The Rudolf Steiner Archive

3. Cosmic Epochs and States and Their Correspondence in Human Development. The Eighth Sphere

[ 1 ] In the grand context of the universe, the earthly cosmos is called the cosmos of divine love, the preceding cosmos the cosmos of wisdom, and the following one the cosmos of divine fire. Beyond these three states, it is quite difficult for the seer’s gaze to see either forward or backward.

[ 2 ] A kind of parallelism with human development can also be observed in this cosmic evolution. The cosmos that preceded the lunar cosmos is called the cosmos of divine omnipotence. This, in turn, was preceded by the cosmos of being. The sixth is the Cosmos of Divinity, the seventh the Cosmos of Being. In Sinnett’s Esoteric Buddhism, you will find a concept that, however, remains unexplained: the so-called eighth sphere.

[ 3 ] We would therefore have to distinguish between the earthly sphere, the three spheres that precede it, and the three that follow it. Let me explain a fundamental cosmic law to you by describing what a cosmos looks like at the end of its development. During its development, it goes through seven cycles and seven races. What happens, then, when Being or Wisdom enters Pralaya and is to be carried over into the next epoch? The totality would enter a seed and pass over into the new cosmos. During the transition from one cosmic evolution to the next, a certain result is sent over into Pralaya, and the rest remains. The remnant of our former cosmos is the Moon. This also includes the forces that are within and upon it. It is surrounded by cosmic forces. The same will occur when the Earth eventually transitions to the next state. Everything that exists as Kama and Kama-Manas will be purified in the higher Manas. The future inhabitants will have a more active sense of sight. There will be astral vision among those who are subhuman in their development and astral vision among those who are superhuman in their development. The astral vision of the lunar beings was undifferentiated compared to our vision. The vision of future human beings will be even more differentiated.

[ 4 ] The remainder—the eighth sphere—is thus still present within the seven other cosmic spheres. It is therefore the case that the Moon, together with the Kama mass, forms our eighth sphere. The Moon is connected to the chemical development of the human being, to the development of the embryo, and to the entire sexual life. The foundations for this are laid during the Lunar Epoch. The human physical body is wisely prepared long beforehand. The life of the instincts must be prepared in such a way that it can express itself as it does on Earth. The life of the instincts must feel hunger, and the physical body must be such that the hunger instinct is stimulated. The stimulation of hunger takes place in the astral sphere. The effect manifests in the physical body.

[ 5 ] Dual-sexed beings do not appear until the fourth round. They do not exist before that. I remind you of Adam Kadmon. In nature as such, dual-sexed beings are not actually intended. Nature does not really need them either. We know that dual-sexed beings are not necessary for reproduction. There are many beings today that do not possess a two-sex system. One being emerges from the other. Nature merely accommodated the higher mental plane. This plane worked toward creating beings that were as differentiated as possible. After two thousand years, a human being would not find a substantially different body, but rather a mixture of the father’s and mother’s character traits. This results in a greater blend of qualities. Physical development is merely the opposite pole of mental development; it is its mirror image.

[ 6 ] Whoever is still clothed in the Moon, with all its lunar epochs, continually strives to draw human beings back into the lunar epochs. He thus continually works within human beings to hold them back in their striving toward the higher Manas.

[ 7 ] The moon breaks away. This section contains the powers that black magicians are able to draw out.

[ 8 ] The great astral body of our Earth, before the physical body of the Earth came into being.

[ 9 ] In “Esoteric Buddhism,” Mars is described as a preceding planet, and Mercury as a succeeding planet. Mars is in a state that is still astral. Mercury is in a state that is once again astral; however, it is difficult to distinguish between the two.

[ 10 ] Every human being still possesses forces that originate from the eighth sphere. That is why human beings are constantly oscillating back and forth between Kama and Manas.