XI. Before the Door of the Spiritual Soul

An event which displays with remarkable brightness the intervention of spiritual agencies in earthly affairs, is the part played by Jeanne d'Arc, the Maid of Orleans, and her fate (1412 to 1431). What she does, has its impulses—for herself—deep down in the subconscious underlying grounds of her soul. She follows the blind promptings of the spiritual world. On earth reigns harassing confusion, with the aim of preventing the Age of Consciousness from coming in. Michael must prepare the way from the spiritual world for his later mission. He can do so where he finds human souls to receive his impulses. The Maid is one such soul. He works too—though it be only possible in a lesser degree and less obviously for external historic life—through many other souls besides. In events such as the war between England and France he is matched against his opponent on the Ahrimanic side.