Occult Science: An Outline - Session 9
Ashton began this week’s conversation focused on Steiner's account of the Moon epoch of evolution by drawing on Samuel Taylor Coleridge's concept of “separative projection,” finding it useful in framing Steiner's discussion of polarity. He explained how polarity, according to Coleridge, represents a triunity that reflects a primordial unity. The Moon epoch is characterized by an ongoing interplay of polar forces, fostering creativity through repeated yet distinct cycles of differentiation. Ashton likened this to a fractal process involving various celestial hierarchies moving at different paces, occasionally affected by rebellious spirits. He highlighted the word "intermediate," used by Steiner to describe the Moon epoch, emphasizing that it serves as a bridge, with the unfolding polarity becoming more distinct over time.
Max picked up on Ashton's reflections, tying Steiner's understanding of wisdom and love into the conversation. He noted that the current embodiment of humanity is the realization of transforming a cosmos of wisdom into one of love. To explore wisdom further, he examined the etymology of the word itself, finding parallels between "wisdom" and "vision," which both convey a sense of seeing and knowing. Max traced this linguistic lineage through Latin and Greek, suggesting that wisdom is linked to the ability to see clearly and to understand.
Matt appreciated Max's perspectives on wisdom, emphasizing that while wisdom is inherent, freedom requires development. He interpreted Steiner's portrayal of the Moon epoch as one where humans required sheltering from higher beings while their astral bodies differentiated. Although not fully individuated at this stage, the astral body began developing a sense of possession over pains and pleasures. Steiner's metaphors of sheltering and shrouding encapsulate the Moon epoch's environment for the budding "I" consciousness, which remained communal and external to the human experience, held by angelic mirrors. He also emphasized Ashton’s use of Coleridge’s metaphor of separative projection, which describes a process of wisdom emerging through reflection.
Jeff expressed gratitude for the dialogue and added his reflections on perception and art. Drawing from Steiner's Riddles of Humanity, he emphasized the importance of art in connecting to the perceptive quality of life processes. He compared the Moon epoch's perceptive development to children's early growth phases, where senses were interwoven with life. Jeff posed a question related to Plato's cave allegory, suggesting that wisdom in ancient times meant perception rather than cognitive reflection. He saw this as valuable in nurturing one's existential understanding.
Karsten brought a contrasting perspective, questioning the interest and relevance of Steiner's account of planetary evolution to everyday life. He acknowledged the fascinating nature of Steiner's writings but struggled to connect this section to his personal experiences. He asked how and why understanding the Moon epoch is significant and where the active principle of life exists in Steiner's descriptions.
In response, Ashton suggested that Steiner's depiction is rooted in a premodern conception where life and death are not distinctly separate, and movement is an expression of the whole cosmos's aliveness. The spirits of wisdom grant their influence to living beings, reflecting a cosmic process. He connected this concept to the seasons and Steiner's "Calendar of the Soul," finding resonance in the cyclical and dynamic nature of life.
Each participant engaged deeply with Steiner's ideas, weaving in their interpretations and concerns while striving to relate these esoteric concepts to personal experience and a broader understanding of wisdom, life, and cosmic evolution.
I wanted to reiterate my appreciation for the question raised by Karsten, as I also find myself asking this while reading "Occult Science." The contemporary scientific materialist view projects present characteristics unique to the Earth phase of evolution, as described by Steiner, back to the origins of time. This approach unwittingly assumes a human perspective even when considering epochs preceding humanity, like those consisting only of plasma, atoms, and stars. It seems to me that, if we hope to understand the past at all, we must accept our implicit presence in these primordial times.
Steiner's intent is to fully acknowledge this conundrum. If escaping our anthropic perspective is impossible, we must then embrace it to uncover deeper truths. Humanity’s current state, composed of physical, etheric, astral, and ego layers, is like a cake that has already been baked. Steiner is attempting to decompose this 'cake' into its fundamental ingredients, which have transformed significantly since their original state. The butter and sugar, etc., are totally different in the baked cake than they were when first being mixed into the batter. This transformation makes it challenging to directly observe the past as it was, a task Steiner admits is fraught with difficulty even for someone with clairvoyant perception.
Steiner invites us to develop a new organ of perception to accurately perceive and understand the past. This effort involves grappling with the formation of our current perceptive faculties in a recursive manner. It is undoubtedly challenging to maintain a phenomenological approach here, particularly because of our tendency to forget the discontinuities occurring during sleep (and death!), which parallel the transformative processes described by Steiner between different planetary epochs.
“All truly wise thoughts have been thought already thousands of times; but to make them truly ours, we must think them over again honestly, until they take root in our personal experience.”
― Goethe