One of the profound truths

Humanity should be aware that they also live in the non-sensory, astral space at every moment of life. Just as sensory facts can be seen with physical eyes, in astral space, for example, a wish that comes to you can be seen flowing out like a cloud. Every wishful thought emanates from you like a force and flows out into astral space. Some thoughts have lightning-like shapes, and others resemble fine cloud images. Arrows or benevolent cloud shapes form through the force in the thoughts; rays and star shapes also arise. Everything takes shape and form. Everything is pliable (proteus-like), constantly changing shape and colour.

From the shape and colour, one can accurately discern what thoughts the human being sends into space. If you send a wrathful thought, it travels like a lightning bolt from you through the air up to the astral body of another human being; this can be perceived. It depends on the intensity of the wish, whether the thought shoots rapidly through astral space and on the character of the wishes in what colours they appear. Hot-headed, furious thoughts look brownish red to bloody red; thoughts of a quiet, calm, reflective, benevolent nature appear in a deep blue to violet colour. Shrewd, logical thoughts can be seen as yellow star shapes merging into each other. To consciously evoke such thought forms in astral space is what the spiritual student learns as he learns the laws of the astral and mental worlds. The neophyte knows precisely how the thoughts he sends into astral space work. That is clairvoyant development: becoming increasingly aware and conscious of these facts and sending out only thoughts that benefit humanity. That is one of the profound truths to which anthroposophy leads people.

Source (German): Rudolf Steiner – GA 88 – Über die astrale Welt und das Devachan – Berlin, 25 November 1903 (page 76/77)

Translated by Nesta Carsten-Krüger

Painting by Nesta Carsten-Krüger

Things perhaps that are completely forgotten, but influence a man’s entire state of health and of mind

We would understand many human lives if we were to know what has entered the hidden depths during the course of life. We would understand many a human being in his 30th, 40th, 50th year — we would know why he has this or that inclination, why he feels so deeply the cause of his dissatisfaction — we would understand many things if we were to trace the life of such a man back to his childhood. In his childhood, we would see how parents and surroundings influenced him; what was called forth during childhood in the form of sorrow and joy, pain and pleasure — things perhaps that are completely forgotten, but influence a man’s entire state of health and of mind. For what surges and rolls down into the hidden depths of soul-life out of our consciousness, continues to be active there below.

Source: Rudolf Steiner – GA 143 – Reflections in the Mirror of Consciousness, Super-consciousness and Sub-consciousness – Munich, February 25, 1912

Translated by May Laird-Brown

RADIANT-PRINCESS  Art of Carol Herzer

Previously posted on 3 December 2018

It is taken for granted that anyone may express his opinion

It is taken for granted that anyone may express his opinion concerning all kinds of things which belong to a conception of the world, or life-conception. Everybody has his own point of view. Again and again we find that careful study, entailing the application of all means available to an inner activity, in order to investigate and know at least something of the world, counts for nothing in the present day. Instead, it is taken for granted that the standpoint of one who has toiled and worked in order, to venture to say at least a few things concerning the secrets of the universe is equivalent to the standpoint of one who has simply made up his mind to have an opinion!

Source: Rudolf Steiner – GA 143 – Reflections in the Mirror of Consciousness, Super-consciousness and Sub-consciousness – Munich, February 25, 1912 

Translated by May Laird-Brown

PLANETS ALIGNED – Art of Carol Herzer

Previously posted on 2 December 2018

Human beings in the future will not be able to live without spiritual science

Spiritual science is not something intended simply to satisfy our inquisitiveness. We are not sitting here simply because we are more inquisitive than other people about the spiritual world, but because we have some feeling for the fact that human beings in the future will not be able to live without spiritual science. All efforts which do not take this fact into account will become decadent. But life is arranged in such a way that those who resist spiritual knowledge at the present time will have the opportunity to approach it in later incarnations. But there must be outposts. Human beings who through their karma have a longing for spiritual knowledge already in the present can become outposts through this. You have this opportunity because there must be outposts, and you can be among them. Other human beings who cannot yet come to spiritual knowledge according to their karma, even though they do not reject it, will find later the longing for spiritual knowledge arising within them, more from the general karma of mankind.

Source: Rudolf Steiner – GA 143 – Conscience and Wonder as Indications of Spiritual Vision in the Past and in the Future – Breslau, February 3rd 1912

Translator Unknown

ANCIENT FIRE GODDESS – Art of Carol Herzer

Previously posted on 1 December 2018

Devachan

After the time in kamaloka, devachan time begins, the entry into the spiritual world, the homeland of the gods and all spiritual beings. When a human enters this world, he experiences a feeling that can be compared to the liberation of a plant growing in a narrow rock crevice and suddenly emerging into the light. When a human enters this heavenly world, he experiences inwardly utter spiritual freedom and henceforth enjoys absolute bliss.

For, what essentially is this time of devachan? You can imagine it if you consider that the human being prepares for a new life and rebirth here. In the physical, earthly world, the human has experienced and lived through much and has taken this with him. He has absorbed these experiences as the fruit of life, which he can now process freely within himself. He now forms an archetype for a new life on earth. This process takes place over a long period. It is the creation of one’s new life, and this creating, this creative process is intertwined with bliss. […] People experience joy in the world of devachan when weaving the fruits of the past life into the blueprint for a new life.

Source (German): Rudolf Steiner – GA 108 – Die Beantwortung von Welt- und Lebensfragen durch Anthroposophie – Breslau, 2 December 1908 (page 58)

Translated by Nesta Carsten-Krüger

Art of Carol Herzer