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The Rudolf Steiner Archive

a project of Steiner Online Library, a public charity

Universe, Earth and Man
GA 105

“Our time must not bring forth an ancient wisdom. Rather it must find a new one, one that not only points to the present but also works prophetically, apocalyptically, into the future.” With these words Rudolf Steiner summed up the thesis of this volume. Beginning with ancient Egypt, the pyramids and sphinxes, and a comparison of that epoch with our own, he leads us through the evolution of man in relation to the cosmos, the workings of the spirits of form and much more. Through this panoramic survey we discover how the changed conditions of human consciousness and its path into the future call for a new wisdom.

Printed for the Members of the School of Spiritual Science, Class I. No person is qualified to form a judgement on the contents of this work, who has not acquired — through the School itself or in an equivalent manner recognized by the School — the requisite preliminary knowledge. Other opinions will be disregarded: the authors decline to take them as a basis for discussion.

In the Complete Edition of the works of Rudolf Steiner, the text is published with the title: Cosmos, Earth and Man ..., published in German as, Welt, Erde und Mensch, deren Wesen und Entwickelung sowie ihre Spiegelung in dem Zusammenhang zwischen aegyptischem Mythos und gegenwaertiger Kultur

Introduction by Marie Steiner
Lecture I August 04, 1908
The Egyptian period, and the present time.
Lecture II August 05, 1908
Ancient Wisdom and the new Apocalyptic Wisdom. Temple sleep. Isis and the Madonna. Past stages of Evolution. The bestowing of the Ego. Future Powers.
Lecture III August 06, 1908
The Kingdoms of Nature. Group-egos. The Centre of Man. The Kingdoms of Higher Spiritual Beings.
Lecture IV August 07, 1908
The Outer Manifestations of Spiritual Beings in the Elements. Their connection with Man. Cosmic partitions. The Myth of Osiris.
Lecture V August 08, 1908
The sacrifice of the substance by the Thrones, Kyriotetes, Dynamis, and Exusiai. Jehovah and the Elohim, and their co-operative activity in the stages of human Development.
Lecture VI August 10, 1908
The Spirits of Form as regents of earthly existence. Participation of the, Luciferic beings. The formation of race.
Lecture VII August 11, 1908
Animal forms — the physiognomical expression of human passions. The religion of Egypt — a remembrance of Lemurian times. Fish and serpent symbols. The remembrance of Atlantis in Europe. The Light of Christ.
Lecture VIII August 12, 1908
Man's connection with the various planetary bodies. The earth's mission.
Lecture IX August 13, 1908
The progress of man. His conquest of the physical plane in the post-Atlantean civilizations. The beginning and up-building of the “I am.” The chosen people.
Lecture X August 14, 1908
The reflection in the fourth epoch of man's experiences with the ancient Gods and their way of the Cross. The Christ-Mystery.
Lecture IX August 16, 1908
The reversing of Egyptian remembrance into material forms by way of Arabism. The harmonizing of Egyptian remembrance. The Christian impulse of power in Rosicrucianism.