The Rudolf Steiner Archive

5. The Mystery of the Rosicrucians

[ 1 ] We have already discussed various myths whose imagery contains esoteric truths. Such myths were given to people in the past to convey certain truths to them—while they were not yet ready for the esoteric truths themselves—first in symbolic form. These symbols took hold of the causal body and thus prepared people to understand the esoteric truths themselves in later incarnations.

[ 2 ] Today I would like to show you one such esoteric depiction, which was created only a few centuries ago and still lives on in many forms. Here it is.

[ 3 ] At the beginning of the 15th century, a figure appeared in Europe who had been initiated into certain mysteries in the Orient. This was Christian Rosenkreutz. Before the incarnation of Christian Rosenkreutz at that time had come to an end, he had initiated a number of individuals—barely more than ten—into the subject in which he himself had been initiated, to the extent that this was possible with Europeans at that time. This small brotherhood, which called itself the Brotherhood of the Rosicrucians—Fraternitas rosae crucis—spread a certain myth throughout the world through a larger, more outward-facing brotherhood.

[ 4 ] Christian Rosenkreutz himself had, at that time, revealed certain secrets at the very heart of the Rosicrucian mysteries—secrets that could only be perceived by those who had undergone the necessary preparation. But, as mentioned, there were no more than ten in the small brotherhood; these were the truly initiated Rosicrucians. What Christian Rosenkreutz had taught could not be communicated to many people; but it was then clothed in a kind of myth. Since its inception in the early 15th century, this myth has been recounted and interpreted many times within brotherhoods. It was recounted on a broader scale, but interpreted only within a smaller circle—those who were ready for it.

[ 5 ] This myth went something like this:

[ 6 ] There was a time when one of the Elohim created a human being; a human being whom he named Eve. The Elohim himself united with Eve, and Cain was born to Eve. Thereafter, the Elohim Yahweh or Jehovah created Adam. Adam also united with Eve, and Abel was born of this union.

[ 7 ] So, in the case of Cain, we are dealing with a direct son of God, and in the case of Abel, with a descendant of Adam and Eve, who were created as human beings. Now the myth continues.

[ 8 ] The offerings that Abel presented to the God Yahweh were pleasing to God. But Cain’s offerings were not, for Cain had not been brought into being by Yahweh’s direct command. As a result, Cain committed fratricide. He killed Abel. Therefore, he was cut off from fellowship with Yahweh. He went to distant lands and became the progenitor of his own lineage there.

[ 9 ] Adam continued to have relations with Eve, and Seth—who also appears in the Bible—was born to replace Abel. Thus, two human lineages came into being: the first, descended from Eve and the Elohim, the lineage of Cain; and the second, descended from mere humans who had united at the command of Yahweh.

[ 10 ] All those who established the arts and sciences on Earth are descended from the line of Cain, for example, Methuselah, who invented writing—the Tau script—and Tubal-Cain, who taught the working of ores and iron. Thus, from this lineage—descending directly from the Elohim—arose humanity, which cultivates itself in the arts and sciences.

[ 11 ] Hiram also came from this lineage of the sons of Cain. He was the heir to all the knowledge, art, and technology that had been accumulated over the various generations of Cain’s sons. Hiram was the most eminent architect one could imagine.

[ 12 ] From the other line, from the lineage of Seth, came Solomon, who excelled in all that came from Yahweh or Jehovah. He was endowed with the wisdom of the world, with all that the calm, clear, and serene wisdom of the sons of Jehovah can provide. This was a wisdom that could indeed be expressed in words that penetrate deep into the human heart and uplift a person, but not one capable of directly addressing the object at hand or producing anything tangible in the realms of technology, art, and science. It was a wisdom that is a direct, inspired gift from God, not a wisdom worked out from below, springing from human passion or human will. That was found among the sons of Cain, those who were directly descended from the other Elohim. They were the stern workers who wanted to achieve everything on their own.

[ 13 ] Now Solomon decided to build a temple. To this end, he appointed Hiram, a descendant of the sons of Cain, as master builder. This was at the time when the Queen of Sheba, Balkis, came to Jerusalem because she had heard of the wise Solomon. And indeed, when she arrived, she was enchanted by Solomon’s sublime, clear wisdom and beauty. He courted her and won her hand in marriage. Then this Queen of Sheba also heard about the construction of the temple. Now she wanted to meet the master builder Hiram as well. When she saw him, the mere look he gave her made a tremendous impression on her and completely captivated her.

[ 14 ] A kind of jealousy then arose between Hiram and the wise Solomon. As a result, Solomon would have liked to take action against Hiram; but he had to keep him around so that the temple could be completed.

[ 15 ] This is what happened next. The temple was complete up to a very specific stage. Only one thing was still missing—what was to be Hiram’s masterpiece: namely, the Bronze Sea. This masterpiece of Hiram’s was intended to represent the ocean, cast in bronze, and to adorn the temple. All the metal alloys had been wonderfully prepared by Hiram, and everything was ready for casting. But then three journeymen set to work—men whom Hiram had deemed unfit to be promoted to master craftsmen during the construction of the temple. They had therefore sworn revenge against him and intended to prevent the completion of the Bronze Sea. A friend of Hiram’s, who learned of this, informed Solomon of the journeymen’s plan so that he might thwart it. But Solomon, out of jealousy toward Hiram, let the matter take its course, because he wanted to ruin Hiram. The result was that Hiram had to watch as the entire casting crumbled to pieces, because the three journeymen had added an improper substance to the mixture. He tried to extinguish the foaming fire by pouring water on it, but this only made matters worse. Just as he was on the verge of despairing of ever completing the work, Tubal-Cain himself, one of his ancestral forefathers, appeared to him. Tubal-Cain told him to throw himself calmly into the fire, assuring him that the fire could not harm him. Hiram did so and reached the center of the earth. Tubal-Cain led him to Cain, who was there in a state of primordial divinity. Hiram was now initiated into the mystery of the creation of fire, the mystery of metal casting, and so on. He received from Tubal-Cain a hammer and a Golden Triangle, which he was to wear around his neck. Then he returned and was now able to truly fashion the Sea of Brass and restore the casting to its proper state.

[ 16 ] Hiram then wins the hand of the Queen of Sheba. But he is ambushed and killed by the three journeymen. Before he died, however, he managed to throw the Golden Triangle into a well. Since no one knew where Hiram was, a search was launched. Solomon himself was anxious and wanted to get to the bottom of the matter. It was feared that the three journeymen might reveal the old Master Word, so a new one was agreed upon. The first words spoken upon finding Hiram were to be the new Master Word. When Hiram was finally found, he was still able to speak a few words. He said: “Tubal-Cain has promised me that I will have a son, who will have many sons who will populate the earth and complete my work—the construction of the Temple.” Then he indicated the location where the Golden Triangle could be found. It was brought to the Bronze Sea, and both were kept in a special place within the temple, in the Holy of Holies. They can only be found by those who understand the meaning of this entire temple legend concerning Solomon’s Temple and its master builder, Hiram.

[ 17 ] Now let's move from the legend itself to an interpretation.

[ 18 ] This legend depicts the fate of the third, fourth, and fifth sub-races of our fifth root race. The temple is the temple of the secret brotherhoods—that is, the one being built by all of humanity of the fourth and fifth sub-races—and the Holy of Holies is the abode of the secret brotherhoods. They know the meaning of the Sea of Brass and the Golden Triangle.

[ 19 ] We are thus dealing with two kinds of human lineages: the one—represented by Solomon—that possesses divine wisdom, and the lineage of Cain, the descendants of Cain, who understand fire and know how to handle it. This fire is not physical fire, but the fire of passions, instincts, and desires burning in the astral realm.

[ 20 ] Who, then, are the sons of Cain? The sons of Cain are—at least in the context of this legend—the sons of those Elohim who lagged slightly behind the rest of the Elohim during the Lunar Epoch. During the Lunar Epoch, we are dealing with Kama. This Kama, or fire, was imbued with wisdom at that time. Now there were two kinds of Elohim. One group of Elohim did not stop at the union of wisdom and fire; they went beyond it. And when they formed humankind, they were no longer imbued with passions, so they endowed humankind with calm, serene wisdom. This is the true Yahweh or Jehovah religion—the wisdom that was entirely free of passion. The other Elohim, in whom wisdom was still connected to the fire of the Lunar Epoch, are those who created the sons of Cain.

[ 21 ] Thus, among the sons of Seth we find the religious people with serene wisdom, and among the sons of Cain, those who possess the impulsive element—those who can become inflamed and develop enthusiasm for wisdom. These two lineages continue to create throughout all races and throughout all ages. All the arts and sciences have arisen from the passion of the sons of Cain, while all serene piety and wisdom—devoid of enthusiasm—have arisen from the Abel-Seth tradition.

[ 22 ] These two types have always existed, and this pattern continued through to the fourth subrace of our root race.

[ 23 ] Then came the establishment of Christianity. As a result, the earlier piety—which had been merely a piety from above—became a piety that was completely free of kama. It was immersed in the element that had just come to Earth through Christ. Christ is not merely Wisdom; he is Love incarnate: a lofty divine Kama that is at the same time Buddhi; a purely flowing Kama that desires nothing for itself, but directs all passions outward in infinite devotion—a reversed Kama. Buddhi is reversed Kama.

[ 24 ] As a result, a higher form of piety is developing within the type of people who are devout—among the Sons of Wisdom—though this piety can now take on an enthusiastic character. This is Christian piety. It is first instilled in the fourth subrace of the fifth root race. However, this entire movement is not yet capable of uniting with the Sons of Cain. For the time being, they remain adversaries. For if Christianity were to take hold of all people too quickly, it might indeed fill them with love, but the individual human heart—the unique human heart—would be left out. It would not be free piety; it would not be the giving birth to the Christ within oneself as a brother, but merely as a Lord. For this to happen, the sons of Cain must continue to work throughout the entire fifth sub-race. They work through their initiates and build the temple of humanity, constructed from worldly art and worldly science.

[ 25 ] Thus, during the fourth and fifth sub-races, we see the worldly element developing more and more, with the entire course of world history shifting onto the physical plane. Along with the worldly element of materialism, the personal element—egoism—develops, leading to a struggle of all against all. Even though Christianity existed at that time, in a certain sense it remained a mystery known only to a few. But it brought about a realization among people during the fourth and fifth sub-races: everyone is equal before God. That is a Christian principle. But people cannot fully understand this as long as they are mired in materialism and egoism.

[ 26 ] The French Revolution then carried out the implications of Christian doctrine in a secular sense. The spiritual teaching of Christianity—that all people are equal before God—was transformed by the French Revolution into a purely secular doctrine: everyone is equal here. The modern era has translated this even further into the physical realm.

[ 27 ] Before the French Revolution, a figure appeared to a lady-in-waiting of Queen Marie-Antoinette, Madame d’Adhemar, who foretold all the major events of the Revolution in order to warn against them. It was the Count of Saint-Germain, the very same figure who, in a previous incarnation, had founded the Order of the Rosicrucians. At that time, he took the position that people must be gently guided from worldly culture toward the true culture of Christianity. The worldly powers, however, sought to seize freedom by storm, through material means. Although he viewed the Revolution as a necessary consequence, he nevertheless warned against it. He, Christian Rosenkreutz, in his 18th-century incarnation, as the guardian of the innermost secret of the Sea of Brass and the Holy Golden Triangle, issued a warning: humanity should develop slowly. Yet he foresaw what was to come.

[ 28 ] This is the path that human evolution, viewed from within, undergoes during the fourth and fifth subraces of our root race. The edifice of human culture, the great Temple of Solomon, was built. But that which is actually meant to crown it must remain a mystery. Only an initiate can build it. This initiate was misunderstood, betrayed, and killed. This mystery cannot yet be revealed. It remains the secret of a few [initiates] of Christianity. It lies sealed within the casting of the Bronze Sea and the sacred triangle. It is none other than the secret of Christian Rosenkreutz, who was incarnated in a very high form before the birth of Christ and who made a remarkable statement at that time.

[ 29 ] Let me now briefly describe the scene in which Christian Rosenkreutz repeated this statement before the French Revolution. He said: “He who sows the wind will reap the whirlwind.” — He had already said this back then, before it was spoken and written down by Hosea. But it originates from Christian Rosenkreutz.

[ 30 ] This saying—“He who sows the wind shall reap the whirlwind”—is the motto of the fourth and fifth subraces of our root race and is meant to signify: You will set humanity free; the incarnated Buddhi itself will unite with this freedom of yours and make all people equal before God. But the Spirit (wind means Spirit = Ruach)—it will first become a storm (a war of all against all).

[ 31 ] At first, Christianity had become the religion of the cross, which had to develop its way through the purely worldly sphere, the physical plane. Christ on the cross was not the symbol of Christianity right from the start. But as Christianity became increasingly political, the symbol became that of the crucified Son of God, suffering on the cross of the world-body. It remains so outwardly throughout the remainder of the fourth subrace and into the fifth.

[ 32 ] First of all, Christianity is bound to the purely material culture of the fourth and fifth subraces, and only in between[?] does the true Christianity of the future exist—the one that possesses the mysteries of the Bronze Sea and the Golden Triangle. This Christianity has a different symbol: no longer the crucified Son of God, but the cross entwined with roses. This will be the symbol of the new Christianity of the sixth subrace. From the mystery of the Rosicrucian Brotherhood, this Christianity of the sixth subrace will develop, one that will know the Sea of Brass and the Golden Triangle.

[ 33 ] Hiram is the representative of the Initiates of the Sons of Cain of the fourth and fifth subraces. The Queen of Sheba—every female figure in esoteric language signifies the soul—is the soul of humanity, which must choose between serene piety that does not conquer the earth and wisdom that conquers the earth, that is, wisdom attained by overcoming the passions of the earth. She is the representative of the true human soul, who stands right in the middle between Hiram and Solomon, and connects with Hiram in the fourth and fifth sub-races, because he is still building the temple.

[ 34 ] The Bronze Sea is the casting that results when water is mixed with ore in the proper manner. The three journeymen do it wrong, and the casting is ruined. But when Tubal-Cain reveals the mysteries of fire to Hiram, Hiram is able to combine water and fire in the correct manner. This results in the Bronze Sea. This is the secret of the Rosicrucians. It comes into being when the water of serene wisdom unites with the fire of astral space, the fire of passion. This must result in a union that is “bronze”—one that can be carried forward into the ages to come—when the mystery of the sacred Golden Triangle, the mystery of Atma-Buddhi-Manas, is added. This triangle, with all that it entails, will be the essence of the renewed Christianity of the sixth subrace. This is being prepared by the Rosicrucians, and then what is symbolized by the Sea of Brass will be connected with the understanding of reincarnation and karma. This is the new occult teaching that will be reintroduced into Christianity. Atma-Buddhi-Manas, the Higher Self, is the mystery that will be revealed when the sixth subrace is ready for it. Then Christian Rosenkreutz will no longer need to stand as a warning figure; rather, everything that has signified struggle on the outer plane will find peace through the Sea of Brass, through the sacred Golden Triangle.

[ 35 ] This is the course of world history as it unfolds into the future. What Christian Rosenkreutz had spread throughout the world via the brotherhoods through his Temple legend is the task the Rosicrucians have set for themselves: not merely to teach religious piety, but also to share science with the outside world; yet not only to come to know the outer world, but also the spiritual powers—and to enter the sixth cycle from both sides.