2024
The Last Address
Michael and the Mission of Man
September 28, 2024
by Karin Wietrzykowski
For the centennial of Rudolf Steiner's last lecture given on September 28, 1924, we are honored to offer his full lecture and its addendum online in English. To our knowledge, it was omitted from all English language books published prior to 1997 and the addendum of additional remarks has never before been made publicly available in English.
To underscore the utmost importance of this text, both in what it says, and what was left unsaid, we published this article which strikes to the heart of the human condition, the future of anthroposophy, and ultimately the future of mankind.
- The failure of the anthroposophical impulse to blossom within the General Anthroposophical Society after the laying of the Foundation Stone.
- What are the four by twelve Human Beings in which the Michael Thought must come alive for civilization not to perish from the earth.
- The new prototypical Human Being of Lazarus-John and the role of John-the Baptist in his development.
- The unification of the spiritual Abel stream with the material Cain stream.
- What is Cosmic Intelligence and Michael's Rulership thereof.
- Man as a temple of the Cosmic Order as reflected in the First Goetheanum.
Find resources referenced from the Foundation Stone Meditation, the Michael Meditation, The Calendar of the Soul, our Practice page, the Four Mystery Plays, and numerous lectures on Karma, St. John, The Temple Legend, Michaelmas, and more.
Meditations and Exercises
September 1, 2024
Rudolf Steiner provided extensive instructions and exercises for personal development. He describes a hidden world that flows through the material world, thereby manifesting as our reality. To understand the role of the human being and why we are here, one must apply oneself to this endeavour.
Unlike teachings based primarily on belief, Steiner's path for such esoteric study is a cognitive one. It is one of gnosis—knowledge of spiritual matters. He posits that we can learn to know how to experience the spiritual realms through our thinking, feeling and willing. The choice of whether or not to learn and practice this knowledge is ours. We must exercise our free will to do so.
To promote wider adoption of the spiritual practices outlined by Rudolf Steiner, we have compiled a summary of fundamental texts. These include foundational teachings, meditative verses and mantras, prayers and other exercises. We hope you will take this information to heart during this critical time in human evolution. If we do not choose to develop ourselves now, we may lose the opportunity.
Translation Verification Tools
August 1, 2024
We invite you to try our new translation tools! Compare existing English translations of Dr. Steiner's teachings to both the original German text as well as a literal translation of the German. With this new feature, one finds missing paragraphs, truncated sections, and varying interpretations. There are also a wide range of works that have never been translated into English at all. It is shocking that nearly 100 years after his death, so much of Rudolf Steiner's work is not yet available in English. We aim to correct this.
Comparison to original German.To assist you with comparisons of English to German, click a button to display them side by side. We have numbered the paragraphs where possible. A second button toggles between the German and a literal translation of it. By displaying the German as well as the translations, we hope to enable readers to more deeply understand the meaning of complex passages.
The Mystery of Saint John
June 14, 2024
by Karin Wietrzykowski
On June 24th, people around the world celebrate the birth of John the Baptist, often by enjoying bonfires the night before. St. John's festival is held approximately six months before Christmas since John, the Herald of the Christ, was born about six months before Jesus. This festival occurs shortly after the summer solstice which is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. At this time, the fiery Sun reaches its highest point in the sky. Then six months later, around the December solstice, we celebrate the birth of Jesus in the darkness of winter.
This article outlines some of the complexity surrounding the mystery of John the Baptist discussed by Rudolf Steiner.
Ascension and Pentecost
May 9 & 19, 2024
With the blossoming of spring, we celebrate Ascension Day and Pentecost. Ascension Day is traditionally celebrated on the 40th day of Easter.1The risen Christ appeared to many people for 40 days after the resurrection and prior to His ascension. See Acts 1:3 This Holy Day commemorates the ascension of the Christ as witnessed by His Disciples.
Pentecost, also known as Whitsunday or Whitsun (“White Sunday”), has its roots in the Greek word pentecoste which means "50th day." It is celebrated on the seventh Sunday (50 days) after Easter, ten days after the Ascension. Pentecost commemorates the arrival of the Holy Spirit to the Disciples.
On May 7, 1923 in a lecture entitled The Mystery of Pentecost and the Ascension, Rudolf Steiner discussed these two pivotal events in a pictoral way.
New Search Engine
April 12, 2024
We are pleased to announce our custom Solr search engine v1.0 developed specifically for the Rudolf Steiner Archive. Using powerful, Solr open-source software, we cleaned, restructured and reformatted the content of this site to produce accurate searches and provide a strong foundation to build upon as we grow. Now searching is simple, accurate, and allows for complex queries for in depth research of the works of Rudolf Steiner.
Holy Week
A Transformative Meditation to Begin Anew
March 22, 2024
In preparation for Easter this Holy Week, we invite you to join us in contemplation of the last verse of Rudolf Steiner's Calendar of the Soul (GA 40). The complete work offers a verse for each week of the year, with week 52 intended for Holy Week. Each verse is a meditative riddle, guiding us through the seasons on a path of soul development. Easter, the Sunday following the first full moon after the equinox, begins Week 1 in the springtime of the Northern Hemisphere. Since it is autumn in the Southern Hemisphere, Week 27 is the starting point.
Grand Opening
February 3, 2024
We are pleased to announce the launch of our online resale bookshop. By donating and/or purchasing books from us, you are not only helping to preserve these valuable resources, but you help to fund our work on the Rudolf Steiner Archive.
Esoteric Library Recirculation ♻
Do you have more books than you can handle or concerns about what will happen to your library when you are gone? Through our store, donated books can be recirculated in the community and given new life.
I. Donate Books
Our inventory comes solely from donated books. When you give books to our nonprofit, Steiner Online Library, you will receive a donation receipt for tax purposes and at the same time help us to fund the Rudolf Steiner Archive. Learn more →
II. Buy Used Books
Purchase books from us to prevent these treasures from ending up in a large bookstore warehouse or, heaven forbid, a landfill somewhere. Give them a new home by adding them to your personal collection.
III. Charitable Benefit
Proceeds from sales support the Rudolf Steiner Archive. With your support, we will continue to make the work of Rudolf Steiner and other anthroposophical materials accessible and searchable online in English.