The History of the Esoteric School 1904–1914, Volume One

GA 264 — Berlin

To Paula Stryczek in Hanover

Berlin W 30, Motzstrasse 17

December 31, 1905

Dear Miss Stryczek!

In the sad matter that has befallen us, let me say the following to you.¹

When a person we love passes over to the other world, it is especially important that we send our thoughts and feelings to them without letting the idea arise that we want them back. The latter makes it more difficult for the deceased to exist in the sphere into which they have entered. It is not the suffering we have, but the love we give him, that we should send to his worlds. Do not misunderstand me. We should not become hard or indifferent. But it should be possible for us to look at the dead with the thought, “My love accompany you! You are surrounded by it.” According to my knowledge, such a feeling is a kind of wing-dress that carries the dead upwards; while the feelings of many mourners, such as, “Oh, if you were still with us,” become an obstacle to him. So that would be a general indication of how we have to adjust ourselves with our feelings in such a case.

In particular, I may now advise you the following. I will write down for you the thoughts that I am not yet able to express in quite good German; but they are based on ancient occult tradition in such cases. Three times a day, once of which should be immediately in the evening before going to sleep, you should become completely still within yourself, so that you take the thoughts themselves with you into the spiritual world. It is best to fall asleep with the thoughts:

My love be to the covers
That now surround you
Cooling all warmth,
Warming all cold
Sacrificially interwoven!
Live, dear-carried,
Light-bestowed upward!

It is important that you have the right feelings when you hear the words “warmth” and “coldness.” We are not talking about physical warmth and coldness, but rather emotional warmth and coldness, although it is not easy for a person in a physical body to imagine what these qualities mean for the discarnate. The latter must first realize that the astral substance still clinging to him is active, but without the use of physical tools. Much of what man strives for here on earth is given to him through his physical tools. Now these are not there. This lack of physical organs resembles – but only resembles – the feeling of burning thirst transferred to the soul. These are the strong 'sensations of heat' after disembodiment. And it is the same with our will, which longs to be active. It is accustomed to using physical organs and no longer has them. This “deprivation” is equivalent to a feeling of mental coldness. It is precisely these feelings that the living can help with. For these feelings are not merely the result of the individual's life, but are connected with the mysteries of incarnation. And it is therefore possible to help the disembodied person.

Now for something else I would ask of you. Let the above sentences be preceded by a few thoughts to our Mr. Wagner, along the following lines: “Your [the wife's] faithful love has surrounded you so far; it continues to surround you unchanged; it will sustain you as a power of the spirit, as it has illuminated you in visible presence so far.”

I wanted to write all this to you today. At the moment I have so much work to do on the physical plane that I cannot tell you anything specific, except for the general above, because physical work obscures spiritual experience. Of course, you are free to share my lines with anyone you think fit. I would like many hearts to turn to the dear personality.

Give the warmest greetings to the dear doctor and receive the same for yourself from your

Dr. Rudolf Steiner