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first place, lose cohesion. And if man did not vitalise his thoughts, giving back to the cosmos that way what he has received from it, he would have every opportunity of shattering the earth. Reference to lecture of CW 222 in 121-02.

223 The Cycle of the Year as Breathing Process of the Earth

Anthroposophic Press (1984), Gesamtausgabe, sixth edition

223-01 4(4/7/1923, Dornach) 63ff. 5225 After the festivals of the year, Christmas, Easter, St Johns-tide and Michaelmas, as prominent points of the astral breathing rhythm of the earth and the particular necessity of a Michael festival as supplement of Easter and preparation of Christmas have been shown in the first three lectures, lecture 4 emphasizes the importance of the midsummer and winter festivals in ancient times. The human being of that time was not yet interested in the mineral realm and in the human figure and did also not have any ego-consciousness. A question to the universe was put with songs and dances in the summer festival, inaugurated by the mysteries; and the answer was the dreamlike ego-consciousness approaching from above. The singing of birds vibrates in the etheric universe up to a certain boundary, then it vibrates back connected with the divine-spiritual of the cosmos that takes part in the creation of the animal and is received by the animal realm. The early human being had a need for sculptural activity from autumn on. He formed, e.g., freezing water with his hands or his whole body, decadent rest: Bleigiessen* at New Year's Eve. He was also led to an understanding of the animal forms, dependent on the earth, by other activities under guidance of mystery pupils like unravelling symbolic images, throwing of runic wands. And finally he became conscious of the earthly human figure at yule tide. *) custom of fortune telling by pouring (= giessen) molten lead (= Blei, today alloys of tin) into cold water and interpreting the shapes created. 223-02 5(4/8/1923, Dornach) 79ff. 5226 mystery mottoes On the experience of the cycle of the year by the human being of early days that culminated in the annual festivals inaugurated by the mysteries. Man experienced the approaching divine moral impulses in midsummer (enlightenment, mystery motto: receive the light). In autumn man lived in nature, he attained the first physical knowledge (motto: look around thee). In deep winter he experienced the temptation through evil in the emerging darkness of the earth which should be counteracted in calmness (motto: beware of evil). Spring was the turn to the higher nature, turning back in penance (motto: return to human nature). Enlightenment, knowledge, temperance, and penance later changed into the more abstract Platonic virtues wisdom, courage, calmness (moderation), and justice (Greek: dikaiosne). See 155/4 and /5(5/29/ and 5/30/1912). 159/1(1/31/1915, Zurich): On the interrelation of the Platonic virtues with the organs: wisdom brain or small brain (= bodhi tree), courage heart, calmness (moderation) respiratory and digestive organs. The cosmic forces of childhood, of upright carriage and speech, can be further developed by man to justice.

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