"The unconscious psyche of the child is truly limitless in extent and of incalculable age." -- C. G. Jung The Beejum Book offers a journey into a world of fantasy that, deep down, each of us knows and longs for. It tells the story of Teak, a child living abroad between the two World Wars. Teak's mother tells her not to worry about being left alone, because every night, when she goes to sleep, they can meet in Beejumstan. Teak's travels to this magical realm bring her face to face with Lonesome, a well-attired rabbit and Beejumstan's "ambassador without portfolio"; Figg Newton, the alchemist; the witches Rudintruda and Idy Fix; Gezeebius, the Wise Old Man; and many other fascinating characters. Alice O. Howell is a wise woman who can present deep truths in simple and engaging ways. Through this enchanting tale, she suggests that within us are many worlds as real and compelling as the one we know outside. Delightfully told and charmingly illustrated, The Beejum Book offers seekers of all ages a beautiful way of imbibing wisdom.
"We live today at a time when the full mystery of the Resurrection body can become manifest to human beings out of the inspirations of Michael.... This was accomplished by Rudolf Steiner not just in a theoretical sense but also practically, and came about through the establishing of a path, accessible to all human beings, which leads to a union with the forces of the Resurrection body." Sergei Prokofieff approaches the deepest mysteries of the Turning Point of Time (the Christ event) through Rudolf Steiner's spiritual research. At its heart stands the question of the restoration of the "phantom" of the physical body and its transformation into the resurrected body of Christ through the Mystery of Golgotha. The author draws a broad and differentiated picture of the tasks and possibilities that the Easter event--as well as Ascension and Pentecost--present, both for the individual and humanity. The final chapter considers the mystery of Easter Saturday, through which the two polar aspects of the Mystery of Golgotha--death and resurrection--interconnect, also explaining the relationship between the Earth Spirit and the interior of the Earth. An appendix tackles the phenomenon of stigmatization from a spiritual-scientific perspective.
12 lectures in various cities, 1922 (CW 211) "We must understand that if we relate only to dead matter, we ourselves become dead and ahrimanic, but if we have sufficient courage and love for all the beings around us to relate to them directly (not to our dead ideas about them), we discover the Christ in everything and victorious spirit everywhere. When this happens, we may need to speak in ways that seem paradoxical to our contemporaries. We may need to speak about the individual spiritual beings that live in the solid and fluid elements and so forth. As long as we avoid talking about these beings, we are talking about a dead science that is not imbued with the Christ. To speak about them is to speak in a truly Christian sense. We must imbue all of our scientific activity with the Christ. More than that, we must also bring the Christ into all of our social efforts, all of our knowledge--in short, into all aspects of our life. The Mystery of Golgotha will truly bear fruit only through human strength, human efforts, and human love for each other. In this sense, Anthroposophy in all its details strives to imbue the world with the Christ." --Rudolf Steiner These lectures were given midway between World War I and Steiner's death in 1925. They will be of particular interest to anyone wanting to comprehend Rudolf Steiner's mature understanding of his mission: "enchristing" the world. The first two lectures constitute a call to arms or return to basics. Steiner speaks existentially and phenomenologically, building upon recognizable descriptions of actual experiences. His theme is the three states of consciousness (waking, dreaming, and dreamless sleep), and he shows how these ordinary human functions have initiatory possibilities. The next four lectures deal with the evolution of consciousness in relation to the universal significance of the Christ event. Through the resurrection, Christ's being entered earthly evolution. As a result, we see the world differently. Where ancient humanity experienced, "Not I but the divine spirit around me," we can experience, "Not I, but the Christ in me." With this insight, we reach the heart of this volume--esoteric Christianity. For Steiner, our most important task as human beings is to learn to overcome death by uniting with the Christ, who overcame death. Humanity's survival depends upon the "enchristing" of the world. It is the purpose of Anthroposophy to bring this reality into world evolution, to enable all religions and all human beings to experience the new reality. LECTURES: The Life of the Human Soul in Sleeping, Waking, and Dreaming The Three States of Night Consciousness The Transformation of Worldviews Historical Changes in the Experience of Breathing The Human Being as Portrayed in Greek Art Investigating and Formulating the Cosmic Word in Inhalation and Exhalation Exoteric and Esoteric Christianity The Teachings of the Risen Christ Spiritual Insight and Initiation Perceiving the Christ through Anthroposophy The Threefold Sun and the Risen Christ Anthroposophy as an Attempt to Enchristen the World Cover image Burial by Ninetta Sombart. The Sun Mystery and the Mystery of Death and Resurrection is the first complete English translation of Das Sonnenmysterium und das Mysterium von Tod und Auferstehung. Exoterisches und esoterisches Christentum (GA 211). Eight lectures were published in an earlier English translation as part of Festivals and their Meaning II: Easter (1956).
Exoteric Christianity is to be found in the Gospels and as they have been interpreted through history; esoteric, inner Christianity is the living teaching of the Risen Christ: resurrection. Today it lies in the resurrection of thinking: how dead thoughts can be awakened to life in the form of moral impulses.
This new publication is a continuation of the book written by Sergei O. Prokofieff, The Mystery of the Resurrection in the Light of Anthroposophy (2008). In studying Rudolf Steiners work, many questions arise that warrant further research, whereas Steiner only suggests a direction in which the subject may be carried forward. This can be seen especially in the field of anthroposophic Christology. When researching this subject, the many questions that arise can lead to being confronted by conundrums. However, studying the work again later, such seemingly impossible questions may suddenly become clear, resulting in completely new and surprising perspectives. Some of these new perspectives will be found in this volume.
In this revised and expanded edition of his classic debut, Sergei O. Prokofieff investigates the deepest mysteries of Rudolf Steiner’s life and individuality, from ‘the years of apprenticeship’ and ‘the great Sun period’ to ‘the path of the Teacher of Humanity’ and ‘the birth of the New Mysteries’. He discusses the earthly and supersensible aspects of the first Goetheanum, the implications of the Christmas Conference of 1923-24, and the Foundation Stone meditation that Steiner left as a legacy to members of the Anthroposophical Society. In his very personal Introduction, Prokofieff describes, in moving detail, the events in his life which led to his discovery of anthroposophy whilst living in Communist Russia, and how eventually he came to write this extraordinary study of Rudolf Steiner. The resulting volume – a work of secondary anthroposophical literature unprecedented in its depth and significance – was first published in Germany in 1982, meeting with equal amounts of acclaim, astonishment and controversy. It is published in this paperback edition to mark the 35th anniversary of the original publication.
4 lectures, Vienna, September 27-October 1, 1923 (from CW 223) Steiner shows the need to "expand the horizon of life into the breadth of the world" in order to overcome today's hermit-like existence. He shows that the path to becoming true citizens of the cosmos is through the forces of the Archangel Michael, who is always present and prepared to help us. Synopses: September 27 -- How shall man, the earth citizen, once more become a citizen of the cosmos? The expansion of life's horizon into cosmic reaches. Philosophic aspects and impulses determining the human being in the picture of Michael's Conflict with the Dragon. September 28 -- Present-day man as a world hermit. The way back to spirit through the Michael force. Enchantment and liberation of the elemental beings. Man's responsibility to the cosmos. What is demanded of us is a profound faith in the spirit that will make us into instruments of the divine-spiritual forces. Experiencing spirit through pure thought leads to inspiration. September 30 -- Prerequisites of the inauguration of an autumn festival: penetrating extra-terrestrial, cosmic contexts; experiencing the course of the seasons. The Druidic and the Mithras Mysteries; the sun circles and cromlechs. Observation of the sun yielded knowledge of the connection between heaven and earth. The language of the heavens was deciphered and the cult gave directions regulating practical and social life, thereby becoming a sort of divine service -- the image of the Bull in the Mithras cult, and the schooling of the neophyte's capacity for sensitive perception: the heart as a sense organ was raised to a certain degree of consciousness. Through the heart organization the course of nature was perceived within man, and through the heart science the spirit of the sun's annual passage through the zodiac was studied. In this way men read in the heavens what was to be done on earth -- Concerning the cosmic-historical evolution of the planetary system. October 1 -- We need realistic thinking in place of mere methods of calculation. The far-reaching social significance of a Michael Festival. Earth spirit and human spirit. The cosmic breathing process. Nature-consciousness, self-consciousness, and spirit-consciousness. This volume is a translation of the final four of the nine lectures in Der Jahreskreislauf als Atmungsvorgang der Erde und die vief grossen Festeszeiten.
The Sun at Midnight offers a splendid, easily accessible summary of mystical theology in the Cistercian school. Bernardo Olivera, a master of both the theology and the practice of the spiritual life, analyzes this tradition first in its rich human, biblical, and doctrinal connotations, and then according to its most typical expressions as they are lived among Cistercian mystics, with reference also to other Christian men and women. Olivera explores the rich testimony of the monks of the twelfth century as well as the lesser-known nuns and holy women of the thirteenth century. Throughout the book, we discover Olivera's fundamental thesis: Personal mystical experience is not only the key to an adequate renewal of monastic life today but also-and above all-the foundation, the originating point, of any and all religion or religious tradition. Mystical experience is, in particular, the origin of Christianity and its rich spiritual tradition.
