The Rudolf Steiner Archive

The Evolution of the Earth

[ 1 ] Earth is the fourth of the seven planets on which human beings successively develop their seven states of consciousness. It has been shown that the Moon is the setting for the unfolding of image consciousness. An “image” is only similar to, not identical with, its object. The consciousness, however, that is developed on Earth produces ideas that are, in a certain sense, “identical” to the object to which they belong. For this reason, Earth consciousness is also called “object consciousness.” However, this object consciousness does not develop until the fourth minor Earth cycle (round). During the first three, the states previously experienced on Saturn, the Sun, and the Moon are briefly repeated. Yet it must be emphasized once again that this is not a mere repetition; rather, during this repetition, the physical body, the etheric body, and the astral body are transformed in such a way that they can become vehicles for the “I,” upon whose development in the fourth round object consciousness depends. Thus, once the Earth has again undergone a kind of dormant state after the third cycle of repetition—between the so-called archetypal and the astral globes—then, at the beginning of the fourth cycle, everything that is to be regarded as the result of the Saturn, Sun, and Moon developments emerges—initially in the astral form. We are thus dealing here with the descendants of the three lunar kingdoms: the mineral kingdom, which is still, in a certain sense, plant-like; the plant kingdom, which possesses something akin to animal life; and an animal kingdom that stands higher than the present animal kingdom. Together, these three kingdoms form the planet emerging anew from the twilight state: the Earth. However, it must be noted that this Earth still contains the former Sun and the former Moon. As the Lunar Manvantara drew to a close, the Sun and Moon reunited and passed into Pralaya as a single body. They then re-emerge here as a single body as well, although the tendency toward separation had already become clearly evident during the third Earth cycle. Now, during the fourth round, the Earth is passing through the Rupa and Astral states and is preparing to become physical once more.

[ 2 ] The development of this physical state in the three kingdoms mentioned is the responsibility of the “spirits of form.” Specifically, in the highest kingdom—the animal-human kingdom—they transform the earlier “sense germs” into fully formed sense organs. In all earlier physical states that human beings have undergone, the sense organs did not yet have a fixed form.

[ 3 ] Now, by acquiring a fixed form, these organs cease to be active; they lose their productivity, become purely passive, and are suited only to the mere perception of what is presented from the outside as objects. The productive power thus withdraws from the sensory organs; it turns more inward; it forms the organ of reason. — But this organ cannot be formed without a certain part of the human essence being pushed down again to a lower level. Now, however, human beings themselves cast down a part of their own being into a subordinate region. They separate a part of their being as their own lower nature. And this lower nature retains the productive power that the sense organs have had to relinquish. This productive power, cast down into a lower sphere, becomes the sexual generative power as it appears on Earth. The “Spirits of Form” would cause all creative power—and thus all life—to solidify, hardening it into mere form, were they not to concentrate this power upon a part of the human being. Therefore, the Spirits of Form bring about the formation of the sexes. Without this, statues would arise instead of living human beings.

[ 4 ] Now, this entire process is linked to a complete transformation of the Earth. Conditions arise that allow the beings described to live. This becomes possible because the Earth—still united with the Moon—splits off from what remains as the Sun. As a result, the Sun appears as an independent body in relation to the Earth. This is the external physical condition for the emergence of external perception, of object consciousness, and for the development of sexual faculties. However, at this time, we are still dealing with a state of hermaphroditism. This stems from the fact that the lunar forces are still entirely contained within the Earth. However, during this period, the organ of intellect, although present, is still completely inactive. It will only be able to unfold its activity once the reproductive power has been reduced by half, so that each being possesses only half of its former reproductive power. This then establishes the state of dual sex. Externally, this is brought about by the emergence from the Earth of those forces which then orbit it as the present Moon. Had this separation not taken place, the entire Earth would have had to become a rigid mass, a mere form. But as it is, only that which was bound to become solid has been removed from it, and this has become the Moon, on which human life could not unfold. Thus, from the common planetary matter, the Earth has preserved that which could be productive, even if only in the lower realm of sexual life. The representative of the “Spirits of Form” is Jehovah. He thus brings about the formation of the sense organs; but if he were to act alone, he would also bring about complete solidification into mere form.

[ 5 ] Two events are now significant for what follows. The first is the emergence of the two sexes for the reason stated above. The form of the sexes derives from the Form Spirits. But this alone does not yet account for the mutual attraction of the two sexes, their inclination toward one another. This arises from the fact that, in the lives of the two sexes, special beings incarnate who descend from a foreign realm: from Venus. Through them, love—in its most basic form, as the attraction of the sexes [toward one another]—is now incorporated into the Earth. This love is destined to become ever more refined and, later, to assume the highest forms.

[ 6 ] Just as the Venusian beings now relinquish the element [of attraction] between the separate sexes, so, on the other hand, they also enable the intellect to become fruitful. It receives half of the productive capacity spared from the sexual force. For this reason, the monads—initially their Manas aspect—which, as shown, formed during the Saturn, Sun, and Moon cycles, can now descend into the organ of the intellect. Yet the monads’ activity would have remained cold and dry had the astral body not received such an impulse that human beings would carry out the activity of their intellect with a certain higher passion. This influence came to humankind from Mars. And those who mediated it are the Luciferic beings who, on the Moon, had indeed advanced beyond the stage of later earthly human existence, but had not yet progressed far enough to be able, like the Lunar Pitris, to complete their lunar development with the Lunar Manvantara. As initiates, they now bring the astral forces of Mars into the human astral body and thereby stir up within it a passion for intellectual activity. In this way, they enliven human knowledge; they spur the human being toward independence. This is the contribution to human evolution made by the Luciferic principle. However, they also linked self-interest to this knowledge. For they do indeed kindle thinking through passion, and this passion gives rise to self-interest. But it is only through this that it has become possible for human beings to make the Earth serve their purposes and to use it for their own benefit. Jehovah would have merely provided the form of the organ of understanding, and the spirits from Venus would have merely awakened a dispassionate sense within it; for whatever they could have contributed in this direction has, after all, been devoted to the power of procreation.