In 1924, Rudolf Steiner gave a series of urgent, impassioned, talks to members of the Anthroposophical Society regarding their karma and its relationship to the culture of the time. Steiner's words characterize vividly a spiritual battle, of forces gathering to fight for the soul of humanity itself. Given the challenges faced by humanity today, it has, perhaps, never been more urgent for those who ally themselves with Rudolf Steiner's work to study, absorb and take to heart the contents of this critically important material.

Four of Rudolf Steiner's best-loved lectures are collected in this book. They are some of the most accessible presentations of the anthroposophic approach to life available in English. Included are: Practical Training in Thought Overcoming Nervousness Facing Karma The Four Temperaments The first lecture concerns the fundamental human activity of thinking. Everything we do, we do through thinking. The first task, then, is to realize the reality of thinking. To help us do this, Steiner gives exercises that will allow us to experience the cognitive, even clairvoyant, power of thinking. In "Overcoming Nervousness," Steiner shows us how exercises in thinking also give us the calm centered sense needed to lead purposeful, healthy lives. "Facing Karma" takes us to the heart of life, where we experience suffering and happiness. The law of karma that determines life's experiences and encounters also helps us develop the self-knowledge required for self-transformation. Finally, "The Four Temperaments" show us how the union of hereditary factors and our own inner spiritual nature shape our psychology. The guide here is the ancient classifications of sanguine, choleric, phlegmatic, and melancholic. Renewed understanding of these allows us to develop a truly modern spiritual psychology, which is the basis of all real inner development. With its many practical exercises, mantras, and meditations, this book is a fundamental introduction for anyone beginning or needing encouragement along the path of inner development.

13 lectures, Dornach and Basel, December 4-31, 1916 (CW 173) Although these lectures were given in 1916, they have much to teach us about today's political spin, media distortions, propaganda and downright lies--all delivered by the media on a daily basis. Rudolf Steiner's calm, methodological approach penetrates the smokescreen of accusations and counterclaims, illusions and lies, surrounding World War I. From behind this fog and under the guise of outer events, the true spiritual struggle is revealed. Steiner's words give the reader a deeper understanding of the politics and world conflicts that confront us today through the filter of popular media. Amid the turmoil of World War I, Steiner spoke out courageously against the hate, lies, and propaganda of the time. His detailed research into the spiritual impulses of human evolution allowed him to reveal the dominant role that secret brotherhoods played in events that culminated in that cataclysmic war. He warned that the retarding forces of nationalism must be overcome before Europe can find its true destiny. He also emphasized the urgent need for new social structures in order to avoid such future catastrophes. Political and social changes around the world are moving at a breathless pace, hurtling us all toward an uncertain future. These lectures illuminate much of what lies behind today's turbulent events and the scenes played out on the nightly news. This new edition, reproduced in a larger format, is put in a modern context and introduced by Terry Boardman. This volume is a translation from German of Zeitgeschichtliche Betrachtungen. Das Karma der Unwahrhaftigkeit - Erster Teil. Kosmische und Menschliche Geschichte Band IV (GA 173).

Why do people have such differing events and circumstances to deal with in their lives? What are the meanings of diseases, illnesses, accidents, and natural disasters? From his clairvoyant spiritual research, Rudolf Steiner speaks of karma, or destiny, as a reality -- an actual scientific phenomenon that can and should be understood today. He shows how, through a comprehension of karma, a person can begin to answer the inevitable questions that arise when they begin seriously to seek the meaning and purpose of life.

"Research into the sphere of karma...forms the basis of the modern spiritual science of Anthroposophy. For only by learning to understand these laws can the human being realize how spiritual forces work simultaneously in man and the cosmos, and link the two into a higher unity." In this inspiring lecture, addressed primarily to followers of the anthroposophic movement, Prokofieff gives an overview of how the spiritual hierarchies and Christ, the Lord of Karma, work in the ordering of human karma. We are led to the karma and mission of the Anthroposophical Society, with indications as to what needs to happen before that karmic mission can be fulfilled. Prokofieff explains why true modern Christian research into karma does not arise from intellectual speculation, curiosity, or nebulous mystical experiences. The process of karmic research, based on spiritual science, should lead to a fundamental transformation of human nature and lead to a full experience of the cosmos.

At the end of his life, Rudolf Steiner took up the task that was his special destiny: to bring to the West a knowledge of reincarnation and karma. To do this, he gave over eighty lectures in 1924 in which he explicitly and concretely revealed the destinies of various individuals from one life to the next in order to show how the general laws of karma operate in individual cases. He also revealed many details of the karmic streams of the members of the Anthroposophical Society. These volumes constitute an immeasurable contribution to the understanding of reincarnation and karma, and the tasks of the Anthroposophical Society in connection with the Archangel Michael.

GLAM