Attaining Jupiter Consciousness: Esoteric Development and Cosmic Evolution

GA 266I — 26 January 1908, Berlin

Esoteric Lesson

Record A

What we strive for in esoteric life is to attain a different, higher state of consciousness than the one we are in now. We seek to attain a state that would only occur — in the normal course of things — on Jupiter. Of course, this state occurs in a different way in the occult student, who undergoes the development in advance, than in the Jupiter human being. The Jupiter human being will have a completely different physical body than we have today.

In everyday consciousness, all human beings experience states that are reminiscent of the lunar state, and others in which the Jupiter state protrudes. When we blush with shame, we repeat a piece of the lunar state. Why is this? On the moon, we did not yet have blood. But we know that blood is the expression of our I. On the ancient moon, all the forces that are at work in our blood today were outside of us. We had no sense of self yet. When we blush with shame, we would like to say: Oh, if only I were not here, I would sink into the earth. In doing so, we push the blood outward, as if casting off our ego.

Another state that points to Jupiter is the one that occurs when we feel fear or anxiety and turn pale. What happens then? We push our blood toward the heart to strengthen our ego. We do this instinctively to make ourselves strong, to ward off danger. On Jupiter, the heart becomes an arbitrary muscle — we can strengthen our ego at will. For indeed, on Jupiter we will encounter events and beings that make it absolutely necessary for us to strengthen our ego consciousness. However, we must seek to attain a state in which we protect our ego in exactly the same way as when we feel fear, without feeling any fear.

When we breathe in deeply and hold our breath, we recapitulate a piece of the lunar state. When we hold our breath, on the other hand, we experience a piece of the Jupiter state. This determines whether the student of occultism is given exercises in which he must hold his breath because he has to go through the moon state in a certain way, or whether he is given exercises in which he must let his breath out because this enables him to reach the Jupiter state. Each person must be treated individually.

We know that the stream of humanity is already splitting into two parts, one that is moving toward the good and moral, and the other that is ending in the sinister and evil. Such conditions are already emerging; the seeds are already present. Thus, everything that exists today in the world in the form of machines and instruments and is set in motion will become terrible, terrifying demons on Jupiter. Everything that serves only the principle of utility will one day grow into such terrible powers. This can be paralyzed if we transform the apparatus of utility into one that, in addition to its usefulness, proclaims above all beauty and the divine. It is very good that we know this. Otherwise, such powers would one day tear the earth apart. We also see how incredibly important it is that we surround children with artistic impressions as they grow up. Art sets us free. Even the locomotive must one day be transformed into a machine that is beautiful. Our feelings of fear and anxiety are food for other evil beings. We must not allow such thoughts to arise. For on Jupiter we will be surrounded by such demons in far greater numbers than now. But in this respect there is nothing to fear for those who, like wise people, keep their shell clean so that no flies can gather around the dirt. The astral plane is actually a region of wisdom; [also the world of the physical]. It is only through the descent of individual egos into it that disorder has entered it. A certain fragment of the cosmos has descended at this point in time onto the physical plane, as it were, like a premature birth. These are the comets. In them we still find the laws of wisdom at work. This is the source of the wonderful paths they trace through the heavens. And a collision with our earth can therefore only be assumed by a materialistic astronomy.

The student of occultism must know all these things, for without knowledge he cannot progress; one day he must realize this.

On Jupiter, man acquires lunar consciousness in addition to earthly consciousness. He is moving toward spiritualization.

Record B

There are three duller states of consciousness than our bright daytime waking consciousness and three higher ones, which are normally attained on Jupiter, Venus, and Vulcan. The initiates attain these states already on Earth (the three duller ones are those of Saturn, the Sun, and the old Moon). In individual experiences, the old lunar consciousness appears atavistically in humans—in feelings of shame—and, pointing forward, the Jupiter consciousness appears in terror and fear.

On the old moon, the forces of blood, the forces of the sense of self, were still outside, surrounding human beings; it was only when blood entered human beings with its forces that the sense of self became wholly within them. The feeling of shame is the feeling, the desire to hide from other people, to sink away, to disappear. In doing so, one drives the blood out of oneself, as it were, that is, as far as one can, to the surface of the body—hence the blush of shame.

On Jupiter, the sense of self is much more developed than here on Earth. The opposites of good and evil, the good ego and the evil ego, are much stronger there, as Earth will show in the future as a preparatory development. We will face much more evil demons there and need all the strength of our ego to resist them and fight for “the good.” A similar process of gathering together is already occurring now when danger arises, except that now it is usually accompanied by fear and terror. The blood rushes to the heart and then retreats, causing a pallor. This gathering of the blood, the concentration of the ego at the center of the ego, is a Jupiter phenomenon that will be nothing more than a gathering together, without any feeling of fear. We must learn this gathering together in the face of danger without feeling fear.

In our development, we rise again from the earth to the height of the former state of lunar consciousness, the state of Jupiter consciousness, now connected with clear earth consciousness: On the path of development, therefore, we are already seeking to initiate this Jupiter state through breathing exercises. When we hold our breath with our lungs full, the blood is driven outwards, as it were; this is the lunar state, which together with the earth state results in the Jupiter state.

When the breath is held with empty lungs, the blood is driven back, so to speak. This situation is associated with a feeling of fear (when one cannot get air), except that this procedure must be practiced without fear. This exercise leads directly to the Jupiter state.

Which of the two exercises must be performed depends on the individuality of the student.

Wisdom reigns on the astral plane; wisdom and order also reigned on the physical plane before individual egos existed; disorder and confusion only arose when humans on Earth began to act independently with their individual egos.

Now there are beings or formations in the astral realm which, earlier than normal, condensed out of the spiritual realm—the astral realm—into physical existence, but which are still completely guided by astral wisdom. Such beings or formations are comets. The direction of their course in space often appears dangerous, for example to Earth, but they are always deflected in directions that seem to contradict the physical laws, and the danger passes. They follow wise astral laws.

Through the development of ideas that lead to higher things, of forms of beauty—such as domes, musical compositions, and so on—good demons are formed on Jupiter, and the fundamental [?] ideas take shape there in the physical nature that then unfolds. However, those aspirations and structures that serve only utility will raise evil, wicked demons there and lead to ugly structures. If the pure principle of utility were to gain complete ascendancy here on earth, destruction would come upon the earth, and it would not achieve its goal. “Useful” things are necessary; we can only escape ruin if the principle of beauty is combined with the principle of utility in the design of tools, machines, bridges, etc., or if higher thoughts—for example, in symbols—are expressed in their form.

Additional notes by another hand:

Seek to spiritualize all work in general.

What does contemplation achieve? Through devotion, to develop into Jupiter consciousness.