Why Anthroposophy Needs America

a reflection by Virginia Sease

At the Annual General Meeting of the Anthroposophical Society in America, in the Threefold Auditorium in Chestnut Ridge, NY, on October 8, 2016.

Dear Friends, we have at some time in our life decided to become members of the General Anthroposophical Society, which actually means the Universal Anthroposophical Society, because this society is for universal humanity. Within this universal society we may experience especially two aspects which belong to all countries, all peoples of the world today. But they will manifest in a manner which expresses the specific circumstances of their language, their geographical location, their nation or people. We will focus on America but mainly upon the United States of America.

The one aspect is anthroposophy, which could come to expression as philosophy, as a huge body of knowledge reaching into many artistic, scientific, and practical directions initiated by Rudolf Steiner.

The other aspect concerns the nature of the being of anthroposophy. Rudolf Steiner described this being in The Hague on November 18, 1923 at the founding of the Anthroposophical Society in Holland. Later in 1924 he added further characteristics. For me, it is somewhat amazing that Rudolf Steiner only brought this description ten years after the formal founding of the Anthroposophical Society, from February 2 to 4, 1913, following the separation from the Theosophical Society. We may consider the ten years as a period of grace to allow the new impulses to be born and to become somewhat established. First we will look at a part of the very lengthy report of this event from February 2 to 4, 1913 in the News for Members, edited by Mathilde Scholl.

"With all the forces of the intellectual or “Gemüt” soul the super-human being, Philosophia, was taken hold of by a departing cultural epoch. She [Philosophia] was regarded as a being passing in the flesh among people; but however becoming more and more pale and shadow-like, this most splendid figure [Philosophia] seemed to appear to a then forward-striding modern humanity of the 5th cultural epoch ... But there is a new Sophia which is now approaching the longing of a new culture ... Not Philosophia, the child of the intellectual soul—but Anthroposophia, the daughter of a higher level of knowledge, Spirit Self. Deeply embedded into our human consciousness soul, woven with the forces of our own I-being, thus we see how that seed as Anthroposophia has to fulfill its earthly destiny." (1)

It seems very important now, in retrospect, to perceive exactly how Rudolf Steiner approached this particular theme at the end of the lecture in Holland. First he mentions how essential it is to not only read or to listen to anthroposophical knowledge but to experience the content of anthroposophy with our heart, with our Gemüt [this is difficult to translate; perhaps “heart-warmed thinking”—VS]. Then, more and more, anthroposophy appears to us as something living, as having beingness. We will become aware of how something knocks on the door of our heart with anthroposophy and says: “Let me in, because I am you yourself; I am your true human-beingness” [German: Wahre Menschenwesenheit]. Anthroposophy does not just want to tell us something, but with this true human-beingness anthroposophy wants to fill the human soul and the human feeling [Gemüt]. Then, when we let Anthroposophy into our heart after she has knocked, then Anthroposophy brings to us, through what she herself is, true human love.” (2)

Following this description from 1923, we find that in July 1924 in Arnheim Rudolf Steiner presents a strong indication as to how the total newness of anthroposophy can be regarded. He speaks about how in the spiritual world, in the first half of the 19th century, a very large number of souls before they descended into a new incarnation were united spiritually through a kind of cultus, a ritual through which powerful cosmic imaginations represented what he could designate as the “new Christianity.” Rudolf Steiner mentions further that the souls were united in order to bring together “cosmic substantiality and cosmic forces” (3) which carried cosmic significance and was the prelude to what could be carried out on earth as teaching, as anthroposophical action. We can regard the description “cosmic substantiality” and “cosmic forces” as a cultic, a ritual way of expressing “beingness”—the being of anthroposophy. This may signify for us that the spiritual being Anthroposophy, sometimes referred to as Anthroposophia, could be born into the world almost simultaneously with the Michael stream. Both Anthroposophy as being and the Time-Spirit, Michael, have a universal task as of the 20th century, which extends for all human beings also into future centuries. This task is summed up in the Christmas Foundation Meditation (4) in the trinitarian call: "Practice Spirit Recollection. Practice Spirit Mindfulness. Practice Spirit Beholding.”

We can now turn more specifically to the United States, although Rudolf Steiner always refers simply to America, and it was seemingly not always positive. However, basic aspects contain a forward-directed approach. I will share with you a shock which I experienced many years ago while reading some of Rudolf Steiner’s lectures to the workers at the First Goetheanum. He describes: “At first the Americans develop a materialistic caricature of anthroposophy and later, in a more instinctive way, they will work their way through to a spiritual comprehension of the outer world. But true Americanism [Rudolf Steiner often quotes Ralph Waldo Emerson in this connection] is actually what will eventually unite with Europeanism which will find its direction in a more spiritual manner. The radiant period of the American civilization will be in the Age of Aquarius.” (5) In a lecture on October 3, 1905 (GA 93a), Rudolf Steiner identifies the Age of Aquarius as beginning approximately in the year 4400 A.D. and describes it as “the spiritual culture.” Also he adds that in the sign of Aquarius, in the future, the new Christianity will be proclaimed. This is linked with the 6th Post-Atlantean epoch when human beings will be inwardly so purified that they themselves will become a temple for the divinity. Of course, this means an enormous responsibility even for people living today: the American civilization may not be permitted to be annihilated or to self-destruct. This must not be understood as nationalism, rather every country, every people, every language can determine why and in what manner anthroposophy needs their special configuration to assist in the great challenge of becoming universally human.

Do we see any signs of progress in this challenge of becoming universally human? Yes: today the question that anthroposophy can answer is not just whether the human being has a supersensible, spiritual nature, but how is that the case, how does it work?

This question connects with a general awareness of the possibility of reincarnation. Since we are in an analytical age most people comprehend that the body cannot reincarnate. Who helped them to understand this? Strangely enough the great promoter of materialism who may have inspired cryonics—I am not referring to a human inspirer, but rather to an ahrimanic impulse. The technique of cryonics represents in some places in the western world a huge business enterprise today. At the moment of death, the corpse is put into deep-freeze with the conviction that in years, perhaps decades, to come, a cure for the specific illness which caused the death will be discovered. The body would then be unfrozen, healed, and the person would be fit for life. Even if the technique were successful, it would mean a total displacement in life: no childhood to become accustomed to a new age, no friends, probably no family, etc. Would there be consciousness? An interesting factor here is, however, whenever someone—especially a wellknown writer—takes up a theme and brings it to expression in a novel we know that the subject lives in the public domain, such as Mitch Albom’s best-seller novel "For One More Day" (6) demonstrates.

These aspects of awareness are there in human beings, even if they are only dull feelings or, with more intellectually inclined persons, points of conjecture among many other points of conjecture. Why are these conjectures there? It may be because we are more than one quarter of the way into the Consciousness Soul Age which extends to 3573 AD and (as of 2016) we are 137 years into the Michael Age which may last until 2300 or 2400 AD.

Today, perhaps, more than ever in the United States, we are challenged to recognize that we are a country of immigrants coming either today or in the last 400 years— each bringing a language, a culture, and often a religion with them. What has it meant for these immigrants and for those born here in the United States? We may say that it requires a constant adjustment—geographically but also seen spiritually—to the forces of the being which Rudolf Steiner identifies as the geographic double.

For people born here even yesterday, it signifies the chosen place for ahrimanic beings, whom Rudolf Steiner describes as connected with the electromagnetic forces which are very strong in America, especially where the mountains run North-South. These geographic double forces sink into the intellect and the will of a person, but they cannot achieve access to the feeling, rhythmic system, the heart and lung sphere. (7) Before Europeans came as small groups beginning around 1607 A.D. to North America, the First Nations peoples already dealt with these forces through their wisdom of the elements and the totality of the nature forces. But many of the immigrants in the 17th and 18th century died because the geographical double forces were too strong and they succumbed to illness with little resistance.

We can refer especially to two streams of human beings who have chosen America and have planned an incarnation here as of those early days. Through the years here in the United States I have focused on the one stream represented by Ralph Waldo Emerson, Benjamin Franklin, Abraham Lincoln, and others. In the case of Ralph Waldo Emerson, we know through Rudolf Steiner’s spiritual research that this individuality can be traced to a significant European incarnation at the transition from BC to AD in the person of Tacitus; then in the Middle Ages in Italy as Mathilde, the daughter of Beatrice of Tuscany, with a following incarnation as Emerson in the time frame of 1803–1882 AD.

How did Emerson overcome the forces of the double? His instrument was his thinking. He believed that the human being is what he thinks all day. He also had a strong sense for the universally human. Our culture in the United States is based significantly on this. The United States of America was founded intentionally with the ideals which are the garments, so to speak, of Anthroposophy: Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. They are trinitarian in their inner nature: Life—the right to live; Liberty—the right to develop; The Pursuit of Happiness (not the happiness for itself, but the pursuit)—the right to transform.

There are various streams, but we will consider only one other major one. Rudolf Steiner describes in a lecture from December 12, 1920, (8) how around the time of the Mystery of Golgotha there were non-Christian souls who are incarnated in the present age in America. They experienced a longer time between incarnations because of a complicated manner of thinking. Therefore they stand in regard to their bodily nature in an estranged situation and as a result lean towards materialism and a sectarian religiosity. When one tries to come to grips with this strange phenomenon it becomes somewhat elusive because the chances for error are substantial. These souls lived an extremely ascetic life, even with a tendency to mutilation of their own physical body as part of their practice. A very illustrious example are the so-called “Pillar Saints.” They stood motionless on the top of a pillar often in the desert under the burning sun. They were dependent on people bringing them food and drink in order to survive. In the ensuing incarnation, after a long period in the spiritual world, they live in an opposite manner. We may think of two indications: the materialistic aspects of combative sports and the lust and drive for money. They carry over the materialism into sect-like religious groups through such things as chanting, swaying, and shaking, whereby they experience bliss in moments similar to excarnation.

Rudolf Steiner, however, brings this materialism in America into a very interesting observation. He mentions how spiritualism is “an American product” (9) which desires to approach the Spirit but in a materialistic manner. Also, he points to something which we can apply to consideration of our theme: “In America where materialism is so wide-spread, basically it is on its way to the spirit; but when the European becomes a materialist, then he dies as a human being. Thus, this crass American materialism will grow into the spiritual. That will occur when the sun comes into the sign of Aquarius... the correct and right Americanism that will unite with Europeanism, which will find its way more in a spiritual manner.” (10)

But what is happening now which points to the future and belongs in the sphere of the Michaelic culture and therefore directly to anthroposophy? Rudolf Steiner describes it as something in the West which is totally special. This aspect concerns how Europeans and Americans tend to view life after death, post-mortem life.

"The European says: a life after death is promised to me by my religion but I do not need here in this unsatisfactory earthly life, in this solely material life, to do anything in order to make my soul immortal. Christ died so that I can be immortal. I do not need to strive after immortality. I am immortal, Christ makes me immortal... [But] in the West, especially in America, we can see how in sometimes the most trivial religions and world-views, there is something striving upwards which has completely materialistic forms but connects with something which will be life in the future in regard to immortality. That is the belief in some sects in America that one cannot live at all after death if one has not exerted oneself in this earthly life, if one has not done or accomplished something through which one achieves this life after death... What one wants to carry through death must be developed here... and one will try to arrange one’s life here so that something which one does here can be carried through the gate of death."(11)

In my understanding of this fact, it can mean that anthroposophy—as philosophy and as Being—can meet these souls even if the souls are unconscious regarding the meeting. It is here that I perceive a task—even a responsibility—for members of the Anthroposophical Society, namely to help our fellow human beings to open the door consciously when Anthroposophy knocks, which lets strength flow into the one who knocks, but also into the interpreter, and into anthroposophy as well. This may sound “too big” and it probably is, but it depends upon our attitude of awareness and also whether we have the will-power and the wakefulness ahead of time to identify what is living on the surface of the soul in the other human being. This may need only a word from us to find the orientation to allow anthroposophy to connect in consciousness within that person.

At such a moment the word we will speak will be English. In my visits over here in America in the past 33 years, I have sometimes mentioned a few specific factors concerning anthroposophy and the English language. I would like to refer to just a few of these factors in connection with our present consideration. First of all there is a special trait in America which stands out: people speak with each other even if they are strangers much more frequently and openly than in other parts of the world. When European colleagues return from a visit to the United States they often remark that the people “over there” are so friendly and helpful. How does this happen? In part it comes with the English language and the manner in which the thought penetrates through the word, as it were; how it, so to speak, comes out on the other side. And therefore one can understand each other not only from the intellect but also from etheric body to etheric body. Rudolf Steiner regards this phenomenon as future-oriented. (12) This is significant for anthroposophy which is “at home” in the etheric realm, as are also Christ and Michael. This, of course, does not mean that there will be an immediate access to these beings. On the practical side here, Rudolf Steiner indicates that the people whom we meet even casually and perhaps for just moments may meet us again at night when we sleep. This possibility can be aided through our review of the day [Rückschau]. Perhaps they will see more clearly our inner disposition and if we are working earnestly with anthroposophy. Then because of this meeting with us they may be enabled to perceive in waking consciousness the knock of anthroposophy on the door of their heart.

Probably we will not know about this knock on the door of their heart, but it is the right of every single human being today in the Michael Age to experience at least a first meeting with anthroposophy, and we have perceived the words: how something knocks on the door of our heart with anthroposophy and says: “Let me in because I am you yourself; I am your true human essence.”

America naturally has various predispositions which we have looked at briefly and which can enhance the work, the mission of anthroposophy. Exactly here the Anthroposophical Society is so important as we can join our endeavors together which encompass not only an administrative arrangement, but also a spiritual one. For the being Anthroposophy will perceive the individual and will rejoice to discover that individual also in the Anthroposophical Society. I believe that the Anthroposophical Society is the true home for this two-fold aspect: the philosophy/world-view anthroposophy, and the Being Anthroposophy.

May the Anthroposophical Society in the United States of America continue to shine forth as it has since its first impulse in this country at the beginning of the 20th century!

Virginia Sease is a member emerita of the Executive Council of the General Anthroposophical Society at the Goetheanum.

Notes:

1 [transl. V.S.] “The Hour of Birth of Anthroposophy or the New Sheath for Immortal Spirit Form.” [“Die Geburtsstunde der Anthroposophie oder der neuen Hülle für die unvergängliche Geistgestalt.”] Mitteilungen für die Mitglieder der Anthroposophischen Gesellschaft (1913-1914), No. 1, zweiter Teil, April 1913; (hrsg. Mathilde Scholl), S. 331. Not yet available in English translation. This quotation was not mentioned in the lecture at the Annual General Meeting in October 2016. (V.S.)

2 Rudolf Steiner. The Supersensible Human Being, Conceived Anthrosophically, CW 231, Dornach 1999, Lecture of 18 November 1923.

3 cf. Karmic Relationships, Vol. 6, CW 240, Dornach 1986, Lecture of 18 July 1924.

4 cf. The Christmas Conference, London 1990, CW 260.

5 cf. On the Life of Human Beings and of the Earth. On the Nature of Christianity, CW 349, Dornach 1980, Lecture of 3 March 1923.

6 Mitch Albom, For One More Day, New York 2006.

7 cf Rudolf Steiner, Individual Spiritual Beings and their Influence in the Souls of Human Beings. Spiritual Beings and their Effects, Volume 2, CW 178, Dornach 1992, Lecture of 16 November 1917.

8 cf Rudolf Steiner, The Human Being in Relationship with the Cosmos, 2: The Bridge between the World-Spirituality and the Physical Aspect of the Human Being. The Search for a New Isis, the Divine Sophia, CW 202, Dornach 1980, Lecture of 12 December 1920.

9 cf fn. 5.

10 ibid.

11 cf Rudolf Steiner, Spiritual Science as Knowledge of the Fundamental Impulses of Social Formation, CW 199, Dornach 1985, Lecture of 21 August 1920.

12 cf Rudolf Steiner, Contemporary-Historical Examinations: The Karma of Untruthfulness, Part One. Cosmic and Human History, Volume 4. CW 173, Dornach 1978, Lecture of 18 December 1916.