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[158] The Challenge of Rudolf Steiner In this issue, we print the first of three articles originally written in Dutch for the Netherlands Section of the T. S. magazine “Teosofica”. We are greatly indebted to the author, translator and editor for permitting this formal English publication. For readers who want to make their own enquiry into Dr. Steiner and Theosophy, we repeat the suggestion made in “Madame Blavatsky Unveiled?” (p.27) that his lectures, “The Occult Movement in the Nineteenth Century and its relation to modern culture” (London, Rudolf Steiner Press, 1973), form a good starting point. The Anthroposophical Society itself is at Rudolf Steiner House, 35 Park Road, London NW1 6XT, and has a library open to nonmembers on subscription. Anthroposophists are not at ease with the Theosophical side of their history, just as Theosophists are embarrassed by their Spiritualist links. Mr. Charles Lawrie when Librarian at the House, took a particular interest in historical matters, including the question of H. P. B., but some other Anthroposophists are disdainful of Theosophy, except for the book by Dr. Steiner of that title! Anthroposophical historians are not always accurate in basic Theosophical names or dates when they are obliged to mention them. This journal has always defined its task to include all the schools of thought that were linked with the T. S. Precisely because Dr. Steiner was important, and raises difficult questions, we cannot ignore him. Incidentally, despite the recent short book by Colin Wilson, there is a need for more non-committed scholarly biographies of Dr. Steiner. L.P. S. P. R. Archives will resume next time. [159] Dr. Rudolf Steiner on Helena Petrovna Blavatsky by H.J. Spierenburg (translated by J.H. Molijn) Many members of the Theosophical Movement have in one way or another come into contact with the Anthroposophical Movement or allied organizations and persons such as the Steiner schools, anthroposophical physicians, manufacturers of medicines prepared according to anthroposophical principles, etc. Moreover, it is generally known that those who founded the “Anthroposophische Gesellschaft” in 1913 were all members of the Theosophical Society (Adyar). Meanwhile we write 1985, i.e. 72 years later. For some reason or another a fairly large number of groups have left the Theosophical Society (Adyar). However, all these newly formed organizations have the same basis as the Theosophical Society, i.e. the foundress of the Theosophical Movement: Madame H. P. Blavatsky. Most of the secessions were due to the fact that it was doubted whether the basis was respected enough! There is, however, one exception, viz. the Anthroposophical Movement, the founder of which, Dr. Rudolf Steiner, fully occupies the place which H.P.B. occupies in all echelons of the Theosophical Movement. The question that is put —and I suppose is answered —in the present article reads: What did Dr. Steiner think of H. P. Blavatsky? The data of Dr. Steiner’s statements mentioned in the present article are related to the titles and numbers of the “Rudolf Steiner Gesamtausgabe” given in the bibliography at the end of our article. [160] Dr Rudolf Steiner Dr. Rudolf Steiner was born at Kraljevic (Croatia) on 27th February 1861. He studied at the Technological University of Vienna and took his doctor’s degree at Rostock in 1891 on a thesis entitled: Die Grundfrage der Erkenntnistheorie mit besonderer Rücksicht auf Fichte’s Wissenschafts-Lehre. From 1890 to 1897 he was a collaborator in the Goethe-Schiller Archiv at Weimar, and edited Goethe’s scientific works. The contacts he had made with theosophists since 1899 and the lectures he had delivered for the German Branch of the Theosophical Society (Adyar) resulted in his being asked to become Secretary-General of the German Branch. He accepted this position in 1902. On May 10th 1904 Dr. Annie Besant appointed him Arch-Warden of the Esoteric School in Germany and Austria,. A facsimile of this appointment is included in the Gesamt-Ausgabe-Nr. 264: Zur Geschichte und aus den Inhalten der ersten Abteilung der Esoterische Schule 1904–1914, Dornach 1984, p. 26. A difference of opinion with Dr. Besant on the planned role of Krishnamurti as “world teacher” finally led to the formation of the “Anthroposophische Gesellschaft”. The first few designs for the Goetheanum at Dornach (Switzerland) were made in 1913. This (first) Goetheanum was ready for occupation in 1920. Dr. Steiner founded the so-called “Freie Waldorfschule” at Stuttgart in 1919. On New Year’s Eve 1922–23 the Goetheanum was burned down. A new Goetheanum was built in accordance with Dr. Steiner’s architectonic principles, but it was only finished after his death. He died at Dornach on March 30th, 1925. The Literary Legacy Dr. Steiner left an amazing number of texts. In addition to some ten books, not including the Goethe editions, he wrote a few hundred articles for period- [161] icals, made designs for sculptures and lay-outs, painted meritoriously, designed eurythmics, applied his knowledge of the “Geisteswissenschaften” to the investigation of diseases and homoeopathic medicines, and between the year 1900 and 28th September 1924 he gave some six thousand lectures, five thousand of which have been preserved in the form of shorthand reports or notes. H.P.B’s etheric body The particular faculties which H.P.B. possessed were attributed by Dr. Steiner to her Russian descent. On 11-04-1912 he said in Helsinki to a party of Russian listeners that the body in which the individuality who in that incarnation was called H.P.B. was locked up, could only originate from Russia. On 28-03-1916 he repeats this statement, but goes into the matter more deeply. There he says that the way in which the spiritual and the physical co-operate in Russians absolutely differs from what is customary elsewhere in the world. From this milieu H.P.B. came forth, though she cannot be regarded as 100% Russian. At any rate—says Dr. Steiner—this makes it understandable that with her the activities of etheric body, more particularly the activities relating to insight (”Erkenntnis”), far exceeded those of the physical body. Thus—says Dr. Steiner—she is someone who could gain numerous experiences in her etheric body, which of course is something quite different from obtaining insight through the intellect. H.P.B’s nativity Dr. Steiner’s ideas about the doctrine of cycles are quite different from those of H.P.B. Thus, in Zürich Steiner says on 06-11-1917 that in the year 1841 something peculiar had happened. In the spiritual worlds a battle had started between spirits of darkness and spirits of light, which continued until the autumn of 1879. The battle was fought about the question whether from the spiritual worlds a quantity of know- [162] ledge should be prepared which was to be given to humanity in the third part of that century. This battle ended in 1879, with the victory of the spirits of light. Dr. Steiner also sees a strong relationship between this battle and the so-called utilitarianism of the 19th century. Utilitarianism is based on the principle that the correctness or incorrectness of an action is determined by the good or evil effects which result from it. On 07-10-1916 he relates this utilitarianism with H.P.B.’s horoscope: “ . when in the middle of the 19th century the utility principle caused a crisis in the development of Europe, the personality Madame Blavatsky was born, whose natural gift enabled her to reveal a great deal from the spiritual worlds to humanity. One who would like to consider this point from an astrological point of view might make the following experiment: he could investigate the moment which the utility crisis in the 19th century had reached its culmination and draw a horoscope of it. If he should take H.P. Blavatsky’s horoscope, he would come to the conclusion that these are the same.” Theosophists will know that H.P.B. ‘s horoscope has been published in H.P. Blavatsky’s Collected Writings, vol. 1, p. lxxiv. Commotion in the Occult Fraternities about H.P.B.’s Birth Dr. Steiner holds the view that the so-called “higher degrees” of freemasonry may be regarded as the “outside aspect” of the real occult fraternities. He says this on 28–03–1916. Already in the early phase of his career, i.e. on 23–10–1905, he points out the fact that H.P.B. was a member of a lodge with these “higher degrees”, while he speaks with praise of the signatory of H.P.B. s diploma, the well-known John Yarker. This will indicate to the reader what Steiner means when he speaks of occult fraternities. According to Dr. Steiner H.P.B.’s birth caused great commotion among the members of the occult fraternities. On 18–03–1916 he speaks about this point and [163] says that the conclusion was reached that H.P.B. possessed powers which were described as faculties which will belong to future humanity. Literally he says: “There arose lively interviews in the Anglo-Saxon orders .... Those who were the genuine guardians of those orders said to themselves: ‘It must be significant that exactly at this moment such a personality has come from the easterly portion of humanity. This has to be investigated and we need to take a stand.’ This led to the actual question: ‘How can that which through strong psychic faculties might betray certain deep secrets to the world, be channelled in such away that this Russian futurity element connects itself with the essence of Anglo-Saxondom? – Binding Blavatsky’s properties direct to the essence of Anglo-Saxondom became the object to be attained.

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