The Rudolf Steiner Archive

Signs and Development of the Three Logoi in Humanity

[ 1 ] The constitution of the world is based on the Trinity. In the human evolutionary system, a distinction must be made between the first seed of human development and the complete unfolding of this seed:

[ 2 ] three states of consciousness as the first trinity.

[ 3 ] The first of these states of consciousness is a more or less dull (sleep-like) state of consciousness, because the “I” has not yet been born. At this stage, the human being is still a member of a higher “I”; he is clairvoyant, but he cannot regard the contents of his clairvoyance as his own.

[ 4 ] The second state of consciousness is brought about by the birth of the “I.” This higher state is brought about by the loss of clairvoyance. The perception of an external world begins.

[ 5 ] The third state of consciousness is brought about by the reappearance of clairvoyance in the “I,” so that the human being becomes a self-aware clairvoyant.

[ 6 ] In occult written language, the first state of consciousness is designated by ☉, i.e., it radiates from the Absolute = • consciousness, flooding the world ◯ (circle).

[ 7 ] Now, in each of these three states of consciousness, there are three sub-levels to be distinguished, namely:

First level of consciousness
1. Sub-level I
2. Sub-level II
3. Sub-level III

Third level of consciousness
1. Sub-level IV
2. Sub-level V
3. Sub-level VI

Second level of consciousness
1. Sub-level VII
2. Sub-level VIII
3. Sub-level IX

[ 8 ] The first level of consciousness is entirely subjective, i.e., humans perceive nothing from outside, but only what the deity implants in them. This level of consciousness works its way through the above three sub-levels of the first epoch, symbolized by the sign:

[ 9 ] The third level of consciousness is entirely objective, i.e., the human being will perceive the whole world as divine:

[ 10 ] The middle level therefore has the sign

[ 11 ] However, the first level of consciousness continuously transitions into the second, and the second into the third. As a result, the corresponding sub-levels III and IV and VI and VII overlap, creating the following picture:

First level	1st sub-level	Second level		1*
	2nd sub-level			2*
	3rd sub-level		1st sub-level	3*
			2nd sub-level	4*
Third level	1st sub-level		3rd sub-level	5*
	2nd sub-level			6*
	3rd sub-level			7*

[ 12 ] This is how the number nine becomes the number seven.

[ 13 ] These seven levels of consciousness are now completed:

1* on Saturn
2* on the Sun
3* on the Moon
4* on Earth
5* on Jupiter
6* on Venus
7* on Vulcan.

[ 14 ] Currently, humans are at 4*. We can see that this is preceded by 3*, which is a combination of two sub-stages, and will be followed by 5*, which will again be a combination of two sub-stages. If we designate pure lunar consciousness as III and pure Earth consciousness as V, then between the two there is something that can be described as Mars consciousness. This stems from the fact that, before the Earth broke away from the Moon and Sun, it encountered Mars. A similar encounter takes place with Mercury; VI is Mercury consciousness.

[ 15 ] Now take the sum of the stages of consciousness that humans have passed through so far. There are five up to Earth consciousness. Hence the sign:

[ 16 ] It is a closed circle because without the addition of Mercury consciousness, human beings would harden within themselves. Without entrusting themselves to the divine guide (Mercury) at this stage, they would reach a dead end in their development.

[ 17 ] Now, each of these seven states of consciousness has seven states of life to complete. This gives

Previous theosophical literature refers to these as rounds.
Saturn 7 states of life
for Sun 7 states of life
for Moon 7 states of life
for Earth 7 states of life
for Jupiter 7 states of life
for Venus 7 states of life
for Vulcan 7 states of life

[ 18 ] These are 7 x 7 states of life throughout human evolution: 7 x 7 = 49

[ 19 ] Now, however, one must imagine that during the first states of consciousness, what is the human germ cannot yet develop its own life. It is still the life left over from earlier evolutions, which is slowly ebbing away and being replaced by purely human life. This is illustrated in the following image:

[ 20 ] This is the point where pre-human life is completely overcome and purely human life becomes that of human evolution.

[ 21 ] There is therefore a point in human evolution where, within the entire planetary system, the life of this system itself replaces everything from a previous system. This point in history is the appearance of Christ.

[ 22 ] In this respect, it marks the middle of human evolution.

[ 23 ] The states of life now proceed again in states of form; each of the 49 states of life has to pass through seven states of form, which for the whole of evolution are

[ 24 ] 49 x 7 = 343 stages = 7 x 7 x 7.

[ 25 ] But even the form states are not human ones from the beginning. They are carried over from an earlier system. Everything that relates to such form states originating from an earlier system is referred to as the macrocosm.

[ 26 ] The states of form that humans themselves create form the microcosm. One can only speak of a microcosm when the human spirit becomes formative, as the divine spirit (world spirit) was formative before.

[ 27 ] The transition is the world soul—the divine spirit that slowly individualizes itself.

In Christian esotericism,
the states of consciousness are referred to as Father A.
the states of life as Son or Word B.
the states of form as Holy Spirit C

Theosophy calls
A the first Logos
B the second Logos
C the third Logos

The following overview of evolution emerges when one considers that
the 1st Logos reveals itself in humans as Atma,
the 2nd Logos reveals itself in humans as Budhi,
the 3rd Logos reveals itself in humans as Manas.

[ 28 ] When 666 = 6 x 6 x 6 = 216 of these 343 = 7 x 7 x 7 stages will have passed, i.e., after 5 planets (Saturn, Sun, Moon, Earth, Jupiter) in Venus,

[ 29 ] when 5 states of life have passed in this again, i.e. in the 6th state of life of Venus

[ 30 ] and in the 6th form state of this 6th state of life, then everything that cannot attain perfection will be separated from the evolution of the Earth; the number 666 = 216 is therefore the critical number of evolution (apocalypse).

[ 31 ] However, a critical state also occurs (albeit to a lesser extent than at the specified point in time) when the evolutionary ratio is 666, e.g.

[ 32 ] in the sixth sub-race of the sixth root race of the sixth planet, including Mars and Mercury, resulting in the following cycle:

1. Saturn
2. Sun
3. Moon
4. Mars
5. Earth
6. Mercury — this influence is already significant in the next 6th sub-race.

[ 33 ] Humanity will then already have reached a critical point in its development.