On our Future Self: that Part which Resides & is Kept Safe ahead of Time

Remiss we are, and yet in time our future's self has a portion fulfilled already. Beyond the 'city-limits' and passages out from, on roads which stream to and fro from Father God, divinely there is an allotment of future and provision for Spirit, in a place where no more a truer self than any that we own can be found.

This underpins the Holies’ confidence in Man, for they have seen this selfhood, both quiescent and realized. Be assured that in the silent stillness of firm attitude you may encounter this aspect and own it in the present.
For to meet the present with this future, to welcome our designated glory, is fresh and new in the very combining. When a man brings all of his experience to meet with his God-self, his experience enables him to perceive his own blessedness, whilst his inherited self is enhanced by his learning along the way from here to then.

Some Healing Thoughts & Meditations…14th August 1996

On Revelation

Revelation is when we catch sight of God looking at us and our gaze meets momentarily, when we know He knows that we know He is looking. And it all happened because we found Him in that mystery which drew our original attention and wonder.

All natures and beings adore to have attention poured upon them, to be taken notice of and appreciated. It is true that even the most exquisite landscape needs appreciation given to it, that it may thrive all the more - yes you may say that, and take that thought just a little bit further. 

For what is appreciation - considered and thankful, rejoicing and then wondering - if it is not in substance also, a gift of furtherance to that which we come to? We substantiate and transubstantiate that which we lovingly appreciate. We take on the eyes of our Creator and make a wish to further the life and being of that which we in humility adorn with love.

To appreciate is to bring life, and in revelation we experience our own selves being appreciated from beings much higher. As they give to us we may be mindful of this and of their love.

Question on Alcohol- continued- 4th August 1996

THAT it is not that which goes into the mouth but rather that which comes out of it, may well be used as a good measuring stick in relation to the breath and words emitted from the inebriated man. However the nature of poison is that it defiles and ceases life, encroaching where it may not, invasive on many planes once taken in.

The commonplace man learns best by good example, this is true. There are many ways in which one can temper their appearance of goodness if the goodness itself is contemptible to the sinner. By and large we meet infrequently with most, and it is that every meeting with every individual holds significance, wonderful significance and opportunity also…………….

But if a man cannot come to love or to meaning without the illusion of such then it is better to know what is what and what is not.

Granted, the cunning is there ... that a man believes the doorways are then opened, that in sharing the common drink the magic has awakened one unto another. The happiness from this mistake is embittered by the shrinking within; for shrinking it is…………… we find that the vitality of the etheric case has dulled and sagged within his aura. The subtle form takes on a cower, as the thinking becomes depressed and the feelings become heavy. 

It is understood that the subscription to moderation is an appeasement for all concerned. In the strictest of terms however, it should be explained that the forces which interact with a man in conjunction with any amount of alcoholic beverage are depressive to the ego and depressive to the overall condition of Man as well…………….

It has been said that we as teachers are aloof from the karmic recourse inspired by our students. With a romantic idealism our same students believe that they can bear all responsibility for us and protect us from outcome lest things ever go awry. But this is not so - neither is it of our ability or choosing.

Having said that, the consideration therefore remains: that we may only be attached and involved with our beloved providing that they do not misrepresent us or cause harm to other brothers in our name. For in relation to our work and representation all becomes our responsibility first and foremostly, and in being so we are answerable for what is passed from one unto another. Even though our co-workers strive to ease their brother's condition and being, we must warn against what we know to be perilous, and withdraw from those who encourage other men to partake in this way.

For a teacher, be it here or there, the actual sharing out of any amount of alcohol denotes a karma which is responsible for the blight upon that man's ego. It is therefore the very worst encouragement a teacher could offer - in or out of 'hours', the karma remains the same. And all of this does not take into account the actual upset it causes within the weaker constitution and how sadly the ego of a lesser man is injured yet once more.

So you can see that it is for the safety of our future work with other men that we cannot afford to keep associations intact where in truth we have already been departed from. Why this to such importance? Why not gluttony, greed or ill-temper? When Man stands on the side of death and willingly invites those repulsive forces into himself then he defies our Father and Christ into the bargain. The laws are exactly the same as with the man who chooses suicide - to poison oneself and yet 'live' is still remarkable to that which would turn back upon itself; it is unholy.

Gluttony is an abundance of life so desired beyond the capacity to make profitable that consumption. It is excessive by nature, but in virtue may be transmuted into great effort and further striving. The same forces which plague that temperament also imply that same person shall take on upon themselves more work, more prayer, and ever more promise, ever stretching themselves beyond their immediate reach; and when managed well they do bring the recipe also for an extended man when the sin of gluttony makes its way for the greater virtue of deliberate striving.

Pride in its shortcomings inhibits the true perspective of a man, that he may not measure himself in accordance with the reality of Grace being his greatest benefactor. When put to remedy, pride transforms back into the heavenly dignity which asserts its righteous self fixed firmly in Christ. To be lukewarm in identity and in ego does not necessarily imply that one is without pride. Often as not it is pride which queries the 'right' to a firm standing in righteousness. Its virtue leads us to know of the upright power within the man which identifies his Christly demeanor.

In sins of passion it is the man who travails the expression and experience himself……….
The consequence of heroin or marijuana usage is that the bodies of the man lose their cohesiveness, slipping out from each other; the ego may become divorced and detached, but is left nonetheless, intact.

The consequence of alcohol is that the etheric body is shot with premature expiration; the lower astral body is imbued with 'life' force and so stimulated; the higher astral body is cut off from the consciousness as the gateway through the heart is then closed……………

In this we have a direct strike to Christ who in truth resides in our egos equally to that of our hearts, for it is in the developing Man that He has invested unique qualities which have given him the opportunities to self-realize, God-realize, correspond and co-create with a consciousness that will one day define the very constellations.

You ask why it is that all this has not been put to you as clearly and dramatically as is now. Occult knowledge has always the propensity to be used for evil ways. Whatever the esoteric learning concerns there is, unfortunately, an element that could be misused and turn powerfully dangerous…………….

Whether or not the goodhearted student may fathom the complexity, we can only add to this by saying that there does exist in the world such forces which would bring all men down, would that they could. Not all evil is naive, but rather is maliciously designed in aggressive onslaught. To these concerns which we do not always openly give our attention to, or acknowledge, we still hold a quiet vigilance against, as do our supporting team of the practicing 'good guys'. It is a marvelous inspiration to all (for teachers included) that the pious should desire to be examples to and of our future Man.

In the sacrament of Holy Communion, where wine is in use, we are witnessing an exorcism (when achieved) when Christ may reclaim once again his men. "This is my blood" we are told by Christ - that our blood is of His Ego……………And for this there is a mighty consequence, further to the Incarnation when we restore Christ into our beings and into those spaces to which He belongs.

But in practice one could not safely [do this] every time they were to take the recreational sip!
Our Lord is the True Vine, and for that which, before His coming we may have sought Him in, let it be now sung in praise that He may come to us directly - not even in extraction, or in substance, but before us whole and presently as known by our heart. The greater mystery of ego is that we can know Him; to knowingly know Him.

As the individual ego is reclaimed after a period of time, the revelations shall be all the more marvelous, the experiences of soul more gracious and vivid. Time periods differ from one man to the next, and the astral clouds which enshroud the consciousness may hover for many months after the very last gulp. However, in contrast to this the strengthening begins almost immediately in that the etheric renewal can work a constant at last, and the inspiration incoming does excite the imaginative forces (rather than the lower astral centers involved). The rewards of study and of prayer are in time quite intensified, whilst a new sense of egohood begins. The naturalness in aspect and in worship is once again brought in to the being of the adult within.

For some unfortunate folk who may labor with even the thought of abstinence, we may understand that their wills have been weakened in the experience, and this weakening itself is endorsed every time in the combining. Of course whether it be in this lifetime or the next, there is only one action, one statement, one pathway to cease the spiral downwards.

Every man, as with heroin also, has his own limit of strength, and it is impossible to forecast that one last time the decision is to be had before there becomes no turning back. For some it could be that they remain to be seemingly unchanged in self, but in esoteric observation we cannot recommend a moderate approach offers any more safety than otherwise, for it is that the powers invoked are present in any quantity of the substance and the man is immediately affected whatever the potency.

Also in summation, we may understand something of the 'commonplace man' and the conditions he may be caught in. We can view all mistakes compassionately, knowing that most men move about the world quite oblivious to its underside or brighter side. 'Normal' life confounds them whilst the actual day-to-day marvels elude them. Thinking becomes habitual, rather than experiential and the humblest of desires prevail. Yet all the while each man lives in preparation, and also in a reliance that there will be those somewhere that they can depend upon, that they may look to, to find their true soul's glory. If we are so fortunate as to be removed from a tangle of problems, then we are in the very best position to live that example so mentioned. Homeopathically we can be then either very very good for the world, or sadly we can also impact to great detriment; but a man who has kept his clarity saved but for Christ is always reliably 'on call'.

And on call he is, for there are moments all around the Globe whereupon souls are necessary to be at worship, and be with insight in their region. While some sleep and some are occupied it is required for the very sake of the spiritual life of all, that there are a number of men who can meet the spiritual worlds with this, so that Christ may continue His Living Link. Every man who can add to this with his being is exceptionally important - particularly at this time, when the incarnating souls are still so few. Even with some who have had lifetimes of readiness, we have watched them simply 'disappear' (as it is to us) out from the realms of their spiritual linkages. Some come in and go out. Some remain. It is far more alarming to us to have such go, and know that it could and should have been otherwise.

We love you too.

God keep you safe always.


Rudolf Steiner on Alcohol

Question on Alcohol- 3rd August 1996

Question:
Dear Elder Brothers,
The issue of alcoholic beverages has a chequered past ranging from it being the 'draught of death' through your castigation of inebriation (implying perhaps the acceptance of moderation as compared to excess?), to Christ's teaching that 'nothing that goes into a man defiles him, only that which proceeds from a man'.

Some of us your co-workers, motivated by a desire to help the commonplace man feel more at home with us, have held that partaking up to the second glass was acceptable during the celebratory meals which sometimes follow our outreach studies, communions and pageants.These same co-workers are unwilling to dictate to others how they should behave on this issue.

We are absolutely clear that we cannot touch a drop of alcohol when committed to study or worship, in particular with respect to your sacred teachings. Up until now the imbibers as above, have taken any folly of more than two glasses as a normal sin along with say greed, gluttony, lying etc. etc. - by 'normal' meaning forgivable through the mercy of Christ.

However, we have come to depend upon your teachings to find our pathways into the future, along with our powers of discernment of the good and Christ's teachings in the Scriptures.

___ is aware that you have withdrawn from us and saw that this happened at the moment alcohol was introduced at the dinner which followed our pageant. The stopping of supply in a democratic government is known as the last drastic measure to be used only after everything else has failed to bring about a change for the good. We are therefore keenly aware that something deadly serious is at stake here - something more than Sin itself.

We desire to be the example to Mankind of the lifestyle that you, above all, advocate, and if abstinence for the sake of ensuring optimum clarity of consciousness at all times is required then we seek your comments on the above points for our consideration and final decision.

By the way, we love you, miss you and are fretful of a future without you.
Love, J.

Dearest Friend,
It is with an arcane travesty - the same story told in Man repeatedly - that God is mistaken in forgery and paths are split. Through willowed ways and myriads of error, when the careless submit their differentiation and desire for discrimination, forlorn are our young, abandoned are our elders... to a facetious account of life, self-styled and purportedly chosen without care.

Yet how can any choice be made if the qualification to choose is relinquished? How strong are the coherent forces in Man when he is breaking asunder with complicity? Can the mind turn back upon itself and suffer repeatedly the nonsense to which it has been given to? What is to be asked-for by each man, for what is asked-for to be then given? How can one be given and another weaken - do we test the strength until that strength is exhausted, or shall we hearken to the gift ere then we value it well? We are glad of your asking, for this is no small matter as you have guessed.

All substance speaks of its own origin. It has inherent within it, and in expression of itself, a spiritual, quintessential modality and imprint, which not only relates unto its properties given, but to its family of properties long past. We too, in addition to the those lesser corporate beings, hold our heritage in essence, with all of that to which is implied.

Many beings are convened in Man. Shared signatures imply a cohesive evolution; however, apart from the immediate and more obvious relationships Man shares with the material world around him, there are also those signature beings who associate upon an unseen level.

Christ was as the mother who must contest and make claim for her children now stolen. Christ is as the father, who must leave the family to fight, in order that the battle lines do not draw in any closer. And Christ is as the shepherd sitting at a fire-lit campsite, staring back into the glowing eyes which surround him: these wolves of the night.

There can be multifarious explanations given as to the deleterious effect ferments bring upon the constitution, the organization, mind-soul and relations of Man. And we can do this: we may address each and every point of question, so that the understanding of the consequences, both immediate and of those compounding, are to be considered plainly and without confusion. Whether it be wines, cordials, beers, liqueurs, ciders or even 'tonics' consumed, whether it be one pint or one ounce, the effect upon the heart and soul are same; for which we shall begin to describe.

When, through the great gates of Chaldea, burst tens of thousands of visitors, when the Roman world relished its bounties and the grape was given to be the god's own produce, the sunshine infilled the grape so powerfully that the etheric properties therein prolonged life and visibly radiated out from it.

It was not merely token to prosperity, it was prosperity. The vine was wrought into metal work and trailed through garden, farm and cottage. The bulbous drops were pregnant with god-quality, for the Sun had then a differing configuration alongside our etheric life amongst the world - the two then, before Christ, were not one and the same as is now.

Perhaps this is the reason why the grape should be the first to deny Him as it did - perhaps it had long thought itself to be the first ambassador of Christ, and resented His Presence now permeating all life green and grown ... whatever the consternation, the grape departed its place of importance to Man and was given to shame, shortly after Christ's crucifixion.

When the Sun had left the sky, and exhumed itself within our very Earth, the etheric world was endorsed by our Lord as He melded with it and also therefore combined with our very futures. The Sun of the grape was no longer an immigrative transport - it had become inherent within its life, whilst also to be found in commensurate abundance everywhere.

The process of fermentation is the action of parasitic vampirism. It is when life from one nature is quickened by the death of another nature and expands with an astral attitude, from which a sub-life may then manifest. This process is anti-life even though in the technical sense it is also manfestive of abundant life-energy. It is anti-life because the natures involved are without cooperation - either in evolution or in force - and it is the very repelling feature and reactiveness to which the great fires respond with further 'life'.

An inversion then occurs, and if the effect of the same is then conspired to within a man, it is in this case, as though the Sun has departed from his sky - the light from his own consciousness now gone - and he is living as in the blackened day. Those who have been even ever so slightly intoxicated will know of this malady and of the fright that may grip at the heart when their internal bearings are lost into a darkness which stifles the sense and the soul…………………………………………………….

There are guardian hosts which encompass the evolution of plant families and animal families. These beings all differ as to their roles requested and roles attributed in actuality. Some plants and animals have futures to fulfill, some shall adapt and re-embody with great development, whilst others may well become extinct for the time being, until such a time when the cycles recommence in similar conditions to that which they have known. If a species cannot make the jump into the future, then it may await the next round of associate manifestation and renew itself then………………..

Before Christ the forces incurred [alcohol] were mysteriously faithful to the Sun, and therefore to Him. Wakefulness, in respect to self, was the outcome. A man may be drunken with a joy or with the melancholy, but whichever overtook his emotion, it was nonetheless all material to him; there was a concentration of self and of impending incarnation. The actual process which encroached upon the 'sub-life' did not effect the grape or grain at that point in that same way, for it was by the forces of the Sun that such was enhanced and made stronger…………………………………

The pleasure experienced comes from the blood itself. The experience is not unlike that which occurs when we are given to experience a true love for something or somebody outside of ourselves.

Our wills are manifest most prominently in the blood, and the ego's activity can be felt in the quickening when our subtle bodies are expansive and our soul-expression is open and enlivened………………………

There can be two individuals who as drinking partners feel quite wonderful in each other's company, but it can be witnessed within the interaction (or lack thereof) that they are not exchanging between each other, they are in fact appearing to talk to themselves. It is quite like a man who is tickling himself and laughing along…….

Some of Rudolf Steiner's indications.