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

GA 265a — 8 December 1913, Munich

The Future Desolation of Man and the World

Notes A from the estate of Elisabeth Vreede First degree

About the desolation of the world and of man. The desolation of art, science, industry, trade and so on. Everything is growing old. In the future, people will be around as if they had no ego; they will move and work like robots.

Eduard von Hartmann's pessimism: blowing up the Earth is the best thing to do. In a way, his pessimism seems justified in the face of such a bleak future. Although we feel deepest sorrow about it, we can still be grateful to our karma for what we receive here, because then, in the future – as if floating above it – we will be able to give these automaton-like people something to guide them, something like a substitute for the missing ego. This is what the master says when asked about it.

Recording B by Alice Kinkel For all degrees

The knowledge and understanding of the development of our earth is the power and the means for us to advance in the occult. If we look at our earth, we see that it is in a state of dying. We know that human life has an ascending phase, lasting until about the age of thirty, and a descending phase. The same is true of the Earth. The ascending half can be reckoned as lasting until about the middle of the Atlantean period. From that point on, it would be a matter of time before it died or became desiccated; but through certain interactions, this time was delayed until the time of the Mystery of Golgotha, for through the Mystery of Golgotha the new, rejuvenating forces of youth were bestowed upon the Earth once more. Science also tells us that the Earth is dying, disintegrating, and that we are walking on it. The physicist, he already speaks today of the heat death of our earth, of the dissolution, the decay. (The geology of Eduard Sueß is cited and discussed.)

What does occultism, which dissects the Christ impulse, as we do here in view of our three altars and our three candlesticks, have to say about this?

If we go back to the ancient mystery and wisdom sites, which our union is to follow, we do not need to go far back at all, only to the Zarathustra teachings, where the best feelings and sensations were dedicated to the worship of fire. What lives in this fire, in this sacrificial flame? Those who have followed our explanations in our intimate meetings in recent times will not be surprised when it is said: Ahriman lives in this fire or is connected with this fire. What does the physicist describe when he speaks of the heat death of the earth or when he describes his other investigations? He describes the deeds of Ahriman.

But for the Zarathustrians, this fire was something else. The connection with the good powers was there, he sought and cultivated them in the worship of the fire, the powers that save and give the strength of the soul not to be burned.

This earth will indeed suffer a heat death and burn up and scatter into the universe, but the souls that are connected with the good powers will have the strength to save from destruction that which comes from the rejuvenating impulse of the Mystery of Golgotha and to carry it over into future earthly developments, what will shine as the Jupiter sun over the future Earth.

Everything that comes from ordinary science today is old and withered, and it opens up a desolate wasteland in the human heart and soul; for when the physicist draws his conclusions to a close, he arrives at the heat death of the universe. - And what comfort does he then give to humanity? Only that it will be a long time before it happens! – Dreary and bleak is the prospect for the human soul. There is only one way, only one single way, that leads to new life. The earth has grown old and withered; it is doomed; a corpse that withers, it is. But a divine being has descended from the heights of the divine spirit - the Christ being - and brought the earth the impulse of spring, new life.

Those who connect with Christ Jesus will find the way out of this earth to new life. Everything must arise anew on this earth through the Christ presence. People will no longer be able to work through the old impulses of wisdom, beauty and virtue or strength; new impulses must come through Christ. The old impulses will fail. And an architecture will arise that presents only the ridiculous; a painting, a poetry, a medicine will arise that no longer exert any real effects. People will rejoice when all kinds of airplanes criss-cross the air, but every such airplane contributes to the death of the earth.

What then are our machines, what is our technology? We use metals for them that we tear out of the earth and remove from their divine purpose. Every machine is like a piece of flesh torn from the body of the earth; every machine contributes to its death.

If a number of souls can be found – and such souls must be found – who want to take up the Christ impulse, as it is advocated and explained here by true occultism, then these souls can emanate that which saves, that which carries the earth over to Jupiter. A new science, a new philosophy, a new art, a new painting, a new technique, a new medicine, a new commercial life must arise. And the Christ will be the great teacher for all branches of human life.

The Master of Wisdom showed the image of humanity's future when He was implored: a horrifying image - people walking around down there like automatons, who have lost their ego as if lost, who are deeply numbed by this materialistic culture that contains only the strength of old men. By their thirtieth year, when their youthful strength is spent, these people will be like automatons.

In the past, the destinies of the earth were guided from the outside by divine beings and the inherited divine powers were then there to help humanity to progress. Now man himself is to be a co-advisor to the gods (about the destiny of the earth) and to radiate powers from himself through the Christ impulse. And the Master of Wisdom has confirmed that you are called upon, when you have gone through the gate of death, to radiate the occult knowledge and truths that you have absorbed, to send them down from the spiritual worlds to Earth, to strengthen the souls of people who walk around down here like automatons. Think humbly and responsibly of how karma has led you to be called to this!

What does this breathing out of human deeds into the universe mean? The word “God”, “delight” has the same stem. Central Europe has a word that means “to delight”. In the past, God approached man from the outside during the day; it was called “divine delight”, a sacred delight.

The Master showed a second face; the first: a sad face, corresponding to the state of humanity; but the second a holy, inner delight, because through the Christ impulse, springing, sprouting, forces of spring can be sent out into the world. - Many words that have become trivial can become meaningful again through true occultism.

Angelic music is the harmony of the spheres. Aircraft are the disturbers of the harmony of the universe! We must develop inner warmth within us.