Remarkable Statements Steiner 

Made in All Seriousness

with Some Statements by a Few Others

and with Footnotes by R.R.

Many of these quotations were presented

on the Waldorf Watch News page where

they appeared days or even weeks apart.

Please excuse a certain amount of repetition

(which was less bothersome when the items were

separated by extended periods of time).

104. "[G]nomes...sink down everywhere, because for them the whole earth-body is primarily a hollow space through which they can pass. They can penetrate everywhere; the rocks, the metals, present no hindrance to their — shall I say swimming around. There are no words in our language which really express this wandering about of the gnomes inside the body of the earth. It is just that they have an inner experience, an inner perception, of the different ingredients of the earth; when they wander along a vein of metal they have a different experience from when they take their way along a layer of chalk. All this, however, the gnomes feel inwardly, for through all such things they penetrate unhindered. They have not the least idea that the earth exists. Their idea is that there is a space within which they perceive certain experiences; the experience of gold, the experience of mercury, of tin, of silica, and so on. This is to express it in human language, not in the language of the gnomes." —  Rudolf Steiner  MAN AS SYMPHONY OF THE CREATIVE WORD (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1970), lecture 9, GA 230.

105. “[The] content of the moon is not just something to be understood in an abstract sense: it is a real moon population; and looked at in a spiritual-scientific way the moon presents itself as a sort of fortress in the cosmos. From the outside, not only the light-rays of the sun but all the external effects of the universe are reflected by the moon down to the earth; but in the interior of the moon there is a complete world that nowadays can be reached only by ascending, in a certain sense, to the spirit world. In older writings on the relation of the moon to other cosmic beings you can find many a hint of this, and compare it with what can now be said by anthroposophy about the nature of the moon.” — Rudolf Steiner  MICHAELMAS AND THE SOUL FORCES OF MAN, lecture 3, GA 223.

106. "During the Age which preceded the Lemurian Age [1], we have the Hyperborean Age on the Earth [2] ... Then we go still further back to the very first Race, to the Polarian men [3]. At that time they lived in the tropical polar climate [4], a Race which was able to attain to special heights through the fact that a remarkable and great help had been granted them. The most beautiful of the Moon Pitris descended to the Earth [5]. The Polarian human beings were very similar to four-footed animals, but they were formed out of a soft, pliant substance similar to a jellyfish, but much warmer [6]." — Rudolf Steiner, FOUNDATIONS OF ESOTERICISM (Rudolf Steiner Press, 2019), pp. 176-177.

[1] In this quotation, Steiner directs our focus backward in time. To understand fully, we probably should go back to the very beginning of human evolution, as described by Steiner. We first came into existence during a phase of cosmic evolution called Old Saturn. Following that, we entered a phase called Old Sun, and following that we entered a phase called Old Moon. We now live in a phase called Present Earth. During this phase, we have lived upon the planet Earth (although the planet has been evolving too, so the planet we lived on early during Present Earth was very different from the planet we live on now). During our lives "on" Earth, we have passed through numerous developmental stages. At the most immediate level, we have passed through four "great epochs": the Polarian epoch (when we lived "on" Polaria or Polaris), the Hyperborean epoch (when we lived on Hyperborea), the Lemurian epoch (when we lived on the continent of Lemuria), and the Atlantean epoch (when we lived on the continent of Atlantis).

In this quotation, then, Steiner points us back to Lemuria, and then back to Hyperborea, and then back to Polaria. [See "Epochs".]

These were the first four "great epochs" of human existence/evolution 

on Earth or, more precisely, during the Present Earth phase of evolution:

Polaria (Polaris), Hyperborea, Lemuria, Atlantis.

We now live in the "Post-Atlantean" Age (off to the right of this chart).

[Detail from a chart in Waldorf teacher Roy Wilkinson's book

RUDOLF STEINER (Temple Lodge, 2005), p. 94; color added.]

There is no factual basis for any of Steiner's teachings about these matters. Yet belief in the things Steiner described (and even more astonishing fabrications) is woven into the substance of Anthroposophy, the new religion concocted by Steiner, which is fundamental to Waldorf education. [See "Here's the Answer".]

[2] The Hyperborean Age was our second great epoch upon Earth (or during the Present Earth phase of evolution), according to Steiner. Anthroposophical/mystical descriptions of "Hyperborea" are a bit inconsistent. Hyperborea is sometimes described as the entire Earth as it existed then (a ball of cosmic gas and light); other descriptions say Hyperborea was a location upon the evolving Earth — a continent, if you will. [See "Hyperborea" and "Hyperborean Age" in The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia (BWSE).] There is no scientifically sound evidence for any of this.

[3] Polaria (or Polaris) was the first great epoch of earthly existence, Steiner taught. [See "Polaria" and "Polarian Age" in the BWSE.] Polaria is sometimes described as a sphere or globe of heat floating in space, and sometimes it is described as a place upon the Earth (in which case it may have been up near the North Pole, when the arctic was warm). Here is a description of the former sort, offered by a Waldorf teacher:

"Polaria was...a recapitulation of Ancient Saturn [i.e., the first incarnation of the solar system] ... Polaria was smaller than [Ancient] Saturn, though still immense; it was about the size of the earth's orbit today. In fact Polaria still contained both sun and moon and, like Ancient Saturn, was a globe." — Alan Whitehead, ANCIENT SATURN TO ATLANTIS (Golden Beetle Books, 1991), p. 48.

Waldorf teachers do not usually teach Steiner's cosmic history to their students. But sometimes they do. Whitehead has done so. [See "Out in the Open".] 

The "Polarian Race" was the human race as it existed during the first great epoch. Or so Steiner (and his followers) have said.

"Ancient Saturn" is Old Saturn.

There is no scientifically sound evidence for any of Steiner's teachings about any of this.

[4] During the first great epoch, the polar regions of the Earth were very warm, Steiner (and his followers) have said. (They have said so despite the complete lack of evidence for their statements.)

[5] Much of Steiner's cosmic history centers on the process of evolution, and especially the evolution of humanity. Steiner's account of evolution is wholly unlike Darwin's; it has no factual basis. But it is central to Anthroposohical tenets.

Our evolution, Steiner said, has been fostered and overseen by gods of many ranks. Anthroposophy is polytheistic. [See "Polytheism".] "Pitris," from the Sanskrit, means "fathers" — it is a term used in Theosophy and Anthroposophy to denote certain types of gods. [See "Pitris" in the BWSE.] "Moon Pirtris" (or lunar Pitris) may be understood, approximately, as existing on — or in spiritual union with — the Moon. They are gods one level of spiritual attainment higher than humanity; they are also known by such names as Sons of Twilight, Spirits of Dusk, Angels, Angeloi, Sons of Life, Bahishad-Pitris, and so forth. 

[6] Steiner's account of evolution traces the development of the human form — the human body. But even more importantly, it traces the development of human consciousness. We have evolved, Steiner said, from a coma-like consciousness during our lives "on" Saturn, to an analogue of dreamless sleep "on" the Sun, to something akin to dream-filled sleep "on" the Moon, to our current waking consciousness on Earth. [See "historical narrative of Anthroposophy" and "evolution of consciousness" in the BWSE. Also see "Old Saturn", "Old Sun", and "Old Moon, Etc."]

(There is no scientifically sound evidence for any of this. But these are key Anthroposophical teachings. [See, e.g., "Sci Fi".])

107. "We gaze down into the depths of the earth not to seek there below for abstract ideas about some kind of mechanical laws of nature, but to behold the roving, wandering gnomes ... The gnomes laugh us to scorn on account of the groping, struggling understanding with which we manage to grasp one thing or another, whereas they have no need at all to make use of thought. They have direct perception of what is comprehensible in the world; and they are particularly ironical when they notice the efforts people have to make to come to this or that conclusion ... People are so stupid — say the gnomes — for they must first think things over ... [G]nomes become ironical to the point of ill manners if one speaks to them of logic ... Thus the gnomes, inside the earth, are actually the bearers of the ideas of the universe ... But for the earth itself they have no liking at all. They bustle about in the earth with ideas of the universe, but they actually hate what is earthly." — Rudolf Steiner, MAN AS SYMPHONY OF THE CREATIVE WORD (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1970), lecture 7, GA 230.

Waldorfy art, by R.R.

108. “[B]eings which have been created in the physical body through the effect of lying and slander...now flit and whirr about in our world and belong to a class that we call ‘phantoms’ [1] ... All that leads to want of harmony, all that makes for bad adjustments between people, works in such a way that...the effect is continued in the etheric body [2] ... [This] brings about detachments from beings working in the spiritual worlds and these likewise are now to be found in our environment — they are 'spectres' or 'ghosts' ... In all that works [evilly] from soul to soul in our world, from the giving of bad advice to all those methods which people employ in order to overwhelm others...[this] is expressed in the night in the astral body [3] ... [T]hereby beings are detached from other worlds and whirr through our world ... They belong to the class of demons.” — Rudolf Steiner, NATURE SPIRITS (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1995), pp. 83-86. [4]

[1] Beginning with phantoms, Steiner here catalogues a number of incorporeal beings (spooks, haunts, bogies: phantoms, spectres, ghosts, demons). His account for these evil beings is uncommon, but he says these evil beings really do exist.

[2] The etheric body, according to Steiner, is an invisible frame that — for a human — incarnates at about age seven. [See "etheric body" in The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia (BWSE).] Steiner taught that plants and animals also have etheric bodies.

[3] The astral body, according to Steiner, is an invisible frame that — for a human — incarnates at about age fourteen. [See "astral body" in the BWSE.] Steiner taught that animals also have astral bodies.

[4] This is a fairly representative sample of Steiner's teachings, piling falsehoods on top of falsehoods. He explains certain occult phenomena such as ghosts (which do not actually exist) by referring to other occult phenomena such as etheric bodies (which do not actually exist).

If phantoms, etc., are brought into our world through improper actions such as telling falsehoods, we might wonder how many of these beings were ushered into our world by Steiner himself. But, no. This is all nonsense.

Ancient human history, as related by Rudolf Steiner, holds many surprises. For instance, there was a time when the souls (or souls and spirits, or soul-spirits [1]) of most humans migrated from the Earth to other planets. This occurred, Steiner said, at about the time when Earth-bound humans lived on the continent of Lemuria [2] — or perhaps a bit earlier.

109. “[T]he great majority of human souls had to relinquish their union with the earth. Here we come to something of great importance in the relationship between man and earth, something which happened during the time between the separation of the sun and that of the moon [3]. During this interval human soul-spirits, except for a very small number, abandoned earthly conditions, and pressing upward into higher regions, continued their evolution [4] upon the several planets belonging to our solar system, each according to the stage of his development [5]. Some souls were fitted to pursue their evolution on Saturn, others on Mars, others again on Mercury, and so on. Only a very small number of the strongest soul-spirits remained in union with the earth [6]. During this time the rest dwelt upon the earth's planetary neighbours. This came about at a time preceding (to use our own terminology) the Lemurian age.” — Rudolf Steiner, GENESIS: Secrets of the Bible Story of Creation (Anthroposophical Publishing Co., 1959), lecture 9, GA 122.

When precisely did this occur? Steiner waffled a little. But he insisted that the migration to other planets certainly did occur, and he dated it around the time of Lemuria. He explained, further, that the planetary migrants later returned to Earth, doing so around the time when Earthly humanity settled on Atlantis [7].

110. “[D]uring the Lemurian epoch...the majority of souls withdrew from the earth to other planets, continuing their life on Mars, Saturn, Venus, Jupiter, and so forth. Then, from the end of the Lemurian epoch and during the Atlantean epoch, these souls gradually came [back] down to earth in order to incarnate in earthly bodies under the changed earthly conditions, and to appear [thereafter] in ever new incarnations. [8]” — Rudolf Steiner, OCCULT HISTORY (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1982), p. 36.

[1] Steiner taught that humans have both souls and spirits. [See "soul" and "spirit" in The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia (BWSE).] Steiner and his followers sometimes refer to the combination of soul and spirit as the "soul-spirit" or the "spirit-soul."

During the ancient times Steiner describes here, humans had not yet evolved to become fully human in the modern sense. [See "human beings" and "human stage of evolution" in the BWSE.] Effectively, we were still proto-humans. Nor were most proto-humans comfortable with the hardening, ever-more-densely physical (materialized) conditions developing on Earth. Most felt more comfortable living on other planets.

[2] See "Lemuria".

[3] Steiner taught that the Moon and the Sun were once parts of the Earth. He said they eventually detached from the Earth to assume their separate existences in the sky.

[4] The central narrative of Anthroposophy traces the evolution of humanity, as described by Steiner. [See "historical narrative", "evolution", and "evolution of consciousness" in the BWSE.]

[5] The planets, Steiner indicated, represent varying levels of spiritual evolution. Likewise, individual humans stand at various evolutionary levels. Hence, the planetary migrants fanned out across the solar system, each going to the planet that corresponded to his/her developmental level.

[6] According to Steiner, these souls were strong enough to survive in the denser conditions developing on Earth as it evolved toward the extremely dense (very physical, intensively materialized) conditions we find on our planet today.

[7] See "Atlantis".

[8] According to Steiner, humans incarnate over and over. [See "Reincarnation".] As they do so, they change — they evolve. Those who evolve properly return in higher and higher forms, while those who fail to evolve properly, or who actually slide to lower evolutionary levels, are reincarnated in old or abnormal forms.

111. "The question of the authorities recognizing the Waldorf School as a Primary School was raised.

"Dr. Steiner [replied] ...'[W]e do not want what the State means by a standard school ... The kind of standard school the present German government is aiming for is the direct opposite [of what we want]. Giving in to things like this would be like groveling to something we abhor. We must worm our way through. We have to be conscious of the fact that this is done in life — not through an inner provocation, then it would be the way Jesuits work — but done with a certain mental reservation in response to external requirements. We have to be conscious that in order to do what we want to do, at least, it is necessary to talk with the people [i.e., outsiders, officials], not because we want to but because we have to, and inwardly make fools of them.'"

— CONFERENCES WITH THE TEACHERS OF THE WALDORF SCHOOL IN STUTTGART, Vol. 1 (Steiner Schools Fellowship Publications, 1986), pp. 124-125.

Concerning results attained by senior Waldorf students taking state-sponsored final examinations:

112. "Dr. Steiner ... 'We should have no illusions: The results gave a very unfavorable impression of our school to people outside. We succeeded in bringing only five of the nine students who took the test through, and they just barely succeeded. What will happen now with those who did not take the final examination or who failed it?'"

— FACULTY MEETINGS WITH RUDOLF STEINER (Anthroposophical Press, 1998), p. 725.

113. "Elementary beings are of a lower order than Moon beings. They never incarnate on Earth, but live in the adjacent world as spiritual-etheric beings ... [When] we, as terrestrial beings, make use of Moon forces which do not normally belong to minerals, plants, animals and man, we trespass into the realm where we meet with elementary beings who have learned much from the Moon beings, but in a way that is foreign to our world. The black magician...employs Moon forces that still exist on Earth. But because he works in this way he contacts elementary beings ... The black magician...who works with the Moon forces, who has captured them in his retorts and crucibles, is caught in a vortex of those elementary beings." — Rudolf Steiner, TRUE AND FALSE PATHS IN SPIRITUAL INVESTIGATION (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1985), lecture seven, GA 243.

114. “It is because the Moon Beings remain so firmly entrenched in their fortress that modern scientists know nothing essential about heredity. From a deeper insight, and in terms of cosmic language, it could be said that when at the present time heredity is discussed in one or another domain of science, the latter is ‘Moon-forsaken’ and ‘Mars-bewitched’. For science speaks under the influence of the demonic Mars-forces and has not even begun to approach the real mysteries of heredity.” — Rudolf Steiner, “The Spiritual Individualities of the Planets” (THE GOLDEN BLADE 1988), GA 228.

115. "Our task...consists in strengthening our soul life by permeating ourselves with the impulses of spiritual science and spiritual research so that we are armed against the onslaughts of modern life, and so that our souls can stand any amount of hammering and knocking and are still capable of finding their way into the divine-spiritual realms right through the hammering and knocking of the ahrimanic spirits ... [W]hen we construct a machine or a complex of machines out of raw material according to our knowledge of natural laws, we put certain spiritual beings into the things we construct ... [T]hese spiritual beings that we conjure into our machines are beings belonging to the ahrimanic hierarchy." — Rudolf Steiner, ART AS SEEN IN THE LIGHT OF MYSTERY WISDOM (Rudolf Steiner Press), lecture 1, GA 275.

116. “That little girl L.K. in the first grade must have something really very wrong inside. There is not much we can do. Such cases are increasing in which children are born with a human form, but are not really human beings in relation to their highest I; instead, they are filled with beings that do not belong to the human class. Quite a number of people have been born since the nineties [the 1890s] without an I, that is, they are not reincarnated, but are human forms filled with a sort of natural demon. There are quite a large number of older people going around who are actually not human beings, but are only natural; they are human beings only in regard to their form. We cannot, however, create a school for demons.” — Rudolf Steiner, FACULTY MEETINGS WITH RUDOLF STEINER (Anthroposophic Press, 1998), p. 649.

Rudolf Steiner, correcting a teacher at the first Waldorf school: 

117. “The problem you have is that you have not always followed the directive to bring what you know anthroposophically into a form you can present to little children. You have lectured the children about anthroposophy when you told them about your subject. You did not transform anthroposophy into a child’s level.” — Rudolf Steiner, FACULTY MEETINGS WITH RUDOLF STEINER (Anthroposophic Press, 1998), pp. 402-403.

Waldorf spokespeople almost always deny that Waldorf teachers bring Anthroposophy into the classroom. And Steiner himself usually made a similar denial. But the truth is that Waldorf teachers bring in Anthroposophy almost constantly — albeit they are usually subtle about it. [See, e.g., the section "We Don't Teach It" on the page "Waldorf's Spiritual Agenda". Also see "Sneaking It In".] Because they bring in Anthroposophy subtly but continuously, Waldorf education often amounts to covert Anthroposophical indoctrination. [See "Indoctrination".] 

In the quotation above, we find Steiner citing the "directive" that Waldorf teachers should "bring what you know anthroposophically into a form you can present to little children." In other words, Waldorf teachers should "transform anthroposophy into a child’s level." 

Waldorf teachers who follow this directive will find ways to present Anthroposophical beliefs to their students. This is, of course, very different from leaving Anthroposophy out of the classroom. Indeed, it is the opposite of leaving Anthroposophy out of the classroom. But, then, Steiner sometimes clearly indicated that Anthroposophy would be woven into Waldorf education. Thus, for instance, he once said the following to a Waldorf teacher:

118. “You need to make the children aware that they are receiving the objective truth, and if this occasionally appears anthroposophical, it is not anthroposophy that is at fault. Things are that way because anthroposophy has something to say about objective truth. It is the material that causes what is said to be anthroposophical. We certainly may not go to the other extreme, where people say that anthroposophy may not be brought into the school. Anthroposophy will be in the school when it is objectively justified, that is, when it is called for by the material itself.” — Rudolf Steiner, FACULTY MEETINGS WITH RUDOLF STEINER, p. 495. 

Anthroposophy will be in the school. Anthroposophy is  in the school.

119. "[T]he human race on Jupiter will divide itself into those souls who have attained their Earth-goal, who will have attained the goal of Jupiter, and into those souls who will form a middle kingdom between the human kingdom and the animal kingdom on Jupiter. These latter will be Luciferic souls — Luciferic, merely spiritual. They will have their body below, and it will be a direct expression of their whole inner being, but they will be able to direct it only from outside. Two races, the good and the bad, will differentiate themselves from one another on Jupiter." — Rudolf Steiner, CHRIST AND THE HUMAN SOUL (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1972), lecture 4, GA 155.

Stop the presses! The Earth does not orbit the Sun.

120. "[W]e can certainly speak of a daily motion of the Earth around her axis, but by no means of a yearly motion of the Earth around the Sun. For the Earth follows the Sun, describing the same path [as the Sun]." — Rudolf Steiner, MAN - HIEROGLYPH OF THE UNIVERSE (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1972), p. 85.

121. "The Sun...would outrun the Earth if the Earth simply revolved around the Sun. The Earth cannot revolve around the Sun because meanwhile the Sun would move away from it. In reality, the Sun moves on, and the Earth and the other planets follow it [in a line]." — Rudolf Steiner, THE FOURTH DIMENSION (Anthroposophic Press, 2001), p. 128.

[See "Steiner's Blunders" and "Deception".]

122. "[T]he ancestors of man existed on Saturn [1] ... The Saturn man was surrounded by eleven other kinds of beings [2] ... [T]he most sublime of these beings already had attained a level of consciousness which man will reach only after his Vulcan life [3] ... Because of their sublime, delicate body of rays, in mystery science [4] they are called 'Radiating Lives' or 'Radiating Flames' ... [T]hey are also called 'Spirits of Will.' These spirits are the creators of the man of Saturn. [5]" — Rudolf Steiner, COSMIC MEMORY (SteinerBooks, 1987), pp. 165-167.

[1] When Steiner spoke of life "on" various planets aside from Earth, he sometimes meant life on physical planets such as we find in the solar system today, but sometimes he meant life during various phases of cosmic evolution. Here, the "Saturn" he refers to was the first stage of the evolution of our solar system, otherwise known as "Old Saturn." [See "Old Saturn".] Old Saturn was, effectively, the first incarnation of the solar system, and it was — according to Steiner — the first phase of human evolution. Our "ancestors" who existed during Old Saturn were actually ourselves as we existed during our initial, primordial evolutionary stage.

These are the incarnations of the solar system, otherwise called conditions of consciousness, or planetary conditions, or manvantaras — as enumerated by Rudolf Steiner:

[Detail from a diagram in THE TEMPLE LEGEND (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1997), p. 357; color added.]

Steiner taught that we began our existence on or during Old Saturn, and we are evolving toward (and beyond) Future Vulcan. We currently live on the physical planet Earth during the evolutionary stage called Present Earth. [See "Present Earth".]

[2] All of the beings who existed during Old Saturn were essentially spirits — physical existence as we know it now had not yet developed. Thus, the proto-humans of that time, and all of the other beings who existed alongside us, were spirits.

[3] The central narrative of Anthroposophy traces our evolution from an extremely low level of consciousness to higher and higher stages of consciousness. Human beings are engaged in this millennia-long progression, Steiner taught, and so are many other beings. We are evolving upward and so is almost everyhting else, including gods and the solar system. Here, Steiner says that the most advanced beings who existed during Old Saturn had already attained the very high form of consciousness we humans will attain at the end of the future evolutionary stage called "Future Vulcan". [See "Future Stages".] Steiner sometimes indicated that he believed in the existence of a physical planet called Vulcan, but more often when speaking of "Vulcan" he was referring to a future evolutionary period, which will be the seventh incarnation of the solar system. [See "Vulcan".]

[4] I.e., the objective exploration of spiritual mysteries. Steiner sometimes spoke of "mystery science," sometimes "occult science," and sometimes "spiritual science." All of these "sciences" essentially entail the precise, focused use of clairvoyance to study the spirit realm. [See the entries for these various terms in The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia (BWSE).] The specific form of spiritual science Steiner promoted was Anthroposophy (which primarily consists of his own spiritual teachings). He outlined his spiritual teachings in his book OCCULT SCIENCE - AN OUTLINE. [See "Everything".]

[5] According to Steiner, beings who dwelt alongside us during Old Saturn were gods. Steiner taught that there are nine ranks of gods. [See "Polytheism".] Like us, the gods evolve, rising from rank to rank, Steiner taught. The gods who created us during Old Saturn (Radiating Lives or Radiating Flames or Spirits of Will) stand seven spiritual ranks higher than humanity. [See "Spirits of Will" in the BWSE.]

(Steiner's use of language could be confusing in multiple ways. Thus, as we have seen, he often gave things multiple or shifting or inaccurate names, as when he spoke of Radiating Lives or Radiating Flames or Spirits of Will, or when he spoke of life "on Saturn" when he actually meant life during  Old Saturn. Likewise, Steiner's use of tenses could be misleading. So, for instance, when he used the present tense, he often was describing things that happened in the past or things that will happen in the future. Thus, when saying in the above quotation "These spirits are..." ("These spirits are the creators of the man of Saturn") what Steiner meant was "These spirits were..." — that is, the gods he designates as Radiating Flames, etc., were  our creators during Old Saturn.)

123. "Let us consider for a moment the exit of Venus from the Sun. Together with Venus are Beings who...were not able to remain [on the Sun]. These break away and inhabit Venus. Among them is the Being who [would become] Buddha. He went as a messenger from the Christ to the dwellers on Venus. The Christ sent him to Venus, and here on Venus Buddha passed through all manner of stages of evolution. Later on, souls came back from Venus to Earth. The ordinary human souls [who returned] were of course but little developed. Buddha, however, who also descended to Earth with the Venus souls, was a highly evolved Being." — Rudolf Steiner, MAN IN THE LIGHT OF OCCULTISM, THEOSOPHY AND PHILOSOPHY (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1964), lecture 10, GA 137.

124. "We find by occult investigation [1] that the beings on Mars [2] who correspond to men on Earth — they are of course of quite a different nature, but for the moment let us call them 'Mars men' [3] — at a certain time in their evolution were in a similar condition of need as were the Earth men in the Fourth Post-Atlantean period when the Christ had to come to them [4]. And as Christ became a Saviour and an Awakener to Life, as that was a mission for the Christ in regard to Earth humanity, so is it a further mission for...Buddha, to be a Saviour and Redeemer of Mars men. He has to accomplish on Mars an event similar to the event that the Christ had to bring to fulfilment on Earth [5].

"When therefore we study the life of the Buddha, we find it falls into two parts [6]. There is first the time when Buddha worked for the Earth men ... Then there is the later part of Buddha's life when he worked outside and beyond the Earth ... For Buddha grew upwards into the power of one who is a Saviour and Redeemer. If it were possible for us to compare the influence of Buddha on Mars with the — not same, but similar influence of Christ Jesus on Earth...then we would be bound to find a difference, because of the difference between Earth men and Mars men. If possible, I will tell you more another time about the feelings and response called forth in the Mars men by the working of Buddha [7]." — Rudolf Steiner, MAN IN THE LIGHT OF OCCULTISM, THEOSOPHY AND PHILOSOPHY (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1964), lecture 9, GA 137.[1] I.e., the use of disciplined clairvoyance, such as Steiner claimed to employ. (Note that for Steiner, "occult" was not a fearsome term. His most important book, laying out his central clairvoyant "discoveries" is titled OCCULT SCIENCE - AND OUTLINE. [See "Everything".])

[1] I.e., the use of disciplined clairvoyance, such as Steiner claimed to employ. (Note that for Steiner, "occult" was not a fearsome term. His most important book, laying out his central clairvoyant "discoveries" is titled OCCULT SCIENCE - AND OUTLINE. [See "Everything".])

[2] When speaking of some "planets" such as Saturn or Jupiter, Steiner sometimes meant real planets (members of the solar system), but sometimes he meant evolutionary periods (such as "Old Saturn" or "Future Jupiter"). Here, he means the physical planet Mars. (In Steiner's teachings, there is no "Old Mars" or "Future Mars," although Steiner did speak sometimes of a "Mars period" when the archangel of Mars helped guide human evolution. [See "Mars" and "Mars period" in The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia (BWSE).) 

[3] Steiner taught that long ago, most human souls migrated from the Earth to other planets. [See "planetary migrations" in the BWSE.] Later, he said, the majority of these migrants returned to Earth — but not all of them. Thus, souls who remained on Mars became "Mars men," and those who remained on other planets became the "men" of those planets. [See, e.g., lecture 10 of MAN IN THE LIGHT OF OCCULTISM, THEOSOPHY AND PHILOSOPHY.]

[4] Steiner taught that Christ, the Sun God [see "Sun God"], came to Earth during the fourth cultural epoch after the destruction of Atlantis [see "Atlantis"]. This epoch was the Greco-Roman Age [see "Greco-Roman Age" in the BWSE].

[5] I.e., Buddha had to be crucified on Mars as Christ was crucified on Earth — Buddha thus became the Savior of Mars.

[6] On other occasions, Steiner described a third phase of Buddha's existence, when he lived and worked on Venus. Buddha was one of the human souls who migrated from Earth to Venus and, later, he returned to Earth:

"[O]n Venus Buddha passed through all manner of stages of evolution. Later on, [human souls living on Venus] came back from Venus to Earth. The ordinary human souls [who returned] were of course but little developed. Buddha, however, who also descended to Earth with the Venus souls, was a highly evolved Being." — Rudolf Steiner, MAN IN THE LIGHT OF OCCULTISM, THEOSOPHY AND PHILOSOPHY (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1964), lecture 10, GA 137.

[7] Here is some of the additional information Steiner provided about Buddha's transfer to Mars, and the sacrifice he made in behalf of the Mars men:

"A Conference of the greatest and most advanced Individualities was called together by Christian Rosenkreutz. His most intimate pupil and friend, the great teacher Buddha, participated in these counsels and in the decisions reached. At that spiritual Conference it was resolved that henceforward Buddha would dwell on Mars and there unfold his influence and activity. Buddha transferred his work to Mars in the year 1604. And on Mars he performed a deed similar to that performed by Christ on the Earth in the Mystery of Golgotha. Christian Rosenkreutz had known what the work of Buddha on Mars would signify for the whole Cosmos, what his teachings of Nirvana, of liberation from the Earth would signify on Mars. The teaching of Nirvana was unsuited to a form of culture directed primarily to practical life. Buddha's pupil, Francis of Assisi, was an example of the fact that this teaching produces in its adepts complete remoteness from the world and its affairs. But the content of Buddhism which was not adapted to the practical life of man between birth and death was of high importance for the soul between death and a new birth. Christian Rosenkreutz realised that for a certain purification needed on Mars, the teachings of Buddha were pre-eminently suitable. The Christ Being, the Essence of Divine Love, had once come down to the Earth to a people in many respects alien, and in the seventeenth century, Buddha, the Prince of Peace, went to Mars — the planet of war and conflict — to execute his mission there. The souls on Mars were warlike, torn with strife. Thus Buddha performed a deed of sacrifice similar to the deed performed in the Mystery of Golgotha by the Bearer of the Essence of Divine Love. To dwell on Mars as Buddha was a deed of sacrifice offered to the Cosmos. He was as it were the lamb offered up in sacrifice on Mars and to accept this environment of strife was for him a kind of crucifixion. Buddha performed this deed on Mars in the service of Christian Rosenkreutz. Thus do the great Beings who guide the world work together, not only on the Earth but from one planet to another." — Rudolf Steiner, THE MISSION OF CHRISTIAN ROSENKREUTZ (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1950), lecture 7, GA 130.

[For more on Buddha, see "Buddhism". For more on Mars, see "Mars". For more on Christian Rosenkreutz — the putative founder of Rosicrucianism — see "Rosy Cross".]

125. "After Zarathustra had learned to look up to the sun and see in its aura the Sun God, he knew that this Sun God was no one else but the Christ-Spirit." — Rudolf Steiner, THE PRINCIPLE OF SPIRITUAL ECONOMY (Anthroposophic Press, 1986), lecture 10, GA 109.

126. "The incarnation of the Christ, the sun spirit, in the body of Jesus of Nazareth was the great event which took place in the northern stream of peoples." — Rudolf Steiner, THE EAST IN THE LIGHT OF THE WEST (Rudolf Steiner Publishing Co., 1940), lecture 6, GA 113.

127. "Christ stands before us ... And He says to us: Be not dismayed that the Sun has become black; it is black because I, the God of the Sun, am no longer in it; for I have come down and united myself with the Earth.” — Rudolf Steiner, MAN'S LIFE ON EARTH AND IN THE SPIRITUAL WORLDS (Health Research Books, 1960), lecture 5, GA 218.

[See "Sun God".]

128. "Lucifer himself takes part in Earth evolution with the perpetual longing within him for his true home, for the star Venus ... Clairvoyant consciousness comes to know just what the star of Venus is by entering into the soul of Lucifer ... For what Lucifer cast off as a husk...shines down from heaven as Venus ... [The ancient Greeks] had a spiritual perception of Lucifer and of his connection with the planet Venus, and of the connection of other gods with other stars." — Rudolf Steiner, WONDERS OF THE WORLD (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1963), lecture 4, GA 129.

129. "Lucifer shows himself in a completely changed form when we advance to [the] second stage of initiation, appearing before us as the ruler in the realm of Venus ... Christ [is] the Spirit of the planet of the Sun. Christ himself manifests in this connection as a planetary Spirit, brother to the Spirit of Venus. In other words, Christ appears as a brother of Lucifer. This [opens] the way for a consideration of the post-Earthly destiny of the Buddha [who became Redeemer of Mars]." — Rudolf Steiner, MAN IN THE LIGHT OF OCCULTISM, THEOSOPHY AND PHILOSOPHY (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1964), lecture 10, GA 137.

R. Steiner.

[Public domain photo.]

130. "[H]uman souls at one time left the earth for other planets and later returned to earth existence. In turn those from Mars, Jupiter and the other planets returned to the earth. All these events are substantiated by investigations of the spiritual world and in this connection we find an extremely significant event in the 7th decade of the 19th century. Man returned to earth from the other planets up to 1879. Since then other beings from foreign cosmic regions enter into relation with man on the earth. In Atlantis man was the last being to enter the earth; since 1879 Vulcan beings descend into earthly evolution. They are the first, Super-earthly Beings to bring messages; to them we owe our Spiritual Science. The human race does not welcome these Beings, as a whole it ignores them. This will bring the Earth into a tragic condition ultimately. They will continue to descend, but man will not understand their speech except by understanding Spiritual Science which should transform the social environment. These Vulcan Beings, from between the Moon and Mercury, are trying to obtain a foothold in earthly existence. They seek to be the fore-runners of the end of the earth and the return of the moon. Our shadowy intellectual understanding must be re-animated by the pictures of Spiritual Science. Shock after shock will arise and the earth will dissolve into chaos if these Beings meet with opposition from humanity." — Rudolf Steiner, "Evolution of Human Freedom and Personal Consciousness" (transcript, Rudolf Steiner Archive).

131. "[I]n the Moon's environment which may be designated as 'fire-air', moved those beings who were man-animals. Imagine the whole atmosphere filled with saltpetre, carbon and sulphur gases; the Moon-men lived in this fiery air ... Occultists always knew of the existence of this fire-air, and under older conditions of the Earth it was even possible to produce this fire-air artificially. This is only possible to-day in a very restricted circle, but this knowledge has been preserved in genuine alchemy ... Fire-air enwrapped the Moon; this was its atmosphere." — Rudolf Steiner, "The Earth's Passage Through Its Former Planetary Conditions", ANTHROPOSOPHICAL NEWS SHEET, No. 33-34, 1924, GA 100.

Steiner, addressing the teachers of the first Waldorf school soon after the opening of the school:

132. "[W]e must all be permeated with the thoughts:

"First, of the seriousness of our undertaking. What we are now doing is tremendously important.

"Second, we need to comprehend our responsibility toward anthroposophy as well as the [anthroposophical] social movement.

"And, third, something that we as anthroposophists must particularly observe, namely, our responsibility toward the gods.

"Among the faculty, we must certainly carry within us the knowledge that we are not here for our own sakes, but to carry out the divine cosmic plan. We should always remember that when we do something, we are actually carrying out the intentions of the gods, that we are, in a certain sense, the means by which that streaming down from above will go out into the world." 

— Rudolf Steiner, FACULTY MEETINGS WITH RUDOLF STEINER (Anthroposophic Press, 1998), p. 55.

Steiner, addressing the teachers of the first Waldorf school at the time of the school's opening:

133. "We can accomplish our work only if we do not see it as simply a matter of intellect or feeling, but, in the highest sense, as a moral spiritual task. Therefore, you will understand why, as we begin this work today, we first reflect on the connection we wish to create from the very beginning between our activity and the spiritual worlds ... [W]e wish to begin our preparation by first reflecting upon how we connect with the spiritual powers [1] in whose service and in whose name each one of us must work. I ask you to understand these introductory words as a kind of prayer to those powers who stand behind us [2] ... It is our duty to see the importance of our work. We will do this if we know that this school is charged with a particular task ... We can do this only when we do not view the founding of this school as an everyday occurrence, but instead regard it as a ceremony held within Cosmic Order [3] ... We wish to see each other as human beings brought together by karma [4], who will bring about, not something common, but something that, for those doing this work, will include the feeling of a festive Cosmic moment [5] ... Our task is not different because we believe in vain arrogance that we should establish a new direction in pedagogy, but because, through spiritual science [6], we are clear that each period in the development of humanity always sets itself new tasks. Humanity had a different task in the first post-Atlantean developmental period [7], another task in the second, and so forth, right up into our fifth period [8]." — Rudolf Steiner, THE FOUNDATIONS OF HUMAN EXPERIENCE (Anthroposophic Press, 1996), pp. 33-35.  

[1] I.e., the gods.

[2] Steiner asserts that Waldorf teachers are earthly representatives of the gods. They are supported and guided by the gods — especially those beneficent gods who take a special interest in Anthroposophy and Waldorf schools.

[3] I.e., the hierarchical structure of the cosmos created by the gods.

[4] The work of Waldorf teachers, Steiner indicates, is sanctified by the gods and also by the workings of karma. [See "Karma".]

[5] I.e., the founding of the Waldorf School is a joyous occasion of cosmic significance.

[6] I.e., Anthroposophy.

[7] I.e., the first historical period after the destruction of Atlantis.

[8] Hence, according to Steiner, the "particular task" of Waldorf schools is to help humanity evolve to the level planned by the gods for this, the fifth historical period since the destruction of Atlantis ("our fifth period"). This period began in 1413 AD, Steiner taught, and will extend to 3573 AD; it is called the Anglo-Germanic Age or the European-American Age. During this period, humanity should develop the "consciousness soul." Waldorf education is be directed toward this goal, Steiner indicated. [See "Anglo-Germanic Age" and "consciousness soul" in The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia.]

In summary, Waldorf education is bound up in polytheism, messianism, belief in a "divine cosmic plan," belief in spiritual evolution, belief in karma, belief in Atlantis, and so forth. Crucially, the Waldorf movement stands on the belief that it is divinely inspired and sanctified. Self-righteousness is implicit in this attitude. Waldorf schools work on behalf of the gods. Opponents of Waldorf schools must work, then, in oppositions to the gods — they are demonic. [See "Enemies" and "Evil Ones".]

134. "[W]e feel direct contact with the spiritual world, which is incarnating and unfolding before our very eyes, right here in the sensory world. Such an experience provides a sense of responsibility toward one’s tasks as a teacher, and with the necessary care, the art of education attains the quality of a religious service. Then, amid all our practical tasks, we feel that the gods themselves have sent the human being into this earthly existence, and they have entrusted the child to us for education. With the incarnating child, the gods have given us enigmas that inspire the most beautiful divine service." — Rudolf Steiner, WALDORF EDUCATION AND ANTHROPOSOPHY - Foundations of Waldorf Education XIV, Vol. 2 (Anthroposophic Press, 1996), p. 161.

135. "[T]he gods allow their grace to flow down ... We see in every child the revelation of divine spiritual, cosmic laws ... It is not a question of how to educate children to approach some ideal that has been dreamed up; it is a question of how to nurture what the gods have sent to us in the earthly world. We come to see ourselves as helpers of the divine spiritual world, and above all we learn to ask what will happen if we approach education with this attitude of mind. True education proceeds from exactly this attitude. The important thing is to develop our teaching on the basis of this kind of thinking ... [I]f this happens, then a teacher’s calling becomes a priestly calling, since an educator becomes a steward who accomplishes the will of the gods...." — Rudolf Steiner, HUMAN VALUES IN EDUCATION - Foundations of Waldorf Education XX (Anthroposophic Press, 2004), pp. 19-20.

136. "Demons are born through man's immoral conduct ... [Demons] who arise through immoral actions have a particular tendency to be parasites in human evolution on Earth under Lucifer's leadership ... They attack human beings during the embryonic stage ... The criminal demons attached as parasites to unborn children cause deterioration in the succession of the generations; this eats into human beings, making them less good than they would be if these demons did not exist. There are various reasons for the decline of families, tribes, peoples and nations, but one of them is the existence of these criminal demon parasites...." — Rudolf Steiner, ANGELS (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1996), pp. 167-168.

137. "Take the gnomes and undines [1] ... Ordinary consciousness is protected from seeing these beings [2], for the fact is that these beings are not all benevolent [3] ... You see, there exist ill-disposed beings from the realm of the gnomes and undines ... Through the presence of these malevolent gnomes and undine-beings, animal and plant life of a low order — parasites [4] — exist in human beings as well as in animals. These malevolent beings are the begetters of parasites ... Now someone might say: Why then are these malevolent gnome and undine-beings there, if they engender parasites? Well, if they were not there, man would never be able to develop within himself the force to evolve the structure of his brain [5]." — Rudolf Steiner, MAN AS SYMPHONY OF THE CREATIVE WORD (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1970), lecture 8, GA 230.

[1] According to Steiner, these are elemental beings (or nature spirits) who dwell in the earth and in water. He said there are also elemental beings who dwell in the air (sylphs) and in fire (fire spirits or "salamanders"). [See "Neutered Nature".] Gnome dolls and figurines are often found in Waldorf schools — they represent real beings, according to the Waldorf belief system, Anthroposophy. 

[2] Elemental beings are invisible, Steiner said — to see them, you must be clairvoyant.

[3] Adherents often describe Anthroposophy as entirely upbeat and positive — they say that, according to Steiner, nothing is really evil or malevolent. But in fact Steiner often spoke of evil or malevolent beings. [See, e.g., "Evil Ones".]

[4] Steiner was greatly concerned about parasites of various sorts. So, for instance, he warned against the "criminal demon parasites" that contribute to the decline of families, peoples, nations, and races. [See, e.g., "Waldorf Wisdom".]

[5] Although he was an intellectual, Steiner disparaged intellect and the organ used for thought: the brain. We need our marvelous brains, he said, but we must not believe that truth is produced by the workings of this organ. 

“[T]he brain and nerve system have nothing at all to do with actual cognition.” — Rudolf Steiner, THE FOUNDATIONS OF HUMAN EXPERIENCE, p. 60. 

Real cognition, Steiner taught, comes through the use of clairvoyance, and real thoughts are beamed down to us by the gods. [See, e.g., "Thinking".]

138. "It will seem strange that in discussing man as a spiritual being, I speak first of the teeth ... [A] truly spiritual understanding of the human being shows us [that] the child develops teeth not only for the sake of eating and speaking, but for quite a different purpose as well. Strange as it sounds to-day, the child develops teeth for the purpose of thinking. Modern science little knows that the teeth are the most important of all organs of thought. For the child, up to the time of the second dentition [i.e., the replacement of baby teeth], these teeth constitute the organ of thought ... The forces that press the teeth out from the jaw are the same forces that [in the young child] bring thought to the surface from the dim, sleeping and dreaming life of childhood. With the same degree of intensity as it teethes, the child learns to think." — Rudolf Steiner, EDUCATION (Rudolf Steiner Publishing Co., 1943), lecture 4, GA 307.

139. "[I]n the moment that we cease to think only with the head, but begin to think with our limb-system, in that moment the whole reality of Karma is opened up to us. We know nothing of our Karma because we always think only with that most superficial of organs, our brain. The moment we begin to think with our fingers — and just with our fingers and toes we can think much more clearly than with the nerves of the head — once we have soared up to the possibility of doing so — the moment we begin to think with what has not become entirely material, when we begin to think with the lower man, our thoughts are the thoughts of our Karma. When we do not merely grasp with our hand but think with it, then, thinking with our hand we follow our Karma. And even more so with the feet; when we do not only walk but think with our feet, we follow the course of our Karma with special clarity. That man is such a dullard on earth — excuse me, but no other word occurs to me — comes from the fact that all his thinking is enclosed in the region of his head." — Rudolf Steiner, MAN AS SYMPHONY OF THE CREATIVE WORD (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1970), lecture 12, GA 230.

140. "Mammon [i.e., Ahriman] is not only the god of money. He is much more the leader of all vile black powers. And his hordes attack not only human souls, but also the physical bodies of humans in order to gnaw away at them and ruin them. People speak of bacteria a lot more today not because they know more about them, but because bacteria have taken on a very special form today. And in the future they will get the upper hand in a terrifying way. When that black age approaches, then fraternal war will rage in a gruesome way, and poor human bodies will waste away, terribly afflicted by diseases and plagues. The stigma of sin will be impressed on human bodies visible to everyone." — Rudolf Steiner, ESOTERIC LESSONS 1904-1909 (Steiner Books, 2007), pp. 232-233.

141. "[T]hrough the electrification of the atoms we transform them into carriers of evil; we do not only transform them into carriers of death, as explained in my last lecture, but into carriers of evil. When we think of them as atoms, in general, when we imagine matter in the form of atoms, we transform these atoms into carriers of death; but when we electrify matter, Nature is conceived as something evil. For electric atoms are little demons of Evil ... [T]he modern [scientific] explanation of Nature set out along a path that really unites it with Evil ... For, when we listen to a modern physicist blandly explaining that Nature consists of electrons, we merely listen to him explaining that Nature really consists of little demons of Evil! And if we acknowledge Nature in this form, we raise Evil to the rank of the ruling world-divinity." — Rudolf Steiner, "Concerning Electricity", ANTHROPOSOPHIC NEWS SHEET, No. 23/24, June 9, 1940 — from a lecture delivered January 28, 1923.

142. "[T]rivial science [i.e., ordinary science]...looks upon the heart as a pump, a pump that pumps the blood through the body. Nothing more absurd than this can be believed, for the heart has nothing whatsoever to do with pumping the blood; rather the blood is set into activity by the entire mobility (Regsamkeit) of the astral body, of the I, and the heart is only a reflection of these movements ... Contemporary natural scientists become very angry if you speak of this issue. Many years ago...I explained this issue to a natural scientist, a medical man, and he was almost apoplectic about the idea that the heart should no longer be regarded as a pump...." — Rudolf Steiner, THERAPEUTIC INSIGHTS: EARTHLY AND COSMIC LAWS (Mercury Press, 1984), lecture 4, GA 205.

Can Steiner's followers today, in the 21st century, possibly believe such teachings?

"In contrast to the usual concept of the heart, anthroposophy tells us that it [the heart] beats because blood flows through the body. The heart is thus not an organ that pumps the blood around [inside] us, but instead responds to the living circulation of the bl3od. The blood circulates in blood vessels through the action of the ether body, the astral body and ultimately the 'I'. In this sense, the heart may be regarded as an extremely sensitive sense organ...." — Waldorf teacher Henk van Oort, ANTHROPSOPHY A-Z (Sophia Books, Rudolf Steiner Press, 2011), p. 55.

Would any Waldorf faculty members teach such things to their students (thus bringing Anthroposophy into the classroom)?

"A seventh-grade [Waldorf] teacher, having followed one of Rudolf Steiner's insights and taught his students that the heart is not a pump, was confronted by a deeply distressed parent who happened to be a physician." — Waldorf teacher Keith Francis, THE EDUCATION OF A WALDORF TEACHER (iUniverse, 2004), p. 74.

143. "[T]he dragon-like serpent-form of Ahriman [1] winds its way among the human beings shining in the astral light [2] and tries to ensnare and embrace them, to draw them down into the realm of half-conscious sleep and dreams [3]. Then, caught in this web of illusion, they would become world-dreamers, and in this condition they would be a prey to the Ahrimanic powers [4]. All this has significance for the cosmos also [5].

"And when in high summer, from a particular constellation, meteors fall in great showers of cosmic iron, then this cosmic iron, which carries an enormously powerful healing force [6], is the weapon which the gods [7] bring to bear against Ahriman, as dragon-like he tries to coil round the shining forms of men. The force which falls on the earth in the meteoric iron is indeed a cosmic force whereby the higher gods [8] endeavour to gain a victory over the Ahrimanic powers, when autumn comes on [9]." — Rudolf Steiner, THE FOUR SEASONS AND THE ARCHANGELS (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1968), lecture 1, GA 229.

[1] According to Steiner, Ahriman is a powerful demon. [See "Ahriman".] He is sometimes referred to as "the dragon."

[2] "Astral light" may be understood, at one level, as ordinary star light. However, Steiner taught that above the physical plane of existence is a higher plane, the astral plane or soul plane. This plane is suffused with a form of "light" that is higher (more spiritually charged) than physical light — it is "astral light" or "akasha." It extends into the physical universe as a cosmic ether. Steiner further taught that incarnated human beings exist on the physical plane, but we also have "astral bodies" that connect us to the astral plane. [See the entries for these various terms in The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia (BWSE).]

[3] Steiner taught that Ahriman tries to lure us down so completely into physical incarnation that we lose connection with the spirit realm. When we fall prey to Ahriman, we fall prey to maya or illusion, and thus our "half-conscious" dreams become illusory or false. Steiner said that, by contrast, enlightened humans who follow him are able to have true, spiritually revelatory dreams — conscious dreams that carry clairvoyant wisdom. [See "Dreams".] 

[4] Our thoughts and dreams have spiritual power, Steiner taught — what we think or dream may become reality. If we become "world-dreamers" under the sway of Ahriman, we would be creating a universe ruled by Ahriman.

[5] Anthroposophists believe we humans are the center of the created universe. What happens to us, and what we do, has great cosmic significance. Indeed, the cosmos (macrocosm) is an outward reflection of the human being (microcosm). [See "The Center".] If we were to become vassals of Ahriman, the entire cosmos would be affected — Ahriman would become lord of the cosmos.

[6] A former Waldorf student who went on to become a Waldorf teacher, Grégoire Perra, remembers a speech he heard when he was a new Waldorf faculty member: 

"I remember a disorienting first meeting during which a colleague of the executive committee of the school gave a speech, three quarters of an hour long, about iron 'meteorites' (from meteors crashing into the Earth) which he said bring the forces of the archangel Michael down to humanity — this was meant to give courage to the teachers." [See "He Went to Waldorf".] 

In Anthroposophic belief, Michael is the Archangel of the Sun — he is a warrior god who fights on behalf of the Sun God. [See "Michael" and "Sun God".]

[7] Anthroposophy is polytheistic — it teaches that the universe is directed by many, many gods. [See "Polytheism".]

[8] There are nine ranks of gods, Steiner taught. "Higher" gods are members of the higher ranks, or, seen another way, they are the better or more virtuous gods. The demon Ahriman is himself a god, but a fallen god, a lower or evil god. [See "evil gods" in the BWSE.]

[9] The annual procession of the seasons if accorded great significance in Anthroposophy and in Waldorf education. Waldorf schools typically stage seasonal festivals that are, at their root, religious observances. [See the section of festivals in "Magical Arts".]

144. "From the earth, there will spring forth a horrible brood of [spider beings] ... They will be beings resembling automatons, with an over-abundant intellect of great intensity ... [The earth] will be covered as if by a network or web of ghastly spiders possessing tremendous wisdom [1] ... They will be horrible spiders who will be entangled with one another ... [T]he earth will be covered with hideous mineral-plant-like spiders that intertwine with one another most cleverly but in a frighteningly evil manner [2]. To the extent that human beings have not enlivened their shadowy, intellectual concepts [3], they will have to unite their being...with these ghastly mineral-plant-like spidery creatures. They will have to dwell together with these spiders ... However great the resistance in hostile quarters, these things must be said [4]; for, as I have stated again and again, the acceptance or rejection of spiritual scientific knowledge [5] is a serious matter facing mankind. It is not something that can be decided on the basis of more or less indifferent sympathies or antipathies; we are dealing with something that definitely affects the whole configuration of the cosmos [6]." — Rudolf Steiner, MATERIALISM AND THE TASK OF ANTHROPOSOPHY (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1987), lecture 14, GA 204.

[1] Some Anthroposophists say this passage shows Steiner's great prescience. They say Steiner was describing the Internet and its "crawlers" or "spiders" (programs that browse the Internet to create indexes of the pages found there). But in fact Steiner was speaking of events that, he said, may occur thousands of years in the future. Indeed, Steiner projected these events for a distant time after the Moon reunites with the Earth. [See "Sixth Epoch".] The spider-beings he described will be similar to robots (automatons) and they will be extremely intelligent, in an intellectual sense. But they will not be mere Internet crawlers — they will be real and terrible spider-beings who represent the lowly mineral and plant kingdoms.

[2] Although his followers sometimes credit Steiner with a thoroughly positive, optimistic vision in which the concept of "evil" has no place, in fact Steiner often spoke of evil as a very real and threatening force in the cosmos. [See "Evil".]

[3] The monstrosities he described, Steiner indicated, will be the product of the human intellect run riot. Steiner taught that we need intellect, but he also taught that intellect in and of itself is destructive. Intellect may provide accurate descriptions of the mineral and plant kingdoms, Steiner taught, but it is blind to higher truths. [See "Thinking".] Intellect must be moderated by spiritual consciousness, Steiner said — it must be tempered by his own teachings, those of "spiritual science" or Anthroposophy. 

[4] Steiner often spoke of his enemies — the opponents of his wonderful spiritual movement. 

“[O]ur enemies are springing up on every side...” — Rudolf Steiner, SECRETS OF THE THRESHOLD (Anthroposophic Press, 1987), “Words of Welcome”, GA 147. [See "Enemies".] 

If his enemies were to prevail, Steiner indicated, the results could be catastrophic for the entire cosmos.

[5] I.e., Anthroposophy. [See "Anthroposophy' and "spiritual science" in The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia (BWSE).]

[6] As humanity goes, Steiner said, so goes the cosmos. Anthroposophy places human beings at the center of the created universe. [See "The Center".] The key narrative of Anthroposophy traces the evolution of humanity toward higher and higher stages of consciousness. [See "evolution of consciousness" and "historical narrative of Anthroposophy" in the BWSE.] If humanity fails to evolve properly (if it fails to heed Steiner), the entire purpose of the cosmos will have been thwarted — the will of the gods will have been defeated. [See "design", "divine cosmic plan", and "divine will" in the BWSE.]

Rudolf Steiner, addressing Waldorf teachers: 

145. "[N]othing is more important than that we are able as teachers to develop the necessary reverence, the necessary enthusiasm, so that we can teach with reverence and enthusiasm. Reverence and enthusiasm — these are the two secret and fundamental forces that must permeate the teacher’s soul [1] ... I have always been deeply impressed by the words of Shakespeare: 'The man that hath no music in himself...is fit for treasons, stratagems, and spoils!... Let no such man be trusted. [2]' In the old mystery schools [3] the pupils were told that what acts as an attack from within us and must be continually warded off...is 'treasons, stratagems, and spoils,' and that the music that is active in us is what counteracts it. Music [4] is our defense against the luciferic forces [5] rising up out of the inner human being: disloyalty, murder, and deceit. We all have disloyalty, murder, and deceit within us ... One must, of course, keep in mind that the old mystery teachers expressed themselves somewhat differently; they expressed things more concretely. They would not have said 'treasons, stratagems, and spoils'...but would have said something like 'serpent, wolf, and fox. [6]' The serpent, the wolf, and the fox are warded off from the inner nature of the human being through music. The old mystery teachers would always have used animal forms to depict what rises up within us but must then be transformed into what is human. So it is that we [7] can achieve the right enthusiasm when we see the treacherous serpent rising out of the child and combat it with music and speech instruction, and in the same way contend with the murderous wolf and the tricky fox or cat. That is what can then permeate us with true, intelligent enthusiasm — not the burning, luciferic sort that alone is acknowledged today [8]." — Rudolf Steiner, BALANCE IN TEACHING - Foundations of Waldorf Education XI (Anthroposophic Press, 2007), pp. 22-25.

[1] Although Waldorf schools often claim to be nondenominational or secular, in fact they are fundamentally religious institutions. [See "Schools as Churches".] Their religion is Anthroposophy. [See "Is Anthroposophy a Religion?"]

[2] See THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, Act 5, Scene 1. The speaker is Lorenzo. "The man that hath no music in himself,/ Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds,/ Is fit for treasons, stratagems and spoils;/ The motions of his spirit are dull as night/ And his affections dark as Erebus:/ Let no such man be trusted. Mark the music."

[3] I.e., schools where occult or esoteric spiritual knowledge (knowledge of spiritual mysteries) was imparted. [See the entries for "mystery", "mystery knowledge", and "mystery schools" in The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia.]

[4] Steiner attributed spiritual power to many forms of art, including music. [See "Magical Arts".]

[5] I.e., forces that originate with Lucifer, whom Steiner identified as one of the two great demons challenging humanity. [See "Lucifer".] (The other great demon Steiner often discussed is Ahriman. [See "Ahriman".])

[6] These animals have often been associated with evil or demonic forces. The serpent, in particular, has often been identified with Lucifer. (In the Book of Genesis, a serpent tempts Eve in the Garden of Eden. At least some commentators identify the serpent as Lucifer.)

[7] I.e., Waldorf teachers.

[8] I. e., outside Waldorf schools — in the modern world generally, apart from Anthroposophical enclaves.

146. "In ordinary life people have no idea what a peculiar organ the human head really is, and how useless it is for our earthly life. It is there for beauty’s sake, it is true, because our faces please each other. It has many other virtues too, but as far as spiritual activities are concerned it is really not nearly so much in evidence, for the spiritual qualities of the head always lead back to a person’s former earth-life. The head is a metamorphosis of the former life on earth, and the fact of having a head only begins to have a real meaning when we know something of our former earthly lives. All other activities come from somewhere else, not from the head at all ... The head only looks on at all that occurs. The head is really only an apparatus for reflecting what the body does. The body thinks, the body counts. The head is only a spectator." — Rudolf Steiner, THE KINGDOM OF CHILDHOOD — Foundations of Waldorf Education XXI (Anthroposophic Press, 1995), p. 76.

147. “[T]he ancient Egyptians still remembered a time when the leading personalities of the nation were clearly conscious of their connection with what are called gods, angels, or dhyanic beings. Now what sort of beings were these, who were not incarnated in a human form of flesh and blood, but who influenced mankind ...  They were man's predecessors, advanced beyond the human stage.

“There is in these days much misuse of a word which may in this connection be applied in its true meaning, the word ‘Superman.’ If we really wish to speak of ‘Supermen,’ it is these beings who may rightly be so called. Human during the Moon-period, the planetary stage preceding our Earth, they had now outgrown humanity. They were only able to appear in an etheric body to clairvoyants. It was thus that they came down to earth from spiritual worlds and ruled here even as late as post-Atlantean times." — Rudolf Steiner, THE SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE OF MANKIND (The Anthroposophical Society in Great Britain, 1921), lecture 2, GA 15.

148. “When we accompany the dead [clairvoyantly] we first enter a world totally different from our own ... When we enter this world we are astonished at the remarkable beings to be found there. The souls of those who have recently died are surrounded by strange demonic forms. At the entrance to this intermediate world which the dead must enter and in which we can accompany them with a certain clairvoyant vision, we meet with demonic figures with enormous webbed feet — enormous by earthly standards — like the duck or the wild duck species and other aquatic animals, huge webbed feet that are perpetually changing shape. These beings have a form somewhat similar to that of the kangaroo, but half bird, half mammal. And when we accompany the dead we pass through vast areas where such beings dwell." — Rudolf Steiner, NATURE SPIRITS (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1995), lecture 10, “Ahrimanic Elemental Beings”, pp. 153-154.

149. "Now you can imagine that in our modern life, when people are confronted with so many things they do not properly understand and cannot really penetrate, thoughts continually run over into feelings. However, only thinking is oriented on the physical plane [1]; feeling is no longer confined to the physical plane but by its very nature is connected with the spiritual plane as well. Feeling really has a connection with all the spiritual beings who must be considered real [2]. So that if a person with inadequate concepts sinks into his or her feeling life, he or she comes into collision with the gods — if you like to put it that way — but also with evil gods [3]. And all these collisions occur because the person entered this realm without any reliable means of knowledge [4]. Entering the feeling life without adequate means of knowledge is unavoidable when there is more going on in the sphere of feelings than in that of ordinary reason. In the sphere of feelings, human beings cannot liberate themselves from their connection with the spiritual world [5]. When they free themselves in the realm of the intellect in this materialistic age [6], they enter the world of feeling with inadequate concepts and consequently must become ill [7]." — Rudolf Steiner, PSYCHOANALYSIS AND SPIRITUAL PSYCHOLOGY (Anthroposophic Press, 1990), pp. 70-71.

[1] According to Steiner, intellect or, more generally, brainwork is important and useful, but only on the level of physical existence. (And even on this level, he said, they can be destructive. [See "Thinking".])

[2] Steiner taught that we learn about the spirit realm chiefly through our feelings. [See "emotion" and "feeling" in The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia (BWSE).] Feelings connect us to the gods who really exist ("the spiritual beings who must be considered real").

[3] Most gods are benevolent and good, Steiner taught — but not all of them are. Some gods are evil, he said. [See "evil gods" in the BWSE.]

(An aside: Note that Steiner did not speak of "a person" with "his or her" feeling life. He spoke a "man" and "his" feeling life. Anthroposophists alter Steiner's words when this seems like good public relations.)

[4] The problem occurs, Steiner taught, when people fail to heed him. The "reliable means of knowledge" that gives us correct concepts is his own body of work, Anthroposophy. [See "Anthroposophy" in the BWSE.]

[5] I.e., when we are emotional, we are always connected to the spirit realm and its gods.

[6] Steiner associated use of the intellect with materialism and with the arch-demon who holds sway in "our materialistic age": Ahriman. [See "Ahriman" and "Materialism U.".]

[7] I.e., having "inadequate concepts" — caused by failing to heed Steiner — produces illness. In this instance, he was speaking primarily of mental illness. On other occasions, he made a similar point about physical ailments.

150. “[In one form of occult practice] certain suitable individuals are schooled to be mediums. They are then put into a trance and the streams coming from the spiritual world are guided to the mediums by certain methods in such a way that the medium makes known certain secrets that cannot be made known in any other way. The only way they can be made known is when a person who has been violently killed uses over in the other world certain forces which have remained usable as a result of the violent death...

“When things that ought to come later make their appearance as spiritual premature births by the means I have described — through criminal occult activity — when this happens those whose intentions towards humanity are not good, in other words those who are black or grey magicians, can gain possession of such secrets." — Rudolf Steiner, SECRET BROTHERHOODS (Rudolf Steiner Press, 2004), pp. 89-90.

151. "Spiritual science [i.e., Theosophy or Anthroposophy] points back to a time when human beings inhabited Atlantis; compared with modern human beings the Atlantean's soul and spirit were differently constituted. Their consciousness could be termed somnambulistic; the intellect was undeveloped — they could neither count nor write, and logical reasoning did not exist. But they beheld many aspects of the spiritual world. The will that flowed through their limbs was immensely strong. The higher animals such as apes [are] degenerate descendants of the Atlanteans." — Rudolf Steiner, SUPERSENSIBLE KNOWLEDGE (Anthroposophic Press, 1987), lecture 7, GA 55.

152. "We can look back to still earlier times when man inhabited a continent that was situated approximately between the present Indo-China, Australia and Africa — ancient Lemuria, a continent of immemorial antiquity where totally different conditions from those of to-day prevailed. Usually we are not sufficiently aware of the vast and sweeping changes on earth in the course of human evolution. Now at this time the lower principles in man were already in eminence, and this continent was inhabited by beings consisting of the four principles, physical body, etheric body, astral body and the ego-nature. These beings were more highly organized than the highest animals of to-day, but had not reached the human stage. They were animal-men, yet different from the existing animals of our time. The latter are degenerate descendants which have evolved from these animal-men as a result of retardation and degeneration." — Rudolf Steiner, THE STRUCTURE OF THE LORD'S PRAYER (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1971), a lecture, GA 97.

153. "[Y]ou [the Waldorf teacher] must have the courage to be very far from perfect to begin with ... [T]he anthroposophical outlook must help you along. You must say to yourself: Something is leading me karmically to the children so that I can be with them as a teacher though I am still awkward and clumsy. And those before whom it behooves me not to appear clumsy and awkward — those children [i.e., a later class] — I shall only meet in later years, again through the workings of karma." — Rudolf Steiner, THE KINGDOM OF CHILDHOOD — Foundations of Waldorf Education XXI (Anthroposophic Press, 1995), p. 57.

154. "[A] spiritual being [i.e., a god] who descends...into a human body in order to intervene in evolution as a human being is called an 'avatar' ... The greatest avatar being who has lived on earth, as you can gather from the spirit of our lectures here, is the Christ — the Being whom we designated as the Christ [the Sun God], and who took possession of the body of Jesus of Nazareth when he was thirty years of age. This Being, who did not come into contact with our earth until the beginning of our era, was incarnated for three years in a body of flesh and has since that time been in contact with the astral, i.e., the spiritual, sphere of our super-sensible world; this Being has a unique significance as an avatar being. Although other, lower avatar beings can reincarnate several times, it would be in vain for us to seek the Christ-Being in an earlier human embodiment on earth. The difference between the Christ and the lower avatars does not lie in the fact that the latter incarnate repeatedly, but that they derive no benefits for themselves from their earthly embodiments. Human beings give the world nothing; they only take from it. By contrast, these beings only give; they take nothing from the earth. To gain a perfect understanding of this idea, you have to distinguish between such a lofty avatar being as the Christ and lower avatar beings. Such avatar beings can have the most varied missions on earth...."  — Rudolf Steiner, THE PRINCIPLE OF SPIRITUAL ECONOMY (Anthroposophic Press, 1986), lecture 2, GA 109.

[See "Avatars", "Polytheism", and "Sun God".]

155. "The dragon [1] takes on the most diverse forms; takes on every possible form. Those that arise from human emotions are harmful enough, but not nearly as harmful as the form the dragon acquires from the dead and deadening knowledge that prevails today [2]. There the dragon becomes especially horrible. One might almost say that the correct symbol for institutions of higher education [3] today would be a thick, black pall hung somewhere on the wall of every lecture room. Then one would realize that behind it is something that must not be shown, because to do so would throw a strange light on what goes on in these lecture rooms! Behind the black pall there should be a picture of Michael’s battle with the dragon [4], the battle with deadening intellectualism. What I have said today shows you how the struggle between Michael and the dragon should live in teachers [5]. What I wanted to present to you is this: we must become aware of Michael’s battle; it must become a reality for us ... To live in the truth means to unite oneself with Michael [6]. We must unite ourselves with Michael whenever we enter the classroom; only through this can we bring with us the necessary strength. Verily, Michael is strong! If we understand Michael’s struggle with the dragon in a particular sphere [7], we are working for the healing of humanity in the future. If I had been asked to give these lectures a title, I would have had to say: Michael’s Struggle with the Dragon, Presented for the Teachers at the Waldorf School." — Rudolf Steiner, BALANCE IN TEACHING - Foundations of Waldorf Education XI (Anthroposophic Press, 2007), p. 105.

[1] I.e., forces of evil, especially the arch-demon Ahriman. [See "Ahriman".]

[2] I.e., modern science and scholarship. Despite occasional statements to the contrary, Steiner rejected most of the knowledge acquired by humanity in the modern era. [See "Materialism U."] He particularly deplored the use and products of intellect or, more generally, the brain. [See "Steiner's Specific".] He associated intellection, especially as it is employed today, with Ahriman. 

"Intellectuality flows forth from Ahriman as a cold and frosty, soulless cosmic impulse.” — Rudolf Steiner,  ANTHROPOSOPHICAL LEADING THOUGHTS (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1998), p. 98.

As for the brain, Steiner said it does not produce thoughts or truth.

◊ "Within the brain there is absolutely no thought." — Rudolf Steiner, WONDERS OF THE WORLD (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1983), p. 119.

◊ ”[T]he brain and nerve system have nothing at all to do with actual cognition.” — Rudolf Steiner, THE FOUNDATIONS OF HUMAN EXPERIENCE - Foundations of Waldorf Education I (SteinerBooks, 1996), p. 60. 

The implications for Waldorf education are potentially severe. Waldorf is, at least potentially, a form of education that devalues brainwork. [See "Thinking Cap".]

[3] In this statement, Steiner focuses on higher education (college education), but his criticisms apply as well to conventional elementary and secondary education (to which he offered Waldorf education as the antidote).

[4] Michael is the archangel Michael, whom Steiner identified as the Archangel of the Sun. A warrior god, Michael fights on behalf of the Sun God against "the dragon." [See "Michael".]

[5] I.e., Waldorf teachers. In this quotation, Steiner is addressing teachers at the original Waldorf school, which he personally oversaw.

[6] According to Steiner, the archangel Michael guides humanity in our time, and he does this primarily through Anthroposophy. The term "School of Michael" is thus sometimes used to designate Anthroposophy. 

"St Michael and anthroposophy are connected in a special way ... Michael inspires all human beings who wish to connect the human spirit with the spirit of the cosmos. Anthroposophy is also called the School of Michael." — Waldorf teacher Henk van Oort, ANTHROPOSOPHY A-Z (Rudolf Steiner Press, 2011), p. 78.

Steiner said Waldorf teachers should be devout Anthroposophists.

"As Waldorf teachers, we must be true anthroposophists in the deepest sense of the word in our innermost feeling.” — Rudolf Steiner, FACULTY MEETINGS WITH RUDOLF STEINER - Foundations of Waldorf Education VIII (Anthroposophic Press, 1998), p. 495.

[7] In this instance, the "particular sphere" is the sphere of education.

156. "[T]he treatment of children according to temperament [1] has such an important place in teaching ... [T]he best way is to begin by seating the children of the same temperament together [2]. In the first place you have a more comprehensive view knowing that over there are the cholerics, there the melancholics, and here the sanguines ... The very fact that you do this, that you study the children and seat them according to their temperaments, means that you have done something to yourself that will help you to keep the necessary unquestioned authority [3] in the class ... If you put the phlegmatics together they will mutually correct each other, for they will be so bored by one another that they will develop a certain antipathy to their own phlegma, and it will get better and better all the time. The cholerics hit and smack each other [4] and finally they get tired of the blows they get from the other cholerics; and so the children of each temperament rub each other’s corners off extraordinarily well when they sit together." — Rudolf Steiner, THE KINGDOM OF CHILDHOOD — Foundations of Waldorf Education XXI (Anthroposophic Press, 1995), p. 63. 

[1] The Waldorf belief system, Anthroposophy, is fundamentally backward-looking. To a great extent, it consists of falsehoods dredged up from the past — often, the ancient past. [See, e.g., "The Ancients".] So, for instance, Waldorf schools generally endorse an ancient conception of human nature, a conception long since dismissed almost everywhere else. Taking their lead from the ancient Greek physician Galen (130-210 CE), Waldorf teachers often divide students into four types of "temperament": choleric, melancholic, sanguine, and phlegmatic. [See "Humouresque".]

[2] On the basis of their false understanding of human dispositions, Waldorf teachers typically enforce physical segregation of their students, especially by establishing segregated seating plans in the classrooms. [See, e.g., "The Phlegmatic Sits by the Window" and "Temperaments".]

[3] Segregating the students is, in a sense, a power play by the teacher. S/he categorizes the students (based on a false understanding of their characters), and then s/he enforces this categorization. Thereby, s/he asserts the "unquestioned authority" a Waldorf teacher thinks s/he should wield. [See, e.g., Steiner's statement about the teacher's authority quoted in "Spirit".]

[4] Waldorf schools can occasionally be surprisingly violent places. Here Steiner indicates that one group of students should be expected to "hit and smack each other" during class — at least until they get tired of it. [For more on the issue of violence in Waldorf schools, see, e.g., "Slaps".] A Waldorf teacher may need to allow altercations in the classroom if, in accordance with Anthroposophical doctrine, s/he decides that students are enacting their karmas (the karma to be violent or the karma to be the target of violence). [See "Karma".]

Some of Steiner's statements are like bizarre gems, refracting lights Steiner presumably never intended. We need to pick them up repeatedly, gazing on their strange effulgence. Here's one such. I've reprinted it before. I'll probably reprint it again. Each time I see it, I am struck again with amazement and pity. See what you think (again).

157. “Vulcan beings are now actually entering this earth existence [1] ... And it is thanks to the fact that these beings from beyond the earth are bringing messages down into this earthly existence that it is possible at all to have a comprehensive spiritual science today [2] ... The beings I have spoken about will descend gradually to the earth. Vulcan beings, Vulcan supermen, Venus supermen, Mercury supermen, sun supermen, and so on [3] will unite themselves with earth existence. Yet, if human beings persist in their opposition to them, this earth existence will pass over into chaos in the course of the next few thousand years [4].” — Rudolf Steiner, MATERIALISM AND THE TASK OF ANTHROPOSOPHY (SteinerBooks, 1987), p. 261.

[1] In Steiner's time (the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries), there was widespread belief in a planet called Vulcan, which theoretically was closer to the Sun than Mercury. Steiner generally affirmed the existence of Vulcan [see "Vulcan"], and he taught that in the future humanity would evolve to a high developmental level he termed "Future Vulcan" [see "Future Stages"]. The "Vulcan beings" he refers to here are residents of Vulcan who are descending to the Earth or the region of space closely surrounding the Earth.

[2] Both Theosophy and Anthroposophy refer to themselves as "spiritual science" — they claim to enable their practitioners to objectively study the spirit realm, much as practitioners of the physical sciences gain knowledge of physical reality. Here, Steiner says that "comprehensive spiritual science" (effectively his own teachings, Anthroposophy) is possible only because of the wisdom brought to us by "beings from beyond the earth," such as the Vulcan beings he mentioned previously.

[3] The "beings from beyond the earth" who bring us cosmic wisdom are "supermen," Steiner says — they are beings who are more highly evolved than humans. Having once stood at the "human" level of evolution (approximately the level we stand at today), they have evolved further and thus become gods. [See "human stage of evolution" and "supermen" in The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia.]

[4] Steiner often warned that humanity will come to grief if we do not heed him. Here, he says we will come to grief if we oppose the descending supermen (who have made Anthroposophy possible by revealing their wisdom to Steiner).

158. "The Lemurian and Atlantean epochs [1] are repeated in a child's development up to the seventh year [2]. The epoch of evolution when great spiritual teachers appeared among humankind — Buddha, Plato, Pythagoras, Hermes, Moses, Zarathustra — is repeated in the child between the change of teeth and puberty [3] ... It is therefore important that what is taught during this period of the child's life conveys the spirit of the earlier cultural epochs [4]. The period between the seventh and fourteenth years [5] corresponds in the child to the time up to the twelfth century, the time when cities were founded [6]. The main emphasis must now be on authority and community ... The teacher's authority must be self-evident for the children ... The child's respect and reverence must be without reservation [7]...." — Rudolf Steiner, THE EDUCATION OF THE CHILD — Foundations of Waldorf Education XXV (Anthroposophic Press, 1996), p. 67.

[1] According to Anthroposophical dogma, human beings long ago lived on the mythical continent of Lemuria, which they destroyed through their wickedness. [See "Lemuria".] Thereafter, humans lived on the mythical continent of Atlantis, which they also destroyed through their wickedness. [See "Atlantis".] Moreover, according to Anthroposophical belief, the development of each individual human being today recapitulates the evolutionary history of humanity as a whole. So, a child goes through a period when s/he is like the ancient humans on Lemuria, followed by a period when s/he is like the somewhat-less-ancient humans on Atlantis, and so forth. [See, e.g., "Out in the Open".]

[2] Rudolf Steiner taught that children mature in three successive seven-year-long periods. [See "Most Significant".] The first period, from birth through age seven, culminates with the incarnation of an invisible human body, the etheric body, which supplements the physical body. [See "Incarnation".]

[3] According to Waldorf belief, the end of the first seven-year-long period of childhood is signaled by the loss of baby teeth and their replacement by adult teeth — the "change of teeth." The second seven-year-long period of childhood then begins, culminating with the incarnation of a second invisible human body, the astral body. [Again, see "Incarnation" ] The end of that second period is marked by the onset of puberty, Steiner taught.

[4] In Waldorf belief, the term "cultural epochs" applies primarily to historical periods during humanity's present evolutionary stage, the "Post-Atlantean" stage (i.e., the time since the sinking of Atlantis). There have been four such cultural epochs so far: the Indian, Persian, Egypto-Chaldean, and Greco-Roman ages. We now live in the fifth cultural epoch, often called in Anthroposophy, the Anglo-Germanic Age. [See "cultural epochs" in The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia (BWSE).] Steiner taught that children recapitulate these cultural epochs, just as they recapitulate the Lemurian and Atlantean periods. So, for instance, in a Waldorf school, sixth graders — who allegedly stand at the level of ancient Romans — should be taught to see and think much as the ancient Romans did. [See, e.g., "Oh My Stars".] Basing an educational method on such concepts is certainly questionable (not to say bonkers).

[5] This is the second seven-year-long period (from ages seven to 14), mentioned previously.

[6] There is often little or no sense in Steiner's statements. Specifying the twelfth century in relation to the founding of cities means little or nothing, Cities have been founded since very ancient times. "The first cities...developed in the region known as Mesopotamia between 4500 and 3100 BCE. The city of Uruk, today considered the oldest in the world, was first settled in c. 4500 BCE and walled cities...were common by 2900 BCE throughout the region." — Ancient History Encyclopedia [https://www.ancient.eu/city/]. And cities have been established well after the twelfth century — such as Brasilia, created in the mid-twentieth century.

[7] Steiner generally asserted that Waldorf teachers should have great, unchallenged authority, and Waldorf students should obey, respect, revere, and indeed love their teachers. The proper degree of authority, respect, reverence, etc., varies as the children grow older, Steiner taught, but in general Waldorf schools are command-control institutions. [See "authority", "discipline," and "Waldorf teachers" in the BWSE.]

Here's another of Steiner's bizarre gems. I've reprinted it before. I'll probably reprint it again. Each time I see it, I am struck again with amazement and pity. See what you think (again).

159. "When we build steam-engines, we provide the opportunity for the incarnation of demons [1]. We need not believe in them if we do not want to; but then we are negatively superstitious. Positive superstition is to see spirits where there are none — negative superstition is to deny them where they are [2]. In the steam-engine, Ahrimanic demons [3] are actually brought to the point of physical embodiment. That is to say, while the cosmos descended with its spiritual content through that which was poured into human evolution [4], the spirit of the cosmos is driven away with this creation of demons [5]. In other words, the great and admirable progress of modern time [6] has not only brought us a demonology but a demonomagic [7]. Modern technical industry is in many respects demonomagic [8]." — Rudolf Steiner, “The Relation of Man to the Hierarchies” (ANTHROPOSOPHICAL MOVEMENT, Vol. V, Nos. 14-15, 1928)."

[1] Rudolf Steiner's followers believe in the existence of numerous types of evil or hostile spirits. [See, e.g., "Evil Ones".] Here, Steiner says that technological devices such as steam engines enable demons to incarnate. [Steiner's worries about steam engines extended to virtually all other products of modern technology. See, e.g., "technology" in The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia (BWSE).]

[2] Steiner and his followers have often been accused of being superstitious, for instance in their belief that the world is haunted by spooky, invisible, malevolent spirits. Trying to turn the table on his critics, Steiner says that you are superstitious ("negatively superstitious") if you do not  believe in demons.

[3] In Steiner's belief system, Anthroposophy, Ahriman is an arch-demon associated with intellect, science, and technology. [See "Ahriman".] "Ahrimanic demons" are Ahriman's cohorts and minions — subordinate demons who serve Ahriman.

[4] In Anthroposophical belief, human evolution is central to the entire created universe: The universe exists, to a great extent, for the specific purpose of helping humans to evolve. [See, e.g., "The Center" and "Evolution, Anyone?"] The gods of the cosmos have descended and poured their "spiritual content" into physical reality in order to guide humanity higher and higher. [See, e.g., "evolution of consciousness" in the BWSE. Anthroposophy is polytheistic, recognizing a great many gods. See "Polytheism".]

[5] I.e., the incarnation of demons blocks or deflects the beneficence that otherwise would pour down on humanity from the good gods.

[6] Steiner was often sarcastic when discussing modern technology and science. Modern technology has certainly wrought great changes, but Steiner did not in fact think these changes represent "great and admirable progress." Instead, as we have seen just now, he taught that the technology of the modern world is bringing demons to Earth and thus deflecting the will of the gods.

[7] I.e., because of modern technology, we now have both the study of demons (demonology) and the vile magic exercised by demons (demonomagic). [The magic of demons is a type of black magic. See "Magic" and "Magicians".]

[8] I.e., not just steam engines, but all of technology ("modern technical industry") represents the activity of demons. Modern technology is virtually synonymous with "demonomagic."

160. "Calculators should not be used [1]; one must do math with the children on living fingers. Vigorous spiritual forces must be stimulated ... [W]hat strengthens the will is religion; it must permeate the teaching of every subject ... [M]ost important is that the child is not burdened with abstract concepts [2] ... No education can be conducted without a religion foundation; school is an illusion without religion. [3]" — Rudolf Steiner, THE EDUCATION OF THE CHILD — Foundations of Waldorf Education XXV (Anthroposophic Press, 1996), pp. 68-69.

[1] Steiner was speaking of abacuses, but he raised similar concerns about any and all technological or mechanical devices.

[2] Abstract concepts reflect intellect or reliance on rational use of the brain — which Steiner deplored.

[3] Waldorf education, in particular, is religious. [See, e.g., "Schools as Churches".]

Rudolf Steiner, addressing teachers at the first Waldorf school:

161. "You need to be clear that we will not move forward [1] if we do not stand upon a firm anthroposophical viewpoint, that is, if we do not keep ourselves free from desires for compromise [2]. If we take a clearly delineated standpoint, then it is not impossible that we would ourselves form a Waldorf school in Paris [3]. What is important is that we cannot be moved to make any compromises. Today, you get the furthest if you have a clearly spoken standpoint [4]. You can be outwardly conciliatory, but inwardly what is important is that you have basic principles, and that you stand by them [5]. For that, you will need the strength to look at things in a radical way and not give in to a tendency for compromise. As you know, at least in the spirit of our endeavor [6], we have tried during this first year to work from such a firm position. I hope that will become clearer. As teachers in the Waldorf School, you will need to find your way more deeply into the insight of the spirit and to find a way of putting all compromises aside. It will be impossible for us to avoid all kinds of people from outside the school who want to have a voice in school matters [7]. As long as we do not give up any of the necessary perspective we must have in our feelings, then any concurrence from other pedagogical streams concerning what happens in the Waldorf School will cause us to be sad rather than happy. When those people working in modern pedagogy praise us, we must think there is something wrong with what we are doing [8]. We do not need to immediately throw out anyone who praises us, but we do need to be clear that we should carefully consider that we may not be doing something properly if those working in today’s educational system praise us. That must be our basic conviction ... To the extent that I feel in a very living way what it means to you to have devoted your entire person to work of the Waldorf School [9], I would like to say something more. As Waldorf teachers, we must be true anthroposophists in the deepest sense of the word in our innermost feeling [10]." — Rudolf Steiner, FACULTY MEETINGS WITH RUDOLF STEINER (Anthroposophic Press, 1998), pp. 117-118.

[1] I.e., we will not advance the Waldorf educational movement.

[2] This is Steiner's thesis in this passage; he repeats it several times. Waldorf teachers (and Anthroposophists generally) must be uncompromising.

[3] Steiner said he had been contacted by someone who wanted to create a Waldorf school — or something similar to a Waldorf school — in Paris. 

"I told her I could recognize what she wants to form in Paris as being in the spirit of the Waldorf School only if they formed the school in exactly the same way that we formed the Waldorf School." — FACULTY MEETINGS WITH RUDOLF STEINER, p. 117. 

A school has the Waldorf spirit (its essence, its basic qualities) only if it conforms "exactly" (with no compromises) to the model established at the first Waldorf school, which Steiner himself oversaw.

[4] I.e., you can make the most headway only if your position is firm. (In this sentence, Steiner indicates that his followers should state their position clearly and firmly. But, as we will see, he also urged his followers to conceal much of their position from outsiders.)

[5] Steiner distinguishes between the misleading appearance Waldorf representatives may present to outsiders (being "outwardly conciliatory") and the firm convictions they should hold inwardly ("principles...that you stand by"). Steiner often encouraged his followers to deceive outsiders. [See, e.g., "Secrets".] His conception of outsiders was broad. It included unaffiliated observers, educational officials, and even the parents of Waldorf students.

"[W]e shall, of course, find ourselves reproached by parents in parent/teacher meetings ... But we must not shock them. We cannot speak to them in the way we speak among ourselves.” — Rudolf Steiner, EDUCATION FOR ADOLESCENTS (Anthroposophic Press, 1996), p. 128.

Steiner's general attitude toward outsiders is perhaps summarized best in this passage:

"We must worm our way through. We have to be conscious of the fact that this is done in life — not through an inner provocation, then it would be the way the Jesuits work — but done with a certain mental reservation in response to external requirements. We have to be conscious that in order to do what we want to do, at least, it is necessary to talk with the people [i.e., outsiders], not because we want to but because we have to, and inwardly make fools of them." — Rudolf Steiner, CONFERENCES WITH THE TEACHERS OF THE WALDORF SCHOOL IN STUTTGART, Vol. 1 (Steiner Schools Fellowship Publications, 1986), p. 125.

A later translation of this statement tones things down a bit, omitting references to worms and Jesuits. But it ends with this:

"[W]e will need to speak with people while inwardly tweaking their noses." — FACULTY MEETINGS WITH RUDOLF STEINER, p. 176.

Steiner advocated dishonesty; he advocated deception (making fools of people, tweaking their noses). We should ponder this. Honest individuals tell the truth to everyone they address. They do not deceive outsiders, telling outsiders something different from what they tell insiders. They do not worm their way through; they do not tweak anyone's nose. Absolute honesty is rare, certainly; humans don't often rise to such a level of probity. But honesty — probity, truthfulness — is an ideal to which we should aspire. Steiner, however, pointed his followers in a different direction.

[6] I.e., the creation of the original Waldorf school.

[7] I.e., outsiders should have no say or influence. They should be effectively ignored.

Anthroposophists often take this stance. Thus, numerous Anthroposophical books carry this prefatory note: 

“No person is held qualified to form a judgment on the contents of this work, who has not acquired — through the School of Spiritual Science itself or in an equivalent manner recognized by the School of Spiritual Science — the requisite preliminary knowledge. Other opinions will be disregarded....” [See, e.g., Rudolf Steiner, THE SPIRITUAL HIERARCHIES (Anthroposophical Publishing Co., 1928), front matter.] 

The School of Spiritual Science is an internal Anthroposophical institution centered at the Anthroposophical headquarters, the Goethanum.) 

[8] I.e., we know we are on the right track only if our school is different in all ways from other schools (there should be no overlap between our "radical" pedagogy and the approaches found in other types of schools).

[9] Waldorf teachers should devote themselves absolutely and completely  ("your entire person") to their vocation within the Waldorf movement.

[10] Waldorf teachers should be Anthroposophists. Indeed, they should be "true" Anthroposophists; they should be Anthroposophists "in the deepest sense of the word." 

Such completely committed, uncompromising Anthroposophists are the true Waldorf insiders. Everyone else is an outsider. 

Waldorf insiders should find ways to conciliate outsiders, but they certainly should not listen to outsiders. Indeed, if Waldorf insiders find that they are acting in ways that outsiders approve, they should take this as a warning sign: They should redouble their efforts to be "true anthroposophists in the deepest sense of the word in our innermost feeling."

Critics sometimes allege that Waldorf faculties are part of a secretive cult. When they make this charge, they are referring — at least in part — to passages such as the ones we have examined here.

Waldorfesque art, by R.R.

162. “People preferred the easy assumption that the Earth rotates around its axis in twenty-four hours, progressing all the while so as to move around the Sun ... [But] the Sun moves ... The Earth cannot revolve around the Sun because meanwhile the Sun would move away from it. In reality, the Sun moves on, and the Earth and the other planets follow it. [They move in] a line like the thread of a screw, with the Sun at one point and the Earth at the other end. Our dual focus on the Earth and Sun and on their progressive, screwlike movement creates the illusion that the Earth is revolving around the Sun." — Rudolf Steiner, THE FOURTH DIMENSION (Anthroposophic Press, 2001), p. 128.

163. "Take a radical example [of karma]: someone has given another — me for instance — a slap in the face ... [How do we account for this?] I was here in a previous life, and so was he. I had, perhaps in that previous life, given him a reason to justify his present actions; forced him to do it, simultaneously directed him towards it ... I, myself, delivered this slap because I have put him in this place, I have lifted the very hand myself which was raised against me." — Rudolf Steiner, "What Is Self Knowledge?", a lecture (transcript, Rudolf Steiner Archive), GA 108.

164. "We must avoid under all circumstances giving [students] a punishment we cannot carry out. We may never place ourselves in a situation where we may have to relent in a disciplinary decision. If we say that a child must come earlier, then we must enforce that. We must order the child to come earlier. The [tardy] girls today were in the seventh or eighth grade. We lose all control the minute we look away. We will find ourselves on a downward path and will continue to slide. With punishment, we cannot relent. It is better to let it go. Under certain circumstances, [relenting] can lead to the opposite of what we want, with the children forming a group among themselves and saying, 'Today I come late, tomorrow, you.' I don’t think that would work, because it would make us somewhat laughable. Of course, [tardiness is] just laziness. Having the children come earlier is not so good; it would be better if they stayed a quarter of an hour longer. That is something the children do not like.

"Have you tried that to see if it works? If a child comes ten minutes late, having him or her stand for a half hour. If they have to stand three times as long, they will certainly think about every minute. Let them stand there uncomfortably. Your boy rubs the back of his head on the wall and amuses himself with all kinds of things. I think that in such cases, when there is some punishment connected with the misbehavior, you can be particularly effective if you allow [sic] them to stand in some uncomfortable place. The older children will then be careful that they do not come too late. We could also buy a number of little sheds, and then they will not come too late as a group. They may even get some cramps in their legs. We could have the sheds built in the shop class." — Rudolf Steiner, FACULTY MEETINGS WITH RUDOLF STEINER (Anthroposophic Press, 1998), pp. 109-110.

Putting students in punishment sheds — in effect, small prison cells — is a startling concept, made worse by the idea that other students would build these sheds. But an earlier translation indicates Steiner's idea was even more radical:

"At all costs you must avoid giving [students] a punishment that you cannot carry through. With disciplinary measures you must never have to give in. If you say a child has to come earlier your orders must be carried out. Those [tardy] girls were in class seven or eight. You have had it [i.e., your authority will be lost] as soon as you have to close an eye [i.e., as soon as you all misbehavior]. That is the thin end of the wedge, and you would have to give in more and more. It is better to omit punishment than not to carry one through. In certain circumstances [relenting] could have the opposite effect [i.e., the opposite of our goal]. The children might club together to take turns in being late. I don't know whether we could have that [i.e., whether we could allow that]. It would make us look rather ridiculous. They [tardy students] just dawdle, of course. It wouldn't be a good thing to make them come any earlier; better to make them stay on a quarter of an hour longer. Children do not like that.

"Have you tried out whether that works? If a child is ten minutes late, keep him standing for thirty minutes. Make them stand uncomfortably! Your boy was rubbing his head along the wall and playing with all kinds of things. If the punishment is to fit the crime I think you can achieve good results with things like this if you make them stand in an especially uncomfortable place. These big ones will then see to it that they are not late. You could buy a number of small stocks, then you won't have them coming late six at a time. Perhaps they will have a little bit of cramp in their legs. The stocks could also be made in Woodwork lessons." — RUDOLF STEINER'S CONFERENCES WITH THE TEACHERS OF THE WALDORF SCHOOL IN STUTTGART, 1919-1920, Vol. 1 (Steiner Schools Fellowships Publications, 1986), p. 91. 

Stocks are instruments of punishment: adjustable wooden structures with holes for locking a person's feet and hands in an awkward, sometimes painful posture. (Traditionally, miscreants placed in stocks were ridiculed and even assaulted by other, presumably more upstanding members of the community.)

165. "For our earth is a battlefield [1]; it is the scene of two opposing powers: right and left. The one, the white power on the right...strives to spiritualise [the earth] once again [2]. The other power, the left or black power, strives to make the earth ever denser and denser, like the moon [3]. Thus, after a period of time, the earth could become the physical expression for the good powers, or the physical expression for the evil [4]. It becomes the physical expression for the good powers through man uniting himself with the spirits [5] working for unification, in that he seeks the I [6] in the community. It belongs to the function of the earth to differentiate itself physically to an ever greater degree [7]. Now it is possible for the separate parts to go their own way, for each part to form an I. This is the black path [8]. The white path is the one which strives for what is common, which forms an ego in community [9]. Were we to burrow more and more deeply into ourselves, to sink ourselves into our own ego-organisation, to desire always more and more for ourselves, the final result would be that we should strive to separate ourselves from one another. If on the other hand we draw closer, so that a common spirit inspires us, so that a centre is formed between us, in our midst, then we are drawn together, then we are united. To be a black magician [10] means to develop more and more the spirit of separateness. There are black adepts [11] who are on the way to acquire certain forces of the earth for themselves [12]. Were the circle of their pupils to become so strong that this should prove possible, then the earth would be on the path leading to destruction [13]." — Rudolf Steiner, FOUNDATIONS OF ESOTERICISM (Rudolf Steiner Press, 2019), pp. 150-151.

[1] Steiner often spoke of warfare. There is a surprising amount of violence in his teachings, describing the conflict between the powers of good and the power of evil. [See, e.g., "Violence".] Thus, for instance, he once said this:

“[W]e are watching the battle waged by the good gods against the evil gods.” — Rudolf Steiner, KARMIC RELATIONSHIPS, Vol. II (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1974), p. 251.

[2] Steiner taught that the Earth has evolved from a spiritualized condition to a densely physical or material condition. In the future, we and the Earth must become spiritual once again, he said. [See "evolution" in The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia.]

[3] Steiner taught that the Moon is a super-hardened realm, a place of extreme materialization — far more materialized than the Earth. With this doctrine in mind, many of Steiner's followers today argue that the Apollo landings on the Moon were a hoax. No human beings could possibly land on, or survive upon, the extremely dense, super-hardened Moon, they contend. [See "Moon landings" in the BWSE.]

[4] Steiner's followers sometimes assert that Steiner's teachings are entirely affirmative and positive. Steiner denied the existence of evil, they sometimes say — he taught that all things ultimately contribute to the good of the cosmos and the good of humanity. Steiner did speak this way, sometimes. But, on other occasions, Steiner spoke of evil as a very real and terrible force. [See, e.g., "Anthroposophy and the Problem of Evil", October 29, 2018, Waldorf Watch News. Also see "Evil" and "Evil Ones".]

[5] I.e., gods. Steiner's religion, Anthroposophy, is polytheistic. [See "Is Anthroposophy a Religion?" and "Polytheism".]

[6] The "I" is one's spiritual ego, a spark of divinity that defines who you really are. [See "I" in the BWSE.]

[7] I.e., as humans and the Earth evolve, they separate themselves more and more from other, lower entities. However, Steiner taught, all things that evolve to a high enough condition must ultimately converge.

[8] I.e., the black or evil path would lead all things to find their ultimate identity is isolation from all other things. There would then be extreme separation, disorganization, and opposition throughout the cosmos — a terrible outcome, Steiner taught.

[9] The white or good path would lead everyone to find identity in communion with others. There would then be unity, order, and cooperation. [For more on the black and white paths, see, e.g., "White/Black". The "ego" referred to here is the "I". See "Ego".]

[10] Steiner taught that good and evil magic — and their practitioners — are realities. [See "Magic" and "Magicians".]

[11] "Black adepts" are black (i.e., evil) magicians or black (evil) spiritual initiates.

[12] I.e., they seek to use physical forces for destructive ends. For instance, Steiner said, black magicians want to create vaccines that will destroy human spirituality. [See "vaccination" in the BWSE.] More generally, Steiner spoke of evildoers (especially in America) using physical forces for such terrible purposes as assisting the Antichrist:

“From the quarter which will put forward the Antichrist as the Christ will come endeavours to make use of something that can work through the most material of forces, something that can work spiritually through the most material of forces ... I have shown you how the forces of the earth rise up in what I have termed the human double. People will discover this secret. It will be an American secret to use the earth’s magnetism in its duality, the northern and southern magnetism, in order to send controlling forces across the whole earth, forces that work spiritually.” — Rudolf Steiner, SECRET BROTHERHOODS (Rudolf Steiner Press, 2004), p. 188.

[For more on Steiner's view of America, see "America".]

[13] Black magicians and their co-conspirators ("occult circles") may destroy the Earth and humanity by forging alliances with the demons Ahriman and Lucifer, Steiner said. [See "Ahriman" and "Lucifer".]

“[M]alicious occult circles cultivate an alliance with Ahriman. They also cultivate an alliance with Lucifer ... Lucifer and Ahriman...work in the human unconscious. There they accomplish the same things that the malevolent occult circles deliberately set about doing, the same things in which these circles are engaged, in alliance with Lucifer and Ahriman. And much of the criticism that must be levelled against the way our own fifth post-Atlantean epoch is unfolding [i.e., much that is going wrong in our current epoch]...can be traced back to luciferic and ahrimanic impulses.’’ — Rudolf Steiner, THE RIDDLE OF HUMANITY (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1990), lecture 13, GA 170.

166. "[T]he Earth before it was Earth was Moon, before it was Moon it was Sun planet, and before it was Sun it was Saturn. After the Earth-condition it will pass over into the Jupiter-condition, and then into the Venus-condition, and lastly into the Vulcan-condition ... Each of these conditions: Saturn, Sun, Moon, Earth, Jupiter, Venus and Vulcan, characterizes a definite condition of human consciousness. Let us turn our attention back to the ancient Saturn period ... That was the first stage of consciousness, the deep trance-consciousness ... [T]he second stage, during the Sun evolution [was akin to dreamless sleep] ... [T]he third stage of consciousness was reached on the Moon, and it may be compared to the present dream-filled sleep ... The fourth state of consciousness is reached and passed through on our Earth; it is what we call the clear day-consciousness ... During the Jupiter period man will rise to [what] we may call the 'conscious picture-consciousness' ... Then upon Venus comes a sixth state of consciousness which may be described as...the consciousness of inspiration ... The seventh stage of consciousness which will exist on Vulcan we may call the Intuitive-consciousness." — Rudolf Steiner, THE APOCALYPSE OF ST, JOHN (Anthroposophical Publishing Co.), lecture 10, GA 104.

167. "The misuse of spiritual forces is connected with that seductive power of the beast with the two horns [1]. And we call this abuse of the spiritual power black magic, in contradistinction to its right use, which is white magic [2]. Thus through the separation of the human race [3] there is prepared at the same time the power to attain greater and greater spiritual conditions on the one hand, and thereby to obtain the use of the spiritual forces, and arrive at white magic; while on the other hand abuse of spiritual forces is a preparation for the most fearful kind of power of the two horned beast — black magic [4]. Humanity will finally he divided into beings who practise white magic and those who practise black magic. Thus in the mystery of 666 or Sorath [5] is hidden the secret of black magic; and the tempter to black magic, that most fearful crime in the earth evolution, with which no other crimes can be compared, this seducer is represented by the writer of the Apocalypse [6] as the two-horned beast. Thus there appears on our horizon, so to speak, the division of humanity in the far distant future; the chosen of Christ, who finally will be the white magicians, and the adversaries, the terrible wizards, the black magicians who cannot escape from matter [7] and whom the writer of the Apocalypse describes as those who make prostitution with matter [8]. Hence this whole practice of black magic, the union which takes place between man and the hardening in matter is presented to him in the spiritual vision of the great Babylon [9], the community made up of all those who carry on black magic; in the frightful marriage, or rather, unrestrained marriage, between man and the forces of prostituted matter [10]. And thus in the far future we see two powers confronting each other; on the one hand those who swell the population of the great Babylon, and on the other hand chose who rise above matter, who as human beings unite with the principle represented as the Lamb [11]. We see how on the one hand the blackest ones segregate themselves in Babylon, led by all the forces opposing the sun, by Sorath the two-horned beast, and we see those who have developed from the elect, who unite with Christ, or the Lamb, who appears to them; the marriage of the Lamb [12] on the one hand, and that of Babylon [13], the descending Babylon, on the other! We see Babylon descend into the abyss [14], and the elect, who have celebrated the marriage with the Lamb, rise to the exercise of the forces of white magic. And as they not only recognize the spiritual forces but also understand how to operate then magically, they are able to prepare what they possess in the earth for the next planetary incarnation, Jupiter [15]." — Rudolf Steiner, THE APOCALYPSE OF ST. JOHN (Anthroposophical Publishing Co., 1958), lecture 11, GA 104.

[1] In this quotation, Steiner is giving an Anthroposophical/Theosophical interpretation of the Book of Revelation, the final book in the New Testament. The beast with two horns, Anthroposophists believe, is Sorath (or Sorat), the Antichrist.

"This being [the Antichrist] is known as Sorat, the Sun Demon and the most powerful opponent to Christ Jesus in the universe. Sorat rises every 666 years to deceive humanity ...  Sorat will do everything in its power to obliterate humanity’s connection with the spiritual world and tempt humanity to deny Christ." — THE BOOK OF REVELATION AND THE WORK OF THE PRIEST (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1998), a collection of Steiner lectures, introduction by René Querido, p. 8. [See "Bad, Badder, Baddest".]

At first blush, much of Anthroposophy may appear to be basically Christian. But the differences between Anthroposophy and Christianity are at least as great as their similarities. [See, e.g., "Was He Christian?" and "Is Anthroposophy a Religion?"] Anthroposophy is polytheistic [see "Polytheism"], and it identifies Christ as the Sun God — the same god whom ancient peoples worshipped under such names as Hu and Baldr [see "Sun God"]. The enemy of the Sun God, the Antichrist, is thus the Sun Demon.

Here, Steiner indicates that misusing spiritual forces — operating as a black magician — means falling prey to the Antichrist.

[2] Steiner taught that magic is real, and he affirmed the existence of both black (evil) magic and white (good) magic. [See "Magic" and "Magicians".]

[3] I.e., the division of humanity into two separate groups or races: the good or white race(s), descended from Anthroposophists, and the evil or black race(s), descended from all who have rejected the Anthropsophical path. 

“A humanity that thinks materialistically will produce frightful beings in the future ... We have two streams today, a great [i.e., huge] materialistic one which fills the earth, and the small spiritual stream which is restricted to but few human beings [chiefly Anthroposophists] ... All materialistically thinking souls work on the production of evil race-formations [i.e., they give rise to evil races] ... Just as older conditions which have degenerated to the ape species seem grotesque to us today, so do materialistic races remain at the standpoint of evil [i.e., such races also appear grotesque or evil], and [they] will people the earth as evil races. It will lie entirely with humanity as to whether a soul will remain in the bad race or will ascend by spiritual culture to a good race.” — Rudolf Steiner, ROSICRUCIAN WISDOM (Rudolf Steiner Press, 2000), p. 150.

The chief source of "spiritual culture" — the chief means of salvation — is Anthroposophy, Steiner taught. And those who reject Anthroposophy will eventually be separated from virtuous humanity. During Future Venus (a future incarnation of the solar system), the evil race(s) will be consigned to an "irreclaimable moon," Steiner taught. 

“From Venus...a separate celestial body becomes [i.e., will become] detached. This — as it were, an ‘irreclaimable Moon’ — includes all the beings who have persisted in withstanding the true course of evolution [i.e., all those who have chosen the black path].” — Rudolf Steiner, OCCULT SCIENCE - AN OUTLINE (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1969), p. 309. [See "Everything". Also see "Future Venus" and "Irredeemable Moon" in The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia.]

[4] I.e., white magic is developed by the good race at the same time that black magic is developed by the evil race.

[5] 666 is widely believed to be the sign of the Beast, the Antichrist. [See "Was He Christian?"]

Steiner affirmed the importance of 666, giving it an Anthroposophical interpretation:

"[T]he Apocalypse [i.e., the Book of Revelation] rightly designated the power, the Being, who leads men so to spiritualize themselves that they can unite with the sun as the Christ, and — as we shall hear — as the Lamb. One describes the Christ-Being as the genius of the sun [i.e., the Sun God] who unites himself with the earth and becomes also the genius of the earth ... But there is also an opposing principle to the Lamb, there is also a Sun-Demon, the so-called Demon of the Sun [the Antichrist], that which works in the evil forces of man, thrusting back the force of the Lamb, and it works in such a way that a certain amount of the human race is thrust out of the evolution which leads to the sun. These are the opposing forces of the sun, they are in opposition to the sun; at the same time they are the forces which have the tendency to be entirely thrown out of our evolution when the 666 stages [of spiritual evolution] have passed away; they will then be finally cast into the abyss [i.e., perdition]." — Rudolf Steiner, THE APOCALYPSE OF ST. JOHN, lecture 11.

[6] I.e., the author of the Book of Revelation. Traditionally, this author has been said to be one of Christ's disciples, St. John. But many biblical scholars dispute this attribution.

[7] According to Steiner, evil or sin is largely a matter of incarnating too deeply into material or physical existence. If you separate yourself from the spirit realm and sink too deeply into the physical realm, you are on the black path.

[8] In effect, Steiner says, evil amounts to fornication with matter or the material universe. 

[9] Babylon — an ancient city in Mesopotamia — is often conceived as a symbol of human debauchery. (The people of Babylon were said to prize luxury and dissipation.) According to Steiner, Babylon embodied human degeneration, the depravity of complete immersion in materialism.

A figure often referred to as the whore of Babylon or "Babylon the Great" appears in the Book of Revelation:

"3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.

"4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:

"5 And upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon The Great, The Mother Of Harlots And Abominations Of The Earth." — Book of Revelation, 17:3-5 (King James Version).

[10] Steiner says, in effect, that sin consists of sexual congress with — or marriage to — the whore of Babylon, The Mother of Harlots ("the frightful marriage, or rather, unrestrained marriage, between man and the forces of prostituted matter").

[11] The white path, Steiner indicates, consists of freeing oneself from material existence and bonding with the spiritual realm. Traveling the white path means uniting oneself with the Sun — the font of light, home of the Sun God ("men so to spiritualize themselves that they can unite with the sun"). Doing so means, in other words, "human beings unite with the principle represented as the Lamb" — that is, the spiritual principle or power that is Christ, the Sun God. (Christ is often identified as the "Lamb of God" — the gentle and innocent representative of divinity. See John 1:29.)

[12] I.e., marriage to the Lamb.

[13] I.e., marriage to Babylon (or complete descent into physical existence).

[14] Babylon and its residents fall into perdition, the "abyss." This is the ultimate destination of those who tread the black path, according to Steiner.

[15] This — more properly called Future Jupiter — will be the next incarnation of the solar system, according to Steiner. [See "Future Stages".] The "elect" — the white magicians — will evolve to life in Future Jupiter, Steiner indicates, whereas those who have consorted with Babylon will not be able to make this ascent.

168. "In times to come man will bring forth into his surroundings what he feels. This will be imparted to the fluid element [1]. The entire fluid element of the planet which will follow next (the future Jupiter) will be an expression of what people feel [2]. Today man sends out words; they are inscribed into the Akasha [3]. There they remain, even though the airwaves vanish. Out of these words the Future Jupiter will later be formed [4]. When therefore today man uses evil, blasphemous language [5], then on Jupiter terrible formations [6] will be brought about. This is why one should be so very careful of what one says, and why it is so immensely important that man should be master of his speech [7]. In the future man will also send out his feelings; the conditions of the fluids on Jupiter will be a result of feelings on the Earth [8]. What man speaks today will give Jupiter its form; what he feels will engender its inner warmth; what he wills determines the separate beings inhabiting Jupiter [9]. The Future Jupiter will be constructed out of the basic powers of the human soul [10]." — Rudolf Steiner, FOUNDATIONS OF ESOTERICISM (Rudolf Steiner Press, 2019), pp. 60-61.

[1] I.e., we will be creators: Whatever we feel — our emotions, our attitudes — will become reality; our feelings will be imprinted on our surroundings. In particular, what we feel will become part of the fluid (watery) element of our planet. (Steiner says that in the future — "in times to come" — we will create through our feelings; but later in this quotation he indicates that we already create through our feelings today, albeit to a lesser degree.)

[2] Steiner taught that the solar system evolves by reincarnating in new and different forms. Following the current stage of cosmic evolution, he taught, the solar system will reincarnate in a form he called "Future Jupiter". [See "Future Stages".] Here he says that during Future Jupiter, the watery element of our "planet" will "be an expression of what people feel." 

Although Future Jupiter will be a new incarnation of the entire solar system, it may also be spoken of — in an occult sense — as a "planet." [See "planetary conditions" and "planets" in The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia (BWSE).]

[3] According to Steiner, "akasha" is a cosmic ether. Upon this ether, he said, a record of everything that has ever happened is inscribed. [See "Akasha".] To read the "Akashic Record," you need to be clairvoyant like himself, Steiner said. [See "Akashic Chronicle or Record(s)" in the BWSE.]

[4] Shifting gears slightly, Steiner here says that we already have the power to create physical reality through our spoken words. 

More generally, Steiner taught that we create our own karma though our actions. [See "Karma".] Moreover, we create (or help to create) the future of the entire cosmos, along with the karma of the cosmos. Thus, Future Jupiter will be the solar system created by the actions of humans and others during preceding incarnations of the solar system. 

The words we speak, in particular, have a formative effect on the future, Steiner taught. Thus, in the future, the larynx will replace the womb as the organ of procreation, he said. [See "larynx" in the BWSE.]

[5] Although he claimed to be a "spiritual scientist," Steiner was actually the leader of a new religion, Anthroposophy. [See "Is Anthroposophy a Religion?"] His concern about "blasphemy" is one indication of his essentially religious perspective. Secularists are not concerned about blasphemy — the word has little or no force for them.

[6] I.e., terrible realities: terrible surroundings or even terrible beings.

[7] For various reasons such as this, Steiner placed great importance on our use of language, especially how we speak words aloud. [See "declamation", "language", "speech", and "speech formation" in the BWSE.])

[8] I.e., what humans feel now, today, will help determine what Jupiter (the solar system) will be in the future. 

Steiner makes a distinction, but it is vague. Today we create through our spoken words; in the future will will create through our feelings. But, actually, we create in both ways now, he indicates. (Steiner's teachings are often nebulous and even self-contradictory. And, despite the emphasis he put on language usage, his own use of language is often imprecise and slippery. This is probably at least partly intentional: Bamboozlers rarely want to be clearly understood or pinned down.)

[9] Here Steiner adds a third creative component. The form or shape of Future Jupiter will be the result of human speech; the essence of Future Jupiter (its "inner warmth") will be the result of human feelings; and the beings who will live on or during Future Jupiter ("the separate beings inhabiting Jupiter") will be the product of human will. [For some of Steiner's teachings about will or will power, see "Will".]

[10] This is Steiner's overall point: We humans will create the next incarnation of the solar system through the various "powers of the human soul."

Steiner taught that the cosmos is a macrocosmic replica of the human being, the microcosm. We are the center of the entire created universe, and to a large extent the entire created universe is a reflection of ourselves, he said. [See "The Center".] As we evolve, Steiner taught, we cease being simply the focus of the gods' attention; we increasingly gain the power to remake the cosmos in our own image. [See "evolution" and "evolution of consciousness" in the BWSE.]

169. "Mediums [1] have their visions because they are able to extract the etheric body [2]...out of the sleeping physical body and in the sleeping physical body to perceive consciously. They are then still able to make use of the physical body; the physical body becomes clairvoyant [3] in a remarkable way...

"On future Venus [4] a complete consciousness in the etheric body will develop [5]. Then, while man sleeps, he will gain a consciousness concerning the other side of the world [6]. On Vulcan [7] the spirit is completely detached [8] ... This condition endows man with an exact knowledge of the entire world [9].

"We distinguish [10]:

On Saturn    Trance consciousness, universal consciousness [11]

On Sun         Dreamless sleep, consciousness limited to what is living [12]

On Moon     Picture consciousness [13]

On Earth      Waking consciousness [14]

On Jupiter    Astral consciousness, further extended [15]

On Venus     Etheric consciousness, still further extended [16]

On Vulcan    Universal consciousness" [17]

— Rudolf Steiner, FOUNDATIONS OF ESOTERICISM (Rudolf Steiner Press, 2019), pp. 198-199.

[1] Mediums are spiritualists who claim to be able to communicate with the dead. Rudolf Steiner claimed to have this power. [See "Steiner and the Warlord".]

[2] This is one of three invisible, incorporeal bodies that Steiner claimed incarnate during the first 21 years of a human being's life. The etheric body is the first of the three; it incarnates around age seven, Steiner said. Much of Waldorf education centers on the supposed incarnation of the three incorporeal bodies. [See "Incarnation".]

[3] Steiner claimed to be clairvoyant, and his followers (including many Waldorf teachers) believe in clairvoyance. Generally, indeed, Steiner's followers strive to become clairvoyant themselves. [See "Clairvoyance" and "The Waldorf Teacher's Consciousness".] Steiner said some Waldorf teachers have attained clairvoyance, and he said the rest of them accept the reports given by professed clairvoyants such as Steiner himself and other Anthroposophists:

"Not every Waldorf teacher has the gift of clairvoyance, but every one of them has accepted wholeheartedly and with full understanding the results of spiritual-scientific investigation [i.e., the use of disciplined clairvoyance: the practice of Anthroposophy] ... And each Waldorf teacher applies this knowledge with heart and soul...." — Rudolf Steiner, WALDORF EDUCATION AND ANTHROPOSOPHY, Vol. 2 (Anthroposophic Press, 1995), pp. 224-225.

[4] Future Venus will be the sixth of seven incarnations of the solar system, according to standard Anthroposophical teachings. (Steiner sometimes said there will be five more such incarnations after the seventh, but they cannot be discussed.) Anthroposophists believe that humanity has evolved from a dim consciousness during the first incarnation of the solar system (called Old Saturn) to our present waking consciousness during the fourth incarnation of the solar system (called Present Earth). Ahead of us lie evolutionary stages called Future Jupiter, Future Venus, and Future Vulcan. [See "Future Stages".]

[5] Steiner taught that during Future Jupiter, all humans (except those who have fallen out of the upward evolutionary stream) will attain a clairvoyant consciousness that may be described as perfected imagination. [See "Jupiter consciousness" in The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia (BWSE).] In a sense, Jupiter consciousness will be situated within the etheric body (we will no longer have physical bodies as we know these now).

Steiner identified three stages of clairvoyance: imagination, inspiration, and intuition. He used these terms in a special, very particular way, different from ordinary usage. [See the entries for "imagination", "inspiration", and "intuition" in the BWSE.] Essentially, according to Steiner, these are progressive stages of clairvoyant consciousness taking us far beyond any awareness we experienced previously.

[6] I.e., our consciousness will not be localized — it will encompass events occurring far away ("on the other side of the world," as it were).

[7] This will be the seventh incarnation of the solar system: Future Vulcan. [See "Vulcan".]

[8] That is, the human spiritual ego or "I" [see "Ego"] will be freed from limitations.

[9] I.e., our consciousness will be universal, encompassing precise knowledge of events everywhere ("exact knowledge of the entire world," as it were).

[10] Here Steiner lists the seven describable incarnations of the solar system (Old Saturn, Old Sun, Old Moon, Present Earth, Future Jupiter, Future Venus, Future Vulcan), and he indicates the evolution of consciousness that he said occurs as we pass through these incarnations. Steiner thus presents, in outline form, the central narrative of Anthroposophical belief. [See "evolution", "evolution of consciousness", and "historical narrative of Anthroposophy" in the BWSE.]

[11] Steiner indicated that our initial consciousness was equivalent to deep coma — we were virtually unconscious, except that at the deepest level, far below anything that we might today call consciousness, we were attuned to the entire cosmos (which itself was, at that earliest stage, largely undifferentiated and formless). [See "Old Saturn" in the BWSE.]

[12] I.e., we had risen to a consciousness equivalent to deep, dreamless sleep. We remained attuned (in a insensate way) to all living things, but we had evolved beyond attunement with lifeless things. [See "Old Sun" in the BWSE.]

[13] This was a consciousness equivalent to dreaming sleep. We were waking up, in a sense, and our minds now formed pictures or visions — but these were analogous to dreams rather than clear-eyed, sensible reports. Our consciousness was higher than before, but it was withdrawing from innate attunement with living things beyond the self. [See "Old Moon" in the BWSE.]

[14] This is the ordinary, rational, limited consciousness we experience today upon the Earth. We wakefully perceive and know phenomena, but we have largely withdrawn from awareness of transcendent realities beyond the reach of our physical senses. [See "Present Earth" in the BWSE.] By embracing Anthroposophy, however, we can break free of the limitations of ordinary consciousness — so Steiner assured his followers, anyway. [See "Anthroposophy" in the BWSE.]

[15] This will be perfected imagination — the "Jupiter consciousness" mentioned earlier. It will be a form of clairvoyant awareness that extends beyond anything we are capable of now. We will be able to picture in our minds, with clarity and accuracy, supersensible realities (things beyond the reach of ordinary senses).

[16] This will be perfected inspiration — "Venus consciousness." Far more than anything we can experience now, this consciousness will produce — through inspiration, welling up from within — innate comprehension of supersensible realities.

[17] This will be perfected intuition — "Vulcan consciousness." Without needing to think or meditate, we will intuitively know  supersensible realities extending across the entire cosmos. The insensate universal consciousness we had on Saturn will have given way to a precise, fully aware, utterly sure universal consciousness spanning — and extending beyond — all of time and space.

If this sounds good to you, all you need to do is to embrace Anthroposophy and begin on the journey to deification. And if you want to give your kids a boost toward this journey, just enroll them in Waldorf schools.

Parents considering Waldorf schools for their children should consider carefully whether they agree with Steiner's views about the brain, brainwork, intellect, and clairvoyance.

170. "[The ancients knew that] Saturn has to do with our organs of thinking [1] ... Modern people are able to think so terribly well [2] ... Thinking is really something that has only developed gradually [3]. Those ancient people had a terrible fear of Saturn, which is connected to our organ of thinking [4]. Saturn, they thought, ruins the human being. It is not good to think too much [5] ... Those earlier people did not make calculations [6]. But they knew something else, something modern people do not know [7]. They knew that powers [8] were active everywhere in the world, wherever you look. But these powers, which are also in the human being, are not in the world we see with our eyes; they are in the invisible realm [9]." — Rudolf Steiner, FROM LIMESTONE TO LUCIFER (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1999), pp. 44-45.

[1] Anthroposophy tends to be backward. Like Steiner himself, Anthroposophists tend to think that ancient peoples were wiser than moderns. [See "The Ancients".] Thus, Steiner says here, the ancients understood that the planet Saturn has an affect on human "organs of thinking" — an understanding that modern people have generally lost.

[2] Note Steiner's sarcasm: He definitely is not saying that modern people are smarter or wiser than the ancients. (Moderns think so "terribly" well.)

[3] Steiner taught that human beings were incapable of rational thought until the ancient Greeks whipped up this new way of cogitating.

[4] Steiner affirmed the ancient belief in astrology: The planets and stars, he taught, influence or even control many aspects of our lives. [See "Astrology" and "Star Power".]

[5] This is essentially Steiner's position: Don't think too much. Anthroposophists tend to believe that, because understanding Steiner's works is so hard, their discipline requires great profundity of thought. But understanding Steiner and believing Steiner are two very different things. Understanding Steiner may require hard thinking, but believing Steiner requires uncritical acceptance and credulity: switching off the rational mind. Very little that Steiner wrote or said makes sense; very little of it is supported by modern science or scholarship. Much (or most) of it is nonsense. [See, e.g., "Steiner's Blunders" and "Truth".] So, if you want to believe Steiner, don't think too much.

[6] I.e., they did not think rationally or intellectually. But this is, of course, untrue. Consider Stonehenge (which may date from 3000 BC) or the Egyptian pyramids (dating from around 2250 BC). Such massive, precisely aligned structures could not have been created unless the designers and builders had great intellectual skills in mathematics, engineering, and so forth.

[7] I.e., they were wiser. Steiner taught that ancient peoples had innate clairvoyant abilities that gave them direct knowledge of the spirit realm. Modern people have largely lost these abilities, Steiner said. [See "atavistic clairvoyance" in The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia.]

[8] I.e., spirits or gods. Anthroposophy is polytheistic. [See "Polytheism".] Steiner taught that gods of many ranks are virtually omnipresent. However, he also taught that many gods dwell in or around particular planets and stars. The astrological forces flowing down from such spheres, he taught, are the emanations of the resident gods.

[9] Steiner taught that through the use of clairvoyance, we can learn about the "supersensible" realms — realities that lie beyond the reach of our senses. Humans generally no longer possess ancient clairvoyant powers, Steiner said, but he claimed to have developed a new, higher type of "exact" clairvoyance [see "Exactly"], and he said he could teach his followers to develop their own exact psychic abilities [see "Knowing the Worlds"].

Here are a few samples of Steiner's dismissive pronouncements about the brain and rational thought:

◊ “When we think, we die continually." — Rudolf Steiner, BLACKBOARD DRAWINGS 1919-1924 (Rudolf Steiner Press, 2003), p. 56. 

◊ "[T]he materialistic brain [i.e., the physical brain] represents a process of decay: materialistic thinking [i.e., use of the physical brain] unfolds only through processes of destruction, death-processes, which are taking place in the brain.” — Rudolf Steiner, THE FESTIVALS AND THEIR MEANING (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1996), pp. 147-148.

◊ “[T]he brain and nerve system have nothing at all to do with actual cognition.” — Rudolf Steiner, THE FOUNDATIONS OF HUMAN EXPERIENCE (SteinerBooks, 1996), p. 60. Actual cognition, Steiner taught, is clairvoyance.

◊ "No part of what thinking is, nothing of the act of cognition, takes place anywhere within [the] external physical organism; it all takes place in the adjacent etheric and astral bodies and so on ... Within the brain there is absolutely no thought; there is no more of thought in the brain than there is of you in the mirror in which you see yourself." — Rudolf Steiner, WONDERS OF THE WORLD (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1963), lecture 7, GA 129.

◊ "You will injure children if you educate them rationally.” — Rudolf Steiner, THE FOUNDATIONS OF HUMAN EXPERIENCE, p. 61.

◊ “Human beings must embark upon the unpleasant task of abandoning the mode of thinking [i.e., intellectual thought] which the universities produce in the so-called educated classes today.” — Rudolf Steiner, BEHIND THE SCENES OF EXTERNAL HAPPENINGS (Rudolf Steiner Publishing Co., 1947), lecture 1, GA 178.

◊ “The danger of succumbing to the realm of Ahriman [an arch-demon] was at its greatest around the year 333 BC. This was the moment in time when humanity began to make use of mere intellect, mere logic." — Rudolf Steiner, GUARDIAN ANGELS (Rudolf Steiner Press, 2001), pp. 96-97. 

◊ "Intellectuality flows forth from Ahriman as a cold and frosty, soulless cosmic impulse.” — Rudolf Steiner,  ANTHROPOSOPHICAL LEADING THOUGHTS (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1998), p. 98. 

◊ “A man who would receive Anthroposophy with his intellect kills it in the very act.” — Rudolf Steiner, LIFE, NATURE, AND CULTIVATION OF ANTHROPOSOPHY (Anthroposophical Society in Great Britain, 1963), p. 15. So don't think too much.

Reprise:

A Golden Oldie:

171. "[O]uter science [1]...sees the heart as a pump that pumps blood through the body. Now, there is nothing more absurd than believing this, for the heart has nothing to do with pumping the blood. The blood is set in motion by the full agility of the astral body and the I, and the heart's movement is only the reflex in response to that movement [2] ... The heart is in fact only the organ that expresses movement in the blood ... [But] life processes become spiritualized when they reach the outer wall of the heart. For what is reflected by the heart are the pangs of conscience [3] ... [T]he forces thus prepared in the heart are our karmic tendencies, the predispositions of our karma ... [T]he heart is the organ that brings what we consider to be our karma into the next incarnation ... [M]oral nuance is in fact stored in the heart and carried over as karmic force into our next incarnation [4]." — Rudolf Steiner, PSYCHOANALYSIS AND SPIRITUAL PSYCHOLOGY (Anthroposophic Press, 1990), pp. 125-127.

[1] I.e., real science (science that focuses on the real, "outer" world), as opposed to Steiner's fallacious "spiritual science" (Anthroposophy, which focuses on imaginary supernatural realms). Steiner sometimes claimed to respect the real sciences (physics, chemistry, astronomy, and so on), and he sometimes asserted that his spiritual science is entirely compatible with such disciplines. On many other occasions, however, Steiner revealed his fundamental antagonism to real science. He expressed an anti-scientific attitude that often carries over into science instruction at Waldorf schools. [See, e.g., the section "Test Case: Waldorf Chemistry" on the page "Steiner's Science".]

Steiner's hostility toward real science is reflected in such statements as the following:

◊ "If physicists were for once to talk sense, they would not produce speculations about atoms and molecules....” — Rudolf Steiner, COLOUR (Rudolf Steiner Publishing Company, 1935), part 2, lecture 1, GA 291.

◊ “[P]hysicists would be immensely astonished if they went up into space expecting to find the sun as they describe it in their science. Their descriptions are nonsense.” — Rudolf Steiner, FROM SUNSPOTS TO STRAWBERRIES (Rudolf Steiner Press, 2002), pp. 135-136.

◊ "[S]cience speaks under the influence of the demonic Mars-forces....” — Rudolf Steiner, “The Spiritual Individualities of the Planets” (THE GOLDEN BLADE 1988), GA 228.

Overall, Rudolf Steiner opposed “scientific simpletons” [i] with their “scientific trash” [ii] and their “logical, pedantic, narrow-minded proof of things” [iii]. He deplored “primitive concepts like those...of contemporary science [iv].” What is wrong with science? It is evil. So, for instance, "[W]hen we listen to a modern physicist blandly explaining that Nature consists of electrons...we raise Evil to the rank of the ruling world-divinity [v].”

[i] Rudolf Steiner, THE KARMA OF UNTRUTHFULNESS, Vol. 1 (Rudolf Steiner Press, 2005), p. 276.

[ii] Rudolf Steiner, THE RENEWAL OF EDUCATION (Anthroposophic Press, 2001), p. 93.

[iii] Rudolf Steiner, ART AS SPIRITUAL ACTIVITY (Anthroposophic Press, 1998), p. 240.

[iv] Rudolf Steiner, HOW CAN MANKIND FIND THE CHRIST AGAIN (Anthroposophic Press, 1984), p. 54.

[v] Rudolf Steiner, “The Spiritual Individualities of the Planets” (THE GOLDEN BLADE, Hawthorn Press, 1988).

[For more on these matters, see "Steiner's Science", "Science", and "Sci-Fi".]

[2] The astral body and the "I" are the second and third invisible, incorporeal bodies that, according to Steiner, incarnate during the first 21 years of life. [See "Incarnation".]

Steiner contended that the heart moves — it beats — in response to the motion of the blood. (The astral body and "I" set the blood in motion; the blood impinges on the heart; the heart moves because the blood pushes on it.)

Steiner contends that "there is nothing more absurd than believing" that the heart is a pump. But it is Steiner's own teachings that are absurd — and the effect for Waldorf education can be deeply worrisome. [See, e.g., "Weird Waldorf".]

It should not be necessary, but perhaps we should note what actual authorities say concerning the heart. Thus, for instance, here is the beginning of the ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA's article on the heart:

"Heart, organ that serves as a pump to circulate the blood." — https://www.britannica.com/science/heart, downloaded December 17, 2019.

Here is the first sentence of a description given by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health:

"The heart is an organ about the size of your fist that pumps blood through your body." — https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/how-heart-works, downloaded December 17, 2019.

[3] I.e., the effect of the heart is spiritual, not physical. Steiner taught that the heart is actually a sense organ:

“The heart is not a pump ... Basically the heart is a sense organ within the circulatory system....” — Rudolf Steiner, POLARITIES IN THE EVOLUTION OF MANKIND (Steiner Books, 1987), p. 56.

This view of the heart is roughly compatible with the folkloric belief that we feel deep emotions such as love and remorse in the heart. (Actually, we think and feel in our brains.) We have deep feelings within the heart, Steiner asserted, and these cause the processes of the physical body to become "spiritualized" ("life processes become spiritualized when they reach the outer wall of the heart"). Specifically, here Steiner says that the heart expresses "pangs of conscience" (remorse, sorrow, a sense of guilt for our misdeeds).

[4] Belief in karma is fundamental in Anthroposophy. [See "Karma".] There is no scientific basis for this belief, nor for the associated belief in reincarnation. [See "Reincarnation".] But, freed from any obligation to base his teachings in factual knowledge, Steiner wove elaborate fantasies on these themes.

Steiner's argument, in the present instance, might be summarized thus: We create our own karma (our fate) through our own actions. When we behave well in one life, we will enjoy a happy karma (happy consequences) in our next life. But when we behave badly in one life, we must undergo a punitive or corrective karma in our next life. The heart is a repository of feelings that are carried from one life to the next. If we have misbehaved, the heart feels pangs of conscience — and these work to mold the conditions of our next life. The felt consequences of our moral successes and failures (the "moral nuance" in our feelings) are "stored in the heart and carried over as karmic force into our next incarnation."

Hearts that don't pump blood. The astral body. The "I". Karma. Reincarnation. Demonic Mars forces.

Steiner's counter-factual, scientifically unfounded teachings about the heart are perhaps the most obvious of his many errors. (The heart certainly is a pump.) But he made similarly false — we might even say absurd — statements about a vast catalogue of subjects. [See "Steiner's Blunders".] 

Bear in mind: Steiner was the founder of Waldorf education. His followers today — many of whom teach in Waldorf schools — still generally accept his teachings. That's why the follow him: They believe him, if not on all points, then on most points. [See, e.g., "Today", "Today 2", etc.] When evaluating Waldorf education, you may want to bear this in mind. 

Waldorf teachers rarely expound Steiner's doctrines openly in class. But they often convey such doctrines to their students indirectly. [See "Sneaking It In" and the section "We Don't Teach It" on the page "Waldorf's Spiritual Agenda".] The result is that, often, Waldorf schooling inculcates Anthroposophical beliefs and attitudes in the students. Such schooling may become, at least for susceptible students, a process of subtle indoctrination. [See "Indoctrination".]