The Fall of the Spirits of Darkness
14 lectures by Rudolf Steiner

At the end of 1917, after four years of war in Europe, Rudolf Steiner spoke out in these 14 lectures on the complex spiritual forces behind the Great War, humanity’s attempts to build theoretically perfect social orders, and the many divisions and disruptions that would continue to occur on earth in our time. Humanity in general was asleep to the fact that fallen spirits, cast out of the spiritual worlds, had become intensely active on earth. This manifested particularly in people’s thinking and in the way they perceived the world around them. But the defeat and fall had also ensured that a science of the spirit would always be available to humanity.

Since 1879 human minds have been influenced by these backward angels - the Spirits of Darkness - who were forced out of ‘the heavens’ and made their abode on earth following their defeat after a 40-year battle with the Archangel Michael, the spirit of our time. It is now possible for human beings to awaken more consciously to the truth of these profound changes, and thus counter the fallen spirits’ influences within themselves. We can also realise that definite spiritual causes lie behind earthly events in our rapidly changing times. In the lecture series, The Fall of the Spirits of Darkness, Steiner reveals the spiritual roots of the crises of our times and the realisations by which we can surmount them.

“Above all else, the spirits of darkness wanted to prevent spiritual experiences, living experiences of the spirit, from coming down into human souls; this was bound to come about gradually after their fall in 1879 . . . Spirituality will come to human beings because Michael won his victory in 1879 . . . On the other hand, the spirits of darkness are now here among us”.                                                                                            
                                                                                                              (from Lecture 13)

Trans: A. R. Meuss (14 lectures, Dornach 29 Sept to 28 Oct 1917, GA177); 220pp
Rudolf Steiner Press
1 85440 010 3; paperback
 

Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) called his spiritual philosophy 'anthroposophy', which he defined as 'the consciousness of one's humanity', and the disciplined methods of studying this he termed ‘spiritual science’.  As a highly developed clairvoyant and spiritual initiate, he spoke from his direct cognition of the spiritual world. However, he did not see his work as religious or sectarian, but rather sought to found a universal 'science of the spirit'.

His many published works (written books and lectures) - which include his research into the spiritual nature of the human being, the evolution of the world and humanity, and methods of personal development - invite readers to develop their own spiritual faculties.  He also provided indications for the renewal of many human activities, including education - both general and special - agriculture, medicine, economics, architecture, science, philosophy, religion and the arts. He wrote some 30 books and delivered over 6000 lectures across Europe, and in 1924 founded the General Anthroposophical Society which today has branches throughout the world.

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