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

GA 265 — Hildesheim

The Cross and the Triangle in the Cosmos and in Man

Text based on a template with no indication of place or date with the handwritten note by Rudolf Steiner “Esoterikers. It is probably a transcription by Rudolf Steiner, but the original is not available.

Four mighty, exalted figures stand in space, one in each of the four directions. Thus they form the cosmic cross. They direct and guide the processes of the world and are the servants of the One who is the life of the sun. During each cosmic day, they are inspired in turn by the spirit of the sun. They are the primal forces that are mirrored in the three forces of thinking, feeling and willing in the cosmos and in the human soul. The one that is most powerful contains within itself the forces of the other three; it is the most perfect, and it is through it that the others can be seen and understood. He is the direct servant of the great spirit of the Sun and guides the future so that it becomes the present. The rays of his light bring knowledge to human souls. As if announcing a new day, his light shines from the east.

Each of these four figures is particularly in charge of one of the planetary developmental states of the earth. The three, which are the primal forces that are reflected in will, thinking and feeling, guided the past planetary states of the earth, which are referred to as old Saturn, old sun and old moon. The fourth particularly guides the state that is called the state of the earth itself. Therefore, it contains within itself the forces of the other three, repeating their effect on earth, and balances them by adding its own power. On its right side, in a northerly direction, stands the one that is particularly associated with Saturn's evolution. Its light shines in a bluish glow, weaker than that of the others. A lofty, stern figure, he is called by the name of Uriel. In the direction of the west stands he who is related to the evolution of the sun. His light shines in a golden radiance. A lofty, powerful figure, he is designated by the name of Raphael. In the direction of the south stands the one who is connected with the development of the old moon. His being shines in silvery white light. A sublime, loving figure, he is called by the name of Gabriel. The fourth, who contains within himself the powers of the others and adds his own power, radiates his light from the east in a pinkish hue and golden splendor. He guides and directs the evolution of the earth and therefore works into the future. A lofty, victorious figure, who bears the qualities of the other three, he is named after Michael. Thus the four mighty archangels stand and guide the processes of the world. Each of them is connected with one of the four limbs in man, for in each of the planetary conditions one of these limbs has been developed in the disposition. The fourth guides the development of the human ego. He is most intimately connected with humanity and is the direct servant of the mighty spirit of the sun. During the evolution of the earth, this mighty being descended to the earth in an earthly incarnation and connected himself with the earth and its further evolution. Three planetary stages of development have been, the fourth is, and in the future three more will follow. During these, at higher levels, that which was developed in the three first stages will be fully realized. With the powers of his ego, which man has acquired in the evolution on earth under the influence of the powerful Archangel Michael and through the power of Christ, which has been placed in him, he will be able to develop higher members within himself during these three following planetary conditions. He will be able to develop three higher members, but he will develop them within himself. Out of the four members he will grow three as a higher trinity. Outside of man, in the cosmos, this higher trinity is already there, but man must gradually draw it near so that it becomes internalized in him.

Just as the four limbs of man are related to the four archangels under whose influence they were predisposed, so there are cosmic powers associated with the three higher limbs of human nature. The future planetary states of development will be similarly directed and guided by exalted spiritual entities. They do not stand in the four directions of space like the four archangels, who form the cosmic cross, as if they had moved away from a common center, but they are connected to one another in such a way that they form a triangle, radiant with golden splendor. In the “I am that which was, is, and shall be,” they connect the three points of time: past, present, and future, weaving them into a unity. Into the four they will pour their power, not standing beside the four, but above the four.

During the evolution of the earth, the power of the fourth is added to the three that have gone before, and through this fourth the three are endowed with higher powers. And this fourth will be the mediator through which the higher trinity can reveal itself in its activities; through him it can shine into the four the new spiritual light, which is life, just as in man the fourth member, the I, has the powers within it which the three higher members, spirit self, spirit of life, spiritual man, will develop and set them in motion.

At the turning-point of planetary evolution, in the fourth, the earth state, the first impulse was given so that the forces of the higher trinity could continue to work in the three that followed. The same power that lived on earth in Jesus Christ and united with the earth when the Word was made flesh will continue to work in a threefold way in the three following planetary conditions, the fifth, sixth and seventh, which are designated as the Jupiter, Venus and Vulcan conditions. The three higher members of man are connected with these three powers. On earth, the power of Christ has given the human ego the possibility of developing these limbs within itself in the future. In the next planetary state, the Jupiter state, the human being will connect with the forces that reveal themselves in the cosmos as the “Holy Spirit” by developing the spirit self. He will partake of this Holy Spirit through his spirit self. In the subsequent planetary state, the Venus state, he will unite with the forces that reveal themselves cosmically as the 'Son' through the development of the spirit of life. Through the development of the spirit of life, he will be the son himself. And in the last planetary state, the Vulcan state, he will connect with the cosmic forces that are referred to as the “Father” through the evolvement of the spiritual man. As a spiritual man, he will become one with the Father; he will be in the Father and the Father will be in him.

Thus man has developed within himself the powers of the golden triangle. Then it will reveal itself in him by the sounding within him of the divine creative Word, which has poured its power into this triangle. This divine Word was the beginning of all things; it had put its power, its life, into all things. In the evolution of the world, it had gradually been lost to people, for fewer and fewer people were able to hear it resound within themselves and in the outer world. It seemed to have been scattered into many individual syllables and letters, and at first no one could understand the connection between these letters. It was impossible for anyone to put together a word from the syllables that was a living, creative sound in itself. Hidden in the deepest sources of existence rested the golden triangle on which this word had been preserved. There it was inscribed. At first it was inaccessible to man. But once, when the sound of the word seemed to have faded away completely, when the darkness was at its deepest, it revealed itself again to mankind and showed its power. Since then, there has remained within man an echo like a memory of its sound. This has made it possible for man to one day rediscover it within himself and in the outside world. Every human being becomes a seeker of the word when he begins to develop the higher limbs within himself, to build the golden triangle within himself. Then he will find it one day. And just as he gradually develops the higher trinity within himself until it can reveal itself in a unity, so he will learn to spell syllable by syllable until it resounds vividly in his own soul and he comprehends the divine creative word in his being.