with their blood circulation was at that time inhaled and exhaled from and into the environment. Once the Sun had departed the process changed so that air will only produce warmth through its activity in the body after it has been inhaled. By breathing air the way it does today, the human body came to generate warmth internally.

This major change in the human body was connected with a cosmic event which in occult terms is called the withdrawal of Mars from the Earth. Mars is the planet which before that withdrawal had with the powers inherent in it brought about the process in the human body that was later taken over by the blood circulation. With the blood taking over the Mars activity in this way, the spirits concerned were able to go outside the Earth, and the influence of Mars on the human being was then such that it influenced him from outside. The way it happened physically was that iron became an important constituent of the blood; iron is the form of matter on which Mars powers have a specific influence. Respiration as it is today thus has to do with the withdrawal of Mars. All this gave the human being something which we may call the inner power of the blood. Ensoulment had become possible. The human being did indeed breathe in his soul when he breathed air.

For as long as Earth was connected with Sun, it was the Sun’s power which regulated the other influences in the human body. In the Sun’s power lay the principle which acted as male and at the same time female principle in the human body. Under its influence, law and order also came into the Mars process of taking in and giving off of heat. When the Sun had departed some human bodies changed and became infertile. These were the precursors of future male bodies. For as long as Moon powers were still connected with the Earth, the rest were still capable of self-fertilization. They lost this when the Moon departed. From then on the Sun took effect, with the spirits that dwelt on it influencing the capacity for reproduction. The male’s ether body came under the influence of these Sun spirits. The female’s ether body, being male, retained its relationship to the spirits who had made the Moon their arena. The female physical body was correspondingly under the influence of the Sun powers. It had developed the form it now had when the Sun was already shining on the Earth from outside. The male physical body on the other hand came under the Moon influence because under the influence of that planet when it was still united with the Earth it had assumed a form which with regard to reproduction was infertile. While all this was going on, the senses also developed, bringing the sentient body’s image world under the influence of the earthly environment and thus the human being under the influence of the scions of the planetary body of Saturn. The pulsating power of the blood also evolved in the body, this led to ensoulment and made it possible, with sensory perceptions available, to develop an inner life and sympathy and antipathy towards the surrounding world.

The human being had reached this level when the Earth emerged as an independent physical planet in its fourth cycle, having separated from sun, moon and mars.

By that time human beings had achieved the division into two sexes. They looked into the surrounding world through the senses. They knew sympathy and antipathy with regard to their surroundings. And by distinguishing themselves from those surroundings they were endowed with the beginnings of self awareness. The human body had become fourfold. And inwardness of soul had arisen in the fourth principle of that body through the blood, for this allowed mars powers to come in.

Human beings had thus developed everything they were able to have as the fruits of the first three levels of planetary evolution. A fourth principle had arisen in their bodies because other influences, which could not play a role in its development, had withdrawn from the Earth.

In occult terms this humanity is called the third main race on Earth.11The Lemurian age. Concerning the term ‘race’, Rudolf Steiner wrote in essays published in 1904 - 1908 (in GA 11, see Cosmic Memory. Atlantis and Lemuria; Tr. K. E. Zimmer; New York: Rudolf Steiner publications 1971), chapter on the life of the earth: ‘We have to be utterly clear about it that the evolutional forms of the far distant past and those of the future are completely different from those of the present time, so much so that the terms we use at present may only serve as emergency solution and really lose all meaning when it comes to those distant ages. Basically we can only begin to speak of ‘races’ when evolution had more or less reached its second third in the third main state (Lemurian). Only then did the principle we call ‘race’ today begin to develop. ... Yet very soon now, at the end of our fifth age, the word ‘race’ will lose all meaning again. Humanity will in future be differentiated into groupings we will no longer be able to call ‘races’. The usual theosophical literature has caused a great deal of confusion in this respect.’ See also lecture given in Berlin on 9 November 1905 (in German) in Die Weltraetsel und die Anthroposophie (GA 54). We can really only speak of races developing from this time onwards. For it was only then that human reproduction existed and hence also differences within humanity brought about by human beings influencing one another. The principle we may call heredity or blood relationship developed. The Earth as the fourth planetary form of evolution did not yet have an influence. Perceptions of the surrounding world had first taken hold of the images in the sentient body. The ether body was not yet under the influence of the earthly surroundings. The fourth planet did not yet influence hereditary conditions. Only the first three did so. This is why the race where this was the case is called the ‘third’.

It was followed by the fourth, and here the earthly environment began to influence the ether body itself. This could only happen if spirits were able to influence the human being whose evolution was at a level where they did not have the creative ability to influence the ether body to the effect of impregnating it, yet had nevertheless gone beyond merely receiving impressions from the perception of the physical surroundings. These were spirits who had not advanced to creative ability on the Moon, that is, during the Earth’s previous embodiment, which would have enabled them to populate the Sun; yet they had gone beyond the level where inner life depended wholly on the images of the human body. Within Earth evolution they do have the ability to perceive things through the human being’s senses, but not the ability to create those senses. There these spirits can ... the human being ... [manuscript ends here]

Entwurf zur Darstellung der geisteswissenschaftlichen Kosmologie

[ 1 ] Das Dasein des gegenwärtigen Menschen verläuft nicht bloß in einem, sondern in mehreren Bewußtseinszuständen. Der gewöhnliche [Zustand] ist derjenige, in dem sich der Mensch befindet von dem Erwachen bis zum Einschlafen. Er nimmt in diesem Zustande die Dinge durch seine Sinne wahr und bildet sich aus den Sinneswahrnehmungen Vorstellungen. Dadurch ist für ihn die physische Welt vorhanden. Und auf sie beziehen sich auch die Kräfte seiner Seele, sein Denken, Fühlen, Wollen und Handeln.

[ 2 ] Mit diesem Zustand des Bewußstseins wechseln nun zwei andere ab: der traumerfüllte Schlaf und der tiefe, traumlose Schlaf. Man bezeichnet diese Zustände oftmals mit dem Worte «unbewußt». Doch ist diese Bezeichnung eine solche, die den hier in Betracht kommenden Tatbestand verschleiert. Sie sind in Wahrheit nur andere Arten des Bewußtseins. Man könnte sie dumpfere Arten desselben nennen.

[ 3 ] Der traumerfüllte Schlaf zeigt nicht Gegenstände wie das wache Tagesbewußtsein, sondern in der Seele aufsteigende und verschwindende Bilder. So sinnverwirrend sich diese Bilder dem gewöhnlichen Bewußtsein gegenüber auch ausnehmen: die Aufhellung ihrer Wesenheit ist geeignet, tiefer in die Natur der Welt hineinzuführen. Das, als was sie sich im nächtlichen Seelenleben darstellen, kann keine rechte Grundlage für ihre Erkenntnis abgeben. Eine solche ist erst für denjenigen Menschen vorhanden, der im Sinne einer solchen Schulung, wie sie in diesem Buche beschrieben wird, seine höheren Erkenntniskräfte ausbildet, die ihn zu einem Einblick in die übersinnlichen Welten führen. In diesem Kapitel soll eine Beschreibung der Tatsachen gegeben werden, die für diese höheren Welten gelten. Wer den Erkenntnispfad in diese Gebiete selbst antritt, wird dann auch diese Tatsachen bewahrheitet finden.

[ 4 ] Was an der Traumwelt zunächst auffallen muß, ist der in ihren Bildern auftretende sinnbildliche Charakter. Bei einer einigermaßen subtilen Aufmerksamkeit auf die bunte Mannigfaltigkeit der Traumerlebnisse kann dieser Charakter klar werden. Von einfachen Sinnbildern bis zu dramatischen Vorgängen finden sich alle Zwischenstufen in dieser durch die Seele huschenden Welt. - Man träumt von einer Feuersbrunst; man wacht auf und merkt, daß man neben der Lampe eingeschlafen war. Das Licht der Lampe hat man da im Traume wahrgenommen, aber nicht so, wie es sich in der gewöhnlichen Welt den Sinnen darstellt, sondern im Sinnbild, als Feuersbrunst. Oder man träumt von einer Reiterschar, die man vorübertrampeln hört; man wacht auf, und das Pferdegetrampel setzt sich unmittelbar fort als das Schlagen der Uhr, das sich auf diese Art versinnbildlicht hat. - Man träumt von einem Tiere, das einem an der Gesichtsseite kratzt; beim Aufwachen zeigt sich, daß man an der betreffenden Stelle einen Schmerz fühlt, der auf die angegebene Art sein Traum-Sinnbild gefunden hat. — Ein länger ausgesponnener Traum könnte etwa der folgende sein. Jemand träumt, er gehe durch einen Wald. Er vernimmt ein Geräusch. Beim Weitergehen tritt aus einem Gebüsche ein Mensch auf ihn zu. Dieser geht zum Angriffe über. Ein Kampf entspinnt sich, der Angreifer schießt. In diesem Augenblicke wacht der Träumer auf, und er merkt, daß er eben den Stuhl neben seinem Bette umgeworfen habe. Der Aufschlag des Stubhles ist durch das Traumbewufßtsein in die geschilderte sinnbildliche Handlung umgewandelt worden. So können äußere Vorgänge oder auch innere Tatsachen, wie in dem oben gegebenen Beispiele von dem kratzenden Tiere, durch den Traum als Sinnbilder wahrgenommen werden. Auch Affekte, Stimmungen können sich so darstellen. Jemand leidet zum Beispiel unter dem bedrückenden Gefühle, daß für ihn in den nächsten Tagen ein unangenehmes Ereignis eintreten werde. Im Traume stellt sich dieses Gefühl so dar, daß er sich in der Gefahr des Ertrinkens befindet.

[ 5 ] Durch das in Beispielen Geschilderte sind zwei Eigenschaften des Traumbewußtseins charakterisiert: erstens sein bildartiger, sinnbildlicher Charakter und zweitens etwas Schöpferisches in demselben. — Dem Tagesbewußtsein ist dieses Schöpferische nicht eigen. Dieses gibt die Dinge der Umgebung so, wie sie in der physischen Außenwelt sind. Das Traumbewußtsein fügt aus einer andern Quelle etwas hinzu.

[ 6 ] Wodurch wird diese Quelle eröffnet? Durch nichts anderes als dadurch, daß jene Sinnestätigkeit, von der das 'Tagesbewußtsein abhängt, im Schlafe aufgehört hat. Das Schweigen dieser Sinnestätigkeit drückt sich dadurch aus, daß das Selbstbewußtsein des Menschen entschwindet. Dieses Selbstbewußtsein ist eben an die Tätigkeit der äußeren Sinne gebunden; schweigen diese, so versinkt es in einen Abgrund. Man bezeichnet diese Tatsache in der sogenannten Geheimwissenschaft dadurch, daß man sagt: die Seele des Menschen hat sich aus der physischen Welt zurückgezogen. Wer nun nicht behaupten will, der Mensch höre beim Einschlafen auf zu sein und entstehe beim Aufwachen von neuem, dem wird die Erkenntnis nicht schwerfallen, daß der Mensch während des Schlafes in einer andern als der physischen Welt vorhanden ist. Man nennt diese Welt die astrale. Der Leser nehme diesen Ausdruck zunächst als eine Bezeichnung für jene Welt hin, von der der Mensch eine Ahnung erhält durch seine Träume. Die Berechtigung dieses Ausdruckes wird aus anderen Kapiteln dieses Buches sich ergeben.

[ 7 ] Während des Traumes weilt der Mensch in der astralen Welt. Die Tatsachen und Wesen dieser Welt stellen sich in Bildern dar. Das Bewußtsein nimmt diese Bilder wahr; aber das Selbstbewußtsein des Menschen fehlt. - Eine Vergleichung mit dem Alltagsleben kann eine Vorstellung davon geben, was eigentlich hier vorliegt. Der Mensch nimmt eine Außenwelt nur wahr, insoferne er Organe dazu hat. Ohne Ohr gäbe es für ihn keine Tonwelt, ohne Auge keine Welt des Lichtes und der Farben und so weiter. Könnte der Mensch ein neues Organ seines Leibes entwickeln, so träte in seiner Umwelt ebenso etwas ganz Neues auf, wie für den Blindgeborenen nach seiner Operation Licht und Farben als etwas ganz Neues auftreten.

[ 8 ] So wie nun der physische Leib des Menschen durch seine Organe die physische Welt wahrnimmt, so nimmt während des Traumes ein anderer Leib - ein seelischer — durch die ihm eigenen Organe die andere Welt, die astrale, wahr. Nur ist mit diesem Leibe kein Selbstbewußtsein verbunden. Dieses ist in diesem Zustande außerhalb des Bereiches des Menschen.

[ 9 ] Wäre es nun unmöglich, daß das Selbstbewußtsein des Menschen auch in diesem Zustande ins Dasein trete, so könnte er die hier in Betracht kommenden Verhältnisse niemals durchschauen. Dies ist aber möglich durch die obenerwähnte und in diesem Buche beschriebene höhere Schulung, die man auch die Einweihung nennt. Durch sie lernt der Mensch im Traumzustande an seinem astralischen Leibe ähnliche Organe entwickeln, wie sie sein physischer Leib hat zur Wahrnehmung der physischen Welt. Und sind diese Organe entwickelt, dann tritt während des Traumes ein Selbstbewußtsein auf, das auch ähnlich dem ist, welches er während des wachen Tageslebens hat. - Ist eine solche Daseinsstufe erreicht, dann verwandelt sich allerdings auch die ganze Traumwelt in erheblichem Maße. Sie verliert die sinnverwirrende Buntheit, die sie beim gewöhnlichen Schläfer hat, und an die Stelle tritt eine innere Ordnung und Harmonie, welche der gewöhnlichen physischen Welt nicht nur nicht nachsteht, sondern diese in hohem Grade in bezug auf diese Eigenschaften überragt. Der Mensch wird gewahr, daß immer um ihn herum noch eine andere Welt war, in demselben Sinne, wie um den Blinden herum die Welt des Lichtes und der Farben ist. Er konnte sie nur aus Mangel an Wahrnehmungsorganen nicht sehen, wie der Blinde vor seiner Operation die Welt des Lichtes und der Farben nicht sehen kann. Der bedeutungsvolle Moment, in dem die astralen Wahrnehmungsorgane anfangen am Menschen tätig zu sein, wird in der Geheimwissenschaft die Erweckung oder Wiedergeburt genannt.

[ 10 ] In diesem Augenblicke der Erweckung erfährt der Mensch, daß er von einer höheren Welt umgeben ist, in welcher nicht nur die ihm vorher bekannten Dinge der sinnlichen Welt andere Eigenschaften haben, sondern in der es Tatsachen und Weserheiten gibt, die ihm vorher unbekannt waren. — Und jetzt wird ihm auch klar, daß in dieser anderen Welt die Bilder vorhanden sind, aus denen sich die Dinge der sinnlichen Welt heraus formen. Es ist keine unzutreffende Vorstellung, wenn man die Art, wie die physische Welt aus der astralen heraus entsteht, vergleicht mit der Bildung des Eises aus dem Wasser. Wie das Eis umgeformtes Wasser ist, so ist die physische Welt die umgeformte astrale. Und wie das Wasser ein verfließendes Element ist, so steht im Hintergrunde der physischen Welt die astrale als eine sich stets wandelnde Bilderwelt. Nichts Festbegrenztes, Abgeschlossenes findet sich in ihren Formen wie in der gewöhnlichen Welt. Alles fließt ineinander über, formt sich um. Und ein physisches Ding oder ein physisches Wesen entsteht nur so, wie wenn ein solches verfließendes Bild im Augenblicke erstarrte. Wer die Vorstellungen der physischen Welt mit ihren festen Umgrenzungen auf das Gebiet des Astralen anwenden wollte, der verriete dadurch nur, daß ihm ein wirklicher Einblick in diese ganz andersartige Welt fehlt.

[ 11 ] So wie nun die Wesen der physischen Welt in dem physischen Leibe verkörpert sind, so sind die astralen Bilder der Ausdruck für Wesenheiten, die die physische Welt nicht betreten. Sie finden diesen Ausdruck eben in einem andern Stoff als der im Physischen lebende Mensch, der den seinigen in Fleisch und Blut findet.

[ 12 ] Welches ist nun dieser astrale Stoff? Es ist kein anderer als der, welchen der Mensch tatsächlich auch in sich hat. Er wird nur in ihm während des wachen Alltagslebens von den sinnlichen Vorstellungen gleichsam überdeckt. - An diese sinnlichen Vorstellungen knüpfen sich die menschlichen Begierden, Wünsche und Verabscheuungen, seine Sympathien und Antipathien. Er wünscht den einen Gegenstand, den andern lehnt er ab. In nichts anderem als in diesen Begierden, Wünschen und Verabscheuungen ist die Quelle zu suchen, aus welcher auch das Traumbewußtsein herausschöpft, wenn es die Dinge zu Sinnbildern umwandelt. Das Selbstbewußtsein des Tageslebens gibt mit den äußeren Wahrnehmungen den Begierden und Wünschen eine ihnen entsprechende Nahrung. Schweigen die Tätigkeiten der äußeren Sinne, dann tritt eine andere schöpferische Kraft ein und formt in dem Stoffe der Wünsche und Begierden die Bilder. Die Geheimwissenschaft sagt nun, daß der träumende Mensch sich in dem aus Wünschen und Begierden gewobenen astralischen Leibe befinde und daß der physische Leib von dem Selbstbewußtsein verlassen sei. Beim Eingeweihten oder Erweckten ist die Sache so, daß er ebenfalls seinen physischen Leib verlassen hat, daß aber sein Selbstbewußtsein in seinem astralischen Leibe wohnt. Wie nun der physische Leib die Wahrnehmung der physischen Dinge vermitteln kann, weil seine Organe aus demselben Stoffe gebildet sind wie die physische Welt, so kann der Eingeweihte die Wesen der astralen Welt wahrnehmen, weil er Organe hat aus dem Stoffe der Wünsche und Begierden, in dem sie ihren Ausdruck finden.

[ 13 ] Der Unterschied zwischen dem uneingeweihten und dem eingeweihten Menschen besteht darin, daß dem ersteren die astrale Welt nicht als Außenwelt sichtbar wird und für den letzteren das der Fall ist. Diese astrale Welt bleibt nämlich für den Unerweckten eine bloße Innenwelt; er erlebt sie in seinen Wünschen und Begehrungen; aber er sieht sie nicht. Der Eingeweihte fühlt nicht nur seinen Wunsch; er nimmt ihn als ein Ding der Außenwelt wahr, wie der Unerweckte Tische und Stühle wahrnimmt.

[ 14 ] Von dieser Welt des Eingeweihten ist nun allerdings die gewöhnliche Traumwelt nur ein schwacher Nachklang. Sie kann dies ja auch nur sein, weil das Selbstbewußtsein nicht an ihr beteiligt ist. Wo aber ist dieses Selbstbewußtsein während des Traumes? Es hat sich zurückgezogen in eine höhere Welt, in welcher der Mensch zunächst: nicht als solcher vorhanden ist. Welches Verhältnis er zu dieser Welt hat, kann zunächst ein Vergleich klarmachen. Man denke an eine Hand des Menschen und an ein Werkzeug, das von ihr gehalten wird. Solange die Hand das Werkzeug hält, bilden beide gleichsam ein Ganzes. Das letztere führt die Tätigkeiten aus, welche von der ersteren bestimmt werden. Sobald aber die Hand das Werkzeug weglegt, ist dieses sich selbst überlassen; und die Bewegungen der Hand sind nur Ausdrücke des Willens im Menschen, dem sie angehört. So muß der physische Leib während des wachen Tageslebens als ein Werkzeug des Gliedes einer höheren Wesenheit angesehen werden. Streckt diese höhere Wesenheit gleichsam ein Glied in den physischen Leib hinein, so tritt in diesem die Sinnestätigkeit und damit das Selbstbewußtsein auf. Verläßt dieses Glied den Leib, so hört das Selbstbewußtsein auf. So ist die innerste Wesenheit des Menschen, die Selbstbewußtsein haben kann, ein Glied einer höheren Wesenheit, aus der es zeitweilig gewissermaßen hervorgestreckt und mit dem physischen Leibe überzogen wird. Noch besser wird man die entsprechende Vorstellung aber gestalten, wenn man das Vorstrecken zugleich als ein Abschnüren ansieht, wie wenn während des Wachens sich ein Tropfen loslöste aus dem betreffenden höheren Wesen, der während des Schlafes wieder aufgesogen wird. Denn der Mensch ist sich während des Wachens seines Zusammenhanges mit einer höheren Wesenheit nicht bewußt; er ist also von ihr tatsächlich abgeschnürt. Während des Schlafes muß ihm das Selbstbewußtsein fehlen, denn es zieht sich da in die höhere Wesenheit zurück; diese saugt es auf, und er ruht also in derselben eingeschlossen.

[ 15 ] Tritt der traumlose Schlaf ein, so verschwindet die Bilderwelt. Scheinbar liegt nun der physische Leib ganz bewußtlos da; in Wahrheit ist aber sein Bewußtseinszustand nur ein noch dumpferer als im traumerfüllten Schlaf. Es ist auch die bildererzeugende Kraft aus dem physischen Leib ausgetreten. Daher können nur die Einsichten des Erweckten Aufklärung über diesen Zustand bringen. Dem Nichterweckten fehlen die Wahrnehmungen über denselben. Für den Erweckten aber erscheint der bildererzeugende Leib, der vorher mit dem physischen noch locker verbunden war, .aus demselben herausgehoben. Und er ist jetzt nicht tatenlos, sondern er hat die Aufgabe, die durch Ermüdung sich als erschöpft darstellenden Kräfte des.physischen Leibes wieder in der angemessenen Stärke herzustellen. Das Erfrischende eines gesunden Schlafes erklärt sich dadurch. Ermattet sinkt der physische Leib in Schlaf. Sein Selbstbewußtsein gibt er in diesem Augenblicke an höhere Wesen ab. In dem Zwischenzustand des Traumschlafes bleibt die Seele noch in einer losen Verbindung mit dem physischen Leib. Das Charakteristische dieser Seele ist ihr Schöpferisches. Sie beginnt mit dem Augenblicke des Aufwachens ihre schöpferische Kraft darauf zu wenden, daß sie die durch die Sinne vermittelnden Wahrnehmungen zum menschlichen Innenleben verarbeitet. Im Momente des Einschlafens fallen die äußeren Sinneswahrnehmungen weg. Im Zwischenzustand des Träumens gestaltet sich das Schöpferische noch zu den geschilderten Sinnbildern um; dann fallen auch diese Sinnbilder weg; die Seele wendet ihre ganze Schöpferkraft auf den Leib, den sie nun von außen bearbeitet. - Wer ganz von den Mitteilungen der Geheimwissenschaft absehen wollte, der könnte schon aus der Tatsache der Erfrischung am Morgen beim Erwachen entnehmen, wodurch sich die nächtliche Tätigkeit der Seele kennzeichnet. Das Leben des Tages hat etwas Unharmonisches, Chaotisches. Von allen Seiten wirken die Dinge der physischen Umgebung auf den Menschen. Bald findet dies, bald jenes Einlaß in sein Inneres. Das bringt die inneren Bildungskräfte außer die Ordnung, die ihnen durch ihre ursprüngliche Natur zukommt. In der Nacht wird das wieder ausgeglichen. Die Seele stellt die Ordnung und Harmonie her. Durch das Tagesleben sieht allmählich der physische Leib aus wie eine Luftmasse, welche von allen Seiten von Windströmungen durchzogen wird und deren Teile sich in unregelmäßiger Art durcheinanderbewegen. Beim Erwachen aber ist er einer solchen Luftmasse zu vergleichen, die von dem Rhythmus und der Harmonie eines Musikstückes in regelmäßige Schwingungen versetzt ist. Und in der Tat stellt sich die Arbeit der Seele am Leibe während des Schlafes für den Eingeweihten wie ein Durchtönen desselben dar. Der Mensch taucht während des Schlafes unter in die Harmonie des Seelenlebens. Und es ist dies dieselbe Harmonie, aus welcher er heraus gebildet worden ist. Bevor sich der physische Leib zum erstenmale durch die Sinnesorgane der Außenwelt aufgeschlossen hat, stand er ganz unter dem Einflusse dieser Harmonie, die ihn gegliedert hat. Diese Harmonie durchzieht als Seelenharmonie, als Seelentönen die ganze Welt. Der Mensch ist von ihren Klängen so umgeben, wie er von den vorhin geschilderten Bildern umgeben ist. Wie dem Erweckten durch die Schulung diese Bilderwelt als wirkliche Umgebung‘ wahrnehmbar wird, so auf einer noch höheren Stufe diese dritte Welt. Es fängt um ihn herum an zu klingen und zu tönen. Und in diesen Tönen erschließt sich ihm der Sinn der Welt. Wie die Form der physischen Welt aus den Bildern heraus entstanden ist, so erhielten diese Formen ihre innere Bedeutung und Wesenheit aus den geschilderten Tönen heraus. Alle Dinge sind von diesem Gesichtspunkte aus formgewordene Töne.

[ 16 ] Während des Wachens ist also der Mensch ein Wesen, das sich aus drei Gliedern zusammensetzt: dem physischen Leib, der durch die ihm aus der äußeren Welt eingepflanzten Organe die physische Welt wahrnimmt und das Selbstbewußtsein umschließt; einen Leib, der in sich beweglichen Bildcharakter hat; seine Bilder sind zugleich die Urbilder des physischen Leibes, dessen festumrissene Formen gleichsam durch Erstarrung aus den wechselvollen Bildern des zweiten Leibes heraus entstanden sind; und ferner ist sowohl physischer wie Bilderleib von einer Tonharmonie durchzogen, einem dritten Leibe. -— Im Traumschlafe zieht sich die Seele zurück von dem physischen Leibe; sie bleibt noch in Verbindung mit den beiden andern Leibern, durchtönt den Tonleib und durchsetzt den Bilderleib mit Bildern. Diese letzteren wirken in den physischen Leib herein und teilen ihm die schattenhaften Traumbilder mit. Im traumlosen Schlafe ist die Seele nur noch mit dem Tonleib verbunden; was im Wachen von ihr in dem physischen Leibe war, ist jetzt außerhalb desselben und bearbeitet ihn von außen. Diese von ihr in ihn einströmende Tätigkeit erzeugt in ihm nur ein so dumpfes Bewußtsein, daß es von dem Menschen nicht wahrgenommen wird.

[ 17 ] In der Tat stellen sich damit drei Bewußtseinszustände des physischen Leibes dar: das wache Tagesbewußtsein, das Traumbewußtsein und das traumlose Schlafbewußtsein. Für den Eingeweihten hellt sich die Dumpfheit der beiden letzten Bewußstseinszustände auf; er lebt durch diese Aufhellung so in höheren Welten, wie der Unerweckte während des wachen Tageslebens in der physischen Außenwelt lebt. Man hat damit fünf Bewußtseinszustände gegeben, welche sich nach ihrer zunehmenden Helligkeit in die folgende Reihe gliedern:

1. das traumlose Schlafbewußtsein
2. den Traumschlaf
3. das wache Tagesbewußtsein
4. das Bilderbewußtsein des Eingeweihten
5. das Tonbewußtsein des Eingeweihten.

[ 18 ] Wenn man bedenkt, daß durch geheimwissenschaftliche Schulung die beiden letzten Bewußtseinszustände von dem Eingeweihten als eine höhere Entwicklungsstufe der Menschheit erreicht werden, so wird ohne weiteres einleuchtend sein, daß auch das wache Tagesbewußtsein eine höhere Stufe der beiden untergeordneten Bewußtseinszustände darstellt, sich also aus ihnen entwickelt hat. Dies ist es, was von der Geheimwissenschaft dargestellt wird. Sie erklärt, daß der Mensch in urferner Vergangenheit durch eine Entwickelungsstufe durchgegangen ist, im welcher er nur ein dumpfes, von keinem Traumbild durchsetztes Schlafbewußtsein hatte; dann stieg er hinauf zu einem dumpfen Traumbewußitsein, um endlich anzukommen beim wachen Tagesbewußtsein von heute. Der Einzuweihende setzt diese Entwickelungslinie fort. Er bildet die beiden höheren Bewußtseinsformen aus.

[ 19 ] Nun ist aber diesem Eingeweihten eine noch höhere Bewußtseinsart erreichbar. Es ist aus dem Vorhergehenden nämlich ersichtlich, daß auch im Tonbewußtsein die Seele noch mit dem Menschenleibe verbunden ist. Diese Verbindung kann ganz aufhören. Die Seele kann den Leib völlig verlassen. Dies lernt der Eingeweihte. Und dann muß er Organe noch höherer Art als vorher ausgebildet haben, wenn er noch etwas wahrnehmen will. Ist das der Fall, dann drückt sich in seiner Umgebung der Sinn der Welt unmittelbar aus, ohne die Vermittelung des 'Tones. Man nennt diese zunächst höchste Bewußtseinsstufe das spirituelle oder reingeistige Bewußtsein. Im Sinne der vorhergehenden Aufzählung der Bewußtseinsstufen müßte im gegenwärtigen Menschen dem ein Zustand entsprechen, der ein noch dumpferes Bewußtsein darstellt als das traumlose Schlafbewußtsein. Dem Sinne nach ist das allerdings der Fall. Doch kann der gegenwärtige Mensch diesen Zustand in der Wirklichkeit nicht darleben. Es müßte dann seine Seele ganz außerhalb des Leibes sein; der traumlose Schlaf müßte unterbrochen sein von einem ganz seelenlosen Zustande. Das käme in der Tat einem zeitweiligen Hingegebensein des physischen Leibes an sich selbst gleich, das heißt einer vorübergehenden Tötung. Dieser darf der physische Leib nicht ausgesetzt werden, wenn er nicht Gefahr laufen soll, nicht mehr aufnahmefähig für die Seele zu werden.

[ 20 ] In der Entwickelung ist aber dieser Zustand in der Tat dem traumlosen Schlafbewußtsein vorangegangen, so daß die vollständige Reihe der Bewußtseinsstufen des Menschen diese ist:

1. ein niedriges dumpfestes Bewußtsein
2. ein traumloses Schlafbewußtsein
3. ein Traumbewußtsein
4. das helle Tagesbewußtsein
5. das Bilderbewußtsein
6. das Tonbewußtsein
7. das spirituelle Bewußtsein.

[ 21 ] Nur bis zu der vierten Bewußtseinsstufe ist der Leib des Menschen in der Gegenwart vorgedrungen. Die höheren Bewußtseinsarten kann der Eingeweihte erreichen. Sie führen ihn aber auch in höhere Welten. Die Entwickelung des Menschen ist aber so vorzustellen, daß sich der physische Leib selbst durch die drei ersten Stufen hindurch gebildet hat und gegenwärtig eine solche Bildung angenommen hat, daß er im Schlaf zwei andere Bewußtseinsformen noch zeigt als Reste vorangegangener Stufen. Die erste Stufe ist durch die Entwickelung vollständig verwischt worden. — Die drei höheren Bewußtseinsstufen des Eingeweihten können gegenwärtig sich noch nicht im physischen Menschenleibe zum Ausdrucke bringen, weil dieser keine Organe für sie entwickeln kann. Sie sind prophetische Vorausverkündigungen von Formen, welche dieser physische Leib noch annehmen wird.

[ 22 ] Will man sich, von diesen Auseinandersetzungen ausgehend, die gegenwärtige Welt richtig vorstellen, so stellt sie sich dar als eine vierfache: zuerst die physische Welt der leiblichen Sinne, dann diese umhüllend und durchdringend eine Bilderwelt, ferner eine beide durchsetzende Tonwelt und endlich eine ihnen allen zum Grunde liegende spirituelle Welt.

[ 23 ] Dieser Welt ist eine andere vorangegangen, in welcher der Mensch wie ein träumendes Wesen lebte. Sein physischer Leib war damals in dem Zustande, in dem er sich gegenwärtig während des traumerfüllten Schlafes befindet. Die Umgebung glich einem Panorama von Wandelbildern. Keine festen Umrisse der Dinge waren da. Dieser Zustand war damals unterbrochen von einem andern, der dem gegenwärtigen traumlosen Schlaf gleichkommt. Und dieser wieder von einem solchen, der heute nicht mehr verwirklicht werden kann und der durch die erste der oben charakterisierten Bewußtseinsformen ausgefüllt war.

[ 24 ] In einer noch früheren Welt konnte sich der Mensch auch nicht bis zu einem Erleben von Traumbildern erheben. Sein höchstes Bewußtsein war das des traumlosen Schlafens, und dieser Zustand wurde von dem niederen, dumpfesten Bewußtsein, das gegenwärtig schon verwischt ist, unterbrochen; dieses wieder von einem Zustand, der für die gegenwärtige Entwickelung alle Bedeutung verloren hat.

[ 25 ] In der ersten Welt, auf welche die Geheimwissenschaft zurückdeutet, fehlt dem Menschen auch das dumpfe Schlafbewußtsein; der erste der geschilderten Zustände ist sein höchster; zwei andere, welche heute nicht in Betracht kommen, wechselten damit ab.

[ 26 ] So blickt man zurück in eine urferne Vergangenheit der Entwikkelung; man überschaut vier Stufen, durch welche der physische Menschenleib hindurchgegangen ist. Man blickt aber auch in die Zukunft, in welcher die drei heute für die Eingeweihten in höheren Welten erreichbaren Bewußtseinsformen in der physischen Welt ihre Verwirklichung finden werden. Unsere Welt wird von einer zukünftigen abgelöst werden, in welcher physische Menschenleiber Organe haben werden, durch die ein selbstbewußter Mensch eine ewig bewegliche Bilderwelt wahrnehmen, ja sich selbst als eine solche anschauen wird. - Und weiter blickt man auf eine solche Welt, in welcher die Bilder durchdrungen sein werden von harmonischen Klängen, die ihr inneres Wesen zum Ausdrucke bringen werden. Zuletzt auf eine Welt mit Geistnatur, die aber ihren Geist in die physische Natur wird ausgegossen haben.

[ 27 ] So stellt die Geheimwissenschaft die Entwickelung der Welt dar, in welcher der Mensch seine aufeinanderfolgenden Stufen durchläuft. Und sie bezeichnet diese Entwickelungsstufen mit Namen, welche dann auf die die Erde umgebenden Planeten als Bezeichnungen übergegangen sind. Die Entwickelungsstufe, auf welcher der Mensch mit dem noch dumpfesten Bewußtsein stand, wird Saturnentwickelung genannt; die zweite, in welcher der Mensch mit dem traumlosen Schlafbewußtsein lebte, als Sonnenentwickelung; die dritte, in der ein Traumbewußtsein auftrat, als Mondstufe; die vierte, die gegenwärtige, auf welcher der Mensch sich zum hellen Tagesbewußtsein durchgerungen hat, als Erdentwickelung. Und die Stufen der Zukunft, auf denen die heute von den Eingeweihten in höheren Welten erreichbaren Bewußtseinsstufen ihre physische Ausgestaltung finden werden, benennt man aufeinanderfolgend als Jupiter-, Venus- und Vulkanentwickelung.

[ 28 ] Das Unterscheidende der Bewußtseinsarten des Eingeweihten von den Bewußtseinszuständen des Menschen während der künftigen Jupiter-, Venus- und Vulkanentwickelung liegt darinnen, daß der erstere sich zu höheren Welten erheben muß, um in den entsprechenden Bewußtseinen zu leben, der zukünftige Mensch sie dagegen in der physischen Welt haben wird. Das rührt davon her, daß beim Eingeweihten in der Gegenwart aus den Kräften der höheren Welten heraus entsprechende Wahrnehmungsorgane gebildet werden; ihnen gleichwertige werden in der Zukunft am physischen Menschenleibe aus der physischen Umwelt heraus entstehen. Der Mensch kann eben diejenige Welt als seine Umwelt wahrnehmen, die ihm den Stoff zu seinen Organen gibt. In der Zukunft wird die physische Umwelt Bildungskräfte haben, die gegenwärtig noch den höheren Welten allein angehören. Man kann also den Werdegang der Welt so darstellen, daß sich aufeinanderfolgend immer höhere Welten physisch verkörpern. Die Erde ist die vierte Verkörperung. Sie hat in ihrer physischen Gliederung die Fähigkeit, dem Menschenleibe die Organe zum hellen Tagesbewußtsein einzuprägen. Im Sinne der Geheimwissenschaft entwikkelte sie sich aus einem andern physischen Zustande, in dem sie dem Leibe nur Organe für ein Traumbewußtsein einprägen konnte. Dieser Zustand wird mit dem Namen «Mond» belegt. Aus diesem «Monde» bildet sich also die Erde, indem sie eine neue Fähigkeit erwirbt, eben die Organe für das wache Tagesbewußtsein zu entwickeln. Der «Mond» ist aus der «Sonne» entstanden. Das, was jetzt «Erde» geworden ist, war also damals «Sonne». Die Geheimwissenschaft bezeichnet eben als «Sonnenzustand» denjenigen, wo der Weltkörper, der sich in ihm befindet, in einem Menschenleibe nur die Organe für das traumlose Schlafbewußtsein erzeugen kann. Und bevor die Erde in diesem Sinne «Sonne» war, stand sie auf der Stufe des «Saturn».

[ 29 ] Wodurch erlangt nun ein solcher Weltkörper die Kraft, die entsprechenden Organe im Menschenleibe zu bilden? Er könnte es nimmermehr, wenn diese Organe nicht in bezug auf höhere Welten von voraneilenden Menschenwesen vorgebildet würden. Indem die Eingeweihten gegenwärtig in höheren Welten die Jupiterorgane vorbilden, schaffen sie die Möglichkeit, daß die umliegende Bilderwelt physischen Charakter annimmt. Die Erstarrung zum Physisch-Körperlichen wird dadurch bewirkt, daß die Formen, welche dieses annehmen soll, zuerst da seien auf geistige Art. So werden die Eingeweihten zu den Umbildnern des Weltkörpers, den sie bewohnen. Von ihnen strahlen gleichsam die Bildungskräfte aus, welche nachher die Dinge der physischen Menschenumgebung ins Dasein rufen.

[ 30 ] So haben die Eingeweihten der Mondstufe geistig die physische Gestalt der Erde vorgebildet. Die heutige Erdenumgebung des Menschen bildete den Inhalt ihrer Seelenerlebnisse. Sie nahmen die Erde wahr als ihren Gegenstand einer höheren Welt.

[ 31 ] In diesem Sinne erkennt die Geheimwissenschaft sieben große Weltkreisläufe oder Weltperioden, durch die jenes Wesen hindurchgeht, das auf seiner vierten Stufe die Erde darstellt. Jede solche Periode ist mit einer Höhergestaltung des Menschenleibes verknüpft. - Aus dieser Erkenntnis heraus sieht diese Wissenschaft in der « Vierheit» dasjenige, was die gegenwärtige Weltentwickelungsstufe charakterisiert. Was zum Beispiel Pythagoras und seine Schule mit der «Vierheit» bezeichnete, ist damit gekennzeichnet. Die «Vier» ist die Zahl der «großen Welt», das heißt der Welt, welche der Mensch gegenwärtig bewohnt. Sie hat ihn auf die vierte Stufe seines Bewußtseins erhoben.

[ 32 ] Den Menschen selbst stellt die Geheimwissenschaft als die «kleine Welt» dieser «großen Welt» gegenüber. Er hat in seinen Anlagen gegenwärtig schon das als Seele in sich, was die «große Welt» physisch werden soll. Er ist also auf dem Wege, seine innere «kleine Welt» zur «großen Welt» zu erweitern. In ihm ist der schöpferische Mutterschoß der letzteren. In diesem Sinne sieht die Geheimwissenschaft in der Seele eine schöpferische Keimanlage für die Zukunft, ein «Inneres», das darnach strebt, sich in einem Äußeren zu verwirklichen.

[ 33 ] Um aber im Äußeren schöpferisch sein zu können, muß diese Seele selbst erst reif werden. Sie muß zuerst innerlich erleben, was sie später im Äußerlichen ausgestalten soll. Bis die Seele zum Beispiel die Fähigkeit besaß, dem physischen Leibe Organe für das wache Tagesbewußtsein einzuprägen, mußte sie selbst erst durch eine Reihe von Entwickelungsstufen hindurchgehen, auf denen sie sich diese Fähigkeit allmählich erwarb. So mußte die Seele erst in sich den ersten Bewußtseinszustand erleben, bevor sie ihn schaffen konnte; und so entsprechend für die anderen Bewußtseinsformen. Diese Entwickelungsstufen der Seele, die in ihr der Schöpfung der Bewußtseinsarten vorangehen, führen in der Geheimwissenschaft den Namen Lebensstufen. Es gibt demnach ebenso sieben Lebensstufen, wie es sieben Bewußtseinsstufen gibt. Leben unterscheidet sich von Bewußtsein dadurch, daß das erstere einen innerlichen Charakter trägt, das letztere auf einem Verhältnisse zur Außenwelt beruht.

[ 34 ] Auf die Erde angewendet kann man sagen: bevor der helle Tagesbewußtseinszustand des Menschenleibes auf ihr auftrat, mußte dieser Weltkörper durch vier Zustände hindurchgehen, die als vier Lebenszustände aufzufassen sind.

[ 35 ] Die Stufen des Seelenerlebens ergeben sich, wenn man das verinnerlicht denkt, was in den Bewußtseinszuständen als Außenwelt wahrgenommen wird. Da hat man zunächst jenen dumpfesten Bewußtseinszustand, welcher dem traumlosen Schlafe vorangeht. In diesem letzteren schafft die Seele harmonisierend am Leibe; ihr entsprechender Lebenszustand ist die Harmonisierung des eigenen Innern. Sie durchdringt sich also mit einer Welt tönender Bewegung. Vorher, in dem dumpfesten Erlebenszustand, war sie in einem eigenen, bewegungslosen Innern. Sie fühlte dieses Innere in unterschiedloser Gleichgültigkeit allseitig durch. Man bezeichnet diesen niedersten Lebenszustand als das erste Elementarreich. Es ist ein Erleben des Stoffes in seiner ursprünglichen Eigenschaft. Der Stoff kommt nach den verschiedensten Richtungen hin in Erregung und Bewegung. Und sein Selbsterleben dieser Beweglichkeit ist als erste Lebensstufe das erste Elementarreich. — Die zweite Stufe wird erreicht, wenn Rhythmus und Harmonie aus diesen Bewegungen wird. Die entsprechende Lebensstufe ist das innerliche Gewahrwerden des Rhythmus als Klang. Das ist das zweite Elementarreich. - Die dritte Stufe bildet sich aus, indem die Bewegungen sich zu Bildern umformen. Dann lebt die Seele in sich als in einer Welt sich gestaltender und sich wieder auflösender Bilder. Das ist das dritte Elementarreich. - Auf der vierten Stufe nehmen die Bilder feste Formen an; es tritt Einzelnes aus dem Wandelpanorama heraus. Dadurch kann es nicht mehr bloß innerlich erlebt, sondern äußerlich wahrgenommen werden. Dieses Reich ist das Reich der äußeren Leiber.

[ 36 ] Man muß in diesem Reiche unterscheiden zwischen der Gestalt, die es hat für das helle Tagesbewußtsein des Menschen, und der Gestalt, die es in sich selbst erlebt. Der Leib erlebt tatsächlich in sich seine Form, also den in regelmäßige Gestalten sich formenden Stoff. -— Auf der nächsten Stufe wird dieses bloße Formerleben überwunden; es tritt dafür das Erleben des Formwandels ein. Die Gestalt bildet sich selbst und bildet sich um. Man kann sagen, daß auf dieser Stufe das dritte Elementarreich in einer höheren Gestalt erscheint. Im dritten Elementarreich kann die Bewegung von Gestalt zu Gestalt nur als Bild erlebt werden; in diesem fünften Reich geht das Bild bis zur Verfestigung im äußeren Gegenstande über, aber dieser äußere Gegenstand erstirbt nicht in der Form, sondern er behält seine Wandelfähigkeit. Dies Reich ist das [der] wachsenden und sich fortpflanzenden Leiber. Und seine Umwandlungsfähigkeit kommt eben in Wachstum und Fortpflanzung zum Vorschein. - Im nächsten Reiche tritt die Fähigkeit hinzu, daß Äußere in seiner Wirkung auf das Innere zu erleben. Es ist das Reich der empfindenden Wesen. — Das letzte Reich, das in Betracht kommt, ist dasjenige, welches nicht nur die Wirkung der äußeren Dinge in sich erlebt, sondern deren Inneres miterlebt. Es ist dies. das Reich der mitfühlenden Wesen. Somit gliedert sich die Stufenfolge des Lebens in der folgenden Art:

1. dumpfes Stofferleben
2. Erleben innerer Bewegung
3. Erleben innerer Gestaltung
4. Erleben einer festen Umgrenzung
5. Erleben des Umgestaltens
6. Erleben der Wirkungen der Außenwelt als Empfindung
7. Miterleben der Außenwelt.

[ 37 ] Dem innerlichen Erleben der Seele muß erst das Schaffen dieses Lebens vorangehen. Denn nichts kann erlebt werden, was nicht erst ins Dasein getreten ist. Bezeichnet die Geheimwissenschaft das innere Erleben als Seelisches, so benennt sie das Schöpferische als Geistiges. Der [physische Leib] nimmt durch Organe wahr; die Seele erlebt sich im Innern; der Geist schafft nach außen. So wie den sieben Stufen des Bewußtseins sieben Seelenerlebnisse vorangehen, so gehen diesen Seelenerlebnissen entsprechend sieben Arten schöpferischer Tätigkeit voran. Dem dumpfen Erleben des Stoffes entspricht im Gebiete des Schöpferischen das Hervorbringen dieses Stoffes. Der Stoff strömt da in gleichgültiger Art in die Welt. Man bezeichnet dieses Gebiet als dasjenige der Formlosigkeit. Auf der nächsten Stufe gliedert sich der Stoff, und seine Glieder treten zueinander in Beziehung. Man hat es also da mit verschiedenen Stoffen zu tun, die sich verbinden, trennen. Dieses Gebiet wird als das der Form bezeichnet. Auf der dritten Stufe braucht nicht mehr Stoff zu Stoff selbst in Beziehung zu treten, sondern es gehen von dem Stoffe die Kräfte aus, die Stoffe ziehen sich an, stoßen sich ab und so weiter. Man hat es mit dem astralen Gebiet zu tun. Auf der vierten Stufe erscheint ein Stoffliches, gestaltet von den Kräften der Umwelt, die auf der dritten Stufe bloß die äußeren Beziehungen geregelt haben und die jetzt in das Innere der Wesen hineinarbeiten. Es ist dies das Gebiet des Physischen. Ein Wesen, das auf dieser Stufe steht, ist ein Spiegel seiner Umwelt; es arbeiten die Kräfte der letzteren an seiner Gliederung. Der weitere Fortschritt besteht darinnen, daß das Wesen nicht nur sich in sich so gliedert, wie es im Sinne der Kräfte in der Umwelt ist, sondern daß es sich auch eine äußere Physiognomie gibt, welche das Gepräge dieser Umwelt trägt. Stellt ein Wesen der vierten Stufe einen Spiegel seiner Umwelt dar, so drückt ein solches der fünften Stufe diese Umwelt physiognomisch aus. Man nennt diese Stufe daher in der Geheimwissenschaft die physiognomische. Auf der sechsten Stufe wird die Physiognomie zur Ausströmung ihrer selbst. Ein Wesen, das auf dieser Stufe steht, bildet die Dinge seiner Umwelt so, wie es sich erst selbst gebildet hat. Es ist dies die Stufe des Gestaltens. Und auf der siebenten Stufe geht das Gestalten über in Schaffen. Das Wesen, das da angekommen ist, erschafft in seiner Umwelt solche Formen, welche im Kleinen nachbilden das, was seine Umwelt im Großen ist. Es ist die Stufe des Schöpferischen.

Die Entwickelung des Geistigen gliedert sich demnach in folgende Stufenreihe:

1. die Formlosigkeit
2. die Formgebung
3. die Einverleibung von Kraft
4. die Gestaltung im Sinne der Kräfte der Umwelt
5. die physiognomische Ausdrucksfähigkeit
6. die gestaltende Macht
7. die schöpferische Fähigkeit.

[ 38 ] Als die Saturnentwickelung begann, war der Menschenleib auf der Stufe der Formlosigkeit. Er mußte sich erst bis zur schöpferischen Fähigkeit hindurchringen, bevor eine Seele in ihm ihr erstes Stofferleben erfahren konnte. Das heißt, daß sich der Leib erst durch die sieben Stufen der Schöpfertätigkeit hindurchentwickeln mußte, dann konnte seine Seele ihn durchleben. Diese Seele muß nun wieder so weit kommen, daß sie jeder der sieben Formen des Leibes ihre innere Bewegung mitteilen kann. Das erste Mal, wenn der Leib durch seine sieben Formen hindurchgeht, ist sie selbst noch ganz leblos. Erst auf der siebenten Stufe, wenn der Leib schöpferisch wird, erwacht ihr Leben. Und es muß jetzt erwachen, denn der Leib gibt Stoff aus in seinem Schaffen. Diesen muß ihm die Seele ersetzen. Und nun beginnt ein zweiter Kreislauf. Der Stoff, der als Ersatz einströmt in den Leib, macht selbst die sieben Stufen von der Formlosigkeit bis zur schöpferischen Fähigkeit durch. Ist er da angelangt, so beschränkt sich die Seele nicht mehr auf die Erlebnisse, welche ihr die Bewegung des einströmenden Stoffes bewirkt, sondern sie beginnt eine neue Lebensstufe. Dadurch daß der einströmende Stoff selbst schöpferisch geworden ist, beginnt er den Leib innerlich zu füllen. Vorher hat er immer nur Ersatz für den Abgang geleistet; jetzt lagert er sich dem Leibe ein. Und wieder macht er da alle Formen von der Formlosigkeit bis zur schöpferischen Fähigkeit durch. Erst lagert er sich formlos im Leibe ab, dann geht er allmählich über zu Formen, entwickelt Kräfte, gestaltet Gebilde aus, gibt ihnen einen physiognomischen Ausdruck und so weiter. Während dieses ganzen Kreislaufes macht die Seele ihre dritte Lebensstufe durch. Sie harmonisiert diese innere Gliederung und gleicht das durch die inneren Vorgänge in Unordnung Gekommene aus. - Ist so der Stoff im Innern gestaltend gewesen, so geht er auf einer vierten Stufe dazu über, die Außenwelt auf sich wirken zu lassen. Er kann dieses, denn die ihn bewohnende Seele ist nunmehr reif geworden, die Eindrücke der Umgebung dumpf zu erleben und so die durch die Außenwelt bewirkten Unordnungen immer wieder in Ordnung zu bringen. Im nächsten Kreislauf bleibt der Leib nicht mehr dabei stehen, sich selbst zu gliedern; er gestaltet sich unter dem Einflusse der Außenwelt um. Die Seele ist dazu reif geworden, diese Umgestaltung zu regeln. Dann beginnt für den Leib ein Kreislauf, in dem er die Wirkungen der Außenwelt als Empfindungen wahrnimmt. Die Seele bildet wieder den Regulator dieser Daseinsstufe. Endlich ist der Leib auf seiner letzten Stufe angelangt; er kann die Außenwelt miterleben. Die Seele ist jetzt so weit, daß sie eine nächste Stufe vorerlebt, nämlich die nächste Bewußtseinsstufe in einer für das Saturndasein höheren Welt. Sie macht dadurch während dieses letzten Saturnkreislaufes den traumlosen Schlafzustand durch. Und diesen überträgt sie nun beim ersten Sonnenkreislauf auf den physischen Leib.

[ 39 ] Es ist ersichtlich, daß der physische Menschenleib während der Saturnperiode siebenmal durch ein physisches Stadium gegangen ist. Jedesmal, wenn er bei einem solchen angelangt war, erreichte die Seele eine höhere Stufe ihres Erlebens. Beim siebenten Stadium schritt sie über die Saturnentwickelung hinaus und wies in ihrem Erleben auf das Sonnenstadium hin.

[ 40 ] Wenn nun der Sonnenkreislauf beginnt, so ist der physische Leib so weit, daß er seine eigene Gestaltung übernehmen kann. War früher die Seele der Regulator dieser Gestaltung, so hat er nun einen eigenen Gestalter in sich. Man nennt diesen den Ätherleib. Die Seele steht jetzt nicht mehr in unmittelbarer Verbindung mit dem physischen Leib; zwischen ihr und ihm steht der Ätherleib als Vermittler. Ihre Erlebnisse gehen auf diesen Ätherleib über, wie sie vorher auf den physischen Leib übergegangen sind. Nun müssen zunächst wieder von diesem Ätherleib die sieben Formzustände durchgemacht werden, von der Formlosigkeit bis zur schöpferischen Tätigkeit. Indem der Ätherleib auf den physischen Leib gestaltend einwirkt, verliert er seine Spannung fortlaufend. Und diese wird immer wieder durch die Seele geregelt. In solcher Art durchläuft auch die Sonnenentwickelung sieben physische Stadien. Und in jedem derselben erscheint die Seele auf einer höheren Stufe; auf der siebenten bildet sie einen neuen Bewußtseinszustand vor. Während sie noch miterlebt, wie der Ätherleib zum Schöpfer neuer Gebilde wird, die die ganze Sonnenwelt nachbilden, spürt sie in sich bereits eine Bilderwelt, die auf- und abwogt in ihr.

[ 41 ] Diese Bilderwelt überträgt sie beim ersten Mondenkreislauf auf den Ätherleib, der nun den physischen Leib nach Maßgabe dieser Seelenbilder gestaltet. Wie sich auf der Sonnenstufe zwischen den physischen Leib und die Seele der gestaltende Ätherleib geschoben hat, so gliedert sich jetzt zwischen diesen und die Seele der charakterisierte Bilderleib. Man nennt ihn in der Geheimwissenschaft den Empfindungsleib. Denn wie die menschlichen Empfindungen von der Außenwelt gleichsam in das Innere einströmen und so den Inhalt der Außenwelt zum Besitztum der Innenwelt machen, so wirken die Bilder des Bilderleibes von innen nach außen und prägen ihren Inhalt dem Ätherleib ein, der ihn wieder überträgt auf den physischen Leib.

[ 42 ] Wieder durchläuft der Mensch während der Mondenentwickelung siebenmal alle Formzustände, um in jedem derselben die Seele zu einer höheren Stufe heranreifen zu lassen. Während der siebenten Stufe hat die Seele die Fähigkeit, ihren Bildern die vollkommenste Form zu geben; sie kann da miterleben alles, was auf dem Weltkörper um sie herum vorgeht, so daß ihre Bilderwelt ein Ausdruck ist der ganzen Mondenwelt. Dabei hat sie zugleich als Vorerlebnis den erhöhten Bewußtseinszustand der nächsten Stufe; sie beginnt innerhalb ihrer Bilder-Wandelwelt feste Formen zu schauen. Dadurch wird sie reif, auch auf den Ätherleib so zu wirken, daß dieser Organe in sich ausbildet, die etwas Bleibendes haben. - Und damit kann der Übergang gemacht werden zum ersten Erdenkreislauf. Innerhalb desselben nimmt der physische Leib die festen Bilderformen in sich auf; diese werden seine Organe. Damit beginnt sich ein viertes Glied am Menschen zu entwickeln. Zwischen den Bilderleib und die Seele schieben sich die Wahrnehmungen äußerer Gegenstände ein. Der Leib ist jetzt in einer gewissen Weise der Seele entwachsen; er ist selbständig geworden. Was vorher in ihm auftrat, waren die Ergebnisse jener Bilder, welche die Seele aus der Außenwelt sich angeeignet hat. Jetzt bewirkt die Außenwelt in ihm unmittelbar die Wahrnehmungen. Und das Innenleben der Seele verläuft als ein Miterleben dieser Wahrnehmungen. Der Ausdruck dieser Eigentätigkeit des Leibes ist das Selbstbewußtsein. Doch nur allmählich reift das Selbstbewußtsein heran. Erst muß der Mensch einen Kreislauf der Formen durchmachen, in dem in seinen Organen nur dumpfes Stoffleben verspürt wird; in einem zweiten Kreislauf bewirkt der Stoffeinfluß eine innere Bewegung; der Ätherleib erlebt dadurch die Außenwelt mit und gestaltet die Organe zu lebendigen Werkzeugen des physischen Organismus um. In einem dritten Kreislaufe wird auch der Bilderleib fähig, die Außenwelt nachzubilden. Er erregt nun die Organe so, daß sie selbst Bilder hervorbringen, die in ihnen leben, aber noch nicht Abbilder äußerer Dinge sind. Erst im vierten Kreislaufe wird die Seele selbst fähig, die Leibesorgane zu durchsetzen; damit löst sie die Bilder von diesen Leibesorganen los und überzieht mit ihnen die äußeren Dinge. Damit steht eine Außenwelt vor ihr, zu der sie als ein inneres selbständiges Wesen in Gegensatz tritt. — Jetzt ist es aber auch, wo von Zeit zu Zeit die Leibesorgane, deren sie sich bedient, in Erschöpfung verfallen. Dann hört die Möglichkeit auf, mit der Außenwelt in Verbindung zu sein. Der Schlaf tritt ein, in dem die Seele wieder auf ihre frühere Art durch Bilder- und Ätherleib auf den physischen Körper ausgleichend einwirkt. So erscheint der Schlaf für die Geheimwissenschaft als ein zurückgebliebener Rest früherer Entwickelungsstufen. In der Gegenwart hat der Mensch die Mitte des vierten Erdenkreislaufes um ein Stück überschritten. Dies drückt sich darinnen aus, daß er nicht bloß im hellen Tagesbewußtsein die äußeren Gegenstände wahrnimmt, sondern darüber hinaus die ihnen zugrundeliegenden Gesetze. Die Seele hat mit ihrem Erleben des inneren Umgestaltens der Dinge begonnen.

[ 43 ] Während der Saturnentwickelung stand der Menschenleib auf der Stufe des dumpfesten Bewußtseins. Man darf aber deshalb nicht etwa voraussetzen, daß andere Stufen des Bewußtseins nicht bei Wesen vorhanden gewesen wären, die zu jener Zeit ihr Dasein in Verbindung mit dieser früheren Verkörperung der Erde hatten. So war vor allem ein Wesen damals vorhanden, welches ein Bewußtsein hatte, das dem gegenwärtigen wachen Tagesbewußtsein des Menschen gleichwertig war. Da aber die Verhältnisse der Saturnumgebung ganz andere waren, als sie auf der Erde sind, so mußte auch diese Bewußtseinsstufe sich in einer wesentlich anderen Art betätigen.

[ 44 ] Der Erdenmensch hat um sich herum als Gegenstände der Wahrnehmung Mineralien, Pflanzen und Tiere. Diese Wesenheit[en] betrachtet er als unter ihm stehend, sich selbst ihnen gegenüber als ein höheres Wesen. Bei jenem Saturnwesen war das Umgekehrte der Fall. Es hatte drei Gruppen von Wesenheiten über sich und mußte sich selbst als das unterste Glied im Bereiche dessen halten, was ihm wahrnehmbar war. Diese drei höheren Grup: pen von Wesenheiten bezeichnete man in der Geheimwissenschaft mit verschiedenen Namen, je nach der Sprache des Volkes und der Zeit, denen die Geheimlehrer angehörten. Die Bezeichnungen der christlichen Geheimwissenschaft sind, von oben nach unten aufgezählt: Herrschaften (Kyriotetes), Mächte (Dynamis) und Gewalten (Exusiai). Als viertes unterstes Glied reiht sich jenes charakterisierte Wesen an, wie sich der Erden-Mensch als oberstes Glied an das Mineral-, Pflanzen- und Tierreich anreiht. - Diesen ganz andersartigen Verhältnissen entsprechend war auch die Natur der Wahrnehmung selbst anders. Aus der Erfahrung heraus kennt diese Natur der Eingeweihte. Denn sie kommt dem gleich, was er als seine dritte Stufe, über das wache Tagesbewußtsein hinaus, erreicht, dem spirituellen Bewußtsein. Es ist da, als ob die Eindrücke nicht von äußeren Gegenständen an die Sinne herankämen, sondern als ob sie sich von innen heraus nach den Sinnen zudrängten, von diesen nach außen strömten und da draußen an die Gegenstände und Wesen aufstießen, um sich an ihnen zu spiegeln und dann in ihrem Abglanz dem Bewußtsein zu erscheinen. - So war es bei jenem Saturnwesen. Es strömte seine Lebenskraft auf die Dinge des Planeten, und von allen Seiten wurde ihm in der mannigfaltigsten Weise der Widerschein zurückgeworfen. Es nahm das eigene Leben von allen Seiten im Spiegelbilde wahr. Und die Dinge, welche ihm dieses sein Wesen zurückstrahlten, waren die Anfänge des physischen Menschenleibes. Denn aus ihnen bestand der Planet. Was sonst wahrgenommen wurde, erschien nicht am Planeten, sondern in dessen Umkreis. Die Wesen, welche Exusiai (Gewalten) genannt werden, erschienen als strahlende Wesen, die von allen Seiten her den Weltkörper beleuchteten. Der Saturn selbst war ein an sich dunkler Körper; er empfing sein Licht nicht von toten Lichtquellen, sondern von diesen Wesen, die seinen Umkreis bewohnten und als Leuchtwesen ihn erhellten. Ihr Licht offenbarte sich der Wahrnehmung des Saturnwesens, wie sich gegenwärtig der tierische Leib dem Menschen wahrnehmbar macht. Die Wesen, welche Dynamis (Mächte) heißen, offenbarten sich in ähnlicher Art vom Umkreise her durch geistiges Tönen und die Kyriotetes (Herrschaften) durch das, was man in der Geheimwissenschaft das Weltaroma nennt, eine Art von Eindruck, den man mit dem gegenwärtigen Geruch vergleichen kann.

[ 45 ] So wie der Erdenmensch sich über die Wahrnehmungen der äußeren Dinge hinaus zu Vorstellungen erhebt, die nur in seinem Innern leben, so erkannte jenes Saturnwesen außer den genannten Wesenheiten, welche sich ihm wie von innen offenbarten, noch Wesenheiten, die es von außen wahrnahm; sie werden in der christlichen Geheimwissenschaft Serafine, Cherubine und Throne genannt. Es gibt im Umkreise der Erfahrung des Erdenmenschen nichts, was sich mit den erhabenen Merkmalen vergleichen läßt, in denen sie damals auftraten. — Endlich war diesem Saturnwesen noch eine dritte Art von Mitbewohnern bekannt. Sie bevölkerten das Innere des Planeten. Dieser bestand ja nur als eine Zusammensetzung aus den Menschenleibern, so weit sie damals gediehen waren. Will man sich eine Vorstellung von diesen Leibern machen, so kann man dies dadurch, daß man sie für die Zeiten, in denen sie in physischer Form auftraten, mit Automaten vergleicht, die aus feinstem ätherischen Stoff bestehen. Als solche spiegelten sie das Leben jenes Saturnwesens wider; sie selbst aber waren gänzlich ohne Leben und ohne alle Empfindung. Aber sie wurden von zweierlei Arten von Wesen bewohnt, welche ihr Leben und ihre Empfindungsfähigkeit in ihnen entwickelten. Diese brauchten dazu eine gewisse Unterlage. Denn ihnen fehlte ein eigener physischer Leib,. und dennoch waren sie so veranlagt, daß sie ihre höheren Fähigkeiten nur in einem solchen zur Entfaltung bringen konnten. Sie bedienten sich deswegen des menschlichen physischen Leibes.

[ 46 ] So war auf dem Saturn in einer ähnlichen Art das leibliche, seelische und geistige Element vorhanden, wie es auf der Erde vorkommt. Nur findet es sich auf der Erde so, daß es die dreifache Natur des Menschen bildet: seinen Leib, seine Seele und seinen Geist. Jedes dieser Glieder des Menschen besteht wieder aus drei Untergliedern: der Leib aus dem physischen, dem Ätherleib und dem Empfindungsleib; die Seele aus der Empfindungsseele, der Verstandesseele und [der] Bewußtseinsseele; der Geist aus Geistselbst, Lebensgeist und Geistesmensch. Auf dem Saturn sind Leibliches, Seelisches und Geistiges nicht als Glieder einer Wesenheit, sondern als selbständige Wesenheiten vorhanden; das PhysischLeibliche als die erste Anlage des Menschenleibes und die eigentliche Stoffgrundlage des Planeten selbst; der Ätherleib als Engel, der Empfindungsleib als Erzengel; die Empfindungsseele wird repräsentiert von jenem charakterisierten Saturnwesen selbst, die Verstandesseele von den Gewalten, die Bewußtseinsseele von den Mächten, das Geistselbst von den Herrschaften, der Lebensgeist von den Thronen, der Geistesmensch von den Cherubinen; über allen stehen die Serafine.

[ 47 ] Der Saturn stellte also in den Zeiten, in denen er auf seiner physischen Stufe war, einen Gliederleib dar, bestehend aus feinen Ätherleibern; darinnen walteten die Engel und Erzengel wie die Lebens- und Nervenkräfte gegenwärtig im menschlichen Leibe. Und wie dieser außen die Sinneswerkzeuge hat, so war der Saturn selbst an seiner Oberfläche wie mit lauter Sinnen bedeckt; nur waren diese Sinne nicht empfangende, sondern rückstrahlende. Sie spiegelten alles, was von dem Umkreise des Weltkörpers herein einen Eindruck machte, wider. Da bestrahlten die leuchtenden Gewalten die Saturnoberfläche, und ihr Licht wurde vielfältig von der Oberfläche desselben zurückgeworten. Da klang es heran von den Mächten, und diese Klänge drangen wieder als mannigfaches Echo in den Raum hinaus; endlich wurde die Saturnoberfläche von dem Aroma der Herrschaften bestrahlt, und sie gab dieses wieder in vielfach veränderter Form zurück. Und in der Wahrnehmung all dieser Widerstrahlungen bestand das Seelenleben jenes gekennzeichneten Saturnwesens. — Man kann dieses Wesen den eigentlichen Planetengeist des Saturn nennen. Denn es war in der Tat nur eines in seiner Art vorhanden, sowie im Erdenmenschen eine Mannigfaltigkeit von Gliedern, Sinnen und so weiter, aber nur ein Selbstbewußtsein vorhanden ist. Der ganze Saturn war der Körper dieses Planetengeistes.

[ 48 ] Die Entwickelung des Saturn bestand nun in sieben Kreisläufen, welche die Seelen-Lebensentfaltung darstellen. In jedem dieser sieben Kreisläufe geht der Planet durch die sieben Formen hindurch, von der Formlosigkeit zur schöpferischen Fähigkeit. - Beim ersten Kreislauf bilden die Throne das dirigierende Seelenelement, beim zweiten die Herrschaften, beim dritten die Mächte, beim vierten die Gewalten, beim fünften der Saturn-Planetengeist selbst. Dieser hat nicht sogleich vom Anfang der Saturnentwickelung das volle helle Bewußtsein gehabt, sondern dieses sich erst im vierten Kreislauf erworben. Er ist also erst da zu einem eigentlichen seelischen Erleben der planetarischen Vorgänge gelangt. So kann er im fünften Kreislaufe selbst als Seele wirken. Während des fünften Kreislaufes bilden sich nun die Erzengel zu einem inneren Seelenleben heran, dessen Inhalt den Saturnvorgängen entnommen ist. Sie können dies, indem sie sich der bis dahin zu entsprechenden Instrumenten für sie entwickelten Menschenleiber bedienen. Dadurch werden sie im sechsten Kreislauf befähigt, diesen als selbsttätige Seelen zu leiten. Dasselbe ist entsprechend für den siebenten Kreislauf mit den Engeln der Fall.

[ 49 ] Im fünften Kreislauf könnte der Planetengeist des Saturn nicht in der charakterisierten Art als Seele wirken, wenn er innerhalb des Saturnkörpers verbliebe. Denn dieser läßt solches durch seine Beschaffenheit nicht zu. Der Saturngeist muß daher aus dem Saturnleibe heraustreten und von außen auf den letzteren wirken. Es findet also in diesem Kreislauf eine Trennung des Saturn in zwei Weltenkörper statt. Von diesen ist allerdings die eine, die herausgetretene, als Saturnseele zu bezeichnen. Sie ist gleichsam die prophetische Vorherverkündigung der nächsten planetarischen Verkörperung: der Sonne. So wird während seines fünften, sechsten und siebenten Kreislaufes der Saturn von einer Art Sonne umkreist, wie gegenwärtig die Erde von ihrem Monde.

[ 50 ] Ein Ähnliches muß im sechsten Kreislauf für die Erzengel eintreten. Sie verlassen die Saturnmasse und umkreisen sie als ein neuer Planet, den man in der Geheimwissenschaft als Jupiter bezeichnet. Und im siebenten Kreislauf geschieht ein Ähnliches mit Bezug auf die Engel. Sie ziehen ihre Masse aus derjenigen des Saturn heraus und umkreisen diesen als selbständiger Planet. Man nennt diesen in der Geheimwissenschaft Mars. — Das sind Vorgänge, wie sie sich ähnlich aber schon während der vorhergehenden Saturnkreisläufe abgespielt haben. Im dritten Kreislauf leiteten die Gewalten die seelische Entwicklung. Während des vierten verließen sie den Planeten und umkreisten ihn als helleuchtender selbständiger Planet, der in der Geheimwissenschaft den Namen Merkur führt. Im dritten Kreislauf war dasselbe mit den Mächten geschehen, die sich als Planet Venus verselbständigten.

[ 51 ] Innerhalb der Sonnenentwickelung wird der vorher automatische. Leib des Menschen in sich lebendig. Dies geschieht dadurch, daß das Licht, welches vorher als Ausfluß der Leuchtwesen den Saturn aus dem Umkreise bestrahlte, nunmehr von den Bestandteilen des Sonnenkörpers selbst aufgenommen wird. Die Sonne wird ein leuchtender Planet. Die vervollkommneten Menschenleiber entwickeln leuchtendes Leben. Aus dem Umkreise tönt es jetzt herein, und es strömt das Weltaroma von den entsprechenden Wesen.

[ 52 ] Mit dem Saturn-Planetengeist hat sich eine Umwandlung vollzogen. Er hat sich vervielfältigt. Aus einem sind sieben geworden. Wie das Samenkorn eines ist und in der Ähre, die aus ihm sich bildet, viele stehen, die gleichen Wesens sind mit jenem einen, so keimen aus dem einen Saturn-Planetengeist sieben Sprossen hervor beim Übergang zur Sonnenstufe. Und sein Leben wird jetzt ein anderes. Er erlangt die Fähigkeit, Wahrnehmungen von einem Gebiete, das um eine Stufe tiefer steht als er, zu erlangen. Dies wird dadurch möglich, daß eine Anzahl von Menschenleibern in ihrer Entwickelung zurückgeblieben, auf der Saturnstufe stehengeblieben sind. Sie sind dadurch unfähig, das leuchtende Leben der Sonne zu empfangen. Sie bilden dunkle Stellen innerhalb des strahlenden Sonnenplaneten. Sie nehmen die aus dem Saturn-Planetengeist entstandenen sieben Sonnengeister als ein unter ihnen stehendes Naturreich wahr. So leben auf der Sonnenoberfläche diese sieben Wesenheiten; unter ihnen schauen sie ein Reich, dessen Wesen Leiber haben, nur eine Stufe tiefer stehend als die Sonnen-Menschenleiber. Diese Leiber selbst aber geben ihnen in dem von ihnen ausstrahlenden Licht die Nahrung, welche sie brauchen. Während die Saturnleiber dem Saturngeist nur die Rückstrahler seiner Wesenheit waren, nehmen die Sonnenleiber den Sonnengeistern gegenüber die Stelle ein, welche gegenwärtig die Sonne mit ihrem Lichte den Wesen des Pflanzenreiches gegenüber einnimmt. In bezug auf die Leibesorganisation steht der Mensch während der Sonnenentwickelung auf der Stufe eines Pflanzenwesens. Es wäre nicht richtig zu sagen, er sei damals selbst durch das Pflanzenreich hindurchgegangen. Denn ein Pflanzenreich, wie es heute ist, kann sich nur unter den eigenartigen Verhältnissen der Erde entwickeln. Will man einen Vergleich diesbezüglich gebrauchen, so müßte man sich den Sonnen-Menschenleib als ein Pflanzenwesen vorstellen, das ähnliche Organe wie gegenwärtig die Pflanze als Blüte entwikkelt, dem eigenen Planeten zuwendet. Und wie die gegenwärtige Pflanze ihr Licht von einer äußeren Sonne erhält, so erhielt die Menschensonnenpflanze das ihre von dem eigenen Planeten, der ja Sonne war. Das, was heute die Pflanze als Wurzel in die Erde senkt, war am Sonnenleibe den einströmenden Tönen und Gerüchen zugewendet; er nahm sie auf und verarbeitete sie in seinem Innern. Man könnte die gegenwärtige Pflanze einen auf der Sonnenstufe stehengebliebenen Menschenleib nennen, der sich vollständig umgewendet hat. Er streckt deshalb die Organe des Wachstums und der Fortpflanzung, welche der Mensch verhüllt und nach unten gewendet hat, keusch der Sonne zu nach oben.

[ 53 ] In dieser Art war der Menschenleib erst während des vierten Sonnenlaufes vollständig entwickelt. Drei vorhergehende Kreisläufe waren eine Vorbereitung dazu. Der erste Kreislauf gestaltet sich eigentlich nur als eine Wiederholung des Saturndaseins. Und seine sieben Formstufen sind sieben Wiederholungen der Lebensstufen des Saturnkreislaufes. Aber erst beim zweiten Sonnenkreislauf blitzt Leben auf im Menschenleib. Dasselbe ist noch nicht so vollentwickelt, daß die Erzengel, welche auf der Sonne in die Stellung eintreten, welche auf dem Saturn der Planetengeist eingenommen hat, in diesem Leben ihre Befriedigung finden können. Es saugen vielmehr jetzt die Kraft, welche aus diesem Leben fließen kann, die Gewalten; während des dritten Kreislaufes treten die sieben aus dem Saturngeist entstandenen Wesenheiten an die Stelle; und während des vierten Sonnenlaufes leben in dem Leben der Erdenleiber die Erzengel, wie sich der Planetengeist in den Leibern des Saturn gespiegelt hat. Während des fünften Sonnenlaufes steigen die Erzengel zu einer höheren Daseinsstufe auf, und die Engel treten auf dem Planeten an ihre Stelle. Während des sechsten Sonnenlaufes haben sich auch die Engel so hoch entwickelt, daß sie des physischen Teiles des Menschenleibes nicht bedürfen; sie bedienen sich nur noch für ihre Zwecke des aus- und einströmenden Lichtes, um darin zu leben. Der physische Menschenleib ist eine selbständige Wesenheit geworden, das Vorbild des gegenwärtigen physischen Körpers des Menschen. Und er verhält sich auf dieser Stufe auch ganz wie ein physischer Apparat; nur wie ein solcher, dessen Teile eben leben. Er ist gewissermaßen ein lebendes Sinnesinstrument, dessen Wahrnehmungen aber nicht von ihm selbst aufgenommen werden. Ihm selbst fehlt dazu der nötige Bewußstseinsgrad. Er ist in einem pflanzenartigen Schlaf, der seine höchste Bewußtseinsstufe ausmacht. Was in ihm als Wahrnehmungen entworfen wird, geht in das Bewußtsein der Engel, Erzengel und so weiter über, je nach der Folge der verschiedenen Sonnenkreisläufe. Diese höheren Wesen wachen über dem schlafenden Menschenleib.

[ 54 ] Welches sind nun die Ursachen, unter deren Einfluß sich die Sonne aus dem Saturn entwickelt hat? Man erkennt sie, wenn man einen Blick wirft auf die letzten Zustände der Saturnentwickelung. Man nehme an, der siebente Kreislauf sei auf der vierten Formstufe, der physischen, angelangt. Der Menschenleib ist da so weit, daß er den Engeln als die ihr Wesen spiegelnden Sinnesorgane dienen kann. Diese haben auf dieser Stufe eine Art Menschenbewußtsein, das ihnen allerdings nur mit den benützten Sinnen des Menschenleibes zuteil wird. Höhere Wesen wirken aus dem Umkreise des Planeten auf denselben. Sie entwickeln aufeinanderfolgend die höheren Bewußtseinsstufen. In dem Augenblicke, in dem auch die Engel sich zu solch höheren Bewußtseinsarten entwickeln, können sie sich nicht mehr des Menschenleibes bedienen. Die Folge davon ist, daß sie ihn verlassen. Er muß sterben. Das heißt aber nichts anderes, als daß der physische Saturnleib zerfällt, bevor sich die physiognomische Form des siebenten Umlaufes entwickelt. Diese physiognomische Stufe ist also überhaupt nicht mehr physisch. Der Planet ist nur noch als Seelenplanet vorhanden. Die physische Form versinkt in den Abgrund. In dem Seelenplaneten leben die Engel in einem überphysischen Bilderbewußtsein. Und die höheren Wesen sind an ihm tätig mit entsprechenden höheren Bewußtseinsformen. In dem Zeitpunkte, wo auch die Engel über das Bilderbewußtsein hinausgewachsen sind, muß auch der Seelenplanet zerfallen. An seine Stelle tritt ein anderer, auf dem die gestaltende Form entwickelt wird. Er schwebt aber nur in jener Welt, in welcher sich der irdische Eingeweihte befindet, wenn er in dem höheren Tonbewußtsein verweilt. Aus denselben Gründen entwickelt sich aus diesem Planeten ein anderer, der einer noch höheren Welt angehört am Ende des siebenten Saturnkreislaufes. In demselben ist die schöpferische Form des Daseins verwirklicht. - Es ist gezeigt worden, daß mit dem Aufsteigen der höheren Wesen in entsprechende Bewußtseinsformen sich immer Nebenplaneten des Saturn absondern, die in höheren Welten schweben müssen, weil die Hauptform des Saturn solche Bewußtseinsarten nicht beherbergen kann. Nun aber steigt ja der Saturn selbst zu solchen höheren Welten auf. Das hat zur Folge, daß er jedes Mal, wenn er in einer solch höheren Welt angekommen ist, sich mit jenem Nebenplaneten vereinigt, der in der gleichen Welt vorhanden ist. Am Ende des siebenten Saturnkreislaufes sind aus diesem Grunde Jupiter, Mars, Venus, Merkur und Sonne wieder mit dem Saturn vereinigt. Alles bildet wieder eine Welt. - In dieser einen Welt findet sich aber die schöpferische Form der Saturnlebenskraft. Durch sie wird die Welt, die sich auf die angegebene Art vergeistigt hat, wieder auf die niederen Stufen des Daseins zurückgeführt. Das geschieht eben mit der Entwickelung der Sonne. Im Verlaufe ihrer Kreisläufe treten die aus dem Saturn herausgebildeten Planeten wieder hervor. Ein jeglicher erscheint jetzt nur um eine Stufe mehr dem physischen Dasein angenähert.

[ 55 ] Könnte ein menschlicher Beobachter mit Sinnen in der gegenwärtigen Form der Entwickelung des geschilderten Planeten zusehen, so würde er nur in gewissen Zeiträumen aus dem Dunkel heraus den Weltkörper aufgehen sehen; in langen Zwischenzeiten, in denen dieser nur ein Dasein in höheren Welten führt, würde er einem solchen Beobachter entschwinden. Er bliebe da nur für einen Beobachter erkennbar, dessen Bewußtsein in höheren Welten verweilen kann. Man unterscheidet deshalb zwischen den physischen Zuständen des planetarischen Daseins Dämmerungs- oder Nachtzustände. Nur darf man sich nicht vorstellen, daß in solchen Zwischenzeiten der Planet mit seinen Wesenheiten in Untätigkeit verfällt. Diese [Tätigkeit] fällt da nur in höhere Welten und drückt sich so in einem viel wirklicheren Dasein als dem bloßen physischen aus.

[ 56 ] Wenn nun die Sonne ihre sieben Kreisläufe vollendet hat, dann beginnt die Zeit, in welcher der Menschenleib so weit ist, daß er nicht nur die Einströmungen des Lichtes aufnehmen und dadurch belebt sein kann, sondern er erlangt die Fähigkeit, die ihn umflutende Tonwelt, die aus den «Mächten» gebildet wird, in sich weiterwirken zu lassen und sie selbst als Töne wiederzugeben. Der Menschenleib wird auf dieser Daseinsstufe, die man die Mondentwickelung nennt, eine tönende Wesenheit. Während der auf der Saturnstufe vom Planeten in die Umwelt zurückgeworfene Ton nur ein Echo der Umgebung war, tönt er jetzt verändert in diese Umgebung hinaus. Er ist so verändert, daß er in der mannigfaltigsten Art wiedergibt, was in den Menschenleibern vorgeht. Diese Menschenleiber haben damit ein drittes Glied in ihre Wesenheit aufgenommen, den Empfindungsleib. Denn es ist ihre innere Natur: ihre Gefühlswelt, die da nach außen tönt. -— Aus den sieben Wesenheiten aber, welche sich während der Sonnenentwickelung aus dem Saturngeiste heraus entwickelt haben, sind siebenmal sieben geworden. Deren Umwelt ist jetzt so geworden, daß sie ihre eigene Gefühlswelt in den Empfindungsleibern, welche sich gebildet haben, erleben. Diese Empfindungsleiber sind die Träger ihres hellen Tagesbewußtseins. Sie fühlen sich nunmehr umgeben von zwei Reichen, die unter ihnen stehen, und einem, das über ihnen ist. Dieses über ihnen schwebende Reich macht sich ihnen aus dem Weltraum heraus als das Weltaroma fühlbar; sich selbst erleben sie als tönende Wesen, und die beiden Reiche, welche unter ihnen stehen, sind dadurch geworden, daß ein Gebiet von Menschenleibern auf der Saturn-, ein zweites auf der Sonnenstufe stehengeblieben ist. So sind diese Mondwesen umgeben von den automatenhaften Wesen, die ihre Saturnreife auf dem Monde unter ganz andersartigen Verhältnissen fortsetzen, als sie auf dem Saturn selbst bestanden haben, und ferner von pflanzenhaften Sonnenleibern, die in einer ähnlichen Lage sind. In der eigentlichen Mondenmasse sind also dreierlei Wesen vorhanden. Jene automatenhaften Wesen, die in sich selbst dunkel sind und welche sich vom Saturn her die Fähigkeit noch bewahrt haben, Leben um sich herumzustrahlen. Sie sind nicht leblose Wesen in dem Sinne der gegenwärtigen Mineralien. Eine mineralische Grundlage, wie sie die Erde hat, gab es auf dem Monde überhaupt noch nicht. An ihrer Stelle war eine solche, welche aus dem charakterisierten Wesen bestand. Man bekommt eine Vorstellung von ihr, wenn man sich sie mit einem durch sie ganz durchgehenden Leben begabt vorstellt, so daß auf dem Monde zum Beispiel statt der mineralischen Ackererde unseres Planeten eine lebendige, breiartige Masse ist; in dieser sind eingefügt verholzte Teile wie die Felsenmassen in das weichere Gestein unserer Erde. In dieser lebenden Grundlage, die man in ihren Teilen Pflanzenmineralien nennen kann, wurzelten die gekennzeichneten Sonnenwesen, auf einer Stufe stehend zwischen dem gegenwärtigen Tier und der gegenwärtigen Pflanze. Und die beweglichen Wesen, welche den Mond bewohnten, waren die Menschenleiber, zwischen Tier und Mensch in bezug auf ihre Entwikkelung mitten drinnen stehend. Sie waren die Beherberger der Abkömmlinge des Saturn-Planetengeistes. Doch hätte dieser ein waches Tagesbewußtsein nicht in ihnen entwickeln können. Um in einem solchen zu leben, mußten diese Wesen jedesmal aus dem Leibe heraustreten. Waren sie innerhalb desselben, das heißt lebten sie sein Leben mit, dann waren sie nur mit einem von Traumbildern erfüllten Bewußtsein durchdrungen. In diesem Bewußtsein sahen sie nichts von ihrer physischen Umgebung; aber sie tönten ihr inneres Erleben in die Umgebung hinaus. Was da in Klängen sich auslebte während des Schlafes der Mondwesen, waren deren Leidenschaften und Begierden. Um aus dem Umkreis dieses Erlebens nur eines hervorzuheben, sei darauf hingewiesen, daß zum Beispiel dasjenige, was man jetzt Liebesleben nennt und was der Fortpflanzung zugrundeliegt, auf dem Monde sich während des traumerfüllten Schlafes abspielte. Das wache Tagesleben war begierde- und allerdings auch liebelos, ganz nur dem Anschauen der Umwelt hingegeben. Der Menschenvorfahr auf dem Monde wußte noch nichts von geschlechtlichen Beziehungen in seinem Tagesleben. Für das, was heute der Mensch in der geschlechtlichen Liebe fühlt, spielten sich auf dem Monde Traumbilder ab, welche nur im Sinnbild zum Ausdrucke brachten, was heute gegenständliche Wirklichkeit ist. - Nicht der Menschenvorfahr erlebte also auf dem Monde die Bilderwelt im wachen Zustande; in ihr lebten vielmehr die zunächst über dem Menschen stehenden Wesen, die Engel. Für sie spielte sich gewissermaßen die Traumwelt des Menschen als helle Tageswirklichkeit ab. Sie wachten über der träumenden Menschenwelt, wie die Erzengel über der in pflanzenartigem Schlaf lebenden Sonnenwelt wachten.

[ 57 ] Die ersten beiden Mondkreisläufe waren nur Wiederholungen der früheren Entwickelungszustände. Die sieben Formen des ersten Kreislaufes wiederholten die sieben Saturnkreisläufe, und die sieben Formen des zweiten die sieben Sonnenkreisläufe.

[ 58 ] Im dritten Mondenkreislauf ist der Menschenleib so weit, daß die auf der Erzengelstufe stehenden Wesen seine Traumbilder als ihre Umgebung erleben; im vierten Kreislauf ist das bei den Engeln der Fall. Die Abkömmlinge des Saturn-Planetengeistes können in diesem Kreislauf den Menschenleib so weit benutzen, daß sie, wenn sie ihn von außen umhüllen und sich seiner bedienen, durch ihn ein helles Tagesbewußtsein erlangen. Im fünften Kreislauf sind diese Wesen zu einer solchen Höhe hinaufgestiegen, daß sie nicht mehr des physischen Menschenleibes bedürfen; dieser nimmt nun für sich seine Umgebung wahr, aber er bringt es nur zu einer niedern Bewußtseinsstufe in bezug auf diese Wahrnehmungen. Nur noch des Ätherleibes und des Empfindungsleibes bedürfen diese Wesen in dieser Zeit. Im sechsten Kreislauf überlassen sie auch den Ätherleib, im siebenten den Empfindungsleib sich selbst.

[ 59 ] Der Mond ist eine Wiederverkörperung des Sonnenplaneten. In der Zeit nun, in welcher auf dem Monde sich die Stufe der Sonnenentwickelung wiederholt, also im zweiten Kreislaufe, tritt aus seiner Masse der Sonnenkörper heraus. Innerhalb dieses herausgetretenen Sonnenkörpers leben dann jene Wesen, welche eine Bewußtseins- und Lebensstufe angenommen haben, für welche sich auf dem Monde selbst keine Bedingungen finden. Das sind während des zweiten Kreislaufes die Gewalten; sie haben während des Sonnenlebens das Leben des physischen Menschenleibes mitgelebt. Jetzt auf dem Monde führt diese Sonnenstufe nur ein verkümmertes, zurückgebliebenes Dasein in den oben geschilderten Tierpflanzen. In ihnen können die Gewalten nicht leben. Sie beleben diese Wesen vielmehr von außen, indem sie ihnen von ihrer Sonne aus das Licht zusenden, das sie brauchen. Während des dritten Mondenkreislaufes haben sich auch die Abkömmlinge des Saturn-Planetengeistes zu einer Stufe erhoben, daß sie auf dem Monde kein Dasein mehr finden können. Und entsprechend verlassen während des vierten Kreislaufes die Erzengel den Mond, welcher in diesem seinem Zeitraum ebenso der Wohnplatz der Engel ist, wie später die Erde in ihrem vierten Kreislaufe derjenige der Menschen.

[ 60 ] Wie während der Sonnenentwickelung die anderen Planeten stufenweise hervorgetreten sind, so geschieht dies mit ihnen auch jetzt während der Mondentwickelung. Nur sind sie wieder um eine Stufe dem physischen Dasein näher, in dem Zeitpunkte, in dem der Mond auf der Höhe seiner Entwickelung steht, das heißt von der physischen Form seines vierten Kreislaufes an. Mit dem fünften Kreislauf erlangt in der Mondumgebung der Mars, den dann die Engel bewohnen, eine feine, ätherisch-physische Form; mit dem sechsten Kreislauf vollzieht sich ein solches in bezug auf den Jupiter, den Wohnplatz der Erzengel. Während des siebenten Mondenlaufes endlich geschieht ein gleiches mit dem Merkur. Mars und Jupiter sind mittlerweile noch dichter geworden; der erstere hat da eine Dichtigkeit, welche es ihm möglich macht, durch .die Bewegungen seiner Bestandteile Wärme zu entwickeln und in den Weltenraum hinauszuströmen.

[ 61 ] Die Erdenentwickelung übernimmt die Früchte, die auf dem Monde gereift sind. Der Menschenleib hat drei Stufen seiner Entwickelung hinter sich. Auf der ersten ist er fähig gewesen, wie ein physikalisches Instrument jenen Wesen als Wahrnehmungsorgan zu dienen, welche schon auf der Sonnenstufe so weit vorgerückt waren, daß sie eines jeglichen solchen Apparates entraten konnten. Sie gehörten also bereits damals zu jenen Wesen, die dem Sonnenplaneten von außen her als Schöpfer ihre Tätigkeit widmen konnten. Die Stelle, die sie auf dem Saturn inne hatten, nahmen auf der Sonne die Erzengel ein. Nicht im Sonnenplaneten hatten die Saturn-Planetengeister ihre Leiblichkeit, sondern in den schöpferischen Kräften, von denen das Sonnenleben unterhalten worden ist. — Auf dem Monde waren dann die Erzengel die schöpferischen Mächte geworden. Ihre Leiblichkeit konnten die Engel des Mondes, die damals helles Tagesbewußtsein hatten, bewundern, wenn sie zu ihren Schöpfern aufblickten.

[ 62 ] Diese drei planetarischen Entwickelungsstufen wurden nun zunächst in den ersten drei Erdenkreisläufen wiederholt. Der Menschenleib sollte sich während derselben vorbereiten, in sich selbst die Bilder, die sich während des Mondenbewußstseins gebildet hatten, zu Erlebnissen zu machen. Er mußte fähig werden, in sich nicht nur einen Lebens- und Bilderleib zu beherbergen, sondern in seinen Bildern die Umwelt innerlich abzuspiegeln. Er war auf dem Monde so weit, daß seine Bilder die Engel betrachten konnten. Der Mondenleib des Menschen war die Umgebung der Engel. Und sie waren in der Betrachtung des Mondmenschen zugleich selbst vorgerückt; sie hatten sich hindurchgerungen, so daß sie nun auf einer höheren Stufe das schaffen konnten, was sie auf dem Monde wahrgenommen hatten. Sie hatten ja da außer den beiden Reichen, die unter ihnen standen, in ihrer Umgebung noch die Wesen ihres Gleichen. Deren Natur konnten sie, nachdem die Mondentwickelung zu Ende gegangen war, dem Menschenleibe einprägen. Die Erdenmenschen konnten dann das in ihrer physischen Umgebung sehen, während sie ihren Leib bewohnten, was die Engel auf dem Monde nur schauen konnten, wenn sie in eine höhere Welt aufstiegen: ihresgleichen.

[ 63 ] Aber nur stufenweise konnte der Menschenleib zu solcher Fähigkeit hinaufgelenkt werden. Und das geschah eben während der drei Erdenkreisläufe. Im ersten konnte er sich so wahrnehmen, wie er auf dem Saturn, im zweiten, wie er auf der Sonne, im dritten, wie er auf dem Monde beschaffen war. Während des ersten Erdenkreislaufes waren die Nebenmenschen für ihn noch durchaus wandelnde Automaten; während des zweiten erschienen sie ihm als pflanzenartige Wesen; und während des dritten mit Tiercharakter.

[ 64 ] Als der vierte Kreislauf begann, war der Mensch fähig geworden, die Schöpfungen der Engel, seinesgleichen, um sich herum wahrzunehmen. Die Engel aber standen um drei Bewußtseinsstufen über ihm. Sie konnten schaffen, was er wahrnahm. - Der Menschenleib erlangte jetzt vier Glieder: das physische [Glied], welches der Spiegel der Umgebung wurde, das lebendige [Glied], welches die Wahrnehmungen der Umgebung in innerliche Bewegung umsetzen konnte, der Bilderleib, welcher die inneren Bewegungen zum Charakter von Sinnbildern umzusetzen vermochte, und endlich den Leib, welcher Träger des hellen Tagesbewußtseins wurde, der die innerlichen Bilder in Einklang bringt mit den Eindrücken der Umgebung und damit den Zusammenhang schafft zwischen innerlichem Erleben und den Vorgängen der Umgebung. — Aber das helle Tagesbewußtsein bleibt beschränkt auf die Außenwelt des Physischen; die Vorgänge des Lebens und die Bilder des Bilderleibes werden innerlich belebt, aber nicht als Umgebung wahrgenommen. Sein Bilderleib bleibt der Gegenstand der nächsthöheren Wesensstufe, der Engel, sein Lebensleib sogar derjenige der Erzengel. Alles, was im Menschen mit dem Lebensleib zusammenhängt, die Gesetze seines Wachstums und der Fortpflanzung, steht daher für ihn selbst im Verborgenen; er hat davon nur das Bewußtsein, das im traumlosen Schlaf vorhanden ist. Für die Erzengel aber sind diese Vorgänge solche Dinge der Außenwelt und ihres Wirkens, wie für den Menschen es seine Arbeit an einer physischen Maschine gegenwärtig ist. Und alles, was mit dem Bilderbewußtsein zusammenhängt, die für den Menschen mehr geheimnisvollen Gesetze, die seinem Antlitz ein bestimmtes Gepräge und Mienenspiel, seinem Gange und so weiter bestimmte Formen geben, also was sich in seinem Charakter, Temperament und so weiter ausdrückt, das steht unter der Herrschaft der Engel. Nur das, was er in seiner Umgebung bewirkt, das steht unter seiner eigenen Gesetzmäßigkeit.

[ 65 ] Zu einem Wesen, das man so kennzeichnen kann, hat sich der Mensch in dem vierten Erdenkreislaufe herangebildet. - Die Engel aber, welche während der Mondenstufe sich zum Bewußtsein von Schöpfern hinaufentwickelt hatten, konnten in dem Augenblicke auf der Erde für sich selbst keine Stätte mehr finden, in dem der Bilderleib anfing, dem Menschen selbst anzugehören, das heißt von dem Zeitpunkte an, in dem der zweite Kreislauf seine Mitte überschritten hatte. Da zogen sie sich zu einer höheren Gemeinschaft mit neuen Lebensbedingungen zurück; die Sonne trennte sich vom neuen von der Erde und schickte dieser fortan von außen ihre Kräfte zu.

[ 66 ] Im dritten Erdenkreislaufe mußten dann diejenigen Menschenleiber, die im zweiten nicht so weit gekommen waren, daß sie den Bilderleib durch die auf der Sonne versammelten Kräfte versorgen lassen konnten, zu einem untergeordneten Dasein verfallen. Sie sanken auf die tierische Stufe von der tierisch-menschlichen herab. Woher konnten sie nun die Kräfte für ihren Bilderleib erhalten? Für die Sonnenkräfte der vollendeten Engel waren sie nicht empfänglich. Nun bleiben aber auf einer jeden Stufe Wesen in ihrer Entwickelung zurück. Es waren bis zum dritten Kreislauf Engel zurückgeblieben in ihrer Entwickelung, die daher eine Stelle auf der Sonne nicht finden konnten. Sie konnten während der zweiten Hälfte des dritten Erdenkreislaufes noch nicht die Anlage finden, zur Sonne aufzusteigen. Sie waren aber auch nicht dazu beschaffen, weiter auf die Bilderleiber des sich vervollkommnenden Menschen zu wirken. Sie hatten nur die Gabe, auf solche Bilderleiber zu wirken, welche auf der Stufe des Mondendaseins geblieben waren. Daher zogen sie sich aus der Erdenmasse heraus als der gegenwärtige Mond. Dieser ist also ein Weltenkörper, welcher ein früheres Stück der Erdenentwickelung in einem gleichsam verhärteten Zustande darstellt. Er ist der Wohnplatz jener Wesenheiten, welche nicht haben Schöpfer des vollkommenen Menschenleibes werden wollen. Man findet deren Wirksamkeit in den Bilderleibern der Tiere; sie richten aber ihre Angriffe auch noch fortwährend auf den Bilderleib des Menschen, welcher ja das ihnen entwachsene Gebiet ist. Sobald der Mensch nur ein wenig abirrt von der Hingabe an seine höhere Natur, die ihm durch die Eindrücke seiner Sinne wird, sobald er den Mächten verfällt, die in seinem Bilderleib wirken, gewinnen diese Wesen Einfluß auf ihn. Ihr Wirken zeigt sich in wüsten Träumen, in denen sich die aus seiner niederen Natur kommenden tierischen Begierden spiegeln.

[ 67 ] Wenn der dritte Erdenkreislauf über seine Mitte hinausgelangt, wo die Erde also zum dritten Male physisch geworden ist, so sind zunächst für die Form des physischen Menschenleibes, der äußere Wahrnehmungen empfangen kann, keine Daseinsbedingungen vorhanden. Das Physische stirbt ab. Die Folge davon ist, daß die Unterlassungssünde der zurückgebliebenen Engel nicht mehr so schmerzlich empfunden wird von den zum Sonnendasein aufgestiegenen Wesen. Der Mond wird daher wieder dem Erdenkörper einverleibt. Und bei Fortsetzung des Kreislaufes, wenn die ganze Erde über das Bilderdasein in eine höhere Welt aufgestiegen ist, vereinigt sie sich auch wieder mit der Sonne. Dadurch erlangen die Kräfte im Menschenleibe, welche im dritten Kreislauf erst den bilderbelebten Leib in ihrer Umgebung sehen konnten, die schöpferische Fähigkeit. Sie können dadurch in den vierten Kreislauf eintreten. Sie sind da zunächst noch in der Welt, die nur für ein spirituelles Bewußtsein wahrnehmbar ist, steigen aber stufenweise zu immer tieferen Welten herab. Endlich ist der Menschenleib so weit, daß er Wahrnehmungsorgane für seinesgleichen in einer feinen ätherischen Form ausbilden kann. Der physische Leib erlangt also die Fähigkeiten seiner Erdenform. Das ist auch der Zeitpunkt, in dem die Erde den vollendeten Engeln wieder kein Schauplatz sein kann; die Sonne tritt mit ihnen aus der Erde heraus und bescheint diese von außen. Immer weiter gelangt der physische Leib. Die Bilder des Bilderleibes erlangen eine ihnen vorher nicht eigene Lebhaftigkeit; die Organe des physischen Leibes geben ihnen in den Spiegelbildern der äußeren Gegenstände Nahrung. Es ist der Zeitpunkt gekommen, wo die äußere Erdenumgebung diese Bilder den zurückgebliebenen Engeln entreißt. Diese müssen den Teil der Erde, der ihnen Wohnplatz sein kann, aus der Erde herausziehen. Der Mond trennt sich abermals von der Erde und umkreist sie als ihr Nebenplanert.

[ 68 ] Wie weit ist in diesem Zeitpunkte der Menschenleib? Er hat seine vierfache Natur entwickelt. Er ist so organisiert, daß er Träger sein kann eines Äther- oder Lebensleibes, daß er einen Bilderleib beherbergen kann. Und außerdem lassen seine Sinnesorgane zu, daß die Erdenumgebung sich in diesen Bildern abspiegelt. Es hat der physische Menschenleib jetzt also eine ganz neue Stufe erlangt. Er spiegelt nach innen, wie er auf dem Saturn nach außen die Wesenheit des Saturn-Planetengeistes gespiegelt hat. Dadurch kann jetzt in ihm jener Teil dieses Geistes leben, der damals das niedrigste Glied desselben war. Es schnürt sich dieser Teil deshalb von dem Saturn-Planetengeist ab; er verliert die Fähigkeit, die Offenbarungen der oberen Reiche zu erhalten und wird Träger des menschlichen Selbstbewußtseins. Der Mensch lernt sich als «Ich» zu empfinden. Er trägt von jetzt ab die Natur in sich, welche auf dem Saturn der planetarische Geist wie ein Umkreis des Planeten offenbarte.

[ 69 ] So hat der Mensch die Stufe erlangt, auf der sich in seinem Ätherleib die Erzengel, in seinem Bilderleib die Engel, in seinem Selbstbewußtsein der planetarische Saturngeist offenbart. Er kann nun zu der Stufe aufsteigen, auf welcher der Saturngeist in ihm fähig wird, zu dem Bilderleib ein ähnliches Verhältnis zu haben, wie es der Saturngeist selbst erlangte, als er allmählich dem eigenen planetarischen Dasein entwuchs und zum Jupiterbewohner wurde. Da aber der Mensch doch Erdenbewohner bleibt, so können solche ‘Kräfte nur von außen auf ihn wirken. Das heißt, die Erde gelangt in den Einfluß der Jupiterkräfte. Auf einer späteren Stufe geschieht es ähnlich in bezug auf diejenigen Wesenheiten, welche auf einer Stufe waren, auf der sie nur von außen, vom Mars aus auf den Ätherleib wirken. Der Erdenmensch gelangt unter den Einfluß des Mars.

[ 70 ] Als Sonne, Erde und Mond noch einen Körper bildeten, war auf diesem Planeten der Menschenleib aus einem Stoffe gebildet, der luftartigen Zustand hatte. Außer den Menschenleibern waren nur vorhanden mit einem Leibe in einem flüssigen Zustande die Nachkommen der Menschentiere des Mondes. Den festen Zustand hatten erreicht die Sprößlinge derjenigen Mondwesen, welche dort als Pflanzenmineralien lebten. Außer den flüssigen Menschentieren aber gab es noch tierpflanzenartige Wesen in diesem [Zeitpunkt], die aus den Pflanzentieren des Mondes entstanden waren. Während aber die ersteren ein mehr wässeriges Aussehen hatten, bestanden die tierpflanzenähnlichen Wesen aus einer dichten, breiartigen Masse, die, wenn sie derb wurde, dem Stoffe näherte, der gegenwärtig die Pilze bildet.

[ 71 ] Als nun die Sonne ihre Materie aus der Erde herauszog, so daß die letztere nur noch die Mondmasse in sich hatte, da änderten sich alle Verhältnisse auf dem Planeten. Der Stoff der Menschenleiber verdichtete sich zu einer flüssigen Substanz, welche sich dem heutigen Blute vergleichen läßt. Die vorher flüssigen Wesen nahmen eine feste Form an, und die festen Pflanzenmineralien erhielten eine ganz dichte Stofflichkeit. Vor dem Auszug der Sonne war das Leben des Menschenleibes im wesentlichen eine Art Atmung, ein Aufnehmen und Abgeben von luftartigem Stoff. Nach demselben bildete sich eine Weise der Ernährung aus der flüssigen Umwelt heraus. Und mit dieser Ernährung war auch die Fortpflanzung verbunden. Der zähflüssige Menschenleib wurde aus dem Fortpflanzungsstoff seiner Umgebung befruchtet und spaltete sich unter solchem befruchtenden Einflusse. Seine Entwickelung, während noch die Mondensubstanz innerhalb der Erde war, ging so vor sich, daß er innerhalb seiner flüssigen Masse halbfeste Teile ausbildete, die sich bis zur Knorpelhaftigkeit verdichteten. Feste knochenartige Gliedeinlagerungen konnte er in dieser Zeit noch nicht bilden, denn dazu war die Erdmasse nicht geeignet, solange sie den Mond in sich enthielt. Erst mit dem Auszug des Mondes, als die derbste Stofflichkeit entfernt war, entstand im Menschenleibe eine feste Gerüstanlage. Und dies war auch die Zeit, in welcher die Möglichkeit aufhörte, die Befruchtungsstoffe aus der Umgebung zu nehmen. Mit der Mondenmasse ging auch den Erdensubstanzen die Fähigkeit verloren, auf den Menschenleib befruchtend zu wirken. In der Zeit vorher gab es nicht zwei Geschlechter des Menschenleibes. Der Mensch war ein Wesen weiblicher Natur, zu dem die männliche Wesenheit in der Erdenumwelt selbst war. Die ganze Monderde hatte einen männlichen Charakter.

[ 72 ] Mit dem Auszug des Mondes verwandelte sich ein Teil der Menschenleiber in solche mit männlichem Charakter. Er nahm also die befruchtenden Kräfte in sich auf, die vorher gleichsam in dem Safte der Erde selbst enthalten waren. Die weibliche Natur des Menschenleibes erfuhr eine solche Umbildung, daß sie von dem entstandenen Männlichen befruchtet werden konnte. — Dies alles geschah dadurch, daß eine Art doppelgeschlechtiger Menschenleib in einen eingeschlechtigen überging. Der frühere Menschenleib befruchtete mit aufgenommenen Stoffen sich selbst. Nun erhielt die eine Form des Menschenleibes, die weibliche, nur die Kraft, das Befruchtete auszureifen. Dies geschah so, daß in ihr die männliche Kraft die Fähigkeit der Zubereitung des Fruchtstoffes verlor. Es bleibt diese Kraft nur dem Äther- oder Lebensleib, welcher die Reifung zu bewirken hat. Der männlichen Form des Menschenleibes ging die Möglichkeit verloren, mit dem Fruchtstoff in sich etwas anzufangen. Das Weibliche blieb in ihr auf den Ätherleib beschränkt. So kommt es, daß in dem gegenwärtigen Menschen die Sache so steht, daß im Manne der Ätherleib weiblich, in der Frau aber männlich ist. - Die Erwerbung dieser Fähigkeiten fällt zeitlich mit der Ausbildung eines festen Knochengerüstes zusammen.

[ 73 ] Nun ging dem aber noch ein anderer wichtiger Vorgang voraus. Als der Menschenleib überging von der luftförmigen in die flüssige Stofflichkeit, entstand zugleich die Anlage, um die luftförmige Materie in einem besonderen Organ aufzunehmen. Die abgesonderte Atmung nahm damit den Anfang. Man muß sich nur klarmachen, daß in dieser Zeit die Erde noch nicht einen abgesonderten Luftkreis für sich hatte. Die Stoffe, die später sich als flüssige und feste aus der gemeinsamen Masse herausgliederten, waren damals noch selbst luftartig, waren eingeschlossen in der Luft. Und als dann die Verflüssigung begann, lebte der Menschenleib ja nicht auf einem festen Grunde, sondern im flüssigen Elemente. Eine Art schwimmendes Schweben war seine Fortbewegung. Und die über dem flüssigen Elemente befindliche Luft war wesentlich dichter als die spätere. Sie enthielt nicht nur noch alles spätere Wasser, sondern viele andere Substanzen in Auflösung. Dem entsprechend war der ganze Atmungsapparat des Menschenleibes ein anderer.

[ 74 ] Vor dem Auszug der Sonne hatte der ganze Atmungsvorgang noch einen andern Sinn als in der Folgezeit. Er bestand in einem Aufnehmen und Abgeben von Wärme aus der Umgebung und in dieselbe. Man kann sagen, daß die Wärme, welche der Mensch heute in sich durch seinen Blutkreislauf bereitet, vom ihm damals aus der Umgebung ein- und ausgeatmet wurde. Erst nach dem Sonnenauszug gestaltete sich der Prozeß so um, daß die Luft erst, nachdem sie aufgenommen ist, durch ihre Wirkung im Leibe die Wärme erzeugt. - So war mit der Luftatmung in der gegenwärtigen Form der Menschenleib zu einem Wärmeerzeuger in seinem Innern geworden.

[ 75 ] Dieser Umschwung im Menschenleibe hängt mit einem kosmischen Ereignisse zusammen, das in der Geheimwissenschaft das Zurückziehen des Mars von der Erde genannt wird. Der Mars ist derjenige Planet, welcher durch die ihm innewohnenden Kräfte im Menschenleibe vor diesem Zurückziehen das bewirkte, was der Blutkreislauf nachher in dem Menschenleibe selbst übernahm. Indem so das Blut auf der Erde die Tätigkeit des Mars übernahm, konnten die geistigen Wesen sich aus der Erde herausheben, so daß dann der Einfluß des Mars auf den Menschen ein solcher wurde, der von außen her wirkte. Physisch kam das dadurch zustande, daß das Eisen ein wichtiger Bestandteil des Blutes wurde; und Eisen ist der Stoff, auf welchen die Marskräfte eine besondere Wirkung haben. So hängt die gegenwärtige Form der Atmung mit diesem Zurückziehen des Mars zusammen. Der Mensch aber erhielt dadurch alles, was man die innere Kraft seines Blutes nennen kann. Die Beseelung war damit gegeben. In der Tat hauchte der Mensch mit der Luftatmung seine lebendige Seele ein.

[ 76 ] So lange die Erde mit der Sonne im Zusammenhange war, war die Sonnenkraft dasjenige, was die andern Wirkungen im Menschenleibe regelte. In der Sonnenkraft war das enthalten, was im Menschenleibe als Männliches und Weibliches zugleich wirkte. Und unter ihrem Einfluß bekam auch die Aufnahme und Abgabe der Wärme, die vom Mars ausging, Gesetz und Ordnung. Als nun die Sonne ausgezogen war, fingen gewisse Menschenleiber an, sich so umzubilden, daß sie unfruchtbar wurden. Das waren die Vorläufer der späteren männlichen Naturen. So lange nun die Mondenkräfte noch mit der Erde verknüpft waren, behielt der andere Teil die Fähigkeit der Selbstbefruchtung. Durch den Mondauszug verlor er sie. Von jetzt ab wirkte die Sonne, und zwar [wirkten] diejenigen Wesen, welche sie nunmehr bewohnten, die Engel, auf die Fortpflanzungsfähigkeit. Der männliche Ätherleib kam unter den Einfluß dieser Sonnenwesen. Der weibliche Ätherleib, der männlich ist, behielt sein Verhältnis zu denjenigen Wesen, deren Schauplatz der Mond geworden war. Dem entsprechend kam der physische Leib der Frau unter den Einfluß der Sonnenkräfte. Er hatte ja die ihm jetzt entsprechende Form ausgebildet, als die Sonne schon von außen die Erde beschien. Der männliche physische Körper kam dagegen unter Mondeinfluß, weil er unter dem Einfluß des noch mit der Erde vereinten Planeten seine in bezug auf die Fortpflanzung unfruchtbare Form angenommen hat. Neben allen diesen Vorgängen läuft die Ausbildung der Sinne gleichzeitig, welche die Bilderwelt des Empfindungsleibes unter den Einfluß der Erdenumgebung bringen und damit den Menschen unter den Einfluß der Abkömmlinge des Saturn-Planetenleibes. Weiter wird die pulsierende Gewalt des Blutes im Innern entwickelt, wodurch sich die Beseelung bildet und sich mit den Sinneswahrnehmungen ein inneres Leben, Sympathie und Antipathie mit der Umgebung bilden kann.

[ 77 ] Auf der dadurch gekennzeichneten Stufe ist der Mensch angelangt, als die Erde als selbständiger physischer Planet in ihrem vierten Kreislaufe herausgetreten [war] und sich von Sonne, Mond und Mars losgelöst hatte.

[ 78 ] Der Mensch hatte also damals die Trennung in zwei Geschlechter vollzogen. Er blickte durch seine Sinne in die Umgebung. Er empfand Neigung und Abneigung gegenüber dieser Umgebung. Und er war dadurch, daß er sich von dieser Umgebung unterschied, mit dem beginnenden Selbstgefühl ausgestattet. Der Menschenleib war ein viergliedriges Wesen geworden. Und innerhalb des vierten Gliedes war durch das Blut, das den Marskräften den Zugang gewährte, Seeleninnerlicheit entstanden.

[ 79 ] Der Mensch hatte also alles in sich ausgebildet, was er haben konnte als Frucht der drei ersten planetarischen Entwickelungsstufen. Und er hatte ein viertes Glied seines Leibes, das entstanden war, weil andere Einflüsse, welche mit dessen Entwickelung nichts zu tun haben konnten, sich von der Erde zurückgezogen hatten.

[ 80 ] Man nennt in der Geheimwissenschaft diese Menschheit die dritte Haupt-Erdenrasse. Eigentlich kann man von Rassenbildung erst von diesem Zeitpunkte an reden. Denn jetzt erst gab es eine menschliche Fortpflanzung und damit Unterschiede innerhalb der Menschheit, welche durch das Aufeinanderwirken von Menschen selbst hervorgebracht werden. Es trat dasjenige auf, was Vererbung, Verwandtschaft genannt werden kann. Nun hatte aber die Erde, die vierte planetarische Form der Entwickelung, noch keinen Einfluß. Die Wahrnehmungen der Umgebung hatten sich erst der Bilder des Empfindungsleibes bemächtigt. Der Ätherleib stand noch nicht unter dem Einflusse der Erdenumgebung. Der vierte Planet hatte noch keinen Einfluß auf die Vererbungsverhältnisse. Erst die drei ersten [planetarischen Formen]. Deshalb bezeichnet man die Rasse, bei der dies der Fall war, als die dritte.

[ 81 ] Ihr folgte die vierte, innerhalb welcher die Erdenumgebung selbst auf den Ätherleib eine Wirkung bekam. Das konnte nur geschehen, wenn Wesen auf den Menschen Einfluß erhielten, welche in ihrer Entwickelung auf einer solchen Stufe standen, daß ihnen die schöpferische Fähigkeit fehlte, auf den Ätherleib im Sinne der Befruchtung zu wirken, die aber doch darüber hinaus waren, um so wie der Mensch selbst nur Wahrnehmungseindrücke aus der physischen Umgebung zu erhalten. Solche Wesen waren diejenigen, welche auf dem Monde, also während der vorhergehenden Verkörperung der Erde, nicht bis zu schöpferischen Wesen aufgestiegen waren, welche die Sonne bevölkern können, die aber doch über die Stufe hinausgelangt waren, auf der man bloß ein Innenleben durch die Bilder des Menschenleibes führen kann. Sie haben innerhalb der Erdenentwickelung die Fähigkeit, schon durch die Sinne des Menschen wahrzunehmen, aber nicht auch die, diese Sinne zu schaffen. Diese Wesen können dem Menschen da ...

[Das Manuskript bricht hier ab.]

Draft for the Presentation of Spiritual Cosmology

[ 1 ] The existence of the present human being does not take place in just one state of consciousness, but in several. The ordinary [state] is the one in which humans find themselves from the moment they wake up until they fall asleep. In this state, they perceive things through their senses and form mental images from their sensory perceptions. This is how the physical world exists for them. And it is to this world that the powers of their soul, their thinking, feeling, willing, and acting, relate.

[ 2 ] This state of consciousness is now alternated by two others: dream-filled sleep and deep, dreamless sleep. These states are often referred to as “unconscious.” However, this term obscures the facts under consideration here. In truth, they are only other types of consciousness. They could be called duller types of the same thing.

[ 3 ] Dream-filled sleep does not show objects like waking daytime consciousness, but images that arise and disappear in the soul. As confusing as these images may seem to ordinary consciousness, the clarification of their essence is capable of leading us deeper into the nature of the world. What they represent in the nightly life of the soul cannot provide a proper basis for their recognition. Such a basis is only available to those who, in the sense of the training described in this book, develop their higher powers of cognition, which lead them to an insight into the supersensible worlds. This chapter will describe the facts that apply to these higher worlds. Those who embark on the path of knowledge into these realms themselves will then also find these facts to be true.

[ 4 ] What must first strike us about the dream world is the symbolic character of its images. This character becomes clear when one pays reasonably subtle attention to the colorful diversity of dream experiences. From simple symbols to dramatic events, all intermediate stages can be found in this world that flits through the soul. One dreams of a conflagration; one wakes up and realizes that one had fallen asleep next to the lamp. In the dream, one perceived the light of the lamp, but not as it appears to the senses in the ordinary world, but symbolically, as a conflagration. Or one dreams of a troop of horsemen trampling past; one wakes up, and the trampling of horses continues immediately as the striking of the clock, which has symbolized itself in this way. - You dream of an animal scratching your face; when you wake up, you feel pain in the affected area, which has found its dream symbol in the manner indicated. — A longer dream might be something like the following. Someone dreams that they are walking through a forest. They hear a noise. As they continue walking, a person emerges from the bushes and approaches them. This person attacks them. A fight ensues, and the attacker shoots. At that moment, the dreamer wakes up and realizes that they have just knocked over the chair next to their bed. The impact of the chair has been transformed into the symbolic action described above by the dreamer's consciousness. In this way, external events or even internal facts, such as in the above example of the scratching animal, can be perceived as symbols through dreams. Emotions and moods can also be represented in this way. For example, someone suffers from the oppressive feeling that an unpleasant event will happen to them in the next few days. In the dream, this feeling is represented by the person being in danger of drowning.

[ 5 ] The examples described above characterize two properties of dream consciousness: first, its pictorial, symbolic character, and second, something creative in it. — This creative aspect is not characteristic of daytime consciousness. Daytime consciousness presents the things in our environment as they are in the physical world. Dream consciousness adds something from another source.

[ 6 ] What opens up this source? Nothing other than the fact that the sensory activity on which ‘daytime consciousness’ depends has ceased during sleep. The silence of this sensory activity is expressed by the disappearance of human self-consciousness. This self-consciousness is bound to the activity of the external senses; when these fall silent, it sinks into an abyss. In the so-called secret science, this fact is described by saying that the human soul has withdrawn from the physical world. Anyone who does not want to claim that human beings cease to exist when they fall asleep and come into being anew when they wake up will not find it difficult to recognize that human beings exist in a world other than the physical world during sleep. This world is called the astral world. The reader should initially accept this term as a designation for the world of which human beings have an inkling through their dreams. The justification for this term will become clear in other chapters of this book.

[ 7 ] During dreams, humans dwell in the astral world. The facts and beings of this world are represented in images. Consciousness perceives these images, but human self-awareness is absent. A comparison with everyday life can give a mental image of what is actually happening here. Human beings perceive the outside world only insofar as they have organs for doing so. Without ears, there would be no world of sound for them; without eyes, no world of light and color, and so on. If human beings could develop a new organ in their bodies, something completely new would appear in their environment, just as light and color appear as something completely new to those born blind after their operation.

[ 8 ] Just as the physical body of a person perceives the physical world through its organs, so during sleep another body—a spiritual one—perceives the other world, the astral world, through its own organs. However, this body is not connected with self-consciousness. In this state, self-consciousness is outside the realm of the human being.

[ 9 ] If it were impossible for human self-awareness to come into being in this state, then humans would never be able to understand the circumstances under consideration here. However, this is possible through the higher training mentioned above and described in this book, which is also called initiation. Through it, the human being learns to develop organs in his astral body in the dream state similar to those his physical body has for perceiving the physical world. And once these organs are developed, a self-consciousness arises during the dream that is similar to that which he has during waking daytime life. Once this stage of existence has been reached, however, the entire dream world undergoes a considerable transformation. It loses the confusing colorfulness that it has for the ordinary sleeper and is replaced by an inner order and harmony that not only equals the ordinary physical world, but also surpasses it to a high degree in terms of these qualities. The human being becomes aware that there has always been another world around him, in the same sense that the world of light and colors is around the blind person. He could not see it only because of a lack of organs of perception, just as the blind person cannot see the world of light and colors before his operation. The significant moment when the astral organs of perception begin to function in humans is called awakening or rebirth in esoteric science.

[ 10 ] At this moment of awakening, the human being experiences that he is surrounded by a higher world in which not only the things of the sensory world previously known to him have different qualities, but in which there are facts and essences that were previously unknown to him. — And now it also becomes clear to him that in this other world there are images from which the things of the sensory world are formed. It is not an inaccurate mental image to compare the way in which the physical world arises from the astral world with the formation of ice from water. Just as ice is transformed water, so the physical world is the transformed astral world. And just as water is a flowing element, so the astral world stands in the background of the physical world as an ever-changing world of images. Nothing fixed or closed can be found in its forms, as in the ordinary world. Everything flows into everything else and transforms itself. And a physical thing or a physical being comes into being only when such a flowing image solidifies for a moment. Anyone who wanted to apply the mental images of the physical world with its fixed boundaries to the astral realm would only reveal that they lack a real insight into this completely different world.

[ 11 ] Just as the beings of the physical world are embodied in the physical body, so the astral images are the expression of beings that do not enter the physical world. They find this expression in a different substance than the human being living in the physical world, who finds his in flesh and blood.

[ 12 ] What, then, is this astral substance? It is none other than that which human beings actually have within themselves. It is only covered up, as it were, by sensory mental images during everyday waking life. Human desires, wishes, and aversions, sympathies and antipathies are linked to these sensory mental images. They desire one object and reject another. It is in nothing other than these desires, wishes, and aversions that the source is to be found from which dream consciousness also draws when it transforms things into symbols. The self-consciousness of daily life feeds desires and wishes with external perceptions. When the activities of the external senses fall silent, another creative force steps in and forms images from the substance of desires and wishes. Secret science now says that the dreaming person is in the astral body woven from desires and cravings and that the physical body has been abandoned by self-consciousness. In the case of the initiate or awakened person, the situation is such that he has also left his physical body, but his self-consciousness dwells in his astral body. Just as the physical body can convey the perception of physical things because its organs are made of the same substance as the physical world, so the initiate can perceive the beings of the astral world because he has organs made of the substance of desires and cravings in which they find their expression.

[ 13 ] The difference between the uninitiated and the initiated person is that the former does not perceive the astral world as an external world, whereas the latter does. For the unawakened, this astral world remains a mere inner world; they experience it in their wishes and desires, but they do not see it. The initiated person not only feels their desire; they perceive it as something in the outer world, just as the unawakened person perceives tables and chairs.

[ 14 ] The ordinary dream world is, however, only a faint echo of this world of the initiated. It can only be this because self-consciousness is not involved in it. But where is this self-consciousness during the dream? It has withdrawn into a higher world in which man does not initially exist as such. A comparison can clarify his relationship to this world. Think of a human hand and a tool held by it. As long as the hand holds the tool, the two form a whole, as it were. The latter carries out the activities determined by the former. But as soon as the hand puts the tool down, it is left to its own devices; and the movements of the hand are only expressions of the will of the person to whom it belongs. Thus, during waking daytime life, the physical body must be regarded as a tool of a member of a higher being. When this higher being extends a limb, as it were, into the physical body, sensory activity and thus self-consciousness arise in it. When this limb leaves the body, self-consciousness ceases. Thus, the innermost essence of the human being, which can have self-consciousness, is a limb of a higher being, from which it is temporarily extended, as it were, and covered with the physical body. However, the corresponding mental image can be better understood if one regards the protrusion as a severing, as if during waking life a drop detached itself from the higher being in question, which is then reabsorbed during sleep. For during waking life, the human being is not aware of his connection with a higher being; he is thus effectively severed from it. During sleep, self-consciousness must be absent, for it withdraws into the higher being; the latter absorbs it, and so it rests enclosed within it.

[ 15 ] When dreamless sleep sets in, the world of images disappears. The physical body now appears to lie there completely unconscious; in reality, however, its state of consciousness is only even more dull than in dream-filled sleep. The image-producing power has also left the physical body. Therefore, only the insights of the awakened can shed light on this state. The unawakened lack perceptions of it. To the awakened, however, the image-producing body, which was previously loosely connected to the physical body, appears to have been lifted out of it. And it is now not idle, but has the task of restoring the forces of the physical body, which appear exhausted through fatigue, to their appropriate strength. This explains the refreshing nature of healthy sleep. Weary, the physical body sinks into sleep. At this moment, it surrenders its self-consciousness to higher beings. In the intermediate state of dream sleep, the soul remains loosely connected to the physical body. The characteristic feature of this soul is its creativity. From the moment of awakening, it begins to apply its creative power to processing the perceptions conveyed by the senses into human inner life. At the moment of falling asleep, external sensory perceptions fall away. In the intermediate state of dreaming, the creative power is transformed into the symbols described above; then these symbols also disappear; the soul turns its entire creative power to the body, which it now works on from the outside. Anyone who wanted to disregard the teachings of secret science altogether could already deduce from the fact of feeling refreshed in the morning upon awakening what characterizes the soul's nocturnal activity. There is something disharmonious and chaotic about daily life. Things in the physical environment affect people from all sides. Soon this, soon that finds its way into their inner being. This throws the inner forces of education out of the order that befits them by their original nature. At night, this is balanced out again. The soul restores order and harmony. Through daily life, the physical body gradually comes to resemble a mass of air that is swept by wind currents from all sides, its parts moving about in an irregular manner. Upon awakening, however, it can be compared to a mass of air set into regular vibrations by the rhythm and harmony of a piece of music. And indeed, to the initiated, the work of the soul on the body during sleep appears as a sounding through of the body. During sleep, the human being immerses itself in the harmony of the soul life. And this is the same harmony from which it was formed. Before the physical body opened itself to the outside world for the first time through the sense organs, it was completely under the influence of this harmony, which structured it. This harmony pervades the whole world as soul harmony, as soul tones. Human beings are surrounded by its sounds just as they are surrounded by the images described above. Just as this world of images becomes perceptible to the awakened person through training, so does this third world on an even higher level. It begins to sound and resonate around them. And in these sounds, the meaning of the world opens up to them. Just as the form of the physical world arose from the images, so these forms received their inner meaning and essence from the sounds described. From this point of view, all things are sounds that have taken form.

[ 16 ] During waking life, therefore, the human being is a being composed of three parts: the physical body, which perceives the physical world through the organs implanted in it from the outer world and encompasses self-consciousness; a body that has a mobile image character within itself; its images are at the same time the archetypes of the physical body, whose clearly defined forms have emerged, as it were, through solidification from the changing images of the second body; and furthermore, both the physical and the image bodies are permeated by a harmony of sound, a third body. — In dream sleep, the soul withdraws from the physical body; it remains in connection with the other two bodies, resonates through the sound body and permeates the image body with images. The latter act upon the physical body and communicate the shadowy dream images to it. In dreamless sleep, the soul is connected only to the sound body; what was in the physical body while awake is now outside it and works on it from outside. This activity flowing into it from the soul produces only such a dull consciousness in it that it is not perceived by the human being.

[ 17 ] In fact, this presents three states of consciousness of the physical body: waking daytime consciousness, dream consciousness, and dreamless sleep consciousness. For the initiate, the dullness of the latter two states of consciousness brightens; through this brightening, they live in higher worlds, just as the unawakened live in the physical outer world during waking daytime life. This gives us five states of consciousness, which are arranged in the following order according to their increasing brightness:

1. dreamless sleep consciousness
2. dream sleep
3. waking daytime consciousness
4. the image consciousness of the initiate
5. the sound consciousness of the initiate.

[ 18 ] Considering that, through esoteric training, the last two states of consciousness are attained by the initiate as a higher stage of human development, it will be readily apparent that waking daytime consciousness also represents a higher stage of the two subordinate states of consciousness, having developed from them. This is what esoteric science describes. It explains that in the distant past, human beings went through a stage of development in which they had only a dull sleep consciousness, uninterrupted by any dream images; then they rose to a dull dream consciousness, finally arriving at the waking daytime consciousness of today. The initiate continues this line of development. He develops the two higher forms of consciousness.

[ 19 ] Now, however, an even higher form of consciousness is attainable for this initiate. For it is evident from the foregoing that even in sound consciousness the soul is still connected with the human body. This connection can cease entirely. The soul can leave the body completely. The initiate learns this. And then he must have developed organs of an even higher kind than before if he wants to perceive anything. If this is the case, then the meaning of the world expresses itself directly in his surroundings, without the mediation of ‘sound’. This highest level of consciousness is initially called spiritual or pure spiritual consciousness. In the sense of the previous list of levels of consciousness, this would correspond to a state in the present human being that represents an even duller consciousness than dreamless sleep consciousness. In terms of meaning, this is indeed the case. However, the present human being cannot actually experience this state. Their soul would then have to be completely outside the body; dreamless sleep would have to be interrupted by a completely soulless state. This would in fact be equivalent to a temporary surrender of the physical body to itself, that is, a temporary killing. The physical body must not be exposed to this if it is not to run the risk of becoming incapable of receiving the soul.

[ 20 ] In evolution, however, this state has in fact preceded dreamless sleep consciousness, so that the complete series of stages of human consciousness is as follows:

1. a low, dull consciousness
2. dreamless sleep consciousness
3. dream consciousness
4. bright daytime consciousness
5. image consciousness
6. sound consciousness
7. spiritual consciousness.

[ 21 ] The human body has only advanced to the fourth level of consciousness in the present. The initiate can attain the higher types of consciousness. However, they also lead him into higher worlds. Human development can be mentally imaged as follows: the physical body has formed itself through the first three stages and has now taken on such a form that, during sleep, it still displays two other forms of consciousness as remnants of previous stages. The first stage has been completely obliterated by evolution. — The three higher stages of consciousness of the initiate cannot yet be expressed in the physical human body, because it cannot develop the organs for them. They are prophetic foretellings of forms that this physical body will yet assume.

[ 22 ] If, starting from these distinctions, one wants to form a correct mental image of the present world, it appears as a fourfold world: first, the physical world of the bodily senses; then, enveloping and permeating this, a world of images; further, a world of sound permeating both; and finally, a spiritual world underlying them all.

[ 23 ] This world was preceded by another in which human beings lived like dreaming beings. Their physical bodies were then in the same state as they are now during dream-filled sleep. Their surroundings resembled a panorama of changing images. There were no fixed outlines of things. This state was interrupted at that time by another, which is similar to the present dreamless sleep. And this in turn was interrupted by another, which can no longer be realized today and which was filled by the first of the forms of consciousness characterized above.

[ 24 ] In an even earlier world, human beings were also unable to rise to the experience of dream images. Their highest consciousness was that of dreamless sleep, and this state was interrupted by the lower, dull consciousness that is now already blurred; this in turn was interrupted by a state that has lost all significance for present-day development.

[ 25 ] In the first world, to which secret science refers, humans also lack dull sleep consciousness; the first of the states described is their highest; two others, which are not considered today, alternated with it.

[ 26 ] Thus, one looks back into a distant past of development; one surveys four stages through which the physical human body has passed. But we also look into the future, in which the three forms of consciousness accessible today to initiates in higher worlds will find their realization in the physical world. Our world will be replaced by a future one in which physical human bodies will have organs through which a self-conscious human being will perceive an eternally moving world of images, indeed will see himself as such. And further, one looks to a world in which the images will be permeated by harmonious sounds that will express their inner essence. Finally, to a world with a spiritual nature, but one that will have poured its spirit into physical nature.

[ 27 ] This is how secret science depicts the development of the world in which human beings pass through successive stages. And it designates these stages of development with names that have then been transferred to the planets surrounding the Earth. The stage of development at which human beings stood with their consciousness still in a dull state is called Saturn development; the second, in which human beings lived with dreamless sleep consciousness, is called the Sun stage; the third, in which dream consciousness appeared, is called the Moon stage; the fourth, the present stage, in which human beings have struggled their way to clear daytime consciousness, is called the Earth stage. And the stages of the future, in which the stages of consciousness attainable today by initiates in higher worlds will find their physical expression, are called successively the Jupiter, Venus, and Vulcan stages of development.

[ 28 ] The difference between the types of consciousness of the initiate and the states of consciousness of human beings during the future Jupiter, Venus, and Vulcan evolutions lies in the fact that the former must rise to higher worlds in order to live in the corresponding states of consciousness, whereas the future human being will have them in the physical world. This stems from the fact that in the present, the initiate's corresponding organs of perception are formed from the forces of the higher worlds; in the future, equivalent organs will arise in the physical human body from the physical environment. Human beings can perceive as their environment precisely that world which provides the material for their organs. In the future, the physical environment will have formative forces that currently belong only to the higher worlds. The development of the world can therefore be described as a succession of higher and higher worlds becoming physically embodied. The earth is the fourth embodiment. Its physical structure has the ability to imprint the organs for clear daytime consciousness on the human body. In the sense of secret science, it developed from another physical state in which it could only imprint organs for dream consciousness on the body. This state is referred to as the “moon.” The earth is thus formed from this “moon” by acquiring a new ability, namely to develop the organs for waking daytime consciousness. The “moon” arose from the “sun.” What has now become the ‘earth’ was therefore the “sun” at that time. Secret science refers to the “sun state” as the state in which the world body located within it can only produce the organs for dreamless sleep consciousness in a human body. And before the Earth was a ‘sun’ in this sense, it was at the stage of “Saturn.”

[ 29 ] How does such a world body acquire the power to form the corresponding organs in the human body? It could never do so if these organs were not preformed in relation to higher worlds by human beings who have gone before. By preforming the Jupiter organs in higher worlds, the initiates create the possibility for the surrounding world of images to take on a physical character. The solidification into the physical-corporeal is brought about by the fact that the forms which it is to take on are first present in a spiritual way. Thus the initiates become the transformers of the world body they inhabit. From them, as it were, radiate the formative forces that subsequently bring into being the things of the physical human environment.

[ 30 ] Thus, the initiates of the lunar stage spiritually preformed the physical shape of the Earth. The present-day earthly environment of human beings formed the content of their soul experiences. They perceived the earth as their object in a higher world.

[ 31 ] In this sense, secret science recognizes seven great world cycles or world periods through which the being that represents the earth in its fourth stage passes. Each such period is linked to a higher formation of the human body. Based on this insight, this science sees the “fourfold” as characterizing the present stage of world development. What Pythagoras and his school, for example, referred to as the “fourfold” is thus characterized. The ‘four’ is the number of the “great world,” that is, the world that human beings currently inhabit. It has raised him to the fourth stage of his consciousness.

[ 32 ] Secret science contrasts the human being himself with the “small world” of this “great world.” In his predispositions, he already has within him as soul what the “great world” is to become physically. He is therefore on the way to expanding his inner “small world” into the “big world.” Within him is the creative womb of the latter. In this sense, secret science sees in the soul a creative seed for the future, an “inner” that strives to realize itself in an outer world.

[ 33 ] But in order to be creative in the external world, this soul must first mature. It must first experience internally what it will later shape in the external world. For example, before the soul possessed the ability to imprint organs for waking daytime consciousness on the physical body, it first had to go through a series of stages of development in which it gradually acquired this ability. Thus, the soul first had to experience the first state of consciousness within itself before it could create it; and so it was with the other forms of consciousness. These stages of development of the soul, which precede the creation of the types of consciousness within it, are called stages of life in esoteric science. Accordingly, there are seven stages of life, just as there are seven stages of consciousness. Life differs from consciousness in that the former has an inner character, while the latter is based on a relationship with the outside world.

[ 34 ] Applied to the earth, one can say that before the bright state of daytime consciousness of the human body appeared on it, this world body had to pass through four states, which can be understood as four states of life.

[ 35 ] The stages of soul experience arise when one internalizes what is perceived as the external world in the states of consciousness. First, there is that dull state of consciousness that precedes dreamless sleep. In the latter, the soul works harmoniously on the body; its corresponding state of life is the harmonization of its own inner being. It thus permeates itself with a world of resonant movement. Before, in the dull state of experience, it was in its own motionless inner being. It felt this inner being in undifferentiated indifference on all sides. This lowest state of life is referred to as the first elemental realm. It is an experience of matter in its original state. Matter is excited and set in motion in various directions. And its self-experience of this mobility is the first stage of life, the first elemental realm. — The second stage is reached when these movements become rhythm and harmony. The corresponding stage of life is the inner awareness of rhythm as sound. This is the second elemental realm. The third stage develops when the movements transform into images. Then the soul lives within itself as in a world of images that form and dissolve again. This is the third elemental realm. At the fourth stage, the images take on fixed forms; individual elements emerge from the changing panorama. As a result, they can no longer be experienced only inwardly, but can also be perceived outwardly. This realm is the realm of the outer bodies.

[ 36 ] In this realm, a distinction must be made between the form it has for the bright daytime consciousness of human beings and the form it experiences within itself. The body actually experiences its form within itself, that is, the substance that forms itself into regular shapes. — At the next stage, this mere experience of form is overcome; it is replaced by the experience of form change. The form forms itself and transforms itself. One can say that at this stage, the third elemental realm appears in a higher form. In the third elemental kingdom, the movement from form to form can only be experienced as an image; in this fifth kingdom, the image passes into solidification in the external object, but this external object does not die in form, but retains its ability to change. This kingdom is that of growing and reproducing bodies. And its capacity for transformation manifests itself precisely in growth and reproduction. In the next kingdom, the ability to experience the external in its effect on the internal is added. It is the kingdom of sentient beings. The last kingdom to be considered is that which not only experiences the effect of external things within itself, but also experiences their inner nature. This is the realm of sentient beings. Thus, the sequence of stages of life is structured as follows:

1. Dull material life
2. Experience of inner movement
3. Experience of inner formation
4. Experience of a fixed boundary
5. Experience of transformation
6. Experience of the effects of the outer world as sensation
7. Witnessing of the outer world.

[ 37 ] The inner experience of the soul must first be preceded by the creation of this life. For nothing can be experienced that has not first come into existence. If secret science describes inner experience as soul-related, it refers to creative activity as spiritual. The [physical body] perceives through organs; the soul experiences itself internally; the spirit creates externally. Just as the seven stages of consciousness are preceded by seven soul experiences, these soul experiences are preceded by seven types of creative activity. The dull experience of matter corresponds in the realm of creativity to the production of this matter. Matter flows into the world in an indifferent manner. This realm is referred to as that of formlessness. On the next stage, matter is structured and its parts enter into relationship with each other. We are thus dealing with different substances that combine and separate. This realm is called the realm of form. On the third stage, matter no longer needs to enter into relationship with matter itself, but forces emanate from matter, substances attract and repel each other, and so on. We are dealing with the astral realm. At the fourth stage, a material substance appears, shaped by the forces of the environment, which at the third stage merely regulated the external relationships and now work their way into the interior of beings. This is the realm of the physical. A being at this stage is a mirror of its environment; the forces of the latter work on its structure. Further progress consists in the being not only structuring itself internally in accordance with the forces in the environment, but also giving itself an external physiognomy that bears the imprint of this environment. If a being on the fourth stage represents a mirror of its environment, then a being on the fifth stage expresses this environment physiognomically. This stage is therefore called the physiognomic stage in secret science. At the sixth stage, physiognomy becomes an outflow of itself. A being at this stage forms the things of its environment in the same way that it first formed itself. This is the stage of shaping. And at the seventh stage, shaping transitions into creation. The being that has arrived there creates forms in its environment that replicate on a small scale what its environment is on a large scale. This is the stage of creativity.

The development of the spiritual is therefore divided into the following stages:

1. Formlessness
2. Forming
3. Incorporating power
4. Designing in accordance with the forces of the environment
5. Physiognomic expressiveness
6. Creative power
7. Creative ability.

[ 38 ] When Saturn's development began, the human body was at the stage of formlessness. It first had to struggle its way to creative ability before a soul could experience its first material life in it. This means that the body first had to develop through the seven stages of creative activity before its soul could live through it. This soul must now reach the point where it can communicate its inner movement to each of the seven forms of the body. The first time the body passes through its seven forms, it is still completely lifeless. Only on the seventh stage, when the body becomes creative, does its life awaken. And it must now awaken, for the body expends substance in its creative activity. The soul must replace this substance. And now a second cycle begins. The substance that flows into the body as a replacement itself goes through the seven stages from formlessness to creative ability. Once it has reached this stage, the soul is no longer limited to the experiences caused by the movement of the inflowing substance, but begins a new stage of life. Because the inflowing substance itself has become creative, it begins to fill the body internally. Previously, it had only ever replaced what had been lost; now it is stored in the body. And again, it goes through all the stages from formlessness to creative ability. First, it is stored in the body in a formless state, then it gradually takes on forms, develops powers, shapes structures, gives them a physiognomic expression, and so on. During this entire cycle, the soul goes through its third stage of life. It harmonizes this inner structure and balances out the disorder caused by the inner processes. Once the substance within has been shaped in this way, it moves on to a fourth stage, in which it allows the outside world to have an effect on it. It can do this because the soul inhabiting it has now matured to the point where it can experience the impressions of its surroundings in a dull manner and thus repeatedly restore order to the disorder caused by the outside world. In the next cycle, the body no longer stops at structuring itself; it transforms itself under the influence of the outside world. The soul has matured enough to regulate this transformation. Then a cycle begins for the body in which it perceives the effects of the outside world as sensations. The soul again forms the regulator of this stage of existence. Finally, the body has reached its last stage; it can experience the outside world. The soul is now ready to experience the next stage, namely the next stage of consciousness in a world higher than Saturn's existence. During this last Saturn cycle, it thus goes through the dreamless state of sleep. And it now transfers this to the physical body during the first solar cycle.

[ 39 ] It is evident that during the Saturn period, the physical human body passed through seven physical stages. Each time it reached one of these stages, the soul attained a higher stage of experience. At the seventh stage, it went beyond Saturn's development and pointed to the solar stage in its experience.

[ 40 ] When the solar cycle begins, the physical body is ready to take on its own form. Whereas the soul was previously the regulator of this form, it now has its own formative force within itself. This is called the etheric body. The soul is no longer in direct connection with the physical body; the etheric body stands between them as a mediator. Its experiences are transferred to this etheric body, just as they were previously transferred to the physical body. Now, the seven states of form must first be passed through again from this etheric body, from formlessness to creative activity. As the etheric body has a formative effect on the physical body, it continuously loses its tension. And this is regulated again and again by the soul. In this way, the development of the sun also passes through seven physical stages. And in each of these, the soul appears at a higher level; on the seventh, it forms a new state of consciousness. While it still witnesses how the etheric body becomes the creator of new forms that replicate the entire solar world, it already senses within itself a world of images that ebbs and flows within it.

[ 41 ] During the first lunar cycle, it transfers this world of images to the etheric body, which now shapes the physical body according to these soul images. Just as the formative etheric body has moved between the physical body and the soul at the solar stage, so now the characterized image body is interposed between them and the soul. In secret science, it is called the feeling body. For just as human feelings flow in from the outside world, as it were, and thus make the content of the outside world the property of the inner world, so the images of the image body work from the inside out and imprint their content on the etheric body, which in turn transfers it to the physical body.

[ 42 ] During the lunar evolution, the human being again passes through all seven stages of form, in order to allow the soul to mature to a higher level in each of them. During the seventh stage, the soul has the ability to give its images the most perfect form; it can witness everything that is happening on the world body around it, so that its world of images is an expression of the entire lunar world. At the same time, it has a foretaste of the elevated state of consciousness of the next stage; it begins to see fixed forms within its changing world of images. This enables it to mature to the point where it can also act on the etheric body in such a way that it develops organs within itself that have something lasting about them. And with that, the transition to the first earth cycle can be made. Within this cycle, the physical body takes in the fixed image forms; these become its organs. With this, a fourth limb begins to develop in the human being. Perceptions of external objects interpose themselves between the image body and the soul. The body has now, in a certain sense, outgrown the soul; it has become independent. What previously appeared in it were the results of those images which the soul had appropriated from the external world. Now the external world directly causes perceptions in it. And the inner life of the soul proceeds as a co-experience of these perceptions. The expression of this independent activity of the body is self-consciousness. But self-consciousness only matures gradually. First, the human being must go through a cycle of forms in which only dull material life is felt in his organs; in a second cycle, the influence of matter causes an inner movement; the etheric body thereby experiences the outer world and transforms the organs into living tools of the physical organism. In a third cycle, the image body also becomes capable of reproducing the outer world. It now stimulates the organs in such a way that they themselves produce images that live within them, but are not yet reflections of external things. Only in the fourth cycle does the soul itself become capable of permeating the bodily organs; in doing so, it detaches the images from these bodily organs and covers external things with them. Thus, an external world stands before it, to which it stands in opposition as an inner, independent being. — But now is also when, from time to time, the bodily organs it uses fall into exhaustion. Then the possibility of connecting with the external world ceases. Sleep sets in, during which the soul once again exerts a balancing influence on the physical body in its former manner through the image and etheric bodies. Thus, for secret science, sleep appears to be a remnant of earlier stages of development. At present, human beings have passed the midpoint of the fourth earth cycle. This is expressed in the fact that they perceive not only external objects in their bright daytime consciousness, but also the laws underlying them. The soul has begun to experience the inner transformation of things.

[ 43 ] During the Saturn development, the human body was at the level of the dullest consciousness. However, one should not assume that other levels of consciousness were not present in beings who existed at that time in connection with this earlier embodiment of the Earth. Above all, there was a being at that time whose consciousness was equivalent to the present waking consciousness of human beings. But since the conditions of the Saturn environment were completely different from those on Earth, this level of consciousness also had to function in a fundamentally different way.

[ 44 ] Earth humans have minerals, plants, and animals around them as objects of perception. They regard these beings as inferior to themselves, considering themselves to be higher beings in relation to them. With the Saturnian being, the opposite was true. It had three groups of beings above it and had to consider itself the lowest link in the realm of what was perceptible to it. These three higher groups of beings were given different names in secret science, depending on the language of the people and the time to which the secret teachers belonged. The designations of Christian secret science are, listed from top to bottom: Lordships (Kyriotetes), Powers (Dynamis), and Authorities (Exusiai). The fourth lowest link in the chain is that characterized being, just as the earthly human being is the highest link in the mineral, plant, and animal kingdoms. In accordance with these very different conditions, the nature of perception itself was also different. The initiate knows this nature from experience. For it is equivalent to what he attains as his third stage, beyond waking daytime consciousness, namely spiritual consciousness. It is as if the impressions did not come to the senses from external objects, but as if they pressed in from within, flowed outwards from the senses, and encountered the objects and beings outside, reflecting themselves in them and then appearing in their reflection to the consciousness. This was the case with that Saturn being. It poured its life force onto the things of the planet, and from all sides the reflection was thrown back to it in the most manifold ways. It perceived its own life from all sides in the mirror image. And the things that reflected its essence back to it were the beginnings of the physical human body. For the planet consisted of them. What else was perceived did not appear on the planet, but in its orbit. The beings called Exusiai (powers) appeared as radiant beings illuminating the world body from all sides. Saturn itself was a dark body; it did not receive its light from dead light sources, but from these beings who inhabited its orbit and illuminated it as luminous beings. Their light revealed itself to the perception of the Saturn being, just as the animal body currently makes itself perceptible to humans. The beings called Dynamis (powers) revealed themselves in a similar way from the periphery through spiritual sounds, and the Kyriotetes (lordships) through what is called in secret science the world aroma, a kind of impression that can be compared to the present sense of smell.

[ 45 ] Just as the earthly human being rises above the perceptions of external things to mental images that live only within him, so that the Saturn being recognized, in addition to the aforementioned beings that revealed themselves to it as if from within, beings that it perceived from without; in Christian esoteric science they are called seraphim, cherubim, and thrones. There is nothing within the sphere of human experience that can be compared to the sublime characteristics in which they appeared at that time. Finally, this Saturn being was aware of a third type of cohabitants. They populated the interior of the planet. This consisted only of a composition of human bodies, as far as they had developed at that time. If one wants to form a mental image of these bodies, one can do so by comparing them, for the times when they appeared in physical form, to automatons made of the finest ethereal substance. As such, they reflected the life of that Saturnian being; but they themselves were completely lifeless and without any sensation. But they were inhabited by two kinds of beings who developed their life and their sensitivity within them. They needed a certain foundation for this, for they lacked a physical body of their own, and yet they were so constituted that they could only develop their higher abilities in such a body. They therefore made use of the human physical body.

[ 46 ] Thus, on Saturn, the physical, soul, and spiritual elements were present in a similar way as they are on Earth. Only on Earth do they form the threefold nature of man: his body, his soul, and his spirit. Each of these parts of the human being consists of three sub-parts: the body consists of the physical body, the etheric body, and the sentient body; the soul consists of the sentient soul, the intellectual soul, and the conscious soul; the spirit consists of the spirit self, the life spirit, and the spirit man. On Saturn, the physical, soul, and spiritual are not present as parts of a being, but as independent beings; the physical body as the first foundation of the human body and the actual material basis of the planet itself; the etheric body as an angel, the sentient body as an archangel; the sentient soul is represented by that characterized Saturn being itself, the intellectual soul by the powers, the consciousness soul by the authorities, the spirit self by the dominions, the life spirit by the thrones, the spirit man by the cherubim; above all stand the seraphim.

[ 47 ] During the times when Saturn was in its physical stage, it thus represented a limb body consisting of fine etheric bodies; within it, the angels and archangels reigned as the life and nerve forces present in the human body. And just as the human body has sensory organs on the outside, Saturn itself was covered on its surface as if with senses; only these senses were not receptive, but reflective. They reflected everything that made an impression from the surroundings of the world body. The luminous powers irradiated the surface of Saturn, and their light was reflected back in many ways from its surface. Sounds came from the powers, and these sounds penetrated space again as manifold echoes; finally, the surface of Saturn was irradiated by the aroma of the powers, and it returned this in a manifoldly altered form. And in the perception of all these reflections consisted the soul life of that marked Saturn being. — This being can be called the actual planetary spirit of Saturn. For in fact there was only one of its kind, just as in human beings there is a multiplicity of limbs, senses, and so on, but only one self-consciousness. The whole of Saturn was the body of this planetary spirit.

[ 48 ] The development of Saturn consisted of seven cycles, which represent the unfolding of soul life. In each of these seven cycles, the planet passes through the seven forms, from formlessness to creative ability. In the first cycle, the Thrones form the directing soul element, in the second the Dominions, in the third the Powers, in the fourth the Authorities, and in the fifth the Saturn planetary spirit itself. This did not have full, clear consciousness right from the beginning of Saturn's development, but only acquired it in the fourth cycle. It was only then that it attained a true soul experience of the planetary processes. Thus, in the fifth cycle, it can act as a soul itself. During the fifth cycle, the archangels develop an inner soul life, the content of which is taken from the Saturn processes. They can do this by making use of the human bodies that have developed into suitable instruments for them by that time. This enables them to guide these bodies as independent souls in the sixth cycle. The same applies to the angels in the seventh cycle.

[ 49 ] In the fifth cycle, the planetary spirit of Saturn could not act as a soul in the manner described if it remained within the body of Saturn. For the nature of Saturn does not allow this. The spirit of Saturn must therefore leave the body of Saturn and act on it from outside. In this cycle, Saturn is thus divided into two world bodies. Of these, however, the one that has stepped out can be described as the soul of Saturn. It is, as it were, the prophetic foretelling of the next planetary embodiment: the sun. Thus, during its fifth, sixth, and seventh cycles, Saturn is orbited by a kind of sun, just as the Earth is currently orbited by its moon.

[ 50 ] Something similar must occur in the sixth cycle for the archangels. They leave the Saturn mass and orbit it as a new planet, which is called Jupiter in secret science. And in the seventh cycle, something similar happens with regard to the angels. They withdraw their mass from that of Saturn and orbit it as an independent planet. In secret science, this is called Mars. These are processes similar to those that already took place during the previous Saturn cycles. In the third cycle, the powers guided spiritual development. During the fourth, they left the planet and orbited it as a bright, independent planet, which in secret science is called Mercury. In the third cycle, the same thing happened to the powers that became independent as the planet Venus.

[ 51 ] Within the development of the sun, the previously automatic human body becomes alive within itself. This happens because the light that previously illuminated Saturn from its orbit as an emanation of the luminous beings is now absorbed by the components of the sun's body itself. The sun becomes a luminous planet. The perfected human bodies develop a luminous life. It now resounds from the orbit, and the aroma of the world flows from the corresponding beings.

[ 52 ] A transformation has taken place with the Saturn planetary spirit. It has multiplied. One has become seven. Just as the seed is one and in the ear that forms from it there are many that are of the same essence as that one, so seven sprouts germinate from the one Saturn planetary spirit during the transition to the solar stage. And its life now becomes different. It acquires the ability to perceive a realm that is one stage lower than itself. This is made possible by the fact that a number of human bodies have remained behind in their development, remaining at the Saturn stage. They are therefore unable to receive the luminous life of the sun. They form dark spots within the radiant sun planet. They perceive the seven sun spirits that arose from the Saturn planetary spirit as a natural realm beneath them. Thus, these seven beings live on the surface of the sun; beneath them, they see a realm whose beings have bodies only one level lower than the sun human bodies. But these bodies themselves, in the light they radiate, give them the nourishment they need. While the Saturn bodies were only the reflectors of the Saturn spirit's being, the sun bodies occupy the position towards the sun spirits that the sun currently occupies with its light towards the beings of the plant kingdom. In terms of bodily organization, during the sun's development, humans stand on the level of plant beings. It would not be correct to say that he himself passed through the plant kingdom at that time. For a plant kingdom as it is today can only develop under the peculiar conditions of the earth. If one wants to use a comparison in this regard, one would have to form the mental image of the solar human body as a plant being that develops organs similar to those of the present-day plant as a flower, turning toward its own planet. And just as the present-day plant receives its light from an external sun, so the human sun plant received its light from its own planet, which was indeed a sun. What the plant today lowers into the earth as roots was turned toward the inflowing sounds and smells on the sun body; it took them in and processed them within itself. One could call the present plant a human body that has remained at the solar stage and has completely turned around. It therefore stretches the organs of growth and reproduction, which the human being has covered and turned downward, chastely upward toward the sun.

[ 53 ] In this way, the human body was only fully developed during the fourth solar cycle. Three previous cycles were a preparation for this. The first cycle is actually only a repetition of the Saturn existence. And its seven stages of form are seven repetitions of the stages of life in the Saturn cycle. But it is only during the second solar cycle that life flashes into the human body. It is not yet so fully developed that the archangels, who take up the position on the sun that the planetary spirit occupied on Saturn, can find satisfaction in this life. Rather, the powers now suck up the energy that can flow from this life; during the third cycle, the seven beings that arose from the Saturn spirit take their place; and during the fourth solar cycle, the archangels live in the life of the earthly bodies, just as the planetary spirit was reflected in the bodies of Saturn. During the fifth solar cycle, the archangels ascend to a higher level of existence, and the angels take their place on the planet. During the sixth solar cycle, the angels have also developed so highly that they no longer need the physical part of the human body; they now only use the light flowing in and out for their purposes, in order to live in it. The physical human body has become an independent entity, the model for the present physical body of man. And at this stage it also behaves entirely like a physical apparatus; only like one whose parts are alive. It is, in a sense, a living sensory instrument, but its perceptions are not registered by itself. It lacks the necessary degree of consciousness for this. It is in a plant-like sleep, which constitutes its highest level of consciousness. What is conceived in it as perceptions passes into the consciousness of the angels, archangels, and so on, according to the sequence of the various solar cycles. These higher beings watch over the sleeping human body.

[ 54 ] What are the causes under whose influence the sun developed from Saturn? They can be recognized by looking at the final stages of Saturn's development. Let us assume that the seventh cycle has reached the fourth stage of form, the physical stage. The human body is now ready to serve the angels as sensory organs that reflect their nature. At this stage, the angels have a kind of human consciousness, which, however, is only available to them through the senses of the human body. Higher beings work on the planet from its orbit. They develop the higher stages of consciousness one after the other. At the moment when the angels also develop such higher types of consciousness, they can no longer make use of the human body. The consequence of this is that they leave it. It must die. But this means nothing other than that the physical Saturn body disintegrates before the physiognomic form of the seventh cycle develops. This physiognomic stage is therefore no longer physical at all. The planet exists only as a soul planet. The physical form sinks into the abyss. In the soul planet, the angels live in a superphysical image consciousness. And the higher beings are active in it with corresponding higher forms of consciousness. At the moment when the angels have also grown beyond image consciousness, the soul planet must also disintegrate. It is replaced by another, on which the formative shape is developed. However, it only floats in the world in which the earthly initiate finds himself when he dwells in the higher tone consciousness. For the same reasons, another planet develops from this one, which belongs to an even higher world at the end of the seventh Saturn cycle. In this planet, the creative form of existence is realized. It has been shown that as higher beings ascend into corresponding forms of consciousness, satellite planets of Saturn always separate, which must float in higher worlds because the main form of Saturn cannot accommodate such types of consciousness. But now Saturn itself ascends to such higher worlds. As a result, each time it arrives in such a higher world, it unites with the satellite planet that exists in the same world. At the end of the seventh Saturn cycle, Jupiter, Mars, Venus, Mercury, and the Sun are thus reunited with Saturn. Everything forms one world again. But in this one world, the creative form of Saturn's life force is found. Through it, the world, which has become spiritualized in the manner described, is brought back to the lower stages of existence. This happens with the development of the Sun. In the course of its cycles, the planets formed from Saturn reappear. Each one now appears only one step closer to physical existence.

[ 55 ] If a human observer with senses in their present form of development were to watch the planet described, they would only see the world body emerge from the darkness at certain times; during long intervals, when it exists only in higher worlds, it would disappear from such an observer. It would remain visible only to an observer whose consciousness can dwell in higher worlds. A distinction is therefore made between the physical states of planetary existence: twilight or night states. However, one must not form a mental image that during such intervals the planet and its beings fall into inactivity. This [activity] only falls into higher worlds and thus expresses itself in a much more real existence than the mere physical one.

[ 56 ] When the sun has completed its seven cycles, a time begins in which the human body is ready not only to receive the influx of light and be enlivened by it, but also to acquire the ability to allow the world of sound surrounding it, which is formed by the “powers,” to continue to work within it and to reproduce it as sounds. At this stage of existence, known as the lunar evolution, the human body becomes a sounding entity. Whereas on the Saturn stage the sound thrown back from the planet into the environment was only an echo of the surroundings, it now sounds out into these surroundings in a changed form. It is so changed that it reproduces in the most varied ways what is going on in the human bodies. Human bodies have thus incorporated a third member into their being, the feeling body. For it is their inner nature, their world of feelings, that sounds outwards. But the seven beings that developed from the Saturn spirit during the evolution of the sun have become seven times seven. Their environment has now become such that they experience their own emotional world in the sentient bodies that have formed. These sentient bodies are the carriers of their bright daytime consciousness. They now feel themselves surrounded by two realms below them and one above them. This realm hovering above them makes itself felt to them from outer space as the world aroma; they experience themselves as sounding beings, and the two realms below them have come into being because one area of human bodies has remained at the Saturn stage and a second at the Sun stage. Thus, these lunar beings are surrounded by automaton-like beings who continue their Saturn maturity on the moon under conditions that are completely different from those that existed on Saturn itself, and also by plant-like solar bodies that are in a similar situation. Thus, there are three kinds of beings present in the actual lunar mass. Those automaton-like beings, which are dark within themselves and which have retained from Saturn the ability to radiate life around them. They are not lifeless beings in the sense of present-day minerals. A mineral basis, such as that which the Earth has, did not yet exist on the Moon. In its place was one consisting of the characterized being. One can get a mental image of it by imagining it as being endowed with life throughout, so that on the moon, for example, instead of the mineral soil of our planet, there is a living, mushy mass; embedded in this are woody parts like the rock masses in the softer rock of our earth. In this living foundation, which can be called plant minerals in its parts, the characterized sun beings were rooted, standing on a level between the present animal and the present plant. And the mobile beings that inhabited the moon were human bodies, standing in the middle between animals and humans in terms of their development. They were the hosts of the descendants of the Saturn planetary spirit. However, the latter could not develop an alert daytime consciousness in them. In order to live in such a consciousness, these beings had to step out of their bodies each time. When they were inside it, that is, when they lived its life, they were filled only with a consciousness filled with dream images. In this consciousness, they saw nothing of their physical surroundings, but they projected their inner experiences out into their surroundings. What was expressed in sounds during the sleep of the moon beings were their passions and desires. To highlight just one aspect of this experience, it should be noted that what we now call love life, which is the basis of procreation, took place on the Moon during dream-filled sleep. Wakeful daily life was desireless and, indeed, loveless, devoted entirely to observing the environment. The ancestors of humans on the Moon knew nothing of sexual relations in their daily lives. What humans today feel in sexual love was played out on the Moon in dream images, which only symbolically expressed what is now objective reality. It was not the human ancestors who experienced the world of images on the moon in their waking state; rather, it was the beings standing above humans, the angels, who lived in it. For them, the dream world of humans played out, as it were, as bright daytime reality. They watched over the dreaming human world, just as the archangels watched over the solar world living in a plant-like sleep.

[ 57 ] The first two lunar cycles were merely repetitions of earlier stages of development. The seven forms of the first cycle repeated the seven Saturn cycles, and the seven forms of the second cycle repeated the seven Sun cycles.

[ 58 ] In the third lunar cycle, the human body is ready for the beings at the archangel stage to experience its dream images as their environment; in the fourth cycle, this is the case with the angels. In this cycle, the descendants of the Saturn planetary spirit can use the human body to such an extent that, when they envelop it from outside and make use of it, they attain a clear daytime consciousness through it. In the fifth cycle, these beings have risen to such a height that they no longer need the physical human body; the latter now perceives its surroundings for itself, but only at a low level of consciousness in relation to these perceptions. At this time, these beings only need the etheric body and the sentient body. In the sixth cycle they also leave the etheric body to itself, and in the seventh the sentient body.

[ 59 ] The Moon is a reincarnation of the Sun planet. Now, during the period in which the stage of solar development is repeated on the moon, that is, in the second cycle, the solar body emerges from its mass. Within this emerged solar body live those beings who have attained a stage of consciousness and life for which no conditions exist on the moon itself. During the second cycle, these are the forces; during the life of the sun, they shared in the life of the physical human body. Now, on the moon, this stage of the sun leads only a stunted, backward existence in the animal plants described above. The forces cannot live in them. Rather, they enliven these beings from outside by sending them the light they need from their sun. During the third lunar cycle, the descendants of the Saturn planetary spirit have also risen to a stage where they can no longer find existence on the moon. And accordingly, during the fourth cycle, the archangels leave the moon, which in this period is the dwelling place of the angels, just as later the earth in its fourth cycle is that of human beings.

[ 60 ] Just as the other planets emerged gradually during the development of the Sun, so too does this happen to them now during the development of the Moon. Only they are again one step closer to physical existence at the point in time when the Moon is at the height of its development, that is, from the physical form of its fourth cycle onwards. With the fifth cycle, Mars, which is then inhabited by the angels, attains a fine, ethereal-physical form in the moon's environment; with the sixth cycle, the same happens with Jupiter, the dwelling place of the archangels. Finally, during the seventh lunar cycle, the same happens with Mercury. Mars and Jupiter have become even denser in the meantime; the former has a density that enables it to generate heat through the movements of its components and to radiate it out into space.

[ 61 ] Earth's development takes over the fruits that have ripened on the moon. The human body has gone through three stages of development. In the first stage, it was able to serve as a physical instrument, as an organ of perception, for those beings who had already advanced so far on the sun stage that they could dispense with any such apparatus. Even then, they already belonged to those beings who were able to devote their activities to the sun planet from outside as creators. The position they held on Saturn was taken by the archangels on the sun. The spirits of Saturn did not have their physicality in the sun planet, but in the creative forces that sustained the life of the sun. On the moon, the archangels then became the creative powers. The angels of the moon, who at that time had bright daytime consciousness, could admire their physicality when they looked up at their creators.

[ 62 ] These three planetary stages of development were now repeated in the first three Earth cycles. During these cycles, the human body was to prepare itself to transform the images that had formed during the lunar consciousness into experiences. It had to become capable not only of harboring a life and image body within itself, but also of reflecting its environment internally in its images. On the moon, it had progressed to the point where its images could be viewed by the angels. The moon body of the human being was the environment of the angels. And in contemplating the moon human, they had themselves advanced; they had struggled through, so that they could now create on a higher level what they had perceived on the moon. For, in addition to the two realms below them, they still had beings of their own kind in their environment. After the moon's development had come to an end, they were able to impress their nature upon the human body. Earth humans could then see in their physical environment, while inhabiting their bodies, what the angels on the moon could only see when they ascended to a higher world: their own kind.

[ 63 ] But the human body could only be guided to such a capacity in stages. And this happened during the three Earth cycles. In the first, they could perceive themselves as they were on Saturn, in the second as they were on the Sun, and in the third as they were on the Moon. During the first Earth cycle, their fellow human beings were still nothing more than walking automatons to them; during the second, they appeared to them as plant-like beings; and during the third, they appeared to them as animals.

[ 64 ] When the fourth cycle began, man had become capable of perceiving the creations of the angels, his equals, around him. But the angels stood three levels of consciousness above him. They could create what he perceived. - The human body now acquired four members: the physical [member], which became the mirror of the environment; the living [member], which could translate perceptions of the environment into inner movement; the image body, which was able to translate inner movements into the character of symbols; and finally the body, which became the bearer of bright daytime consciousness, harmonizing the inner images with the impressions of the environment and thus creating the connection between inner experience and the processes of the environment. — But bright daytime consciousness remains limited to the external world of the physical; the processes of life and the images of the image body are enlivened internally, but not perceived as surroundings. His image body remains the object of the next higher level of being, the angels, his life body even that of the archangels. Everything in human beings that is connected with the life body, the laws of its growth and reproduction, therefore remains hidden from them; they are only aware of it in dreamless sleep. For the archangels, however, these processes are things of the outer world and its workings, just as for human beings their work on a physical machine is present. And everything connected with the consciousness of images, the laws that are more mysterious to human beings, which give their faces a certain expression and play of features, their gait and so on certain forms, that is, what is expressed in their character, temperament, and so on, is under the dominion of the angels. Only what they effect in their surroundings is under their own laws.

[ 65 ] Human beings developed into beings that can be described in this way during the fourth earth cycle. But the angels, who had developed into the consciousness of creators during the lunar stage, could no longer find a place for themselves on Earth at the moment when the image body began to belong to human beings themselves, that is, from the point in time when the second cycle had passed its midpoint. So they withdrew to a higher community with new conditions of life; the sun separated itself from the new Earth and from then on sent its forces to it from outside.

[ 66 ] In the third earth cycle, those human bodies that had not progressed far enough in the second cycle to be able to have their image bodies supplied by the forces gathered on the sun had to fall into a subordinate existence. They sank from the animal-human level to the animal level. Where could they now obtain the forces for their image bodies? They were not receptive to the solar forces of the perfected angels. However, beings remain behind in their development at every level. By the third cycle, there were angels who had remained behind in their development and therefore could not find a place on the sun. During the second half of the third earth cycle, they were still unable to find the predisposition to ascend to the sun. But they were also not capable of continuing to act on the image bodies of the perfecting human being. They only had the gift of acting on those image bodies that had remained at the stage of the moon's existence. Therefore, they withdrew from the earth's mass as the present moon. This is therefore a world body which represents an earlier stage of Earth's development in a kind of hardened state. It is the dwelling place of those beings who did not want to become creators of the perfect human body. Their activity can be found in the image bodies of animals; but they also continue to direct their attacks on the image body of the human being, which is, after all, the realm they have outgrown. As soon as a person strays even slightly from devotion to their higher nature, which is revealed to them through the impressions of their senses, as soon as they succumb to the forces at work in their image body, these beings gain influence over them. Their work is evident in wild dreams, which reflect the animalistic desires arising from their lower nature.

[ 67 ] When the third earth cycle passes its midpoint, when the earth has become physical for the third time, there are initially no conditions of existence for the form of the physical human body, which can receive external perceptions. The physical dies away. The result of this is that the sin of omission committed by the angels who remained behind is no longer felt so painfully by the beings who have ascended to solar existence. The moon is therefore reincorporated into the Earth's body. And as the cycle continues, when the whole Earth has ascended to a higher world through its image existence, it also reunites with the sun. As a result, the forces in the human body, which in the third cycle could only see the image-animated body in their surroundings, attain creative ability. This enables them to enter the fourth cycle. At first, they are still in the world that is only perceptible to spiritual consciousness, but they gradually descend to ever deeper worlds. Finally, the human body is ready to develop organs of perception for its own kind in a fine etheric form. The physical body thus acquires the abilities of its earthly form. This is also the moment when the earth can no longer be a stage for the perfected angels; the sun emerges from the earth with them and shines on it from outside. The physical body continues to progress. The images of the image body attain a liveliness that was not previously their own; the organs of the physical body nourish them in the mirror images of external objects. The time has come when the external earthly environment snatches these images away from the angels who have remained behind. They must pull the part of the earth that can be their dwelling place out of the earth. The moon separates from the earth once more and orbits it as its satellite.

[ 68 ] How far has the human body developed at this point in time? It has developed its fourfold nature. It is organized in such a way that it can be the bearer of an etheric or life body, that it can accommodate an image body. In addition, its sense organs allow the earthly environment to be reflected in these images. The physical human body has now reached a completely new stage. It reflects inwardly, just as it reflected outwardly on Saturn the essence of the Saturn planetary spirit. As a result, that part of this spirit which was then the lowest member of the spirit can now live within it. This part therefore separates itself from the Saturn planetary spirit; it loses the ability to receive the revelations of the higher realms and becomes the bearer of human self-consciousness. Human beings learn to feel themselves as “I.” From now on, they carry within themselves the nature that on Saturn was revealed by the planetary spirit as a sphere surrounding the planet.

[ 69 ] Thus, human beings have reached the stage where the archangels reveal themselves in their etheric body, the angels in their image body, and the planetary spirit of Saturn in their self-consciousness. He can now ascend to the stage where the Saturn spirit within him becomes capable of having a similar relationship to the image body as the Saturn spirit itself attained when it gradually outgrew its own planetary existence and became a Jupiter inhabitant. But since man remains an inhabitant of Earth, such forces can only act on him from outside. This means that the Earth comes under the influence of the forces of Jupiter. At a later stage, something similar happens in relation to those beings who were at a stage where they only acted on the etheric body from outside, from Mars. The human being on Earth comes under the influence of Mars.

[ 70 ] When the sun, Earth, and moon still formed one body, the human body on this planet was made of a substance that had an air-like state. Apart from human bodies, only the descendants of the human animals of the moon existed with bodies in a liquid state. The offspring of those moon beings who lived there as plant minerals had reached a solid state. In addition to the liquid human animals, however, there were also animal-plant-like beings at this [point in time] that had developed from the plant animals of the moon. But while the former had a more watery appearance, the animal-plant-like beings consisted of a dense, mushy mass which, when it became coarse, resembled the substance that currently forms mushrooms.

[ 71 ] When the sun drew its matter out of the earth, so that the latter now contained only the moon's mass, all conditions on the planet changed. The substance of human bodies condensed into a liquid substance comparable to today's blood. The previously liquid beings took on a solid form, and the solid plant minerals became very dense. Before the sun withdrew, the life of the human body was essentially a kind of respiration, an absorption and release of air-like matter. Afterwards, a form of nutrition developed from the liquid environment. And this nutrition was also connected with reproduction. The viscous human body was fertilized by the reproductive substance of its environment and divided under this fertilizing influence. Its development, while the moon substance was still within the earth, proceeded in such a way that it formed semi-solid parts within its liquid mass, which condensed to the point of becoming cartilaginous. It could not yet form solid bone-like limb deposits during this time, because the Earth's mass was not suitable for this as long as it contained the Moon. Only with the departure of the Moon, when the coarsest material was removed, did a solid skeletal structure develop in the human body. And this was also the time when it was no longer possible to take the fertilizing substances from the environment. With the departure of the moon, the earth substances also lost their ability to have a fertilizing effect on the human body. In the time before, there were not two sexes of the human body. Man was a being of a feminine nature, to which the male entity was in the earth environment itself. The whole moon earth had a masculine character.

[ 72 ] With the departure of the moon, part of the human body was transformed into one with a male character. It thus absorbed the fertilizing powers that had previously been contained, as it were, in the sap of the earth itself. The female nature of the human body underwent such a transformation that it could be fertilized by the male nature that had arisen. — All this happened because a kind of double-sexed human body changed into a single-sexed one. The earlier human body fertilized itself with absorbed substances. Now the one form of the human body, the female, received only the power to bring the fertilized to maturity. This happened because the male power lost the ability to prepare the fruit substance. This power remains only with the etheric or life body, which has to bring about maturation. The male form of the human body lost the ability to do anything with the fruit substance within itself. The female remained limited to the etheric body within it. Thus, in the present human being, the situation is such that in the man the etheric body is female, but in the woman it is male. The acquisition of these abilities coincides with the development of a solid skeleton.

[ 73 ] However, this was preceded by another important process. When the human body transitioned from airy to liquid matter, the capacity to absorb airy matter in a special organ developed at the same time. Separate breathing thus began. It must be understood that at this time the earth did not yet have a separate air circle of its own. The substances that later separated from the common mass as liquid and solid were still air-like at that time and were enclosed in the air. And when liquefaction began, the human body did not live on solid ground, but in the liquid element. It moved in a kind of floating suspension. And the air above the liquid element was much denser than it later became. It contained not only all the water that would later exist, but also many other substances in solution. Accordingly, the entire respiratory system of the human body was different.

[ 74 ] Before the sun withdrew, the entire respiratory process had a different meaning than in the subsequent period. It consisted of absorbing and releasing heat from and into the environment. It can be said that the heat that humans today generate within themselves through their blood circulation was then inhaled and exhaled from the environment. It was only after the sun's departure that the process changed so that the air, after being absorbed, generates heat through its effect in the body. Thus, with air breathing in its present form, the human body had become a heat generator within itself.

[ 75 ] This change in the human body is connected with a cosmic event which in secret science is called the withdrawal of Mars from the earth. Mars is the planet whose inherent forces in the human body brought about what the blood circulation subsequently took over in the human body itself before this withdrawal. As the blood on Earth took over the activity of Mars, the spiritual beings were able to lift themselves out of the Earth, so that the influence of Mars on humans then became one that worked from outside. Physically, this came about because iron became an important component of the blood; and iron is the substance on which the forces of Mars have a special effect. Thus, the present form of respiration is connected with this withdrawal of Mars. But through this, human beings received everything that can be called the inner power of their blood. This gave them their soul life. In fact, with their breathing of air, human beings breathed in their living soul.

[ 76 ] As long as the Earth was connected to the Sun, the power of the Sun was what regulated the other effects in the human body. The power of the Sun contained what acted as both male and female in the human body. And under its influence, the absorption and release of the warmth emanating from Mars also acquired law and order. When the sun had moved away, certain human bodies began to transform themselves in such a way that they became infertile. These were the precursors of the later male natures. As long as the forces of the moon were still connected with the earth, the other part retained the ability to self-fertilize. With the departure of the moon, it lost this ability. From then on, the sun took effect, and the beings that now inhabited it, the angels, influenced the ability to reproduce. The male etheric body came under the influence of these sun beings. The female etheric body, which is male, retained its relationship to those beings whose sphere of activity had become the moon. Accordingly, the physical body of the woman came under the influence of the solar forces. It had already developed its corresponding form when the sun was already shining on the earth from outside. The male physical body, on the other hand, came under the influence of the moon because it had taken on its form, which was infertile in terms of reproduction, under the influence of the planet still united with the earth. Alongside all these processes, the senses are simultaneously developing, bringing the world of images of the sentient body under the influence of the Earth's environment and thus bringing human beings under the influence of the descendants of the planetary body of Saturn. Furthermore, the pulsating power of the blood is developed internally, through which the soul is formed and, together with the sensory perceptions, an inner life, sympathy, and antipathy with the environment can be formed.

[ 77 ] Human beings had reached this stage when the Earth emerged as an independent physical planet in its fourth cycle and detached itself from the Sun, Moon, and Mars.

[ 78 ] Human beings had thus completed the separation into two sexes. They looked at their surroundings through their senses. They felt attraction and aversion to these surroundings. And because they differed from their surroundings, they were endowed with a nascent sense of self. The human body had become a four-part being. And within the fourth part, through the blood that allowed the forces of Mars to enter, inner soul life had arisen.

[ 79 ] Human beings had thus developed within themselves everything they could have as the fruit of the first three planetary stages of development. And they had a fourth limb of their body, which had come into being because other influences, which could have nothing to do with its development, had withdrawn from the earth.

[ 80 ] In secret science, this humanity is called the third main earth race. Actually, one can only speak of race formation from this point on. For only now was there human reproduction and thus differences within humanity, which were brought about by the interaction of human beings themselves. What can be called heredity and kinship came into being. But now the Earth, the fourth planetary form of development, had no influence yet. Perceptions of the environment had only just taken hold of the images of the sentient body. The etheric body was not yet under the influence of the Earth's environment. The fourth planet had no influence on hereditary conditions. Only the first three [planetary forms] did. That is why the race in which this was the case is referred to as the third.

[ 81 ] It was followed by the fourth, in which the earthly environment itself began to have an effect on the etheric body. This could only happen when beings who were at such a stage in their development that they lacked the creative ability to act on the etheric body in the sense of fertilization, but who were nevertheless beyond the point of receiving only sensory impressions from the physical environment, as humans themselves do, gained influence over humans. Such beings were those who, on the Moon, i.e., during the previous incarnation of the Earth, had not risen to the level of creative beings capable of populating the Sun, but who had nevertheless progressed beyond the stage at which one can only lead an inner life through the images of the human body. Within the development of the Earth, they have the ability to perceive through the senses of human beings, but not to create these senses. These beings can help human beings ...

[The manuscript breaks off here.]

© 2021-2025 Steiner Online Library dba Rudolf Steiner Archive, a nonprofit service for anthroposophical research and education. Not affiliated with the Anthroposophical Society or the Rudolf Steiner Archiv in Dornach.

This material is made available through the Rudolf Steiner Archive, rsarchive.org, an project of the community-funded nonprofit, Steiner Online Library. Please consider making a tax deductible donation to support our work. This service is not affiliated with the Anthroposophical Society or the Rudolf Steiner Archiv in Dornach.

Terms of Service | Privacy Policy