Lucifer

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[[File:Lucifer.jpg|thumb|Lucifer in a production of Rudolf Steiner's Mystery Dramas at the Goetheanum in Dornach.

Lucifer (from Latin: lux "light" and ferre "to bring"; GreekΦωσφόρος Phosphoros "light-bringer, light-bearer" or Ἑωσφόρος Eosphoros "bringer of the dawn"), in Latin also the poetic name of the morning star, i.e. Venus, literally the "bearer of light", the light-filled red devil, often also called Diabolos (GreekΔιάβολος Diàbolos "muddler, confounder", from Διά-βαλλειν dia-ballein "to throw into confusion") and according to Rudolf Steiner identical with Iblis mentioned in the Koran, is symbolised in the Bible by the serpent who sneaks into paradise and tempts man to eat from the "tree of knowledge". Lucifer is also often depicted as a winged dragon; in Ezekiel's vision also as a winged bull. Lucifer has anchored himself above all in the sentient soul, which has come into being through the transformation of the astral body (Lit.:GA 107, p. 247), and here he incites the sensual desires and instincts.

Lucifer and Venus

[[File:Lune Venus.jpg|thumb|260px|left|The "morning star" Venus on the left below the moon.]]

The biblical story of creation begins with its description at about the time when the Sun separated from the Earth in the course of the Earth evolution during the so-called Hyperborean period. The most exalted spiritual entities went out with the Sun at that time, while on Earth the formation of man was being prepared at the same time. However, not all spiritual beings above man were already so far advanced that they could have gone with the sun. For them, with Mercury and Venus, suitable dwellings were created between the Earth and the Sun. Lucifer and his hosts found their new home on Venus:

„Thus on Venus also live entities that stand between man and the solar beings. They inhabit Venus and can even become effective on Earth. They become effective in the human body. We call these entities Luciferic entities. In a certain sense they have their home on Venus. That is why Venus is also called 'Lucifer'.“ (Lit.:GA 98, p. 186)

„There were powerful beings during the old lunar evolution, highly elevated spirits, who, however, in a certain respect had not reached the end of their evolution during this lunar evolution. Among these high spirits there was a group which was, as it were, under a leader and which, when the lunar evolution came to an end, had not reached its evolutionary goal and had therefore not reached it when the Earth began its evolution. This multitude now intervened in the evolution of the Earth, assisted in the guidance of mankind, but inwardly with the tragic longing for a star of the universe thrown out of the whole of the old lunar evolution - in the sense in which it has been portrayed in "Occult Science". We have powerful, high, important beings under their leader within our spiritual Earth evolution, who really carry within themselves this longing for a star out there in the universe, which they regard as their true home, but on which they cannot be, because they had to leave the Moon and go to Earth without having completed their evolution. These are the multitudes who are under Lucifer, and Lucifer himself works in the evolution of the earth with a continual longing within himself for his true home, for the star of Venus outside in the universe. This is the most prominent feature of the Luciferic being when we look at it cosmically. And the clairvoyant consciousness actually comes to know what is characterised in the star of Venus by looking into Lucifer's soul, and thus has within the earth the tragic longing of Lucifer, like a wonderful cosmic homesickness for the star Phosphoros, Lucifer or Venus. For all that Lucifer has thrown off like a shell, all that has been sieved out of the Luciferic beings at the death of the Old Moon, just as the physical body is sieved off from the human soul at death, shines down from heaven as Venus.“ (Lit.:GA 129, p. 91)

Literatur

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.