The Sun Archive

A Resource for Spiritual Research

The Sun Archive A Resource for Spiritual ResearchThe Sun Archive A Resource for Spiritual ResearchThe Sun Archive A Resource for Spiritual ResearchThe Sun Archive A Resource for Spiritual Research
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The Sun Archive

A Resource for Spiritual Research

The Sun Archive A Resource for Spiritual ResearchThe Sun Archive A Resource for Spiritual ResearchThe Sun Archive A Resource for Spiritual Research
  • Home
  • Articles & Topics
    • Archangels & Astrosophy
    • Christ & Opposing Powers
    • On Colors and Auras
    • The Cycles of the Year
    • On Dreams
    • On Forgiveness
    • Founders of Anthroposophy
    • Heracles, Son of the Sun
    • Initiates & Bodhisattvas
    • Karma and Reincarnation
    • Lost Poet's Society
    • Meditations & Verses
    • Messengers
    • The Mystery of Death
    • The Near-Death Experience
    • The Oracle of Delphi
    • Quotes to Live By
    • 7 Aspects of Human Being
    • The Spiritual Hierarchy
  • Free Books and Works
    • Free Books & Works
    • Joan of Arc, 2022
  • Links
    • Links
  • Contact

Meditations & Verses

    This page is a growing list of meditations, quotes, mantras, and prayers from Dr. Rudolf Steiner's Body of Knowledge, the Bible, Buddha, sages, Edgar Cayce readings, and other sources. 


    The meditative verses quoted by Dr. Rudolf Steiner here were intended to be used in daily, weekly, or monthly cadences - often in alignment with other exercises. Thus, each person's recommended meditative path was unique based on Dr. Steiner's insights and his relationship with a particular student while some can be used universally.


    Meditation is focus; the ability to concentrate on one thing, concept, or image for an extended period of time while not allowing any impressions or thoughts to enter into one's consciousness except for the thing being meditated upon. When pursued in the right spirit, and in a regular cadence, meditative exercises can help us, others, and the world.  Meditation, or enhanced inner focus, can strengthen our memory and clarity of thinking, and open up pathways to the soul. The effect of prolonged concentration and the use of certain mental images, when held in the right disposition and feeling, can greatly help an individual and others.


    Prayers, images, and thoughts directed for the benefit of the world and all living beings are vitally important - even though we cannot see their impact most of the time - and this includes prayers for those who have passed through the gate of death and made their transition to a higher condition of existence. In this condition, a person finds that they are intimately connected with others in a conscious and communal way.  The eternal part of all living things never dies, but rather transforms from one dimension to another.


    Prayers, thoughts, feelings, and ideas contain living forces, and energy. Once they occur, they are transmitted through cosmic space, in a spiritual sense, and always find their intended destination...for better or worse.  They take on unique colors, forms, and expressions as they are transmitted out of the human being and into the ethers of the universe which connects all living things...

     

    "Our meditations should always proceed from our inner moral impulses; the other world and especially our personal ego should be excluded completely. We should grasp the Godhead of the world and the way it streams through the world with its divine light in our thoughts quite objectively. Our ego shouldn't become obtrusive here or then the effect would become just the opposite..."-Rudolf Steiner, Esoteric Classes, Lesson 32 https://rsarchive.org/Lectures/GA266/English/UNK1999/19110826e01.html



    Dr. Steiner's works are available for free at www.rsarchive.com.



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    "Streams of spiritual life are always flowing through the world. These streams can't flow into us when we're thinking about everyday things. But our meditation words are like portals that are to lead us into the spiritual world. They have the strength to open up our soul so that the thoughts of our great leaders, the masters of wisdom and of the harmony of feelings can stream into us. For this to happen the deepest quiet must reign in us. We must realize that meditation is a very intimate soul activity. 


    So we should let the meditation words given to us by our teacher live in our soul right after we wake up and before other thoughts have gone through our soul. But we shouldn't look upon them as stuff to speculate on and philosophize about; we should think as little as possible about their meaning and significance. We have enough time for reflection the rest of the day. 


    We should hold that off completely while meditating. We shouldn't repeat the words meaninglessly but should be clear that the words open our soul to the instreaming of divine beings, just as a flower opens and lets in sunlight. High spiritual beings whom we call masters stream down to us. We should realize that it's mainly they who guide us and are near to us in meditation."  -Rudolf Steiner, Esoteric Lessons I, GA 266, Number 15, Berlin, 1-29-'07, https://rsarchive.org/Lectures/GA129/English/RSP1963/19110820p02.html



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    "Meditation,  then, is prayer, but is prayer from WITHIN the INNER self, and partakes not only of the physical inner man but the soul that is aroused by the spirit of man from within." -Edgar Cayce reading 281-13



    “There exists a twofold truth concerning the divine being, one to which the inquiry of the reason can reach, the other which surpasses the whole ability of human reason.” – St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Contra Gentiles, Book One, University of Notre Dame Press, Notre Dame, London, 1975. 



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    "May stillness reign within me

    May stillness weave through me

    That I may hear

    The voice of YOUR spirit

    The wise guidance of YOUR spirit

    That out of me 

    may speak

    What YOU deem worthy

    To place in the depths

    of my heart.

    Keep watch on my word

    Keep watch on my thinking

    Keep watch on YOUR servant

    And YOUR messenger."   -Rudolf Steiner, Mantric Sayings and Meditations, P305, For Pastor Paul Klein as a meditation before delivering a sermon. August, 1911.

    from Dr. Rudolf Steiner

    The following verses and meditations are from verses collected under the title "Mantric Sayings and Meditations (1903-1925)" delivered by Dr. Rudolf Steiner during his life by way of letters written to individuals, notes from his journals, lectures, and for funeral orations. Some meditations and mantras were written individually as letters to loved ones so that they could carry on their relationships with those who had died. The page numbers and links are provided for reference. https://rudolfsteinerbookstore.com/product/mantric-sayings-cw-268/


                         

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    "Christ, the Sun-Love-Word

    Lives in the ray of light*

    That permeates my eye.*

    And may Christ live

    In my whole being,

    And with my whole being

    May I live in Christ."   -Rudolf Steiner, P68, Mantric Sayings and Meditations


    *Author's Note: I replaced the word "beam" in the original translation with "ray". I also replaced "penetrate" with "permeate".  All of Dr. Steiner's works were translated from German as he did not speak English. It is also inevitable that all translators proceed based on their knowledge and experience, but inevitably different translations exist.   For  example, there are over 900 English translations of the Bible that have  been created since 1526. 


    If I minor updates were made by me in the verses below, they have been notated. 


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    "Out of the light-filled heights of the spirit

    May God's bright light shine

    In human souls

    Who wish to seek

    The grace of the spirit

    The power of the spirit

    The being of the spirit." -Rudolf Steiner, Mantric Sayings and Meditations, P272




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    Imagine face of loved one.

    Imagine hands touching.


    "Come, soul, to me,

    I am waiting.

    Come into my thoughts,

    They are waiting.

    Come into my feelings,

    They are waiting.

    My I is waiting."   -Rudolf Steiner, P207, Mantric Sayings and Meditations




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    "May my soul follow you into the spirit realm.

    Follow you with the love

    It was able to nurture in the earthly realm

    When my eye could still see you,

    May the heat and the cold be eased for you,

    Thus we live united

    Not separated by the gates of the spirit." -Rudolf Steiner, P199, Mantric Sayings and Meditations


    *Note: Dr. Steiner spoke about how many people who, when we pass through the gate of death, can suffer from "thirst", "heat", and "cold" depending on the nature of our lives and the obstacles we have to overcome during the initial years of transformation. Thus, he spoke of lessening the effects of spiritual "cold" and "heat", which is a soul experience on the astral plane, or spiritual realm, which we can help to bring into balance through love, and mantras and meditations such as these.



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    "May my love

    Be sacrificially woven

    Into all of the protective sheaths

    That surround you-

    Cooling all warmth,

    Warming all coldness-

    Life carried by love

    Light-gifted, upward!"   -Rudolf Steiner, P195, Mantric Sayings and Meditations


    Think of him or her (the focus of your prayer) throughout the given meditation (picturing them as vividly as possible). 



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    "To you who reside in the realm of the spirit,

    May my love follow you,

    May it follow you in your coldness,

    May it follow you in your heat,

    May it faithfully carry with you

    What in your soul is to be carried

    I, with you." -Rudolf Steiner, P214, Mantric Sayings and Meditations (language slightly modified by the author).


    Think of him or her (the focus of your prayer) throughout the given meditation (picturing them as vividly as possible). 



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    "Soul in soul land,

    Seek Christ's mercy

    That brings you help,

    Help from spirit lands

    That grants peace even to those spirits

    Who would despair

    Lacking peace in earthly experience."   -Rudolf Steiner, P218, Mantric Sayings and Meditations


    Think of him or her (the focus of your prayer) throughout the given meditation (picturing them as vividly as possible). 



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    "To you

    In love

    On the paths of Christ

    Seek my heart

    Live

    In my thoughts

    As I in your soul."   -Rudolf Steiner, P207, Mantric Sayings and Meditations


    Think of him or her (the focus of your prayer) throughout the given meditation (picturing them as vividly as possible). 



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    "Into the fields of spirit I will send

    The faithful love we found on earth

    To bind soul with soul

    Loving, you should find my thinking

    If from the bright lands of spirit seeking

    You turn your soul

    To behold what you seek in me."  -Rudolf Steiner, P201, Mantric Sayings and Meditations


    Think of him or her (the focus of your prayer) throughout the given meditation (picturing them as vividly as possible). 



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    "May heart-love reach to soul-love

    Love's warmth stream to spirit's light

    Thus I draw near to you

    Thinking spiritual thoughts with you

    Feeling cosmic love in you

    Willing in spirit through you

    Weaving unity of experience." -Rudolf Steiner, P205, Mantric Sayings and Meditations


    Think of him or her (the focus of your prayer) throughout the given meditation (picturing them as vividly as possible). 



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    "May my soul's love stride toward you

    May my love's understanding stream toward you.

    May they carry you

    May they hold you

    In the heights of hope,

    In the spheres of love." -Rudolf Steiner, P213, Mantric Sayings and Meditations


    Think of him or her (the focus of your prayer) throughout the given meditation (picturing them as vividly as possible). 



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    "I was united with you.

    Remain united with me.

    We will speak together

    In the speech of eternal being.

    We will be active

    There, where deeds produce effects,

    We will weave in the spirit,

    There, where human thoughts are woven

    In the WORD of eternal thoughts." -Rudolf Steiner, P223, Mantric Sayings and Meditations


    Think of him or her (the focus of your prayer) throughout the given meditation (picturing them as vividly as possible).



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    "No barrier can separate

    What united in the spirit

    Preserves

    The light-shining

    Love-streaming

    Eternal soul-bond.

    Thus, I am in your memory

    Thus, are you in mine." -Rudolf Steiner, P223, Mantric Sayings and Meditations


    Think of him or her (the focus of your prayer) throughout the given meditation (picturing them as vividly as possible).



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    Part 1: Mornings:

    Imagine the Sun. The sun sounding tones in the heart:


    "Christ is with you

    He fills your heart. 

    Christ is in you 

    He fills your soul.

    Christ is around you 

    He fills your spirit.

    Feel him."

    Wait Quietly


    Part 2: Evenings

    Imagine the world of the stars against a blue sky.


    "My I will be

    In spirit-filled space

    It will have left

    Its physical body

    It will weave

    In the spirit of God

    Filled with Strength" -Rudolf Steiner, P206, Mantric Sayings and Meditations



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    "Whatever happens to you

    In the course of time and worlds

    My loving heart

    With all of its forces

    Will be with you

       Bearing

       Helping." -Rudolf Steiner, P206, Mantric Sayings and Meditations


    Think of him or her (the focus of your prayer) throughout the given meditation (picturing them as vividly as possible).



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    "With you

    My soul seeks you,

    Presciently divining

    Is with you,

    And lives in your task

    With you,

    So we are united

    Karmically for all time." -Rudolf Steiner, P196, Mantric Sayings and Meditations


    Think of him or her (the focus of your prayer) throughout the given meditation (picturing them as vividly as possible).



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    "You to whom my love is streaming

    May your warmth cool you

    May your cold warm you

    May my love's fidelity

    See in the spirit

    To your spirit future

    Out of my heart forever." -Rudolf Steiner, P196, Mantric Sayings and Meditations


    Think of him or her (the focus of your prayer) throughout the given meditation (picturing them as vividly as possible).



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    "May there be sent to you

    My love just as it was

    When you were here with me.

    May it ease your heat

    May it ease your cold

    So that you can find your way

    From the soul into the spirit realm" -Rudolf Steiner, P197, Mantric Sayings and Meditations


    *The "Soul Realm" refers to the initial stage of transition that each soul passes through after death. Dr. Steiner referred to this phase of purification, and transformation, after death as "Kamaloca" while in the Bible it is referred to as "Purgatory". After a soul completes its transformation during that period, which can be a difficult transition, then it moves on to the "Spirit Realm", "Spirit Land", and "Devachan", which in the Bible is referred to as "Heaven".  Dr. Steiner observed that, on average, Kamaloca lasts about 1/3 of the number of years that the individual lived on earth.



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    "That the eyes of your soul may see

    The deeper force in my thoughts

    Thus is my will.

    May my will meet your will

    In the strength of the Father

    In the Mercy of the Christ

    In the light of the spirit." -Rudolf Steiner, P209, Mantric Sayings and Meditations


    Think of him or her (the focus of your prayer) throughout the given meditation (picturing them as vividly as possible).



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    "May my love be with you in the spirit realm.

    May your soul be found

    By my seeking soul.

    May your cold be lessened

    And your heat be soothed

    By my thinking of your being.

    May we thus be bound together

    I with you

    And you with me." -Rudolf Steiner, P215, Mantric Sayings and Meditations


    Think of him or her (the focus of your prayer) throughout the given meditation (picturing them as vividly as possible).



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    “To YOU

    Bearer of the World's Word

    May my soul

    Be directed

    Opening itself to YOUR

    Portal of Grace,

    To Your

    Gate of Love;

    Send the Spirit

    Who bears

    YOUR Word's

    Illumination

    Your Word's

    Warmth of Love

    Your Word's

    Heart Power

    Into my Soul."-Rudolf Steiner, P304, Mantric Sayings and Meditations



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    “Into cosmic distances I will carry
    My feeling heart, so that it grows warm
    In the fire of the holy forces working;


    Into cosmic thoughts I will weave
    My own thinking, so that it grows clear
    In the light of eternal life-becoming;


    Into depths of soul I will sink
    Devoted contemplation, so that it grows strong
    For the true goals of human activity.


    In the peace of God I strive thus
    Amidst life’s battles and cares
    To prepare myself for the higher Self;


    Aspiring to work in joy-filled peace,
    Sensing cosmic being in my own being,
    I seek to fulfill my human duty;


    May I live then in anticipation,
    Oriented toward my soul’s star
    Which gives me my place in spirit realms.” -Rudolf Steiner



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    "Peace, lead my seeking soul

    In its searching for the good.

    Truth, lead my striving soul

    In its striving for the light.

    God in me, lead myself

    In all searching

    For light, love, and knowledge."  -Rudolf Steiner, Soul Exercises (1904-1924)




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    "In feelings of the need for YOUR mercy,

    Christ-light of the world, I hope for and await

          forces

         opening the portals of the soul

       For YOUR illumination

      I will be still within myself

      and thank YOU for YOUR gift

      and give it

      as YOUR gift to humankind

      An instrument of YOUR word

      will I be

    with my soul's

          best powers

          true depths

         stillest reverences." -Rudolf Steiner, P303, Mantric Sayings and Meditations



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    "In the expanses of the universe

    The force bestirred itself

    That gave my soul existence.

    Sensing this I will remember this force

    Trustingly I hope for it

    May it bring me the light

    That always lights my life."-Rudolf Steiner, Soul Exercises (1904-1924)



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    "To the bright light of the sun

    Streams from the heights

    And spirit forces live

    In the sunshine’s light

    The warmth of the heart

    Lives within the human being

    And soul forces stream

    From the warmth of the heart.*

    In the spirit of the sunlight

    God’s wisdom presides

    In the warm power of the heart

    May the soul’s love preside." -Rudolf Steiner, Soul Exercises (1904-1924).  

    *The translation I used on this verse from "Soul Exercises" uses "warm chamber" which I replaced with "warmth".



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    "May wisdom shine through me.

    May love grow within me,

    May strength penetrate me.

    That in me may arise

    A helper of humankind

    A servant of sacred things

    Selfless and true." - Rudolf Steiner



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    "Great exalted spirit

    You who fill the vastness of the worlds

    who dip into the soul's foundations

    Fill our place of work

    Fill our seeking souls

    Strengthen our will

    Warm our feeling

    Purify our thinking

    Now and evermore."  -Rudolf Steiner, P267, Mantric Sayings and Meditations



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    "To you

    In love

    On the paths of Christ

    Seek my heart

    Live

    In my thoughts

    As I in your soul."  -Rudolf Steiner, P207, Mantric Sayings and Meditations (for a mother after the death of her small child, June 1921)




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    "I see in the pure rays of light
    The Godhead of the world;
    In love to all beings radiates the divinity of my soul.
    I live in the Godhead
    And find myself again
    In the Godhead of the world." -Rudolf Steiner, Esoteric Classes, Lesson 32 https://rsarchive.org/Lectures/GA266/English/UNK1999/19110826e01.html



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    "Oh, God, Who wills to redeem me,

    For Your Love's sake I must follow you.

    Show me the way

    And I'll tread in Your footsteps,

    Because Jesus Christ, You Son,

    Patiently leads me on the path of redemption.

    Death He has suffered for me,

    And the young dawn blossoms for us." -The Bridge Over the River, After Death Communications of a Young Artist Who Died in World War I, P 59. https://www.amazon.com/Bridge-over-River-Communications-Artist/dp/0910142599




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    "The roof upon your house

    Is blessed.

    Roses are growing upward on the walls...

    And eyes of longing are gazing

    From the windows.

    Wait a while!

    Open your hearts to the waves

    of Divine Grace,

    And a light will be enkindled for you

    That will never be extinguished

    It brightens your works by day,

    And your experiences by night.

    Thus Divine Light embraces you

    And you are resting protected in His lap.

    The Lord Blesses you." -The Bridge Over the River, After Death Communications of a Young Artist Who Died in World War I, P 41. https://www.amazon.com/Bridge-over-River-Communications-Artist/dp/0910142599




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    "The currents of love are immense

    That surge through you, oh man,

    Son of God!

    Father of light and love, 

    Ruler of death are You

    And tranquility.

    Inconceivable is Your might, and 

    You gave of it to me.

    And now I conceive fully your might,

    That watches over me.

    Now I can endure, even

    Through the world should crumble.

    Only this thought survives:

    I am - You are!" -The Bridge Over the River, After Death Communications of a Young Artist Who Died in World War I, P 25. https://www.amazon.com/Bridge-over-River-Communications-Artist/dp/0910142599



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    Morning:

    "May my soul bloom 

    In love for all existence

    May my spirit live

    In the soul of being

    May self rest

    In the world's divinity

    So will I be."


    Evening:

    "I will stir myself

    To be in the world's divinity

    May my self rest within it

    May my spirit live

    In the soul of being

    May my soul bloom

    In love for all existence

    Wisdom in spirit."


    -Rudolf Steiner, “Start Now!: A Book of Soul and Spiritual Exercises : Meditation  Instructions, Meditations, Exercises, Verses for Living a Spiritual  Year, Prayers for the Dead & Other Practices for Beginning and  Experienced Practitioners”, by Christopher Bamford, 2004, p.124, PDF On Google: https://books.google.cg/books?id=q9JDyMnqKwMC&printsec=frontcover&hl=fr&source=gbs_vpt_read#v=onepage&q&f=false



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    Mabel Collins “Light on the Path"

    "In the book Light on the Path, there are four sentences which may be employed in meditation and inner concentration. They are very ancient and have been used for centuries by Initiates. Their meaning is profound and many-sided. 


    -Before the eyes can see, they must be incapable of tears.

    -Before the ear can hear, it must have lost it's sensitiveness.

    -Before the voice can speak in the presence of the masters, it must have lost the power to wound.

    -Before the soul can stand in the presence of the masters, its feet must be washed in the blood of the heart.


    These four sentences have magical power. But we must bring them to life within us, we must love them as a mother loves her child. "  -Dr. Rudolf Steiner, An Esoteric Cosmology, Lecture VI, Yoga In East and West II,  https://rsarchive.org/Lectures/GA094/English/SGP1978/19060530p01.html



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    "I am surrounded by the pure white light of the Christ.

    Nothing but good can come to me.

    Nothing but good shall go from me.

    I give thanks." - The Astara Affirmation



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    "...A morning meditation that consists of the following. 

    One raises one's feeling to the higher self. It's less a matter of telling oneself something theoretically about the higher self, and more of feeling in a very vivid way that one has a higher nature in one. One imagines that the ordinary self surrounds this higher nature like a shell, so that the latter is present in the lower self like its kernel. After developing such a feeling one says the following prayerfully (not aloud, but in thought) to the “higher self”: 



    More radiant than the sun
    Purer than snow
    Subtler than the ether
    Is the Self
    The Spirit of my heart
    I am this Self
    This Self am I. 


    As one says this to oneself quite exactly no other idea should mix in. One should only feel that one's soul-gaze is directed towards the higher self. One gradually feels a wonderful strengthening going out from the above words. One feels as if one were lifted out of oneself, and eventually as if one had gotten wings. This is the beginning on which one then builds further. This should last 2–3 minutes."  -Rudolf Steiner,  Esoteric Lessons I, GA 266 Number 1, https://rsarchive.org/Lectures/GA266/English/UNK1998/EsoC01_Arc6912.html



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    The Lord’s Prayer

    Our Father, who art in heaven, 

    Hallowed be thy Name. 

    Thy Kingdom come. 

    Thy will be done on earth, 

    As it is in heaven. 

    Give us this day our daily bread. 

    And forgive us our trespasses, 

    As we forgive those who trespass against us. 

    And lead us not into temptation

    But deliver us from evil. 

    For thine is the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory, 

    For ever and ever. 

    Amen



    __________________________




    The Lord's Prayer by Rudolf Steiner

    Dr. Steiner described the Lord's Prayer as a prayer of profound cosmic and human meaning. He provided this interpretation to at least one colleague during his lifetime.


    "Father, you who were, are, and will be in the inmost being of all of us! May your name be glorified in us all and praised.


    May your kingdom grow more expansive in our deeds and in the conduct of our lives.


    May we enact your will in our lives as you, Father, have enshrined it in our inmost heart and soul.


    In overflowing abundance, you give us spiritual nourishment, the bread of life, through all the changing conditions of our lives.


    Let our mercy towards others atone for the sins perpetrated upon our being.

    You do not allow the tempter to work on us beyond the capacity of our strength - for no temptation can prevail in your being and the tempter is only appearance and delusion from which you will safely deliver us, Father, through the light of your knowledge.


    May your power and glory work in us for all the cycles of time."




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     The Archangel Michael with his spear of light defending against the perils of the dragons of negative criticism (and lowly negative thoughts) represented as black daggers arising from underneath. By David Newbatt. From the "Twelve Aspects of Michael" by Christof Lindberg.

      "Michael!

      Lend me your sword

      That I may be armed

      To vanquish the dragon in me,

      Fill me with your strength

      That I may bring into confusion the spirits

      Who wish to paralyze me.

      Work in me

      So that the light irradiates

      My I, and that I may be led

      To deeds worthy of you.

      Michael!"  -Rudolf Steiner, Soul Exercises (1904-1924)



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      "I want to be strong

      I want to be strong in my hands

      I want to be strong in my heart

      May God help me

      That I may become strong

      I pray to God

      That He may strengthen my hands

      I pray to God

      That He may strengthen my heart

      Then I will be strong."  -Rudolf Steiner, Mantras and Meditations, Page 174



      __________________________




      *To be said silently before going to sleep.


      "O you powers in the spiritual world

      Let me out of the physical body

      To be knowing in the world of light

      To be in the light

      To observe my own body of light

      Do not allow the power of the Ahrimanic forces

      To have too much power over me

      So they do not make it impossible for me

      To behold what is taking place in my body of light." -Rudolf Steiner, Soul Exercises (1904-1924)



      __________________________




      "My aura’s outer sheath condenses.

      May it surround me with an impenetrable vessel

      Against all impure, corrupt thoughts and sensations.

      May it open itself only to divine wisdom." -Rudolf Steiner, Soul Exercises (1904-1924)




      __________________________




      "From the fighters' courage,

      From the blood of battles,

      From the mourners' suffering,

      From the people's sacrifice,

      There will ripen fruits of Spirit

      If with consciousness the soul

      Turns her thought to Spirit Realms.

      Brave and true I will be.

      Each good deed sets me free.

      Each kind word makes me strong.

      I will fight for the right.

      I will conquer the wrong.

      I bear within me peace;

      Within myself I bear forces to make me strong.

      With the warmth of these forces I shall be imbued.

      With the power of my will I shall be filled.

      And then I shall feel

      How peacefulness pours through all my being

      As I strengthen myself

      To find peace as strength within myself

      Through steadfast inner striving." -Rudolf Steiner, Soul Exercises (1904-1924)



      ___________________________


       

       

      "From ancient, holy sacrificial sites

      The healing art once flowed

      Into the works of humankind.

      Remember your revelation:

      Say it at the new healing site.

      And if human souls

      Carried by the spirit

      Hear your call to the Mysteries

      They shall work

      To bring forth healing

      In the weaving of human life.

      I will seek the power of spirit-ears

      In a loving heart

      To hear the call."  - Rudolf Steiner, Mantric Sayings Meditations 1903-1925), P 298.




      ___________________________


      Drawing of the evolution - of different stages - of the Astral Body by Rudolf Steiner as it matures. -Wonders of the World, Ordeals of the Soul, Revelations of the Spirit, Lecture 3

        Meditation on the Astral Body


        The six-pointed star, or hexagram, represents the major organs of the astral body. Picture hearing with the heart as though it is a soul organ of hearing. Imagine the form of the shape in bright yellow. The image above can be found in the book Soul Exercises, by Dr. Rudolf Seiner, P218.


        Morning:


        "1. In active will, I offer up human love.

        2. Thus, I connect with the universe.

        3. Thus, in the universe my I sustains itself.

        4. Thinking, I grasp the light of worlds.

        5. Thus, the universe grounds itself in the I.

        6. Thus, lives in my I a (the) universe.


        Keeping the whole image in your mind, speak:


        “I lives as love-offering, thus in the light of worlds of love.”  


        OR


         "I live as love. Thus, I offer myself to the light of worlds of love.” -Author adaptation.




        __________________________





        -"Everything in the nature of transitory thought and idea, thought which arises in us and then disappears, belongs to the astral body; every habitual, lasting attitude of mind, everything which is not merely thought in the sense that it leads its own isolated thought-existence in the soul, belongs to the ether body." -Rudolf Steiner, -Wonders of the World, Ordeals of the Soul, Revelations of the Spirit, Lecture 3. Nature and Spirit. Zeus, Poseidon and Pluto as macrocosmic counterparts of the human bodily sheaths. An occult sign. https://rsarchive.org/Lectures/GA129/English/RSP1963/19110820p02.html


        "What does the astral body look like?   When the astral body is together with the physical body, it is somewhat egg-like in shape. After death it is a wonderfully radiant, mobile formation. In accordance with individual characteristics it has various colours, radiant colours. Its three gleaming points are at first widely separated, joined together but open below. They are centres of force; they draw progressively together and then they look like a small triangle. 1. Heart; 2. Liver; 3. Brain. These three points work together at the time of a new incarnation. In Devachan they are radiant centres of force, which stream out from the three points. In the astral world these three points form a triangle; in Devachan they form a six-pointed figure — two interlaced triangles. They are bells." - Rudolf Steiner, At the Gates of Spiritual Science, GA 95, Notes from Answers to Questions, https://rsarchive.org/GA/GA0095/GateSS_notes1.html


        "At the moment of going to sleep, the inner forces in the astral body and in the Ego actually begin to expand over the whole solar system, to become part of it. From every direction man draws into his astral body and into his Ego forces which strengthen this life during sleep, and on waking he contracts into the narrower confines within his skin and pours into these what he has absorbed during the night from the whole sola  system. That is why medieval occultists too called this spiritual body  of man the ‘astral’ body, because it is united with the worlds of the  stars and draws its forces from them. During sleep at night, then, man  actually expands over the whole solar system."- Rudolf Steiner,  https://rsarchive.org/Lectures/GA123/English/RSP1965/19100903p02.html 


        Selected References: 

        -Rudolf Steiner, Soul Exercises, P218-219

        -Rudolf Steiner, Esoteric Studies, P138

        -Rudolf Steiner, At the Gates of Spiritual Science




        __________________________



          The Five-Pointed Star (Symbol of the Etheric Body)

            

          Dr. Steiner provided many insights regarding the correlation of the 5 pointed star (Pentagram or Christmas Star) to the human being and the Crucifixion. The five pointed star is the symbol of the Etheric or Energy Body of the human being. The Etheric Body of the world and each human being was "revivified" by the Christ at the Crucifixion, thus providing the human being, and the world, a renewed path to transformation which ensured that humanity would reach our proper path of evolution. 


          Dr. Steiner provided a meditation on the Etheric Body that enables a person to strengthen and heal the currents of spiritual energy that flows throughout the human being in a certain way. This meditation follows the direction and points of the currents of the Etheric field or body, that aligns to five major points that resemble a five-pointed star.


          Morning:


          Imagine the form of the shape in bright yellow.


          1. Head to Right Foot: Earth Ether (Pritihivi Tattwa)

          2. To Left Hand: Water Ether (Apas Tattwa)

          3. To the Right Hand: Fire Ether (Tejas Tattwa)

          4. To the Left Foot: Air Ether (Vaju Tattwa)

          5. To the Head: Thought Ether (Akasha Tattwa)


          "Strength in Me."



          __________________________




          (1) "Each organ of the physical body has behind it this etheric body. Man has an etheric heart, an etheric brain, etc., which holds together the corresponding physical organ. One is naturally tempted to picture the etheric body in a material way, somewhat like a thin cloud, but in reality the etheric body consists of a number of currents of force. The clairvoyant sees in the etheric body of man certain currents that are exceedingly important. Thus, for example, there is a stream which rises from the left foot to the forehead (see diagram), to a point which lies between the eyes, about half an inch down within the brain; it then returns to the other foot; from there it passes to the hand on the opposite side; from thence through the heart into the other hand, and from there back to its starting-point. In this way it forms a pentagram of currents of force."  Rudolf Steiner, The Gospel of John (Basle), Lecture 2, GA100, https://rsarchive.org/Lectures/GA100/English/LR1942/19071117p01.html



          (2) "This ether body, then, is a second member of the human entity. For supersensible cognition, it possesses a higher degree of reality than the physical body. ...  it is to be looked upon as a kind of architect of the latter. All organs are preserved in their form and shape by means of the currents and movements of the ether body. 


          The physical heart is based upon an “etheric heart,” the physical brain upon an “etheric brain,” and so forth. The ether body is organized like the physical body, only with greater complexity. Wherever in the physical body separated parts exist, in the ether body everything is in living, interweaving motion.  The human being possesses this ether body in common with the plants, just as he possesses the physical body in common with the mineral element. Everything living has its ether body. " - Rudolf Steiner, Occult Science, Chapter 2. https://rsarchive.org/Books/GA013/English/AP1972/GA013_c02.html  *This is an abridged quote.



          (3) "The physical body can retain the form and stature suitable for man only by means of the human ether body, which in turn receives its proper forces from the astral body. The ether body is the builder, the architect, of the physical body, but it can only build in the right way if it receives the impulse for this purpose from the astral body."- Rudolf Steiner, Occult Science, Chapter 3. https://rsarchive.org/Books/GA013/English/AP1972/GA013_c03.html



          (4) "If we look at this pentagram, to begin with, taken at its face value, it is a symbol for the etheric body.  But I have already said that the ether body also contains the central forces of both astral and physical bodies; it is from the ether body that all the forces, the ageing and the youth-giving forces emanate."  -Rudolf Steiner, -Wonders of the World, Ordeals of the Soul, Revelations of the Spirit, Lecture 3. Nature and Spirit. Zeus, Poseidon and Pluto as macrocosmic counterparts of the human bodily sheaths. An occult sign. This is an abridged quote.  -Rudolf Steiner, Wonders of the World, Ordeals of the Soul, Revelations of the Spirit, GA 129, 3. Nature and Spirit. Zeus, Poseidon and Pluto as macrocosmic counterparts of the human bodily sheaths. An occult sign. 20 August 1911, Munich, https://rsarchive.org/Lectures/GA129/English/RSP1963/19110820p02.html



          (5) "Everything in the nature of transitory thought and idea, thought which arises in us and then disappears, belongs to the astral body; every habitual, lasting attitude of mind, everything which is not merely thought in the sense that it leads its own isolated thought-existence in the soul, belongs to the ether body." -Rudolf Steiner, -Wonders of the World, Ordeals of the Soul, Revelations of the Spirit, Lecture 3. Nature and Spirit. Zeus, Poseidon and Pluto as macrocosmic counterparts of the human bodily sheaths. An occult sign. https://rsarchive.org/Lectures/GA129/English/RSP1963/19110820p02.html



          (6) "Thoughts have their true seat in the human etheric body. There, however, they are real, living forces. They imprint themselves in the physical body, as such “imprinted thoughts” they possess the shadowy character known to ordinary consciousness.  Now one can go back to times in which the thoughts were directly experienced in the ‘Ego.’ But in those times they were not shadowy as they are today, nor were they merely living; they were full of soul and spirit. But this means that the man did not only think his thoughts; he had as an experience the perception of concrete spiritual beings. "  -Rudolf Steiner, Anthroposophical Leading Thoughts, GA 26, 3. The Way of Michael, and What Preceded, It, https://rsarchive.org/Books/GA026/English/RSP1973/GA026_c03.html 



          (7)  "We're always surrounded by five ether streams in the world around us on earth. They're called earth, water, fire, air and thought ethers. These etheric streams are also active in man: earth ether from the head to the right foot, from there water ether to the left hand, from there fire ether to the right hand, from there air ether to the left foot, and then thought ether back to the head. This is the occultist's sacred pentagram, the symbol of man. Its point is directed upwards, which indicates that the spirit streams to man from the heights. The pentagram is present in many flowers and other things in nature." -Rudolf Steiner, Esoteric Lessons I, GA 266, Number 12, Köln, 12-1-'06, https://rsarchive.org/Lectures/GA266/English/UNK1998/19061201e01.html



          __________________________




          The Five Pointed Star and Christmas


          "...the cosmic symbol of Man is the pentagram, hanging at the top of the tree (Christmas Tree). Of the deepest meaning of the pentagram we may not now speak. But it is the star of humanity, of evolving humanity; it is the star that all wise men follow, as did the Priest-Sages of old. It symbolises the very essence and meaning of earth-existence. It comes to birth in the Holy Night because the greatest Light shines forth from the deepest Darkness. 


          Man is living on towards a state where the Light is to be born in him, where words full of significance will be replaced by others equally significant, where it will no longer be said: ‘The Darkness comprehendeth not the Light,’ but when the truth will ring out from cosmic space: The Darkness gives way before the Light that shines in the Star of Humanity — and now the Darkness comprehendeth the Light!"  -Steiner, Rudolf. The Festivals and Their Meaning I: Christmas. Lecture II. Signs and Symbols of the Christmas Festival. 17 December 1906, Berlin https://rsarchive.org/Lectures/Christmas/19061217p01.html


          Selected References: 

          -Rudolf Steiner, Soul Exercises, P217

          -Rudolf Steiner, Esoteric Studies, P137-141

          -Rudolf Steiner, Occult Science, Chapter 2.

          -Rudolf Steiner, Wonders of the World, Ordeals of the Soul, Revelations of the Spirit, Lecture 3

          -Rudolf Steiner, The Gospel of John (Basle), GA100

          -Rudolf Steiner, At the Gates of Spiritual Science

          Rudolf Steiner, The Festivals and Their Meaning



          __________________________

          The 6 Daily Balancing Exercises by Dr. Rudolf Steiner

            

          1. Control of thought aims to gain control over what you think. As thoughts arise and pass, we seek to embrace only valid thoughts that are alive and spiritual. We must seek to dismiss fleeting passing notions and thoughts associated with the outer world.


          2. Control of will aims to gain control over one’s actions. This is the de facto result of control over one’s thoughts. Control over one’s thoughts lead to control of feeling and willing.


          3. The exercise of balanced feeling. This aims to be aware of your feelings, to weaken strong feelings and strengthen weak ones and to balance them. No highs or lows.


          4. Seek to find the positive in all things regardless of our ugly or negative something or someone appears. In this exercise thinking and feeling are combined.


          5. Open-mindedness aims to be always open to new experiences. In this exercise feeling and willing are combined.


          6. Inner harmony: the sixth, in which the previous exercises need to be practiced in order to create harmony between thinking, feeling and willing.



          ______________________

          The Eightfold Path of Buddha & The 8 Beatitudes of Christ

          According to Buddha and Anthroposophy, each person is born into the world with certain habits carried forward from prior lifetimes. In the East, this residual disposition or "imprint" is referred to as "Samskara". It consists of lower biases and dispositions that we carry with us from prior lifetimes. 


          The negative aspect of ourselves in Samskara leads to falsehoods, mistakes, and self deceptions. To advance, or grow, a person must practice daily habits of thought, feeling, and doing that purges our inherent biases or weaknesses before we can reach a truly objective perception of things. 


          Self purification is the path of higher development.


          This practice was referred to by Buddha as the Eightfold Path.  Using these mantras and practices can aide one through healthy living, thinking, and feeling leading one to balance.



          "All the great Founders of religions have been possessed of clairvoyant sight. They  are the spiritual Guides of mankind, and their precepts are precepts of  the moral life based on astral and spiritual truths. This explains the  similarities in all the religions. There is a certain similarity, for instance, between the Eight-fold Path of the Buddha and the Eight Beatitudes of Christ. The same underlying truth is that whenever man develops one of the virtues, he unfolds a new faculty of perception. Why are eight stages mentioned? Because the seer knows that the faculties which may be transmuted into organs of perception are eight in number." Rudolf Steiner, GA 94 , An Esoteric Cosmology, Lecture X: The Astral World – Paris, 6th June 1906 



          The Eightfold Path Consists of:


          "He (Buddha) described the path as follows.—


          1. Man attains this kind of knowledge about the world when he acquires a right view of things, a view that has nothing to do with sympathy or antipathy or preference of any sort. He must strive as best he can to acquire the right view of each thing, purely according to what presents itself to him outwardly. That is the first principle: the right view of things. 


          2, Secondly, man must become independent of what has remained from  earlier incarnations; he must also endeavour to judge in accordance with  his right view of a thing and not be swayed by any other influences.  Thus right judgment is the second principle. 


          3. The third is that he  must strive to give true expression to what he desires to communicate  to the world, having first acquired the right view and right judgment of  it; not only his words but every manifestation of his being must  express his own right view—that and that alone. This is right speech.  


          4. The fourth principle is that man must strive to act, not according to  his sympathies and antipathies, not according to the dark forces of  Samskara within him, but in such a way that he lets his right view,  right judgment and right speech become deed. This is right action.  


          5. The fifth principle, enabling a man to liberate himself from what is  within him, is that he should acquire the right vocation and station in  the world. We may best understand what Buddha meant by this, if we remember how many people are dissatisfied with the tasks devolving upon  them, believing that some other position would be more advantageous. But a man should be able to derive from the situation into which he is born or into which fate has placed him, the best that is possible, i.e. to \acquire the right ‘occupation’ or ‘vocation’. Whoever finds no  satisfaction in the situation in which he is placed, will not be able to  derive from it the power to unfold right activity in the world. This is  what Buddha called right vocation. 


          6. The sixth principle is that a  man should make increasing efforts to ensure that what he acquires  through right views, right judgment and so forth, shall become habit in him. He is born into the world with certain habits. A child gives evidence of this or that inclination or habit. But man's endeavours should be directed, not towards retaining the habits, proceeding from Samskara but towards acquiring those that gradually become his own as  the result of right views, right judgment, right speech, and so on.  These are the right habits. 


          7. The seventh principle is that a man should bring order into his life through not invariably forgetting yesterday when he has to act to-day. He would never accomplish anything  if he had to learn his skills anew each time. He must strive to develop recollectedness, mindfulness, regarding everything in his life. He must  always turn to account what he has already learnt, he must link the present with the past. 


          8. Thus along the Eightfold Path man must acquire right mindfulness in the sense of Buddha's teaching. The eighth quality is acquired when,  without partiality for one view or another and without being influenced by any element remaining in him from former incarnations, he surrenders  himself with pure devotion to the things of the world, immerses himself  in them and lets them alone speak to him. This is right contemplation.


          This is the Eightfold Path, of which Buddha said to his disciples  that if followed it would gradually lead to the extinction of the thirst  for existence with its attendant suffering, and impart to the soul  something that brings liberation from elements enslaving it from past lives." -Rudolf Steiner, The Gospel of Luke, Lecture 3, https://rsarchive.org/Lectures/GA114/English/RSP1964/19090917p01.html  *The numbering above is mine.



          "All the great Founders of religions have been possessed of clairvoyant sight. They are the spiritual Guides of mankind, and their precepts are precepts of the moral life based on astral and spiritual truths. This explains the similarities in all the religions. There is a certain similarity, for instance, between the Eight-fold Path of the Buddha and the Eight Beatitudes of Christ. The same underlying truth is that whenever man develops one of the virtues, he unfolds a new faculty of perception. Why are eight stages mentioned? Because the seer knows that the faculties which may be transmuted into organs of perception are eight in number. 


          The astral organs of perception are called in occultism, the ‘lotus-flowers’ (sacred wheels, chakra). The lotus-flower with sixteen petals lies in the region of the larynx. In very ancient times this lotus-flower turned from right to left — that is to say in the opposite direction to the hands of a clock. In the man of today, this lotus-flower has ceased to turn. In the clairvoyant seer it begins to move in the opposite direction — from left to right. 


          In earlier times, eight of the sixteen petals were visible, the others undeveloped. In future ages they will all be visible, for the first eight are the result of the action of unconscious initiation, the other eight of the conscious initiation attained by dint of personal effort. The eight new petals correspond to the Beatitudes of Christ." - Rudolf Steiner, An Esoteric Cosmology, Lecture X, The Astral World, Part II,  https://rsarchive.org/Lectures/GA094/English/SGP1978/19060606p01.html



          __________________________




          The 8 Beatitudes of Christ from the Sermon on the Mount

          From The Gospel of Matthew 5:3-10.


          1. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
           

          2. Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
           

          3. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
           

          4. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
           

          5. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
           

          6. Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God.
           

          7. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.
           

          8. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,  for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.



          ______________________

          The Prayer of St. Francis

          Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
          Where there is hatred, let me bring love.
          Where there is offense, let me bring pardon.
          Where there is discord, let me bring union.
          Where there is error, let me bring truth.
          Where there is doubt, let me bring faith.
          Where there is despair, let me bring hope.
          Where there is darkness, let me bring your light.
          Where there is sadness, let me bring joy.
          O Master, let me not seek as much
          To be consoled as to console,
          To be understood as to understand,
          To be loved as to love,
          For it is in giving that one receives,
          It is in self-forgetting that one finds,
          It is in pardoning that one is pardoned,
          It is in dying that one is raised to eternal life.


          The tale of St. Francis and the Wolf

          This account can be found in a  14th-century collection of stories about Francis and his companions called The Little Flowers of Saint Francis. Selected Reference: https://www.franciscanmedia.org/franciscan-spirit-blog/st-francis-and-the-taming-of-the-wolf


          In this well-known legend, St. Francis, who was a genuine spiritual initiate, visited the Italian town of Gubbio where a fierce wolf had been terrorizing the village and even killing some of the people including children.


          During his visit to Gubbio, Francis goes out to meet the wolf. According to the story, when the wolf sees St. Francis, he charges saint with his mouth open ready to attack. St. Francis  immediately makes the sign of the Cross over him and says, “Come here,  Brother Wolf. I command you on behalf of Christ that you do no harm to  me or to anyone.” As soon as St Francis did this, notes The Little Flowers, “the fearsome wolf closed his mouth and stopped running; and once the  command was given, it came meekly as a lamb, and threw itself at the  feet of St. Francis.”


          Then St. Francis scolds Brother Wolf for destroying and killing the  creatures of God. “The whole town is complaining about you,” Francis  tells the wolf gently. “But I want to make peace between you and the people. And so I promise that I will have food given to you regularly, Brother Wolf, by the people of this town so that you will no longer suffer hunger. And I want you, Brother Wolf, to promise that you will  never harm any human person or animal.” The wolf showed agreement by  simply bowing his head.


          And so Francis asks the people of the town if they will promise to  provide food for wolf regularly. They all say they will. Finally, St.  Francis asks the wolf to give a guarantee in front of all of the people  that he will no longer inflict harm upon the people of Gubbio or its  animals.


          “Then the wolf, lifting his right paw, placed it in the hand of St.  Francis. Because of this action…there was such rejoicing and wonder  among all the people…that they all began to cry to heaven, praising and  blessing God who sent Francis to them who, through his merits, had freed  them from the jaws of the cruel beast.”


          “Afterwards that same wolf lived in Gubbio for two years, and he tamely entered the houses, going from door to door, without doing any  harm to anyone and without any being done to him; and he was kindly fed  by the people…. Finally after two years Brother Wolf died of old age, at which the citizens grieved very much.”


          Legend has it that after the wolf died, it was interred with St. Francis and lies next to him in his grave...



          ______________________



          Note on St. Francis


          Dr. Rudolf Steiner confirmed that the life of St. Francis as retold in religious history - although many regard it as myth in modern times - coincides with historical fact. Refer to the following lecture for more information on the life and deeds of St. Francis of Assisi: Rudolf Steiner, Anthroposophical Ethics, GA 155, Lecture I, Norrköping, May 28, 1912

          https://rsarchive.org/Lectures/GA155/English/APC1928/19120528p02.html


          The Rose Cross

            

          Ex Deo Nascimur - Out of God I was Born

          Im Christo Morimur - In Christ I Died

          Per Spiritum Sanctum Reviviscimus - Through the Holy Spirit I am Reborn

            The Rose Cross with 7 red roses represents the 7 universal powers influences. It is a symbol of Christian transformation introduced by Christian Rosenkreutz; the founder of the Rosicrucian Order in the Middle Ages ("Rose & Christ"). The number 7 correlates to inner and outer secrets about the human being and the world. The number 7 contains many mysteries. 


            The Rose Cross with seven roses is a genuine spiritual symbol expounded by Dr. Rudolf Steiner as a genuine meditative path. 


            The 7 red roses correspond to the seven divine influences, which are  correlated to 7 spiritual planetary spheres or stages of growth. It manifests also as a cadence in the spiritual and physical world in many ways including seven archangels, seven days of the week, seven musical notes, etc.


            The number seven also correlates to the seven cycles of human development that each human being  or "dentitions" from the time of birth. A person reaches full maturity, in spiritual and physical terms, at the age of 49.  There are many correlations and examples of the number 7 in the world and the human being.


            The path of the Rose Cross is one of three paths of initiation that Dr. Steiner discussed in various lectures; a Christian path, the Eastern path of Yoga, and the Rosicrucian path.



            ________________




            "... It stands as the symbol for a human being's overcoming the lower self in which he merely broods, and his rising from it into the higher self that leads a person to the blissful experience of the life and being of all things. He will  then understand Goethe's words in the poem: West-East Divan:
             

            And until thou truly hast
            This dying and becoming,
            Thou art but a troubled guest
            O'er the dark earth roaming.
             

            Unless one can grasp what is meant by the overcoming of the lower, narrow self and the rising into the higher self, it is not possible to  understand the cross as symbol of dying and becoming — the wood  representing the withering of the lower self, and the blossoming roses  the becoming of the higher self."   -Rudolf Steiner, Supersensible Knowledge, GA 55, Lecture XI. Who are the Rosicrucians? https://rsarchive.org/Lectures/GA055/English/AP1987/19070314p01.html




            ________________




            "Spiritual science describes four qualities which a person needs to acquire on the  path of probation, as we can call it, in order to rise to higher knowledge. The first of these is the ability to distinguish in thoughts what is true from what is false, truth from mere opinion. The second quality is a proper appreciation of truth and reality as opposed to  appearance. The third consists in practicing the six capacities: control  of thoughts, control of actions, patience and tenacity, tolerance, faith, and equanimity. The fourth is love of inner freedom.”  - Rudolf Steiner How To Know Higher Worlds, (GA10), https://rsarchive.org/Books/GA010/



            ________________




            "Meditation means nothing other than surrendering oneself to thoughts which have  eternal worth, in order to raise oneself up in a conscious way to what  lies above both space and time. Such thoughts are contained in the great  religious writings: the Vedanta, the Bhagavad Gita, the Gospel of John...


            He who sinks himself with patience and perseverance  so that he lives in such writings; he who deepens himself anew every day  — perhaps working for weeks on one single sentence, thinking it  through, feeling it through — will gain unlimited benefit. Just as each day one learns more nearly to know and love a child with all its individual characteristics, so one can daily draw into one's soul an eternal truth of the kind that flows from the great Initiates, or from inspired men. 


            This has the effect of filling us with new life..." -Rudolf Steiner, Esoteric Lessons, Chapter VII, The Great Initiates https://rsarchive.org/Lectures/19050316p01.html



            ________________




            "...With such feelings in our hearts we forever want to imbue ourselves with the meaning of the rose cross so that we can perceive it in the proper way as the motto for our doing, weaving and feeling. Not the black cross alone. He who tears the roses from the black cross and has nothing left but the black cross, would fall into the clutches of Ahriman (or materialism). The black cross in itself represents life when it strives to embrace inanimate matter. 


            ...if one were to separate the cross from the roses, keeping only the latter, one would nor find the proper thing. For the roses, separate from the cross, tend to elevate us to a life of selfish striving toward the spiritual, but not to a life in which we reveal the spirit in a material world. 


            Not the cross alone, not the roses alone, but the roses on the cross, the cross carrying the roses: That is our proper symbol."  -Rudolf Steiner, Christ In Relation To Lucifer and Ahriman, GA 159, 18 May 1915, Linz, https://rsarchive.org/Lectures/GA159/English/Singles/19150518p01.html   *This is an abridged quote. The parenthesis are the author's.


            There are several iterations of the Rose Cross meditations that Dr. Steiner provided.  Some are available in print as "Soul Meditations (1903-1924). Others can be found throughout his writings. Some examples are below:



            ________________




            Rose Meditation 1:

            Morning:

            *To be done before anything else upon waking.


            "Spirit light refresh the core of my being."


            Evening:

            *Hold Image of Rose Cross in Mind's Eye.


            "May warmth enter me

            May light illuminate my spirit

            And pour into my heart

            Thus will I find myself

            Thus through spirit power

            Be myself in me

            And rest in God's world."  -Dr. Steiner, Soul Exercises, P276



            Rose Meditation 2:

            Morning:

            *Hold image of Rose Cross in mind's eye. To be done before anything else upon waking.


            "Bright Rose Stars

            Upon the black wood of the cross

            Be the symbol

            Of my soul's

            Strong divine power

            Shine within me, upon the dark

            Ground of my soul."  -Dr. Steiner, Soul Exercises, P314

            *The text has been slightly edited by the author.



            Rose Meditation 3:

            Morning:

            *Hold image of Rose Cross in mind's eye. To be done before anything else upon waking.


            "May this symbol's

            speech be to me of

            lofty Universal Spirit and

            Fill my soul 

            at every time and*

            in every moment of my life

            with light, love, and life." 


            *Author: I added "and" to the original text.


            Evening:

            *Image of blue sky with many stars.


            "Devout and reverent soul

            Send out into the breadths

            of space a feeling gaze

            and let this awe-inspired gaze acquire

            light, love, and life

            from spiritual worlds let it

            be sent into the depths of my heart." -Dr. Steiner, Soul Exercises, P254

            *Followed by the six balancing exercises. *The text has been slightly edited by the author.



            Rose Meditation 4:

            Morning:

            "Sunlight flows through space

            spirit light flows through soul."


            *Followed by the six balancing exercises.


            Evening:

            *Hold image of Rose Cross in mind's eye. To be done before anything else upon waking.


            "Seven bright stars of roses

            upon the black wood of the cross

            be for me the image

            of spirit strongly shining

            upon the dark ground of (my) soul,

            seek my soul

            in dark(ness), the light."  -Dr. Steiner, Soul Exercises, P247


            *The text has been slightly edited by the author.



            Rose Meditation 5:

            Morning. Thinking on a star, which is over your head:


            "By the shining

            of the star

            over my head

            I will hold

            the power

            in my heart

            to help the powers of my soul."

            *3-4 minutes.


            Evening: Thinking the Christ comes to you from the sun, and the Christ speaks to your heart.

            "I give you

            my graceful word

            and my loving power

            and you will make progress

            in your soul

            and your I."  -Dr. Steiner, Soul Exercises, P343

            *4-5 minutes.



            Rose Meditation 6:

            Morning:

            *Hold image of Rose Cross in mind's eye. To be done before anything else upon waking.

            "Raise yourself

            my soul

            seek spirit's heights.

            Feel them.

            They will one day shine towards you

            When your soul grows mature (ripe)."


            Evening:

            "Seven roses I see shining

            Upon the black wood of the cross

            may they fill me full of strength

            so at first hand I can feel

            Seven universal powers in me

            working there

            within my being human." -Dr. Steiner, Soul Exercises, P320

            Followed by 6 balancing exercises.



            ______________________

            Meditation Tones and Music

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            Selected References

            -Rudolf Steiner. Soul Exercises (1904-1924). Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Soul-Exercises-Meditations-Collected-Steiner/dp/088010628X


            -Rudolf Steiner, Mantric Sayings and Meditations (1903-1925). -Rudolf Steiner Press: https://rudolfsteinerbookstore.com/product/mantric-sayings-cw-268/


            -Rudolf Steiner, Calendar of the Soul. 12 Months of Weekly Meditations in Alignment with the Seasons of the Year. Several translations are available that have been published. https://rsarchive.org/Articles/GA040/English/AP1982/GA040_index.html


             -Rudolf Steiner - Start Now!: A Book of Soul and Spiritual Exercises : Meditation Instructions, Meditations, Exercises, Verses for Living a Spiritual   Year, Prayers for the Dead & Other Practices for Beginning and   Experienced Practitioners”, Compiled by Christopher Bamford, 2004, p.124, PDF on Google: https://books.google.cg/books?id=q9JDyMnqKwMC&printsec=frontcover&hl=fr&source=gbs_vpt_read#v=onepage&q&f=false 

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