Lessons for the Participants of Cognitive-Cultic Work 1906–1924

GA 265a — 5 September 1912, Munich

The First Prayer: “Brothers of Antiquity”

Notes by Alice Kinkel, first degree

The first prayer distinguishes us from all other such endeavors, which are based on documents or on a traditional wisdom. We do not refer to anything like that, we only tie in with the work that has been done, with what has actually been achieved.

In the near future, among other things that will be undertaken against us, our occult movement will also be tried to be suspected and vilified, so we should know this, to which we are joining.

In the spiritual realm, a community like ours exists, but it has only as much justification as souls profess it as the truth. And if someone does not like something about it, they do not need to be part of it. We do not claim to be an order, a Rosicrucian movement or anything of the kind, but our aim is to represent the truth in such a way that we do not claim wisdom as our own, but we do want to appropriate the work that has flowed from it as wisdom.

Wisdom is there; there was an ancient wisdom treasure of humanity, as shown in the “Guardian of the Threshold” by the Grand Master. And how one has to relate to this, that is, how one advances in the occult life, is shown to us by Maria in the second scene with Thomasius. It would be more convenient to give a prescription for all, but it had to be shown in our Western movement how people of the special kind of Thomasius, Strader, Capesius and Maria go the initiation way.

“Compasses and Rule” means: We adopt your customs. Such prayers contain in words everything we need, as do the Mystery Dramas of Dr. Steiner. Every word is there in its place and full of occult meaning. Nothing, nothing is set and said for a reason other than its spiritual meaning and power, as it is.

The opponents of spirituality, such as Haeckel, carry their spiritual darkness deeply hidden within themselves and their rage and anger is actually directed against themselves. Because they cannot access their deepest soul life in life, they show themselves quite differently towards spirituality after death and are most easily summoned, for example, in spiritualistic séances.

Nietzsche is very interesting in this respect; he found it difficult to let go of his material side and that is why he presented such a strange picture to the seer during his illness. The man Nietzsche, this strange personality, lying on the sofa and the aura around him. The split in the ego comes to expression in such personalities; while the consciousness is materialistic, the subconscious is spiritual.

“Brethren of the Future…” – We have no name either, because Lucifer is the patron of every external foundation of an association or society.

Upon admission to the first degree, it is also said: The sign of the first degree will be the expression in the future of self-knowledge or of what is understood by “know thyself”.