Michaelmas and the Soul-Forces of Man

LECTURES & SYNOPSES:

September 27 — How shall man, the earth citizen, once more become a citizen of the cosmos? The expansion of life's horizon into cosmic reaches. Philosophic aspects and impulses determining the human being in the picture of Michael's Conflict with the Dragon.

September 28 — Present-day man as a world hermit. The way back to spirit through the Michael force. Enchantment and liberation of the elemental beings. Man's responsibility to the cosmos. What is demanded of us is a profound faith in the spirit that will make us into instruments of the divine-spiritual forces. Experiencing spirit through pure thought leads to inspiration.

September 30 — Prerequisites of the inauguration of an autumn festival: penetrating extra-terrestrial, cosmic contexts; experiencing the course of the seasons. The Druidic and the Mithras Mysteries; the sun circles and cromlechs. Observation of the sun yielded knowledge of the connection between heaven and earth. The language of the heavens was deciphered and the cult gave directions regulating practical and social life, thereby becoming a sort of divine service — the image of the Bull in the Mithras cult, and the schooling of the neophyte's capacity for sensitive perception: the heart as a sense organ was raised to a certain degree of consciousness. Through the heart organization the course of nature was perceived within man, and through the heart science the spirit of the sun's annual passage through the zodiac was studied. In this way men read in the heavens what was to be done on earth — Concerning the cosmic-historical evolution of the planetary system.

October 1 — We need realistic thinking in place of mere methods of calculation. The far-reaching social significance of a Michael Festival. Earth spirit and human spirit. The cosmic breathing process. Nature-consciousness, self-consciousness, and spirit-consciousness.

Rudolf Steiner

Rudolf Steiner (b. Rudolf Joseph Lorenz Steiner, 1861–1925) was born in the small village of Kraljevec, Austro-Hungarian Empire (now in Croatia), where he grew up. As a young man, he lived in Weimar and Berlin, where he became a well-published scientific, literary, and philosophical scholar, known especially for his work with Goethe’s scientific writings. Steiner termed his spiritual philosophy anthroposophy, meaning “wisdom of the human being.” As an exceptionally developed seer, he based his work on direct knowledge and perception of spiritual dimensions. He initiated a modern, universal “spiritual science” that is accessible to anyone willing to exercise clear and unbiased thinking. From his spiritual investigations, Steiner provided suggestions for the renewal of numerous activities, including education (general and for special needs), agriculture, medicine, economics, architecture, science, philosophy, Christianity, and the arts. There are currently thousands of schools, clinics, farms, and initiatives in other fields that involve practical work based on the principles Steiner developed. His many published works feature his research into the spiritual nature of human beings, the evolution of the world and humanity, and methods for personal development. He wrote some thirty books and delivered more than six thousand lectures throughout much of Europe. In 1924, Steiner founded the General Anthroposophical Society, which today has branches around the world.