Dear Sophia Friends,
At the time of the
upcoming solar eclipse, the idea is for our community of
friends, joining together in prayer and meditation with
Sophia, to unite with Christ at this time, to focus on the
positive.
Pax et Bonum,
Robert
"Pax et bonum" is the
traditional Franciscan welcome and goodbye. St. Francis
himself favored its use, and often began and ended his
sermons and letters with the words. Translated from the
Latin, it reads "peace and all good [be with you]."
by Robert Powell
The
central eclipse is at 2:35 AM Universal Time on July 22,
which means that it is at 10:35 PM Eastern Daylight Time on
July 21. (Starts about 3 minutes before and ends about 3
minutes after the central time). The path of totality of the
eclipse passes over India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Burma,
China, Southern Japan (Tokara-Retto Archipelago), the
Marshall and Gilbert Islands. India and China alone comprise
40% of the world's population! Hence the immense
significance of this solar eclipse for humankind.
(Note that 10:35 PM Eastern Daylight Time is 7:35 PM Pacific
Daylight Time on July 21.)
The
eclipse is just one week away, or less (depending upon when
you receive this).
FOR SOPHIA FRIENDS:
In
relation to the eclipse, it is good first to connect onto
the teaching communicated by Christ two thousand years ago:
the
Lord's Prayer at the beginning of the sequence indicated
below – and again also at the end of the sequence indicated
below, in addition to the 9 Beatitudes from Chapter 5 of the
Gospel of St. Matthew;
then
the Christ Impulse as it lives in our time - the Foundation
Stone Meditation is an expression of this, particularly the
fourth verse: "At the turning point of time..." (see p.12 of
this document);
also
important here are two meditations given by Valentin Tomberg
relating to Christ in our time – (1) MEDITATION ON THE
ETHERIC CHRIST (see p.10); and
(2)
the AMEN meditation (see p.15).
One
can start and finish the whole sequence with the AUM
meditation (see p.13).
In
all these instances, the eurythmy to these
meditations/prayers is optional.
The
idea of the whole is to unite with Christ at this time, to
focus on the positive. If nothing else, one can focus on
GOODNESS – “that GOOD may prevail” – at the time of the
solar eclipse. The closing words to the Foundation Stone
Meditation are: “That GOOD may prevail, what from our hearts
we found and from our heads direct with single purpose.”
AUM
LORD’S PRAYER (if possible, in the eurythmy version)
FOUNDATION STONE MEDITATION 4th verse (or all
four verses)
AMEN
(“For thine is the kingdom…”)
CHRIST IS ALREADY HERE (Meditation on the Etheric Christ)
AUM
The
following three have been taught by Robert at various Sophia
workshops and are not available in written form at the
present time:
Lord’s Prayer through the chakras
Lord’s Prayer in relation to the Tree of Life
9
Beatitudes in relation to the Tree of Life + 10th
Beatitude for the tenth Sephirah (Malkuth) on the Tree of
Life: “Blessed is the Divine Mother, the Mother of
everything living, for she is the source of Life abundant
and of the Breath of Life within.”
General mood: MAY GOOD PREVAIL
The
above sequence is only a suggestion, and many other
prayers/meditations are possible – for example, see Robert
Powell & Lacquanna Paul, The Prayer Sequence in the
Sacred Dance of Eurythmy and The Foundation Stone
Meditation in Eurythmy; see also Robert Powell, The
Morning Meditation in Eurythmy (Sophia Foundation of
North America –
www.sophiafoundation.org).
The eclipse path is going
to that part of the globe where the Moon exited long ago.
Below is a picture of the location where the NASA calculated
maximum eclipse is reached. Note the adjacent spine of
active volcanoes stretching from Japan, there are also
earthquake symbols with a wavy line in a red circle.
“The instant of greatest
eclipse occurs at 02:35:19 UT (latitude 24° 13ʹN,
longitude 144° 07ʹE)
when the axis of the moon’s shadow passes closest to the
earth’s center. The totality here is six minutes 39 seconds.
The path width is 258km (about 160 miles) around this
time.”
One can think of this
axis going into the center of the Earth, which is an amazing
picture!
But there is more – which
really ties into the picture drawn by Robert Powell for this
eclipse in the book Christ & the Maya Calendar,
co-authored with Kevin Dann. The Earth is a Tetrahedron
along the lines of volcanoes with Japan at the top. The
geographic point of this maximum is situated near the center
of a spine of active volcanoes stretching from Japan:
http://tinyurl.com/nnr8vy
The following diagram by
Rudolf Steiner indicates Japan at the top of the Earth’s
Tetrahedron. This is Diagram 13 from Evolution, Earth,
and Man – see:
http://wn.rsarchive.org/Lectures/Places/Dornach/19240918p01.html
The center of the path of
totality of this solar eclipse is going right through the
eye of this pyramid, so that the axis of the eclipse extends
down toward the center of the Earth! The vision of the axis
going through from the Moon sphere to the Earth center is
more than a mathematical alignment. This is going through
the tenth Sephirah (Malkuth) of the Tree of Life into the
realm of the Mother, connecting the Mother with the cosmic
light of the stars, which according to Rudolf Steiner rays
through the Moon (the Moon is transparent for it).
The following quotes are
relevant in terms of joining together in meditation/prayer
directed to where the Earth's aura will be most affected.
The thought is to bring the Deeds of Christ on Golgotha into
this moment/place while also maintaining inwardly the
connection between the Sun, the Moon, and the Earth, which
are aligned at the time of the eclipse, holding in
consciousness that the Ego (“I”) of the human being is
centered in the Sun, the astral body is centered in the Moon
and the etheric body is centered in the interior of the
Earth, all aligned on the eclipse axis - at least for the
six minutes 39 seconds of the central eclipse.
Rudolf Steiner – The Fifth Gospel, Lecture 2:
One has the impression
that spiritual-scientifically trained observation can now
verify if a physical eclipse of the sun really occurred over
that land: that for this observation the whole human
environment takes on a completely different aspect. I would
like to put aside what human technology has to say about a
solar eclipse. A strong mind and the conviction that all had
to happen as it did are necessary in order to withstand the
demonic powers which arise during a solar eclipse. But I
prefer not to go into that further, only to bring to your
attention the fact that during such a moment what otherwise
can only be obtained through difficult meditation appears
light-filled. One sees plants and animals differently, every
butterfly looks different. It is something which in the
deepest sense can bring forth the conviction of how in the
cosmos a certain spiritual life – which belongs to the sun
and what one sees in the sun also as its physical life – is
connected to life on the earth. And how when the physical
glow is drastically darkened by the covering moon, it is
different from when the sun simply doesn't glow during the
night. The appearance of the earth around us is quite
different during a solar eclipse than when it is night. One
feels the group-souls of the plants and animals arise during
a solar eclipse. One feels a dimming of the corporality of
plants and animals and a brightening of their group-souls...
And what does one read
when one opens one's soul to it? Yesterday I pointed out
that during Greek times humanity had developed to the point
in which through Plato and Aristotle it rose to a very high
level of learning, of intellectuality. In many respects the
knowledge achieved by Plato and Aristotle could not be
superseded in later times, for the summit of human
intellectuality had already been reached. And when we
consider that this intellectual knowledge was made extremely
popular in the Greek and Italian peninsulas by wandering
preachers during the time of the Mystery of Golgotha, when
we consider how this knowledge was spread in a way which we
cannot understand, then one has the possibility of an
impression of reading the letters of the occult cosmic text.
When one has attained to clairvoyant consciousness one can
say: everything which humanity had gathered as knowledge in
pre-Christian times comes under the sign of the moon, which
from the viewpoint of the earth travels through space, and
it is the moon because for higher human perception this
knowledge had not enlightened, had not solved riddles, but
for higher perception was darkening, as the moon darkens the
sun during an eclipse. That is what one reads.
So at that time knowledge
was not enlightening, but acted as a darkening of the riddle
of the world, and one feels as a clairvoyant the darkening
of the higher, spiritual regions of the world through the
knowledge of ancient times, which acted in respect to higher
knowledge as the moon acts during a solar eclipse. And this
external event is an expression of man having achieved a
stage in which man's self-created knowledge was placed in
front of higher knowledge as the moon stands before the sun
during an eclipse. In that solar eclipse one feels
humanity's darkening of the sun within the earth's evolution
written in an awesome sign of the cosmic occult text. I said
that contemporary consciousness can consider this offensive
because it has no understanding of the spiritual power in
the universe. I do not wish to speak of miracles in the
usual sense, of the breaking of natural laws, but I can do
no other than inform you how one can read that solar eclipse
– how one can do no other than position one's soul before
that solar eclipse as though reading what that natural event
signifies: With moon-knowledge an eclipse of the higher
solar message occurred.
Rudolf Steiner:
Complete Works, vol. 148, p. 210 in the German edition
Prior to Christ’s death
on the cross, clairvoyant vision reveals that for many hours
a darkness spread across the Earth which appeared like an
eclipse of the Sun (however, perhaps it was a darkness
caused by clouds). Then one can perceive at his death on the
cross the impulse of Christ passing through this darkness
and uniting with the Earth’s aura. During the darkness prior
to his death one beholds the uniting of the cosmic Christ
impulse with the aura of the Earth. Then one has the mighty,
powerful impression how this being, who dwelt in the body of
Jesus, now pours himself out into the soul-spiritual aura of
the Earth, so that the souls of human beings are drawn into
it from now on. Thus in spirit one beholds the cross on
Golgotha, and then one see Christ pouring himself out
through the darkened Earth. This makes an incredible,
overwhelming impression.
Rudolf Steiner:
Complete Works, vol. 148, p. 242 in the German edition
Then it was indicated
that it was only in the darkness that it was possible for
the Christ impulse to pour itself out into the Earth’s aura
at the time of the death on the cross.
Rudolf Steiner:
Complete Works, vol. 148, p. 281 in the German edition
It is actually so that
the region of the Earth’s aura where the darkness is
greatest is the location where the greatest changes take
place. And at that time the Christ impulse flowed into the
region of the Earth’s aura influenced by the darkness, when
Christ Jesus died on the cross. This is wonderful, the holy
event of the darkness around the cross of Golgotha.
The above translations
from German into English (from the Complete Works of Rudolf
Steiner) are by Robert Powell.
Christ is already here. [“I”
gesture, left arm raised, as in the Christ statue]
From the south of the Earth
[standing
in the form of a pentagram]
waves are proceeding from
Him across the world.
[“V” sound, moving
forwards]
Every human being is
now able to create a connection with Him .[universal
love gesture]
The human being has to
do this out of free will.
[“L” sound, moving
forward to the right around a small circle in a
counter-clockwise direction, and finishing with the “I”
gesture, right arm raised]
He is
opening
[“O” gesture above head,
right foot takes one step back]
the path
[“A” gesture above head, left foot back, bringing feet
together]
to Shamballa,
[bring “A”
gesture down slowly to horizontal]
And human beings are able
[step
forward with Artemis gesture: small “U”, lower
to approach
Him,
arms forward
horizontally, close feet together]
to create a connection
with Him.
[universal love gesture]
For this, two things are necessary:
[“E” gesture]
knowledge of Christ
[“I” gesture, left arm
raised]
and Antichrist;
[gesture of denial, formed with hands lightly clenched and
held down, while stepping back with right foot, and looking
straight ahead]
and aligning oneself
[“A” gesture, from below to above]
with
Christ.
[“I” gesture, with left
arm raised]
If one chooses one of the two
streams
[“U” gesture, from below
to above]
now streaming through the
world:
Christ
[“I” gesture, with left arm
raised]
or Antichrist
[gesture of denial]
a radiant blue stream,
[“U” gesture, from below
to above]
and an ahrimanic stream
–
[gesture of denial]
when one chooses one is already taken
[“U”
gesture upwards, leading to
into one of the two
streams.
“I” gesture, with left
arm raised]
Through the Power of
Christ one is immeasurably
strengthened.
[“AU” gesture, with the
arms circulating clockwise up on the left and down on the
right, moving forward to the left around a small circle
clockwise]
With Him one can pass through all trials and
remain peaceful.
[same again]
Through His Power one can endure to an
extraordinary degree.
[same again]
He bestows great
Power.
[same
again]
[AUM]
[close with the
AUM gesture done in this way: A extending open arms forward
horizontally, U with parallel arms extended forward
horizontally, M bringing hands toward heart chakra with M
gesture and then cupping one hand over the other lightly
folded in AU gesture at heart chakra]
At the
turning point of time
The
Spirit Light of the World
Entered
the Stream of Earthly Being.
Darkness
of Night had held its sway.
Day-radiant Light streamed into human souls:
Light
that gives warmth
To
simple Shepherds’ Hearts.
Light
that enlightens
The wise
Heads of Kings.
O Light
Divine,
O Sun of
Christ,
Warm
Thou our hearts,
Enlighten Thou our heads,
That
Good may become –
What
from our hearts we found
And from
our heads direct
With
single purpose.
A –
past – descent from the Spirit
U –
present – life in the material realm
M –
future – return to the Spirit
Past,
present, and future are united harmoniously, as set by the
great masters into language in the holy sound AUM. This is
one of the interpretations that can be given to this sound.
When we speak this sound the great masters are with us and
the air resounds with the spiritual power of the sound AUM.
A –
Third Logos – World Tone – movement – sense of
hearing
U –
Second Logos – World Light – image – sense of sight
M –
First Logos – World Aroma – matter – sense of smell
AUM
is a sound that drives out evil influences. Spoken properly,
AUM connects the human being with the Creative Godhead, the
three Logoi, and no evil being – seeking to draw the human
being away from the Godhead – can stand up to it. AUM must
be spoken in consciousness of:
O Self, from whom all
originates,
O Self, dwelling in me,
O Self, to whom all
returns,
Toward Thee I strive,
Peace – Peace – Peace =
AUM.
Manas
is spiritual consciousness as such, and becomes divine
consciousness when the human being unites it with Buddhi.
This is possible only for the human being who has given
birth to the Higher Self, which lies hidden in AUM:
A = Atma
U = Buddhi
M = Manas – the Wisdom
that leads the Higher Self to AUM.
(The
indications on page 13 by Rudolf Steiner concerning the
sacred word AUM are from his esoteric lectures of December
18, 1906; January 20 & 29, 1907; February 11, 1907 in the
Esoteric Lessons 1904-1909)
Further comments by Robert Powell:
“AUM
connects the human being with the Creative Godhead” –
A =
Atma oneness with the Father
U =
Buddhi oneness with the Son
M =
Manas oneness with the Holy Spirit
AUM
connects the human being with the Central Sun, the Heart of
the Creative Godhead in the galaxy.
The
following is from Rudolf Steiner’s notebook entry #3147.)
A – I dedicate myself to
myself
U – I dedicate myself to
humanity
M – I dedicate myself to
life
Note
from RP:
The
correct way of speaking AUM is AU-OO-M.
One
could do the AUM meditation three times (or even four
times).
·
“For
thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, For ever
and ever. Amen.”
·
As in the
“Our Father” prayer, closing with the “reverence” gesture
for the word
“Amen”.
·
Thus
speaks the AMEN, the faithful and true witness, the
beginning of God’s creation.
Hold the
“reverence” gesture
·
The
AMEN bears the World Word within as the kingdom,
The “blessing
hands” gesture*
·
And in
the miracles and stages of the Passion wields the power,
“Universal
love” gesture
·
And as
the Risen One is the glory.
“IAO” – body upright (“I”), arms and hands downward (“A”),
feet apart and knees pressed slightly apart with weight
lightly on outer soles (“O”)
·
The
kingdom, the power, and the glory are united
Bringing feet
together, the “U” gesture is made from below above
·
In
Christ Jesus,
I” gesture, left arm raised
·
and
their fulfillment
the
“U” gesture is made from below above
·
is the
AMEN.
Releasing
the “U”, the arms circle around into the “reverence” gesture
·
His
head is the kingdom, embracing all the stars in the heavens.
“Blessing
hands” gesture
·
His
breath is the power to continue the work of creation: a
breathing, radiant cross of light against the background of
the starry heavens.
“Universal
love” gesture
·
And his
limbs are the glory of spirit-permeated substance like a
rainbow in the foreground.
“IAO” – see
description above where
the “A”
gesture is made downward
·
And the
unity of the rainbow,
“IAO” – hold the gesture for this line
·
The
radiant cross of light,
“Universal
love” gesture
·
And the
starry heavens
“Blessing hands” gesture
·
Is the
all-encircling circle of the AMEN.
Releasing
the “blessing hands” gesture, the arms circle around into
the “reverence” gesture
·
““For
thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, For ever
and ever. Amen.”
·
As in the
“Our Father” prayer – see beginning of the AMEN meditation
*As indicated by Rudolf
Steiner – connecting with the world of divine energy which
is streaming down upon us and letting it ray out through our
arms and hands:
Palms facing outward,
separating: thumb – forefinger/middle finger – ring
finger/little finger (similar to the gesture of the Risen
Christ from the Isenheim altar)
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