The Spiritual Hierarchies
GA 110
Düsseldorf, April 17, 1909
Lecture VIII
[ 1 ] To-day we have reached a point in our description of the higher Beings and their relations to our world and solar system, which, to the men of the present day who have received their ideas about the world from ordinary popular science, would seem the most impossible of all; for we shall have to touch on things of which the modern scientist can have no idea. This is naturally not the result of any feeing of opposition; but if one is firmly grounded in Occultism one can survey from this standpoint the facts of modern science. In what has been said in these lectures you will nowhere find anything which contradicts the facts of modern science, but naturally the harmony is not always easy to establish. But if you have the patience to follow it all, you will gradually see how all the separate facts combine to form one stupendous and harmonious whole.
[ 2 ] Much that has been mentioned in these lectures has been also demonstrated from different standpoints, in lectures held in Stuttgart, and in Leipzig; and if you take those lectures and compare them superficially with each other, you may indeed find some contradiction between this or that expression. This happens only because it is my task to speak in these lectures not of speculative theories, but about the facts of clairvoyant consciousness, and because facts appear in a different way when they are considered from one side or from another. To use a comparison — a tree you are painting from one side will appear different when you paint it from the other side, yet it will still be the same tree. It is the same with descriptions of spiritual facts, when the light is turned on them from different sides. Certainly, if one starts with one or two ideas only, and builds a whole system upon them, it is easy to form an abstract system; but we are working from below upwards, and the unity of the whole will first be revealed in the crown. With each statement you must reflect in what sense, and in what direction it has been made.
[ 1 ] When it is said, for instance, in a popular work, that the air and gas on Jupiter are as thick as tar or honey, and that from the point of view of spiritual science this is a grotesque idea — the turn of phrase which I used was intended to convey its grotesqueness — one can from the standpoint of the science of the present day certainly answer: do you not know that modern physics can produce air of such thick condition that it will be as thick as tar or honey? Certainly, this is a self-understood fact in science; but this is not the point, for these studies do not move along these lines. That which science calls air can certainly be thickened to that extent; but for the observations of spiritual science it is nothing more nor less than that other fact, that water can be made to become as hard as a stone — to become ice. Ice is certainly water, but the point is whether one considers the things in their living functions or in the lifeless, inanimate sense of modern science. It is self-understood that ice is water; but if someone who is accustomed to have his mill turned by water throughout the whole year was advised to move it by the means of ice, what would he say? Thus, we have not to do with the abstract idea that ice is water, but what we have to do is to comprehend the universe in its activity. Here quite different standpoints have to govern as to what one entertains in the abstract about purely material metamorphoses in relation to density. Just as one cannot move a mill by means of ice, one also cannot inhale air which is as thick as honey. This is what we have to consider in the study of spiritual science. For we do not look on the world globes in the way they are considered to-day as lumps of matter of different sizes moving about out there in universal space; and in which the modern astronomical ‘mythology’ sees only material globes. We consider them in their living soul and spirit existence, in other words, we consider them in their completeness. Thus in this completeness we have to consider that which we call, in the spiritual scientific sense, the origin of each single globe.
As an example of the origin of a heavenly body, we shall choose that ancient Saturn from which, we know, our evolution started. I have already told you that ancient Saturn was, fundamentally speaking, as large as the whole of our solar system. We must imagine ancient Saturn not merely as a material globe, for we know that it had nothing as yet of the three conditions of matter which are called to-day solid, liquid and gaseous, but that it consisted only of warmth or fire. And now let us imagine that this primeval globe of warmth is the circle a, b, c, d.
You remember that we said: when the Saturn globe had evolved to the Sun globe, there distinctly appear encircling it, those Beings, who form the Animal circle or Zodiac, but I indicated at the time, that, even though they did not surround it so compactly as they did in the Sun existence, that they were already there on ancient Saturn. Thus, around ancient Saturn we must think of the Thrones, Cherubim and Seraphim wielding their power, and they are to us, in the spiritual sense, the Zodiacal circle. Thus the line A-B-C-D represents for us the Zodiacal circle, in a spiritual sense.
You will ask how this agrees with the modern definition of the Zodiac. We shall see that it agrees with it completely. But you must represent it to yourselves as follows. Imagine that you could place yourself on some definite spot of that ancient Saturn globe. If you now lift your hand and point upwards with your finger, over that place is the region of certain Thrones, Cherubim and Seraphim. If you move on, and point to some other place, it will be another region of other Thrones, Cherubim and Seraphim; for these three groups of Beings form a circle around the ancient Saturn. Suppose that you wanted to indicate the direction in which certain Thrones, Cherubim and Seraphim are to be found. They are not all alike; but each one is very distinctly different from the other, they are all individualised, so that one indicates different Beings when one points with the finger to different places. And to be able to indicate the right Thrones, Cherubim, Seraphim, one marks the spot by a certain constellation of stars. This is then a mark or sign. In this direction one would say are the Thrones, Cherubim, Seraphim, called Gemini, in another those called Leo, and so on. These are signs to show the direction in which certain Beings are. We must consider those separate constellations as such signs. They are something more, but we must first be clear, that when we speak of the ‘animal circle’ or Zodiac, we have to do with spiritual Beings
[ 3 ] The Thrones were the first to exercise their activity upon that fire formation which was ancient Saturn. The Thrones had progressed so far in their development, that they could let their own substance stream out. They let their warmth substance percolate, as it were, into that Saturn mass. Through this, those forms originated around it which we have called, somewhat grotesquely, eggs — but they really had that shape.
[ 4 ] You may now ask: How is it really with that substance? Did warm sub-stance exist from the beginning? What was there already, we can only describe as a kind of neutral universal fire, which is, fundamentally speaking, one with universal space, so that I might as well say: formerly there was only the space which had been separated off, and then on to its surface percolated that which can be called the warmth substance of ancient Saturn. In the moment when this warmth substance was infused into Saturn, the Beings with which we are concerned, came into action on both sides. We have shown that, in the interior of Saturn, we find the Exusiai, or Powers, or Spirits of Form; the Dynamis or Spirits of Motion or Mights; and the Dominions or Spirits of Wisdom. These are active in the interior; from outside, the Seraphim, Cherubim and Thrones are active; and the result is a conjoint action of the Beings inside, and outside Saturn. [ 5 ] It was said in an earlier lecture that we can distinguish the inner soul's fire, which is felt as an inner comfortable warmth, from the outwardly perceptible fire. This neutral warmth is really within the Egg forms. Opposed to it we find the soul warmth, spread around it, radiating into it from outside, but as if holding itself back. It is as if the soul's warmth radiated from outside, but held itself back from the neutral fire within. The really perceptible warmth is pushed back from within. So that the egg of warmth which is drawn in Diagram I is really shut in between two currents; an external (x) stream of soul-warmth, and a stream of inner (y) warmth, which could be perceived by external senses. Only that which is in the interior, is warmth, physically perceptible. And now through the action of the inner and outer warmth, each of these Saturn eggs begins to rotate. Each of them circles round, and comes in turn under the influence of each of the Thrones, Cherubim, and Seraphim, which are out in space. And now something very strange happens.
Each egg in its wanderings, comes back to the point where it was first formed. When it reaches this point it remains stationary, it cannot go any further. Each egg has been formed on some definite spot, then wanders round the circle and is stopped when it returns to the place where it has been created.
The production of those eggs of warmth lasts, however, only up to a certain time; it then ceases and no more eggs are formed. Now when all those eggs are stopped at a certain place, they fall over each other. When they have covered each other up, they form, so to speak, one single egg. Thus on the point where the eggs were originally created, they come to rest. And, naturally, from the moment when no new ones are formed any more, they all meet and in the end, cover each other. Thus a globe is formed. This globe is naturally formed only by degrees. It is the densest part of the fire substance, and that which in a narrower sense is now called Saturn, (for it stands on the spot where the Saturn of to-day is). And as in a certain sense everything is a reflection, the whole process has been repeated in the origin of our own earth. Even the Saturn of to-day originated in such a way that it was actually stopped at a certain place — not exactly at the spot where the ancient Saturn was stopped, because for certain reasons things always shift a little, but the process of formation of the present day Saturn is the same. Thus a small Saturn-globe is born from the large all-embracing one, through the joint action of the universal powers who belong to the Hierarchies.
[ 6 ] Now let us consider that point at which all those globes came to a stand-still on primeval Saturn. About this the sages of primeval wisdom taught the following: On ancient Saturn the first foundation of the human physical body was formed. That first foundation was really formed of warmth, but in that body of warmth were already contained the germs of all the future organs. At the point where the first movements which had been produced were brought to a stop, was formed the germ of that organ of the human body which, when its movements were one adjusted, later changed the whole mechanism of the human body from rest to movement — this is the heart. Here, from the first stimulation to movement, arose the beginning of the heart; but this could only originate because at that same point the movement was brought to a standstill. Through this, the heart is that organ by which, when it ceases to beat, the whole physical body and its functions are brought to rest.
[ 7 ] Each member of the human body was given a distinct name in ancient speech. The heart was called the Lion within the body. Primeval wisdom said: to which direction of the Zodiac must one point, if one wishes to indicate the region out of which were laid the first foundations of the human heart? They pointed upwards, and named the Thrones, Cherubim and Seraphim who acted from the region of Leo (Lion). Man received the first outline of his physical body projected from out [of] universal space, and the region of his body, which he was accustomed to call inwardly, Leo, was also called the region of Leo out in the Zodiac Thus are these things connected.
[ 8 ] Thus also have all the other foundations or germs of the human organs been formed by the Animal Circle or Zodiac. The heart was formed by Leo the Lion. Near the heart, the cage of the ribs, which is necessary for the protection of the heart, was called the breastplate. In the beginning a region had naturally to be formed before the inclusion of the heart. Another name for the breastplate arose, which was taken from an animal who had received such a breastplate from nature — Cancer, the Crab; that which is out in space is really called ‘breastplate,’ a protection which the Crab has from nature, hence that region was called ‘the Crab.’ It lies on one side of the Lion. [ 9 ] The other regions of the Zodiac were named according to the same principle. In fact, it is man projected outwards into universal space who has given these designations to the Zodiacal circle. But it is not always so easy to discover the original intention, in the transformed names, as for example, with the Crab. The name has not always been transmitted in a direct line, so that one has to return to the original sense if the meaning is to be made clear.
[ 10 ] We shall pass over the disappearance or dissolving of Saturn; we shall now describe how its evolution progressed after it had passed through the Pralaya. After the Saturn formation had dissolved, a new evolution, or new formation, began. What first took place was exactly the same as that which had formerly taken place on Saturn. When the whole formation of Saturn had been repeated in this way, a second formation began, after the centre had been reached. We are now advancing towards that stage of development which we generally designate as that of the primeval Sun. Just as, formerly, the Thrones sacrificed themselves, so now, another grade of the Hierarchies are making the sacrifice, namely, those Beings whom we call Spirits of Wisdom. The Thrones are Beings of greater power; they could let their own physical substance stream from them, their warmth substance. They could pour out the substance of Saturn from their own bodies — as has been described. The spirits of Wisdom were only able to give an etheric body, which is not so dense. Man already had the foundation of the physical body; the Spirits of Wisdom gave him now his etheric body. This happened, as it were, in a second circle. I shall now draw this in Diagram III. This represents the original size of the ancient Sun. It has shrunk in comparison to the former larger circumference. Because it has shrunk it has grown denser; inside the Sun there is not only warmth-substance, but also condensed warmth-substance, gaseous-air substance. Now, from the surrounding circumference, along with the previously mentioned Beings, the Spirits of Wisdom are working upon the Sun: together and within the globe of the Sun the Spirits of Form, and the Spirits of Motion are carrying on their activity. The following now happens, which is similar to what happened on Saturn. Certain currents are created by the surrounding spirits — the Spirits of Wisdom and the Thrones. These currents are somewhat denser than those which were produced by the Thrones alone. Inside, the mass contracts, and a ball of mist is now compressed between those two streams.
[ 11 ] This globe is different from the Saturn globe, because in reality Saturn with all its beings consisted only of warmth, but this globe is now interpenetrated by ether, by a body of ether. Although it is as dense as gas, it is interpenetrated by an ether-like body. Therefore, the whole of this globe is alive; it is a Being inwardly alive. Whilst Saturn was a being which was in motion inwardly, which was full of mobility, until its motion was brought to a standstill by the Lion, Jupiter, (one can also call it Jupiter, for the planet seen in the heavens as Jupiter is a reproduction of that which was formed at that time as part of the Sun) Jupiter is inwardly living. Such was the ancient Sun. The balls which now begin to circle round it, are living balls, living creatures.
[ 12 ] Now, instead of the Lion, imagine another region of the Zodiac where those balls were originally stimulated and called into being; I called this region that of the Eagle. In this region occurred the first stimulation into life of the Sun-globe, of that living being within cosmic space. Now, when this living globe had once completed its circle and returned to its starting point, to the region of the Eagle, something else comes into operation. Whilst the globe had first begun to be inwardly alive at this point, when it reaches the same point again it is killed through the same influence which originally called it to life. One ball after another was killed. When they all had been killed, and no new ones were produced, the life of the ancient Sun also came to an end. Its life consisted in the production of new balls, which, after circling round, covered each other at the point they started from and were killed by forces entering from universal spaces.
This ‘sting of death,’ which the life of the ancient Sun received from universal space, was felt as the sting of the scorpion. Therefore that region where they were killed is called the ‘region of the Scorpion.’ At this point the constellation can be seen which rouses dead matter to life: the Eagle and also that wherein work the forces which kill: the constellation of the Scorpion
[ 13 ] We can therefore say: in the region of the Lion are those forces of the Zodiac, which brought the original life of the germinal physical human body to rest; in the region of the Scorpion are these forces which had the power to kill life as such. We shall get to know the correspondence to modern conditions, which are differently constituted, but this can only be explained gradually. A thick veil or Maya has been drawn over the original conditions.
[ 14 ] Let us proceed. We need not describe the next conditions so much in detail, for the meaning of these designations and the whole procedure has now grown clearer. But one thing must yet be recalled to your mind which is the following.
When you consider Saturn, you would be quite mistaken if you imagined it to be a globe such as could be compared with any other world's globe, with Jupiter or Mars, for instance. What is there is nothing more than a space of warmth. And you can see it in the way you do only because you are looking at it through an illuminated space of light. Just think, how would a thing that is unilluminated appear if you looked at it through a space full of light? It would appear bluish to you. You can observe this with common candle-light; it looks blue in the middle and around it there is a kind of radiance. I say this, being conscious that I run the danger of appearing to be talking nonsense in the opinion of the whole school of mechanical optics of modern times. But it is a fact. Modern physics does not know why the whole space of heaven appears blue. It seems blue, because in reality it is dark, is black, and is seen through illuminated space. All that is dark, seen through light, appears blue. Therefore, Saturn seems a blue globe when you look at it. All that has been said agrees completely with the facts of science, but not with the fanciful theories which are imagined. It would lead us too far if I explained to you why the ring formations of Saturn also arise because of this, because with each Saturn we have to do with a neutral space of warmth, a stratum of soul's warmth, and with one of physically cognisable warmth. Thus the illusion arises, when one observes those different strata through illuminated space; it is as if one saw a globe of gas with a sort of ring of dust around it; it is but an optical delusion, for Saturn is to-day but a body made of the substance of warmth.
[ 15 ] These things can naturally only be said, when speaking to Anthroposophists, elsewhere they would be incomprehensible. Each Saturn must be regarded. as a being consisting of warmth substance, and everything connected with it is to be explained from that standpoint. Each Jupiter, which is nothing else than a Solar stage of development, is a form consisting of gas and warmth. So it is with the Jupiter of to-day which is a repetition of the former Jupiter, the ancient Sun. Certainly the conditions of space and motion do somewhat change. For the Jupiter of to-day is not on the same spot as the former one was, but essentially it is the same.
Now we go further and must explain Mars in the same way. We must explain it as a large globe cooled down to the density of waters, and we must also see in it a point, where a ball of compressed water has formed, and become differentiated from the surrounding much thinner water. It is formed by the same process, as Jupiter, all the single balls of water which are produced on its circumference are at a certain point again brought to a standstill. Just as the movement is hindered on Saturn by the Lion, on Jupiter or the Sun by the Scorpion, which brings death, so on Mars these balls of water are also stopped; only the details are a little different on Mars. The Mars of to-day is a repetition of the ancient Moon. It stands on the same place to which the boundary of the ancient Moon extended. It is the other part of the ancient Moon; one part is our own Moon, which is but a shell; but the living part of it, which represents its other pole is Mars. When speaking of Mars as the third condition of our planetary development, this condition corresponds to that of the ancient Moon. Mars was essentially a body of water. On Mars, or the ancient Moon — call it as you will — the astral body was organised into man, so that he received his first consciousness. The body of that man consisted of the moon substance or moon-water. Just as the body of the man of to-day is formed out of the substance of the Earth, so was the body of the man of that day formed of fire, air, and water. According to the densest substance in him, you might have called that man the water-man. He became this especially, because the astral body was infused into him. He was not yet a man with an Ego, but a man with astral endowments. This entrance of the astral took place because, at a certain place, the stimulus was again given. Then what was on the circumference moved round and returned to the place where it had started from. This was the region of the Zodiac which is designated as the Waterman. So that you have to see in the Waterman that sign of the Zodiac which gave consciousness to man on the ancient Moon or ancient Mars after he had circled once around its circumference..
[ 16 ] And now we pass on to the earth, this is the fourth evolutionary condition. The first three are a repetition one of the other; a Saturn is formed, then a Sun is formed, and leaves behind it a Jupiter; a Moon is formed, and leaves behind it a Mars; and last the earth appears, and all those things I have described; the departure from it of the Sun, and of that dross-like part which is our present Moon. You know that the first foundation for the Ego was prepared in old Lemuria, when the present Moon separated from the earth. This was only possible because once again from the surrounding circumference the impulse to rotation was given. Then, that which had received the stimulus, after having rotated once, was ripe to receive the earliest beginnings of the Ego germ. This happened in Lemurian times, and we here point to that part of the Zodiac which is called the Bull, the reason for this being, that man, during the time these names were given, had very concrete and very clear feelings. This name originated in the Mystery teachings of Egypt and Chaldea. It is there that the origin of this designation is to be found, and it is only in real Occultism that the consciousness of the true significance of the Word exists at the present day. The first stirring of ‘I am’ finds expression in speech, in tone; but all tone-formation is related in a certain way which cannot be touched on here, but which every Occultist knows, and which may be explained some time in more intimate lectures; all tone formation has a very definite relation to the processes of propagation, which you can perceive in the fact that the voice of the male changes when sex maturity is reached. There is here a hidden correspondence. All that is associated with these faculties and processes of the human being, was comprised, for ancient consciousness, in the bull nature of man. And. the name given to that particular constellation has its origin in the fact that it has now the same importance for the earth which Lion had for Saturn, Scorpion for the Sun, and Waterman for the Moon. With the Egyptian age, came the third post-Atlantean period of civilisation. The first was the old Indian, the second the old Persian, the third the Egyptian. These periods of civilisation are the corresponding repetitions — as we have often repeated — of the whole processes of development of the earth. The Lemurian epoch was the third epoch of the earth. Therefore Egyptian Occultism repeats in a spiritual reflection the essential parts of the occurrences of Lemurian times. That which happened in Lemurian tunes was best known by the Egyptian mystery priests, for it is reflected in the special features of the Egyptian civilisation. Therefore the culture of Egypt was closely related to the constellation of the Bull, and to the cult of the Bull generally.
[ 17 ] Thus you see, that it is not all so easy to indicate the real events which happened during the origin of our heavenly bodies, and all connected with them. For how do celestial bodies originate? Our Saturn, our Jupiter, our Mars have in fact originated thus, that at first spheres were formed on them. One after the other of these is killed, and when nothing more is called into life, all the spherical forms, which previously constituted the shells, finally mass together into a body, and this becomes the visible Planet. In fact, any such celestial body as Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, originated thus, that at first a kind of shell was formed. This shell, through the agglomeration of the special forms, was condensed to that formation which then is revealed visibly in space. You have here no mechanical process taken from the dreary Kant-Laplace theory about the world's creation, but you have the living origins of those formations springing from the spiritual interaction of the Hierarchies, as we see them to-day in the heavenly bodies, in Saturn, Jupiter and Mars.
Achter Vortrag
[ 1 ] Wir kommen heute zu einem Kapitel in der Darstellung der höheren Wesenheiten und ihrer Beziehungen zu unserem Welt- und Sonnensystem, das eigentlich zu jenen Kapiteln gehört, die für den gegenwärtigen Menschen, der sich über die Welt und ihre Verhältnisse aus der gewöhnlichen populären Wissenschaft unterrichtet, am anrüchigsten sein muß, denn es werden Dinge berührt werden müssen, bei denen sich der moderne Wissenschafter absolut nichts vorstellen kann. Das beruht natürlich durchaus nicht auf Gegenseitigkeit, sondern derjenige, der auf dem Boden des Okkultismus feststeht, der kann von seinem Gesichtspunkt aus die Tatsachen der modernen Wissenschaft durchaus überschauen. Und nirgends werden Sieirgendeinen Widerspruch zwischen dem, was in diesen Vorträgen gesagt worden ist, und den Tatsachen der modernen Wissenschaft finden, nur ist natürlich manchmal die Harmonie nicht so leicht herzustellen. Aber diejenigen von Ihnen, welche Geduld haben und nach und nach alles verfolgen, sie werden schon sehen, wie sich die einzelnen Dinge zu einem großen Ganzen zusammenschließen.
[ 2 ] Bei dieser Gelegenheit darf ja vielleicht auch gesagt werden, daß mancherlei von dem, was auch hier in diesen Vorträgen gesprochen wird, von anderer Seite her beleuchtet worden ist, sagen wir im Vortragszyklus von Stuttgart, von Leipzig, und wer äußerlich diese Zyklen nimmt und sie vergleicht, der kann wirklich manchen Widerspruch finden zwischen dieser oder jener Aussage. Das rührt einzig und allein davon her, daß es meine Aufgabe ist, in diesen Vorträgen nicht über spekulative Theorien zu sprechen, sondern über die Tatsachen des hellseherischen Bewußtseins, und daß allerdings Tatsachen sich anders ausnehmen, wenn man sie von der einen Seite und wenn man sie von der anderen Seite ansieht. Vergleichsweise wird sich Ihnen ja schon ein Baum, den Sie von der einen Seite malen, anders ausnehmen, als wenn Sie ihn von der anderen Seite malen, und doch ist es derselbe Baum. So ist es auch mit der Schilderung der geistigen Tatsachen, wenn sie von verschiedenen Seiten her beleuchtet werden. Freilich, wenn von ein paar Begriffen ausgegangen und daraus ein System konstruiert wird, dann ist es leicht, von vornherein ein abstraktes System aufzustellen; aber wir arbeiten von unten auf, und die harmonische Einheit wird sich dann als Krönung ergeben. Insbesondere aber muß immer nachgedacht werden bei einer jeden Aussage, in welchem Sinn und in welcher Richtung sie gemacht wird. Wenn zum Beispiel gesagt wurde, daß man in einem populären Werke findet, daß Luft, Gas im Jupiter so dicht sein müsse wie Teer oder Honig und daß dies vom Standpunkt der Geisteswissenschaft aus in gewisser Beziehung sogar eine groteske Vorstellung ist — und die Redewendung, die ich gebrauchte, sollte das Groteske der Sache andeuten -, so kann man vom Standpunkt der Wissenschaft von heute gewiß sagen: Weißt du denn nicht, daß gegenwärtig die Physik Luft herstellen kann in einem so dichten Zustand, wie Honig oder Teer ist? Gewiß, das ist eine selbstverständliche Tatsache der Wissenschaft, aber darauf kommt es nicht an, denn in dieser Linie bewegt sich die Betrachtung dabei nicht. Was die Wissenschaft Luft nennt, kann gewiß so verdichtet werden; aber es ist das für eine geisteswissenschaftliche Betrachtung gar nichts anderes als ein anderer Fall dafür, daß Wasser so hart gemacht werden kann wie ein Stein, nämlich zu Eis. Gewiß ist Eis Wasser, aber es handelt sich darum, ob man lebendig die Dinge betrachtet in ihren Funktionen oder in dem toten Sinn der heutigen Wissenschaft. Daß Eis Wasser ist, ist selbstverständlich, aber wenn man jemand, der gewohnt ist, das ganze Jahr seine Mühle mit Wasser zu bewegen, raten würde, mit Eis seine Mühle zu bewegen, was würde er da sagen? Also, es kommt nicht auf die abstrakte Vorstellung an, daß Eis Wasser ist, sondern darauf, das Weltall in seiner Tätigkeit zu verstehen. Da müssen ganz andere Gesichtspunkte walten als bei der abstrakten Unterhaltung über die rein stoffliche Metamorphose in bezug auf die Dichtigkeit. Ebensowenig wie man mit Eis Mühlen treiben kann, so wenig kann man natürlich eine Luft, die so dick ist wie Honig oder Teer, einatmen. Und darauf kommt es an in der geisteswissenschaftlichen Betrachtung. Denn wir betrachten nicht die Weltenkugeln in der Art, wie sie heute betrachtet werden, als jene materiellen Batzen von einer bestimmten Größe, die da in dem Weltenraum herum sich bewegen und in denen die moderne astronomische Mythologie eben nur Kugeln materieller Artsieht, wir betrachten sie in ihrem lebendigen seelisch-geistigen Dasein, wir betrachten sie mit anderen Worten in ihrer Ganzheit. Also in dieser Ganzheit haben wir zu betrachten, was wir in geisteswissenschaftlichem Sinn nennen Entstehung der einzelnen Weltenkörper. Und nun wollen wir als erstes Beispiel von der Entstehung eines Weltenkörpers den alten Saturn wählen, jenen alten Saturn, von dem wir wissen, daß von ihm unsere Evolution ausgegangen ist. Schon habe ich Ihnen gesagt: Dieser alte Saturn war zunächst so groß wieim Grunde genommen unser ganzes heutiges Sonnensystem. Dasjenige also, was man im umfänglicheren Sinn den alten Saturn in seinem Anfangszustand nennt, das ist so groß wie unser ganzes Sonnensystem ungefähr. Nur müssen wir uns diesen alten Saturn eben nicht als eine materielle Kugel bloß vorstellen. Wir wissen ja, daß er von den drei materiellen Zuständen, die man heute fest, flüssig und gasförmig nennt, überhaupt noch nichts hat, sondern daß er nur aus Wärme oder Feuer besteht. Und nun werden wir einmal uns denken, daß diese uralte Wärmekugel dieser Kreis sei. Sie erinnern sich zugleich, daß wir gesagt haben: Da, wo sich diese Saturnkugel fortentwickelt hat zur Sonnenkugel, da treten deutlich im Umkreis der Sonnenkugel diejenigen Wesenheiten auf, welche den Tierkreis ausmachen. — Aber ich habe schon damals angedeutet, daß dieser Tierkreis, wenn auch noch nicht, ich möchte sagen, so dicht, so kompakt vorhanden war wie während des Sonnendaseins, daß er doch auch schon um den alten Saturn herum ist. Also im Umkreis des alten Saturn denken wir uns waltend Throne, Cherubim, Seraphim, und diese eigentlich sind uns zunächst im geistigen Sinn der Tierkreis. Diese Linie sei uns zunächst im geistigen Sinn der Tierkreis. Sie werden sagen: Wie stimmt denn das mit der gegenwärtigen Bezeichnung des Tierkreises überein? - Oh, es stimmt vollkommen überein, wie wir uns im Verlaufe der letzten Vorträge noch vollständig überzeugen werden. Nur müssen Sie es sich zunächst so vorstellen: Denken Sie sich, Sie könnten sich irgendwo auf dieser alten Saturnkugel an einer bestimmten Stelle aufstellen. Heben Sie nun die Hand auf und zeigen mit dem Finger hinaus, so ist über dieser Stelle die Region von gewissen Thronen, Cherubim und Seraphim. Wenn Sie sich ein Stück weiterbewegen und hinausdeuten, so ist ein anderer der Throne, Cherubim und Seraphim an der Stelle, auf die Sie hindeuten, denn diese drei Gruppen von Wesenheiten bilden einen Reigen ringsherum um den alten Saturn. Und nun denken Sie sich einmal, Sie wollten sozusagen die Richtung bezeichnen, in der gewisse Throne, Cherubim, Seraphim sich befinden. Da ist nicht etwa einer wie der andere, sie sind nicht wie zwölf vollständig gleiche Soldaten, sondern es unterscheidet sich einer von dem anderen sehr erheblich; sie sind alle individualisiert, so daß man auf verschiedene Wesenheiten zeigt, wenn man von verschiedenen Punkten aus hinausdeutet. Und damit man sozusagen auf den richtigen der Throne, Cherubim, Seraphim zeigen kann, markiert man sich das durch eine bestimmte Sternkonstellation. Das ist also eine Marke. Und da sagt man nun: In der Richtung hier liegen diejenigen Throne, Cherubim, Seraphim, die man nennt Zwillinge, in einer anderen diejenigen, die man Löwe nennt und so weiter. Also das sind gleichsam Marken, um diese Richtung anzugeben, wo die betreffenden Wesenheiten sind. Als solche Marken fassen wir zunächst die eigentümlichen Sternkonstellationen auf. Sie sind noch etwas anderes, aber zunächst müssen wir uns klarmachen, daß wir es mit geistigen Wesenheiten zu tun haben, wenn wir von dem Tierkreis sprechen.
[ 3 ] Nun sind es zunächst die Throne, welche ihre Wirkung ausüben auf dieses Feuergebilde, das wir den alten Saturn nennen. Die Throne sind so weit gekommen in ihrer Entwickelung, daß sie ihre eigene Substanz ausfließen lassen können. Sie lassen sozusagen ihre Wärmesubstanz hineinträufeln in diese Saturnmasse. Dadurch entstehen, wie ich Ihnen gesagt habe, rings herum diese Gebilde, die wir etwas grotesk mit «Eiern» bezeichnet haben, etwas grotesk, aber sie haben ja wirklich diese Form.
[ 4 ] Nun können Sie fragen: Wie ist es da eigentlich mit der Substanz? War schon vorher eine Wärmesubstanz da? - Was vorher vorhanden war, das können Sie eigentlich nur wie eine Art neutrales Weltenfeuer bezeichnen, das im Grunde genommen eins ist mit dem Weltenraum, so daß ich ebensogut sagen könnte: Früher war nur der Raum da, der wie abgegrenzt worden ist, und nun wird hineingeträufelt in die Oberfläche das, was man die Wärmesubstanz des alten Saturn nennen kann. In dem Augenblick, da diese Wärmesubstanz in den alten Saturn hineingeträufelt wird, da sind auch von beiden Seiten her die Wesenheiten, die da in Betracht kommen, tätig. Wir haben ja schon gesagt: Hier im Innern des Saturnraumes finden wir die Gewalten oder Geister der Form, die Geister der Bewegung oder Mächte und die Herrschaften oder die Geister der Weisheit. Die sind im Innern tätig. Von außen herein sind Cherubim, Seraphim, Throne tätig, und die Folge davon ist, daß ein Zusammenwirken der Wesenheiten von außen und der Wesenheiten von innen stattfindet.
[ 5 ] Im ersten Vortrag wurde gesagt, daß man unterscheiden kann das innere, seelische Feuer, das man fühlt als innere Wärmebehaglichkeit, und das äußerlich wahrnehmbare Feuer. Zwischen beiden liegt die neutrale Wärme mitten darinnen. Diese neutrale Wärme ist eigentlich hier in dieser Eiform drinnen. Dagegen darüber finden wir ausgedehnt die seelische Wärme, wie von außen hereinstrahlend, aber sich zurückhaltend. Es ist, wie wenn von außen hereinstrahlte die seelische Wärme, aber sich zurückhielte vor dem, was da drinnen als neutrales Feuer ist; von innen wird abgestoßen die eigentlich wahrnehmbare Wärme. So daß Sie eigentlich dasjenige, was vorher als ein solches Wärme-Ei gezeichnet worden ist, eingeschlossen haben zwischen zwei Strömungen, einer äußerlichen seelischen Wärmeströmung und einer inneren Wärmeströmung, die für einen äußeren Sinn wahrnehmbar sein würde. Also nur dasjenige, was im Innern ist, ist physisch wahrnehmbare Wärme. Und jetzt kommt durch das Zusammenwirken der äußeren und inneren Wärme jedes solche Saturn-Ei in wirkliche Rotation. Ein jedes solches Saturn-Ei geht ringsherum und kommt unter die Wirkung eines jeden der Throne, Seraphim und Cherubim, die da ringsherum sind. Und jetzt tritt sehr Eigenrümliches ein. Denken Sie sich, dieses Ei kommt bei seinem Wandern endlich an demjenigen Punkte wieder an, wo es ursprünglich erzeugt worden ist — wie gesagt, ich gebe die Tatsachen der geisteswissenschaftlichen Beobachtung wieder -; wenn es daankommt, dann bleibt es stille stehen, da kann es nicht weiter, da wird es aufgehalten. Jedes solche Ei wird an einem bestimmten Punkte erzeugt, wandert dann den Kreis herum und wird aufgehalten, wenn es an die Stelle kommt, wo es erzeugt worden ist. Die Erzeugung dauert aber nur bis zu einem bestimmten Zeitpunkt, dann hört sie auf, dann werden keine Wärme-Eier mehr erzeugt. Wenn nun alle diese Eier an dem einen Punkte festgehalten sind, so fallen sie übereinander, es bilden sozusagen alle, indem sie zur Deckung kommen, ein einziges Ei. Also an der Stelle, wo ursprünglich überhaupt die Eier geschaffen werden, da bleiben sie zuletzt stehen, da kommen sie zur Ruhe. Und, natürlich, von dem Momente an, wo keine neuen mehr gebildet werden, kommen sie hier alle zusammen und decken sich zum Schluß. Es entsteht hier also eine Kugel im Umkreis. Diese Kugel entsteht natürlich erst im Laufe der Zeit. Sie ist sozusagen die dichteste Feuermaterie, sie ist auch das, was man nun im engeren Sinne Saturn nennen kann, denn sie steht an derjenigen Stelle, wo der heutige Saturn steht. Und da sich alles in einer gewissen Weise wiederholt, so hat sich auch bei unserer Erdenentstehung der ganze Vorgang wiederholt. Auch der heutige Saturn ist so entstanden, daß er tatsächlich an einer bestimmten Stelle festgehalten worden ist, nicht gerade an der Stelle, wo der alte Saturn festgehalten wurde, weil sich die Dinge aus gewissen Gründen verschieben, aber der Vorgang der Entstehung des heutigen Saturn ist derselbe. Es wird also sozusagen eine kleine Saturnkugel geboren aus dem großen umfänglichen, ursprünglichen Saturn durch das Zusammenwirken all der Weltenmächte, die zu den Hierarchien gehören.
[ 6 ] Nun wollen wir einmal diesen Punkt ins Auge fassen, an dem zuletzt alle diese Kugeln beim allerersten Saturn stehengeblieben sind. Von diesem Punkte sagten sich nun die Weisen der Urweltweisheit folgendes. Auf diesem alten Saturn ist die erste Anlage des physischen Menschenleibes gebildet worden. Er wird in seiner allerersten Anlage eigentlich aus Wärme geformt, aber es werden in diesem Wärmekörper schon alle späteren Organe sozusagen im Keime veranlagt. An dem Punkt, wo die erstangeregte Bewegung wiederum zur Ruhe kommt, ist die Anlage entstanden zu jenem Organ im menschlichen Leib, das dann später, wenn es seine Bewegung einstellt, auch das ganze Getriebe des physischen Leibes in Ruhe versetzt — das ist das Herz. Hier von der ersten Anregung der Bewegung geht die Anlage des Herzens aus, aber es entsteht nur dadurch in seiner ersten Anlage, daß auch wiederum an diesem Punkt die Bewegung zur Ruhe gebracht wird. Dadurch wird das Herz jenes Organ, durch das der ganze physische Leib in seinen Funktionen zur Ruhe gebracht wird, wenn es aufhört zu schlagen.
[ 7 ] Nun bezeichnete man in der alten Sprache ein jedes Glied des menschlichen Leibes mit einem ganz bestimmten Namen. Das Herz bezeichnete man als den Löwen im Leibe. So sagte sich die Urweltweisheit: Auf welche Richtung im Tierkreis muß man zeigen, wenn man die Region treffen will, von der aus herein die erste Anlage zum menschlichen Herzen gelegt worden ist? Man wies hinauf und nannte diese Throne, Seraphim, Cherubim, die von dort wirkten, die Region des Löwen. Der Mensch hat seine Anlage hinausprojiziert in den Weltenraum, und die Region seines Leibes, die man gewohnt worden ist, innerlich den Löwen zu nennen, hat er auch äußerlich die Region des Löwen genannt im Tierkreis. So hängen diese Dinge zusammen.
[ 8 ] So sind auch alle anderen Anlagen des Menschen durch diesen Tierkreis gebildet worden. Das Herz ist gebildet worden aus der Region des Löwen. Was in der Nähe des Herzens ist, die Bedingungen des Brustkorbes, also dasjenige, was zum Schutz des Herzens da sein muß, das nannte man im menschlichen Leib den Brustpanzer. Er mußte natürlich in der Anlage eine Region vorher, vor dem Schluß des Herzens, gebildet werden. Und ein anderer Name für Brustpanzer hat sich gebildet, da man die Bezeichnung hernahm von einem Tiere, das von Natur aus solch einen Panzer hat, nämlich von dem Krebs. Eigentlich heißt dasjenige, was da draußen im Tierkreis ist, der «Brustpanzer», nur ist beim Krebs ein natürlicher Panzer da; daher nannte man diese Region den «Krebs». Er liegt auf der einen Seite des Löwen.
[ 9 ] Nach demselben Prinzip wurden auch die anderen Regionen des Tierkreises benannt. In der Tat ist es der in den Weltenraum hinausprojizierte Mensch, der die Namen hergegeben hat für die Bezeichnungen der verschiedenen Regionen des Tierkreises. Nur ist es manchmal durchaus nicht leicht, aus den vielfach entstellten Namen diese ursprüngliche Absicht zu finden, wie Sie an einem solchen Beispiel wie beim Krebs sehen. Der Name ist manchmal nicht auf gerader Linie überliefert worden, sondern man muß oft zurückgehen auf den ursprünglichen Sinn der Sache, wenn man Klarheit gewinnen will.
[ 10 ] Jetzt aber wollen wir absehen davon, wie dieser Saturn wieder vergeht, wie er sich wiederum auflöst. Wir wollen jetzt gleich besprechen, wie die Entwickelung, nachdem ein Pralaya abgelaufen ist, nun weitergeht. Nachdem also diese Saturnbildung sich wiederum aufgelöst hat, beginnt sozusagen eine neue Evolution, eine Neubildung. Das erste, was geschieht, ist genau dasselbe wie das, was sich vorher auf dem Saturn abgespielt hat. Dann, nachdem dieses ganze Saturndasein auf diese Weise sich wiederholt hat, beginnt weiter nach dem Mittelpunkte zu eine zweite Bildung. Wir schreiten vor zu jener Entwickelungsstufe, die wir gewöhnlich als die Entwickelung der uralten Sonne bezeichnen. Das geschieht auf die Weise, daß in ähnlicher Weise wie früher die Throne sich hingeopfert haben, es jetzt eine andere Stufe der geistigen Hierarchie ist, die sich opfert, diejenigen Wesenheiten, die wir die Herrschaften oder die Geister der Weisheit nennen. Die Throne sind mächtigere Wesen; sie können physische Substantialität, Wärmesubstantialität aus sich herausträufeln. Daher können sie aus ihrem eigenen Leibe, wie wir beschrieben haben, die Substanz des Saturn herausträufeln. Die Herrschaften oder Geister der Weisheit aber können nur hinopfern einen Ätherleib, der dünner ist. Den physischen Leib in seiner Anlage hat der Mensch schon, den Ätherleib geben ihm jetzt die Herrschaften oder die Geister der Weisheit dazu. Und das geschieht sozusagen in einem zweiten Umkreise. Ich zeichne nun einen zweiten Umkreis. Das wäre die ursprüngliche Größe der alten Sonne, sie ist zusammengezogen gegenüber dem großen früheren Umkreise. Dadurch, daß sie zusammengezogen worden ist, ist sie dichter geworden. Dadurch ist die Möglichkeit gegeben, daß innerhalb der alten Sonne jetzt nicht bloß Wärmesubstanz vorhanden ist, sondern verdichtete Wärmesubstanz, gasig-luftige Substanz. Jetzt wirken aus dem Umkreis mit den anderen, früher genannten Wesenheiten die Herrschaften mit, und drinnen in diesem Sonnenumkreis sind nur noch die Gewalten und die Mächte oder die Geister der Form und der Bewegung. Das andere wirkt alles von dem Umkreis herein.
[ 11 ] In einer ganz ähnlichen Weise wie beim alten Saturn geschieht jetzt folgendes. Es bilden sich gewisse Strömungen, welche erzeugt werden von den Geistern der Umgebung, nur wirken jetzt die Herrschaften mit. Dadurch sind diese Strömungen etwas dichter als diejenigen, die früher bloß von den Thronen bewirkt worden waren. Da drinnen zieht sich die Masse zusammen, und es wird jetzt eine Dunstkugel nach der anderen zwischen diesen beiden Strömungen zusammengedrängt. Diese Kugel unterscheidet sich von der Saturnkugel also dadurch, daß der Saturn im Grunde genommen mit allen seinen Wesenheiten nur aus Wärmesubstanz besteht und alles nur im Raum sozusagen herumhantiert, aber diese Kugel hier ist jetzt durchzogen von Äther, von ätherischer Leiblichkeit. Wenn sie auch dicht ist wie Gas, sie ist durchzogen von ätherischer Leiblichkeit. Dadurch lebt diese ganze Kugel, sie ist ein innerlich-lebendiges Wesen. Während der Saturn ein innerlich bewegliches Wesen ist, voll Regsamkeit, bis er durch den Löwen zum Stillstand gebracht wird in seiner Bewegung, ist der Jupiter — man kann ihn auch Jupiter nennen, weil das, was als Jupiter am Himmel steht, eine Wiederholung ist dessen, was damals als ein Stück von der Sonne sich abgegliedert hat -, ist der Jupiter innerlich-lebendig. Also, wir haben die alte Sonne, die Kugeln kreisen jetzt herum, sind lebendige Kugeln, große Lebewesen.
[ 12 ] Nun müssen Sie sich statt des Löwen eine andere Region des Tierkreises denken, wo diese Kugeln ursprünglich erzeugt, angeregt werden, nämlich diejenige Region, die ich im Beginne genannt habe die Region des Adlers. In dieser Region findet ursprünglich statt die Anregung zu dieser Sonnenkugel, zu diesem lebendigen Wesen im kosmischen Raum. Nun, nachdem diese lebendige Kugel einmal herumgegangen ist, den ganzen Umkreis vollendet hat, kommt sie wieder in die Region des Adlers. Jetzt aber tritt etwas anderes ein. Während an dieser Stelle die Kugel vorher angefangen hat innerlich zu leben, wird sie, wenn sie an denselben Punkt zurückkommt, durch denselben Einfluß, der sie ursprünglich zum Leben gerufen hat, getötet. Eine Kugel nach der anderen wird getötet. Dann, wenn alle getötet worden sind und keine neue mehr entsteht, dann ist es auch mit dem Leben dieser alten Sonne zu Ende. Es besteht das Leben darin, daß hier neue Kugeln entstehen und zuletzt hier zur Deckung kommen, an der Stelle, wo sie aus dem Weltenraum herein getötet werden. Diesen Todesstich, den das Leben der alten Sonne empfängt aus dem Weltenraum heraus, empfand man als den «Skorpions»-Stich. Daher ist diese Region, weil sie zugleich tötet, genannt worden die Region des Skorpions. So ist an dieser Stelle das Sternbild zu sehen, das die tote Materie zum Leben erweckt, der Adler, aber auch dasjenige, das die Kräfte hereinschickt, die töten, das Sternbild des Skorpions.
[ 13 ] Wir können also sagen, in der Region des Löwen sind diejenigen Kräfte im Tierkreis, die das ursprüngliche Leben der physischen Menschenanlage zur Ruhe gebracht haben; in der Region des Skorpions sind diejenigen Kräfte, die das Leben als solches zu töten vermögen. Wir werden den Zusammenhang mit den anders gearteten heutigen Verhältnissen noch kennenlernen, aber das kann nur nach und nach geschehen. Es ist nämlich über die ursprünglichen Verhältnisse eine dichte Maja gezogen, ein dichter Schleier.
[ 14 ] Nun gehen wir weiter. Wir brauchen die nächsten Verhältnisse jetzt nicht mehr so ausführlich zu betrachten, da der Sinn dieser Bezeichnungen und des ganzen Vorganges uns ja vor Augen getreten ist. Nur an eins muß noch erinnert werden; das ist das Folgende. Was ist denn im Grunde genommen ein Saturn für ein Körper? Er ist ein Wärmekörper. Wenn Sie einen Saturn anschauen, dann gehen Sie ganz fehl, wenn Sie vermuten, daß er ein Körper ist, den Sie mit anderen Weltenkörpern vergleichen können, etwa mit dem Jupiter oder mit dem Mars. Was dort ist, ist in der Tat nichts als ein Wärmeraum. Und daß Sie ihn so sehen, wie Sie ihn sehen, das kommt davon her, daß Sie ihn durch einen Lichtraum ansehen können, daß Sie ihn durch einen leuchtenden Raum erblicken. Vergegenwärtigen Sie sich, wie etwas aussieht, was Sie als Unbeleuchtetes durch einen durchleuchteten Raum ansehen. Das sieht bläulich aus. Bei der gewöhnlichen Kerzenflamme können Sie das studieren; sie sieht in der Mitte blau aus, und ringsherum ist eine Art Lichtschein. Immer, wenn Sie das Finstere durch das Beleuchtete anschauen, sieht es blau aus. Ich sage das mit Bewußtsein, ich weiß, daß ich Gefahr laufe, gegenüber der ganzen mechanischen Optik der neueren Zeit damit einen Unsinn zu sagen. Aber dieser Unsinn ist nun wieder einmal das Richtige. Die heutige Physik weiß nicht, warum der ganze Himmelsraum blau erscheint. Er erscheint aus dem Grunde blau, weil er finster, schwarz ist und man ihn durch den durchleuchteten Raum sieht. Alles Finstere, durch ein Durchleuchtetes gesehen, wirkt blau. Deshalb erscheint auch der Saturn, wenn Sie ihn betrachten, als ein etwas bläulicher Weltenkörper. Mit den Tatsachen der Wissenschaft stimmen die Dinge, die hier gesagt werden, vollständig überein, nur nicht mit den phantastischen Theorien, die ausgedacht werden. Es würde leider zu weit führen, wenn ich Ihnen zeigen würde, wie die sogenannte Ringbildung am Saturn auch unter diesem Gesichtspunkt entsteht, weil man es eben zu tun hat bei jedem Saturn mit einer neutralen Wärmeschicht, mit einer Seelenwärmeschicht und einer physisch wahrnehmbaren Wärmeschicht. So entsteht im Betrachten dieser verschiedenen Schichten durch den beleuchteten Raum hindurch die Täuschung, als ob man eine Gaskugel hätte, die von einer Art Staubring umgeben wäre. Man hat es nur mit einer optischen Erscheinung zu tun. Saturn ist auch heute noch ein bloß aus Wärmesubstanz bestehender Körper.
[ 15 ] Diese Dinge kann man natürlich nur sagen in einem Zusammenhang wie dem heutigen; anders würde man sie nicht verstehen können. Jeglicher Saturn muß also so angesprochen werden, daß er im Wesen aus Wärmesubstanz besteht, und alles an diesem Saturn ist in dieser Art zu erklären. Jeder Jupiter, der nichts anderes ist als eine Sonnenstufe, ist ein Gebilde, das im wesentlichen aus Gas und Wärme besteht. So ist es auch beim heutigen Jupiter, der eine Wiederholung des alten Jupiter [der alten Sonne] ist. Natürlich ändern sich die Raum- und Bewegungsverhältnisse etwas. Der heutige Jupiter steht auch nicht an derselben Stelle wie der frühere, aber im wesentlichen ist es so. Und nun kommen wir weiter und müßten in derselben Weise den Mars erklären. Wir müßten ihn also aus einer großen bis zur Wässerigkeit abgekühlten Kugel erklären, und wir müßten ebenso zuletzt sich ablösen sehen aus dem allgemeinen sehr dünnen Wasser heraus eine an einer Stelle zusammengedrängte Wasserkugel. Wiederum entsteht sie dadurch, daß alle die einzelnen Wasserkugeln, die im Umkreis entstehen, zuletzt an einer bestimmten Stelle aufgehalten werden. Geradeso wie die Bewegung gehemmt wird auf dem Saturn durch den Löwen, wie auf dem Jupiter der Tod herbeigeführt wird durch den Skorpion, so werden auf dem Mars diese Wasserkugeln aufgehalten. Allerdings ist es bei dem Mars in den Einzelheiten etwas anders als beim Jupiter und Saturn. Der heutige Mars ist also eine Wiederholung des alten Mondes. Er steht an derselben Stelle, bis wohin der alte Mond gereicht hat. Es ist das andere Stück vom alten Mond. Das eine Stück ist unser Mond, der Schlacke ist; das lebendig Gebliebene, was den anderen Pol darstellt, ist bei der Wiederholung im heutigen Mars geblieben. Indem wir von dem Mars sprechen als dem dritten Zustand unserer Planetenentwickelung, entspricht dieser Zustand dem des alten Mondes. Der Mars ist im wesentlichen also ein Wasserkörper. Und einverleibt wurde dem Menschen auf diesem alten Mond - oder alten Mars, wenn Sie wollen - der Astralleib, das heißt das erste Bewußtsein. Und dieser Mensch bestand seinem Körper nach aus der Substanz des Mars- oder Mondenwassers. Geradeso wie heute aus den Substanzen der Erde der menschliche Leib zusammengebaut wurde, so wurde damals der Menschenleib zusammengebaut aus Feuer, Luft und Wasser. Nach der dichtesten Substanz hätten Sie damals den Menschen nennen können den Wassermenschen. Er ist es insbesondere dadurch geworden, daß ihm der Astralleib eingeimpft worden ist. Es war noch kein Ich-Mensch, aber ein astralbegabter Mensch. Das war geschehen, nachdem an einer Stelle wiederum die Anregung gegeben war; dann bewegte sich das im Umkreise herum und kam zurück an denselben Punkt, von wo es ausgegangen war. Das war die Region im Tierkreis, die man bezeichnet mit Wassermensch oder Wassermann. So daß Sie also im Wassermann das Tierkreiszeichen zu sehen haben, das dem Menschen auf dem alten Monde oder dem alten Mars das Bewußtsein gebracht hat nach einer einmaligen Umdrehung.
[ 16 ] Und nunmehr rücken wir zur Erde vor. Sie ist der vierte Zustand der Entwickelung. Es wiederholen sich die drei früheren Zustände: Ein Saturn bildet sich, eine Sonne bildet sich und läßt den Jupiter zurück, der die wiederholte Sonne ist; ein Mond bildet sich, er läßt den Mars zurück; und zuletzt entsteht die Erde mit demjenigen, was ich beschrieben habe, mit der Sonnenabtrennung und mit dem Stück, das als Mondschlacke sich abtrennt. Sie wissen, daß die erste Veranlagung zum Ich in der alten lemurischen Zeit vor sich ging, als der jetzige Mond von der Erde sich hinaustrennte. Das konnte nur dadurch geschehen, daß wiederum aus dem Umkreis die Anregung dazu gegeben wurde, daß sich eine Umdrehung vollzog; dann wurde das, wozu die Anregung gegeben worden war, nachdem es sich einmal herumgedreht hatte, reif, das Ich in der ersten Anlage aufzunehmen. Das geschah in der alten lemurischen Zeit. Und man hatte hinauszudeuten auf diejenige Stelle des Tierkreises, die wir heute als den Stier bezeichnen, und zwar aus dem Grunde, weil der Mensch in der Zeit, als solche Benennungen geschaffen wurden, sehr anschaulich und sehr konkret gefühlt hat. Diese Bezeichnung ist ja im wesentlichen in der ägyptischen Geheimlehre, in der chaldäischen Geheimlehre entstanden. Da waren die Ursprünge dieser Bezeichnung, und es ist nur noch bei den wirklichen Geheimlehren heute ein Bewußtsein vorhanden von der rechten Bedeutung der Worte. Es drückt sich die allererste Anlage zum Ich-bin in der Sprache aus, in dem Ton. Es steht aber alle Tonbildung in einer gewissen Beziehung, die hier nicht erörtert werden soll, die aber jeder Okkultist kennt und die in intimeren Vorträgen ja einmal verfolgt werden kann, es steht die Stimmbildung in einem ganz bestimmten Verhältnis zu den Fortpflanzungsvorgängen, was Sie aus der Tatsache entnehmen können, daß beim männlichen Geschlecht die Umbildung der Stimme mit der Geschlechtsreife eintritt. Da besteht ein verborgener Zusammenhang. Und nun hat alles dasjenige, was zusammenhängt mit diesen Fähigkeiten und Vorgängen des Menschen, das alte Bewußtsein zusammengefaßt als die Stiernatur des Menschen. Und davon rührt eigentlich diese Bezeichnung des besonderen Sternbildes her, das für die Erde nun wiederum dieselbe Bedeutung hat wie der Löwe für den Saturn, wie der Skorpion für den Jupiter, wie der Wassermensch für den Mars. Als dann die ägyptische Zeit herankam, war ja damit die dritte nachatlantische Kultur gekommen. Die erste war die altindische, die zweite die altpersische und die dritte die ägyptische Kultur. Diese Kulturen sind die entsprechenden Wiederholungen, wie schon oft ausgeführt worden ist, der ganzen Entwickelungsvorgänge der Erde. Die lemurische Zeit ist nun die dritte Erdenzeit. Die ägyptische Geheimlehre wiederholt daher im wesentlichen in der geistigen Spiegelung die Vorgänge der lemurischen Zeit. Was in dieser lemurischen Zeit sich abgespielt hat, das wissen die Priester der ägyptischen Geheimlehre am allerbesten, denn es spiegelt sich in der eigenartigen Kultur Ägyptens ab. Daher fühlte sich die Kultur Ägyptens verwandt mit dem Sternbild des Stieres, überhaupt mit dem Stierdienst.
[ 17 ] So also sehen Sie, daß es gar nicht so leicht ist, auf die wirklichen Vorgänge hinzudeuten, die sich bei der Entstehung unserer Himmelskörper und dessen, was damit zusammenhängt abgespielt haben. Denn wie entstehen Himmelskörper? Unser Saturn, unser Jupiter, unser Mars und so weiter sind ja eigentlich dadurch entstanden, daß ursprünglich sich Schalen gebildet haben; eine nach der anderen wird abgetötet, und wenn nun aufgehört wird, etwas ins Leben zu rufen, so drängen sich zuletzt alle die Kugelgebilde, die vorher die Schalen gebildet haben, zusammen zu einem Gebilde des Umkreises. In der Tat ist jeder solcher Himmelskörper wie der Saturn, der Jupiter, der Mars dadurch entstanden, daß ursprünglich vorhanden war eine Art Schale; die hat sich dadurch, daß eine Kugel über die andere sich gelegt hat, zu dem Gebilde verdichtet, das dann sichtbar im Himmelsraum auftritt. Da haben Sie nichts von einem mechanischen Vorgange von der öden Kant-Laplaceschen Weltentstehungstheorie, sondern da haben Sie die aus den geistigen Verhältnissen der Hierarchien geholte lebendige Entstehung solcher Gebilde, wie wir sie heute als Weltenkörper in dem Saturn, dem Jupiter und dem Mars erblicken.
Eighth Lecture
[ 1 ] Today we come to a chapter in the presentation of the higher beings and their relationship to our world and solar system, which actually belongs to those chapters that must be most distasteful to the modern man who informs himself about the world and its conditions from ordinary popular science, because it will have to touch on things about which the modern scientist can imagine absolutely nothing. Of course, this is by no means mutual, but anyone who is established on the ground of occultism can thoroughly survey the facts of modern science from his point of view. And nowhere will you find any contradiction between what has been said in these lectures and the facts of modern science, only sometimes, of course, the harmony is not so easy to establish. But those of you who are patient and follow everything bit by bit will see how the individual things come together to form a whole.
[ 2 ] On this occasion, it may perhaps also be said that some of what is also said here in these lectures has been illuminated from a different angle, say in the lecture cycle of Stuttgart, of Leipzig, and anyone who takes these cycles externally and compares them can really find some contradictions between this or that statement. This is due solely to the fact that it is my task in these lectures not to speak about speculative theories but about the facts of clairvoyant consciousness, and that facts do indeed look different when viewed from one side and when viewed from the other. By way of comparison, a tree that you paint from one side will look different from a tree that you paint from the other side, and yet it is the same tree. It is the same with the description of spiritual facts when they are illuminated from different sides. Of course, if a few concepts are taken as a starting point and a system is constructed from them, then it is easy to set up an abstract system from the outset; but we work from the bottom up, and the harmonious unity will then emerge as a crowning glory. In particular, however, we must always reflect on the sense and direction in which each statement is made. For example, if it is said that in a popular work we find that air, gas in Jupiter must be as dense as tar or honey and that from the point of view of spiritual science this is in some respects even a grotesque idea - and the figure of speech that I used, was intended to suggest the grotesque nature of the matter, then from the standpoint of today's science one can certainly say: Don't you know that at the present time physics can produce air in a state as dense as honey or tar? Of course, that is a self-evident fact of science, but that is not the point, because that is not the line of thought here. What science calls air can certainly be condensed in this way; but for a spiritual scientific consideration, it is no different than another case of water being made as hard as a stone, namely into ice. Of course ice is water, but the question is whether we look at things in their living functions or in the dead sense of today's science. That ice is water is self-evident, but if someone who is used to moving his mill with water all year round were advised to move his mill with ice, what would he say? So it is not the abstract idea that ice is water that matters, but understanding the activity of the cosmos. Quite different points of view must prevail than in the abstract conversation about the purely material metamorphosis in relation to density. Just as you cannot drive mills with ice, you cannot, of course, breathe in air that is as thick as honey or tar. And that is what matters in spiritual scientific observation. For we do not observe the cosmic spheres in the way they are observed today, as those material lumps of a certain size that move around in space and in which modern astronomical mythology sees only spheres of a material nature, we observe them in their living, spiritual and mental existence, we observe them, in other words, in their totality. It is in this totality that we must consider what we call the genesis of the individual world bodies in the spiritual-scientific sense. And now, as the first example of the genesis of a world body, let us choose old Saturn, the old Saturn from which we know that our evolution proceeded. I have already told you that this old Saturn was initially as large as our entire present-day solar system. So what is called, in the broader sense, the old Saturn in its initial state, is about as large as our entire solar system. Only, we do not have to imagine this old Saturn as a material sphere. We know that it has nothing at all of the three material states that we call solid, liquid and gaseous today, but that it consists only of warmth or fire. And now let us imagine that this ancient ball of heat is a circle. You will also remember that we said: where this ball of Saturn has developed into the sphere of the sun, those beings that make up the zodiac clearly appear around the sphere of the sun. But I already indicated at the time that this zodiac, even if it was not yet as dense or compact as it was during the existence of the sun, was already around the old Saturn. So we think of the throne of power, cherubim and seraphim in the vicinity of the old Saturn, and these are actually the zodiac in the spiritual sense. This line is the zodiac in the spiritual sense. You may ask: How does this correspond to the present-day designation of the zodiac? Oh, it corresponds perfectly, as we will see in the course of the next lectures. For now, just imagine the following: Imagine you could stand at a certain point on this old globe of Saturn. Now, if you raise your hand and point outwards with your finger, then above this point is the region of certain thrones, cherubim and seraphim. If you move a little further and point outwards, then at the point to which you are pointing is another of the thrones, cherubim and seraphim, for these three groups of beings form a ring around old Saturn. And now imagine you wanted to indicate the direction in which certain thrones, cherubim and seraphim are located. They are not all the same, they are not like twelve completely identical soldiers, but one differs considerably from the other; they are all individualized, so that you point to different entities when you point out from different points. And so that one can point, so to speak, to the right of the thrones, cherubim, seraphim, one marks this by a certain star constellation. So that is a brand. And now one says: in this direction lie the thrones, cherubim, seraphim, which are called Gemini, in another direction lie those which are called Leo, and so on. These are, as it were, markers to indicate the direction in which the beings in question are located. We initially take the peculiar star constellations as such markers. They are something else, but first of all we have to realize that we are dealing with spiritual beings when we speak of the zodiac.
[ 3 ] Now, first of all, the Thrones exert their influence on this fiery structure, which we call old Saturn. The Thrones have developed to such an extent that they can let their own substance flow out. They let their warmth substance, so to speak, trickle into this Saturn mass. As a result, as I have told you, these formations arise all around, which we have somewhat grotesquely called 'eggs'. It is a bit grotesque, but they really do have this shape.
[ 4 ] Now you may ask: What about the substance? Was there a warm substance there before? - What was there before can only be described as a kind of neutral cosmic fire, which is basically one with the universe, so I might just as well say: In the beginning there was only space, which had been demarcated, and now something is being instilled into the surface that can be called the warmth substance of old Saturn. At the moment when this warmth substance is instilled into old Saturn, the beings that come into question are also active from both sides. We have already said: here in the interior of the Saturn space we find the forces or spirits of form, the spirits of movement or powers and dominions or the spirits of wisdom. They are active within. From the outside in, cherubim, seraphim, thrones are active, and the consequence of this is that an interaction takes place between the entities from the outside and the entities from the inside.
[ 5 ] In the first lecture it was said that one can distinguish between the inner, soul fire, which one feels as inner warmth, and the outwardly perceptible fire. Between the two lies the neutral warmth in the middle. This neutral warmth is actually contained here in this egg shape. In contrast, above it we find the soul warmth, as if radiating in from the outside, but holding back. It is as if the soul warmth radiates in from the outside, but holds back in front of what is there inside as neutral fire; the actually perceptible warmth is repelled from the inside. So that you have actually enclosed what was previously drawn as a ball of warmth between two currents, an external soul-heat current and an internal heat current that would be perceptible to an external sense. Thus only that which is within is physically perceptible as warmth. And now, through the interaction of external and internal warmth, each such Saturn egg begins to rotate. Each such Saturn egg goes all around and comes under the effect of each of the thrones, seraphim and cherubim that are around it. And now something very peculiar occurs. Imagine that this egg, during its journey, finally arrives at the point where it was originally created – as I said, I am reporting the facts of spiritual scientific observation. Each such egg is created at a specific point, then wanders around the circle and is stopped when it comes to the place where it was created. But the generation lasts only up to a certain point in time, then it stops, then no more warmth-eggs are generated. When all these eggs are now held at the one point, they fall on top of each other, so to speak, all of them, by coming into contact, form a single egg. So at the point where the eggs are originally created, they finally stop, there they come to rest. And, of course, from the moment when no more are formed, they all come together here and cover themselves in the end. So a sphere is created here in the surrounding area. This sphere is, of course, only created over time. It is, so to speak, the densest fire matter; it is also what can now be called Saturn in the narrower sense, because it is located at the position where today's Saturn is. And since everything repeats itself to a certain extent, the whole process was repeated during the formation of our Earth. Today's Saturn also came into being in such a way that it was actually held in a certain place, not exactly in the place where the old Saturn was held, because things shift for certain reasons, but the process of the formation of today's Saturn is the same. So, as it were, a small Saturn sphere is born out of the large, extensive, original Saturn through the interaction of all the world powers that belong to the hierarchies.
[ 6 ] Now let us consider the point at which all these spheres finally came to rest in the very first Saturn. From this point, the sages of ancient world wisdom said the following: the first structure of the physical human body was formed on this old Saturn. In its very first formation it is actually formed out of warmth, but in this warmth all the later organs are already laid down, so to speak, in the germ. At the point where the first movement that is set in motion comes to rest, the basis for that organ in the human body has been created, which later, when it stops moving, also sets the whole mechanism of the physical body at rest – that is the heart. The heart's disposition originates here from the first stimulus of movement, but it only comes into being in its first disposition when movement is brought to rest at this point as well. This makes the heart the organ through which the whole physical body is brought to rest in its functions when it stops beating.
[ 7 ] In the ancient language, each limb of the human body was given a very specific name.. The heart was called the lion in the body. Thus, the ancient wisdom said: In which direction in the zodiac do you have to point if you want to hit the region from which the first structure of the human heart was laid? They pointed upwards and called these thrones, seraphim, cherubim, who worked from there, the region of Leo. Man has projected his disposition out into the universe, and the region of his body that has been inhabited, inwardly called the lion, he has also outwardly called the region of the lion in the zodiac. So these things are connected.
[ 8 ] In this way, all the other human organs have been formed by this zodiac. The heart was formed from the region of Leo. What is near the heart, the conditions of the rib cage, that is, what must be there to protect the heart, was called the breastplate in the human body. Of course, it had to be formed in the region before the end of the heart. And another name for the breastplate was formed because the term was taken from an animal that naturally has such a shell, namely the crab. Actually, what is out there in the zodiac is called the “breastplate”, only in the case of Cancer there is a natural shell; therefore this region was called “Cancer”. It lies on one side of Leo.
[ 9 ] The other regions of the zodiac were named according to the same principle. In fact, it is man projected into space who has provided the names for the various regions of the zodiac. However, it is sometimes not at all easy to find this original intention in the often distorted names, as you can see from an example such as Cancer. The name has sometimes not been handed down in a straight line, but one often has to go back to the original meaning of the thing if one wants to gain clarity.
[ 10 ] But now let us turn to how Saturn decays again, how it dissolves once more. We shall now discuss how evolution continues after a pralaya has taken place. So after this Saturn formation has dissolved again, a new evolution begins, so to speak, a new formation. The first thing that happens is exactly the same as what happened before on Saturn. Then, after this entire Saturn existence has been repeated in this way, a second formation begins towards the center. We are advancing to that stage of evolution which we usually call the evolution of the ancient Sun. This happens in such a way that, in a similar way to the earlier sacrifice of the Thrones, it is now another level of the spiritual hierarchy that sacrifices itself, those entities that we call the Lords or the Spirits of Wisdom. The Thrones are mightier beings; they can pour out physical substantiality, warmth substantiality, out of themselves. Therefore, they can pour out of their own body, as we have described, the substance of Saturn. But the Lords or Spirits of Wisdom can only offer up an etheric body, which is thinner. The physical body is already there in its structure, and the Lords or Spirits of Wisdom now give it the etheric body. And that happens, so to speak, in a second periphery. I am now drawing a second periphery. This would be the original size of the old sun; it has contracted in relation to the large earlier periphery. By having contracted, it has become denser. This makes it possible that within the old sun there is now not only heat substance, but condensed heat substance, gaseous-airy substance. Now the entities from the circumference with the other, previously mentioned entities are also involved, and inside this solar circumference are only the forces and the powers or the spirits of form and movement. Everything else comes from the circumference.
[ 11 ] The following now occurs in a very similar way to the old Saturn. Certain currents are formed, which are generated by the spirits of the environment, only now the rulers are also involved. As a result, these currents are somewhat denser than those that were previously generated only by the thrones. The mass contracts in there, and now one haze sphere after another is compressed between these two currents. This sphere differs from the sphere of Saturn in that Saturn, in principle, consists of warmth substance in all its manifestations and is only moving about in space, so to speak, but this sphere here is now permeated by ether, by etheric corporeality. Even though it is dense like gas, it is permeated by etheric corporeality. This gives life to the whole sphere; it is an inwardly living being. While Saturn is an inwardly mobile being, full of activity, until it is brought to a standstill by Leo, Jupiter is inwardly alive. You can also call it Jupiter because what is in the sky as Jupiter is a repetition of what was once a piece of the sun that had split off. So, we have the old sun, the spheres are now circling around, they are living spheres, great living beings.
[ 12 ] Now you have to imagine another region of the zodiac instead of Leo, where these spheres are originally created and stimulated, namely the region that I mentioned at the beginning: the region of the eagle. In this region, the stimulation of this solar sphere, of this living being in cosmic space, originally takes place. Now, after this living sphere has gone once around, has completed the whole circumference, it comes again into the region of the eagle. But now something else occurs. While at this point the sphere began to live inwardly before, when it comes back to the same point, it is killed by the same influence that originally called it to life. One sphere after the other is killed. Then, when all have been killed and no new ones are created, the life of this old sun will also come to an end. The life here consists of new spheres being created and finally coming here, to the point where they are killed coming in from space. This death-thrust, which the life of the old sun receives from outer space, was felt to be the “scorpion” thrust. Therefore, this region has been called the region of Scorpius because it kills at the same time. Thus, at this point, we see the constellation that awakens dead matter to life, the eagle, but also the one that sends in the forces that kill, the constellation of Scorpius.
[ 13 ] We can therefore say that in the region of Leo are those forces in the zodiac that have brought the original life of the physical human disposition to rest; in the region of Scorpio are those forces that are capable of killing life as such. We will become acquainted with the connection with the differently constituted conditions of today, but this can only be done step by step. For a dense Maja has spread over the original conditions, a dense veil.
[ 14 ] Now let us move on. We no longer need to consider the next conditions in such detail, since the meaning of these descriptions and of the whole process has become clear to us. Only one thing needs to be recalled; that is the following. What kind of body is Saturn, basically? It is a warm body. If you look at Saturn, you are quite mistaken if you assume that it is a body that you can compare with other celestial bodies, such as Jupiter or Mars. What is there is in fact nothing but a warm space. And the fact that you see it as you do is because you can see it through a light space, you see it through a luminous space. Imagine what something looks like that you see through a lighted room. It looks bluish. You can study this with the ordinary candle flame; it looks blue in the middle, and there is a kind of halo around it. Whenever you look at the dark through the light, it looks blue. I say this consciously, knowing that I am running the risk of saying nonsense in the face of all the mechanical optics of modern times. But this nonsense is the right thing to say. Today's physics does not know why the whole of the celestial space appears blue. It appears blue because it is dark, black, and we see it through the illuminated space. Everything dark seen through something illuminated appears blue. That is why Saturn, when you look at it, appears to be a somewhat bluish world body. The things that are said here are completely consistent with the facts of science, only not with the fantastic theories that are being devised. Unfortunately, it would take us too far afield if I were to show you how the so-called formation of the rings on Saturn also arises from this point of view, because with every Saturn, one has to deal with a neutral warmth layer, a soul warmth layer and a physically perceptible warmth layer. Thus, when observing these different layers through the illuminated space, the illusion arises as if one had a gas ball surrounded by a kind of dust ring. One is dealing only with an optical phenomenon. Saturn is still a body consisting only of heat substance.
[ 15 ] These things can, of course, only be said in a context like today's; otherwise they would not be understood. Every Saturn must therefore be addressed as consisting essentially of warm substance, and everything about this Saturn can be explained in this way. Every Jupiter, which is nothing more than a stage of the sun, is a formation that essentially consists of gas and warmth. This is also the case with today's Jupiter, which is a repetition of the old Jupiter [the old sun]. Of course, the spatial and movement relationships change somewhat. Today's Jupiter is not in the same position as the former one, but essentially it is so. And now we come further and would have to explain Mars in the same way. We would have to explain it from a large ball cooled to the point of being watery, and we would also have to see a ball of water that had come loose from the general very thin water and was compressed at one point. In turn, it arises from the fact that all the individual water spheres that arise in the vicinity are ultimately stopped at a certain point. Just as the movement is inhibited on Saturn by Leo, as on Jupiter death is brought about by Scorpio, so on Mars these water spheres are stopped. However, in the details it is somewhat different for Mars than for Jupiter and Saturn. Today's Mars is therefore a repetition of the old moon. It stands in the same place as the old moon. It is the other piece of the old moon. One piece is our moon, which is slag; what remained alive, representing the other pole, remained in today's Mars in the repetition. By speaking of Mars as the third state of our planetary development, this state corresponds to that of the old moon. So Mars is essentially a body of water. And the astral body, that is, the first consciousness, was incorporated into the human being on this old moon - or old Mars, if you will. And this human being consisted of the substance of Mars or moon water in terms of his body. Just as the human body was assembled from the substances of the earth today, so the human body was assembled from fire, air and water back then. If you had looked at the densest substance, you could have called the human being the water man. He became one mainly because the astral body was implanted in him. It was not yet an ego-man, but an astral-gifted man. This had happened after a stimulus was given at one point; then it moved around in the surrounding area and came back to the same point from which it had started. That was the region in the zodiac that is designated as Aquarius or the Water Bearer. So you see that Aquarius, the sign of the zodiac, brought consciousness to people on the old moon or the old Mars after a single revolution.
[ 16 ] And now we are moving on to the earth. It is the fourth state of evolution. The three earlier states are repeated: a Saturn forms, a sun forms and leaves behind the Jupiter, which is the repeated sun; a moon forms, it leaves behind Mars; and finally the Earth arises with that which I have described, with the separation of the sun and with the piece that separates as lunar slag. You know that the first predisposition for the ego took place in the ancient Lemurian times, when the present Moon separated from the Earth. This could only have happened because the stimulus for it was given from the surrounding area, causing a revolution to take place; then, after it had revolved once, that which had been given the stimulus became ripe to receive the ego in the first predisposition. This happened in the ancient Lemurian period. And it was necessary to point to the place in the zodiac that we call Taurus today, because at the time when such names were created, people felt very vividly and very concretely. This designation essentially originated in the Egyptian and Chaldean secret teachings. That is where the origins of this term lie, and only in the real secret teachings is there still an awareness of the true meaning of the words. The very first inclination towards the 'I am' is expressed in language, in the tone. But all sound formation has a certain relationship, which is not to be discussed here, but which every occultist knows and which can be followed in more intimate lectures. There is a hidden connection. And now everything that is connected with these abilities and processes in man has summarized the old consciousness as the bull nature of man. And this is actually where the name of the particular constellation comes from, which in turn has the same meaning for the earth as Leo has for Saturn, as Scorpio has for Jupiter, as Aquarius has for Mars. When the Egyptian period approached, the third post-Atlantean culture had arrived. The first was the ancient Indian, the second the ancient Persian and the third the Egyptian culture. These cultures are the corresponding repetitions, as has been explained many times, of the whole developmental process of the earth. The Lemurian period is now the third earth time. The Egyptian Secret Doctrine therefore essentially repeats the processes of the Lemurian period in the spiritual reflection. What took place in this Lemurian period is known best of all by the priests of the Egyptian Secret Doctrine, for it is reflected in the peculiar culture of Egypt. Therefore, the culture of Egypt felt related to the constellation of Taurus, and in particular to the service of Taurus.
[ 17 ] So you see that it is not at all easy to point out the real processes that took place in the creation of our heavenly bodies and what is connected with them. For how do celestial bodies come into being? Our Saturn, our Jupiter, our Mars and so on actually came into being through the fact that shells originally formed; one after the other is killed, and when the process of bringing something into being is stopped, all the spherical formations that previously formed the shells are pushed together into a single structure of the surrounding area. In fact, every such heavenly body, such as Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, has come into being because there was originally a kind of shell; this has condensed through one sphere being placed over another into the form that then appears visibly in the heavens. Here we have nothing of a mechanical process of the bleak Kant-Laplacean theory of the origin of the world, but here we have the living genesis of such formations, as we see them today as world bodies in Saturn, Jupiter and Mars, brought forth from the spiritual conditions of the hierarchies.