The Rudolf Steiner Archive

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Michaelmas
Conquering the Ahrimanic Forces of Darkness

Michael & His Army Battling the Legions of Ahriman

September 17, 2023

This time of year, we recognize the power of the spirit known as Michael and his victory over the forces that would drag us down. The Michaelmas Festival coincides with the autumn equinox in the Northern Hemisphere, September 23, 2023. We invite you to explore Rudolf Steiner’s teachings on the battle of Michael and the Dragon, Michaelmas, and the importance of the seasons in our soul development.

In this article, we highlight Steiner's teachings on how:
  • There arose a revolt of divine spirits seeking free will prematurely before men came into human form. Ahriman, the Dragon, was their leader.
  • Michael banished the super-sensible Dragon to the earthly realm where he did not belong.
  • The battle with the Dragon moved from the outer cosmos into human nature.
  • The Dragon and leagues of Ahrimanic beings repeatedly attack Michael and his army but are always defeated.
  • Both human freedom and our increased materialism resulted from these uprisings.
  • With the Dragon now entrenched in human nature, mankind must fight those inner forces that would hinder our spiritual development. We do this through our will and heartfelt thinking. In this way, we align ourselves with the forces of Michael.
  • While Easter commemorates the death and resurrection of Christ, Michaelmas represents the reverse: the resurrection of the human soul and physical death, like waking up from summer's dreamy slumber and the withering of autumn foliage.

Through our efforts to resurrect our souls, we no longer remain chained to the material realm like Ahriman but can be confident in our death that we will continue to evolve spiritually as intended.

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Recent Additions

Date Added Volume Document Title Document Date
26 Sep GA 68. The Origin of Evil 20 Feb 1908
26 Sep GA 97. The Sin Against the Holy Ghost and the Ideal of Christian Grace 17 Mar 1907
26 Sep GA 101. The World Ash: Yggdrasil 07 Oct 1907
26 Sep GA 162. The Lost Union of Speaking and Thinking 18 Jul 1915
26 Sep GA 214. Christ and the Evolution of Consciousness 05 Aug 1922
26 Sep GA 220. Living Knowledge of Nature 20 Jan 1923
25 Sep GA 91. The Theory of Color and Light I 02 Aug 1903
25 Sep GA 91. The Theory of Color and Light II 03 Aug 1903
25 Sep GA 91. The Theory of Color and Light III 04 Aug 1903
25 Sep GA 91. The Theory of Color and Light IV 06 Aug 1903
25 Sep GA 91. The Theory of Color and Light V 08 Aug 1903
25 Sep GA 91. The Theory of Color and Light VI 09 Aug 1903
25 Sep GA 91. The Theory of Color and Light VII 10 Aug 1903
15 Sep GA 260. Foundation Stone Meditation & Rythms (Katz) 26 Dec 1923
06 Sep GA 289. The Ideas Behind the Building of the Goetheanum I 28 Dec 1921
06 Sep GA 289. The Ideas Behind the Building of the Goetheanum II 30 Dec 1921
23 Aug GA 203. Apollonius of Tyana 28 Mar 1921
23 Aug GA 208. Outer and Inner Life 21 Oct 1921
23 Aug GA 208. The World of the Senses, the World of Thought, and Their Beings 22 Oct 1921
23 Aug GA 277. St. John's Tide 24 Jun 1923
23 Aug GA 225. The World of Dreams as a Bridge between the Physical World and the World of Moral Ideas 22 Sep 1923
23 Aug GA 34. Aristotle on the Mystery Drama
19 Aug GA 260. Foundation Stone Meditation (Riedel) 26 Dec 1923
12 Aug GA 40. The Calendar of the Soul (Mellett)
11 Aug GA 40. The Calendar of the Soul (Riedel)

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