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18 lectures in various cities, November 5, 1907 - June 14, 1908 (CW 98)"Suppose you have seen an event, have formed an idea about it, and you say something that is not true--in other words, something that is a lie. Then what flows from the object is correct and what flows from you is false and this collision is a terrible explosion; and each time you do this, you attach a gruesome being to your karma which you cannot get rid of again until you have made good what you lied about."
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Rudolf SteinerIn this previously untranslated volume of lectures, Rudolf Steiner presents shattering insights regarding the interaction of human and spiritual beings. He speaks, for example, about how perfumes can give certain spirits access to people on earth, or how phantoms, specters, and demons can be created through human deficiencies--or even how the arts of architecture, sculpture, painting and music allow "good" or "hideous" entities to enter our world. As he states: "Learning about the effects of spiritual beings is of much greater help than moral preaching. A future humanity will
know what it is creating through lies, hypocrisy and slander."
The lectures are divided into two broad thematic groups. The first relates to the inner path of knowledge and its relationship to the yearly festivals. The second focuses on the work of elemental beings in our everyday world. These eighteen lectures are complemented with notes, an index, and an introduction by Christian von Arnim.
This book is a translation from German of
Natur- und Geisteswesen - ihr Wirken in unserer sichtbaren Welt (GA 98).
Cover image The Quarrel of Oberon and Titania (1949, detail), by Sir Joseph Noel Patton (1821-1901); Scottish National Gallery, Edinburgh.
About the author
Rudolf Steiner (b. Rudolf Joseph Lorenz Steiner, 1861-1925) was born in the small village of Kraljevec, Austro-Hungarian Empire (now in Croatia), where he grew up. As a young man, he lived in Weimar and Berlin, where he became a well-published scientific, literary, and philosophical scholar, known especially for his work with Goethe's scientific writings. Steiner termed his spiritual philosophy
anthroposophy, meaning "wisdom of the human being." As an exceptionally developed seer, he based his work on direct knowledge and perception of spiritual dimensions. He initiated a modern, universal "spiritual science" that is accessible to anyone willing to exercise clear and unbiased thinking. From his spiritual investigations, Steiner provided suggestions for the renewal of numerous activities, including education (general and for special needs), agriculture, medicine, economics, architecture, science, philosophy, Christianity, and the arts. There are currently thousands of schools, clinics, farms, and initiatives in other fields that involve practical work based on the principles Steiner developed. His many published works feature his research into the spiritual nature of human beings, the evolution of the world and humanity, and methods for personal development. He wrote some thirty books and delivered more than six thousand lectures throughout much of Europe. In 1924, Steiner founded the General Anthroposophical Society, which today has branches around the world.
