Monday, 22 April 2024

"OCCULT KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE ANTROPOSOPHICAL 'MOVEMENT'- The Inward Task of Anthroposophy as well as the Spiritual Content of the New Christianity" by Willy Seiss (Translation-in-Progress)


List of Contents

1. Translator's Note
2. Preface by the Publisher
3. Occult Knowledge about the Anthroposophical "Movement" - Starting Point
4. On the Contents of the "Movement"
5. The Mission of the Movement - "The New Christianity" 
6. The Spiritual Union of the Beings of the "Movement"
7. The Education of the Aristotelians and the Platonists on Atlantis 
8. John on Patmos - His Schooling
9. The Son of Man as an Image of the Faculties to be Developed
10. Omissions and Shortcomings of Both of These Groups
11. About the Preliminary Stage of the Inquiry
12. The Contents of the Michael School in the First Third of the 19th Century
13. The Task of the Science of the Spirit
14. Knowledge about Reincarnation

Still to be translated:

15. Valentin Tomberg on the Necessary Development of Supersensible Faculties and on Research in the Theology of the Roman Catholic Church about Reincarnation
16. Alexander and Aristoteles in the Vision of the Prophet Daniel
17. Knowledge in the Mysteries, Is It Essential?
18. On the Genesis of the Oaths
19. The Presentation of the Exercises of the Oaths
20. The Virtues of the Knights
21. The Path Out of the Confusion of the School for Spiritual Science in Dornach
22.The Renewed Attempt by Steiner to Arrive at the Contents of the "Movement", which Over Time Was Attempted in Vain
23. The Riddle abut the Forgotten Contents of the Schooling by Michael in the 19th century
24. The Impact of the Ahrimanic Impulses in the Life of Anthroposophy
25. Once Again: The "Movement" is a Work of the Hierarchies
26. Concerning Further Development
27. Steiner's Willingness
28. The Assignment to Establish a Free School of Spiritual Science in Dornach
29. The Active Cosmic Spirit Michael
30. Michael's Battle Between the Earth and the Moon
31. From the Contents of the Michael School
32. Knowledge about the Classes of the Free School
33. Current Preconditions for Renewing Steiner's Impulse in the Anthroposophical Society
34. The Conditions for the First Class
35. The Conditions for the Second Class
36. The Conditions for the Third Class
37. How the Path to Hermeticism Can Be Traversed
38. About the Contents of the Individual Classes
39. The Spiritual Goal of the Second Class
40.  The Spiritual Goal of the Third Class
41. Retrospective and Preview as to How This Can be Done Spiritually
42. The Depiction of the Tasks through Conscious Human Soul Development since 1413 by means  of the Pictorial Wold of the Painter Hieronymous Bosch (1450-1516)
43. An Eternally Valid Advice

  
1. Translator's Note
This esoteric study from the Free University of the Lake of Constance  (later changed to Free Institute for Christian Hermeticism) is being translated from “Okkulte Erkenntnisse über die Anthroposophische 'Bewegung' - Der innere Auftrag der Anthroposophie sowie der geistige Inhalt des 'Neuen Christentums' (Achamoth Verlag 2004). The writer Willi Seiss, was the administrator of Valentin Tomberg's estate who he died in 2013 at an advanced age. He published his own anthroposophical works in the Achamoth Verlag (Tomberg Books) that he founded and where he defended Tomberg's Christology and Christosophy against perfidious notions that he (Tomberg) had become unfaithful to Rudolf Steiner and in the publication “Wer war Valentin Tomberg” ("Who Was Valentin Tomberg", not translated) he corrected false indications about the latter's previous incarnations. Where I believe his argument needs additions or updates, I have taken the liberty of adding footnotes with references to literature for further study in various blogs and with reference to my own observations and knowledge. This is a first attempt at translating this cryptically worded study. Suggestions for improvement are welcome.
The image above is from the painting "The Temptation of Saint Anthony"  by Hiëronymus Bosch. 

Robert J. Kelder


2. Preface by the Publisher

Through this study of what Rudolf Steiner referred to as "movement" and which in the anthroposophical parlance is taken over untested and thoughtlessly misused in all contexts in the Anthroposophical Society, a correction or misunderstandings could be carried out - if it were wanted out of insight. [1] For always where "movement" is spoken of, spiritual justification in the original sense of the content should be carried out consciously, just as this obligation should also express itself in the respective disposition and lifestyle of the agitators under discussion.                        

The same applies to further representations or assumptions in the administrative Council of the Anthroposophical Society as well as in large parts of the membership that equally needs 
correction. These can be found in the content of this study. 

The research results presented here fall exclusively under the assessment of those individuals who stand behind these inspirationally and intuitively completed spiritual communications. It is obvious that with a healthy human intellect, these contents can be apprehended.

The reader who has prepared the faculty of open-mindedness of his organism, or who himself possesses the capacity to do spiritual research, has herewith at his disposal an orientation grounded in the essence of the matter at hand.  On this basis, he could revise his views and possibly newly position them so as not to have to painfully correct them only in his forthcoming Kamaloka - as experience has shown.

Christmas 2003
Willi Seiss

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[1] This observation also applies to the stat of affairs in the Anthroposophical Society in the Netherlands as well as far as I can se in other national societies and the so-called working areas such as the Waldorf Schools, Bio-dynamic Agriculture, Anthroposophical Medicine etc., which is then usually summarily called the "Anthroposophical Movement". A correction in this parlance could also lead to the field of activity of the Anthroposophical Society finally taking shape, namely, not a special field but a general field of activity: the renewal of the foundations of human society on earth by means of the new principle of civilization, social organics, which was inaugurated by the re-establishment of the Anthroposophical Society by Rudolf Steiner at the Christmas Conference 1923, but which has since been severely damaged and would have to be restored and renewed (for more on this, see footnote 3).


3. Occult Knowledge about the Anthroposophical "Movement"Starting Point

At a time when various personalities - in partly very detailed publications - are trying to understand what Rudolf Steiner's real intentions might have been with the Christmas Conference of 1923/24, the following is remarkable. All kinds of publications speak of an "Anthroposophical Movement" without substantiation, entirely as if it had always existed and would have continued to exist after Rudolf Steiner's death.

A second remarkable form occurs in that the term "movement" is emphasized and timelessly connected with the Anthroposophical Society. In both cases, the substantive meaning of the "movement" does not emerge. If one follows Rudolf Steiner, then it is inescapable to account for what he called "movement" and ask about its sources and contents.

Now about the question directed to the spiritual world about the content of the "movement" asked from the one who was Rudolf Steiner, is said to begin with, the following:

"That is a difficult question that is not easy to answer. But this much may be said: Michael as an archangel took on the task of preparing the knowledge of Christ's coming to earth. This task had to be transferred to Rudolf Steiner, because as spiritual tasks is concerned, he could still take over those as well." (01/04/2003)

When it is said here that an additional task had to be taken over by Rudolf Steiner, for the sake of understanding it is necessary to look at his pre-born determined task.

For "Rudolf Steiner was a being who was given the task of bringing certain ideas to earth for development. These were three ideas, which would bring further experiences to humanity for life on earth - ultimately for its progress. (CW - ST 13.1/8, see footnote 3) About this there is a spiritual communication from Tomberg from September 1991 about Steiner's task. It said:

"Rudolf Steiner was sent by the FATHER to teach the world three ideas:

1. To bring the return of Christ to the understanding of man.
- For this purpose, he had to teach the whole earth-development and the different earth-bodies and everything that belongs to them.

2. He had to impart knowledge about the three occultisms, i.e. the eugenic, the hygienic or salvational and the mechanical occultisms.
- To this end, he was to teach what belongs to the seven cultural periods.

3. The third was to clarify the nature of the Bodhisattva of the 20th century. As the Old Testament culture proceeded from Abraham, so the already begun time will have to proceed from the culture of the Bodhisattva. Only then will it become light on earth. Such was the statement made by Rudolf Steiner."[2]

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[2] Quoted from Willy Seiss, “Chakra Werk : Letters on Occult Schooling - A Path to Higher Knowledge on the Basis of Chakra Science", published from 1991 to 1996 in 33 installments and only available in German as “Chakra-Werk” from the publisher Achamoth Verlag.


4. On the Contents of the "Movement"

In the sequel to the Christmas Conference (1923/24), Rudolf Steiner in Arnhem on July 18, 1924 points out that the "Movement" is "available in a certain current of spiritual life." Its contents would correspond to the "stages of development of humanity in the present time." They contain what is communicated as "anthroposophical wisdom." After its connection with the Society this wisdom served to record the "earthly projection" of that which spiritual beings have worked out and which is now to be taken up and realized in this Society.

Rudolf Steiner committed himself that this Movement and Society would be connected by him. This is a promise to the spiritual world (GA 240).  Steiner thereby says: "This promise will be fulfilled in an indissoluble way."  Further "...And after this agreement, something must emerge from that which is Anthroposophical Movement which has to come to fruition before the beginning of this [20th] century." And ... "so that which takes place also depends on whether the Anthroposophical Society understands to devote itself to anthroposophy in the right way."

This reference serves to examine whether the esoteric content given by Rudolf Steiner has been adopted, understood, transformed or realized in the "Administrative Society"' hitherto mentioned by him and shows that from this aspect no progress has been made."[3]    

How can this be substantiated? First of all, let us establish: Neither during Rudolf Steiner's lifetime nor after his death could his promise to the spiritual powers, who were and are the bearers and inaugurators of the "Movement," be fulfilled by the respective members of the Council of the Anthroposophical Society, nor by the members of this Society. One reason for this is that the bearer of the "Movement," Rudolf Steiner decided to leave the earthly plan already on March 25, 1925 (the date of his death was March 30), because he could not fulfill "the inviolable promise given by him." This inability to realize an assumed commitment was one of the reasons for Rudolf Steiner's early death. Thus spiritually was said:

"This was not to be, because the Anthroposophical Society and Movement were again separated. A repetition will not happen again.' (14/02/2003)[4]

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[3] Here a caveat must be made with regard to the work of Herbert Witzenmann, in particular his four Social Aesthetic Studies, only two of which I have translated namely:  “Charter of Humanity - The Principles of the General Anthroposophical Society” and “To Create or Administrate - Rudolf Steiner's Social Organics/ A New Principle of Civilization” Indeed, it is on the basis of this work that it can be understood that the Anthroposophical Society re-established at the Christmas Conference 1923 by Rudolf Steiner and his followers is potentially the greatest social artwork of the 20th century, but that it has since been seriously damaged by incompetence and unwillingness, as Reto Andrea Savoldelli has explained in Part II of his trilogy on Herbert Witzenmann's activity on the board at the Goetheanum, and that it should be renewed in the spirit of the times. The caveat also applies to the pioneering work of Are Thoresen and his mission to establish a Vidar School for Spiritual Science. See my article “Creating Future with Vidar - Personal-Superpersonal Reflections on the Turn of the Century of the Anthroposophical Society and the Working Visit by Are Thoresen to the Netherlands in January"

[4] My ongoing efforts from 2018 to restore the basis of Anthroposophical Society of the Christmas Conference both in Dornach and here in the country is, of course, not simply about a repetition of that meeting but about the form of the Anthroposophical Society as it was intended at the time that the Anthroposophical Movement, i.e. The New Christianity, needs for its nurturing and the question what could this form be now, considering the fundamental changes in the spiritual world since 1923/24. See, among others, the study blogs already cited in Footnote 3. 

5. The Mission of the Movement - "The New Christianity" 

As the content of the "Movement" Steiner mentions: "The New Christianity." This leads to the question: Was this "New Christianity" not already present in the Christian Community already founded in 1922? Or does Rudolf Steiner, two years later (July 18, 1924) after the founding of the Christian Community, point to a spiritual current of esoteric Christianity, which has not yet been brought to consciousness and expression and which has yet to be added to the Spiritual Science he represents?

This impulse, to which Rudolf Steiner referred Friedrich Rittelmeyer [one of the founders of the Christian Community] in 1920 and said that we would notice something of it after 15 years (1935), has at the same time a connection with the Michael stream, especially to "prepare Michael's way for his earthly-heavenly activity." Steiner called this the task for those souls who were to meet each other in the Anthroposophical Society.

The next question is: where and how can this "New Christianity" be found; when and through whom did this impulse try to reveal itself in the Anthroposophical Society? How did the inclusion and representation of the entity of Michael take place at the time of Rudolf Steiner and today in the membership mentioned above?

As early as January 12, 1910 in Stockholm, Steiner points out a task that Frau Marie Steiner wrote down in her notebook as follows:

"Around 1933 the Gospels must be known spiritually to such an extent that they prepared the way for Christ. An infinite confusion of the soul [of humanity] would otherwise have to be brought about. Around 1933 there will be various emissaries from schools of black magic, who will falsely proclaim [the coming of] a physical Christ. Christ is perceptible to other faculties every time He is to be perceived."[5]

The basis for this understanding of the Bible - not just knowledge of the Gospels - rested karmically with Rudolf Steiner in the elaboration of the three occultisms, eugenic, hygienic and mechanical occultism here in its application to the three parts of the Bible, the Old Testament, the New Testament and John's Apocalypse, something which did not become possible.

The reader familiar with Valentin Tomberg's work will recognize that it was he who completed this task by giving lectures in Estonia and, beginning in 1933, writing “Christ and Sophia”, twelve anthroposophical studies on the Old Testament, twelve on the New Testament and - as was planned - twelve on the Apocalypse. Of the latter, only three appeared.

As will be shown later, a spiritual battle against this Christological work and its author flared up - to this day - within the respective Councils and the members of the Anthroposophical Society under their influence - concretely speaking - a battle against Rudolf Steiner, his [aforementioned] reference from the year 1910 and regarding a "New Christianity."

For Tomberg's work indeed contains an essential component of the "New Christianity" mentioned by Rudolf Steiner, against which to this day [i.e. 2003] the evil means of slander is being countered on various levels by, as mentioned, members of the Council of the Anthroposophical Society and their followers under their influence who are unable to recognize facts and have remained fixed in their thinking.

How has this become possible in the Anthroposophical Society, where do these members of the Anthroposophical Society come from karmically, whose field of experience and experience with Christ has remained underdeveloped, even though they choose to refer to themselves today as "Michaelites"? [6]

In the lecture on July 18, 1924, mentioned above, Rudolf Steiner characterizes two spiritual streams, both of which had no concrete connection to the events in the lives of Jesus and Christ during their time on earth, namely the stream of the Aristotelians and of the Platonists. The Aristotelians had their essential incarnation with their main representatives during the time before the mystery of Golgotha; the Platonists after the mystery of Golgotha.

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[5] Harald Giersch, “Rudolf Steiner über die Wiederkunft,” p. 108, Dornach 1991.

[6] This refers especially to the Council member Sergej Prokofieff, who died in 2013, but whose virulent attacks against the person and work of Valentin Tomberg have since not been retracted by his colleagues.


7. The Spiritual Union of the Beings of the "Movement" 

A society that feels committed to further spiritual research must be looked at to see whether it can do justice to this task. Then it must be considered whether it is capable of dealing carefully with the spiritual content given to it by Rudolf Steiner. It is not permissible, not to say untruthful, if thoughts such as those of the "Movement" are entertained to thereby attribute to this society a characteristic, the contents of which it has neither examined nor shown itself worthy of.

In order to prove our above statement, it will now be revealed from the spiritual research of the Free School for Christian Hermeticism at Lake Constance who the spiritual forces are that lead the Anthroposophical Movement. In other words: Which beings carry the content of this "wisdom-filled Movement."

- In the first place, that was Michael. His task was to convey knowledge of the workings of the Fall of Man.

- Next was Yahweh as the guiding spirit of the Jewish people in the pursuit of purity of the blood..

- Then there were the beings of all the Folk spirits, including partly individual beings, such as that of a prophet - like Elias.

- Moreover, this was an activity since the beginning of Abrahamic times. Consequently, in the realm of the Exusia began the preparation of what became the vehicle of Spiritual Science.

- The being of the two Jesus boys was the bearer of this stream. Bearer himself was not Zarathustra alone.

- In the world of hierarchies, Sophia created the interpretation about the course of a worldview that again presupposes knowing in that form, which was previously expected by Michael after crossing the threshold.

These contents want to be conveyed to humanity. With this task, Rudolf Steiner was entrusted. He has always been a sacrificer.

Rudolf Steiner's further work now is an elaboration of the chakra laws, henceforth deepened, but not with that Society which sank into chaos.

Thereby new, already pre-ordained impulses arise. Nothing more will be said about this.

If one surveys the contents of that spirit community which form the movement, they evoke the Abrahamic time, at the root of which our - Christian - history emerged. Then individual people experienced  spiritual tasks - with a certain sacrifice in each case - to become active at work.

Here the task given to Rudolf Steiner to manifest the content of the "Movement" on earth becomes understandable.


8. The Education of the Aristotelians and the Platonists on Atlantis

If it is so - according to Rudolf Steiner - that a human being can only be understood, when at the same time is looked at his previous course of life on earth, then this applies also to those human beings in the Aristotelian and Platonic stream. Their task would be "to prepare for Michael the ways for his earthly-heavenly activity". These souls were - also according to Steiner - "over long, long periods" predisposed to come together. If one pursues today these long periods of hundreds, even thousand of years  - again according to Steiner - that served to prepare these human beings, then these groups are found in the various oracles of the Atlantean epoch.

Two spiritual schools educated these souls on Atlantis. Their difference was so great that a coming together of both groups and their education at that time had to be omitted.                    Thus the Oracle of the Sun educated the psychically sober Platonists  in their life body. The Platonists would have been predisposed to create the power of synthetic thinking in the man. However, their souls were too little capable of becoming enthousiastic for the real spiritual and thus their ideas remained foreign to the real world.                    PWith the Aristotelians of the Oracle of Vulcan the tragedy occurred such that serious misdemeanor - only seemingly harmless - caused karma in one's life body in the sense that offences against the life body drove one's earthly destiny to lower paths. Spiritually they were burdens emanating from the second sphere of the earth.[6] Below that region a subterranean power however also calls to pledge loyalty to it - and not the Christian scholing.
Concerning the Atlantic education of the Platonists is to say that they could not get over the Luciferic inspiration. The latter interrupted the activity of Christ such that no real revelation came about.                                                                                                                   With the Aristotelians the Aristotelian essentiality drowned in the volitional drive of the Vulcan Mysteries. Here, Ahriman as well as Lucifer were active. Therewith suffocated the original sense of the Aristotelians to steer the development of thinking into strong "I"- paths.                                  
    Heavy karmic connections exercised on the life body of these human beings as a result a deep desire to heal everything.

Both streams were active outside the experiental powers of Christ. Their views about the latter lack vital experience

                                       From the life of Christ the student recognizes the rank                                          that he has reached on the stage of chakra development.

This is no subject-matter before and after our present time at these two schools, the Aristotelian and the Platonic ones. To understand that it concerns an education of both groups, even though when is meant that such a statement is not to be made, since after all the important representatives of them were highly educated brothers, it is so that 

1. the question must yet be asked about their direct experience of Christ and

2. about the serious scholing of their brothers, so that the latter themselves come to individual, living supersensible learning and the ability to perform research on differentiated areas of the different worlds.

Neither one of these stages were reached.

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[7] Extensive relationships about the spherical forces of the interior of the earth and their harmful effects in human beings and their possible counter-effects form the occult scholing were published - to a great extent for the first time - and are found in the book Chakra Work of the author (see footnote 2).

8. John on Patmos - His Schooling

The effect of the further scholing was to come about through the School of Michael. He praised the fact of the appearance of the Lord by John in de revelation on Patmos. John was selected to let the bearers of both streams know who Christ was and how He appeared.
    The figure of the Lord floated as an image in the area of life.
This image was to be taken up by the soul forces to bring the effects by those not further developed to life.                                                                                   
    Only seemingly was this effect experienced. Free, personal views irritated spiritual vision. In reality, the representatives of both groups conveyed in meetings these irritations in vague images - instead of the life images that appeared in the signs of the revelation of the Lord in the way that they were revealed to John. These images appear today broken down in the etheric sphere where they can be perceived.
    How little, even how disregardful the signs revealed in the Apocalypse were seen and their contents recognized, is especially indicated in the period  - biblically speaking - of Sardes, the fifth post-Atlantic epoch. There knowledge about the development of the human "I" is asked as well as the purification towards the "White Cloth", towards Buddhi, so that Christ can acknowledge the name of this person before God as well as His angels, the hierarchies. (Apoc.3: 1-6).                                                                            
    The predetermined period for this development began in 1413. From this time on, that part of the soul out of the spirit should develop that is suitable to absorb, understand and is able to think the concrete spiritual. Such a [human] organisation was John on Patmos in etheric flows, on which was shown the One who stood in the middle of the "seven golden lampstands" like de "Son of Man". (Apoc. 1:13)

The Meditation image of John from the Revelation was to serve for the development of these two streams and for the understanding of Christ. Only the adoption of the Christ being could serve as a warrant for their education. (Apoc. 1: 12-16).                                                  Also as a preparation for the students of the Christian School, in the way that Steiner strove to establish it in the Third Class of the Free School for Spiritual Science in Dornach, was to create what that Being, the Christ, as a sign wore externally. Here is the task, the Meditation image of the Son of Man for the attainment of spiritual faculties:


9. The Son of Man as an Image for Attaining Spiritual Faculties

1. The "Garment reaching down to His feet"                                                                              The aura attracts pure light. Becoming a cloth, it generates warmth inside and radiates light outside. In blood all powers of Christ are active.

2. "And His chest was girded with a golden belt"
Willpower connected with pure thoughts is active around the middle region of the human being.Thinking and willing are determined out of the kern of the human being, out of the goals of the heart.
"Belt" is binding.
"Gold" wisdom in binding

3. "The head however and the hair, white as wool, as snow"
Snow, built from numerous snowflakes, is always an image of purity. But as every snowflake is an image again of numerous crystallized attempts of angels to try out a form of the future earth, this image of the head points to future structures of rest bearing goals within it.
    When man gives rest to his heart, the head heals itself. The head of the Son of Man is white,  so to say: the wisdom stream of the heart acts on the head. His white hair determines the stream of thought towards cosmic thinking. It acts as light in man, expressing the stream of light out of the conscious power of thought.

4. "His eyes were like flames of fire"
E.g. they irradiate the world, whereas it is normally the impressions of the world from which man sets his goals.

5. "His feet as glowing ore, as if glowing in an oven"
When man gives the stream of footwashing room in his etheric body, the latter "flows" starting from the head down to the feet. There it purifies the former. The conscious purification is such in which must be burned what inwardly advances towards the feet, recognizing the Double who darkens one's character, but who must be ousted.

6. "And His voice was like the rushing of many waters"
The goal of language is to regain the connection with humans or other beings The stream of language is the connecting stream in so far it inwardly conveys consubstantiality.
    A personal element in speech is given when for the sake of expressing content, it aspires the aid of the spiritual world. When however the spiritual world speaks directly through the speech of humans, then this union co-sounds with more intensive power from the spirits of speech. This language is then clear and powerful, like the thunder of water gushing down from a rock. Here is only to say for the sake of clarification that such resounding examples exist in history. 
    Everything is active. But this sort of speech is like thunder. There is no school of speech formation that can only suggestively convey this, because this experience only comes from the school of the development of the 16-petalled lotus flower.
    This example shows the requirement of such a school.

7. "And in His right hand he had seven stars"
The concept star is an indication pointing to the cosmos. In the region of angels the stars stand for the conscious steering of humans. Ether bodies are then consciously instructed from the Chela-activity of the Angeloi, e.g. the discipleship, connected to the "I" of the humans.
    Here it is Christ however, who holds these stars in His right hand. He shows by these angels that a being from the Trinity is directing here.
    Christ is thus active at the level of consciousness of angels. He therefore leads the realm of the seven cultures, the root races, from which humans are educated in life - or as volitional autodidacts. 

8. "And from His mouth came forth a double-edged, sharp sword"
The words in the mouth of a human being have a personal connotation. They are pensive words, in which the will is little indwelling. 
    Words which are spoken directly, e.g. which come forth from a stream of the Holy Spirit are not the words of man. Man is thereby a tool. He is an instrument of the Word. The process thereby is:
    When the spirit enters the chakra's, they are quickly moved into the center. They appear as in glowing power of fire. Here the will of man and the content of the speech of the spirit are one.   
    This content is like one cutting edge of the sword, causing injury by means of the word 
But when the spirit is inwardly active at dull chakra's, the edge of this word causes injury to the bearer. 
    Two edges are expression of an inner power: will and spirit are one. All chakra's operate then together. All of them serve  in a double sense the WORD and the word of the Holy Spirit. This has come about in the experience of those human beings, who are bearer of Christ.

9. "And His Countenance (was) like the sun shining in all its power"
The spirit in the life body, when it enters it, appears like beaming in the light ether.
    It is the goal of the development of the Chakra's that in the countenance of man these powers are expressed as condensed beaming, as goals of clarity active in the truth at the life body.
    Knowledge about the life body enables the student - when he masters the life body - to concentrate himself at every place of his [bodily] organisation.
    Sevenfold is the power in the light of the countenance when de etheric stream from the chakra's assembles there.
    Thus the image says:
By means of clarity of the powers of the chakra's there emerges in man an expression thereof, which is shown in the brilliance of the countenance.
    Bearing the spirit rejuvenates. Bearing the heaviest of spiritual burdens becomes illumination when the burden is borne willingly, e. i. when the will of man wants to be the bearer of a spiritual task. The will, spiritual knowledge - in so far as this wealth stems from Christ - as well as man, his being, are all in tune.

The work of the "Son of Man" is thus what John received.

Meditating on this image of the Son of Man will have to become part of the task of the student-to-be in order to receive from this figure the essential direction, way and truth  as well as life force. (CW -K 1.12/4-9)

10. Omissions and Shortcomings by Both of These Groups

This becomes understandable from their destiny. Various indications from Rudolf Steiner, as e.g. the following clarifies it:
"Much effort was made then by Aristoteles and Alexander, who wanted to work in a Christian sense, to overcome the Arabism living in Harun al Raschid and the other one. It did not work. These individualities were not suitable for it." (GA 238)

To substantiate this, Steiner mentions that these human beings as bearers of knightly virtues were not able to become real representatives of Christianity. Because spiritual life forces only take over the working of Christ, when previously Christ has been adopted in the human being. But only seemingly was this working experienced. Free, personal view irritated spiritual vision.  In reality, representatives of both groups conveyed in their meeting these irritations in unclear images - instead of the life images of the signs that appeared in the revelation from the Lord, as these were revealed to John and as these today apportioned are  perceptible in the etheric realm - as presented above.


11. On the Preliminary Stages of this Inquiry

This preliminary stage of an inquiry contributes to experience spiritual views, in as much as these can be experienced today. 
    These two streams were only seemingly the life bearer of culture. When recognizing these forces it is shown very soon that Rudolf Steiner - the bearer of the spiritual values of the Movement - had to experience how these values were misunderstood, misinterpreted and destroyed in that possessed spirits preferred confused views to the task of the hierarchies - who created the content of the Movement.
 
Both streams were only seemingly the soul bearers of Christianity. For the works of characteristic philosophers are thought forms, but no living experience of Christianity. It is not the way that is thought about Christianity that determines its identity: this theological way of thinking does not yet make a philosopher a Christian.
    If not at least the chakra of the 2-petalled lotus flower, constituted trough the substance of the life and light powers of Christ - in the way that in the bearer of this light effect from the 2-petalled lotus flower the I-am forces are active, so that this stream flows cathartically over the remaining chakra's - if thus not at least this chakra appears in one's consciousness, there can be no talk of Christ without a stream connected to these life forces.
    This explains why in the Aristotelian as well as in the Platonic stream Christianity - as Steiner said - did not work, was not effective.
    Further proceedings of these two works, of the Aristotelian as well as of the powerful Platonic realms, are under these features not to be the subject of further research, but rather the question what arose from their institutions in the further course of events, e.g. in the direct schooling by Michael.     


12. The Contents of the Michael School in the First Third of the 19th Century

It is difficult to get real spiritual insight into the teachings given by Michael in the period of his schooling in the first third of the 19th century. 
    The Michael School, sometime during the first third of the 19th century, connected in its lessons the obligation or the oath of the hierarchies to provide Christ with life forces for his activity on earth. This was the essence of his teachings.
    The Aristotelians were thereby at once shown the way for their soul development, e.g.  for their conscious apprehending and experiencing of their soul attributes. The goal of these signposts for this group of people was in earthly life; i.e. thus at their next incarnation:
    - to formulate the words in such a way that much could therewith be connected what outside the apprehension of the sensory world through sensory concepts would also make possible the connection with spiritual contents,
    - then to integrate life values into nature.
    Therewith was the time for the beginning of spiritual communications on earth predetermined.

Then the directives for the circle of Platonists were added. These were taught by Michael at their life body. 
    The teaching given by Michael by them consisted in bringing to understanding the conscious parts of their soul organisation, and to attain the beginning of the knowledge that in the life realm (of the life body) is necessary for living in the life bearer (Buddhi).
    Therewith is said: at the life body there are forces active from a world nearby Christ, but then also such heavy parts which could be affiliated with the Luciferic-Ahrimanic forces also present in the blood. This contributed by the Platonists to claim the exclusive right as representative teachers to give anthroposophical courses on earth.  

The realization of this schooling did not succeed, for by both groups the precondition was that to this end they had to first comprehend and experience their essential kern (the higher "I"). 

All that was needed therefore was given by Michael to both of these groups, so that they could have gone their way on earth. Therewith a part of this instruction is mentioned.

Furthermore, Michael instructed and taught about the hierarchies, the spiritual beings that comprise the Movement at the life work of Anthroposophy, as he also taught those human beings who were to responsibly form this Movement and teach within it.

Added to this werk of the Movement was a task that emerged from the demand to connect the appearance of Christ in the realm of the etheric world of the earth with a living experience of all those who were allowed to take part in Steiner's school.

Those beings were active under the reign of Michael from the circle of those Archangeloi, who encircled the earth in order to convey this impulse to the nations. On the other hand, this collaboration was determined by the tasks that resided with the hierarchy of the Exusiai. Therewith the Archangeloi  experienced the effect of the will of these Exusiai as well as the determination of Michael that Rudolf Steiner was to bring the work of the Movement to the earth. Through his will (Steiner's), Michael created. 

That quietude that arises from the work with Michael creates the basis with which a further aspect from the world of the higher Hierarchies could - were it wanted - manifest itself on earth. This aspect has remained unknown among the humans.

Those who were the Aristotelians did not yet see this world either. But neither that advisory body of Platonism  under the leadership of the entity of this mighty school of Zarathustra was yet comprehended in such a way that it could be awakened to the earthly destiny of Steiner. 

 That is how  Michael taught!

He - Michael - is to be found in the conscious path of man. If man succeeds in creating this consciousness, Ahriman in the centrum of the heart goes away from there, for life reality cannot be endured by him. In this way, man now bears through the meeting with Michael the burden of the Ahrimanic force, taking this on himself, to prepare the way for the heavenly Sophia at the life of the heart.

The path is thus:
Through Michael, therefore through Steiner is the path to apprehend the astral abnormalities, then in principle transforming them as well as changing their supposed loss through the stream of moral willpower,  so that Michael can remain at the core of man.
    Only now is fulfilled what Michael established in his school. Only now from this stage is a student a Michaelite!  
  

13. The Task of the Science of the Spirit

This task arose out of the spiritualization of the sciences, the natural sciences. Those souls from the period of the cosmic teaching of Michael were destined for that purpose, who had developed that knowledge for centuries. Thus,  it was attempted for the first time to develop anew that knowledge that had remained on earth,  even that knowledge about the evolution of the world. Anthroposophy posited itself through Rudolf Steiner in the world.
    It was however that anthroposophy, the archetype of the "Movement", in so far as the latter was experienced in the consciousness of the students, and in as much they remained loyal, e.g. spiritually loyal to the aforementioned supersensible being.

This loyalty was in no way kept and 
neither were the tasks from this anthroposophy fulfilled.

Consequently, the spiritual activity was again exposed to the weight of materialistic views. Instead, knowledge misused in long-bygone Atlantic times, gathered from possessed earth powers that at that time were vitally active, but a knowledge that was no longer to gain access to the earth appeared in essence again.

The central task of this group of people that would have had to spiritually transform this knowledge on earth failed, because repose in the life body but now in the heart, was not taken up, since too little memory and even.less willpower was directed to this task. 
Instead, Steiner's life work and of the impulse of the Karmic task were destroyed. Arousals were seen as dignity of man. In that way, a work was destroyed that had been prepared for centuries.

As a result karma will reign in the struggle of life. The prudent works receded and recede. That was it. 


14. The Knowledge about Reincarnation

The teaching in the rank of the Platonists was to make the idea of reincarnation from a spiritual view into an experiential subject-matter of the humanities.  Morality would therewith have been given an essential support that would have excluded all speculation from the lower discipline of psychology.

This part of the Michael School was essentially not understood, even though in the work of Steiner there was repeatedly reckoned with laying the emphasis on this subject in the world of the West. 
    Also the Church was given a task, which the latter failed to take up, if not intentionally omitted.  


15. Valentin Tomberg on the Necessary Development of Supersensible Faculties and on Research in the Theology of the Roman Catholic Church about Reincarnation

In connection with the supersensible school of Michael, Tomberg writes about the group of Platonists how by the latter a faculty would become visible from the memory of the Cult of Michael
    "... a karmic vision of the karmic past as well as a vision of the karma that future deeds will call forth.
    Karmic vision consists of a clairvoyance that can even investigate the karma of humanity. [See e.g. the faculty of Daniel in the Old Testament, in Daniel 2:28-45]. People will first remember their own karmic connections, then that of other people, and then it can go on and one.'
Then Tomberg characterizes the faculties that are developing in the two streams as a result of their remembering of the Cult of Michael:
    "The Platonists are people by whom the new clairvoyance in the form of karmic vision will come about. The Aristotelians will have clairvoyance regarding the natural sciences." [7[
However, these faculties by these two groups presupposed their remembering of the Cult of Michael as well as the development of their soul faculties, the goal of which was the experience of their own entity.

With that a chance was missed, the world of illusion  unfortunately broke in. Through conflict at the Goetheanum upheaval and heartlessness carried the goal away from those responsible for it.                                                                   
 (To be continued.)

 




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"OCCULT KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE ANTROPOSOPHICAL 'MOVEMENT'- The Inward Task of Anthroposophy as well as the Spiritual Content of the New Christianity" by Willy Seiss (Translation-in-Progress)

List of Contents 1. Translator's  Note 2. Preface by the Publisher 3. Occult Knowledge about the Anthroposophical "Movement" -...