Book Three of the Law of One builds on the information presented in Books One and Two, continuing the exploration of the nature and balancing of the energy centers or chakras, sexual energy transfers, healing, reincarnation, meditation, and Wanderers. The nature of psychic prophecy is explored in Book Three, as are the nature and ramifications of what are usually called psychic attacks. A good deal of information is given on the principles of ritual magic in general and white magic in particular, and a beginning is made in the study of the archetypical mind, which is the mind of the Logos and serves as a kind of blueprint for our evolutionary process and which serves as the foundation concept for each of our individual minds.

'...This will generate a struggle covering the face of the whole earth. The one and only remedy for this nonsense being made of human evolution will be the path that can lead humanity to the spirit - the path of Michael, which finds its continuation in the path of Christ.' - Rudolf Steiner Speaking in the aftermath of the Great War, Rudolf Steiner presents a series of extraordinary lectures on the power and mission of the Archangel Michael. He paints on a broad canvas - in the context of cosmic and human evolution - revealing Michael's tasks in the past, present and future. Originally the countenance of Yahweh, Michael has metamorphosed from a 'night spirit' to a 'day spirit'. As 'the Countenance of Christ', Michael helps us find a balance between 'luciferic' and 'ahrimanic' tendencies. The old 'dualism' (such as good versus evil), says Steiner, needs to be replaced by the trinity of Lucifer-Christ-Ahriman. Filling our heart with the Christ Impulse creates an equilibrium between the luciferic influence that imbues our head and the ahrimanic influence at work in our limbs. Rudolf Steiner describes how humanity faces three dangers in the social sphere: spiritual life could flow into the 'pit of mendacity' ruled by Ahriman, individual rights might descend into the 'pit of selfishness' (Lucifer), and economics into cultural sickness and death (Asuras). In order to prevent European-American culture from perishing, it will be necessary to turn towards contemporary 'threefold' social ideas. Steiner also speaks about the principle of metamorphosis in connection with evolution and devolution, as evident in the design of the pillars in the newly-built Goetheanum. Architectural styles are an expression of human evolution, as can be seen in Greek temples, gothic Cathedrals, the Grail temple and the building at Dornach. Amidst many other themes, Rudolf Steiner addresses the problem of natural necessity and freedom, and the abolition of the trichotomy of body, soul and spirit at the Council of Constantinople in AD 869.

Two lectures in Bologna: on 31 March 2011 at the International Conference to Mark the Centenary of Rudolf Steiner's Lecture in Bologna, and on 8 April 1911 at the Fourth International Philosophy Congress A special conference took place in Bologna in Spring 2011, marking the hundredth anniversary of a unique lecture Rudolf Steiner delivered to a philosophically-trained audience in the same city. In his key exposition, Steiner had given a concise description of the spiritual-scientific theory of knowledge as well as a brief outline of the anthroposophical path of schooling. In his contribution to the 2011 congress, Sergei O. Prokofieff tackles two principal aspects. On the one hand, he describes how Steiner's Bologna lecture contained the essential foundations for a new 'science of the human ego'. On the other hand, Prokofieff states that Rudolf Steiner was the first person to transform this same theory into a practical path of knowledge, following it to its very conclusion. Thus, the words of Rudolf Steiner's lecture were based entirely on personal experience. Together with a transcript of Rudolf Steiner's full Bologna lecture, Sergei O. Prokofieff's own lecture is reproduced here in an expanded version. In addition, this volume features Rudolf Steiner's important 'summaries of essential points', in which he develops and connects some of his key thoughts with further aspects of anthroposophy, especially in relation to their Christological foundations.

'Here lies Kaspar Hauser, riddle of his time. His birth was unknown, his death mysterious.' (Inscription on Kaspar Hauser's tombstone.) In 1828 a teenage boy was discovered on the streets of Nuremberg. Barely able to walk, he clutched a letter in his hand. This youth, Kaspar Hauser, who couldn't properly speak or write, was soon to become an international phenomenon known as 'the Child of Europe'. The story of Kaspar Hauser presents many mysteries. According to his account, the young boy spent most of his life confined in a darkened space. Unable to stand up, and with no knowledge of his captors, he was fed a diet of bread and water. Eventually released from this macabre prison, he survived an assassination attempt only to be stabbed to death in 1833. Why was a child kept in such squalid circumstances? Who were his parents? Who was responsible for such a cruel attack on childhood? Who murdered him? In this seminal work Peter Tradowsky addresses these questions through the insights of anthroposophy. His analysis reveals some of the secrets of Kaspar Hauser's short life, and the occult significance of his incarnation, spiritual nature and individuality.

A document of paramount historical importance, not only in terms of Christianity but also with respect to the development of Western religion. It chronicles the teachings of Jesus, who explains life's mysteries to his disciples and Mary Magdalene. Their discussions take place after Christ's resurrection and include accounts of his ascension into heaven.

In October 1994, fifty-three members of the Order of the Solar Temple in Switzerland and Quebec were murdered or committed suicide. This incident and two later group suicides in subsequent years played a pivotal role in inflaming the cult controversy in Europe, influencing the public to support harsher actions against non-traditional religions. Despite the importance of the Order of the Solar Temple, there are relatively few studies published in English. This book brings together the best scholarship on the Solar Temple including newly commissioned pieces from leading scholars, a selection of Solar Temple documents, and important previously published articles newly edited for inclusion within this book. This is the first book-length study of the Order of the Solar Temple to be published in English.

Will homemaking ever again be seen as an important role in modern society? Can it become a real career? In recent years the role of homemaking has been somewhat derided and diminished in relation to careers outside the home. Furthermore, women are urged to return to the workplace as quickly as possible following childbirth. Homemaking is not generally viewed as real work, while daycare centers and childcare workers fill the gap. The author maintains that the old understanding of the homemaking role needs to be reenlivened with spiritual knowledge. We can, for example, begin to work with the suprasensory aspects of the household, the etheric and astral qualities there, as well as the various spiritual beings that are connected with the home. This book provides a generous helping of advice and ideas to help all those whose destiny is to develop a career that involves caring for home and family. It offers recognition of the dignity and importance of creating an environment that protects and nurtures children, preparing them for the larger world. C O N T E N T S 1. A New Vocation: Homemaker Individuality and Role Expectations Strength and Insight The New Mysteries 2. The Life-organism of the Household Aspects of the Household Etheric Body Astral Body Spirituality Matter Living in the Home 3. Seed of the New Mystery Society Forming the Household Individuality Rhythm Cultural Life The Path of Development of the Homemaker Sacramentalism 4 Questions

The concepts of 'thinking with the heart' or 'emotional intelligence' are often used today, usually in contrast to intellectual thought. When Rudolf Steiner used the phrase 'heart thinking', however, he meant it in a very specific sense. Drawn primarily from his lectures, the compiled texts in this anthology illuminate his perspective - that heart thinking is intimately related to the spiritual faculty of Inspiration. The heart, he says, can become a new organ of thinking through the practice of exercises that work towards the transformation of feeling, shedding its personal and subjective character.The exercise sequences presented here call for two fundamental gestures. Firstly, renunciation, which extends from an extinguishing of images engendered in meditation, through inner silence, to a conscious suppression of sense perception. The second gesture involves the development of new feelings towards natural phenomena as well as to the reports of spiritual-scientific research. By practising these methods, we can attain a kind of thinking that is in harmony with the true nature and reality of what we seek to know.Rudolf Steiner's texts are collected together by Martina Maria Sam, who contributes a lucid introduction and notes.

D.N. Dunlop (1868-1935) combined remarkable practical and organizational abilities in industry and commerce with gifted spiritual and esoteric capacities. A personal friend of W.B. Yeats and Rudolf Steiner, Dunlop was responsible for founding the World Power Conference (today the World Energy Council), and played leading roles in the Theosophical Society and later the Anthroposophical Society. In his business life he pioneered a cooperative approach towards the emerging global economy. Meyer's compelling narrative of Dunlop's life begins on the Isle of Arran, where the motherless boy is brought up by his grandfather. In a landscape rich with prehistoric standing stones, the young Dunlop has formative spiritual experiences. When his grandfather dies, he struggles for material survival, but devotedly studies occult literature. The scene moves to Dublin, where Dunlop becomes a friend of W.B. Yeats and the poet-seer A.E., and develops an active interest in Madame Blavatsky's Theosophy. Arriving in London via New York, Dunlop is now a lecturer, writer and the editor of a monthly journal - but alongside his esoteric interests he rises to a foremost position in the British electrical industry, masterminding the first World Power Conference. Dunlop's life is to change forever through his meeting with Rudolf Steiner, which '...brought instant recognition'. He was immediately convinced that Steiner was '...the Knower, the Initiate, the bearer of the Spirit to his age'. Dunlop's close involvement with anthroposophy, leading to his eventual position as Chair of the British Society, is described in detail: from the momentous conferences in Penmaenmawr and Torquay to his transformative relationships with Eleanor Merry, W.J. Stein, Ita Wegman and Ludwig Polzer-Hoditz. Meyer features important material on the Anthroposophical Society's tragic split, that allows for a true evaluation of this difficult period in the organization's history. This second, enlarged edition features substantial additions of new material as well as an Afterword by Owen Barfield.

Finally available in English, Thomas Meyer's major biography of Ludwig Polzer-Hoditz (1869-1945) offers a panoramic view of an exceptional life. One of Rudolf Steiner's most valued and independent-minded colleagues, Polzer-Hoditz was born in Prague - in the midst of the Austro-Hungarian Empire - to an aristocratic family with royal connections. Leaving behind the traditions of his background, he was to become a key actor in Steiner's regenerative 'threefold' social impulses, working tirelessly for a genuinely unified and free Europe. Polzer-Hoditz also fought to protect Rudolf Steiner's esoteric legacy and the integrity of the Anthroposophical Society that had been founded to further his work. Following Steiner's untimely death, Polzer-Hoditz fostered a broad range of friendships and alliances with key figures such as D.N. Dunlop, Walter Johannes Stein and Ita Wegman. In a bid to avoid further division and conflict, he made significant interventions to alter the tragic course of events that consumed the Anthroposophical Society, although he was unable to stop the major split within the membership that was to follow. In the final decade of his life he concentrated his energies on world issues, seeking to influence events in Europe in particular, lecturing widely and writing a number of books and memoranda. In contrast to the destructive 'special interests' of the national and religious groups that craved dominion and power, Polzer-Hoditz sought to build a true understanding between Central and Eastern Europe and to cultivate a spiritual connection with the West. Meyer's book is a pioneering work in biographical literature, structured in four main sections that reflect the stages of an individual's personal development. In the concluding section he studies world events up to the present day, practising a method referred to as a 'symptomatological observation of history', which Polzer-Hoditz himself sought to develop. Much more than a standard biography, Ludwig Polzer-Hoditz presents a vibrantly living picture of how a spiritual individuality can work in human culture and history - in past, present and future. This first English edition is based on the latest German version and features additional material.

Throughout the ages, people have given the fairy kingdom various names. To some it was Paradise, to others Tir-nan-Og, Avalon, Country Underneath the Sea, Fairy Land, World of Immortal Youth, Land of Heart's Desire, Land of Life, or the Middle Kingdom. Fairy tales - the stories of this kingdom - are not only folk literature but also accounts of the subtler layers of fact clothed in poetic imagery. Rudolf Steiner was a close observer of the fairy kingdom and gave many lectures that describe the work of its inhabitants, whom he called elementals. It was clear to Steiner that these elementals were of great importance to the Earth, charged not only with the maintenance of Nature's household, but also with her evolutionary plans. He also spoke of how vital it is that we get to know these fairy workers and honor the work they do, so that their efforts prosper to carry the Earth forward in its evolution. Written and illustrated by two insightful women who experienced the fairy kingdom directly, this book offers a profound, yet simple introduction to fairy worlds and workers. Includes Ingrid Gibb's color paintings of the four races of Little People: Undines (water spirits), Gnomes (earth spirits), Sylphs (air spirits), and Fire-Spirits.

Religions in the Modern World: Traditions and Transformations, Third Edition is the ideal textbook for those coming to the study of religion for the first time, as well as for those who wish to keep up-to-date with the latest perspectives in the field. This third edition contains new and upgraded pedagogic features, including chapter summaries, key terms and definitions, and questions for reflection and discussion. The first part of the book considers the history and modern practices of the main religious traditions of the world, while the second analyzes trends from secularization to the rise of new spiritualities. Comprehensive and fully international in coverage, it is accessibly written by practicing and specialist teachers.

This unique volume examines the life and thought of Basil of Caesarea. Stephen M. Hildebrand brings together a lengthy introduction to his life and thought with a selection of extracts from his diverse works in new translations, with each extract accompanied by an introduction and notes. This format allows students to better understand this significant figure in the Early Church by providing an accessible representative selection of his works in one concise volume, making this an invaluable resource for students of Early Christianity.

This collection of special prayers is a wonderful companion for parents and caregivers and will help guide children on their journey to adulthood. It includes verses for every occasion?for parents to recite as the incarnating soul prepares for birth, for the baby after birth, and for children of all ages. Also included are prayers for morning and evening and graces for mealtimes. A lecture by Rudolf Steiner provides context for the prayers, offering insight into the greater cosmic relationships in which individuals are immersed before birth, during life, and after death.

'Eurythmy is that very thing which dancers with a true idealism have been unconsciously seeking - that inner harmony and balance that was a natural condition of the Greeks, visible in their statues and carved figures, so that, even in a standing pose, movement seems to flow through them.' Eurythmy is an expressive art of movement in which specific gestures relate to the sounds and rhythms of speech, to the tones and rhythms of music and to soul experiences, such as joy and sorrow. In this succinct and accessible booklet, the authors present a clear introduction to this contemporary art form in the context of the impulse of dance today. What is eurythmy, and how does it relate to other arts of movement and dance? What is eurythmy's purpose, and why did Rudolf Steiner create it in the early twentieth century? These and many more questions are answered in this extended essay, supplemented by 35 sketches of eurythmy figures by Rudolf Steiner that illustrate gestures of movement, feeling and character.

" In February 1904] Dr. Steiner began his lecture tours. Meanwhile, his book Theosophy was published, and I threw myself into it with the greatest enthusiasm, wrestling with it for months with every page, every sentence, and many words. When I had the foundation for a judgment, which I had somewhat carelessly expressed after my visit to Berlin, I would follow this man blindfolded. For now I had learned to follow with open eyes." -Carl Unger In part one, Carl Unger outlines and unlocks one of Rudolf Steiner's most essential works, Theosophy: An Introduction to the Spiritual Processes in Human Life and in the Cosmos (CW 9). As a close personal student of Rudolf Steiner and a member of his esoteric school, Carl Unger gained deep understanding of Steiner's most profound works, especially Theosophy. For those who want to "crack" this book and are willing to work, Carl Unger's commentary will prove enlightening and help the reader penetrate beyond an intellectual understanding of Steiner's seminal work. In part two, the author guides the reader through the essential principles that underlay anthroposophic Spiritual Science. In his foreword to its earlier publication, Alan Howard wrote, "This little volume, though not the only work from Unger's hand, is the essence of what he did in this field. It is not everybody's book, nor, even for those who decide to take it up, an easy book. Each sentence builds closely on all that precede it; each is essential to all that follow. For those students, however, who seek a secure foundation in pure thought for the suprasensory realities of which Steiner speaks, and are willing to give it the study it deserves, this book will be a continuing reward and delight."

'By cultivating spiritual thoughts here on earth we can provide nourishment for the dead...When fields lie fallow they produce no crops to feed humanity and people may die of starvation. The dead cannot die of starvation, of course; all they can do is suffer when spiritual life lies fallow on earth.' - Rudolf Steiner The founding of the Anthroposophical Society in 1913 marked a major change in Rudolf Steiner's work. Although Steiner had always been an independent spiritual researcher, the break with the theosophists removed all constraints, allowing for a full flowering of anthroposophy. These lectures, presented to audiences in Germany, France and Sweden, are filled with a freshness and vitality that reflect this new beginning, providing intriguing glimpses of great themes that Steiner was to develop in the years ahead. A predominant topic here is that of death. Rudolf Steiner seeks to explain how people on earth can reach the dead in a non-mediumistic way, and how such interaction between 'living' and 'dead' is mutually beneficial. Startlingly, he states that people who do not recognize the being of Lucifer during their earthly life - who have not 'already got to intuit and know the luciferic impulses in the human soul properly whilst here in life' - will be 'vampirized' by this being after death. Rudolf Steiner also elaborates on the activities of the adversary beings in present-day civilization - spiritual powers that play a necessary role in Earth evolution - and how we can counteract them. The longer someone can stay alive, for example, is a victory over Ahriman's activity. Even the losing of teeth has beneficial aspects, allowing us to '...gain certain impulses and these overcome Ahriman'. Steiner relates the actions of such spiritual entities to child development too, indicating the various influences in the seven-year cycles of growth. Also included are lectures on the Christian festivals and various artworks, including 'The Triumph of Death' in the Composanto cemetery at Pisa, which reveals great secrets of humanity's evolution. Whatever the subject addressed, it soon becomes apparent that these lectures were not just relevant to Steiner's audience in 1913, but also speak to contemporary souls around the world seeking spiritual orientation and understanding. 10 lectures, various cities, Jan. - Dec. 1913, CW 150

"The being whom we call Christ once walked the earth in flesh and blood at the beginning of our era. He will never again return in a physical body, for that was a unique event and will not be repeated. But He will come again in an etheric form in the period I have mentioned. People will learn to perceive Christ by virtue of growing towards him through this etheric perception." Many contemporaries were unaware of Christ's incarnation on earth at the beginning of the modern era. And today, says Rudolf Steiner, many remain ignorant of the most important event of our time: the appearance of Christ in the etheric - or life - realm of the earth. Fundamentalist and millennial groups await a second physical incarnation, while atheists and materialists deny spirit altogether. Nevertheless, an incisive transformation is taking place in the human soul that will lead to an emerging clairvoyance. Just as Paul perceived Christ at Damascus, so may every human being experience Him today. Also available as an Audio Book