ASTROLOGY is called the royal art, and not without reason. Not that it is the most exalted of arts, nor reserved only for earthly monarchs; but whoever proved really capable of practising it could take royal rank in the spiritual sense, since he would be able to guide the course of events in many respects!

However, there is not a single human being on earth to whom these abilities have been entrusted. Hence all work in this field must remain only pitiable efforts, unreliable if seriously meant by the practitioner, and malicious if conceit and morbid imagination play a part in it instead of deep earnestness!

On the whole the calculation of star aspects alone can be of little value, for there must also be included with the stellar radiations the ground radiations of the earth prevalent at the time, as well as all the activity of the living substance of the Ethereal World, such as the world of thought-forms, karma, vibrations of the Darkness and of the Light in the World of Matter, and much else. Now what human being can boast that he is able clearly and sharply to survey all this from the deepest depths to the highest heights of the World of Matter?

The radiations of the stars only form the paths and channels through which all the living ethereal substance can penetrate in a more concentrated form to the human soul in order to become effective there. Figuratively speaking, one can say that the stars give the signal for the times when the returning reciprocal actions and other influences can, through the guidance of their radiations, flow to the human being in a more complete and concentrated form. Unfavourable or hostile stellar radiations become united with evil vibrations floating in the Ethereal World in connection with a certain person; on the other hand favourable radiations will only unite with beneficial ethereal vibrations, all according to homogeneity.

Therefore such calculations are not in themselves entirely worthless. But there is a definite condition that with unfavourable stellar radiations a person also receives unfavourable reciprocal actions, and with favourable radiations he will experience favourable reciprocal actions. Otherwise there can be no manifestation! In turn, however, the stellar radiations are not a mere illusion in themselves, ineffective when not linked with other powers, but they do have certain automatic effects which act to a certain extent as a check.

If in the Ethereal World there are nothing but bad reactions due to and working upon a person, their activity will, according to the type of radiation, be stopped, pushed back or at least strongly restrained on the days and during the hours when the stellar radiations are favourable. Naturally also vice versa — when good reactions are at work, unfavourable radiations will intercept that which is favourable so long as such radiations are active.

Even when the channels of the stellar radiations become empty, due to the lack of homogeneous reactions, they still serve as a temporary check to other reactions that may be operating, so that they are never altogether without influence. Thus unless the corresponding reactions are lying ready for the person in question, good radiations do not always bring benefit or evil radiations harm.

Astrologers cannot exclaim here: »There, you see, we are right after all!« They are only right conditionally and in a very limited sense. This does not justify their frequent presumptuous assertions and commercial self-praise. The empty channels of the stellar radiations can indeed bring interceptions, but nothing else, neither good nor evil.

Again, it must be admitted that the temporary interception of evil reactions is to some extent beneficial! For the one who is sorely harassed by evil it creates a breathing spell, which will enable him to gain strength for further endurance.

In addition these intercepting radiations should induce the human spirit to exert greater power, which will awaken and strengthen it. The effort to overcome these interceptions will set the spirit more and more aglow.

In spite of everything the calculations of the astrologers could be welcomed if the perpetual boasting and advertising of so many of them were disregarded. However, still other important factors come into it, making the calculations very unreliable, so that they actually do more harm than good to the public.

For instance, not only the few stars which are today at the disposal of astrologers for their calculations come into consideration. There are countless other stars, not even known to astrologers, which play a great role in decreasing, strengthening, crossing or displacing the effects, so that the final picture of the calculations can often be exactly the opposite to what the best astrologer of today is capable of stating.

Finally there is still another decisive point — the greatest and most difficult of all — and that is the soul of each individual! Only he who, in addition to all the other requirements, can assess each one of these souls, with all its abilities, characteristics and karmaic entanglements, as well as the aims for which it is striving; in short, judge to a nicety its real maturity or immaturity in the spiritual sense; only he could venture to make calculations!

If, owing to the condition of his soul, a human being is surrounded by many dark influences, nothing luminous or good can reach him, however favourable the stellar radiations may be. If on the other hand the condition of a person’s soul permits only purity and light to surround him, then the most unfavourable stellar radiations will not be able to oppress him to the extent of seriously harming him, for in the end the circumstances must always become beneficial.

The Omnipotence and Wisdom of God are not as one-sided as the disciples of astrology imagine them to be in their calculations. God does not make the fate of human beings, that is, their weal and woe, dependent only upon stellar radiations.

Of course they do have a powerful influence, not only for the individual, but in all world happenings. Still they are only tools, the activity of which is not only bound up with many other influences, but the possible manifestations of which also remain dependent upon them. Even if some astrologers imagine that they work intuitively, by impulse or inspiration, this cannot deepen their insight sufficiently to warrant greater confidence in the correctness of their calculations.

These remain one-sided piecework, inadequate, and with many gaps — in short, imperfect! They create disquiet among men, and disquiet is the soul’s most dangerous enemy, for it breaks down the soul’s natural defences and often lets in evil which would otherwise have found no entrance.

Many people feel uneasy when they tell themselves that they are at the moment under the influence of evil radiations; often, however, they become over-confident and unwise when convinced that they are subject to good radiations. In view of the inadequacy of all these calculations they are only burdening themselves with unnecessary worries instead of always exhibiting a free, joyous spirit, which sets up a more powerful defence than the most malevolent radiations could break down.

If they are so bent upon it, astrologers should quietly continue their work and try to perfect themselves in it; but only in private and for themselves, which is what those who are really in earnest do! For the time being they should spare other people such imperfections, since these would only have a destructive influence, resulting in an undermining of self-confidence and harmful fettering of free spirits! This should be avoided at all costs!

IF MEN were not so entirely absorbed in the necessities and many trivialities of every-day life, but would also pay some attention to and observe more closely both the great and small happenings around them, they would soon come to a new understanding. They would be astonished at themselves, and hardly believe it possible that up till now they could so thoughtlessly have overlooked something so obvious!

And there is every reason why they should sorrowfully shake their heads at themselves! If they were only a little observant a whole world of strictly-ordered, living happenings would suddenly reveal itself to them, enabling them clearly to recognise the stern guidance of a higher Hand — the world of symbolism!

While its roots reach deep down into the ethereal part of Creation, only the very outskirts of this world of symbolism appear as visible effects on the material earth. It is just like a sea which appears perfectly calm, and which has a continuous but imperceptible movement only to be observed by its last effects, i.e., by the ripples lapping upon the beach.

Man does not realise how clearly he can observe the dreaded and incisive activity of karma, if he only devotes a little effort and attention to it. It is possible for him to become more familiar with it, however, so that the fear which is often awakened in thinking people will gradually fade and karma lose its terror.

If they learn to perceive and to trace the deeper vibrations of ethereal life through the visible happenings on earth, as a result of which they gradually become convinced of the existence of absolutely consistent reciprocal actions, this may develop into a way upwards for many people.

Once a person has arrived at this stage, he will slowly adjust himself step by step, until he finally recognises the strictly logical and complete driving power of the conscious Divine Will in all Creation; thus in the Gross Material as well as in the Ethereal World. From that moment onward he will reckon with it and submit to it of his own free will. This means that he will »swim« in the power, the effects of which can only be of advantage to him. It serves him because he knows how to make use of it by adapting himself to it in the right way.

Thus the reciprocal action can only bring him happiness. Smilingly he sees every biblical word being literally fulfilled whereas previously, because of its childlike simplicity, this often tended to become a stumbling block for him. A fulfilment often threatened to become difficult because in the opinion he held up till then it required a servile attitude. But as his eyes are opened the demand for obedience, regarded as so unpleasant, will gradually become the highest distinction that can befall a creature. It will truly become a Divine gift carrying within itself the possibility for an immense spiritual unfolding of power, which will permit a personal and conscious co-operation in the magnificent Creation.

The expressions: »He that humbleth himself shall be exalted«; »Man must humble himself before his God in order to enter His Kingdom«; he should »obey«, »serve«, and similar biblical counsels; all these somewhat repulse the modern man at the outset because of their simple, childlike, and yet striking form of expression. They offend his pride, rooted as it is in the consciousness of intellectual knowledge. He no longer wants to be led so blindly, but desires to understand and consciously co-operate in all things in order to obtain through personal conviction the inner upswinging necessary to accomplish everything great. And this is not wrong!

In his further development man should stand more consciously in Creation than he has done previously. And when he has joyfully recognised that the simple biblical expressions, the nature of which seems so foreign to the present times, counsel precisely what he voluntarily and with complete conviction decides upon through his knowledge of the mighty Laws of Nature, it will be as though a bandage falls from his eyes. He will be deeply shaken by the fact that hitherto he only rejected the old teachings because he interpreted them wrongly, and never seriously tried to penetrate them aright so as to bring them into harmony with the perceptive capacity of today.

Whether it is said: »Submit in humility to the Will of God« or »having recognised the mighty Laws of Nature aright, use them according to their kind and activity«, it is one and the same thing!

Man can only make use of the powers that bear the Will of God when he studies them exactly, thus recognising them and adapting himself to them. To reckon with or adapt oneself to them really means nothing less than to adjust oneself to them, thus to submit oneself to them! It means not to go against these powers, but to go with them! Only when man adapts his will to the special nature of these powers, thus going in the same direction, can he make use of the might of these powers.

This is not mastery of the powers, but humbly submitting oneself to the Divine Will. Even if man ascribes much to his own sagacity or to scientific achievement, this does not alter the fact that it is nothing but a so-called »discovery« of the effects of the existing Laws of Nature, that is, of the Divine Will, which man has thereby »recognised«, »adjusting« himself to this Will by the evaluation or use of these laws. This unquestionably is humble submission to the Will of God; it is »obeying«!

But now to symbolism! Every happening in Creation, thus in the World of Matter, must come to a proper ending of its cycle; or it can also be said, it must close its cycle! Therefore, according to the Laws of Creation, everything unconditionally returns to its starting point, where alone it can find its end and thus be severed, dissolved or extinguished as a working unit. This applies to the entire Creation as well as to each single happening, and it is the cause of the unconditional reciprocal action which in turn brings symbolism in its wake.

Since all actions must end where they originated, it follows that each action must end in the same species of substance whence it arose! Thus an ethereal beginning must have an ethereal ending, and a gross material beginning a gross material ending! Men cannot see the ethereal, but the gross material ending of every happening is visible to all. For many people, however, the actual key to it, the beginning, is missing; because in most cases it lies in a previous gross material existence.

Although the greater part of all happenings of reciprocal action takes effect only in the Ethereal World, the operating karma can never be completely redeemed unless in some way the end manifests in the Gross Material World and becomes visible there. Only when a visible happening corresponds to the nature of the reciprocal action can an open cycle be closed and thus bring about complete redemption; no matter whether, through the nature of the beginning, the redemption brings good or evil, happiness or unhappiness, blessing or forgiveness! This final visible effect must return to the place of its origin, and to that person who, through some action or other, initiated it! In no single case can this be avoided!

If in the meantime the person concerned has changed inwardly to such an extent that something better than the original action came to life in him, then the reaction of that original type cannot gain a firm foothold. It no longer finds homogeneous ground in the upward-striving soul, which has become more luminous and thus lighter in accordance with the Law of Spiritual Gravity (* Lecture: »Fate«).

The natural result is that when it approaches the more luminous environment of the person concerned a darker reaction becomes permeated and thereby considerably weakened. But despite this the Law of Revolution and of Reciprocal Action must be entirely fulfilled in its automatic operating power! It is impossible to annul any of the Laws of Nature!

Consequently even such a weakened returning reciprocal action must, in accordance with the immovable laws, become visibly effective in the World of Gross Matter in order really to be redeemed and extinguished. The end must flow back into the beginning. The dark karma, however, is unable to bring harm to the person concerned because of his more luminous surroundings; and so it happens that the weakened reciprocal action can only work on his immediate surroundings in such a way as to provide the person concerned with the opportunity to do something voluntarily, the nature of which corresponds only to the tendency of the returning reciprocal action.

In comparison with the original unbroken strength of the returning dark reaction intended for him there is the difference, however, that it causes neither suffering nor harm, but may even bring joy.

This comprises a purely symbolical redemption of many a heavy karma, but still completely accords with the Laws of Creation, which operate automatically in that way through the change in the condition of the soul. Therefore most people often remain unaware of it. The karma, however, has been redeemed and Immutable Justice has been satisfied to its most delicate vibrations. But these happenings, which accord so naturally with the Creative Laws, hold such mighty acts of Grace as only the Omniscience of the Creator could bring forth in His Perfect Work.

There are many such purely symbolic atonements where otherwise reciprocal action would strike heavily!

Let us take an example! A once hard, domineering character has burdened himself with heavy karma through indulging these attributes in the oppression of his fellow men. Active according to its specific nature, this karma proceeds on its course, and must then fall back upon him with the same characteristics, but many times reinforced! This vibration of ruthless despotism, often immensely reinforced through the Law of Attraction of ethereal homogeneous species, will in approaching him so interpenetrate his whole ethereal environment that it will have an incisive effect on his gross material environment, which is closely connected with it; thereby creating conditions forcing the originator to suffer to a far greater extent from a similar tyranny than did the people he once tormented.

Meanwhile if such a person has arrived at a better understanding and has, through his genuine efforts to ascend, gained a more luminous and lighter environment, then of course the nature of the final effect will also be changed! The returning waves of denser darkness will be more or less permeated by the degree of luminosity of the new surrounding of the person concerned and will thus be rendered more or less harmless. If the former tyrant has made great progress, that is, if the guilty person has made an exceptional improvement, it may happen that the final reaction will be as good as annulled, and that he will only do something in passing which outwardly resembles atonement.

Let us suppose it be the case of a woman! Then it would suffice for her to take the brush out of her maidservant’s hand to show her in all kindness how to scrub the floor. Even if there are only a few such movements, they satisfy the symbolism of service! This little action results in a redemption that had to happen visibly and which, despite its insignificance, can end a heavy karma.

In the same way the re-arrangement of even one room can become a symbol ending and redeeming a guilt, the atonement or reaction of which would really have required a greater, more revolutionary change, with painfully incisive effects. Such things occur in one way or another through the weakened influence of a reaction; or incidental actions are often skilfully used by the spiritual guidance to bring about a redemption.

In all this it is naturally presumed that an exceptionally great upsurge, with a corresponding change in the condition of the soul, has already set in. These are circumstances that an astrologer is actually unable to take into account, as a result of which he often occasions unnecessary worries with his calculations, sometimes even evoking such fear that the power of this alone is able to call forth or form something unpleasant. Thus the calculation may be apparently fulfilled, when without such fear it would have proved to be wrong. In such cases, however, the person concerned has through his fear opened a door in the circle of light surrounding him.

Whenever a man voluntarily stretches out his hand beyond his protecting cover no help can come to him from any direction. His own will breaks every protection from within, as unless he exercises his own volition nothing can reach him through the Light from outside.

Hence the smallest kindness to a fellow man, a genuinely felt sorrow with a neighbour, even a single friendly word, can lead to the symbolic redemption of a karma, as soon as the underlying motive is an earnest striving for what is good!

Naturally this earnest striving for the good must come first; for otherwise there can be no question of symbolic redemption, and every reaction due would have to work out to the fullest extent!

As soon as a person’s serious volition to ascend sets in, however, he will quickly notice how his surroundings become gradually more and more animated, as if everything possible were being put in his way which, however, always turns out well. This is immediately obvious to him and finally, and just as striking, there will come a more peaceful period or a time when all that happens will plainly help him to rise in the material sense. Then the time for atonement is over!

With joyful thanks he may gratefully indulge the thought that much guilt has fallen from him, for which he would otherwise have had to do heavy penance! He must then be on his guard that his volition and desires only weave good threads of fate so that only good may return to him!

WHAT is exhibited by the majority of the so-called faithful is not faith! Real faith can only arise when a man has made the contents of the Divine Messages completely his own, and thereby turned them into a spontaneous, living conviction.

Divine Messages are received through the Word of God and also through His Creation. Everything bears witness to Him and to His Will. As soon as a man is able consciously to experience the entire process of genesis and existence, all his intuitions, his thoughts and his deeds will unite in joyful affirmation of God.

Then, however, he will become silent, and will not speak about it much. He will have become a person who through this silent devotion to God, which can also be called trust in God, stands firmly and securely in the entire Creation. He will not lose himself in fantasies or fits of ecstasy, nor live an exclusively spiritual life here on earth, but attend to his earthly duties fearlessly and with common sense, thereby skilfully using his keen intellect as a sharp weapon, necessary for his defence when attacked, without of course being unjust in doing so.

In no case should he silently tolerate being treated with injustice, because he would thereby encourage and strengthen evil!

Now there are many who only imagine themselves to have faith! In spite of inwardly acknowledging the existence of God and His Divine activity, they fear the smile of the doubters. It is disagreeable and painful to them. In the course of conversation they silently let it pass with an inscrutable expression on their faces, and in their embarrassment they constantly make concessions to the doubters through their attitude. This is not faith, but merely an inward yielding! In reality they are denying their God, to Whom they pray in silence and from Whom they consequently expect every blessing.

This false consideration for the doubter cannot be excused by saying that to the »faithful« the subject is »too sacred and too serious« to allow it to be exposed to possible ridicule. Nor can one call it modesty, for it is nothing but mean cowardice! Speak up at last and show whose spiritual children you are! With the pride that becomes every child of God fearlessly face every man! Only then will the doubters be finally forced to bridle their sneers, which only betray their uncertainty. At the present time, however, their mockery is only fostered and encouraged by the frightful behaviour of many of the »faithful«.

These people deceive themselves, because they have ascribed an entirely different meaning to the word »faith« from what it demands. Faith must be a living thing, that is to say, it must become even more than conviction, it must become a deed! It becomes a deed as soon as it permeates everything — all intuitions, all thoughts, all actions. Coming from within the man, it must unobtrusively become visible and noticeable as a matter of course in all that appertains to him! It must not only be hung out as a mask or a shield, but all that becomes manifest outwardly should merely be a result of the natural radiation of the inner spiritual core!

In plain words, true faith must be a power which, radiating from the spirit of man, permeates his flesh and blood and so becomes something quite natural — nothing artificial or forced, nothing studied, but normal life!

Observe many of the faithful! They declare their absolute belief in life after death and apparently order their thoughts accordingly. If, however, at some opportune moment they receive proof of life in the beyond, somewhat outside the ordinary course of events, they are terrified or deeply shaken! Thereby they show that fundamentally they were not so convinced after all of this life in the beyond, for otherwise such an occasional proof would seem quite natural. Consequently they should neither be frightened nor specially shaken by it!

In addition there are countless happenings which clearly reveal how little faith the so-called faithful have. Theirs is no living faith!

A QUESTION which very often arises is whether a man should part with his earthly possessions or disregard them altogether when he is striving for spiritual gain.

It would be foolish to lay down such a principle! When it is said that a man should not cling to earthly possessions as soon as he strives towards the Kingdom of Heaven, this does not mean that he should give or throw them away and live in poverty. Man may and should gladly enjoy what God provides for him through His Creation!

»That he should not cling« to earthly possessions only means that man should not allow himself to go so far as to make their accumulation the main object of his life on earth, and thus »cling« mainly to this one idea!

Such an attitude is naturally bound to distract him from higher aims, for which he would have no time left. Indeed, with his whole being he would only cling to this one aim of acquiring earthly possessions! Whether it be for the sake of the possessions themselves, for the sake of the pleasure they give him, or for whatever other reason, the result would always be fundamentally the same. Such a man clings and thereby binds himself to what is purely material, thus losing the ability to look upwards and ascend.

The erroneous conception that material possessions are incompatible with striving spiritually upwards is responsible for the absurd view held by the majority of people that all spiritual endeavours, if they are to be taken seriously, may never have anything in common with earthly possessions. The harm mankind have done themselves through this view has strangely enough never occurred to them!

As a result they debase the spiritual or highest gifts that may fall to their share. Because of this peculiar attitude all spiritual endeavours in the past had to depend on offerings and charity, just as beggars did. Thus the same attitude as was shown towards beggars crept in unnoticed towards spiritual endeavours, which could therefore never command the respect that in the first place they are really entitled to!

For the same reason, however, these endeavours were always doomed to perish from the very beginning, because they could never stand firmly on their own feet, but always remained dependent upon the good will of men. What is most sacred to him, the spiritual part, must be protected and preserved against his fellow men, and it is just on this account that anyone striving seriously should not despise earthly possessions, which must now mainly serve him as a shield in the Gross Material World to ward off like with like!

It would create an unhealthy position if, in the age of the materialist, those striving spiritually upwards should despise the strongest weapon of their unscrupulous opponents! This would show a levity which might revenge itself heavily upon them.

Therefore, all you true believers, do not despise worldly possessions, which could also have only been created through the Will of God, Whom you seek to honour! But do not let the comfort which such earthly possessions can afford lull you to sleep, but make sound use of them!

The same applies to the special gift of such powers as serve to heal various illnesses, or to similar beneficial abilities. In a most naive or, better said, impudent manner people assume that such abilities, because they were given as a special gift from spiritual spheres to be used on earth, should be placed at their disposal free of cost. It even goes so far that some people expect to be met with special expressions of joy when in their great distress they »condescend« to avail themselves of such help! Such people must be excluded from all help, even if it were the only way to save them!

Those so gifted, however, should themselves first learn to set a greater value on this gift of God, so that they do not continually cast pearls before swine! To achieve real results they need far more physical and ethereal power, as well as more time, than a barrister needs to give to his best plea in defence, a doctor to visit many patients, or an artist to create a picture. It would never occur to anybody to expect the barrister, the doctor or the artist to do their work for nothing, although their intellectual ability, as every other talent, is also but »a gift of God« and nothing else! Now, at last, cast aside these beggar’s rags and don the garment that befits you!