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Spiritual Scientific Notes on Goethe's Faust, Vol. II
GA 273

4 November 1917, Dornach

6. The Helena Saga and the Riddle of Freedom

In the evolution of mankind, as I have recently been showing, inner spiritual connections prevail, which send their influences through the soul of man. I showed this in relation to Goethe's endeavours in his Faust, where he relates Faust to the impulse of the fifth post-Atlantean age by associating him with Mephistopheles, an Ahrimanic power. I then tried to show how Faust had to dive down into the impulses of the fourth post-Atlantean age, which I tried to describe in their real essence. All this is necessary, so that there takes place in the soul of Faust a conscious interpenetration of that which prevails unconsciously in human souls by virtue of the laws of evolution.

I said that the fifth post-Atlantean epoch—our epoch—will have to do with the great and significant life-question of Evil,—the mastery of Evil in all directions. Human beings will have to learn to know all that the soul must rouse and bring forth within itself in order partly to overcome the powers of Evil, partly to transmute them into impulses of Good. All this has arisen on the foundation of the impulses of the fourth post-Atlantean epoch, which had to do especially with the problem of Birth and Death,—a problem which it had received as heritage from Atlantean time. We need only turn our gaze to the Christ-Impulse itself, entering in as it did in the first third of the fourth post-Atlantean period. This period began with the founding of Rome in the year 747 before the Birth of Christ. Thus, of the 2160 years of the fourth post-Atlantean epoch, 747 years had to run their course before the main impulse—the Christ-Impulse could enter in, as indeed it did precisely in this fourth post-Atlantean epoch. Has not the Christ-Impulse to do with the great and important question that summons into the evolution of mankind problems of Birth and Death in their supersensible significance? How much discussion, how much thought and feeling has there not been on Christian soil about the Birth of Christ! How infinitely significant a part is played by the Death of Christ! In the Birth and Death of Christ we see most pregnantly this wrestling of the soul of man with the problem of Birth and Death. It was a wrestling in the soul, because the same struggle had already been there in a more elemental, in a more physical form in the great Atlantean epoch. Notably in the fourth civilisation-epoch of Atiantis-in the middle of Atlantean time, and as an after-effect in the fifth period also,—forces connected with Birth and Death were subject to the power of individual human beings. I have already described some aspects of this fact. Forces there were in the Atlanteans—forces that could be developed and that had influence on Birth and Death in a far more than merely natural degree. The good and evil forces in the human being had a far-reaching influence upon the health and sickness of their fellowmen, and thereby also upon Birth and Death. In Atlantean time one saw an actual connection between the things one did as human being and what took place in the so-called “course of Nature,” as Birth and Death.

In post-Atlantean time—in the fourth civilisation-epoch of post-Atlantean time—this problem of Birth and Death was transplanted more into the region of the soul. But in our epoch, in the fifth, human beings will have to grapple with the forces of Evil in an elemental way, just as they did with Birth and Death in Atlantean time. Notably through the quite different mastery over the forces of Nature, the impulses of Evil will work into the world on a grand scale, in a gigantic way. In the resistance which human beings will have to summon forth from spiritual depths, the opposite forces—the forces of Good—will have to grow. And in particular, already during the fifth epoch it will be possible for men to bring Evil over the Earth, by exploiting the force of Electricity, which will assume far greater dimensions than hitherto. Even directly out of the force of Electricity itself, Evil comes over the Earth.

We need to place these things before our consciousness. He who desires to receive the spiritual impulses will then find points of resistance; he will find the starting-points for those impulses which must evolve by the very resistance of Evil. It is difficult as yet to speak in any detail in this connection; for in the widest spheres as yet, these details touch on interests of human beings which they do not wish to have molested. In this respect, human beings are divided. On the one hand are those who suffer greatly, because they cannot clearly realise how they are interwoven with World-Karma; how they simply must take part in this thing or that, and cannot become abstractly pious all at once. On the other hand are those who in many ways are caught up in this World-Karma of the fifth post-Atlantean epoch. They would rather not hear of what is really contained in the impusles that are going through the world, for it is often to their interest to represent as constructive the very impulses that are destructive. We have described, how since the last third of the nineteenth century there have been working among human beings those Beings whom I characterised as fallen Spirits of Darkness—Beings of the hierarchy of Angeloi. In the fourth post-Atlantean period, these Beings were still ministering members of the good, progressive Powers. They served in the creation of those orders which, as I told you, are derived out of the blood-relationship of men. Now they are in the realm of men, and as Angel-beings who have remained behind, they work into the inner impulses of human beings, to make effective in a retrogressive way—and thereby in an Ahrimanic way—all that which is connected with relationships of blood and clan, nation and race. Thereby they work to mar and to hinder those other social structures of mankind which should now arise out of quite other foundations than for example the bonds of blood, of family and race, clan and nation. To-day a very serious beginning of the work of these Spirits consists precisely in the abstract emphasis that is laid on the principle of Nationality. This abstract emphasis on Nationality, this setting up of programmes on the foundations of a national principle, is among those endeavours which we must attribute to the Spirits of Darkness who will stand far nearer to man—who will approach man in a far more intimate way—than did the backward Spirits of the fourth post-Atlantean period. The latter belong to the hierarchy of Archangeloi. Precisely this will be the significant aspect of the fifth post-Atlantean epoch. These Beings who stand immediately above the hierarchy of Man—these Angel-beings—are able to approach the individual human being very nearly and intimately. They do not merely approach the groups. The individual will believe that he is representing things out of his own personal impulse, where in reality—for we can truly put it so—he is possessed by the kind of Angel-being of whom we have been speaking.

Let us once more make clear to ourselves, what was the nature of the efforts of the backward retrogressive Spirits of Darkness of the fourth post-Atlantean epoch. For we shall then be more able to understand what is the nature of their efforts in our present, fifth post-Atlantean epoch. In the fourth post-Atlantean epoch, as I have told you, it was the normal thing to build all the social structure of humanity upon the bonds of blood—blood-relationship. During that time—that is, during the Graeco-Latin civilisation-epoch—the Ahrimanic-Luciferic backward Beings rebelled precisely against the bonds of blood. They were the inspirers of that rebellion which wanted to loosen human beings from blood-kinship. You can derive it even from the general teachings of Spiritual Science. And above all, it was in a sense the descendants of individualities who in the Atlantean time had still been working in a magical way,—it was the descendants of these, who as rebelling individualities, became the “Heroes” in the recapitulation of Atlantean time, in the fourth post-Atlantean epoch. I beg you now to observe how the Graeco-Latin epoch met these rebel-beings. For in that time, after all, there was still the wise guidance of mankind out of the Mysteries. They did not say to human beings: “Avoid these rebel natures! Avoid the Ahrimanic, Luciferic spiritual Beings!” They did not say this to them; they knew that it lay in the wise plan of cosmic evolution to place these Beings where they were and to use them. It is a weakness of many people to-day, when they hear of Lucifer and Ahriman, to explain: “For Heaven's sake, let us avoid them!” As though they could avoid them! I have often spoken of this. Knowledge was brought to the human beings of the fourth post-Atlantean time in the form in which it had to be at that time. The influence of the good Gods was there in the bonds of blood. Human beings gave themselves up to it, in the mutual love which was founded in the blood-relationships (for so it was at that time; to-day it must be more purely spiritual.) Yet, for the sake of progress, rebellions always had to take place. This way of cosmic evolution had to be explained to the people in myths and legends. To the Initiates they were communicated in another form—in a way more similar to the way in which these truths are being taught to us to-day. But in the widest circles, human beings of that time would not have been ready to receive the explanations of the myths. Therefore the exoteric myths were told to them. In these, however, deep significant truths of evolution lay concealed.

Let us consider an outstanding myth, connected with the very thing I have just been placing before you. It tells how an oracle prophesied to Laius of Thebes at his betrothal with Jocaste. It prophesied that from this union a son would be born who would become his father's murderer and live in incest with his mother. Laius did not let this deter him from the contemplated union; but when the son was born, he pierced his heels and had him exposed on Mount Cithaeron. To a shepherd the boy became entrusted. The shepherd's wife called him Oedipus on account of his pierced heels. You know how the story goes on. The boy Oedipus grew up; his talents developed. At an early age his soul was beset by doubts concerning his descent, for his companions drew his attention to many things. Then the Delphic Oracle pronounced an important saying, painful to study nowadays, if you can study it in its whole context. The saying is: “Avoid thy home-country; otherwise thou wilt become thy father's murderer, thy mother's husband.” This was said to Oedipus.

Now he was under a complete illusion. He did not know who his father and his mother really were. He could not but think Corinth, where he had grown up, his home. At last he wandered from Corinth in order not to bring about disaster there by killing his father and marrying his mother. But the very fact that he set out and took the way to Thebes became his doom. On the way he met a chariot in which his father Laius was travelling with a companion. A conflict arose; he killed his father and continued on his way to Thebes, and his first deed was, as you know, to solve the Riddle of the Sphinx. So we hay e Oedipus placed in the very fullest way into the evolutionary nexus of the fourth post-Atlantean age. For in a certain sense the Riddle of the Sphinx—the Riddle of Man—belonged to the fourth epoch. Oedipus was one of those who knew. Far from replying to the Sphinx: “I am reluctant to unveil a higher secret”; he solved the secret. Something was thereby implanted in the fourth post-Atlantean epoch. It was an impulse that worked on and on, and in which Oedipus played an essential part. For we Wright speak for many hours about the solving of the Riddle of the Sphinx by Oedipus; but we need not do so to-day. To-day we will only make clear that this deed reveals him as a characteristic Hero of the fourth post-Atlantean epoch.

Now he went on to Thebes, married his mother, whom of course he did not hold to be his mother, and was comparatively happy—till a plague arose. At length it was the seer Tiresias who revealed the truth. Jocaste, suddenly knowing herself tobe the wife of her son, killed herself by suffocation. Oedipus blinded himself and was driven away by his own sons. Another one, Theseus, then protected him in the Grove of Attica until his death, and he was buried in Attic soil. We need only call to mind the Oedipus-drama up to this point.

What does it represent? It represents an individuality—the Oedipus individuality—taken out of the blood connection, growing up outside the bonds of blood and then transplanted back again into the blood-connection, to his own detriment. We have before us no mere subjective rebel against the bonds of blood, but one who by the very laws of Nature becomes a rebel against the bonds of blood and thereby kindles and enflames them even against himself.

Look through the Greek mythology, and you will often find such human beings—Heroes who are placed into the blood-relationship in such and such a way, but who are then exposed so that they undergo their evolution outside the blood-relationship. Through the very fact that they are removed from the old order, from the normal order, they then bring in quite other impulses of evolution. Such an Hero is Oedipus; such too is Theseus who protects him in the wood of Attica.

No wonder if in ancient Greece they could not tell the people who was really behind these Heroes! They could not tell them that they were the great rebels, who were none the less necessary in the wise course of World-evolution. Think, for example, of Theseus himself. Here, too, it was an oracular saying that reached the ears of his father, so that he had his son educated far away. The mother, who had given birth to Theseus far from his father's home, was told: When the youth grows up so that he can wield a certain sword, then and then only let him return. Here again, Theseus is removed, transplanted away from the blood-connection. He too has to solve important riddles of the fourth post-Atlantean time. You know the legend of how he liberated Athens from the tribute of the youths who had to be sacrificed to the Minotaur, and of how he saved himself by means of Ariadne's thread. Theseus became the protector of Oedipus; yet Theseus is the very one who carries Helena away when she is ten years old, and keeps her in hiding. Theseus is brought into close connection with Helena.

Deep evolutionary riddles of the fourth post-Atlantean age are concealed beneath these things. The Court lady of the sixteenth century naturally had no more inkling of them than to exclaim: “From her tenth year onward she was nothing worth.” Yet in this line again, Goethe is hinting at sometning deeply significant. Goethe was well aware that that which stands behind Helena is in reality worthy of reverence, even as Faust revered her. But with regard to Helena of all people, the worst forces of calumny have been at work. Mankind might learn from such things; it can very easily happen that that which is worthy of true recognition—that which perhaps is highest—can be the most calumniated!

I only wished to point this out, to show how Helena herself stands in mysterious connection with those individualities who were the rebels of the fourth post-Atlantean epoch, and who at that time had the task—for the wise guidance of the Universe—to break through the blood-relationship.

How does it stand with Paris, who is presented to us by Goethe in the Invocation Scene—forgive the trite expression, I do not mean it trivially—as Faust's competitor or rival? How does it stand with Paris? Here too we are told; he was the son of Priam and of Hecuba, and his mother had a dream when she was pregnant with him. In this case it began not with an oracle but with a dream—albeit a dream containing deeper wisdom. It prophesied to Paris' mother that she would give birth to a burning torch that would set fire to the city of Troy. Therefore the parallel legend tells also of an oracle which announced to the father that this his son would serve in Troy's destruction. Whether for the one reason or the other, the father had Paris exposed. Paris, therefore, was also among those who were put outside the blood community. He was brought up in Parion, far from the bonds of blood; and it was there that there took place what the legend tells: how Eris assigned the apple to the most beautiful, and how Paris was called upon by the Goddesses, Hera, Pallas and Aphrodite, to determine which of them was the fairest. It was even said that Hera promised Paris Asia, that is the ruler- ship over the Earth, for ‘Asia’ at that time signified the rulership of the entire Earth. Pallas Athene promised him fame in battle; Aphrodite the fairest of women. Paris gave Aphrodite the prize of beauty.

Nov the great Song of Homer describes how significantly Paris thereby entered into the whole course of the affairs of Greece. In Paris himself we have an individuality rebelling against the bonds of blood. He takes Helena out of the Grecian bonds,of blood and tries to transplant her to Troy. He wants to break the bonds of blood. These things are always connected in this way; in the Greek Hero-legends we always see how there is placed into the midst of evolution that which is meant to break the bonds of blood. For the bonds of blood—in themselves strong, mighty and powerful—they are the thing that really brings about the social structure in that time.

There is one question which can come before us very clearly in this field, and it shall occupy us now for a few minutes. Someone might easily raise the following question: How does it stand with human freedom if such important deeds as the rape of Helena by Paris are accomplished by something taking place in the Spiritual World above, as in this case the rivalry of the three Goddesses? The human being then appears as the mere tool to execute what is not only prepared, but actually worked-out, in spiritual realms above. Now in a certain sense we must truly say: That which takes place through human beings here below is the reflected image of what happens in the Spiritual World. This is a point where the great riddle of freedom mightily knocks upon the doors of human knowledge. Are we really automata, who by their actions reveal the mere reflected image of what happens in the Spiritual World above? And again, how would the Spiritual World, which is the guide and leader in all that happens,—how would the Spiritual World stand there if, so to speak, it had nothing to do, if it were actionless? Two things must be understood: First, the universal course is really led and guided by spiritual forces, spiritual Powers; and nothing happens that does not happen down from the Spiritual World. And the second is, that the human being has Free Will. The two things seem diametrically opposite. We are here touching a great riddle, a problem that gives men very much to do, and they can never get beyond it lightly. For it is truly so: If we look up into the Spiritual World, what the Gods do there represents the deeds of Gods; and the human beings here below carry out the impulses of Gods. So indeed it is. How then can human beings be free?

Let me now place these problems before you with a few brief strokes. Of course one can only indicate a little of this problem at a time. Let us assume therefore: Up yonder are the three Goddesses with the conflict that is taking place among them. As a result of their conflict, there comes clown on to the Earth the impulse that proceeds from these their actions. We need not consider for our present purpose how these actions are in turn connected with still higher Hierarchies. That which takes place up yonder takes place with absolute Necessity; and as to that which Paris does, this also happens because the three Goddesses above have had this conflict with one another. How then is any freedom possible for Paris? It is practically out of the question, you will say. Yet it is not. For the ray falls down, as it were, on to the Earth; and here on Earth there is not one whom it can reach, but there are many. Assume, for example, that there are an hundred. Ninety and nine do not do the deed; the hundredth does it. Here in effect once more the Mystery of Number plays its part. These things are always confused. Paris does the deed, it is true, but the point is that Paris only becomes fully Paris inasmuch as he finds himself prepared to put himself in the very place where this impulse was able to he fulfilled. In short, the Gods would have found another one if Paris had not done it; and in that case the legend would be told of another.

It is through Number that you will come to the solution of this Riddle of Freedom. And if so be, at any given point of time, among the hundreds who stand here below no one is found, then the Gods wait till one arrives. He then accomplishes what the Gods place before him. Be that as it may, Paris it is who has accomplished the deed. It does not mar his freedom in the very least, for he could perfectly well have left the deed undone. Think of this aspect of the problem of Number, and you will find that the divinely necessary, wisdom-filled guidance of the Universe stands not in contradiction to human Freedom. Needless, to say, this does not exhaust the problem of freedom; this again is only a part.

You see, therefore, how in the total evolution of mankind the Heroes of ancient Greece, of whom we are told that they were exposed in childhood, are of great significance. And you may also call to mind (you will find it in one of my lectures; I do not know, I may even have said it several times) there is a similar legend of exposure in connection with Judas. Of Judas Iscariot we are also told that he was put out in his youth. This is a typical feature; it signifies in the language of myth and legend the entry of the rebel Powers, who rebel against the bonds of blood of the fourth post-Atlantean epoch.

Now the region out of which these impulses proceeded in the fourth post-Atlantean epoch is the region wherein the Archangel-Beings rule. Therefore the narratives are always such that the human being stands rather remote from the influences that take place out of the Spiritual World. Either it is an oracle that brings the message from the Spiritual World, or else it is the direct intervention of the World of the Gods Themselves. Helena, you know, is a daughter of Leda and Zeus; here too the Spiritual World works in directly. In our time it is the dark and backward Angel-Beings, and they naturally work through a far more intimate intercourse with human beings. I have already told you, if one would discuss or even only hint at many things that are connected with this working of the Dark Powers since the last third of the nineteenth century, one treads on very thin ice indeed! But you can tell from the whole context; the seeking of social structure through the bonds of blood, which was the right and normal evolution for the fourth post-Atlantean epoch, represents, where it remains behind in the fifth epoch, one of those impulses with which the human beings of this epoch will have to battle. We must however add another thing which I have also told you. Something entirely new is now occurring. The fourth post-Atlantean epoch—its wrestling with Birth and Death—was a repetition of Atlantean time. Now something new makes it appearance—something created directly out of Maya or Illusion. Yet this Illusion we must also understand; we must only understand it rightly. It goes without saying, Maya was always there. As I explained in the essay which you will shortly be able to read in the Reich, in relation to the Chymical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreuz, all consciousness originates out of Illusion. Yet since the fifth post-Atlantean epoch began, Illusion is present in a more than usual degree. Illusion will appear increasingly in this form:—Human beings will give themselves up to illusions. Illusions there always were, but they were always connected with other powers in the third post-Atlantean epoch, with the forces of “elective affinity”; in the fourth post-Atlantean epoch with the forces of Birth and Death; in the fifth post-Atlantean epoch with the forces of Evil. Illusion, Maya itself, will be seized upon by Evil. Moreover, it will all be permeated by that element of which I have also told you—by cleverness, intelligence.

It sounds paradoxical when one asserts that it is good for men that they can learn to know all these things. But the fact is, the human being can only come to spiritual freedom by growing strong against resistance. This, one can readily see.

Moreover, precisely that which is connected with the number Five is always connected in this way with the unfolding of Evil. Human beings will have to accustom themselves to one thing: to regard the inrush of the forces of Evil as an inrush of very laws of Nature, forces of Nature. Then they will learn to know them, and they will know what lives and moves in the very depths of things. We must not regard Evil from the outset as one would, who in the fulness of his egoism merely wanted to get away, to flee from it. We cannot do so. But we must penetrate it with consciousness; we must learn to know it,—really learn to know it. Above all, in our time already a force is preparing in the realm of human beings,—a force which tends to create illusions that are harmful and destructive. I will give you a little example of one such illusion. In giving this example, once again I do not wish in any way or in the very least to take sides in one direction or the other; I simply wish to give you an example of this entry of Illusion.

Assume that a politician appears upon the scenes to-day, wishing to speak out of his inmost impulse of his own attitude to the wheel of the world—to the various things that are being said and done to-day, from one quarter or another. Suppose that this politician found occasion to express himself about the part that is being played in the events of our time by the British State system (I say the State system; for with the nations themselves we are not concerned in this connection) and by the hidden powers that are behind it,—powers of which we have often spoken. Assume that a politican feels called upon to speak of this. He wishes to make plain how he considers that a right relationship to the British impulses can be established.

Suppose now that such a politician were to say the following. Suppose he were to say: It would be an unfriendly action against the Power that rules the Sea, to paralyse or lessen its superiority. What would you say? This politician notes the fact that there is a Power that rules over the Sea. One must take some attitude towards it. Since, after all, this Power rules the Sea, it would be an unfriendly act, he says, to hinder its development. Therefore one should refrain from such unfriendly action.

What could one say of such a politician? I think the very least that one could say would be that he stands for a policy of Power—Machtpolitik. Is is not so? Wherever the Power is, in that direction let us turn. This, at the least, seems to emerge from his words. But to-day one does not say so. One does not take one's stand in such a case and frankly say: “I stand for a policy of Power; I will attach myself to the Power which happens to have power.” But on the contrary one says, one defines it thus: “I stand for Right and Freedom and for the Independece of Nations.”

One says these two things side by side. One says that one stands for Right and Freedom of the Nations, and directly side by side with this, one says: “Let us above all attach ourselves to the particular Power which has the power, and commit no unfriendly act in relation to it.”

You see from this how human beings involve themselves in illusions. For I have here put before you the case of the Swedish politician Branting. He, a neutral politician, is the man who spoke in this way. That is the way one carries on a neutral policy, of course. I do not say it as a reproach or to take sides with one or another party. I say it as a pure description of how such things must take their course to-day. One is enthusiastic, needless to say, for Right and Freedom of the Nations, and yet—one stands for a such a policy. One does not confess that one stands for it for the simple reason that one can do no other,—that would be the truth,—but on the contrary one says that one stands for it inspired by the impulses of Right and Freedom for all Nations.

With such things as these we must indeed concern ourselves. It is not enough for anyone to give himself up to the fairy-tales that are going through the world to-day; we must take these things into our consciousness. Only by this means is it possible to attach oneself to the real impulses of evolution which I have described. No age was ever so little enlightened about itself as is the present. No other age stands in such dire need of enlightenment about itself. Think only how proud it was of its great progress in every kind of human thought. Why, they had even succeeded in finding impulses for Social Science, out of Natural Science! I have often spoken to you of the science of social life.

Think for a moment, what is so often said in official quarters to this day on educational and social questions, questions of right and justice and so forth. Try to transplant yourself into the frame of mind in which these people bring forward their supposed infallible truths, while at the same time they would suppress absolutely everything that resounds from any other quarter. Part of what modern humanity believed thus fondly, has led to the event that through the impulses of this humanity,—impulses of Illusion upon the one hand, of Nationality upon the other—five million human beings have been consigned to death during two years and three to three-and-a-half million have been permanently wounded. It was so after two years, and now, considerably more than three years have elapsed. This is only the consequence of the false thoughts that were entertained,—thoughts in which illusion was allied with destructive power. From many another thing that is spoken nowadays about education or questions of right and justice, similar consequences will evolve if it goes on in this way, uninfluenced by spiritual life and being. For in the last resort everything depends on this. To kindle the spiritual forces in the consciousness of mankind is an absolute need for the fifth post-Atlantean epoch. Our criticism of the opposite, materialistic opinion is but a part of the zeal with which we call to life the spiritual impulses within us. This is the thing that matters. Whatever has to happen among men must also be undertaken by men. If we have made ourselves ready to take our stand where the ray falls, the ray will come in good time; of that you may be certain. This preparation, this making-ready, can, however, only take place through the community. It will be for the individual human beings, in the fifth post-Atlantean epoch, only so far as the ideas are concerned; but it will depend on the understanding with which communities will receive these ideas.

Hold to this thought, my dear friends.

Die Helena-Sage und das Freiheitsrätsel

Ich habe Sie gestern darauf aufmerksam gemacht, wie in der Entwickelung der Menschheit Zusammenhänge sind, spirituelle Zusammenhänge, die ihre Wirkungsweise durch die Menschenseele hindurchschicken. Ich habe das getan im Zusammenhange mit den Bestrebungen Goethes in seiner Faust-Dichtung, Faust in Zusammenhang zu bringen mit dem, was der Impuls der fünften nachatlantischen Zeit ist, dadurch, daß er ihn mit Mephistopheles zusammenführt, einer ahrimanischen Macht. Dann habe ich versucht zu zeigen, wie Faust untertauchen soll in die Impulse der vierten nachatlantischen Zeit, die ich Ihnen in ihrem Wesen zu charakterisieren versuchte, damit sich in Fausts Seele ein Ineinanderarbeiten desjenigen bewußt vollzieht, was unbewußt in den Menschenseelen durch die Entwickelungsgesetze waltet.

Nun sagte ich Ihnen, daß der fünfte nachatlantische Zeitraum, unser Zeitraum, mit der großen, bedeutungsvollen Lebensfrage des Bösen, der Bewältigung des Bösen nach allen Seiten zu tun haben wird. Die Menschen werden kennenlernen müssen, was alles die Seele aufbringen muß, um die Gewalten des Bösen teils zu überwinden, teils in gute Impulse zu verwandeln. Das alles entwickelte sich auf der Grundlage der Impulse des vierten nachatlantischen Zeitraumes, der es zu tun hatte insbesondere mit dem Problem der Geburt und des Todes, das er schon wie eine Erbschaft aus der atlantischen Zeit übernommen hatte. Man braucht nur auf den Christus-Impuls selbst seine Blicke zu wenden, wie er eintrat im ersten Drittel der vierten nachatlantischen Periode. Diese beginnt 747 mit der Begründung Roms, so daß also von den 2160 Jahren im Zeitraum, wie wir ihn betrachten als Kulturzeitraum, 747 Jahre vergehen mußten, bis der Hauptimpuls, der Christus-Impuls, gerade in diesen vierten nachatlantischen Zeitraum hereinspielte, Hat es nicht dieser Christus-Impuls mit der großen, bedeutungsvollen Frage zu tun, die hereinruft in die Entwickelungsgeschichte der Menschheit Fragen nach Geburt und Tod in ihrer übersinnlichen Bedeutung? Wieviel ist auf christlichem Boden diskutiert worden, gedacht, empfunden worden über die Geburt des Christus. Welch unendlich bedeutungsvolle Rolle spielt der Tod Christi. In der Geburt und in den Tod Christi sehen wir an besonders prägnanten Punkten auftreten dieses Ringen in der Seele des Menschen mit dem Problem der Geburt und des Todes. Es war ein Ringen in der Seele aus dem Grunde, weil, ich möchte sagen, in einer elementareren, physischeren Gestalt dieses Ringen schon in dem großen atlantischen Zeitraum vorhanden war. Da waren gerade im vierten atlantischen Zeitraum, in der Mitte der atlantischen Zeit — damit auch noch in dem fünften als Nachwirkung - im Menschen selber Kräfte tätig, die im Zusammenhang standen mit Geburt und Tod. Einiges davon habe ich schon charakterisiert. Da waren Kräfte in jenen Menschen, in jenen Atlantiern, die entwickelt werden konnten, die Einfluß hatten auf Geburt und Tod, in ganz anderem Maße als in bloß natürlichem Maße. Da wirkten die guten und die bösen Kräfte im Menschen auf Gesundheit und Krankheit der Mitmenschen im weiten Maße, damit auch auf Geburt und Tod. Da sah man einen Zusammenhang zwischen dem, was man in der atlantischen Zeit tat als Mensch, und dem, was sich im sogenannten Naturlaufe als Geburt und Tod vollzieht.

Später, im vierten Kulturzeitraum der nachatlantischen Zeit, war dieses Problem von Geburt und Tod mehr hereinverlegt in die menschliche Seele. Aber jetzt in unserem fünften Zeitraum werden die Menschen so elementar zu ringen haben mit dem Bösen, wie elementar in der atlantischen Zeit gerungen worden ist mit Geburt und Tod. Da werden namentlich durch die Beherrschung der verschiedenen Naturkräfte die Antriebe und Impulse zum Bösen in einer großartigen Weise, in gigantischer Weise in die Welt hineinwirken. Und im Widerstand, den die Menschen aus geistigen Untergründen heraus werden bringen müssen, werden die entgegengesetzten Kräfte, die Kräfte des Guten zu wachsen haben. Insbesondere wird es schon während des fünften Zeitraums sein, wo durch die Ausbeutung der elektrischen Kraft, die noch ganz andere Dimensionen annehmen wird, als sie bisher angenommen hat, es den Menschen möglich sein wird, Böses über die Erde zu bringen, wo aber auch direkt aus der Kraft der Elektrizität selber heraus Böses über die Erde kommt.

Diese Dinge sind nur notwendig, sich vor das Bewußtsein hinzuhalten. Denn derjenige, der spirituelle Impulse aufnehmen will, findet die Angriffspunkte des Widerstands, findet die Ausgangspunkte für jene Impulse, die sich gerade am Widerstand des Bösen entwickeln sollen. Allerdings ist es schwierig, heute schon in dieser Beziehung über Einzelheiten zu sprechen, da diese Einzelheiten zumeist noch in weitestem Umfange Interessen der Menschen berühren, welche die Menschen nicht berührt haben wollen. In dieser Beziehung sind die Menschen geteilt auf der einen Seite in solche, welche schwer leiden dadurch, daß sie sich nicht klarmachen können, wie sie in das Weltkarma verstrickt sind und dies oder jenes mitmachen müssen, ohne daß sie im Handumdrehen abstrakt fromm werden können; auf der andern Seite in Menschen, die vielfach verstrickt sind in dasjenige, was das Weltenkarma dieses fünften nachatlantischen Zeitraums ist, die nicht hören wollen, was eigentlich in den Impulsen liegt, die durch die Welt gehen, weil die Menschen vielfach ein Interesse daran haben, gerade diejenigen Impulse, die zerstörerisch sind, als aufbauende hinzustellen. Wir haben dargestellt, wie seit dem letzten Drittel des 19. Jahrhunderts unter den Menschen diejenigen Wesenheiten wirken, die ich bezeichnet habe als abgefallene Geister der Finsternis, Wesen aus der Hierarchie der Angeloi. Diese Wesen waren noch dienende Glieder der guten, fortschreitenden Mächte in der vierten nachatlantischen Periode. Da dienten sie noch in der Herstellung jener Ordnungen, die — wie ich Ihnen charakterisiert habe — aus der Blutsverwandtschaft der Menschen herausgeholt sind. Jetzt sind sie im Reiche der Menschen, und als zurückgebliebene Angeloiwesen wirken sie hinein in die Impulse der Menschen, um dasjenige, was mit Bluts-, Stammes-, Nationalverwandtschaft, Rassenverwandtschaft zusammenhängt, in einer nachhinkenden Weise und dadurch in einer ahrimanischen Weise geltend zu machen, zu beeinträchtigen diejenigen andern sozialen Menschheitsstrukturen, die sich aus ganz andern Unterlagen heraus bilden sollen als zum Beispiel aus den Blutsbanden der Familie, der Rassen, der Stämme, der Nationen, so daß heute ein beträchtlicher Anfang der Arbeit dieser Geister gerade in dem abstrakten Betonen des Nationalitätsprinzips besteht. Dieses abstrakte Betonen des Nationalitätenprinzips, dieses Programmemachen auf Grundlage eines Nationalitätsprinzips, das gehört in die Bestrebungen der Geister der Finsternis hinein, die den Menschen viel näherstehen werden, die viel intimer an die Menschen herankommen als die zurückgebliebenen Geister der vierten nachatlantischen Periode, die in die Hierarchie der Archangeloi gehörten. Das wird gerade das Bedeutungsvolle dieses fünften nachatlantischen Zeitraums sein, daß diese Wesen, die unmittelbar über der Hierarchie der Menschen stehen, die Angeloiwesen, recht intim an den einzelnen Menschen herankommen können, nicht bloß an die Gruppen, so daß der einzelne glauben wird, er verträte aus seinem eigenen persönlichen Impuls heraus die Dinge, während er - man kann schon sagen — besessen ist von solcher Art von Angeloiwesen, von denen gesprochen worden ist.

Machen wir uns noch einmal klar, welcher Art die Bestrebungen der zurückgebliebenen Geister der Finsternis in der vierten nachatlantischen Zeit waren, um dann besser verstehen zu können, welcher Art diese Bestrebungen in unserer fünften Epoche sind. Ich habe schon darauf hingewiesen: in der vierten nachatlantischen Zeit war es normal, alle Menschheitsstruktur aufzubauen auf den Blutsbanden, auf den Blutsverwandtschaften. In dieser Zeit, also in der griechisch-lateinischen Kulturepoche, lehnten sich die ahrimanisch-luziferischen zurückgebliebenen Wesenheiten gerade gegen die Blutsbande auf. Sie waren die Eingeber jener Rebellenschaft, welche die Menschen aus den Blutsverwandtschaften herauslösen wollte. Insbesondere — das können Sie ja schon aus dem Allgemeinen der Geisteswissenschaft entnehmen — waren es in gewisser Beziehung die Nachkommen der in der atlantischen Zeit noch auf magische Weise wirksamen Individualitäten, welche als sich auflehnende Individualitäten, als Rebellen, Heroen wurden, gerade in der Wiederholung der atlantischen Zeit in der vierten nachatlantischen Zeit. In einer besonderen Art und Weise kam diese griechisch-lateinische Zeit diesen Rebellen entgegen. In der damaligen Zeit, wo eine kluge Mysterienführung der Menschen doch noch vorhanden war, hat man den Menschen nicht gesagt, meidet die Rebellennaturen, meider die ahrimanischen, die luziferischen geistigen Wesenheiten! Das hat man ihnen nicht gesagt. Sondern man wußte, im Plane des weisheitsvollen Weltenganges liegt es, diese Wesenheiten an ihre Stelle zu setzen, sie zu benützen, Es ist heute eine Schwäche vieler Menschen, wenn sie von Luzifer und Ahriman hören, zu empfinden, um Gottes willen, den meiden wir! — Als ob sie sie meiden könnten! Ich habe darüber öfter gesprochen. So wie die Erkenntnis sein mußte in der vierten nachatlantischen Zeit, so brachte man sie heran an die Menschen dieser Zeit. Und die Wirkung der guten Götter, wenn ich so sagen darf, lag schon in den Blutsbanden, der gaben sich die Menschen hin dazumal — heute muß sie vergeistigter sein —, der gaben sich die Menschen hin in jener gegenseitigen Liebe, die durch die Blutsverwandtschaft begründet wird. Um weiterzukommen, mußten immer Auflehnungen stattfinden. Diesen Gang der Weltenentwickelung mußte man, so wie man es den Leuten eben klarmachen konnte, in Mythen, in Sagen, in Legenden ihnen klarmachen. Den Eingeweihten wurden die Dinge dann noch anders mitgeteilt, schon in einer Form, die ähnlich war derjenigen, die heute an den Menschen herantritt. Aber es wären die Menschen im weitesten Umkreise des Lebens nicht reif gewesen, Erklärungen für die Mythen aufzunehmen. Da wurden ihnen die Mythen erzählt, die exoterischen Mythen, in denen aber tiefe, bedeutungsvolle Entwickelungswahrheiten verborgen sind.

Betrachten wir einen solchen hervorragenden Mythus, der gerade mit dem zusammenhängt, was ich jetzt vor Ihre Seele hingeführt habe, betrachten wir den Mythus, der da erzählt, wie ein Orakel dem Laios von Theben bei seiner Vermählung mit Jokaste weissagte, daß aus seiner Ehe mit Jokaste hervorgehen werde ein Sohn, welcher der Mörder seines Vaters werden wird, der mit seiner Mutter in Blutschande leben wird. Laios hat sich zwar nicht abhalten lassen, die Vermählung zu vollziehen, aber als aus der Ehe doch der Sohn hervorging, ließ er ihm die Fersen durchbohren und ließ ihn aussetzen auf dem Kithäron. Einem Hirten wurde dieser Sohn übergeben. Die Gemahlin des Hirten nannte ihn Ödipus, von den durchlochten Fersen. Sie wissen, wie die Sache weitererzählt wurde. Sie wissen, daß der Knabe Ödipus heranwuchs, daß sich seine Talente entwickelten, daß er sich früh von Zweifeln in seiner Seele beunruhigt fand wegen seiner Abstammung, weil Jugendgenossen ihn auf verschiedenes aufmerksam machten; daß dann das delphische Orakel einen bedeutsamen Ausspruch tat. Ihn heute zu studieren, ist eine schmerzliche Angelegenheit, wenn man ihn in seinem ganzen Zusammenhange studieren kann. Er heißt ja einfach: Meide die Heimat, sonst wirst du deines Vaters Mörder und deiner Mutter Gemahl. - Das war also dem Ödipus gesagt.

Nun war er aber in einer vollkommenen Illusion darinnen. Er wußte nicht, wer sein Vater wirklich war und seine Mutter. Er mußte Korinth für seine Heimat halten, wo er aufgewachsen war. Schließlich wanderte er von Korinth fort, um dort nicht Unheil zu stiften, seinen Vater zu töten und seine Mutter zu heiraten. Aber gerade, daß er fortwanderte, daß er den Weg nach 'Theben antrat, gerade das wurde ihm zum Verhängnis. Auf dem Wege traf er ein Gefährt, in dem sein Vater Laios fuhr mit einem Wagengefährten. Er kam in Streit, tötete den Vater, setzte den Weg fort nach Theben, und seine erste Tat, die er verrichtete, war ja, wie Sie wissen, die Lösung des Rätsels der Sphinx. Dadurch haben wir Ödipus so recht hineingestellt in den ganzen Entwickelungszusammenhang des vierten nachatlantischen Zeitraums. Denn in einer gewissen Beziehung gehörte das Rätsel der Sphinx, das Menschenrätsel, diesem Zeitraume an. Also Ödipus war einer von denjenigen, die Bescheid wußten. Er sagte zur Sphinx nicht: «Ungern entdeck’ ich höheres Geheimnis», sondern er löste das Geheimnis. Damit war etwas in den vierten nachatlantischen Zeitraum hineinversetzt als ein Impuls, der weiter wirkte, an dem Ödipus beteiligt war. Man könnte Stunden über Stunden reden über die Lösung des Rätsels der Sphinx durch Ödipus. Aber das ist heute nicht nötig. Wir wollen uns nur klarmachen, daß dasjenige, was da Ödipus tut, ihn so recht zeigt als einen Helden des vierten nachatlantischen Zeitraums.

Nun ging er nach Theben, heiratete seine Mutter, die er natürlich nicht für seine Mutter hielt, war verhältnismäßig glücklich, bis eine Pest auftrat. Der Seher Teiresias war es, welcher zuletzt die Wahrheit von dem Ganzen herausbrachte. Jokaste, die sich plötzlich als die Gemahlin des eigenen Sohnes wußte, tötete sich. Ödipus blendete sich und wurde vertrieben von seinen eigenen Söhnen, wurde von einem andern dann im Haine von Attika, von Theseus, geschützt bis zu seinem Tode, ruhte dann in attischer Erde. Nur soweit brauchen wir das Ödipus-Drama vor unsere Seele zu führen.

Was stellt es uns denn dar? Es stellt uns dar, wie eine Individualität, die Ödipus-Individualität, herausgenommen wird aus dem Blutszusammenhang, herausversetzt wird, sich entwickelt außerhalb der Blutsbande und dann zu seinem Verderb wiederum hineinversetzt wird. Nicht nur einen subjektiven Rebellen gegen die Blutsbande haben wir vor uns, sondern einen Menschen, der durch die, man möchte sagen, Naturgesetze selber zur Auflehnung gebracht wird gegen die Blutsbande, und diese gerade dadurch gegen sich wachruft.

Versuchen Sie die griechische Mythologie auf solche Menschen hin durchzusehen, auf solche Heroen, die auf eine gewisse Weise hineingestellt sind in den Blutszusammenhang, die ausgesetzt werden, daß sie ihre Entwickelung außerhalb des Blutszusammenhanges durchmachen und dann gerade andere Entwickelungsimpulse hereinbringen dadurch, daß sie aus der alten, der normalen Ordnung hinausversetzt werden. Ein solcher ist Ödipus, ein solcher ist auch Theseus, der ihn schützt im Haine von Attika.

Es ist kein Wunder, daß man in Griechenland dem Volke nicht sagen, konnte, was eigentlich hinter diesen Heroen steckte, daß das die großen Rebellen sind, die aber notwendig sind im ganzen weisheitsvollen Gang der Weltenentwickelung. Theseus selber, denken Sie doch nur daran auch da war es ein Orakelspruch, der an den Vater herangetreten ist, so daß er den Sohn fern von sich hat erziehen lassen. Der Mutter, die ihn fern von der Heimat geboren hat, wurde gesagt, wenn der Jüngling heranwächst, so daß er ein gewisses Schwert gebrauchen kann, dann möge er zurückkommen. Wiederum hinausversetzt ist Theseus aus dem Blutszusammenhang. Auch er - Sie kennen die Sage, wie er Athen befreit hat von jener Tributszahlung von Jünglingen, die dem Minotaurus geopfert werden mußten, wie er mit Hilfe des Ariadne-Fadens sich gerettet hat -,auch er löst wichtigeRätsel der vierten nachatlantischen Zeit. Und er wurde der Schützer des Ödipus. Aber Theseus ist derjenige, der die Helena, als sie zehnjährig ist, entführt und sie verborgen hält. Also gerade Theseus wird mit der Helena in Zusammenhang gebracht.

Hinter diesen Dingen stecken tiefe Entwickelungsrätsel des vierten nachatlantischen Zeitraums. Die Hofdame des 16. Jahrhunderts macht sich freilich von diesen Dingen nicht mehr kund als:

Vom zehnten Jahr an hat sie nichts getaugt.

Aber damit deutet Goethe wiederum auf etwas sehr Bedeutungsvolles. Goethe wußte wohl, eigentlich müßte dasjenige, was hinter der Helena steckt, so verehrt werden, wie Faust die Helena verehrte. Aber gerade in bezug auf die Helena sind die schlimmsten Kräfte der Verleumdung im Spiel gewesen. Die Menschheit könnte lernen an solchen Dingen, wie gerade dasjenige, was anerkannt werden sollte, was vielleicht am höchsten steht, am meisten verleumdet werden kann.

Ich wollte dieses nur andeuten, um Ihnen zu zeigen, wie die Helena in einem geheimnisvollen Zusammenhange steht mit denjenigen Individualitäten, welche die Rebellenindividualitäten waren des vierten nachatlantischen Zeitraums, die dazumal im Sinne der weisheitsvollen Weltenlenkung die Aufgabe hatten, den Blutszusammenhang zu durchbrechen.

Wie steht es mit Paris, der uns von Goethe - verzeihen Sie das triviale Wort, aber es ist nicht so trivial gemeint - in der Geisterbeschwörungsszene ja eigentlich als Konkurrent des Faust vorgeführt wird, als der Nebenbuhler des Faust, wie steht es um Paris? Ja, da wird uns auch erzählt: er war der Sohn des Priamos und der Hekuba. Und das Merkwürdige wird uns erzählt, daß seine Mutter, als sie mit ihm schwanger war, einen Traum hatte. Hier ist es zunächst nicht ein Orakelspruch, sondern ein Traum, der aber tiefere Weisheit enthält. Dieser Traum kündigte der Mutter des Paris vor der Geburt an, daß sie gebären werde eine brennende Fackel, welche die Stadt Troja in Brand stecken werde. Deshalb spricht die Sage, die parallel geht, auch von einem Orakelspruch, der dem Vater Nachricht davon gegeben habe, daß dieser Sohn zum Unheil von Troja dienen werde. Sei es der eine, sei es der andere Grund, der Vater setzte den Paris auch aus. Paris ist also auch einer der Ausgesetzten, einer der aus der Blutsgemeinschaft Herausgesetzten. In Parion wird er erzogen, fern von den Blutsbanden. Und da spielt sich dasjenige ab, was nun von der Sage erzählt wird, daß die Eris den Apfel der Schönsten bestimmt habe, daß Paris aufgerufen worden sei von den Göttinnen Hera, Pallas und Aphrodite, zu bestimmen, welche die Schönste sei. Es wurde sogar gesagt, daß dem Paris versprochen worden ist von Hera Asien, das heißt also die Herrschaft über die Erde, denn Asien bedeutete dazumal überhaupt die Erdenherrschaft; von Pallas Athene kriegerischer Ruhm; von Aphrodite die schönste Frau. Paris hat Aphrodite den Preis der Schönheit zuerkannt.

Wie bedeutungsvoll er damit eingegriffen hat in den Gang der griechischen Angelegenheiten, das schildert Ihnen der Gesang, der große, bedeutungsvolle Gesang Homers. In Paris selbst also haben wir eine solche gegen die Blutsbande sich auflehnende Individualität. Er nimmt die Helena heraus aus den griechischen Blutsbanden, will sie hinüberversetzen nach Troja. Er will die Blutsbande brechen. Immer hängen die Dinge so zusammen, daß wir sehen, wie in den griechischen Heroensagen in die Entwickelung dasjenige hineingestellt wird, was die Blutsbande durchbrechen soll. Denn die Blutsbande, die an sich stark, mächtig und gewaltig sind, sind das die ganze soziale Struktur eigentlich Bewirkende.

Eine Frage, die uns in diesem Falle besonders deutlich vor Augen treten kann, soll uns auch ein paar Minuten jetzt beschäftigen. Es könnte leicht jemand die folgende Frage aufwerfen: Ja, wie steht es noch mit der menschlichen Freiheit, wenn bedeutungsvolle Handlungen, wie der Raub der Helena durch Paris, dadurch vollzogen werden, daß sich oben in der geistigen Welt so etwas vollzieht wie der Streit der Göttinnen? Der Mensch sieht dann aus wie das bloße Werkzeug, durch das vollzogen wird dasjenige, was sich oben in den geistigen Regionen nicht nur vorbereitet, sondern auswirkt. Ja, man muß in einer gewissen Weise wirklich sagen: Dasjenige, was hier unten durch den Menschen geschieht, das alles ist das Spiegelbild dessen, was in der geistigen Welt geschieht. — Da pocht die Frage der Freiheit gewaltig an die Tore der menschlichen Erkenntnis. Sind wir wirklich Automaten, die durch ihre Handlungen das Spiegelbild desjenigen zeigen, was da oben in der geistigen Welt vor sich geht? Und wiederum, wie stünde die geistige Welt da, welche die Lenkerin und Leiterin desjenigen ist,-was überhaupt vorgeht, wenn sie gewissermaßen gar nichts zu tun hätte, wenn sie tatenlos wäre? Zweäerlei ist notwendig zu verstehen. Erstens, daß der Weltengang wirklich von geistigen Kräften und geistigen Mächten gelenkt und geleitet wird und nichts geschieht, was nicht aus der geistigen Welt herunter geschieht; zweitens, daß der Mensch einen freien Willen hat. Die beiden Dinge scheinen sich diametral gegenüberzustehen. Und in der Tat ist damit ein Problem, ein Rätsel berührt, das den Menschen ungeheuer viel zu schaffen macht, über das die Menschen kaum leicht hinauskommen, denn es ist so. Schauen wir hinauf in die geistige Welt - dasjenige, was die Götter tun, sind der Götter Handlungen, und die Menschen hier unten führen die Impulse der Götter aus. So ist es. Wie können da die Menschen frei sein dabei?

Lassen Sie mich Ihnen — natürlich kann man von diesem Problem nur immer einiges geben — andeutend dieses Problem mit ein paar Strichen hinstellen. Nehmen wir also an: da oben (es wird gezeichnet) seien die drei Göttinnen mit ihrem Streit, der sich unter ihnen abspielt. Das Resultat dieses Streites ist, daß auf die Erde herunterkommt der Impuls, der aus diesen Taten der drei Göttinnen hervorgeht. Wie die wiederum zusammenhängen mit den übergeordneten Hierarchien, das braucht uns bei dieser Frage nicht zu berühren. Das, was da oben geschieht, geschieht mit absoluter Notwendigkeit. Was der Paris tut, tut er also, weil oben die drei Göttinnen ihre Sache getan haben. Sie sagen: Wie ist da noch eine Freiheit bei Paris möglich? - Es ist fast ausgeschlossen! Aber der Strahl fällt herunter gewissermaßen auf die Erde, und da, auf der Erde, ist nicht einer, den er treffen kann, sondern da sind viele, die er treffen kann. Nehmen Sie an, da unten seien hundert. Neunundneunzig tun die Sache nicht, der Hundertste tut sie! Hier spielt nämlich wiederum das Geheimnis der Zahl eine Rolle. Man verwechselt immer den Umstand, daß Paris die Sache tut, damit, daß der Paris erst zum vollen Paris wird dadurch, daß er sich bereit findet, sich dahinzustellen, wo der Impuls hat stattfinden können. Die Götter hätten eben einen andern gefunden, wenn es der Paris nicht getan hätte. Dann würde man das von einem andern erzählen.

Auf dem Umwege durch die Zahl kommen Sie nämlich zur Lösung dieses Freiheitsrätsels. Und wenn sich in irgendeinem Zeitpunkte unter den hundert Untenstehenden keiner findet, dann warten die Götter, bis einer kommt; der vollzieht das, was die Götter ihm vorlegen. Er ist dadurch nicht im geringsten in seiner Freiheit beeinträchtigt, weil er die Sache ja auch unterlassen könnte. Denken Sie nur nach über diesen Teil des Problems der Zahl, dann werden Sie finden, daß göttlich-notwendige weisheitsvolle Weltenlenkung in keinem Widerspruche steht mit der menschlichen Freiheit. Natürlich umfaßt das nicht das ganze Problem der Freiheit, aber wiederum einen Teil.

Sie sehen, daß diejenigen Heroen des Griechentums schon in der gesamten Entwickelung der Menschheit etwas bedeuten, die so hineingestellt werden, daß sie ausgesetzt werden. Erinnern Sie sich: Sie werden in einem meiner Vorträge finden - ich weiß nicht, ob ich es öfters gesagt habe -, daß eine solche Sage des Ausgesetztwerdens sich auch an Judas anlehnt, daß auch von Judas erzählt wird, daß er in seiner Jugend ausgesetzt worden ist; von dem Judas Ischariot wird das erzählt. Dieses Ausgesetztwerden ist dasjenige, was in der Sprache des Mythus, in der Sprache der Sage das Hineingestelltsein der rebellischen Mächte, die sich auflehnen gegen die Blutsbande der vierten nachatlantischen Zeit, anbetrifft.

Die Region, von der diese Dinge im vierten nachatlantischen Zeitraum impulsiert sind, ist die Region, in der die Erzengelwesen herrschen. Daher müssen die Erzählungen so gehalten werden, daß schon immer der Mensch ferner steht den Einflüssen, die aus der geistigen Welt geschehen. Es wird immer erzählt, wie es entweder ein Orakel ist, das die Kunde aus der geistigen Welt bringt, oder wie es der unmittelbare Einfluß ist der Götterwelt selber. Sie wissen, Helena ist eine Tochter der Leda mit dem Zeus, also da wirkt die geistige Welt herunter. In unserer Zeit, wo es zurückgebliebene finstere Engelwesen sind, wirken diese natürlich, ich möchte sagen, aus viel intimerem Umgang mit den Menschen heraus. Und ich habe schon gestern gesagt: Will man verschiedene Dinge, die sich an dieses Wirken der finsteren Mächte seit dem letzten Drittel des 19. Jahrhunderts anknüpfen, auch nur andeutend besprechen, so tritt man auf sehr, sehr dünnes Eis. - Aber aus dem ganzen Zusammenhange können Sie entnehmen, daß dasjenige, was gerade die richtige, normale Entwickelung für den vierten nachatlantischen Zeitraum war, das Struktursuchen durch die Blutsbande, daß das in der Zurückgebliebenheit für den fünften nachatlantischen Zeitraum einer der Impulse ist, mit denen die Menschen in diesem Zeitraum werden zu kämpfen haben. Dazu muß man allerdings hinzufügen, was ich auch schon gestern getan habe, daß etwas völlig Neues auftritt, während der vierte nachatlantische Zeitraum in seinem Ringen mit Geburt und Tod eine Wiederholung der atlantischen Zeit ist. Jetzt tritt etwas ganz Neues auf, welches unmittelbar aus der Maja, der Illusion heraus geschaffen wird. Aber diese Illusion, die müssen wir nun auch wiederum nur in der richtigen Weise verstehen. Maja war immer da, selbstverständlich. Denn alles Bewußtsein entsteht aus der Täuschung, wie ich in meinem Aufsatze, den Sie demnächst lesen werden im «Reich», in Anknüpfung an die Chymische Hochzeit des Christian Rosencreutz ausgeführt habe. Aber seit dem fünften nachatlantischen Zeitraum ist die Illusion, die Täuschung noch in einem ganz besonderen Maße vorhanden, weil sie immer mehr und mehr auftreten wird in der Form, daß die Menschen sich Illusionen hingeben werden. Und diese Illusionen waren immer da, waren aber verbunden mit andern Mächten, im dritten nachatlantischen Zeitraum mit den Kräften der Wahlverwandtschaft, im vierten mit den Kräften von Geburt und Tod, im fünften werden die Kräfte der Illusion verbunden sein mit den Kräften des Bösen, die Illusion, die Maja selber wird von dem Bösen ergriffen werden. Und alles das wird durchsetzt sein von dem, was ich auch schon besprochen habe, von der Gescheitheit, von der Intelligenz.

Es klingt paradox, wenn man sagt: Es ist gut für die Menschen, daß sie das alles kennenlernen können, denn nur dadurch, daß der Mensch am Widerstande wachsen muß, kann er wirklich zur Freiheit kommen. Das kann man leicht einsehen. Aber eben dasjenige, was mit der Zahl Fünf zusammenhängt, hängt immer zusammen in dieser Weise mit der Entfaltung, mit der Entwickelung des Bösen. Und die Menschen werden sich an eines gewöhnen müssen, das Hereinbrechen der Kräfte des Bösen wie das Hereinbrechen von Naturgesetzen, von Naturkräften aufzufassen, um sie kennenzulernen und zu wissen, was auf dem Untergrund der Dinge waltet und webt. Nicht das Böse betrachten von vornherein so, daß man nur in vollem Egoismus sich fluchtartig davon wegbringen will; das kann man nicht. Man muß es mit dem Bewußtsein durchdringen, aber man muß es auf der andern Seite wirklich kennenlernen, richtig kennenlernen. Vor allen Dingen in unserer Zeit schon breitet sich im Reiche der Menschen eine Kraft aus, die darauf hinausläuft, Illusionen zu erzeugen, die schädigend, störend sind. Ein kleines Beispiel für eine solche Illusion. Indem ich dieses Beispiel angebe wiederum, will ich durchaus nicht nach der einen oder nach der andern Richtung auch nur im geringsten Partei ergreifen, sondern ich will nur ein Beispiel für das Hereinbrechen der Illusion, des Illusionären angeben.

Nehmen Sie an, ein Politiker trete heute auf und wolle sich aussprechen nach seinem innersten Impulse über seine Stellung zu dem Weltrat, zu den verschiedenen Dingen, die man von da und dort geltend macht. Dieser Politiker würde veranlaßt werden, sich auszusprechen über dasjenige, was der Anteil — also mit den Völkern haben wir es dabei gar nicht zu tun — des britischen Staatswesens mit den entsprechenden Hintermächten, von denen wir ja oft gesprochen haben, ist an den gegenwärtigen Ereignissen. Ein Politiker würde sich veranlaßt fühlen, sich einmal auszusprechen darüber und klarzumachen, wie er meint, daß ein richtiges Verhältnis zu den britischen Impulsen einzurichten ist.

Wenn ein solcher Politiker nun das Folgende sagen würde: Es wäre eine unfreundliche Handlung gegen die Macht, die das Meer beherrscht, ihre Überlegenheit zu lähmen. — Was würden Sie sagen? Dieser Politiker konstatiert: Es ist da eine Macht, die das Meer beherrscht; man muß Stellung nehmen. Es ist aber eine unfreundliche Handlung, diese Macht, da sie doch das Meer beherrscht, in ihrer Entfaltung zu lähmen. Also unterlasse man diese unfreundliche Handlung. - Was könnte man von einem solchen Politiker sagen? Ich glaube, das Geringste, was man sagen könnte, wäre, er vertritt eine Machtpolitik. Wo die Macht ist, da wendet man sich hin, nicht wahr. Das scheint doch zum mindesten aus seinen Worten hervorzugehen. Heute tut man das nicht. Man stellt sich nicht hin in einem solchen Fall und sagt: Ich vertrete eine Machtpolitik, ich schließe mich derjenigen Macht an, welche eben die Macht hat -, sondern heute sagt man, wenn man dieses so definiert: Ich trete ein für Recht und Freiheit und Unabhängigkeit der Völker.

Diese zwei Dinge sagt man nebeneinander: Man trete ein für Recht und Freiheit der Völker - und man sagt daneben: Man soll nur ja sich anschließen und keine unfreundliche Handlung begehen gegenüber derjenigen Macht, die eben die Macht hat. — Sehen Sie, wie sich die Menschen hineinverstricken in die Illusionen! Ich habe Ihnen das Beispiel des schwedischen Politikers Branting vorgeführt, denn das ist der Mann, der so gesprochen hat, ein neutraler Politiker. So treibt man Neutralitätspolitik natürlich. Darinnen liegt kein Vorwurf, darinnen liegt keine Parteinahme, sondern darinnen liegt nur eine Charakteristik, wie die Dinge heute gehen müssen. Man ist selbstverständlich enthusiasmiert für Recht und Freiheit der Völker, aber man vertritt eine solche Politik. Aber man gesteht nicht, man vertritt diese Politik, weil man eben nicht anders kann — das wäre ja die Wahrheit -, sondern man sagt, man vertritt diese Politik aus den Impulsen des Rechts und der Freiheit der Völker heraus.

Mit solchen Dingen muß man sich heute schon befassen. Es genügt nicht, daß irgend jemand die Märchen, die durch die Welt gehen, auf sich wirken läßt, sondern die Dinge müssen heute ins Bewußtsein hereingenommen werden. Sie müssen ins Bewußtsein aufgenommen werden. Nur dadurch ist es möglich, den Anschluß zu gewinnen an die Entwickelungsimpulse, wie wir sie dargestellt haben. Denn sehen Sie, kein Zeitalter eigentlich war so wenig über sich selbst aufgeklärt wie dieses jetzige, und kein Zeitalter hat so nötig Aufklärung über sich selbst wie dieses jetzige! Denken Sie doch nur einmal, dieses jetzige Zeitalter war sehr stolz auf seine großen Fortschritte in allen möglichen menschlichen Gedanken. Man hatte es endlich dahin gebracht, aus der Naturwissenschaft heraus Impulse zu finden auch für die Sozialwissenschaft. Ich habe Ihnen über die Sozialwissenschaft öfter gesprochen.

Gehen Sie aber hin und suchen Sie sich dasjenige, was heute von offiziellen Stätten oftmals noch gesagt wird über Erziehungsfragen, über soziale Fragen, über Rechtsfragen und so weiter. Versuchen Sie sich zu versetzen in die Gesinnung, mit der die Menschen glauben ihre unfehlbaren Wahrheiten vorzubringen, mit der sie alles, alles zu Boden treten wollen, was aus irgendeinem andern Winkel heraustönt. Ein Teil desjenigen, was die moderne Menschheit geglaubt hat, hat dazu geführt, daß durch die Impulse dieser modernen Menschheit, durch die Illusionsimpulse auf der einen Seite — die Illusionsimpulse auf der einen Seite, will ich nur sagen -, durch die Nationalitätsimpulse auf der andern Seite, das eingetreten ist, was bereits nach zwei Jahren - jetzt sind es schon über drei Jahre - in Europa fünf Millionen Tote gebracht hat und drei bis dreieinhalb Millionen unheilbar Verwundete. Das war nach zwei Jahren, jetzt sind es weit über drei Jahre. Und das ist nur die Konsequenz desjenigen, was erst an falschen Gedanken gelebt hat, an Gedanken, in denen sich verbindet die Illusion mit der zerstörenden Macht. Aus mancherlei anderem, was über Erziehung gesprochen wird, was über Rechtsfragen gesprochen wird, wird sich ein Ähnliches entwickeln, wenn es in der vom spirituellen Wesen unbeeinflußten Weise weiterrollt. Alles kommt darauf an, daß dieser fünfte nachatlantische Zeitraum notwendig hat ein Entfachen der spirituellen Kräfte im Menschheitsbewußtsein. Die Kritik der entgegengesetzten materialistischen Meinung ist nur ein Teil des Eifers, mit dem wir die spirituellen Impulse in uns wachrufen. Und das ist die Hauptsache. Denn dasjenige, was unter Menschen geschehen soll, muß durch Menschen unternommen werden. Haben wir uns reif gemacht, uns hinzustellen da, wo der Strahl herunterfällt, er wird schon kommen, dessen können Sie sicher sein! Aber dies Reifmachen kann nur auf dem Wege der Gemeinsamkeit geschehen. Das wird im fünften nachatlantischen Zeitraum nur in bezug auf die Idee die Sache der einzelnen Menschen sein. Auf das Verständnis, das die Gemeinschaften diesen Ideen entgegenbringen, darauf wird es ankommen. Halten Sie an diesem Gedanken fest, meine lieben Freunde!

The Legend of Helena and the Enigma of Freedom

Yesterday I drew your attention to how there are connections in the development of humanity, spiritual connections that send their effects through the human soul. I did this in connection with Goethe's efforts in his Faust poem to connect Faust with the impulse of the fifth post-Atlantean epoch by bringing him together with Mephistopheles, an Ahrimanic power. Then I tried to show how Faust should immerse himself in the impulses of the fourth post-Atlantean epoch, which I tried to characterize for you in its essence, so that an interworking of what unconsciously reigns in human souls through the laws of development can consciously take place in Faust's soul.

Now I told you that the fifth post-Atlantean epoch, our epoch, will have to deal with the great, significant question of life: evil, the overcoming of evil in all its aspects. Human beings will have to learn what the soul must bring forth in order to overcome the forces of evil on the one hand and transform them into good impulses on the other. All this developed on the basis of the impulses of the fourth post-Atlantean epoch, which had to deal in particular with the problem of birth and death, which it had already inherited from the Atlantean epoch. One need only turn one's gaze to the Christ impulse itself, as it entered in the first third of the fourth post-Atlantean period. This begins in 747 with the founding of Rome, so that of the 2160 years in the period we consider as a cultural period, 747 years had to pass before the main impulse, the Christ impulse, came into play in this fourth post-Atlantean period. Does not this Christ impulse deal with the great, significant question that calls forth questions about birth and death in their supersensible meaning in the history of human development? How much has been discussed, thought, and felt on Christian ground about the birth of Christ. What an infinitely significant role the death of Christ plays. In the birth and death of Christ, we see this struggle in the soul of man with the problem of birth and death appear at particularly striking points. It was a struggle in the soul because, I would say, in a more elementary, more physical form, this struggle was already present in the great Atlantean period. In the fourth Atlantean period, in the middle of the Atlantean era — and thus also in the fifth as an aftereffect — forces were at work in human beings themselves that were connected with birth and death. I have already characterized some of this. There were forces in those people, in those Atlanteans, that could be developed, that had an influence on birth and death to a completely different degree than in the merely natural sense. The good and evil forces in human beings had a far-reaching effect on the health and illness of their fellow human beings, and thus also on birth and death. A connection was seen between what one did as a human being in the Atlantean epoch and what took place in the so-called natural course of events as birth and death.

Later, in the fourth cultural period of the post-Atlantean era, this problem of birth and death was more internalized in the human soul. But now, in our fifth period, human beings will have to struggle with evil in as fundamental a way as they struggled with birth and death in the Atlantean era. Through the mastery of the various forces of nature, the drives and impulses toward evil will have a tremendous, gigantic effect on the world. And in the resistance that people will have to bring forth from spiritual foundations, the opposing forces, the forces of good, will have to grow. In particular, it will already be during the fifth epoch that, through the exploitation of electrical power, which will take on dimensions quite different from those it has had up to now, it will be possible for human beings to bring evil upon the earth, but also that evil will come upon the earth directly from the power of electricity itself.

These things are only necessary to hold before the consciousness. For those who want to receive spiritual impulses will find the points of attack of resistance, will find the starting points for those impulses that are to develop precisely in the resistance of evil. However, it is difficult to speak about details in this regard today, since these details mostly still touch on the interests of people to a large extent, which people do not want to be touched upon. In this respect, people are divided on the one hand into those who suffer greatly because they cannot understand how they are entangled in world karma and must participate in this or that without being able to become abstractly pious in the blink of an eye; on the other hand, into people who are often entangled in what is the world karma of this fifth post-Atlantean epoch, who do not want to hear what actually lies in the impulses that are passing through the world, because people often have an interest in presenting precisely those impulses that are destructive as constructive. We have described how, since the last third of the 19th century, beings have been working among human beings whom I have described as fallen spirits of darkness, beings from the hierarchy of the Angeloi. These beings were still serving members of the good, progressive powers in the fourth post-Atlantean period. There they still served in the establishment of those orders which, as I have characterized them, are derived from the blood relationship of human beings. Now they are in the realm of human beings, and as backward Angeloi beings they work into the impulses of human beings in order to assert, in a backward and thus Ahrimanic way, that which is connected with blood, tribal, national, and racial kinship, in a lagging and thus Ahrimanic way, to impair those other social structures of humanity that are to be formed on a completely different basis than, for example, the blood ties of family, race, tribe, or nation, so that today a considerable part of the work of these spirits consists precisely in the abstract emphasis on the principle of nationality. This abstract emphasis on the principle of nationality, this program-making on the basis of a principle of nationality, belongs to the endeavors of the spirits of darkness, who will be much closer to human beings, who will come much more intimately into contact with human beings than the backward spirits of the fourth post-Atlantean period, who belonged to the hierarchy of the Archangeloi. This will be the significance of this fifth post-Atlantean period, that these beings, who stand directly above the hierarchy of human beings, the Angeloi beings, will be able to approach individual human beings quite intimately, not just groups, so that the individual will believe that he represents things out of his own personal impulse, while he is — one might say — possessed by the kind of Angeloi beings that have been spoken of.

Let us once again clarify the nature of the aspirations of the backward spirits of darkness in the fourth post-Atlantean epoch, so that we may better understand the nature of these aspirations in our fifth epoch. I have already pointed out that in the fourth post-Atlantean epoch it was normal to build the entire structure of humanity on blood ties, on kinship. During this period, that is, in the Greco-Latin cultural epoch, the Ahrimanic-Luciferic beings who had remained behind rebelled precisely against blood ties. They were the instigators of the rebellion that sought to detach people from their blood relations. In particular — as you can already gather from general spiritual science — it was, in a certain sense, the descendants of the individualities that were still magically active in the Atlantean era who became rebellious individualities, rebels, heroes, precisely in the repetition of the Atlantean era in the fourth post-Atlantean era. In a special way, this Greek-Latin period suited these rebels. At that time, when a wise mystery guidance of human beings still existed, people were not told to avoid rebellious natures, to avoid the Ahrimanic, the Luciferic spiritual beings! They were not told that. Instead, it was known that it was part of the plan of the wise world process to put these beings in their place, to use them. Today, it is a weakness of many people that when they hear about Lucifer and Ahriman, they feel, for God's sake, we must avoid them! — As if they could avoid them! I have spoken about this often. Just as knowledge had to be imparted in the fourth post-Atlantean epoch, so it was brought to the people of that time. And the effect of the good gods, if I may say so, was already present in the blood ties to which people devoted themselves at that time — today it must be more spiritual — people devoted themselves to that mutual love which is based on blood relationship. In order to progress, rebellions always had to take place. This course of world development had to be made clear to people, as far as it could be made clear, in myths, sagas, and legends. The initiated were then told things in a different way, in a form similar to that which approaches people today. But people in the wider sphere of life would not have been ready to accept explanations for the myths. So they were told the myths, the exoteric myths, in which, however, deep and meaningful truths of development are hidden.

Let us consider one such outstanding myth, which is directly related to what I have just presented to your soul. let us consider the myth that tells how an oracle prophesied to Laius of Thebes at his marriage to Jocasta that his marriage to Jocasta would produce a son who would become his father's murderer and live in incest with his mother. Laius did not allow himself to be dissuaded from going through with the marriage, but when the son was born, he had his heels pierced and abandoned him on Mount Cithaeron. This son was given to a shepherd. The shepherd's wife named him Oedipus, after his pierced heels. You know how the story continues. You know that the boy Oedipus grew up, that his talents developed, that he was troubled early on by doubts in his soul about his ancestry because his youthful companions drew his attention to various things; that then the Delphic Oracle made a significant pronouncement. Studying it today is a painful business, if one can study it in its entirety. It simply says: Avoid your homeland, otherwise you will become your father's murderer and your mother's husband. - That was what was said to Oedipus.

But he was completely under the illusion. He did not know who his father and mother really were. He had to consider Corinth, where he had grown up, his homeland. Finally, he wandered away from Corinth so as not to cause disaster there, kill his father, and marry his mother. But it was precisely his wandering away, his setting out on the road to Thebes, that sealed his fate. On the way, he met a carriage in which his father Laius was traveling with a companion. He got into a quarrel, killed his father, continued on his way to Thebes, and his first act, as you know, was to solve the riddle of the Sphinx. This places Oedipus squarely in the context of the development of the fourth post-Atlantean epoch. For in a certain sense, the riddle of the Sphinx, the riddle of humanity, belonged to this period. So Oedipus was one of those who knew. He did not say to the Sphinx, “I am reluctant to reveal a higher secret,” but he solved the mystery. This brought something into the fourth post-Atlantean epoch as an impulse that continued to have an effect, in which Oedipus was involved. One could talk for hours and hours about Oedipus' solution to the riddle of the Sphinx. But that is not necessary today. We just want to make it clear that what Oedipus does there shows him to be a hero of the fourth post-Atlantean epoch.

Now he went to Thebes, married his mother, whom he naturally did not consider to be his mother, and was relatively happy until a plague broke out. It was the seer Tiresias who finally revealed the truth of the whole matter. Jocasta, who suddenly realized she was the wife of her own son, killed herself. Oedipus blinded himself and was driven out by his own sons, then protected by another, Theseus, in the grove of Attica until his death, and then rested in Attic soil. That is all we need to bring the Oedipus drama before our souls.

What does it represent to us? It represents how an individuality, the Oedipus individuality, is taken out of the blood connection, displaced, develops outside the blood ties, and then is transferred back into them to its ruin. We have before us not only a subjective rebel against the bonds of blood, but a human being who is, one might say, driven by the laws of nature itself to rebel against the bonds of blood, and who thereby provokes them against himself.

Try to look through Greek mythology for such people, for such heroes who are in a certain way placed in the blood connection, who are exposed to undergoing their development outside the blood connection and then bring in other developmental impulses precisely by being removed from the old, normal order. One such hero is Oedipus, another is Theseus, who protects him in the grove of Attica.

It is no wonder that in Greece it was not possible to tell the people what was actually behind these heroes, that they were the great rebels who are nevertheless necessary in the whole wise course of world development. Theseus himself, just think about it, there was also an oracle that approached the father, so that he had his son raised far away from him. The mother, who gave birth to him far from home, was told that when the young man grew up and could wield a certain sword, he should return. Theseus is again removed from the blood connection. He too — you know the legend of how he freed Athens from the tribute of young men who had to be sacrificed to the Minotaur, how he saved himself with the help of Ariadne's thread — he too solves important riddles of the fourth post-Atlantean epoch. And he became the protector of Oedipus. But Theseus is the one who abducts Helen when she is ten years old and keeps her hidden. So it is Theseus who is associated with Helen.

Behind these things lie profound developmental riddles of the fourth post-Atlantean epoch. The court lady of the 16th century, of course, reveals no more about these things than:

From the age of ten, she was good for nothing.

But with this, Goethe again points to something very significant. Goethe knew well that what lies behind Helen should actually be revered as Faust revered Helen. But it is precisely in relation to Helena that the worst forces of slander have been at work. Humanity could learn from such things, namely that what should be recognized, what is perhaps most exalted, can be most slandered.

I only wanted to hint at this to show you how Helena is mysteriously connected to those individuals who were the rebellious individuals of the fourth post-Atlantean period, who at that time had the task, in the sense of the wise guidance of the world, of breaking through the blood connection.

What about Paris, who is presented to us by Goethe – forgive the trivial word, but it is not meant to be trivial – in the scene of necromancy as Faust's rival, as Faust's rival, what about Paris? Yes, we are also told that he was the son of Priam and Hecuba. And we are told the strange story that his mother had a dream when she was pregnant with him. Here, it is not an oracle's prophecy, but a dream that contains a deeper wisdom. This dream announced to Paris's mother before the birth that she would give birth to a burning torch that would set the city of Troy on fire. That is why the parallel legend also speaks of an oracle that told his father that this son would bring disaster to Troy. Whether it was for one reason or the other, his father abandoned Paris. Paris is thus also one of the abandoned, one of those cast out of the blood community. He was raised in Parion, far from his blood ties. And there, according to legend, Eris determined the apple of beauty, and Paris was called upon by the goddesses Hera, Pallas, and Aphrodite to decide which of them was the most beautiful. It was even said that Paris was promised Asia by Hera, that is, dominion over the earth, for Asia at that time meant dominion over the earth; by Pallas Athena, military glory; and by Aphrodite, the most beautiful woman. Paris awarded Aphrodite the prize for beauty.

How significantly he intervened in the course of Greek affairs is described in the song, the great, meaningful song of Homer. In Paris himself, we have such an individuality rebelling against blood ties. He takes Helen out of the Greek blood ties and wants to transfer her to Troy. He wants to break the blood ties. Things are always connected in such a way that we see how, in the Greek heroic sagas, something is introduced into the development that is supposed to break the blood ties. For the blood ties, which are strong, powerful, and mighty in themselves, are what actually bring about the entire social structure.

A question that is particularly clear to us in this case should also occupy us for a few minutes now. Someone could easily raise the following question: Yes, what about human freedom when significant actions, such as Paris' abduction of Helen, are carried out because something like the dispute between the goddesses is taking place in the spiritual world above? Human beings then appear to be mere instruments through which what is not only prepared but also carried out in the spiritual regions above is accomplished. Yes, in a certain sense it really must be said that everything that happens here below through human beings is a reflection of what happens in the spiritual world. — The question of freedom then pounds mightily at the gates of human knowledge. Are we really automatons who, through our actions, reflect what is happening up there in the spiritual world? And again, what would become of the spiritual world, which is the guide and leader of everything that happens, if it had nothing to do, if it were inactive? Two things need to be understood. First, that the course of the world is truly guided and directed by spiritual forces and powers, and that nothing happens that does not come down from the spiritual world; second, that human beings have free will. These two things seem to be diametrically opposed. And indeed, this touches on a problem, a mystery that causes human beings an enormous amount of trouble, which they can hardly overcome easily, because that is how it is. Let us look up into the spiritual world—what the gods do are the actions of the gods, and human beings down here carry out the impulses of the gods. That is how it is. How can human beings be free in this?

Let me give you a hint of this problem with a few strokes — of course, one can only ever give a little of this problem. So let us assume: up there (it is drawn) are the three goddesses with their dispute, which is taking place among them. The result of this dispute is that the impulse arising from the actions of the three goddesses descends to earth. How this in turn relates to the higher hierarchies is not relevant to this question. What happens up there happens with absolute necessity. What Paris does, he does because the three goddesses have done their thing up above. You say: How is freedom still possible for Paris? – It is almost impossible! But the ray falls down to earth, so to speak, and there, on earth, there is not one person it can strike, but there are many it can strike. Suppose there are a hundred down there. Ninety-nine do not do the deed, but the hundredth does! Here, again, the mystery of numbers plays a role. People always confuse the fact that Paris does the deed with the fact that Paris only becomes the complete Paris by finding himself ready to stand where the impulse could take place. The gods would have found someone else if Paris had not done it. Then they would have told the story of someone else.

By taking a detour through the number, you arrive at the solution to this riddle of freedom. And if at any point in time none of the hundred below can be found, then the gods wait until one comes along; he carries out what the gods present to him. This does not in the least impair his freedom, because he could also refrain from doing it. Just think about this part of the problem of the number, and you will find that divine, necessary, wise world governance is in no way contradictory to human freedom. Of course, this does not encompass the whole problem of freedom, but it does encompass a part of it.

You see that those heroes of Greek culture who are placed in such a way that they are exposed already have some significance in the overall development of humanity. Remember: you will find in one of my lectures — I don't know if I have said this often — that such a legend of being exposed is also based on Judas, that it is also said of Judas that he was exposed in his youth; this is said of Judas Iscariot. This abandonment is what, in the language of myth, in the language of legend, refers to the insertion of rebellious forces that rebel against the blood ties of the fourth post-Atlantean epoch.

The region from which these things are impelled in the fourth post-Atlantean epoch is the region ruled by the archangelic beings. Therefore, the stories must be told in such a way that human beings have always been further removed from the influences that come from the spiritual world. It is always told how it is either an oracle that brings the message from the spiritual world, or how it is the direct influence of the world of the gods itself. You know, Helena is a daughter of Leda and Zeus, so the spiritual world is at work here. In our time, when there are backward, dark angelic beings, these naturally work, I would say, from a much more intimate relationship with human beings. And I already said yesterday: if one wants to discuss even hintingly various things that are connected with this working of the dark powers since the last third of the 19th century, one is treading on very, very thin ice. But from the whole context you can see that what was the right, normal development for the fourth post-Atlantean period, the search for structure through blood ties, is one of the impulses with which people in the fifth post-Atlantean period will have to struggle in their backwardness. To this, however, one must add, as I already did yesterday, that something completely new is emerging, whereas the fourth post-Atlantean period, in its struggle with birth and death, is a repetition of the Atlantean period. Now something completely new is emerging, created directly out of Maya, out of illusion. But we must understand this illusion in the right way. Maya has always been there, of course. For all consciousness arises from deception, as I have explained in my essay, which you will soon read in “Reich,” following on from Christian Rosencreutz's Chymical Wedding. But since the fifth post-Atlantean epoch, illusion, deception, has been present to a very special degree, because it will occur more and more in the form of people indulging in illusions. And these illusions have always been there, but they were connected with other powers: in the third post-Atlantean epoch with the forces of elective affinity, in the fourth with the forces of birth and death, and in the fifth the forces of illusion will be connected with the forces of evil; illusion, Maya itself, will be seized by evil. And all of this will be permeated by what I have already discussed, by cleverness, by intelligence.

It sounds paradoxical to say that it is good for people to be able to learn about all this, because only by growing through resistance can people truly attain freedom. This is easy to understand. But precisely that which is connected with the number five is always connected in this way with the unfolding, with the development of evil. And people will have to get used to understanding the outbreak of the forces of evil as the outbreak of natural laws, of natural forces, in order to get to know them and to know what is at work and weaving in the background of things. Do not regard evil from the outset in such a way that you want to flee from it in complete egoism; that is not possible. One must penetrate it with consciousness, but on the other hand, one must really get to know it, get to know it properly. Above all, in our time, a force is spreading in the realm of human beings that amounts to creating illusions that are harmful and disruptive. Here is a small example of such an illusion. In giving this example, I do not wish to take sides in any way, but only to give an example of the intrusion of illusion, of the illusory.

Suppose a politician were to appear today and want to speak out according to his innermost impulses about his position on the World Council, on the various things that are being asserted here and there. This politician would be prompted to speak out about the role of the British state, with the corresponding powers behind it, of which we have often spoken, in current events. A politician would feel compelled to speak out about this and make clear how he believes a proper relationship with British impulses should be established.

If such a politician were to say the following: It would be an unfriendly act against the power that rules the sea to paralyze its superiority. — What would you say? This politician states: There is a power that rules the sea; one must take a stand. But it is an unfriendly act to paralyze this power in its development, since it rules the sea. So let us refrain from this unfriendly act. What could one say about such a politician? I think the least one could say is that he represents power politics. Where there is power, that is where one turns, isn't it? At least, that seems to be the implication of his words. Today, one does not do that. In such a case, one does not stand up and say: I represent a policy of power, I align myself with the power that has the power – instead, today one says, if one defines it this way: I stand for justice and freedom and independence for all peoples.

These two things are said side by side: one advocates for the rights and freedom of peoples – and at the same time one says: one should only align oneself and not commit any unfriendly acts against the power that happens to have the power. — See how people get caught up in illusions! I have given you the example of the Swedish politician Branting, because he is the man who spoke in this way, a neutral politician. This is how a policy of neutrality is pursued, of course. There is no reproach in this, no partisanship, but only a description of how things must be today. Of course, one is enthusiastic about justice and freedom for all peoples, but one advocates such a policy. However, one does not admit that one advocates this policy because one has no other choice—that would be the truth—but rather one says that one advocates this policy out of a desire for justice and freedom for all peoples.

We must deal with such things today. It is not enough for anyone to be influenced by the fairy tales that are circulating around the world; rather, things must be brought into consciousness today. They must be taken into consciousness. Only in this way is it possible to connect with the impulses of development as we have described them. For you see, no age has been so little enlightened about itself as the present one, and no age has been in such need of enlightenment about itself as the present one! Just think, this present age was very proud of its great advances in all kinds of human thought. It had finally succeeded in finding impulses for the social sciences from the natural sciences. I have often spoken to you about the social sciences.

But go and look for what is still often said today by official bodies about educational issues, social issues, legal issues, and so on. Try to put yourself in the mindset with which people believe they are presenting their infallible truths, with which they want to trample everything that sounds different from any other angle. Part of what modern humanity has believed has led to the fact that, through the impulses of this modern humanity, through the impulses of illusion on the one hand — the impulses of illusion on the one hand, I just want to say — through the impulses of nationalism on the other hand, what has already happened after two years — now it has been over three years — in Europe. That was after two years; now it has been well over three years. And that is only the consequence of what has been lived out in false thoughts, in thoughts that combine illusion with destructive power. From many other things that are said about education, about legal issues, something similar will develop if it continues in a way that is not influenced by the spiritual being. Everything depends on the fact that this fifth post-Atlantean period necessarily requires an awakening of the spiritual forces in human consciousness. Criticism of the opposing materialistic view is only part of the zeal with which we awaken the spiritual impulses within us. And that is the main thing. For what is to happen among human beings must be undertaken by human beings. If we have made ourselves ready to stand where the ray falls, it will surely come, of that you can be sure! But this maturing can only happen through community. In the fifth post-Atlantean epoch, this will only be the case for individual human beings in relation to the idea. What will matter is the understanding that communities bring to these ideas. Hold fast to this thought, my dear friends!