The Rudolf Steiner Archive

18. About Beings that Influence Humans

[ 1 ] There are many entities whose influence extends from afar all the way to our physical Earth, as if they had infinitely long tentacles.

[ 2 ] On the astral plane, the clairvoyant encounters a large number of beings who are group souls, whose effects circulate around the Earth like trade winds.

[ 3 ] A faint glow runs along the animals' spinal cords, and its current is connected to the group soul. Spiritual beings interpenetrate one another.

[ 4 ] From a spiritual perspective, it is not surprising that the group souls of plants are located at the center of the Earth. Through his etheric body, the human being is also connected to the center of the Earth.

[ 5 ] Although plants have only one etheric body, the shimmering light of the astral body surrounds the bud and the flower. The etheric body operates on the principle of repetition; it would produce nothing but leaves forever. This influence is interrupted by the astral body, which brings about the changes. The etheric body predominates wherever we have hair.

[ 6 ] The group souls of animals are such that one can communicate with them, and the highest among them possess qualities that are, in some respects, superior to those of lower-order human individuals.

[ 7 ] Other entities influence human blood differently than they do the lymph, which is a fluid similar to white blood cells. Some act on the nutritive fluid, the chyle; others on the sensory organs.

[ 8 ] For example, the chyle forces transfer the fatty substances from the chyme to the blood and the protein-containing substances to the lymph. Mental and physical health depend on the activity of the spiritual beings who regulate these forces.

[ 9 ] The lunar beings have a delicate physical body and resemble six- to seven-year-old children in appearance; their actions are usually harmful to us, yet these pygmies act unconsciously. They are known as “the howlers”; their cries can be heard far beyond the moon; their activity is at its peak during the full moon. They are particularly drawn to the vicinity of mental hospitals, as well as to spiritualist mediums.

[ 10 ] If people were masters of their own blood, as they ought to be and as they are called to be, the lunar beings could not harm them.

[ 11 ] Venus is home to beings whose thoughtful language points to a high level of logic, and whose countenances reflect high moral standards; yet there are also those there with predatory instincts and every possible intermediate stage between gentle and wild. When the inhabitants of Earth have embraced Christianity and a unified bond of brotherhood encompasses the Earth in ever-widening circles, then they will draw closer to the beings of Venus. These beings influence our vital fluids. Eating is not merely a chemical process; it also draws spiritual power through the throat. It reflects the workings of these mysterious beings and forces as they influence plants; each plant thrives only under specific conditions, so that, depending on the soil and terrain, specific human types, communities, and peoples can form.

[ 12 ] Along with sensory impressions, we always receive spiritual impressions—through sound, spiritual currents; and through images as well. Through smell, the deeds of spiritual beings flow through our senses with the greatest intensity. Their abode is in the Upper Devachan.

[ 13 ] History demonstrates the important role that smell plays and the intrigues that have been woven through it. Musk and patchouli, for example, are odors that are harmful to humans. These beings possess a physical embodiment on Saturn. They lack the kind of thinking we associate with the brain, yet they are natural inventors. They love progress and are constantly turning everything upside down in their home world. Our conservatives would be utterly terrified of them. People who possess quick wit and presence of mind have something of their nature.

[ 14 ] It is by no means a trivial matter which scents we surround ourselves with and which ones we love. What is instigated by harmful scents falls within the realm of black magic. It is important to cultivate pleasant scents.

[ 15 ] Human beings are at the mercy of the influences of many forces and are as blind to them as a mole. They are always aware of only a part of reality, yet this reality concerns us; we must have strong impulses to help us escape from the realm of harmful demons.

[ 16 ] Human beings are like a rainbow with its seven colors. In reality, the physical body is an optical illusion. It is a convergence of spiritual forces that intersect within it a thousandfold and produce the most diverse effects.

[ 17 ] 12. Points of Intersection Are the Physical Body

[ 18 ] When the sun disappears, the rainbow vanishes; when spiritual forces withdraw, a person is dead.

[ 19 ] Reality is to be found in spiritual facts; these possess true reality. What we see is the manifestation of spiritual activity.

[ 20 ] The full weight of the facts should prompt us to let the good beings work and drive away the demonic ones.

[ 21 ] We are dealing with four entities that influence the “I” through the blood, the lymph, the chyle (via the digestive juices), and the sensory currents.

[ 22 ] To protect ourselves against the forces of the Moon that harm us, we must, above all, strive for a spirit of independence. Free inner spiritual forces have a purifying effect on the blood, and thus the lunar beings cannot harm us.

[ 23 ] We can positively influence the Martian forces acting on the lymph through clear thoughts.

[ 24 ] Illnesses can be the result of uncontrolled, hateful thinking. Through such thoughts, people harm those around them; through clear thoughts, they promote general health. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance that we always collect our thoughts and practice having good, clear thoughts.

[ 25 ] Noble feelings should inspire us toward the beings of Venus, who have an effect on the chylous fluid, and pure intentions should guide the sensory-nervous currents over which the inhabitants of Saturn exert influence. — Honesty in thought and an attitude of listening keep evil influences at bay.

[ 26 ] The lunar beings act instinctively. The Martian beings act with gradual awareness. The Venusian beings are eminently highly spiritual, whereas the evil ones act unconsciously.

[ 27 ] Human beings influence all other beings, both consciously and unconsciously. We must strive to become ever more conscious; in this way, we can make stars shine. Thus the Star of Bethlehem shone when the mighty individuality of Jesus consciously incarnated. The birth of such exalted human beings is a cosmic event. The initiates know that, depending on a particular combination of the word “Yahweh,” worlds can collapse. — Human beings would not become so strong if they did not have to overcome evil.