The Qolden Blade Nervous Conditions in Our Time Rudolf Steiner The Meaning of Initiation A, C. Harwood Science and Human Rights John Davy Where is Fancy Bred ? Owen Barfeld The Dove as a Sacred Bird Karl Kdnig The Leap Carl Kovacs T h e D e w s o f M e m o r y Isabel Wyatt St Paul Arnold Freejnan Spiritual Science and Mysticism Alan Howard The Grand Illusion Stanley Messenger T r a f fi c a n d C h a r a c t e r Adam Bittleston B O O K R E V I E W S Kutritwn Animals in Splendour Human and Cosmic Thought Marie Steinet von Siom Edited by Gerald Rowe and Adam Bittleston 1968 PUBLISHED ANNUALLY P R I C E T E N A N D S I X The Qolden Blade 1968 Nervous Conditions in Our Time Rudolf Steiner 5 The Meaning of Initiation . A. C. Harwood 14 Science and Human Rights John Davy 24 W h e r e i s F a n c y B r e d ? Owen Barfield 41 The Dove as a Sacred Bird . Karl Konig 56 The Leap .... Carl Kovacs 66 T h e D e w s o f M e m o r y . Isabel Wyatt 71 St Paul ..... Arnold Freeman 76 Spiritual Science and Mysticism Alan Howard 83 The Grand Illusion . Stanley Messenger 97 T r a f fi c a n d C h a r a c t e r Adam Bittleston 107 B O O K R E V I E W S Mutrition ..... 1 2 4 Animals in Splendour . 1 2 5 Human and Cosmic Thought . 1 2 6 Marie Steiner von Sivers . 1 2 8 Edited by Gerald Rowe and Adam Bittleston Price 10I6 {11I6 post free) from the Rudolf Steiner Bookshops 35 Park Road, London, N. W.i or the Rudolf Steiner Book Centre, 54 Bloomsbury Street, London, W.C.i U.S.A. Distributors: The Anthroposophic Press, 211 Madison Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10016 EDITORIAL NOTE '"^HIS year there are two main themes with which most of 1 the articles are concerned, in different ways. One is the relationship between knowledge of the physical world and knowledge of spiritual reality. Sometimes the writers may seem to be going over the same ground; but this theme is of cardinal importance for the present time, and we think that the attentive reader may find it valuable to see it treated in such different ANTHROPOSOPHYof Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925); springs from he spoke the work of it and as *a teaching path of ways. It may be observed that when ^science' and *the scien knowledge, to guide the spiritual in the human being to the tist' are spoken of, writers have sometimes in mind particularly spiritual in the universe'. The aim of this Annual is to publish the developments of the last forty years or so, sometimes those writings in which an anthroposophical outlook is expressed, of the last four centuries. dealing with a wide variety of subjects; and some other writings It is nearly three-quarters of a century since Rudolf Steiner too which touch upon the deepest spiritual impulses of mankind. wrote and published his Philosophie der Freiheit, Outside the circle The title of this Annual is derived from a reference by Rudolf of those familiar with Rudolf Steiner's teaching as a whole, Steiner to an old Persian legend. 'Djemjdid was a king who led not much attention has been paid to this book. But it is con his people from the north towards Iran, and who received from cerned with the central problems with which philosophers and the God whom he called Ahura Mazdao a golden dagger, by means of which he was to fulfil his mission on earth. ... It psychologists are wrestling today, the nature of human know represents a force given to man whereby he can act upon and ledge and human action. These are not only theoretical prob transform external nature.' lems, but eminently practical ones - in particular for those occupied with education, as so many of our contributors are. From 1949 to 1966 The Golden Blade was edited by Arnold The other main theme is concerned with a deepened under Freeman and Charles Waterman. It is now edited by Gerald standing of the Deed of Christ - and, in particular, of those Rowe and Adam Bittleston. The opinions expressed are those who immediately prepared for and followed the central event of the contributors. of history, the Incarnation. Here we have to try and put into practice what is described more generally in earlier articles, the activity of imaginative understanding. We begin with a lecture by Rudolf Steiner which may seem to be concerned only with everyday matters, almost with tri vialities. And yet in this lecture can be found not only the seeds of much that Rudolf Steiner was able later to bring into educational practice in a very beneficial way, but also starting- points for the most fundamental human self-knowledge. The easy, colloquial style of this lecture can mask, from a reader not accustomed to Steiner's economy of language, the close-knit structure of it. Thoughtfully reviewed and reread, it will be seen to contain no fewer than ten systematic exercises for strengthening the will - a sufficient programme to reorganise Printed in Great Britain by Robert Cunningham and Sons Ltd, Alva the entire personality for the most practical needs of life. s f s * * N E RV O U S C O N D I T I O N S I N O U R T I M E A lecture given by RUDOLF STEINER in Munich^ nth January igi2^ The whole of the contents of this Golden Blade^ including the editorial notes to this point, had been prepared for the press before the sudden death of Gerald Rowe on 3 October 1967 Thereall that is much this word complaint implies; nowadays and we can of scarcely 'nervousness' be surprised and from a coronary thrombosis. at the statement that there is no man or woman nowadays who For nearly twenty years Gerald Rowe taught in the Edin is not nervous. We can well understand even this declaration. These conditions manifest themselves in life in various ways: burgh Rudolf Steiner School. He was one oi^ the principal architects of the Upper School. He taught with patience and most easily in this way, that the person becomes what we might enthusiasm a wide range of subjects - giving the same full call a 'psychological fidget' - that is to say, a man or woman attention to the history of languages, or to biology, or to who is unable to hold fast a single thought, but constantly helping on those who found some basic subject particularly jumps from one thought to another. This constant hurry of the difficult. In the study of Rudolf Steiner's work he had long inner life is one of the easiest forms of nervousness. There is been deeply interested in the anthroposophical approach to also another form, where people do not know what to do with themselves - cannot make anything of themselves. Or again social problems; of this his article on Incomes Policy in the this: when they are called upon to make some decision, they previous Golden Blade gives evidence. In recent years he was never know what they shall do in the given situation. This increasingly concerned with all that Rudolf Steiner has to say about a right understanding of the relationship between those latter nervousness can lead to still worse symptoms, till it ex presses itself in manifold forms of disease, even imitating organic living on earth and those who have died, and with research diseases - gastric disturbances, for instance - in a most deceptive into the historical events connected with the great medieval way. Many another condition might be mentioned. Who does poems about the Holy Grail. not know of these things in our time ? We need not go so far as to speak of a 'political alcoholism' with regard to the great events of public life. Quite recently, there has been no h'ttle comment on public affairs in this direction. This very phrase was recently coined for the way the political affairs in Europe were conducted during recent months. People began to per ceive how very unpleasantly the prevailing nervousness is making itself felt. Now there can be no doubt that it will grow no better for mankind in the near future. The prospects are by no means hopeful; for there are many harmful factors and abuses, strongly influencing our present life, and passing like an epidemic from one man to another, so that others who are in good health generally, but who are weak, are as if infected by them. Among 1 From notes unrevised by the lecturer. Published by kind permission of Ae Rudolf Steiner Nachlassverwaltung, Domach, Switzerland, and in agreement with the Rudolf Steiner Publishing Company, Translation by George Adams (1929) with some emendations. 5 N E R V O U S C O N D I T I O N S I N O U R T I M E 7 6 NERVOUS CONDITIONS IN OUR TIME Other things, it is extremely harmful for our time that many forgetfulness. Suppose, for instance, that a lady is in the habit of putting her brooch down somewhere, and presently discovers people who come into high and responsible positions have studied in the way one does. There are whole branches of that she can never find it again in the morning.