100. The Theosophical Congress in Munich (1907)

GA 284

The German Section of the Theosophical Society was responsible for organizing this year's congress of the “Federation of European Sections”. It is therefore more fitting that here, from within the circle of the organizers, there is less talk of what has been achieved than of what has been intended and striven for. For the organizers know only too well how little of what can be set as a goal on such an occasion has been achieved. Therefore, the following should be taken with a grain of salt, as a mere description of the underlying ideas.

Munich was chosen as the venue; the time was the days of Pentecost, May 18, 19, 20 and 21, 1907. The questions that the organizers asked themselves in preparing for the event were: How can such a congress express the task of the Theosophical movement in the present spiritual life? How can it present a picture of the ideals and aims of the theosophical work? Since the event is, of course, limited by the circumstances, it can only provide a limited actual answer to these questions. It now seems particularly important that the comprehensive character of the theosophical movement be emphasized on such occasions. The central point of this movement is the cultivation of a world view based on knowledge of the supersensible. And at such a congress, people come together who, in the spirit of such a world view, work across all national and other human boundaries on spiritual ideals that are common to all of humanity. Mutual inspiration in the best sense will be the most beautiful fruit of such events. In addition, it will be shown how the theosophical work should really be integrated into the whole of life in our time. For the spiritual basis of this movement cannot be called upon to express itself only in thoughts and ideas, in theories, etc.; rather, as a content of the soul that has emerged in our time, it can have a fruitful effect on all branches of human activity. Theosophy can only be properly understood if we set it the ideal of stimulating not only the imagination and the human soul, but the whole human being. If we wish to interpret its mission in this way, we may recall how, for example, the world view of the time found expression in the buildings and sculptures (such as the Sphinx) of the Egyptians. The ideas of the Egyptian worldview were not only thought by the souls; they were made visible to the eye in the environment of the human being. And consider how everything known of Greek sculpture and drama is the worldview of the Greek soul, shaped in stone and depicted in poetry. Consider how medieval painting presented Christian ideas and feelings to the eye, how Gothic art gave form and shape to Christian devotion. True harmony of the soul can only be experienced where the human senses are reflected in form, shape and color, etc., as the environment that the soul knows as its most valuable thoughts, feelings and impulses.

From such thoughts arises the intention to also give a picture of the theosophical striving in the external form of the event at a congress. The Rauzz, where the gathering takes place, can reflect the theosophical feeling and thinking around the visitor. According to our circumstances, we could not do more than sketch out what could be an ideal in this direction. We had decorated the assembly hall in such a way that a fresh, stimulating red formed the basic color of all the walls. This color was intended to express the basic mood of the celebration in an external view. It stands to reason that many will object to the use of “red” for this purpose. These objections are justified as long as one relies on an esoteric judgment and experience. They are well known to the esotericist, who nevertheless must use the color red for the purpose in question, in accordance with all occult symbolism. For him, it does not depend on what the part of his being feels that is devoted to the immediate sensory environment, but on what the higher self experiences in secret while creating in the spiritual, while the external environment is seen physically in red. And that is the exact opposite of what the ordinary sensation about “red” says. Esoteric knowledge says: “If you want to attune yourself in your innermost being as the gods were attuned when they gave the world the green plant cover, learn to bear ‘red’ in your environment as they had to.” This indicates a connection between the higher human nature and the color red, which the genuine esoteric has in mind when he represents the two opposing entities of the creative world-ground in occult symbolism in such a way that downward the green as a sign of the earthly, upward the “red” as a sign of the heavenly (elohistic) creative powers. Much more could be said about the reasons for opposing this color red, and much more could be said in refutation. However, it may suffice here to note that this color was chosen in accordance with occultism.

On the walls (on both sides and at the back wall) were placed the so-called seven apocalyptic seals in a size corresponding to the room. They represent certain experiences of the astral world in pictures. There is a reason for this. At first, some viewers may think that such pictorial representations are ordinary symbols. But they are much more than that. Anyone who simply wants to interpret what is depicted in them symbolically with the mind has not penetrated the spirit of the matter. One should experience the content of these seven pictures with one's whole soul, with one's undivided mind; one should shape it inwardly in one's soul according to form, color and content, so that it lives inwardly in the imagination. For this content corresponds to very specific astral experiences of the clairvoyant. What he wants to express in such pictures is not at all an arbitrary symbol, or even a straw-thin allegory, but something that is best illustrated by way of comparison. Take a person in a room illuminated by a light in such a way that his shadow is visible on a wall. The shadow is in some respects similar to the person casting the shadow. But it is a two-dimensional image of a three-dimensional being. Just as the shadow relates to the person, so what is depicted in the apocalyptic seals relates to certain experiences of the clairvoyant in the astral world. The seals are silhouettes of astral processes, of course in a figurative sense. Therefore, they are not arbitrary representations of a single person, but anyone who is familiar with the corresponding supersensible processes will find their silhouettes in the physical world. Such things cannot be invented in their essential content, but are taken from the existing teachings of the secret scientists. A student of these matters may have noticed that some of our seals correspond with what he finds in this or that work, but not others. The reason for this is that some of the imaginations of occult science have already been communicated in books; but the most important part, and the true part, may only now, in our time, be made public. And part of the theosophical work must consist in handing over to the public much that has hitherto been kept strictly secret by the appointed custodians. This is demanded by the evolution of the spiritual life of our time from the exponents of occult science.

It is the evolution of humanity, the expression of which in the astral world must form one of the most essential foundations of occult knowledge, as expressed in these seven seals. The Christian esotericist will recognize them in a certain way in the descriptions of the “Revelation of St. John”. But the form they presented in our festival hall corresponds to the secret-scientific spiritual current that has been the leading one in the West since the fourteenth century. The mysteries of existence, as depicted in these pictures, represent ancient wisdom; the clairvoyants of the various epochs of humanity see them from different points of view. Therefore, according to the necessary developmental needs of the times, the forms change somewhat. In the “Revelation of St. John” it is “set in signs” what is to happen “in brief”. He who is able to read a secret-scientific form of expression aright knows that this signifies nothing other than a reference to the secret-scientific signs for certain imaginations that can be experienced in the astral world and that are connected with the nature of man as it reveals itself in time. And the Rosicrucian seals also represent the same thing.

Only very sketchily, with a few words, shall the infinitely rich content of the seals be interpreted. Basically, everything – even the seemingly most insignificant – in these pictures means something important. – The first seal represents man's entire evolution on earth in the most general way. In the Book of Revelation, this is indicated in the words: “And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands; and in the midst of the seven lampstands one like unto the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. His head and hair, however, were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes like a flame of fire. His feet were like brass glowing in a furnace, and his voice like the sound of rushing waters. He had seven stars in his right hand, and out of his mouth came a sharp, two-edged sword; and his face shone like the bright sun.” In general terms, such words point to the most comprehensive secrets of human development. If one wanted to describe in detail what each of the deeply significant words contains, one would have to write a thick volume. Our seal depicts such a volume. Only a few hints are given: Among the physical organs and forms of expression of man, there are those that, in their present form, represent the downward stages of development of earlier forms, and which have thus already exceeded their degree of perfection. have already passed their peak of perfection; others, however, represent the initial stages of development; they are now, so to speak, the rudiments of what they are to become in the future. The esotericist must know these secrets of development. The organ of speech represents an organ that will be something much higher and more perfect in the future than it is at present. When pronouncing this, one touches on a great secret of existence, which is often also called the “mystery of the creative word”. This gives a hint of the future state of this human speech organ, which will one day, when the human being has spiritualized, become a spiritual organ of production (procreation). In myths and religions, this spiritual production is indicated by the appropriate image of a “sword” coming out of the mouth. Thus, each line and each point on the image means something that is connected with the mystery of human development. The fact that such pictures are made does not merely arise from a need for a sensualization of the supersensible processes, but it corresponds to the fact that living into these pictures – if they are the right ones – really means an arousal of forces that lie dormant in the human soul, and through the awakening of which the representations of the supersensible world emerge. It is not right for the supersensible worlds to be described only in schematic terms in Theosophy; the true way is to evoke such images as are given in these seals. (If the occultist does not have such images at hand, he should give a verbal description of the higher worlds in appropriate images.)

The second seal, with its corresponding accessories, represents one of the first stages of development of humanity on earth. In its primeval times, humanity on earth had not yet developed what is called the individual soul. What still exists in animals today is still present: the group soul. Anyone who can follow the old human group souls on the astral plane through imaginative clairvoyance will find the four types of group soul that are represented in the four apocalyptic animals of the second seal: the lion, the bull, the eagle, and the man. This touches on the truth of what is often so dryly allegorized in the four animals. The third seal represents the mysteries of the so-called harmony of the spheres. Man experiences these mysteries in the interval between death and a new birth (in the “spirit realm” or what is called “Devachan” in the usual theosophical literature). However, the presentation is not given as it is experienced in the “spirit realm” itself, but as the processes of this realm are reflected in the astral world, as it were. It must be emphasized that all seven seals are experiences of the astral world; but the other worlds can be seen in their reflections in the astral. The angels blowing trumpets in the picture represent the spiritual primal beings of the world phenomena; the book with the seven seals indicates that in the experiences illustrated in this picture, the riddles of existence are “unsealed”. The “Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse” represent the stages of human development through long earth cycles.

The fourth seal represents, among other things, two pillars, one rising from the sea and the other from the earth. These pillars hint at the secret of the role played by red (oxygen-rich) blood and blue-red (carbon-rich) blood in human evolution, and how this blood changes in line with human evolution from distant primeval times to distant future times. The letters on these pillars hint at this evolutionary secret in a way known only to the initiated. (All interpretations of the two letters given in public writings, or even in certain societies, remain only a superficial exotic interpretation.) The book in the cloud points to a future state of man in which all his knowledge will be internalized. In the “Revelation of St. John” we find the significant words: “And I took a little book out of the angel's hand and devoured it...” The sun in the picture points to a cosmic process that will take place at the same time as the marked future stage of humanity; the earth will enter into a completely different relationship with the sun than the present one in the cosmos. And everything is depicted in the picture in such a way that all the arrangements of the parts, all the details, etc., correspond exactly to specific real processes.

The fifth seal represents the further development of man in the future in a cosmos in which the conditions just indicated will have occurred. The future human being, who will have a different relationship to the sun than the present one, is represented by the “woman who gives birth to the sun”; and the power that he will then have over certain forces of the world, which today express themselves in his lower nature, is represented by the “sun woman” standing on the beast with the seven heads and ten horns. The woman has the moon under her feet: this points to a later cosmic relationship between the sun, earth and moon.

The sixth seal represents the evolved human being with even greater power over the lower forces of the universe. The way the image expresses this is reminiscent of Christian esotericism: Michael holds the dragon bound.

Finally, the seventh seal is that of the “Mystery of the Grail,” as it was in the esoteric current beginning in the fourteenth century. In the picture, there is a cube representing the spatial world, from which the world serpent rises on all sides, insofar as it represents the higher forces acting in the lower; from the snake's mouth comes the world line (as a spiral), the symbol of the purified and refined cosmic forces; and from it, the “holy grail”, which is faced by the “dove”: all this points - and quite appropriately - to the mystery of the world's creation, of which the earthly is a lower reflection. The deepest mysteries lie in the lines and figures, etc. of this seal.

Between each two seals, a column was inserted. These seven columns could not be executed in three dimensions; they had to be painted as a substitute. However, they are definitely intended as real architectural forms and correspond to the “seven columns” of the “true Rosicrucian Temple”. (Of course the arrangement in Munich does not correspond exactly to that in the “Rosicrucian Temple of Initiation,” for there are two of each column, so that if one walks from the back wall toward the front, one passes through fourteen columns, two of which are always facing each other. This is only a hint for those who know the true facts; we should only give a general idea of the meaning of this column secret.) The captains of these columns represent the planetary evolution of our solar system. Our Earth is, after all, the fourth embodiment in a planetary evolutionary system, and in the ways in which it is configured, it points to three future embodiments. (More exact details about this can be found in the articles in this journal that are headed “From the Akasha Chronicle”. The seven successive embodiments of the earth are designated by the Saturn, Sun, Moon, Earth, Jupiter, Venus and Vulcan conditions. In the usual esoteric descriptions, the Vulcan condition is omitted as being too far in the future. For reasons which it would take too long to explain here, the evolution of the earth is divided into a Mars and Mercury condition. (These reasons can also be found in the Essays on the “Akasha Chronicle”. These seven embodiments of the Earth: Saturn, Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter and Venus are now expressed in esotericism by seven pillared capitals. The inner life of each of these stages of development is expressed in the forms of these capitals. Here too, the intention is that one should not study the forms of the capitals intellectually, but entirely through the feelings, in real artistic experience and in the imagination. For every line, every curve, everything about these forms is such that when you immerse yourself in them, you awaken dormant powers in your soul; and these powers lead to ideas about the great mysteries of the world, which underlie the cosmic and the related evolution of humanity on earth. Anyone who might criticize the design of such columns should consider that, for example, the Corinthian and the Ionic columns have also emerged from the embodiment of the secrets of existence, and that such facts are only unknown to the materialistic way of thinking of our time. From the way the motifs of world evolution are expressed in these column capitals, one can gauge how esotericism is to have a fruitful effect on art. The ancient columns, too, are born out of esotericism. And the architecture of the future will have to present to people what the esoteric world view of Theosophy can give as a hint today.

In Munich, for example, an attempt has been made to sketch out an interior in the spirit of the Theosophical worldview; of course, only some of the relevant information could be provided, and even that only in general terms, and above all not in the appropriate arrangement. But the aim was only to evoke something of what is essential. Among the esoteric devices in our meeting room were two columns standing at the front of the hall. What they suggest can be seen from the description of the fourth seal, on which the two columns can also be found. They point to the mystery of blood and contain the “mystery of the development of humanity”. The color of the pillars is connected with the blood secret. One is red; the other is a deep blue-red. Esoteric science writes four deeply significant sayings on these two pillars. When the human soul immerses itself in these four sayings, then whole secrets of the world and of humanity well up from their depths. Many books would have to be written to exhaust the full meaning of these sayings, for not only is every word significant, but so is the symmetry of the words, the way they are distributed among the four sayings, the intensifications that lie within them, and much more, so that only long, patient devotion to the matter can exhaust what lies within. The four proverbs of “Pillar Wisdom” in English are:

"In pure thought you find
the self that can sustain itself. "If you turn your thoughts into images,
you experience the creative wisdom. "Condense feeling into light,
you reveal the forming power. "If you objectify the will to essence,
you create in the world's being.

We also tried to express the basic mood that we wanted to express in our “inner space” in the program book that was given to visitors. There is no need to say anything more about the red color of the cover of this book, after the significance of the red color in esoteric symbolism has been discussed above. On this cover (in the upper left corner) there is a black cross entwined with red roses in the blue oval field; to the right of it are the letters: E.D.N. - J.C.M. - P.S.S.R. — These are the first ten letters of the words by which true Rosicrucianism is summarized in a single sentence: “Ex deo nascimur, in Christo morimur, per spiritum sanctum reviviscimus.” The cross symbol, entwined with roses, expresses

exoterically expresses the meaning of Rosicrucianism. In view of the attitude of our Society to Rosicrucianism, it seems necessary to point out the serious misunderstandings which have been brought against it. Here and there, on the basis of historical tradition, an attempt has been made to form a conception of Rosicrucianism. Of those who have thus formed an opinion of it, some look upon it with a certain benevolence; but most regard it as charlatanry, enthusiasm, or something similar, perhaps even worse. It may readily be conceded that if Rosicrucianism were what it appears to those who know of it only from historical documents and traditions, it would certainly not be worthy of the attention of any rational man. But at present nobody knows anything at all about true Rosicrucianism who has not approached it through the means of occult science. Outside the circle of occult science there are no real documents about it, which is the name of the spiritual current mentioned here, that has set the tone in the West since the fourteenth century. Only now may we begin to share some of the secrets of Rosicrucianism with the public. By drawing from this source in Munich, we naturally did not want to present it as the only true source of the theosophical movement, but only as one of the paths by which spiritual knowledge can be sought. It cannot be said that we have given preference to this source in a one-sided way, while the theosophical movement should take into account all forms of religion and paths to truth equally. But it can never be the task of the theosophical movement to study the variety of religions as a pastime; it must use religious forms to arrive at their unity, at its essence; and we did not want to show what Rosicrucianism looks like, but through it we wanted to show the perspective to the one core of truth in all religions. And this is precisely the true mission of the Theosophical movement.

In the program book, there are five drawings. These are the motifs of the first five of the seven capitals mentioned above, converted into vignettes. In these five drawings, too, there is something of what is called “occult writing”. Those who immerse themselves in the line forms and figures with all their soul will inwardly perceive something of what are known as the important states for the knowledge of human development (Saturn, Sun, Moon, Mars and Mercury states).

This should describe the intentions of the conference organizers in preparing the framework within which the festivities were to take place. The venue for the event was the Tonhalle (Kaim-Säle), which seemed particularly suitable for this event.

The account of the proceedings of the congress must be preceded by the expression of the deepest dissatisfaction felt by all the participants at the presence of Mrs. Besant. The much-admired woman had just returned to Europe after spending two years in her Indian field of activity; and Munich was the first place where the European members were allowed to greet her again and hear her powerful speech. The German committee of the Congress had invited Mrs. Besant to preside over the honorary committee; and so the esteemed leader gave the assembly its consecration and imparted to it the mood that her whole being radiates to all those around her and to whom the magic of her words penetrates.

Our visit to the congress was a thoroughly satisfying one. We had the great pleasure of welcoming many members of the other European sections, as well as those of the Indian section. The members of the German section were present in large numbers. Officially the British Section was represented by its General Secretary, Miss Spink; the French Section by its General Secretary, Dr. Th. Pascal; the Dutch Section by its General Secretary, Mr. Fricke; the Italian Section by its General Secretary, Prof. Dr. Penzig; the Scandinavian Section by its General Secretary, A. Knös; and the Hungarian Section by its General Secretary, D. Nagy.

The opening of the congress took place on May 18, 1907 at 10 o'clock in the morning. It began with a musical introduction. Emanuel Nowotny played the Toccata in F major by Joh. Seb. Bach on the organ. — Thereupon the Secretary General of the German Section had to greet the participants on behalf of the German committee. He greeted Mrs. Besant and emphasized the significance of the fact that the Munich Congress enjoyed her visit. After greeting the representatives of the other sections and the German visitors, the speaker spoke words of love, appreciation and thanks to the founding president H. S. Olcott, who had passed away in February. In this opening address, reference was also made to the comprehensive mission of the Theosophical movement in the spiritual life of the present day, and the necessity was emphasized that the cultivation of spiritual life must form the basis of the Theosophical work. After that, the representatives of the European sections and the other fields of work spoke: from England (Mr. Wedgwood), from France (Dr. Th. Pascal), from the Netherlands (Mr. Fricke), from Italy (Prof. Penzig), from Scandinavia (Mr. A. Knös ), Hungary (Mr. D. Nagy), Bohemia (Mr. Bedrnizek), Russia (Miss Kamensky, Mrs. Forsch, Miss N. v. Gernet), Bulgaria, Belgium (and 2 others).

As at previous congresses, each speaker spoke in his or her national language.

Mrs. Besant then took the floor to greet the German section and to emphasize the essence of the Theosophical movement, as well as to point out in a few forceful sentences the spiritual life and its fundamental importance for society.

The Saturday afternoon was dedicated to lectures and talks by Mr. Alan Leo, Dr. Th. Pascal, Michael Bauer, Mr. James Wedgwood and Miss Kamensky. Mr. Alan Leo read his essay on 'Astrology and Personal Fate'. It dealt with the esoteric nature of astrology and spoke luminously of free will in relation to predetermined fate, showing the way in which planetary forces influence human life. Dr. Th. Pascal set out the results of his long inner research in the theosophical field in a thoughtful essay. It was fascinating to follow the subtle arguments of intimate trains of thought. Michael Bauer spoke about the relationship between nature and man. This very meritorious leader of our Nuremberg branch showed in his soulful and spirited way how the inner essence of nature and man's own inner being are interlinked in their depths. Mr. Wedgwood read his essay on “The Value of the Theosophical Society”. He explained how the study of occultism elevates man to an awareness of his higher destiny by giving him a knowledge of his place in the world process. What matters is the perspective that occultism gives the human soul. (No summary of the contents of the individual lectures and papers will be given here, as these will appear in detail in the “Congress Yearbook”. Miss Kamensky read her fascinating paper on “Theosophy in Russia” that same afternoon. Her brief but meaningful remarks showed how many Theosophical ideas are to be found in Russian literary and intellectual life. The work was a prime example of how to identify the seeds in a nation's intellectual life that only require spiritual light in order to grow into theosophy in the right way. The first day of the congress came to a close with the artistic performances of the evening. Joh. Seb. Bach's Prelude and Fugue in B minor, performed by Emanuel Nowotny on the organ, opened the evening. Marie von Sivers then recited the monologue from the beginning of the second part of Goethe's Faust, “Des Lebens Pulse schlagen frisch lebendig...” as an example of poetry arising from esoteric sources. The two members, Mrs. Alice v. Sonklar and Toni Völker, presented Robert Schumann's “Pictures from the East” on the piano, which seem quite suitable for promoting mystical moods. Miss Gertrud Garmatter then sang two songs by Schubert in her charmingly sensitive way: “To Music” and “You are the Peace”. And Miss Toni Völker concluded the evening with her beautiful artistic performance on the piano: Scarlatti's “Pastorale and Capriccio”.

On Sunday, May 19, the morning assembly was introduced by the atmospheric Trio in E-flat major by Joh. Brahms (1st movement), played by Miss Johanna Fritsch (violin), Marika v.Gumppenberg (piano) and Hermann Tukkermann (French horn). Mrs. Besant then gave her momentous lecture: “The Place of Phenomena in the Theosophical Society.” She explained the role played by phenomena through H.P. Blavatsky at the beginning of the Theosophical Society, and how important they were at a time of doubt about higher worlds. She emphasized how the observation of phenomena related to higher worlds can never be dangerous if approached with the same spirit of research that is applied to observations in the physical world. She emphasized how little good it would do for the Theosophical Society if, for fear of the danger posed by psychic powers, it left the pursuit of the goal of “studying those forces in the world and in man that are not accessible to sensory observation” to other societies. It would be quite impossible to convey the manifold content of this lecture within the framework of a short report. Therefore, as with all earlier and later lectures of the congress, reference must be made to the “Yearbook” of the “Federation of European Sections”, which will appear following this lecture.

The second lecture of the morning was Dr. Rudolf Steiner's lecture on “The Initiation of the Rosicrucian”, in which the method of attaining knowledge of supersensible worlds in the sense of esotericism, which has set the tone in the West since the fourteenth century, is discussed and at the same time the necessity of these methods for the present period of development of humanity is shown.

On Sunday afternoon (5 p.m.), Edouard Schuré's “Sacred Drama of Eleusis” was performed. The German organizers considered this performance to be an especially important part of the congress. After all, it was able to show in an impressive way how theosophical ideas and feelings come to life in true, high art. Edouard Schuré is the great French artist and writer who, through his works in so many directions, communicates the theosophical spirit to our contemporaries. Schuré's works 'Les Grands Inities' (the great initiates) and 'Sanctuaires d'Orient' (the sanctuaries of the Orient) are completely 'Theosophy in the noblest sense of the word'. And Schuré's theosophical way of looking at things is fully transformed into a vital creative power when he works as an artist. He has that relationship between imagination and fantasy that is the basic secret of all great art. Edouard Schuré's truly mystical drama “The Children of Lucifer” is a shining example of how a world view striving for the heights of knowledge is completely transformed into artistic figures. Only a mind of this kind could undertake what Schuré did, to resurrect the “sacred drama” of Eleusis before the soul and the eye of the present man. This drama leads us to the door of that ancient time, where knowledge, religion and art still lived in one, where imagination was the faithful witness of truth and the sacred guide to piety; and where the reflection of imagination fell on this imagination in a transfiguring and revealing way. In Edouard Schuré there lives a modern artistic soul, in which the light of that mystery time shines, and so he was able to recreate what the priestly sages showed the audience in the “Drama at Eleusis” in Greece's distant past: the deep mystery of the world, which is reflected in the meaningful events of Eros' seduction of Persephone and her abduction by Pluto; of Demeter's pain and the advice she from the “Goddess of Transformations”, from Hekate, to go to Eleusis; from Demeter's initiation of Triptolem to the priesthood in Eleusis; from Triptolem's daring journey into Pluto's realm to the liberation of Persephones and from the emergence of a “new Dionysos”, who arises from Zeus' fire and the light of Demeter through the sacrifice of Triptolemos.

The congress organizers tried to present the drama evoked by Schuré to the visitors in German. It was made possible by the dedicated work of a number of our members and by the beautiful, loving kindness of Bernhard Stavenhagen, who created a wonderful musical accompaniment to the Schuré drama. Stavenhagen sent a musical introduction to each of the four acts, which prepared the audience for the dramatic action in an atmospheric way. With true congeniality, this important composer has absorbed the basic motifs of the mystery and rendered them musically. This musical performance was received with great enthusiasm by the participants of the congress. The willingness to make sacrifices with which members of the German section worked on this performance can be judged from the fact that all the roles were played by members. Miss v. Sivers played the part of Demeter, Miss Sprengel was Persephone, Miss Garmatter Eros, Frau v. Vacano Hekate, Mr. Stahl Pluto; for the part of Triptolemus we were able to the participation of our member, the excellent actor Mr. Jürgas, who created an impressive figure; Baroness v. Gumppenberg played Metanira, Dr. Peipers played Zeus, and Miss Wollisch played Dionysos. These are only the main roles, however; the choruses that intervene in the plot were also composed of members. Special recognition must be given to our esteemed member, Mr. Linde, who took on the laborious task of creating the decorations.

The morning of Monday began with the recitation of Goethe's poems “Song of the Spirits over the Waters” and “Prometheus” by Richard Jürgas, whom the participants now got to know as an excellent reciter, just as they had become acquainted with his acting skills the night before. Then the participants had the great joy of hearing the second lecture by Mrs. Besant, in which she spoke about the relationship of the Masters to the Theosophical Society. From her rich spiritual experience, she described the relationship of great individuals to spiritual progress and the way such individuals participate in the progress of the Theosophical Society. It is also impossible to give a picture of the far-reaching content of this lecture in a few words. Again, we must refer you to the Yearbook for more information. After this lecture, our member Frau Hempel delighted the participants with an excellent performance of her vocal art. This was followed by a lecture by Dr. Carl Ungers, who spoke very interestingly about working methods in the theosophical branches and explained the relationship of the non-clairvoyant theosophist to the messages of the clairvoyants, showing how the writing “Theosophy” by Dr. Rudolf Steiner can provide a basis for shaping this relationship in the right way. Later that morning, Mrs. Elise Wolfram gave her lecture on the occult basis of the Siegfried saga. She showed subtly and vividly how the deeper spiritual development of Europe is expressed in the myth, how Germanic and even older mystery wisdom has taken shape in Siegfried. The speakers' insightful interpretations were suitable for allowing the audience to enter into the mysterious life of part of the Nibelungen saga.

In the afternoon, Mrs. v. Gumppenberg read Mr. Arvid Knös's essay, “Absolute and Relative Truths”; then Dr. Rudolf Steiner gave his lecture, “Planetary Evolution and Human Evolution”. He described the development of the earth through three planetary conditions that preceded its present form and then pointed to the connection between the development of the earth and that of man. He also showed how one could know something about the future of development.

The evening was again devoted to purely artistic performances. The Sonata in G minor by L. van Beethoven was performed by Chr. Döbereiner (cello) and Elfride Schunk (piano). Afterwards, Gertrud Garmatter's excellent singing performance could be heard again (two songs: Weylas Gesang by Hugo Wolf and Frühlingsglaube by Franz Schubert). This was followed by solos for viola da gamba with piano, namely ı. Adagio by Händel and 2. the Aria con variazioni composed by A. Kühnel in 1645. Both pieces were performed by Chr. Döbereiner (Viola da Gamba) and Fräulein Elfride Schunk (piano). A brilliant performance on the piano by the Italian member Mr. Kirby closed the evening.

On Tuesday morning, the program began with Johanna Fritsch and Pauline Frieß performing the “Adagio from the Violin Concerto” op. 26 by Max Bruch. Mr. Richard Jürgas then recited some poems full of intimate feeling and mystical moods by our dear member Mia Holm. -— The rest of the morning was filled with a free discussion on the topic: The necessity of cultivating occultism within society. Mr. Jules Agoston from Budapest, Bernhard Hubo, Ludwig Deinhard, Dr. Carl Unger, Michael Bauer, D.Nagy, Mr. Wedgwood, Miss Severs and Mrs. Elise Wolfram took part in the discussion. The discussion was introduced by Jules Agoston, who emphasized the necessity of maintaining the spiritualist experiment; following on from this, Bernhard Hubo developed a contrary point of view based on his many years of experience; Ludwig Deinhard discussed the necessity of acquainting theosophical circles with scientific attempts to penetrate into the deeper foundations of the soul. It is impossible to report here on the rich and varied addresses of the above-mentioned speakers. Nor is it possible to do so with regard to the stimulating points of view that Mr. Nerei from Budapest gave in the afternoon during the discussion on “educational issues”. Following these points of view, Dr. Rudolf Steiner also spoke about education. — Mrs. Douglas-Shield spoke about the relationship between “Theosophy and Christianity”.

The closing act of the congress took place on Tuesday at 9 p.m. It began with the spirited and heartfelt Adagio in D major by our dear member and head of the Stuttgart lodge I: Adolf Arenson, which was performed by Mr. Arenson himself (piano), Dr. Carl Unger (cello) and Johanna Fritsch (violin). This was followed by: Tröstung (Consolation) by Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, performed by Hilde Stockmeyer, Ave verum by Mozart performed by Gertrud Garmatter, the recitation of a poem by Mrs. Ripper, solos for violin by J.S.Bach, by Johanna Fritsch and Pauline Frieß, and variations on the chorale Sei gegrüsst, Jesu gütig, for organ by J.S.Bach, by Emanuel Nowotny. The Congress then drew to a close with short closing addresses by the representatives of the individual sections: Mr. Wallace spoke for the British section, Mlle Aime Blech (representing Dr. Pascal, who had to leave earlier due to his state of health) for the French section, Mr. Fricke for the Dutch section, and Prof. Dr. Penzig for the Italian section. Mrs. Besant then addressed some deeply moving words to the participants, and finally Dr. Rudolf Steiner spoke the closing words, in which he thanked the participants, especially those from foreign sections, for coming, and also expressed his warmest thanks to all those whose selfless work had made the congress possible.

And these thanks must be expressed to many, especially to Miss Sofie Stinde, who, as secretary of the congress, has done tireless and important work; to Countess Pauline Kalckreuth, who has worked tirelessly on all the preparatory work and tasks. Above all, we have these two to thank for the fact that we were able to pursue the above-mentioned intentions at all, and that we were able to achieve what has been achieved. Adolf Arenson took care of the musical part of the program. Our dear member Clara Rettich devoted herself selflessly to the task of painting the seven apocalyptic seals according to the occult instructions given to her; in the same way, Karl Stahl took on the task of painting the seven pillars in the hall. It is impossible to mention all the numerous workers individually by name. But it should not go unmentioned that dear members had set up a buffet in an adjoining room and did the necessary work, which greatly enhanced the convivial get-together, through which members are to come together after all.

Dr. Rudolf Steiner was authorized, at his request, and indeed unanimously and out of the enthusiasm of the audience, to thank Monsieur Ed. Schuré, the poet of the “Drama of Eleusis”, and Bernhard Stavenhagen, the composer of the musical part, on behalf of the congress.

The sculptures by our highly talented member, the sculptor Dr. Ernst Wagner, who strives for the highest artistic goals, were an excellent artistic presentation for the congress. The sculptures he provided for our exhibition were placed in the area around the main hall, and, with the red wall of the hall providing an atmospheric background, they had an inwardness. The following works of art were present: Portrait bust, Woman praying, Portrait bust, Relief for a sepulchral chapel, Bust, Sepulchral relief, King's child, Dissolution, Sibyl, Relief for a sepulchral niche, Portrait bust, Pain, Christ mask, Mask “Death”, Bronze statuette. Except for these works of art, only the following could be accommodated in the main hall: the interesting symbolic painting “The Great Babylon” by our member Mr. Haß, which was placed above the boardroom, and a carpet by Ms. Lehmann, which fascinating utilization of mystical ideas in the applied arts, and finally a relief by M. Gailland depicting Colonel Olcott, and a sketch of H.P. Blavatsky by Julia Wesw-Hoffmann.

The exhibition of a series of artworks and reproductions of such artworks that have a particular connection to theosophical thought took place in the adjoining room. Here you could see: etchings by Hans Volkert; reproductions of two pictures by Moreau; reproductions of two pictures by Hermann Schmiechen; a statuette: The Master, by Heymann; a picture: From Deep Distress, by Stockmeyer; reproductions of various pictures by Watts; three reproductions of works by Lionardo; pictures by Kalckreuth the Elder, by Sophie Stinde (landscapes); by Haß (After the Storm, Fairy Tale: The King's Daughter, The Storm Cloud, Five Fir Tree Studies); a reproduction of Knopf, the painter. The next congress of the Federation will take place in Budapest in two years (1909), at the kind invitation of the Hungarian members.