Eighth sphere
The eighth sphere, about which Rudolf Steiner has spoken in various contexts, is of decisive importance for the development of the Earth and humanity. It is not easy to grasp conceptually, for on the one hand it designates the sphere of the earthly activity of the creator gods, the Elohim, but on the other hand it is virtually identical with what is called "hell" par excellence in the various religious traditions.
The Eighth Sphere and Planetary World evolution
A glance at the spiritual background of human development alone can throw clarifying light on the riddle of the eighth sphere. Man has developed through the successive planetary world spheres of Saturn, the Sun and the Moon and is at present on Earth in his 4th stage of evolution. However, these spheres must not be thought of as merely successive, but their modes of evolution and their fruits of development interpenetrate each other at the present time. There are beings who are now on the Saturn stage, there are those who are now undergoing solar evolution, and so on. Even man himself is still standing with parts of his being in these spheres today, we carry a Saturn man, a Sun man and a Moon man within us. The spiritual Hierarchies, which project beyond man but are connected with him, are now already working in higher spheres, which man will only attain in the future through his expansion of abilities. Nevertheless, it can be said that man, in accordance with his overall disposition, already has a germinal share in these spheres:
Literature
- A.P. Sinnett: Esoteric Buddhism,London, Chapman and Hall Ltd (1885)
- Arfst Wagner: Das Geheimnis der achten Sphäre. In: Flensburger Hefte Nr. 61 (Die Hintergründe von 666), Flensburg 1998, S. 169 - 192
- Hans Bonneval: Die Offenbarung der Engel und die achte Sphäre, Vlg. Ch. Möllmann, Borchen 2002
- Rudolf Steiner: Bewußtsein – Leben – Form , GA 89 (2001) English: rsarchive.org German: pdf pdf(2) html mobi epub archive.org
- Rudolf Steiner: Grundelemente der Esoterik, GA 93a (1976) English: rsarchive.org German: pdf pdf(2) html mobi epub archive.orgEnglish: rsarchive.org German: pdf pdf(2) html mobi epub archive.org
- Rudolf Steiner: Das Karma des Berufes des Menschen in Anknüpfung an Goethes Leben, GA 172 (1980) English: rsarchive.org German: pdf pdf(2) html mobi epub archive.org
- Rudolf Steiner: Die Sendung Michaels, GA 194 (1983) English: rsarchive.org German: pdf pdf(2) html mobi epub archive.org
- Rudolf Steiner: Die okkulte Bewegung im neunzehnten Jahrhundert und ihre Beziehung zur Weltkultur, GA 254 (1986) English: rsarchive.org German: pdf pdf(2) html mobi epub archive.org
- Rudolf Steiner: Aus den Inhalten der esoterischen Stunden, Band I: 1904 – 1909, GA 266/1 (1995) English: rsarchive.org German: pdf pdf(2) html mobi epub archive.org
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References to the work of Rudolf Steiner follow Rudolf Steiner's Collected Works (CW or GA), Rudolf Steiner Verlag, Dornach/Switzerland, unless otherwise stated.
Email: verlag@steinerverlag.com URL: www.steinerverlag.com. Index to the Complete Works of Rudolf Steiner - Aelzina Books A complete list by Volume Number and a full list of known English translations you may also find at Rudolf Steiner's Collected Works Rudolf Steiner Archive - The largest online collection of Rudolf Steiner's books, lectures and articles in English. Rudolf Steiner Audio - Recorded and Read by Dale Brunsvold steinerbooks.org - Anthroposophic Press Inc. (USA) Rudolf Steiner Handbook - Christian Karl's proven standard work for orientation in Rudolf Steiner's Collected Works for free download as PDF. |
