Steiner Online Library Spiritual Science for Human Evolution

The Soul's Probation
GA 14

Persons, Forms and Features

The spiritual and psychic experiences of the characters appearing in this ‘Soul's Probation’ are a continuation of the experiences given in the scenes of ‘The Portal of Initiation,’ and the events related occur several years later.

Benedictus, Theodosius, Romanus, Hierophants of the Temple of the Sun.

Professor Capesius.

Philia, Astrid, Luna, The spiritual beings who facilitate the connection between the Soul and the Cosmos. They are not allegorical, but are realities for the spirit Seer.

The Other Philia, The spiritual being who enters the connection between the Soul and the Cosmos.

The Voice of Conscience, not allegorical, but a reality, for the spirit Seer.

Maria

Thomasius.

Doctor Strader.

Felix Balde.

Felicia, his wife.

The ‘Double’ of Johannes Thomasius.

Lucifer

Ahriman

The events of the Sixth to the Ninth Scenes contain the spiritual vision, of Capesius into his former life. Maria and Johannes share the experiences at the same time; but Strader's former incarnation is only seen by Capesius, Maria, and Johannes.

These scenes back into the fourteenth century are conceived as results of imaginative cognition, and in the physical world are only recognizable by their effect. The way in which these lives are repeated (from occurrences of the fourteenth century into the present day) should not be generalised. This kind of repetition can only happen at a turning point of time.

THE VISION OF CAPESIUS INTO THE FOURTEENTH CENTURY

The Spirit of Benedictus.

The Grand Master, chief of a branch of mystic brother-hood.

First Preceptor, of the mystic brotherhood. (A former incarnation of Professor Capesius.)

Second Preceptor, of the mystic brotherhood.

First Master of the Ceremonies, of the mystic brotherhood.

Second Master of the Ceremonies, of the mystic brotherhood.

Simon, the Jew (a former incarnation of Dr. Studer). Thomas (a former incarnation of Johannes Thomasius).

A Monk (a former incarnation of Maria).

Joseph Keane (a former incarnation of Felix Baide). His Wife (a former incarnation of Felicia Balde)

Bertha, their daughter (a former incarnation of the Other Maria).

Cecilia, their foster-daughter (a former incarnation of Theodora).

Six Country Men, and

Six Country Women.

NOTE ON THE COSTUMES WORN (see also notes to the “Portal of Initiation”). The knights are in chain armour and dark blue lobes of their order, with a white Maltese cross on their mantle and on their tunic. The mantle of the Grand Master is crimson; is tunic is white with a red cross. Their blue caps and the Grand Master's red cap are flat and triangular. The apparition Benedictus in Scene 7, is in pink peach blossom colour. He spears in the background about nine feet above the stage and mains rigid with his arms extended in cross fashion the whole ire of his appearance in this scene.

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Quotes

"You can see from this, my dear friends, what mischief will be set on foot if the truths of Spiritual Science are withheld. For man will be exposed to the forces of evil, and he will only be protected from it by giving himself up to the spiritual life of the good. To withhold the spiritual life of goodness from men is to be no friend to humanity. Whoever does this, be he Freemason or Jesuit, is no friend to humanity. For it means handing men over to the forces of evil. And there may be a purpose in doing so. This purpose may be to confine goodness to a small circle, in order by the help of this goodness to dominate the helpless humanity who are thus led by evil into the follies of life."

—Rudolf Steiner,
Spiritual Science Notes On Goethe's Faust, Vol. II, No. 273-8.

Spiritual Exercises

Calendar of the Soul

In 1912 Rudolf Steiner offered a “calendar of the soul” with weekly verses that express how the changing seasons in both the outer natural world and our inner lives help humanity evolve. Download and read the verses in four translations with commentary by Eloise Krivosheia of the Los Angeles Branch of the Anthroposophical Society.

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2022-2023 Calendar Dates