In 1908, Rudolf Steiner gave a series of lectures about the Book of Revelation. He showed that the messages to the seven churches and the unsealing of the seven seals should be understood as references to initiation. In this light, the great images of the Apocalypse take on new meaning. Charles Kovacs helps us understand the apocalyptic imagery, including the four beasts, the four riders, the woman clothed with the Sun, and the New Jerusalem.
The Five Spiritual Events, Tasks and Beings of the First Half of the Age of Michael - An Apocalyptic View of Contemporary History
Author: T. H. Meyer
Pubpsher: Temple Lodge Publishing
ISBN: 1906999791
Category: Religion
Page: 100
View: 6792
‘Spiritual knowledge is not given to us as in ancient times. By spiritual means it must be struggled and striven for against a host of demons... We must therefore get to know the powers that would cover up and obscure all spiritual knowledge.’ – from the Preface ‘The world seems to be standing within a demonic storm that threatens to overwhelm it’, states T.H. Meyer at the outset of this rousing call for a wide-ranging, spiritual-scientific knowledge of the world. Appeals to traditional religious belief will no longer pacify this storm, and neither will ‘good will’ suffice. Building on Rudolf Steiner’s anthroposophy, In the Sign of Five tackles the central task of our epoch: the epistemological struggle with evil, and presents the five most important spiritual events since the beginning of the Age of Michael: 1879 – the rise of Michael to the rank of Time Spirit; 1899 – the end of Kali Yuga; 1933 – the appearance of Christ in the Etheric; 1998 – the assault of Sorath, ‘one of the greatest ahrimanic demons’; The present – the incarnation of Ahriman. These events are linked to the five main tasks of the Age of Michael, the great challenge of inner knowledge and spiritual consciousness posed by the epoch as a whole. In the light of world history, and within the context of ‘the sign of five’, we stand today at the fifth place – at the point of the incarnation of Ahriman. Is humanity prepared for this decisive event? Have we recognised the phenomena of evil that surround us on a daily basis? Have the tasks corresponding to the five events been identified, and to what extent have they been carried out? How is evil related to ‘the good’ that guides the world, and specifically to the Christ impulse? Meyer provides a vital, pithy, aphoristic handbook for our apocalyptic times.
An Esoteric View, from Luciferic Past to Ahrimanic Future
Author: Rudolf Steiner
Pubpsher: Rudolf Steiner Press
ISBN: 1855844834
Category: Religion
Page: 216
View: 2950
‘Whatever turbulent outward events occur in the world, whatever form is taken by things seeking to work their way out of the depths of human evolution, we only really hearken to the true, underlying nature of these events ... if we observe the world from a spiritual perspective.’ – Rudolf Steiner. In seeking to heal the many social crises of our time, Rudolf Steiner urges us to turn away from ‘fixed principles, theories or social dogmas’ and to rediscover the real nature of the human being. This inner reality – that cannot be understood in materialistic or deterministic ways – is the only basis on which society can truly be founded. But it is not sufficient to speak of well-meaning ideas, he says, unless we are also active in working for change; change that begins with each of us. In 1919, a year marked by strong social and political upheavals, Steiner was deeply concerned with questions relating to society. Having published a book on the subject (Towards Social Renewal), he embarked on a major campaign to publicize his ‘threefold’ social ideas. In addition to public lectures, however, Steiner sought to deepen the subject in a series of talks to members of the Anthroposophical Society. These lectures, gathered in this volume, reveal the ‘inner’ or ‘esoteric’ aspects of the social question. They complement Steiner’s very practical efforts to realize threefolding in the historical context of his time. Whilst Steiner’s suggestions for social change may not seem self-evident to pragmatic thinking, they will strike a resonant chord in many who seek deeper answers to the social problems of our times – problems that politicians seem unable to remedy. Amidst the many themes tackled here, Steiner addresses the issue of nationalism as a retrograde tendency; the tasks of Central Europe and Britain in relation to the East; the incarnation of Ahriman in the West, and the historical incarnation of Lucifer in the third millennium BC.
With this major work, Edward Reaugh Smith concludes his singular series on the Bible and Anthroposophy. Understanding the Book of Revelation presents the ultimate challenge to those who wish to penetrate its deepest meaning—a spiritual mountain whose summit has remained beyond reach to most people. Paradoxically, in spite of its name, Revelation is the most veiled and mysterious book in the Bible. A century ago, Rudolf Steiner opened a route to that summit. This book is the first extensive application of that priceless resource to the full text of Revelation. The substance of what Steiner tells us about John’s Revelation derives from the individuality who had that Apocalyptic Vision—he was a seer and visionary, and his account is esoteric and open only to such a seer. Smith presents Steiner as a seer who, for the first time since John wrote his Revelation, has penetrated the obscuring veil of this text. The scope of John’s vision and Steiner’s exposition covers the vast stretch of our human journey. Our ongoing involvement in that journey is not optional. We are each in it from beginning to end. This book is for those who would awake to it.
Journal for Star Wisdom 2016 includes articles of interest concerning star wisdom (Astrosophy), as well as a guide to the correspondences between stellar configurations during the life of Christ and those of today. This guide comprises a complete sidereal ephemeris and aspectarian, geocentric and heliocentric, for each day throughout the year. Published yearly, new editions are available beginning in October or November for the coming new year. According to Rudolf Steiner, every step taken by Christ during his ministry between the baptism in the Jordan and the resurrection was in harmony with—and an expression of—the cosmos. Journal for Star Wisdom is concerned with these heavenly correspondences during the life of Christ. It is intended to help provide a foundation for cosmic Christianity, the cosmic dimension of Christianity. It is this dimension that has been missing from Christianity in its two-thousand-year history. Readers can begin on this path by contemplating the movements of the Sun, Moon, and planets against the background of the zodiacal constellations (sidereal signs) today in relation to corresponding stellar events during the life of Christ. In this way, the possibility is opened for attuning, in a living way, to the life of Christ in the etheric cosmos. This year's journal begins with an article by Robert Powell on the relationship between the galactic center and Christ’s miracle of the healing of the man born blind, followed by an article by Estelle Isaacson about the life of the man born blind, whose name was Celidonius. She has also written on the “star of Lazarus and reading the starry script.” Claudia McLaren Lainson’s article “The Towers We Build” relates to the planet Uranus and events of our time against the background of the position of Uranus—in 2016, the same as shortly after Christ’s Ascension. She also honors psychologist and astrosopher William Bento, who died on June 5, 2015, with her “In Memoriam.” David Tresemer’s article, written with Robert Schiappacasse, expands on a short contribution from William Bento. Brian Gray’s article focuses upon the birth of Jesus—in terms of a stellar imagination—in relation to the three kings on the one hand and the shepherds on the other. Nicholas Kollerstrom contributed “Position of the Ancient Star Zodiac,” presenting his research into the original scientific definition of the zodiac. The article “Specters” by Kevin Dann takes a unique approach to “The Fall of the Spirits of Darkness,” the subject of David Tresemer’s article. The monthly commentaries for 2016 by Claudia McLaren Lainson are supported by monthly astronomical previews by Sally Nurney, offering opportunities to observe and experience physically the stellar configurations during 2016. This direct interaction between the human being on Earth and the heavenly beings of the stars develops the capacity to receive their wisdom-filled teachings.
This fascinating recollection of the early days of the Anthroposophical Society offers a unique perspective on Rudolf Steiner's work and his relationship to his students. Of particular interest to our readers will be the chapters on the Christmas Conference of 1923 for the foundation of the Anthroposophical Society. Hiebel attended the meeting, and his lively descriptions and warm style let those solemn events rise up again in our souls. He recreates the solemn, sacred mood of the laying of the Foundation Stone, and provides insights into the structure and meaning of the Foundation Stone verses.
A compact, accessible introduction to the basic writings of the great modern spiritual teacher who has been an immense influence on contemporary education, literature, art, science, and philosophy.
