The Rudolf Steiner Archive

Questions And Answers I

[ 1 ] Should one conceive of spiritual hierarchies in terms of spatiality, given that they are described in terms of spheres of influence?

[ 2 ] We can say of human beings that the essence of each person unfolds within space. However, from an occult perspective, one must also conceive of space itself as something that has been created. This creation predates the works and effects of the highest hierarchies; we may therefore take space as a given. We must not, however, conceive of the highest Trinity in spatial terms, for space is its creation. We must conceive of the spiritual beings without space; space is something created. But the effects of the hierarchies in our world are spatially limited, just like those of human beings. What moves within space are the other hierarchies.

[ 3 ] Is time applicable to mental processes?

[ 4 ] Certainly; but the highest spiritual processes in human beings lead to the notion that they occur timelessly. The activities of the hierarchies are timeless. — It is difficult to speak of the “arising” of time: the word “arise” already contains the concept of time; one would rather have to say: the nature of time, and that is not so easy to discuss. There would be no time if all beings were at the same stage of development. Time arises through the interaction of a multitude of lower beings and a multitude of higher beings. In the timeless, various stages of development are possible; through their interplay, time becomes possible.

[ 5 ] On the Concept of Development.

[ 6 ] The concept of development extends across all worlds; for the Deity, however, it is different.

[ 7 ] What is the difference between the Luciferic and the Ahrimanic or Mephistophelean entities?

[ 8 ] The latter possess a stronger, more powerful will to evil. These two types of beings originate from different hierarchies. At the beginning of evolution, the beings were more or less on the same level; then there are those who lagged behind. The stages of evolution overlap. The Ahrimanic beings dwell deeper within the realm of evil and are drawn from the most diverse hierarchies; for example, some remained behind on the Sun, others on the Moon; those who remained behind on the Sun can make up for their lack of development on the Moon, those who remained behind on the Moon on Earth, and so on. Mephistophelean or Ahrimanic beings are those who stand higher or lower in the hierarchy of evil than the Luciferic ones; they are drawn from the archangels down to the Powers.

[ 9 ] Can elemental beings become human?

[ 10 ] There are beings that came into existence because higher beings failed to develop their physical bodies; as a result, these beings became constricted and turned into elemental beings. There are whole armies, whole multitudes of such beings. The lifespan of such entities varies greatly. They generally undergo a process of decline and disappear entirely from existence; for example, there can be no question of elemental spirits evolving to the human level.

[ 11 ] In your discussion of the etheric body, the Indian teachings are given so little emphasis; why?

[ 12 ] What Dr. Steiner said is common to all esoteric teachings. Esotericism is not an Indian doctrine, just as there is no such thing as “Indian theosophy.” In his writings, Dr. Steiner used the terminology common to all esoteric teachings.

[ 13 ] Do the Elohim still stand above the nine hierarchies?

[ 14 ] The Elohim are those beings who remained connected to the Sun when the Sun separated from the Moon and the Earth; they belong to the hierarchy known as the Powers, the Spirits of Form, and to the hierarchies above them. They are still within our sphere of evolution. Elohim is the collective name for the solar beings; at that time, they had chosen the Sun as their dwelling place—not as their sphere of activity. Christ, the Highest of the Elohim, is their ruler. However, he does not belong to the hierarchies, but to the Trinity. In Christ, we have before us a being so powerful that he influences all the members of our solar system.

[ 15 ] On the Second Coming of Christ.

[ 16 ] The Second Coming of Christ will be a very real event, and it will take place when a large portion of humanity is ready to recognize Christ in the form in which He will appear, so that this experience can truly mean something to people. For what matters is that as many people as possible will be able to recognize Him.

[ 17 ] About the Asuras.

[ 18 ] The Asuras—the evil ones—are beings whose will to evil is one degree higher than that of the Ahrimanic beings and two degrees higher than that of the Luciferic ones.

[ 19 ] What protection is there against black magicians?

[ 20 ] The best course of action is to try to preserve one’s freedom, exercise sound judgment, and rely on one’s reason. If one is always mindful of this, one will not expose oneself to danger, and one will then have nothing at all to fear from that quarter. Of course, since belief in authority plays such a major role today and there is a great tendency to perceive all sorts of things in a twilight state of consciousness, it is quite possible for black magical forces to infiltrate. Protection against them is only necessary once one enters a certain stage of occult development. In a properly conducted occult training that aims for the harmony of the soul’s powers, one already receives protective forces against such attacks. There are no general rules.

[ 21 ] Is there a difference between the group souls of bees, ants, and corals?

[ 22 ] Certainly; there are many degrees of difference. The group soul of the beehive is a very high being, higher than that of the ants; it is so high that one could say: it is cosmically precocious. It has reached a stage of development that humanity will not attain until on Venus. We must regard it as a precocious child; it stands out from normal development. The situation is similar with the group soul of the ants, only it is lower. The coral group soul is an even higher being, but also a precocious one; it is higher than, for example, the group soul of cattle. However, this level of development does not always fit into the time; many later stages of development are anticipated here. As a result, these beings are exposed to various dangers they are not yet equipped to handle. Occult zoology is very complex, and the level of development of group souls varies greatly.

[ 23 ] What hierarchies do the Greek and Germanic gods belong to?

[ 24 ] With the angels. We are dealing here with beings who developed their activities during the Atlantean era. At first, human beings lived together with these beings; they lived together with gods, for these beings did not withdraw until later and only became “gods” in the late Atlantean era. In Atlantis proper, humans and gods still lived side by side. The human line of development went downward, that of the gods upward. — Every hierarchy has countless degrees and gradations.

[ 25 ] What will become of the animal kingdom in the future; is it destined for a higher stage of development?

[ 26 ] The group soul of animals is evolving upward; it will become a different being on Jupiter. They will certainly not become human beings in the present sense, but on Jupiter these group souls will attain a kind of humanity. For the individual animal, there is no higher development, for the individual animal relates to the group soul as the bark of a tree relates to the sprouting shoot: it falls away, just as the bark falls from the tree; but the group soul ascends.

[ 27 ] What is the value of so-called prenatal education?

[ 28 ] A mother has many things to keep in mind during pregnancy. In today’s world, where mothers are unaware of all this, very important precautions are being neglected. The first ten (lunar) months of life on earth can be the period during which something very good is taken away from a person. Today, the task of preventing this falls to the gods; later, when people have become more mature, it will fall to them. Out of great wisdom, the gods have removed the first ten (lunar) months of human development from human influence. People should be glad that they cannot interfere with prenatal development. If the mother’s life is ordered in such a way that it corresponds to a certain ideal in thinking, feeling, sensing, and willing, then that is surely also best for the child.

[ 29 ] On Volcanic Development.

[ 30 ] What can be said about this is that this development is not yet complete; but we will be content to know what is happening there, once the time is right for us. For as development progresses, even the concept of development itself evolves.

[ 31 ] On the Relationship Between the Humanities and Modern Science.

[ 32 ] In the facts of modern science you will find evidence for spiritual science; it is only the theories that do not lead into the realm of spiritual science, but rather lead away from it. Today’s science is not being attacked; rather, its achievements are acknowledged. But we must clearly and sharply draw the line between how one enters spiritual science and how one is led away from it.

[ 33 ] Is blood relation related to karma?

[ 34 ] The fact that a person is born into a particular family is karmically determined; it may be the fulfillment of past karma. But a person can also create new karmic connections. Through what we do today, we create them for ourselves. People who are truly connected to one another meet again and again. The fact that we are born into a particular environment is an expression of past karma. However, one does not always have to remain connected to those with whom one is related by blood. Spiritual bonds, formed from family ties, bring people together again. - Such things, however, change with the various cycles of human development; blood ties are beginning to have less significance than in the past, and they will continue to lose this significance. In the course of human development, they are becoming increasingly less significant

[ 35 ] the bond of blood.

[ 36 ] About the dispute in the sky.

[ 37 ] During the conflict in the heavens, it was not the worst or most incompetent powers that were singled out and “dismissed.” In the mystery play, even initiates were made to wear the masks of the opposing forces to make this clear to the student. A wise person should measure themselves against another wise person who is on the path of error.

[ 38 ] On the Negative and the Positive.

[ 39 ] Humanity will increasingly come to realize that pettiness, folly, and the like have significance only in the physical world and will die with humanity; goodness, on the other hand, as the positive, will remain eternal. The occultist bases his understanding here on great universal laws, for example—and this may sound trivial—on the law by which herring reproduce in the sea. Herring eggs perish in vast numbers: the negative is a necessary accompaniment of becoming. — This should not prevent us from doing what is positive time and again. No matter how many opposing forces there may be: what must be done must be done.

[ 40 ] On the Meaning of Suffering.

[ 41 ] Suffering is a concomitant of higher development. It is something one cannot do without in order to attain knowledge. One day, people will say to themselves: I am grateful for the joy the world gives me. But if I am faced with the choice of whether to keep my joys or my sufferings, I will want to keep the sufferings; I cannot do without them for the sake of knowledge. After a certain time, every suffering presents itself in such a way that one cannot do without it, for we must regard it as something inherent in evolution. There is no development without suffering, just as there is no triangle without angles. When Christ-harmony is attained, we will realize that all previous sufferings were necessary preconditions for this harmony. For Christ-harmony to exist, suffering must exist; it is an absolute factor in development.

[ 42 ] By overcoming egotism, a person overcomes the feeling of being oppressed and paralyzed. In this phenomenon, one can see something positive: strength born of inadequacy. Thank God that I am encouraged to continue acting by an inadequate deed—that is, by its failure! Human striving is not an indeterminate lottery of fortune. Only those whose free will turns away from the destiny of the human being remain unredeemed. In the synthesis of the world process, suffering is a factor.

[ 43 ] What will the Theosophical Movement mean in the future?

[ 44 ] Something very useful, and it will become clear that those who use it as a battering ram of progress are mistaken.