Keeping the Light Alive!
Monthly articles demonstrating Rudolf Steiner’s relevance to today’s world
Adrian Anderson PhD., author of books and articles on anthroposophy
July 2020: The Rose-Cross in times of stress
In times of social crisis, such as the Covid-9 virus is causing, it is really helpful to remind ourselves that, inner peace comes from developing inner strength. An effective way to develop an inner calm and resourcefulness is through meditation and spiritual study. A central meditation in the Rosicrucian-anthroposophical path is the Rose-Cross meditation. This is well-known to those who have read Rudolf Steiner’s basic works and is described in his An Outline of Esoteric Science. Briefly described, it involves contemplating the human being (as if with arms outstretched) becoming a deadened wooden cross, as one’s lower qualities die away, and then gradually 7 roses appear around the cross.
What do the roses represent? The answer is given when we know that, as Rudolf Steiner points out, the word ‘rose’ in ‘Rose-Cross’ has another meaning, apart from a flower: it comes from the Latin word ‘ros’ which means dew. Just as the morning dew mysteriously appears, condensed out of the planet’s water-ether, so too, as effort is made to develop spiritually, then from the planetary spheres, the noblest soul qualities emerge in our aura, condensing like drops of golden dew, out of realms of the holiness, so to speak, into the incarnate soul. This process transforms our soul. The soul is composed of the astral qualities which ray into our soul, from seven planetary spheres. But through the presence of the cosmic Christ, the highest planetary qualities from these spheres can stream into the soul of those who seek to develop themselves spiritually. It is this process which causes the chakras to develop.
As we experience an inner awakening and purification, then an inner strength arises, and this is enhanced by our own greater self-respect and self-confidence. So deeper, more spiritually-oriented life-goals can be considered. From all of this, an inner peace emerges, increasing our ability to cope with crisis situations. (A full presentation of this path to spiritual development is available in my book, The Way to the Sacred.)
Keep well in this difficult time,
Adrian A.The link to The Way to The Sacred , on the Book Depository
https://www.bookdepository.com/Way-Sacred-Adrian-Anderson/9780958134101
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