Awareness - Life - Form
GA 89
Enclosure in a letter to Marie von Sivers dated 25 November 1905
Names of the days in the week and human evolution
The evolution of our planetary system is reflected in the days of the week. We only need to be clear in our minds that esoterically the Earth has to be replaced by the two planets Mars and Mercury. The first half of Earth evolution, from the beginning to the middle of the Atlantean period (1st 2nd 3rd and half the 4th race) relates to Mars, the second half (half of 4th 5th 6th 7th race) to Mercury. When the spirits which had evolved on Moon emerged from the darkness of pralaya (1st round of Earth), human beings had developed the following as potential: 1) physical body (from Saturn); 2) ether double-body (from Sun); 3) sentient body (from Moon). Following everything laid down as potential on Moon, it was now possible for the sentient soul to develop in addition—without any external influence—in the first Earth half (1st 2nd 3rd round); the sentient soul itself fused with the sentient body. In accord with the trend following the straight line of evolution, the human being was thus made in such a way that it would solidify as an entity made up according to the system shown in Fig. 2.
Something new was needed if the human being was to develop further. Powers had to be planted on to the Earth in the first half of its evolution which had not come to it from the three earlier cosmic bodies. The spirits that guided Earth evolution took such powers from Mars during the first half of this evolution, and from Mercury during the second half. The Mars powers gave renewal to the sentient soul (astral body). It became what in my Theosophy is called rational soul. With the powers gathered from Mercury, this rational soul was reinvigorated so that it did not stop at its own level of evolution but opened up to be spiritual soul. And within the spiritual soul, the ‘Spirit Self’ (manas) was born. This will be the principle to govern man on Jupiter. It will be the same with the life spirit (budhi) on Venus, and with atman on Vulcan. Putting the different aspects of the human being parallel in this way to the planets and their powers, in so far as the latter have a part in developing those aspects, we get the scheme in Fig. 3.
Man was not on Mars; but his rational soul has the esoteric relationship to this planet that its powers have been brought down from it. In terms of space we have to consider that before it grew etheric (i.e. physical) itself in its fourth round, the Earth had gone through Mars, which was etheric at the time. In diagrammatic form, it would be like Fig. 4. 
This passage actually continued on into the physical Earth period; during it, the guiding spirits took the kama matter needed for the rational soul from Mars, and as this matter has its physical vehicle in the warm blood (the Ares blood of the fighter human being), iron was incorporated in the Earth at that time, being a component of the blood.
In the same way, man will never truly inhabit Mercury, yet he has been connected with Mercury’s kama matter (really kama-manas matter) from the middle of the Atlantean world, and the guiding spirits have provided the human spiritual soul with powers deriving from this. The physical vehicle to come to Earth due to this Mercurial influence is mercury (quicksilver). Once the earth has reached the stage of plasticity, it will pass through Mercury in terms of space. The earth itself will then be astral, Mercury etheric. In diagrammatic form it would look like Fig. 5.
The initiates laid this whole evolutionary progress down in the sequence of days in the week:
- Saturday = Saturn day
- Sunday
- Monday
- Tuesday = mardi = Mars day (diu being the Germanic Ares, Mars or god of war)
- Mercury day = mercredi = Woden’s day (Woden/Wotan being the German Mercury; see Tacitus’ Germania)
- Jupiter day = jeudi = Thor’s day (Thor being the Germanic Jupiter)
- Venus day = vendredi = Frig’s day (Frig being the Norse Venus)
- Vulcan day was not established, as this is a recapitulation, just as octave is recapitulation of the tonic.
The sequence of planets for the quarters of days is thus Moon, Mercury, Venus, Sun, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, after which one starts again with Moon, Mercury, etc. The 7 days are over when Moon comes in first place again.
The system is based on the ratio 4 : 7 (tetragram). The meaning is that for the first part of the day, one of the basic parts is related to the planet to which it belongs in terms of powers (Fig. 7). 
Such a system shows us how the human being is built on the basis of the macrocosm, and therefore relates in many different ways to the changes in relative position of bodies in the macrocosm.
Die Namen der Wochentage und die Evolution des Menschen
In der Reihenfolge der Wochentage kommt die Evolution unseres Planetensystems zum Ausdrucke. Man muß sich dabei nur ganz klar sein, daß esoterisch die Erde durch die beiden Planeten Mars und Merkur zu ersetzen ist. Es steht nämlich die erste Hälfte der Erdentwickelung, vom Anfang bis zur Mitte des atlantischen Zeitalters (1. 2.3. und halbe 4. Rasse) mit dem Mars, die zweite Hälfte (halbe 4. 5. 6. 7. Rasse) mit dem Merkur in einem esoterischen Verhältnis. Als die Wesen, die sich auf dem Monde entwickelt hatten, aus dem Pralayadunkel (1. Runde der Erde) auftauchten, war vom Menschen folgendes in der Anlage entwickelt: 1. Der physische Leib (vom Saturn her). 2. Der Äther-Doppelleib (von der Sonne her). 3. Der Empfindungsleib (vom Monde her). Nach allem, was vom Monde her veranlagt war, konnte sich nun — ohne äußeren Einfluß - in der ersten Erdenhälfte (1. 2. 3. Runde) die Empfindungsseele hinzuentwickeln, die selbst mit dem Empfindungsleib verschmilzt. Der Mensch war also, vermöge der in der geraden Evolutionslinie liegenden Tendenz veranlagt als ein Wesen zu erstarren, das nach folgendem Schema aufgebaut gewesen wäre:
Sollte nun der Mensch sich weiter entwickeln, dann brauchte er einen neuen Einschlag. Es mußten auf die Erde während der ersten Hälfte ihrer Evolution Kräfte gepflanzt werden, welche von den drei vorhergehenden Weltkörpern noch nicht da waren. Die leitenden Wesen der Erdentwickelung entnahmen solche Kräfte während der ersten Hälfte dieser Entwickelung vom Mars; sie nehmen sie während der zweiten vom Merkur. Durch die Marskräfte erfährt die Empfindungsseele (Astralkörper) eine Auffrischung. Sie wird zu dem, was in meiner «Theosophie» Verstandesseele genannt wird. Durch die vom Merkur geholten Kräfte wird diese Verstandesseele wieder so aufgefrischt, daß sie bei ihrer eigenen Evolutionsstufe nicht stehenbleibt, sondern sich zur Bewußtseinsseele aufschließt. Und innerhalb der Bewußtseinsseele wird das «Geistselbst» (Manas) geboren. Dieses wird auf dem Jupiter das den Menschen beherrschende Prinzip sein. In gleicher Art wird das mit dem Lebensgeist (Budhi) auf der Venus und mit Atma auf dem Vulkan sein. Parallelisiert man somit die Glieder der menschlichen Wesenheit mit den Planeten und ihren Kräften, soweit die letzteren Anteil an der Ausbildung dieser Glieder haben, so erhält man das folgende Schema.
Der Mensch war nicht auf dem Mars; aber seine Verstandesseele steht so in einer esoterischen Beziehung zu diesem Planeten, daß ihre Kräfte von ihm heruntergeholt sind. Räumlich hat man sich das so vorzustellen, daß die Erde, bevor sie in ihrer vierten Runde selbst ätherisch (also physisch) geworden ist, durch den Mars - der damals ätherisch war, hindurchgegangen ist. Schematisch hat man sich das so vorzustellen:
Dieser Durchgang dauerte sogar noch herein in die physische Erdenzeit; und während er sich vollzog, entnahmen die leitenden Wesen dem Mars die zur Verstandesseele notwendige Kamamaterie, und da diese ihr physisches Vehikel im warmen Blut hat (im Aresblut des Kampfmenschen), so wurde damals das Eisen der Erde eingefügt, das ein Bestandteil des Blutes ist.
Ebenso wenig wird der Mensch jemals den Merkur wirklich bewohnen, wohl aber steht er seit der Mitte der Atlantischen Welt mit der Kamamaterie (eigentlich Kama-Manas-Materie) des Merkur in Verbindung, und aus ihr haben die leitenden Wesen die menschliche Bewußtseinsseele mit Kräften versehen. Als physisches Vehikel ist durch diese Einwirkung des Merkur das Quecksilber (Merkur) auf die Erde gekommen. Nach der Entwickelung der Erde zum plastischen Zustand wird räumlich die Erde durch den Merkur durchgehen. Die Erde selbst wird dann astral sein, der Merkur aber ätherisch. — Schematisch ist das so:
Diese ganze Evolutionsbahn der Erde haben nun die Eingeweihten in der Reihenfolge der Wochentage festgelegt:
1. Sonnabend = Saturntag: Saturday
2. Sonntag
3. Montag
4. Marstag = mardi = diustag (diu ist der deutsche Ares, Mars od. Kriegsgott)
5. Merkurtag = mercredi = Wotanstag (Wotan ist der deutsche Merkur; siehe Tacitus Germania)
6. Jupitertag = jeudi = Donarstag (donar ist der deutsche Jupiter) Venustag = vendredi = Frejatag (freja ist die deutsche Venus)
7. Vulkantag wird nicht gebildet, weil Wiederholung, wie Oktav Wiederholung der Prim ist.
Nun wird in den Geheimschulen noch eine andere Gesetzmäßigkeit der Wochentage gelehrt, welche nicht etwa mit der ersten in Widerspruch steht, sondern ganz mit ihr vereinbar ist. Sie beruht darauf, daß ein Tag in 4 Teile zerlegt wird und jedem Teil ein Planet zuerteilt wird. Das ganze hat dann die Planetenfolge im Abstande von der Erde zur Grundlage; nämlich
Man hat somit:
* In der Rubrik «I. Tag» muß sich Rudolf Steiner verschrieben haben: Venus und Merkur müssen umgestellt werden. Vgl. auch die davorstehende Skizze (Faksimile der Handschrift).
Man schreibe also die Planeten zu den Tagesvierteln in der Reihenfolge Mond, Merkur, Venus, Sonne, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, dann fange man wieder an: Mond, Merkur usw. ist man dann so oft herum, daß man wieder den Mond an erster Stelle hätte, dann sind 7 Tage erschöpft.
Dieser Einteilung liegt das Verhältnis von 4 (Tetragramm) zu 7 zu Grunde. Es hat dies den Sinn, daß am ersten Teil des Tages einer der Grundteile dem Planeten zugeordnet ist, zu dem er nach seinen Kräften gehört:
Durch eine solche Gesetzmäßigkeit ersieht man, wie der Mensch aus dem Makrokosmos heraus gebaut ist und dadurch die mannigfaltigsten Beziehungen zu den Konstellationen der Körper des Makrokosmos hat.
The Names of the Days of the Week and the Evolution of Humankind
The order of the days of the week reflects the evolution of our planetary system. It is important to note that, esoterically speaking, the Earth is to be replaced by the two planets Mars and Mercury. The first half of Earth's development, from the beginning to the middle of the Atlantean epoch (1st, 2nd, 3rd, and half of the 4th race), is esoterically related to Mars, while the second half (half of the 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th races) is related to Mercury. When the beings who had developed on the Moon emerged from the Pralaya darkness (1st round of the Earth), the following had been developed in humans: 1. The physical body (from Saturn). 2. The etheric double body (from the Sun). 3. The sentient body (from the Moon). Based on everything predisposed by the Moon, the sentient soul, which merges with the sentient body, was now able to develop in the first half of Earth's history (1st, 2nd, and 3rd rounds) without external influence. Human beings were thus predisposed, by virtue of the tendency inherent in the straight line of evolution, to become beings structured according to the following pattern:
If human beings were to develop further, they would need a new impetus. During the first half of its evolution, forces had to be planted on Earth that were not yet present in the three previous world bodies. The guiding beings of Earth's development drew such forces from Mars during the first half of this development; during the second half, they draw them from Mercury. Through the forces of Mars, the sentient soul (astral body) experiences a renewal. It becomes what is called the intellectual soul in my “Theosophy.” Through the forces brought from Mercury, this intellectual soul is renewed again so that it does not remain at its own stage of evolution, but opens up to the consciousness soul. And within the consciousness soul, the “spirit self” (manas) is born. This will be the principle governing human beings on Jupiter. The same will be true of the life spirit (budhi) on Venus and of atma on Vulcan. If we thus parallel the members of the human being with the planets and their forces, insofar as the latter have a share in the formation of these members, we obtain the following scheme.
Human beings were not on Mars, but their intellectual soul has such an esoteric relationship with this planet that its forces are drawn down from it. Spatially, this can be imagined as follows: before the Earth itself became ethereal (i.e., physical) in its fourth round, it passed through Mars, which was ethereal at that time. Schematically, one can mentally image it as follows:
This passage continued even into the physical Earth period; and while it was taking place, the leading beings extracted from Mars the kamic matter necessary for the intellectual soul, and since this has its physical vehicle in warm blood (in the Ares blood of the warrior), the iron of the Earth, which is a component of blood, was inserted at that time.
Likewise, humans will never truly inhabit Mercury, but since the middle of the Atlantean world, they have been connected to the kama matter (actually kama-manas matter) of Mercury, and from it the guiding beings have endowed the human consciousness soul with powers. As a physical vehicle, mercury (Mercury) came to Earth through this influence of Mercury. After the Earth has developed to a plastic state, Mercury will pass through the Earth spatially. The Earth itself will then be astral, but Mercury will be etheric. Schematically, it is like this:
The initiates have now determined the entire evolutionary path of the Earth in the order of the days of the week:
1. Saturday = Saturntag: Saturday
2. Sunday
3. Monday
4. Mars Day = mardi = diustag (diu is the German Ares, Mars or god of war)
5. Mercury Day = mercredi = Wotanstag (Wotan is the German Mercury; see Tacitus Germania)
6. Jupiter's day = jeudi = Donarstag (Donar is the German Jupiter) Venus' day = vendredi = Frejatag (Freja is the German Venus)
7. Vulcan's day is not formed because repetition, like octave, is a repetition of the prime.
Now, in the secret schools, another law of the days of the week is taught, which does not contradict the first, but is entirely compatible with it. It is based on the fact that a day is divided into four parts and each part is assigned a planet. The whole is then based on the sequence of planets in distance from the Earth, namely
We thus have:
* Rudolf Steiner must have made a mistake in the section “I. Day”: Venus and Mercury must be rearranged. See also the preceding sketch (facsimile of the manuscript).
So write the planets for the quarters of the day in the order Moon, Mercury, Venus, Sun, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, then start again: Moon, Mercury, etc. Repeat this until you have the Moon in first place again, then the 7 days are complete.
This division is based on the ratio of 4 (tetragram) to 7. The meaning of this is that in the first part of the day, one of the basic parts is assigned to the planet to which it belongs according to its powers:
Through such a law, one can see how human beings are built from the macrocosm and thus have the most diverse relationships to the constellations of the bodies of the macrocosm.