The Law of Twelve |
1. CHRISTIAN ROSENKREUTZ In his book Esoteric Christianity R. Steiner carefully weaves a story about the occult life of Christian Rosenkreutz and his council of twelve members. In an unnamed place in Europe a spiritual lodge of twelve men was formed each of which had received into themselves the sum total of the spiritual wisdom of ancient times. The council consisted first of the seven Hindu Rishis of the first cultural epoch designated the Indian. These Rishis were the great teachers of the Hindu Brahman culture now ascended as stars in the great Bear star foci. The second part of the council consisted of four members each representing the acquired wisdom of each of the post-Atlantean cultural epochs designated as Indian, Persian, Egyptian-Chaldean and Greco-Roman. The four joined the seven Rishis as incarnations in the thirteen century. To this group a twelfth was added representing the wisdom of the then existing sciences. As Steiner says: "By means of certain occult processes, the wisdom that had passed over from Atlantis to the holy Rishis had been transmitted to seven of these twelve men. In four others lived the wisdom of the sacred mysteries of the Indian, Persian, Egyptian and Greco-Roman epochs respectively, and what existed in those days of the kind of culture which was to characterize the fifth post-Atlantean epoch constituted the twelfth. The whole range of spiritual life was accessible to these twelve." Into this council of twelve a child, a former contemporary of Christ, was incarnated. The council took this child into their care and instructed him in all their knowledge and wisdom so that all the wisdom of the preceding cultural epochs rayed into his soul. For the first time, the twelve great sources of wisdom and religion were united into this child in one interconnected unity. After his early death and subsequent incarnation in the fourteenth century, this child became known as Christian Rosenkreutz and his mystery steam of esoteric Christianity called the Rosicrucian. For our purposes, what is important here is that Steiner states the obvious, "Christian Rosenkreutz was the thirteenth in the circle of twelve." What is the occult significance of this relationship of a circle of twelve around a thirteenth who acts as a spiritual leader of mankind? Obviously, there is a correspondence to Christ and the twelve disciples. 2. MOSES AND CHRIST The tasks of Moses were many. On one level, he was the ordained bearer of the "I am that I am" ego principal. By leading the Jews out of Egypt, he severed the ancient clairvoyant consciousness, representative of the Indian, Persian, and Egyptian cultural epochs and created in his Hebrew sub-race in exile, the germ of a new ego intellectuality necessary to be developed in the subsequent fourth cultural epoch commencing in the year 747 B.C. On another level, he was ordained to instruct and cultivate in his Hebrew sub-race the Messianic tradition for the coming of the birth of Christ. Imaginatively, I have felt that the 40 year journey of Moses and the Jews through the desert represented in the microcosm, the cosmic journey in the macrocosm of Christ descending as a Spirit of Wisdom through the forty circles of the Zohar and the corresponding spiritual hierarchies of galaxy, zodiac, planets, and sun to be incarnated on earth as the redeemer of mankind. In the ordained tasks of Moses we also observe numerous references to this mysterious correspondence of twelve-foldness. For example, there is Jacob and his sons, the twelve tribes of Israel; the twelve Judges of Israel, starting with Othniel and ending with Samson; the twelve scouts sent out by Moses into the desert at the beginning of exile; the twelve cakes of the Shewbread are the twelve precious gems in the breastplate and ephod of the high priests. Several authors relate the twelve tribes or Israel with an intentional plan by Moses to correspond with the twelve signs of the Zodiac, a sort of earthly recapitulation of the celestial zodiac signs. However, no author other than Emil Bock has ventured to state with certainty from spiritual research that there is a correspondence between the celestial star foci and the occurrences of twelve in the Hebrew-Moses lineage. Obviously, I concur with his conclusion at the end of Moses by Emil Bock. "Joshua, the twelve judges of Israel, and Ruth, together appear as a pre-configuration of the same celestial configuration, which later found a fulfilled reality on earth as Jesus of Nazareth, the twelve disciples and Mary. The judges whose twelve-foldness is made visible in a conscious manner of composition appear as a circle of representatives of humanity. Later on, the twelve apostles drew the circle of mankind around the Christ figure. We may discover the heavenly configuration which fashioned their preparatory and fulfilling human reflection around the Christ being, who represented the central point like a brightly shining spiritual sun, the twelve Bodhisattva's figures were gathered in a circle in the spiritual works during the pre-Christian evolutions of humanity. They comprised the sphere of guidance out of which the destiny of earthly man received its direction in nations and culture. The figures of Joshua, the twelve judges and Ruth placed together by the canon of the Old Testament, thus create a bridge from the celestial circle of the Bodhisattva's to the apostles circle on earth." This is a remarkable statement by a respected Biblical scholar and student of spiritual research which confirms my research in spiritual geometry. 3. OCCULT TWELVE-FOLDNESS From my research, Bock is the first person to imagine in the circle of twelve judges and the circle of the apostles a shining spiritual sun as the thirteenth, obviously similar in all respects to the council of twelve and the thirteenth as Christian Rosenkreutz. This certainly establishes an occult principal of twelve-foldness for spiritual leaders. More importantly, Bock also sees an additional occult principal when he corresponds the circle of spiritual twelve-foldness with actual celestial Bodhisattva's existing in space as physical entities of stars and suns. This equation is an ancient one. For example, the Hindus have believed for thousands of years that the seven Holy Rishis have ascended in space and reside in the seven stars of the Great Bear (Big Dipper) constellation. Likewise, in theosophy texts, Buddhist texts and the Secret Doctrine, many examples are given of celestial Bodhisattva's residing in space who have physical counterparts on earth. Madame H.P. Blavatsky states, "In the Northern Buddhist system, it is taught that every Buddha, while preaching the good law on earth, manifests himself simultaneously in three worlds: in the formless, as Dhyana-Buddha, in the world of Forms as a Bodhisattva, and in the world of desire (earth) as a man...The star under which a human entity is born, will remain forever its star, throughout the whole cycle of its incarnations in one manvantara. The angel of that star, or the Dhyani-Buddhi, will be the guiding angel in every new rebirth of the monad." Thus, (l) every human on earth has a spiritual counterpart in cosmic space residing in its personal star; (2) the movements and groupings of humans on earth have corresponding celestial movements in cosmic space; (3) the most significant spiritual events on earth that occur through human incarnations such as Moses, Buddhi and Christ involve a certain twelve-foldness around a thirteenth spiritual sun. Many other examples of twelve-foldness abound from religions sources such as: Mohammed and the twelve successor Iman's of Shiate Islam; King Arthur and the twelve knights of the round table; Guru Nanak and his twelve successor gurus (although actually terminated at the tenth); Mahavira and his twelve disciples called Ganadharas; the Persian Khwajagan (masters of wisdom) and twelve successors to Yosof of Hamadan; Odin and his twelve Drottes (priests); and Joseph of Arimathea and the twelve sons of Hebron. In addition there is the 12 chapters of the LAWS OF MANU;the 12 great circle of the circular council of the Dalai Lama;the 12 disciples of the Lao-tzu; the 12 judges of the Egyptian book of the Dead; the 12 main Aesir and their dwellings or thrones in the Nordic tradition; the 12 Palatines of charlemagne; the 12 labours of Hercules; the 12 days in Siegfried's journey and in the 12 kings subjected to him and the 12 lictorians began by Romulus. What is the common thread of this spirituael twelve-foldness around a spiritual sun that has correspondence in both the microcosm on earth and macrocosm of celestial space? 4. TWELVE-FOLDNESS OF THE ZODIAC Although referred to as a fixed star, our sun has an apparent eastward motion through the celestial sphere of the Milky Way galaxy. This eastward motion describes a great circle called the plane of the ecliptic. Imagining the ecliptic as the equator of the celestial sphere, the zodiac is a band of star constellations, the width of which is thirty degrees above and below the plane of the ecliptic. Our sun passes through this band of the zodiac on its motion through celestial space. It is important to observe the zodiac as a BAND of stars in twelve signs and not twelve points around the central sun. Twelve points around a central sun imparts a different concept, that of a polyhedron instead of a flywheel or bicycle rim. Not a point, the zodiac is a band thirty degrees high and low in declination and a varying magnitudes in width. Because of its length and width, the zodiac as a band of stars can be imagined as a flywheel and bicycle rim. First, consider the zodiac as a flywheel of a gyroscope with a ring of twelve balls. In Plat No. , each ball is considered as a separate band of the zodiac, twelve in all. If set in eternal motion at great speed, it becomes like a disc with a central axis imagined like the sun. The disc acts like the flywheel of a gyroscope. Precession is the motion effect of a body in motion upon another body in motion. Gravity forces have a l80 degree circumferential effect which produce a 90 degree precessional effect on bodies in motion. This is how a gyroscope spins and moves, when downward pressure is applied to the edge of a gyro flywheel, its plane of rotation tilts along a horizontal axis created at the point of force. Or, when pressure is applied to the axis of rotation, the plan of rotation of the flywheel tilts precessionly. Therefore, both the axis and the flywheel tilt at right angles (90) to the point where the force is exerted. This 90 reaction is the precessional effect. In our imagination of the sun as the axis of a gyro, whose flywheel is the band of the zodiac, any pressure exerted on the flywheel would cause the axis of the sun to rotate at 90 precessionally. This explains why the sun as a fixed star can rotate in space on its axis. Second, consider the zodiac as a bicycle rim composed of twelve spokes of the zodiac directed from a central hub. As shown in Plat No. , many spokes are needed to keep the rim from bending outward while the weight lead is suspended in the center hub. The vertical spokes leading from the hub to the rim fix the weight load and keep the hub from twisting in place or oscillating as a drum head. Buckminister Fuller discovered that it takes a minimum of twelve spokes to fix the hub in relation to the rim. Any fewer spokes would cause to hub to twist in and out of place and with sufficient weight on the rim, cause the hub to collapse. All spokes in excess of twelve strengthen the wheel. Imagine now the sun as the hub fixed in place by the twelve spokes of the zodiac. Twelve stars representing the zodiac is the minimum, but we know each band of the zodiac consists of eight to fifteen or more representative stars, thus making the cosmic wheel stronger than the minimum. With each band of the zodiac partitioned into sextants of thirty degrees each, there is plenty of room to all additional spokes represented as new stars (such as that new star of the magi appearing in Pisces). B. Fuller has similarly observed the hub-rim, tension-compression aspect of the sun and zodiac. "As I considered the twelve unique vectors on freedom constantly and nonredundantly operative between the two poles of the wire wheel - its islanded hub and its islanded equatorial rim-atoll, in effect a Milky Way-like ring of a myriad of star islands encircling the hub in a plane perpendicular to the hub axis - I discerned that this most economic arrangement of forces might also be that minimum possible system of nature capable of displaying a stable constellar compressional discontinuity and tensional continuity." He goes on to say that a one-island system such as our sun could not exist without the tensional forces as represented by the twelve or more spokes of the zodiac. To think that the hub or rim could exist without each other is an "optical illusion" caused by our scientists inability to perceive the invisible level of atomic structuring. Also, Plat No. shows a vertical slice of the cosmic wheel. The hub actually appears as an elongated axis which can have a hollow space located within it. With the sun as hub, the spiral motion in eternity of the sun in its journey through space describes the fixed hollow hub. Within this hollow hub is our solar system of planets with motions independent of the zodiac. In conclusion, it takes a minimum of twelve spokes to fix a hub in relation to the rim. This is the first instance of twelve-foldness in our macrocosm extending from zodiac to the earth. The twelve-foldness of the zodiac can be considered in two aspects. First, as the flywheel of a gyroscope with a central thirteenth sun. Second, as the rim of a cosmic wheel with a fixed solar hub in the center. In either case, in our macrocosm, THERE COULD BE NO FIXED STAR AS CENTRAL SUN WHICH COULD SUPPORT A PLANETARY SYSTEM WITHOUT THE TWELVEFOLDNESS OF THE BAND OF THE ZODIAC. 5. TWELVE-FOLDNESS OF THE METALS With the exception of the free gases in the atmosphere, only about twenty elements are found in the native state. These elements are divided into metals, semi-metals and non-metals. The three active metal groups are the gold group consisting of gold, silver, copper and lead; the platinum group consists of platinum, palladium, iridium and osmium; the iron group of iron and nickel iron. The semi-metals and non-metals do not concern us here. Approximately two-thirds of the metals fall into the class of non-directional bonds and their crystal structure can be described by spheres in "close-packing", which in their case, each sphere contacts twelve others. Here is the (FCC) twelve-foldness of the microcosm of atomic elements. Taking the so-called gold group, we see similar chemical properties arising from similar structure. All are rather soft, malleable, ductile and sectile. All are excellent conductors of heat and electricity, display metallic luster and hackly fracture and have rather low melting points. In addition, because of the twelvefold close-packing, all have isometric hexoctahedral crystal structure with unusually high densities. This tight close packing allows the smallest interstices between atoms and contribute to the directional flow of electrons for the conductivity of electricity, which no other elements share. Finally, the colors of the elements outside the gold group are diffused in their combinations with other elements. However, the yellow of gold, the red of copper, the white of silver and the blue of lead are all inherent atomic properties. Wilheim Pelikan in his book, The Secrets of Metals, discusses the spiritual genesis and qualities of the seven ancient metals and their relationship with the seven ancient planets. Lead to Saturn influences; Tin to Jupiter influences; Iron to Mars influences; Gold to Sun influences; Copper to Venus influences; Mercury to Mercury influences; and Silver to Moon influences. The metals of our gold group would compose the quaternity of the sun and the planets of Saturn, Venus and Moon. The elements tin, iron, mercury would fall out of this quaternity as their atomic coordination structure is respectively fourfold, eightfold. The occult relationship between the planets and the native metals is the transmission of forces or influences and, obviously, a native element such as silver transmits forces more efficiently than a non-metal element such as potassium. Thus, the earth in its geological evolution has become a depository of the native metals for the earth to act as a bell in sounding the music of the planetary spheres. The twelve-Fold coordination of the atomic structure of the gold group displays this occult principal at work in the microcosm. In crystallography, the face-centered cubic lattice (FCC) is the equivalent to cubic close packing (CCP). This lattice is defined by fourteen spheres, eight at the vertices and six at the faces as in Plat No. . Note that the stacking is in layers of five on the face, four in the center and five on the face or 5 + 4 + 5 = l4 spheres. Although it has not been proved that this is the greatest density possible for sphere packing, no other packing of equal spheres has shown a higher density. It will be shown later that there are several possible arrangements for twelvefold sphere packing, such as cuboctahedron, icosahedron and rhombic dodecahedron. The FCC packing is the most dense in nature. In conclusion, we saw in the zodiac, the first instance of twelve-foldness in the macrocosm, with the hub-rim twelve-foldness of the sun and the zodiac, spread out like islands of tension-compression in the ocean of cosmic space. Here, twelve-foldness is the minimum to support stellar structure. In the native metals, we see the first instance of twelve-foldness in the microcosm. Here, twelve-foldness is the maximum in atomic close packing wherein each atom is in personal contact with each other atom. This relationship produces unique results by carrying planetary influences, especially the conduit of electricity from the central sun. In both macrocosm and microcosm, we see the principal of twelve around one, with an occult reversal of expansion in the zodiac and contraction in the atoms of the native metals. 6. HEXOCTAHEDRON CRYSTAL CLASS Diverging from our discussion of twelve-foldness, it is interesting to see how the soon to be called "Law of Twelve" relates in the microcosm with the precessional effect of the Law of Three and the Law of Seven. The gold group belongs to the isometric crystal system, one of SEVEN structural systems in crystallography. Within this system, is a crystal class called the hexoctahedron, whose symmetry symbol is 4/m 3 2/m. The hexoctahedral crystal form consists of three axes of fourfold symmetry, four diagonal axes of threefold symmetry and six diagonal axes of twofold symmetry as shown in Plat No. . Thus, a total of thirteen axis of symmetry. This symmetry is the highest possible in crystallography. This hexoctahedral form produces or precesses SEVEN isometric crystals as follows: Form Faces cube ----------------------6 rhombic dodechedron ---- 12 octahedron ----------------- 8 Tetrahexahedron ----------- 24 Trisoctahedron ------------ 24 Trapezohedron ------------ 24 Hexoctahedron ------------- 48 All of the above SEVEN forms are produced by rotation, translation and truncation (of tetra) processes of THREE fixed forms of cube, octahedron and rhombic dodecahedron. Thus, the three precess and produce the seven which precess and close pack in twelve-foldness, creating the gold group with: (l) highest crystal symmetry in nature, and (2) the most dense close packing in nature to carry the life force of nature, electricity or Fohat. 7 EVOLUTION OF SPHERE POINTS There are several different models of twelve-foldness, such as the pent-dodecahedreon, the icosahedron and the rhombic dodecahedron. However, there is only one nucleated twelve-foldness of twelve around one and this was rediscovered by B. Fuller. To discover this unique structure, follow the evolution of basic sphere point configurations. In Plat No. , we see that four spheres are the greatest number that can be in simultaneous contact and this produces the tetrahedron . By successively adding spheres into the interstices (the valley between spheres), we find a hierarchy of five regular solids from three triangulated close packings of equal size spheres. A second set of four spheres also produces a tetrahedron. Thus, it is its own dual . Six spheres produces an octahedron with each sphere touching four others (four-foldness). Adding a third set of set of spheres to the octahedreon, a cube is produced. Thus, the cube is the dual of the octahedron. This cube also represents cubic close packing and consists of fourteen spheres as in the fourteen atoms in the close packing of the native metals. However, this close packing is inherently non-nucleated, there is no center nuclear sphere. If we rearrange the fourteen spheres of the FCC cube around a center nucleus, we obtain the cuboctahedron , which is twelve spheres around a central thirteenth and we have discovered our model of twelve-foldness around a central thirteenth. If the center or thirteenth sphere is removed, the cuboctahedron twists into an icosahedron . The twelve spheres in the icosahedron each touch five others (fivefoldness). If we add an additional twenty spheres to each of the twenty triangles of the icosahedron, we obtain the regular dodecahedron . Thus, the dodecahedron is the dual of the icosahedron. In all, this Concentric Hierarchy evolution discloses a hierarchy of five regular (Platonic Relationships) solids from the tetrahedron on (its own dual) to the octahedron, the octahedron to the cube (its dual); then after close packing the cube, from the icosahedron the dodecahedron (its dual). In the middle is our cuboctahedron , the only close packed nucleated solid. In conclusion, the evolution is summarized HERE and HERE. 8 THE CUBOCTAHEDRON The cuboctahedron is the most unique configuration in cosmos. The regular solids above described date back to Pythagorus and were first published exoterically by Plato in the Timaeus where he correlated them with the respective elements of fire, air, earth and water. The dodecahedron has been recognized by the most ancient Hindu culture in the zodiac as Makaram (Capricorn), the geometrical model initiated by the Demiurgus in constructing the material universe. Likewise, St. John in the Apocalypse relates the twelve gates of the new Jerusalem to a celestial dodecahedron. If the regular solids have been recognized for thousands of years, why has the cuboctahedron been hidden? Fuller says, "Being the zerophase of energy the (cuboctahedron) is inherently invisible and non-empirically discoverable, which accounts for its having been so long unrecognized." Besides rediscovering the cuboctahedron, Fuller names it the dymaxion or vector-equilibrium. As a solid it consists externally as eight triangles and six squares . Using the tetrahedron as prime unity, it has a volume of twenty. Internally, the twelve vertexes extend in tangential radius from the original twelve spheres surrounding the nuclear sphere. The length of each of the twelve vectors extending from the center to the vertexes are all of equal length, thus, vector equilibrium. The cuboctahedron also defines a sixty degree coordination system inherent in all cosmos. The western scientific tradition has adopted a ninety degree three dimensional coordinate system to describe nature. However, a sixty degree system operates circumferentially or radially and allows for modeling in dimensions beyond the third of traditional physics. At every internal convergence there are always twelve vectors coming together and they are always convergent at sixty degrees with respect to each other. In the future, all geometry will be based upon a sixty degree coordinate system. Although one of the original 23 Archimedean solids, the cuboctahedron has had a long standing unrecognized past, even by crystallographers. I can find no crystal structure in any of the elements that even suggest this form. The other twelve vertexed solids such as icosahedron and pentagonal dodecahedron find themselves in nature as aluminum alloys (WAL and MoAl ) and chlorine hydrate respectively. The reason for this is that the cuboctahedron is a system and not a structure. As a system it is the common denominator of the tetrahedron, octahedron and cube, representing the equilibrium of the outward radial thrust of victors balanced by the circumferentially restraining chord forces. An omnidirectional equilibrium of forces of equal lengths in twelve-foldness. The tetrahedron is the prime non-nucleated system or volume in cosmos. As a structure, the Cuboctahedron exists not as itself, but only as a structure for close packing around a nuclear sphere. The cuboctahedron is the prime nucleated structural system of cosmos. 9 THE STRUCTURAL MODEL We can now correspond the model of circle of twelve around a spiritual leader as thirteenth directly with the cuboctahedron. The circle is twelve for no other reason than the fact that twelve is the most that can be packed together wherein there is still personal contact between the center or thirteenth. Only the cuboctahedron has a center nucleus. The other twelvefold regular solids as icosahedron and dodecahedron do not have a center sphere and therefore cannot serve as our model for twelve around one. However, there is a unique relationship between the cuboctahedron and icosahedron. In our discussion of the evolution of sphere points, it was stated that the cuboctahedron twists into the icosahedron. This happens because as a system and not a structure, the cuboctahedron is inherently unstable. The only stable structure is an equilateral triangle, of which the cuboctahedron has eight. However, it also has six squares faces which are unstable in relation to the triangles. When pressure is applied to the cuboctahedron, the square faces precess into the more stable triangular faces and the result is the twenty triangles of the icosahedron. The tetrahedron, octahedron and icosahedron are the most stable structures in cosmos because they are all triangulated with no unstable faces composed of squares or pentagons, etc. However, something is lost in the precession from cuboctahedron to icosahedron. The nuclear ball of the cuboctahedron DISAPPEARS as the final close packing of twelve spheres of the icosahedron is un-nucleated with no center. This unique behavior also corresponds to our circle of twelve. The cuboctahedron represents the circle of twelve IN LIFE, with Moses, Buddha, Christ and Father C.R. surrounded by the twelve apostles. IN DEATH, the center spiritual leader DISAPPEARS from earthly existence but is survived by the circle of twelve now, in the form of an icosahedron. Therefore, in life, our circle of twelve exist in form as an cuboctahedron and in death, in form as an icosahedron, stronger, but with no nucleus. To make this correspondence even more clear, R. Steiner in The Gospel of St. Luke says, "A whole survey of earth evolution would reveal that there are twelve such Bodhisattvas...directing all earth evolution...if you were to look into the great Spirit-Lodge of the twelve Bodhisattvas you would find in the midst of the twelve there is a thirteenth...There streams from the thirteenth what the others have to teach. He is that being from whom wisdom itself streams as very substance. It is quite correct to speak of the twelve Bodhisattvas in the great Spirit-Lodge grouped around one who is their center. This thirteenth is He whom the ancient Rishis called Vishua Karman, whom Zarathustra called Ahura Mazdao, whom we call the Christ." In conclusion, we have answered the question of why the great spiritual leaders of mankind are closed with a circle of twelve. The answer is that they correspond the nucleated structural model of the cuboctahedron. No other model exists. As a structural model, it relates the heavenly configuration of the twelve Bodhisattva's around the central spiritual sun, so to say, written in the stars on the celestial background. 10. THE FOUNDING OF THE NEW MYSTERIES All spiritual impulses are founded upon our model of 12 disciples around a central spiritual sun. A final example to be considered is unique to all of us in the 20th century, a great time to live and learn Spiritual Science. Once before, on the evening of September 20, 1913, Dr. Steiner laid a foundation Stone (made of copper) into the hill at Dornach to celebrate the dedication of the completion of the Goetheanum. The holy stone was in the shape of a double pentagonal dodecahedron which he said " represents the striving human soul immersed as macrocosm in the microcosm." As opposed to the cuboctahedron, which represents a group of spiritual impulses, the similar 12-fold dodecahedron, represents "the cosmic image of the human soul." This building burned to the ground on New Years eve, 1922 and remarkably, the original foundation Stone survived. One year later, at Christmas 1923, Dr. Steiner held the now famous Christmas Foundation Meeting wherein he rededicated the Anthroposophical Society and the new Goetheanum. This monumental event is considered by many as a "cosmic turning point in time" and "a new cosmic age." Why this 12-fold shape to serve as the model of the new mysteries ? As discussed in Esoteric Christianity in the DIONYSIUS meditation (supra), the four great mystery streams in the Western Tradition merged during the Christmas Foundation Meeting. Previously, those of the East and West merged in 869 AD by the Parsifal deed when he became the Grail King. The Eastern stream, representing the Buddhi impulse, consisted in those ancient mysteries of Atlantis carried forward by Hibernia-Celtic-Irish Christianity. The western impulse, representing the Manas impulse, consisted in those ancient mysteries of the post-Atlantean civilizations of the Hindu, Persian, Chaldean and Greek cultural epochs. The Northern mystery stream was "polar" representing the hidden ego impulse and ancient sun wisdom of the second root race known as Hyperborea. Of all the mystery streams, only this center existed before the Fall, and its wisdom was preserved in the "traditional wisdom" so revered by our French intellectuals, Schuon and Guenon. However, the ego impulse was held back from the following ages of Lemuria and Atlantis and preserved until Abraham appeared in the third sub-race of the Aryan root race. The Germanic tribes were directed thru the Trudi or Drotten mysteries to Scandinavia and Russia under the guidance of the bodhisattva Gautama Buddha, incarnated then as Odin. The Scythians were directed to Eastern Europe under the guidance of the bodhisattva Scythianos. The Southern mystery stream represented the preserved ancient mystery wisdom of the third root race, Lemuria, and came to Europe through the pagan Egyptian priesthood, the Old Testament Hebrews and later, thru Christianized Rome. The ego impulse first received its fullness with Moses, the I AM of the Old testament, and developed thru the 3 X 14 generations of the Matthew Gospel until the birth of Christ. Since then, the ego of Christ has been preserved in the Holy Grail chalice. During the Renaissance, the fully developed ego impulse of the Hebrews, passed over into the withheld ego impulse of the Celtic and Germanic tribes. This was made possible esoterically by the Rosicrucian impulse and exoterically by the Scholastic teachings of Albert Magnus and St. Thomas Aquinas. Beginning the 5th cultural epoch in 1413 AD, the united ego impulse civilized Europe with a Christian economy carried over from the Templars. When the dark age of Kali Yuga lifted in 1899, individuals from all four mystery streams incarnated on earth to bring forth a united effort to commence the archangel Michael Age (1879). At the Foundation Stone Meeting in 1923 all four ancient mystery streams united, birthing forth a new spiritual being, the Michael inspired Spiritual Science of Anthroposophy. As such, esoteric Christianity, represented by Christian Rosencreutz, and exoteric Christianity, represented by Dr. Steiner, also united to give birth to a new Christian impulse, infused with revealed knowledge of karma and reincarnation. Dr. Steiner's LAST ADDRESS given to members of the Society at Michaelmas 1924, further spoke of "four groups of twelve individuals." This archetype of 12, represents on the one hand, the impulse of love, as corresponds to the 12 petalled lotus chakra of the heart and on the other hand, the geometric form of all spiritual impulses. Although not specifically revealed by Dr. Steiner, the four groups of twelve represent the start of four new esoteric impulses replacing the four mystery streams that were merged during the Christmas Foundation Meeting. All of which incarnate in historical time with the commencement of the re-appearence or Second Coming of Christ in the etheric. Predictably, each group will incarnate on earth in a series of 25 years spread over the 20th century. Each group will have been prepared for its task in the sun sphere under the guidance of archangel Michael. The task of each group of 12 will be to raise its group consciousness to the corresponding level of its guiding archangel, wherein the group can absorb the impulses for each of the four new mysteries. Who and where these centers are located is not known to me, but surely it relates to the incarnation of the three great teachers of the 20th century. With Anthroposophy as the central spiritual being (that of the arch-angelic being of SOPHIA), the first great teacher was Dr. Steiner. The second great teacher is the incarnated Maitreya bodhisattva (previously identified as Jeschu ben Pandira in the first century BC) believed to be Valetin Tomberg. Each of these great teachers founded a path of spiritual training to reach its archangel. Steiner began the Esoteric School (1904-1914) and later the Free High School for Spiritual Science. The first fell by the path during WW I and the latter after his death in 1925. Tomberg began his Lord's Prayer course in Amsterdam between 1940-1942, but this was discontinued during WW II. However, his MEDITATIONS ON THE TAROT presents an individualised training for esoteric Christian Hermeticism and exoteric Catholic church practice of sacraments, penance and prayer. The third great teacher may not become known as a public figure. During the LAST ADDRESS at Michaelmas 1924, Dr. Steiner mentioned the person of John the Baptist incarnating as the German Romantic poet, Novalis (1772-1801). From our NAROS meditation, we know of his Old Testament incarnation as Elijah, and previously as Phinehas, the son of Aaron the priest In the GOSPEL OF ST. MARK, Dr. Steiner states that "the soul of John the Baptist, of Elijah, becomes the group soul of the twelve apostles; it lives and continues to live in the twelve", of course, after being beheaded by Herod. Then, "I have often maintained that the soul of Elijah-John appeared again in the painter Raphael." Thus, we see an evolutionary process of grounding of this great archangelic soul, first as the Hebrew group-soul/folk-spirit for the whole nation personified in Elijah; then, as the group soul for the twelve apostles and grounded further, in the individual souls of a painter and poet. His next incarnation should be as the third great teacher, grounding further in the last 1/3 of the 20th century. When Dr. Steiner spoke of the spiritual impulse descending during the end of the 20th century, he spoke of the Platonic stream that had been held back from incarnation since the school of Chartres. Between the 12th century and now, the Aristotelian impulse of Albert Magnus and St. Thomas Aquinas was to lead a Christianised ego impulse into the 20th century where it cumulated in the Spiritual Science/Anthroposophy of Dr. Steiner. Central to the spiritual impulse of Chartres was the Celtic cult of the black Virgin, the cathedral itself being built over the grotto of this ancient mystery center. It would seem most logical that the cosmic Christianity of the Celtic tradition, later revived by the Platonic teachers of Chartres, would incarnate at the end of the 20th century with an impulse dedicated to the Blessed Virgin. Thus, the third teacher would most likely be a woman teaching the wisdom of Sophia and founding a fourth new mystery stream dedicated to the Most Holy Trinosophia ! In conclusion, our model of the 12 around a spiritual sun, geometrically expressed in the cuboctahedron, has historically appeared thru the epochs of civilization, guiding the spiritual evolution of mankind and has re-appeared in the 20th century to birth the new mysteries, particularly, those of the Sophia Wisdom. |
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