Steiner Online Library Spiritual Science for Human Evolution

Goethe's Standard of the Soul
GA 22
GA 22

Translator's Note

The rendering of the passages from Faust quoted by Dr. Steiner in the two first chapters of this book has been a matter of some difficulty. With one exception, indicated in a Footnote on Page 17, the translation by Bayard Taylor has been used because of its undoubted superiority over other metrical translations. Unfortunately for English students of Goethe's masterpiece, Mr. Taylor's translation has been long out of print, and I am indebted to Mr. Stanley Jast, of the Manchester Public Reference Library, for his kindness in putting a copy of this very rare book at my disposal. The most easily accessible of other metrical translations is that of Miss Anna Swanwick, in Bohn's Popular Library, published by G. Bell & Sons, Ltd., price 2/4.

A translation of the Fairy Tale of “The Green Snake and the Beautiful Lily” has been added in order that readers may better be able to follow Dr. Steiner's chapter on the subject.

The whole manuscript has been revised and improved by Mr. H. Collison, who is ever ready to put his unrivalled knowledge of English translations of Dr. Steiner's works at the disposal of less experienced students.

D. S. OSMOND.

Unsure where to begin?

The Steiner Online Library is a donation-based service. Please consider contributing to help spread this information to fellow researchers and students of Rudolf Steiner. Together, in these times of turmoil, we can ensure this digital library survives for future generations.

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.

Download

2022-2023 Calendar Dates