Supplements to Member Lectures

GA 246 — 7 December 1907, Stuttgart

8. Golgotha and Hardening of the Earth

Closing the lecture or answering questions

There is a connection between this hardening of the earth and the crucifixion, even if it is not a simple one. In speaking of the hardening of the rock, we are only dealing with this realm. We must realize that the process on Golgotha, the crucifixion, is connected with all processes of the earth's development. If someone could have observed the progress of the earth's development from another star over thousands of years, not only as a physical body but as a spiritual being, he would have been able to see that the astral body of the earth undergoes certain transformations that could be followed with the various currents and colors. 4000 years before Christ, 100 years before him, 100 years after Christ [the astral body of the earth] is not the same, it is in constant transformation and with it everything physical, which arises out of the astral. But never has the transformation been so powerful as at the time when the Mystery of Golgotha took place!

This one event, the flowing out of the blood from the wounds, is at the same time the greatest cosmic upheaval in earthly existence. It will only manifest itself in the distant future for all individual human beings. Man will gradually realize what it means when he relives it. The body of the initiate becomes as hard as a piece of wood and this happens under torture!

Let us remember what is said about the further development of the human being. The ego works into the astral body, thereby creating the spirit self. The ego works into the etheric body, thereby the life spirit - buddhi - arises. The I works into the physical body, thereby the spirit man or Atma arises.

After experiencing the Christ experience, the human being learns that working into the etheric body is [compassion for] the pains of the earth here at this stage of development. This became, so to speak, an event in the most eminent sense in the historical event on Golgotha. There the whole pain of the earth is felt all at once by the dying Christ.