The Christmas Foundation Conference

A Reflection

Virginia Sease | Goetheanum, August 2023

In his small but valuable book, About Your Relation to Rudolf Steiner, Ernst Katz emphasizes that in Rudolf Steiner’s reference to the last third of the nineteenth century, the year 1879, he points to the beginning of the reign of Michael, the regent of the sun. Also in the year 1879, during his early student years, Rudolf Steiner is led to the unnamed master who initiated him for his present incarnation: The master revealed to Rudolf Steiner who he is, and described to him how he would need to meet the great spiritual-earthly challenges that he will face and where his task would lie. A mandate from Rudolf Steiner’s meeting with the initiate teacher involved his task to renew and thereby make accessible to the world the teachings which were throughout all ages sequestered in the Mystery schools.1 The time of the dark ages—Kali Yuga—had expired after 3001 years and the light age was now dawning. As of the nineteenth century, this required that human beings would realize that a human individuality would have continuity from one earthly life to the next and, through his or her karma, would work to transform the inherent qualities brought into earthly life after a sojourn in the spiritual world in order gradually, after many incarnations, to reach a level which Rudolf Steiner characterized many times as that of the “ideal human being.” When that stage is achieved, the human being will join the hierarchical beings closest to humankind—first the angels, then the archangels and archai. The central esoteric aspect of the Christmas Conference provides a guidance to this evolution and allows the individual human being to become actively engaged today. Rudolf Steiner calls it the Foundation Stone Mantram. Its significance is connected to the actual physical Foundation Stone for the First Goetheanum, which was placed into the ground as an esoteric deed on September 20, 1913.

Rudolf Grosse, who was a young student at the time of the Meeting and had met Rudolf Steiner at an even younger age, describes the pathway of the Foundation Stone Mantram in his book The Christmas Foundation: Beginning of a New Cosmic Age :

The Foundation Stone verses were heard [by Rudolf Steiner] supersensibly and received out of the Cosmic World. The soil into which the Foundation Stone was laid was formed from the hearts of those who were present. The substance of the Foundation Stone is cosmic-human love, the form of the Foundation Stone is cosmic-human imagination, the radiance of the Foundation Stone is cosmic-human thought.2

It would exceed the limits of these considerations to enter comprehensively into the Foundation Stone verses. Fortunately, many studies have been devoted to this theme. The more intensively one works with this unique gift which formed the center of the Christmas Foundation Meeting, the greater one has entered into the threefold call which the human being calls to him- or herself, to the higher self: Practice Spirit Recalling; Practice Spirit Awareness; Practice Spirit Vision. How do we enable these verses, including the fourth verse—“At the turning point of time…”—to ascend from a verse to a mantram? One approach may be the following: The first step involves an internalization of the verse through its language; it is the level of speech. One learns it by heart. This leads to an awareness of the correspondences between the four parts of the Foundation Stone verse: three with the admonitions “Practice . . .” and the fourth which reveals the pathway of the Christ Being into earthly existence and our heart’s response in thought, feeling, and deed. We meditate this content both inwardly and as if it would resound from the cosmos. It becomes a mantram when the words begin to fall away and we experience it in its totality. For this step, Rudolf Steiner gave a “Rhythm”3 for each day, in which the correspondences are central. Entering into the correspondences lifts the verse into a living etheric dimension which initially resounds especially into one’s heart. The middle panel forms a center.

2 Rudolf Grosse, The Christmas Foundation: Beginning of a New Cosmic Age (Steiner Book Centre, 1984), p. 73.

“Soul of Man! Thou livest in the beat of heart and lung … Practice Spirit Awareness, in balance of the soul” for then it becomes possible to unite with the World-I, which becomes clarified: “For the Christ-Will in the encircling round holds sway.”

This represents a beginning for the pathway of the human being in the fifth epoch to reach a culmination as the “ideal human being.” Rudolf Steiner received it from the spiritual world to lead human beings through “practice” in the three spheres of human life, which he illustrated as the threefold nature of the human being. As shown in the verse, this knowledge connects the human being to the Trinity, which, in the Ancient Mysteries, was not possible as the Mystery of Golgotha had not yet occurred.

To those who could make a connection with him, Rudolf Steiner revealed from whence spiritual insights concerning the Ancient Mysteries arose and how the Mystery of Golgotha changed this ancient worldview issuing from the various Mystery centers. It commenced in the heavenly Michael School, in which Rudolf Steiner, we could say, was the first initiate or first pupil of Michael. Rudolf Steiner perceives what is necessary for Michael in his tasks for humanity today. In the Anthroposophical Leading Thoughts, in the chapter entitled, “At the Dawn of the Michael Age,” Rudolf Steiner writes what it is that Michael wants today ; we see here the deep connection of Rudolf Steiner with Michael:

In the last third of the nineteenth century, he [Michael] wishes to live in the human souls in which the thoughts are formed.4

3 See F.W. Zeylmans van Emmichoven, The Foundation Stone (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1963).

4 Rudolf

Before the last third of the nineteenth century, Michael let thoughts flow into the souls of human beings, but since that time:

He frees the thoughts from the sphere of the head; he clears the way for them to the heart, he enkindles enthusiasm in the feelings, so that the human mind can be filled with devotion for all that can be experienced in the light of thought. The Age of Michael has dawned. Hearts are beginning to have thoughts. … Thoughts which at the present time strive to grasp the Spiritual must originate in hearts which beat for Michael as the fiery Prince of Thought in the Universe.5

This is the challenge facing humanity today: The thoughts must go through the filter of the heart and be judged before entering the will. Just because a person can think and invent something does not mean that it should be used—for example if our heart, closely connected to our conscience, says “No!”

Who can take this reality—as only one example— into public awareness? If destiny permits it, then it is the anthroposophist and the Anthroposophical Society. This is already the case today on many fronts. Politics are not our task, but humanity is. It is heart-warming from the vantage point of advanced age to experience how many individuals in younger generations perceive this. They are truly in the Michael Age, whether or not they can remember a prebirth connection with Michael. If they can, however, then their contribution gains in strength.

Whereas the burning of the First Goetheanum drew immediate attention worldwide and was published in many newspapers, the Christmas Foundation Meeting occurred in the Carpentry Building (Schreinerei) next to the ruins of the Goetheanum—but under the ruins, the Foundation Stone from September 20, 1913 lay unscathed and unites the present Goetheanum with the first one. During the proceedings of the Christmas Conference, in discussing Paragraph 2 of the Statutes, Rudolf Steiner read:

The persons gathered at the Goetheanum in Dornach at Christmas 1923, both the individuals and the groups represented, form the nucleus of the Society. …6

Herr Van Leer raised an objection:

The Goetheanum is mentioned here, but we have no Goetheanum.

5 Ibid.

6 Rudolf Steiner, The Christmas Conference (Anthroposophic Press, 1990), GA 260, p. 125.

Dr. Steiner replied:

We are not of the opinion that we have no Goetheanum. … We are of the opinion that we have no building, but that as soon as possible we shall have one. We are of the opinion that the Goetheanum continues to exist.

Then Dr. Steiner added:

The building remained in the soul. … The Goetheanum does stand before our spiritual eyes.7

Later, Rudolf Steiner speaks of the “Spirit of the Goetheanum,” meaning a specific spiritual being, not just a phrase. At the end of the Christmas Foundation Meeting, Rudolf Steiner responded to the beautiful words of deep gratitude spoken by Herr Werbeck:

… I know that I have been permitted to say what has here been said, for it was said in full responsibility looking up to the Spirit of the Goetheanum. In that Spirit’s name, I have permitted myself over the last few days to say a great many things … while looking up to the good Spirit of the Goetheanum. So allow me, please, to accept these thanks in the name of the Spirit of the Goetheanum for whom we want to work and strive and labor in the world. 8

Now, after one hundred years, there are many thousands of deceased members in the spiritual world who have visited the Goetheanum or have carried it in their thoughts and hearts and in their physical support. There are also many who have lived with the Foundation Stone Mantram daily. What can our contribution be? The Goetheanum is a living being, as we experience from Rudolf Steiner’s many references. Obviously even a sublime living being will experience changes, which, however, do not displace the archetypal form of its existence. On a personal note, I may add that in my nearly forty years of being in the Goetheanum almost every day, I have experienced various changes in the internal arrangements, such as: the Great Hall, the reception area, the bookstore, the addition of color in the stairways, and more. The mood is still like no other building in the world; this is something that I and thousands of others who visit every year have experienced.

The Goetheanum, however, needs the protection which can continuously stream from those people who know why it is there on earth on the Dornach hill. In addition to our own efforts, can we also approach those members and friends in the spiritual world for help? I believe that this is possible and necessary, because the Goetheanum must continue to exist for the coming generations to experience. How can we now call upon all those who are in the spiritual world? Approaches will vary, but one avenue may be to remember them in their connection with the Goetheanum; also, one may picture the Goetheanum with these individuals surrounding it as in a circle going from the north to the east, then to the south, then to the west—the direction which the Goetheanum faces with its main entrance—and returning to the north. In our reflection, we may be aware of the three human beings inherent to the Goetheanum: Rudolf Steiner, Christian Rosenkreutz, and Master Jesus, the leaders of Western esotericism who are deeply aligned with the Christ Being.9 Rudolf Steiner expressed that the Goetheanum should always remain connected especially with Christian Rosenkreutz, according to reliable oral reports from early members. The Foundation Stone of 1913 and the Foundation Stone Mantram of the Christmas Conference for the General Anthroposophical Society bring this connection clearly to expression:

7 Ibid., p. 276.

8 Ibid.

9 Rudolf Steiner, From the History and Contents of the First Section of the Esoteric School, 1904–1914 (Anthroposophic Press, 1998), GA 264, lesson of June 1, 1907, p. 312.

EDN—Ex Deo nascimur; ICM—In Christo morimur; PSSR—Per spiritum sanctum reviviscimus

These words may form the seal for our meditative reflection for the Goetheanum.

From these reflections, it may be seen that I experience the Christmas Foundation Conference as a very living impulse. Today, the General Anthroposophical Society is extending steadily into other regions of the world beyond Europe and North America. This Society was founded through a highly spiritual deed; and wherever it is present, it forms a protective sheath for anthroposophy which then may radiate out even to those who have yet to discover its existence. This living impulse will continue to be strengthened when we continue to practice this mantram and to experience our heart as the Foundation Stone.

Virginia Sease , born in Philadelphia in 1935, earned her PhD from the University of Southern California and has been an assistant professor of German literature at Occident College. She was also a class teacher and co-founder and co-director of the Waldorf Institute of Southern California at Highland Hall School. As of 1984, she has been a member of the Executive Council at the Goetheanum, where she also served as leader of the Section for the Arts of Eurythmy, Speech, Drama, and Music from 1991–2001 and founded the Anthroposophical Studies in English program in 2001. She is in emerita status as of 2015 and has a continuing presence at the Goetheanum and in work with Christological themes.