On the Mystery Dramas
On the Mystery Dramas

Author: Rudolf Steiner

Publisher: SteinerBooks

Published: 1983

Total Pages: 116

ISBN-13: 9780880100601

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Rudolf Steiner wrote four mystery dramas intended to portray the spiritual path of self-knowledge as described by spiritual science, or Anthroposophy. Those plays are not merely symbolic but realistic depictions in a spiritual sense. In this book, Steiner describes how "The Portal of Initiation" (the first of his dramas) portrays the intense and tempestuous inner events of initiation as experienced by a young painter. He explains the spiritual background of this character's "karmic" tests and higher guidance. He also discusses the Rosicrucian nature of this play, as well as the "symbolism and fantasy" of the second drama, "The Soul's Probation." Steiner also emphasizes the power of certain fairy tales and poetry for bridging the gap between the spiritual and material worlds. As one of the mystery dramas shows, this is especially valuable for those who tend to be intellectuals. Rudolf Steiner portrayed much of the wisdom of his spiritual science in the mystery dramas and intended them to graphically depict what he taught all his life. As he said, "If people will exert themselves...to work with the drama, I will not have to give any more lectures for a long time." THE LECTURES: Self-knowledge as Portrayed in the Rosicrucian Mystery, The Portal of Initiation (Basel, Sept. 17, 1910) On the Rosicrucian Mystery, The Portal of Initiation (Berlin, Oct. 31, 1911) Symbolism and Phantasy in Relation to the Mystery Drama The Soul's Probation (Berlin, Dec. 19, 1911)

The Souls' Awakening
The Souls' Awakening

Author: Rudolf Steiner

Publisher: SteinerBooks

Published: 1995

Total Pages: 196

ISBN-13: 9780880104265

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Rudolf Steiner said of his mystery dramas--written between 1910 and 1913--that they contain the whole essence of Anthroposophy and that if, through some unlikely chance, only these dramas were to survive, the essential content of Anthroposophy would nevertheless be preserved. Steiner's dramas powerfully portray the complex processes of reincarnation and karma. In them, we are led to inhabit the living landscape of the human soul and spirit, where suprasensory beings weave destinies. Here we find a connection with the spiritual reality of human life itself by following the dramatic interplay of the joy and sorrow, struggle and striving of a group of individuals attempting to apply spiritual knowledge to their practical lives and relationships. To read, watch, or act in these plays is an initiation experience. In The Souls' Awakening--Steiner's fourth mystery drama--an enlightened entrepreneur appoints a scientist, a historian, and an artist to use their spiritual perceptions to transform his business into one that serves spiritual as well as practical needs. A long-standing colleague objects, and a series of conflicts and crises develops. As the plot unfolds, we follow the characters on a journey that moves from business meetings through various states of consciousness, into worlds known before birth and previous lives in Egypt. This classic translation by Ruth and Hans Pusch was revised for this volume by Ruth Pusch. Included is Hans Pusch's "Thoughts on the Seal," in which he discusses the Rosicrucian meaning of the seal represented on the cover. This book is a translation of "Der Seelen Erwachen," published as part four of Vier Mysteriendramen The Four Mystery Dramas), which includes "The Portal of Initiation"; "The Soul's Probation"; "The Guardian of the Threshold"; and "The Souls' Awakening."

Four Mystery Plays
Four Mystery Plays

Author: Rudolf Steiner

Publisher: DigiCat

Published: 2022-09-04

Total Pages: 452

ISBN-13:

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DigiCat Publishing presents to you this special edition of "Four Mystery Plays" by Rudolf Steiner. DigiCat Publishing considers every written word to be a legacy of humankind. Every DigiCat book has been carefully reproduced for republishing in a new modern format. The books are available in print, as well as ebooks. DigiCat hopes you will treat this work with the acknowledgment and passion it deserves as a classic of world literature.

Four Mystery Dramas
Four Mystery Dramas

Author: Rudolf Steiner

Publisher: SteinerBooks

Published: 1973-05

Total Pages: 671

ISBN-13: 1621511324

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Rudolf Steiner's four mystery dramas are powerful portrayals of the complex laws of reincarnation and karma. They transport us into a landscape of the human soul and spirit, where suprasensory beings are active. Through the perception of these hidden worlds, we are given the opportunity to understand the struggles we face in attempting to apply spiritual knowledge to our everyday lives and relationships. Written between 1910 and 1913 during periods of intense inner and outer work, these dramas are powerful testimonies to Steiner's artistic creativity. By manifesting soul and spirit forms on a stage, they foreshadow a dramatic art for the future. The complete cycle of four plays is reproduced here in the classic translation by Ruth and Hans Pusch. The Four Plays: The Portal of Initiation: A Rosicrucian Mystery, through Rudolf Steiner The Soul's Probation: A Life Tableau in Dramatic Scenes As Sequel to the Portal of Initiation, through Rudolf Steiner The Guardian of the Threshold: Soul Events in Dramatic Scenes, by Rudolf Steiner The Souls' Awakening: Soul and Spirit Events in Dramatic Scenes, by Rudolf Steiner This volume is a translation of Vier Mysteriendramen (vol. 14 of Rudolf Steiner's Complete Works).

THE MYSTERY OF THE PORTAL
THE MYSTERY OF THE PORTAL

Author: Trevor Dance

Publisher: Rudolf Steiner Press

Published: 2022-04-11

Total Pages: 222

ISBN-13: 1855846314

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The philosopher and educationalist Rudolf Steiner was also a radical dramatist who wrote four lengthy and complex plays. The first of these, The Portal of Initiation, is rich in content and artistically presented, but leaves us with questions: Why is the first scene so long and many speeches so lengthy? Why are our usual expectations of drama not met? Was Steiner really a competent dramatist? In this essential guide, Trevor Dance suggests that the first step to appreciating The Portal of Initiation is to understand Steiner's methods. The play belongs to the tradition of Mystery Dramas from ancient times – artistic works intended as vehicles for inner development. Steiner thus combines aspects of Goethe's alchemical fable The Green Snake and the Beautiful Lily with the spiritual growth of contemporary individuals – all in the broader context of reincarnation and karma. With accessibility in mind, the author provides a clear synopsis of each scene and introduces us to the characters – a collection of rustics, sophisticates, hierophants and spiritual entities. Their dilemmas and challenges take place on many layers of reality: from a room in Sophia's house to the exalted Sun Temple. Revealing the enigmas behind the creation and content of The Portal of Initiation, Dance enables us not only to enjoy the play, but also to love it. His lucid guide – the first of its kind – is an ideal introduction for both individual readers and study groups.

A Rosicrucian Soul
A Rosicrucian Soul

Author: Russell Pooler

Publisher: SteinerBooks

Published: 2009-03

Total Pages: 416

ISBN-13: 158420463X

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Written 1904-1908 (CW 11) "Rudolf Steiner shows that the insoluble link between humanity and cosmos is the fundamental basis of evolution. As human beings have participated in the development of the world we know today, so their achievements are directly connected with the ultimate destiny of the universe. In human hands rests the freedom to shape the future course of creation. Knowledge of our exalted origins and of the path we have followed is indispensable if we are to evolve a future worthy of responsible human beings.... Through a study of Steiner's writings, one can come to a clear, reasonable, comprehensive understanding of human beings and their place in the universe." --Paul Marshall Allen In the best tradition of ancient wisdom literature, Cosmic Memory reconstructs, from the akashic record, events that span the time between the origin of the Earth and the beginning of recorded history. This spiritual research includes a profound investigation of the origins, achievements, and fate of the Atlanteans and Lemurians--the remarkable "lost" root races that developed the first concepts of "good" and "evil," manipulated natural forces, laid the foundation for human legal and ethical systems, and defined and nurtured the distinctive yet complementary powers of men and women that brought humankind, many centuries ago, to its highest artistic, intellectual, and spiritual attainments. Through this discussion of our true origins, Cosmic Memory offers a genuine foundation for our lives, allowing us to realize our real value, dignity, and essence. The reader is shown our human connection with the world around us as well as our highest goals and true destiny. This is a key volume for understanding Rudolf Steiner's early development as a Theosophist and how his ideas, terminology, and formulations during that time fit into the development of his anthroposophic epistemology and Christology. This volume is a translation of Aus der Akasha-Chronik (Rudolf Steiner Gesamtausgabe 11), Rudolf Steiner Verlag, 1986.

The Time Is at Hand!
The Time Is at Hand!

Author: Paul Marshall Allen

Publisher: SteinerBooks

Published: 1996-02

Total Pages: 200

ISBN-13: 0880109866

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Here is a book about Walden that takes Thoreau on his own terms. Two Fish on One Hook is a transcendental study of Thoreau's transcendental work. It offers us the task of doing as Thoreau does, exhorting us to follow the patterns Thoreau sets up in Walden and to approach his work as "an act of communication"--one that urges us to listen, to hear, and to act upon what he has to say, one that becmes a transformative experience. "Thoreau's first step is to remind us of how very idle and blockheaded we are. The busy folk 'mind[ing] their own affairs' he leaves to their own devices. Books about Walden are also obliged to begin on the right note by sounding Thoreau's stern wake-up call. Many will find it a jarring note, but there is no better way to wake up from the Procrustean 'sense of men asleep' and to get 'a sick one to lay down his bed and run' into Walden in time. It may be wisdom to let the dead bury the dead; but Thoreau is convinced that 'a man is not requried to bury himself.' He, therefore, begins by asking his readers "Why should they begin digging their graves as soon as they are born?'" --Raymond Tripp