The Rudolf Steiner Archive

27. The Earth's Interior

[ 1 ] It is only natural that the student of spiritual science, under the impression of those momentous natural events—the eruption of Vesuvius and the earthquake in America—should raise the question of their connection, on the one hand, with the cosmic process of evolution and, on the other, with human karma. And indeed, it is immensely interesting to examine and explain these recent events from the standpoint of occultism. To do so, it is necessary not only for the occultist to be trained in clairvoyance in the ordinary sense, but also for him to have undergone the second-degree initiation. It is a well-known fact in occult circles that the interior of the Earth eludes the gaze of the ordinary clairvoyant. It is relatively easy to attain astral and devachanic clairvoyant awareness. But in order to explore the interior of the Earth, a different kind of initiation is required.

[ 2 ] First, let me point out that modern humans have only managed to penetrate the outermost crust of the Earth to a very shallow depth. They have barely reached a depth of two thousand meters. Everything else that lies beneath that is beyond their comprehension. And indeed, they would be, at the very least, surprised or even confused if they were able to gain closer experience of the deeper layers of our Earth. It would confuse them because they would find things that bear only a very remote resemblance to those we know on the Earth’s surface. For most of them, he would lack the words to describe them, for in fact the states of matter within the Earth are entirely different from those we know up here. He would be utterly astonished if he saw that the metal corresponding to our silver is liquid down there, like mercury. The same is true of the other metals and minerals.

[ 3 ] The Earth is now divided into seven distinct layers, and the exploration of these seven layers corresponds step by step to the seven different degrees of Christian initiation. They are: first, the washing of the feet; second, the scourging; third, the crowning with thorns; fourth, the crucifixion; fifth, the mystical death on the cross; sixth, the burial; and seventh, the resurrection.

[ 4 ] According to this, a person who has passed the first initiation would be able to penetrate the outermost layer clairvoyantly in order to explore the second, and so on.

[ 5 ] The Earth is thus divided into seven layers. The outermost layer, on which we live, is called the mineral Earth in the language of the initiates. These and the following terms originate from a major school of occultism. Medieval mystics, Rosicrucians, and others used the same terms.

[ 6 ] This mineral soil contains all the minerals known to us. Its layer is relatively very thin and delicate. Volcanic eruptions attest to its permeability from deeper layers.

[ 7 ] This mineral earth is followed by what is known as “soft earth.” It is called this because the hardening process in it has not yet progressed as far as in the mineral earth. Furthermore, it exhibits a highly remarkable property: it possesses a kind of sensation. If one touches it, it exhibits signs of sensation similar to the dim sense of consciousness found in certain plant species.

[ 8 ] The next layer is called the “steam earth.” Just as steam is generated in a kettle, this layer manifests a will-like expression. It possesses an immense expansive force, and the mineral layer can only enclose it with great difficulty.

[ 9 ] The fourth layer is called the Form Layer, or Water Earth. What is remarkable about it is that it contains negative versions of all the forms found in the mineral layer. A rock crystal, for example, would take the form of a negative in this layer, just as it would in a plaster cast up here.

[ 10 ] The fifth layer is called the “fruit soil.” If it were to be exposed to the open air, we would observe how, in such a piece of fruit soil, forms would continually arise from it and then pass away. It possesses, as it were, a soul—the abilities of a soul striving to create.

[ 11 ] The sixth layer is the fire earth, a very remarkable layer, as we shall see later. It has the ability, so to speak, to feel joy and sorrow, and is in a state similar to that of a human being who fluctuates between “ecstatic joy” and “deepest sorrow.” Human passions exert an immense influence on it, so that as human passions increase, so does its restlessness.

[ 12 ] The seventh layer is called the Earth’s Mirror, precisely because everything that occurs on the outermost layer is reflected in this region. However, one must imagine the process a little differently. Everything that is passive here is active there, and vice versa. Therefore, if one were to strike a metal here so that it made a sound, the metal down there would of its own accord emit a sound as well.

[ 13 ] These seven layers are followed by two more, which are of a very peculiar nature. The Pythagorean school called the eighth layer the “sphere of numbers,” because of a peculiarity that we will learn about shortly. Our occult schools call it the “Fragmenter.” For if one were to hold a flower up against it—that is, in such a way that we tried, as it were, to view the layer through the flower—we would see it multiplied infinitely many times. If, on the other hand, one were to try this experiment with a stone, no multiplication would occur. Only living forms of nature or things created with artistic sensibility are suitable for this. This region, then, is the seat of all disharmony, all immorality, and all strife. Everything there strives to drift apart. It is the opposite of love. If a black magician succeeds in penetrating as far as this region—and this lies within the scope of his powers—then the evil within him will be vastly intensified. The prevailing morality of humankind exerts an immense influence on this sphere. As people increasingly succeed in eliminating immorality and replacing it with morality, this zone will also gradually settle into a state of peace. Then, in turn, it will exert a reciprocal influence on the attitudes of humankind.

[ 14 ] The ninth and final layer is, so to speak, the abode of the planetary spirit. It exhibits two distinctive characteristics. One could compare it to a human being, for it possesses an organ that resembles a brain. Another organ resembles a heart. The planetary spirit, too, is subject to changes that are closely linked to human evolution.

[ 15 ] We now return to the fire earth. As mentioned, it exhibits the capacity to feel pleasure and pain, and the passions of living human beings exert a powerful influence on it, so that at times when people develop intense passions, it becomes all the more restless and agitated. As a result, it exerts even greater pressure on the fertile soil lying above it. And from this layer, in fact, branched channels lead to all the layers lying above. Now, within the mineral earth—albeit at a considerable depth—there are large cavities. The channels coming from the topsoil lead into these cavities and force enormous masses into them, which in turn either cause earthquakes or seek a way out through the vent of a volcano. And these causes are also to blame for the most recent catastrophes.

[ 16 ] The Lemurians, that is, the third great root race, still lived on the soft earth. At that time, the process of hardening had not yet progressed very far in the outermost crust, and there were only very few harder areas that floated, as it were, like islands on this soft layer. The many small islands in the Pacific Ocean, which suddenly emerge above the sea surface and sink again after some time, are the last remnants and evidence of the soft earth. The Lemurians, however, who developed powerful passions, exerted—the further they advanced in their evolution and the more they indulged in their vices—such an influence on the fiery earth that it became, so to speak, rebellious, surged to the surface with immense force, and destroyed the race.

[ 17 ] We see, then, that the Lemurians have only themselves to blame for their downfall. For the occultist, this gives rise to the consideration that, when he works on his own perfection, he not only accelerates the evolutionary process of his own era but can also have a significant impact on the course of Earth’s development. This must instill in him a sense of responsibility in two directions and spur him on to continue working on himself.

[ 18 ] Let us now turn our attention to two highly important occult facts related to these natural phenomena. First, let us consider the karma of those who perished in these catastrophes. Of course, it is understandable that people might wonder at the immense karma that befalls so many people on such an occasion. But let me say that, as has been observed through occult means, all those souls who have perished in such a catastrophe will become the finest spiritualists in their next incarnation. The violent death they have now met was, as it were, the final shock needed for them to cast off the shackles of materialism once and for all.

[ 19 ] And the other observation, made from an occult perspective, is that all those born around the time of such eruptions become materialists in life. This is entirely understandable. At a time when they are striving with all their might for reincarnation, the unsettling element of the fiery earth influences them and instills materialistic passions in them. It makes no difference whether the soul is born here while, for example, the eruption is taking place in America. Spatial separation in this zone is without cause. Thus, many readers and authors of materialistic writings were born around the year 1822, at the time when Vesuvius erupted again after a long period of dormancy. The fact that Vesuvius remained dormant for centuries serves as an indication of the spiritual Middle Ages. Since then, eruptions have followed one another at shorter intervals. An accelerated development is now taking place overall. The period from Charlemagne to Frederick the Great corresponds to the 19th century. This means that all events during this long period, in terms of their number and significance for development, are equivalent today to a period of one hundred years. We will develop even more rapidly in the years to come.