The Rudolf Steiner Archive

13. The Formation of the Cosmos According to Annie Besant’s “Ancient Wisdom”

[ 1 ] Today I would like to talk about the formation of the cosmos according to Annie Besant’s Ancient Wisdom. I would like to show how one should approach reading this work. It begins on page 325, where Annie Besant attempts to describe how the transition from the Lunar Epoch—during which our ancestors underwent their evolution and then came to our Earth—took place. During the Lunar Manvantara, evolution produced seven classes of beings who were called “Fathers” because they gave rise to the beings of terrestrial evolution.

[ 2 ] Just as we, during our earthly existence, have the task of bringing the intellect and so on to the highest level of development, these beings on the Moon had the task of bringing the sensory life to its most refined form. This is the chemical principle, so that they had developed their sensory life in an idealized manner. When the seventh round had come to an end, these beings entered a state of nirvana. This was the full likeness to Yahweh, the being who was their ideal. Just as seeds lie dormant through the winter, so they lay dormant through a pralaya. Thus, they developed a soul.

[ 3 ] So there were two other races as well. Solar Pitris—these were the ones who had progressed beyond the ordinary lunar stage of development. They had attained the highest level of likeness to their deity. But even during the Lunar Epoch, there were already Lunar Pitris and Lunar Pithakas. The more highly developed beings were Solar Pitris. Those who had already become Masters on the Moon were, in terms of the development of human intellect, superior to the Lunar Gods. The Lunar Gods did not develop the element of intellect. It would be pointless if the Deity were to progress no further than it was in the beginning. Something must be brought forth that goes beyond what existed at the beginning. If they were to look at the Masters at the end of our life’s evolution, they would find that their wisdom is far superior to that which has been incarnated as earthly wisdom. Incarnated wisdom is sufficient only to guide earthly evolution to its conclusion. Therefore, it must be noted that the Master may, under certain circumstances, be far superior to the Deva.

[ 4 ] Yahweh only became the first person of the Trinity by mistake. He is the God of earthly forms, who therefore shapes Adam out of matter. Naturally, the Jews have the Father God. But they do not speak of him. For he is the one who was never named.

[ 5 ] “Human beings” is the term used to describe those beings of the Lunar Epoch who precede the Pitris—the Dhyanis. No one had developed the causal body during the Lunar Epoch. Those who possessed causal bodies had advanced beyond the Lunar Epoch into the Earth Epoch, the Age of Man. Plato will carry the highest development of the causal body over into the next cycle.

[ 6 ] The lunar Pitris possessed a certain level of intelligence, similar to that of animals. Earth is the fourth incarnation. The first incarnation is the host of planetoids; the second is in the place of Mars; the third is in the place of the Moon. The fourth incarnation in the planetary chain is Earth. The elemental essence is what I have described as “world dust.” Just as seeds absorb nutrients from the earth, so did the Pitris absorb earthly matter. [...]

[ 7 ] Sphere a) is the world of archetypes. The red sphere emerging from the archetype, developing out of the darkness. The world of archetypes. The archetypes of all that is intelligible. The intellect must be shaped. It must be formed within the body. There was only a solar plexus there, no nervous plexus extending from the head. The planetary spirits stand above the corresponding development. The planetary spirits are at work from the outside; they have the highest task. They determine the sequence of events; they have a task that transcends the individual. They never enter.

[ 8 ] The mental world is bounded by a kind of sphere. Instead of the stars and constellations, the Akashic Records appear there. The formers are not active in the mental realm; they are active in the budhi realm; thus, the planetary formers can only be found in the budhi sphere. At first, a thought is merely a point; then it takes on form. The archetype of the plant and the archetype of the minerals emerge. On sphere b), the forms are reproduced by lower-ranking formers until they have matured into a denser matter. There are small signs and colors within it. Color is astral matter. The sphere, which was red, has turned orange, and now it is turning yellow. It is now being filled with astral matter.

[ 9 ] And now sphere c). On sphere c, the form reaches its densest state. From this point on, its nature changes. This is followed by spheres e), f), and g). On spheres e) and f), consciousness first manifests itself on the etheric plane. On the blue sphere, beings begin to will from within; they begin to move. Thus, the first automatic intellect manifests itself. The Lunarpitris are the soul forces of form; they bring it to maturity and later inhabit it. What is shown here in black is the soul. The fact that they think is spirit.

[ 10 ] The earthly epoch is destined to bring the union of spirit and soul to full completion. Fire is the element of the first round. It is actually fire-air, etheric fire. In the second round, the first-class Pitris continue their involution. In the second round, the archetypal forms of plants come into being, which then reach their perfection in the fifth round. The mineral is at the stage of highest perfection. The human brain, as a mineral substance, is merely a vehicle. The mineral kingdom is already dissolving. In the next round, the plant kingdom will dissolve; in the following one, the animal kingdom. And in the seventh round, humanity will finally attain its perfection. The mineral has developed seven principles. It is the most perfect thing we have. We have three spiritual realms: the first, second, and third Logos; then the first elemental realm, the arupic realm; second, the rupic realm; third, the astral realm; fourth, the physical realm, the mineral realm. The mineral is perfect in the fourth round. The plant will have attained its perfection when it has become astral. Genesis alludes to the seven rounds with its seven days. The first four days are the first four rounds; the seventh day is the day of rest. The fourth day is the present round. The fifth, sixth, and seventh days are yet to come.

[ 11 ] The more you learn about Genesis, the more you will have to understand it literally. When you are ready to take the meaning of Genesis literally, only then have you truly understood it. Air is the element of the second round. Here, the Pitris attain the initial human stage. The Solar Pitris make their first appearances here, on sphere d), in order to take the lead in human evolution. These beings are always ready four rounds later. The archetypes of human forms were already present in the fourth round.