Dear friends,
This year there are some significant aspects to Easter that should give us pause for meditation.
First let’s look at the dates.
Good Friday is on April 3rd with Easter following on April 5th. These dates coincide with the original, historical Easter. According to Rudolf Steiner’s occult research the Death of the Christ on the Cross occurred on April 3rd, at 3 PM after which the Christ united His Being with the Being of the Earth and thus gave the earth its special meaning and the possibility for evolution into the future.
The falling together of the historical Easter and the actual Easter is a rare event in itself.
What seems to be even more unusual is the fact that this year a solar eclipse will occur on the date of the spring equinox. The last time that this has occurred apparently has been in 1662 (Communication of H.A. Ginsberg). The Easter date itself is set, as we all know, in connection with the spring equinox: Easter is the first Sunday after the first full moon after the spring equinox. Additionally, Rudolf Steiner points out that the spring equinox sun brings with it to the earth every year the determining impulses that mankind needs in the era of the consciousness soul.
The need to understand now the event of a sun eclipse becomes evident. In a lecture given on the 25th of June 1922 Rudolf Steiner reveals the occult significance of a solar eclipse. He elucidates that under normal circumstances good impulses emanating from the earth towards the cosmos connect themselves with the sun rays that are coming in towards us while the evil impulses that are coming out from the earth are being burned off at the same time by these sun rays, sunlight. However, during a solar eclipse evil impulses are allowed to escape from the earth, and that way a phenomenon like an open valve occurs that allows some of this “evil steam” to leave the earth. We can only ponder what this means when a solar eclipse occurs on the day of the spring equinox. (Find out in the lecture what he also says about the lunar eclipse.)
A third significant aspect is shown to us if we look towards the stars and find that now the planet Jupiter is between the actual constellations of Cancer and Leo. In the human body the constellation of Cancer coincides with the lungs while the constellation of Leo is represented by the heart. Their significance will become apparent for our considerations if you keep in mind that Rudolf Steiner characterized one time the Mystery of Golgotha as being the Mystery that occurs in the interaction between heart and lungs. Consequently, events happening between Cancer and Leo are related to the Easter mystery and this year are also connected to the planet Jupiter, the planet of wisdom and much more. Jupiter is the one who tries to reveal to us the significance of this year’s Easter Mysteries.
It is up to each of us to engage in serious meditation and perhaps share with each other our findings. What we can speak to the stars is that we can first and foremost attempt to make a special connection inwardly to the Sun forces by meditating on them. Directly relating to creating a bridge for the sun forces to come to earth is also the practice of doing Eurythmy. All movements of Eurythmy originate in the Etheric Body, the part of the Human organization governed by the Sun forces. We should try to practice these movements particularly intensely for the next two weeks.
Allow me to mention one more aspect briefly. In the same lecture referred to above Rudolf Steiner ends his thoughts by observing that there is a method by which the luminous sun forces can be brought into the dark regions that the root of the plants live in. This methods consists in burning the root and obtaining the ashes of the plant . These ashes spiritually still contain the energy that comes from the light in the warmth of the sun forces. The ashes then should be mixed with the root and thus “significant remedies could be obtained”. We should be happy that in the US the anthroposophical supplements are available where indeed root formulas also contain the ashes of the plants. Thus the Sun and the Earth forces are reunited alchemically. Taking such remedies becomes now not only a “personal health enhancement issue” but becomes also a service to the forces of the Good in the world.
Wishing us all a Sun Light filled Easter time,
Ross Rentea