The Third Holy Night - Goat/Capricorn

GOAT/CAPRICORN

The Archangels rule the Region of the Goat or Capricorn. The Archangels have a special relationship to the birth of the inner sun and the foremost of these Archangels at the time of Christ was Michael.  Rudolf Steiner tells us that the Archangels were able to imbibe the wisdom of the sun and to create light from it, and so the light in the cosmos is their gift. For this reason they have a particular relationship to the heart which is like an inner sun, and the light the heart engenders within the human being. Michael battles with the dragon of darkness every Autumn so that the Christmas season, the season of the Goat, can be experienced in the right 'light', preventing thereby, the darkening of the Christ Impulse.

John the Baptist was able to experience the midnight sun and this became the Waterman initiation. Such an initiation always reveals the circle of twelve archangels that form the cosmic aura around the sun in rainbow colours. In the north in the depths of winter darkness, this is an inner experience, here in the south it is an outer one. Those of us in the south, have the opportunity to observe the sun around the midday hour, on a warm summer's day. At such times, if the conditions are favourable, one is able to see a corona - a rainbow around the sun. This is a gift of grace which we carry with us into the depths of winter, and the memory of it can help us to observe the inner sun (the midnight sun) and the corona of the archangels around it who are the heavenly inspirers of the Holy Nights which occur at the time of their greatest influence. These are the Masters of Wisdom of Feelings and Sensations and their task is to shine down to earth the twelve cosmic aspects of Christ. They were the inspirers of the twelve disciples who, as their representatives, had the task of reflecting these twelve aspects physically, outwardly on earth.

On earth it is the Archangel Gabriel who announces to Mary the Birth of Jesus. In the heavens it was through the gateway of Capricorn, or the Goat, the region of the Archangels, that Christ descended into the sheaths of Jesus at the Baptism in the Jordan, bypassing the region of the angels altogether, to bring with him the Baptism of Fire we spoke of -  the baptism of the spirit. Air and Fire, are the lowest physical elements in which Archangels can become manifest on earth.

How do we draw close to the Archangels?

At this time of the year, our words must become spiritualised if we want to draw close to the archangels who rule the element of speech. Capricorn is also connected to the knee  - bending the knee is a sign of reverence - kneeling in prayer for instance - spiritualised speech.

This night also has a special relationship to Zarathustra, the individuality who was the most exalted pupil of the Sun oracle and so capable of observing Christ in the corona of the sun. He was incarnated again as the Matthew Jesus from the lineage of Solomon, and he sacrificed his abode in Jesus at the Baptism in order to make way for the being of Christ.

So, dear friends, when we look upwards on this night to the region of the Goat, may we see the connection between Christ, the Archangels, specially the being of Michael, and Master Jesus, the individuality of Zarathustra, the great Persian king, who sang his Hymns to the sun. May our words in the day express the warmth and light of the spirit that has entered into us at night because we have drawn close to Michael and the Masters of Wisdom. Perhaps we might even wake up in our sleep a moment to see the sun at midnight!

Let
Love
Warmed
Words
Light-
Filled
Live!

Prologue in Heaven from my unfinished play: Fausto

Stage: blue and purple light upper stage, red and yellow the lower half.

The divine Sophia stands centre stage, resplendent and sparkling in white. Seven spirits of wisdom arrayed in gold kneel with heads bowed in a circle around her. At the perimeter of this circle twelve spirits of time arrayed in blue, dance, holding incense burners)

The Sophia speaks

SOPHIA:
Oh man!
Made from Saturn’s wisdom-warmth
Sun’s light flaming forges thee
Silver waves of Lunar dwells
In thine own being
The seed of knowing

SPIRITS OF WISDOM:
We contemplate the sacrifice
We venerate the pouring forth
We ponder well the essence of
Cosmic wisdom’s flowing love

SPIRITS OF TIME:
We dance the chanting of the Sun
We sing down songs of radiance weaving
The fire of love moves in our hearts
For man’s created being

(enter Spirits of Space weaving in and around the spirits of wisdom and the spirits of time)

SPIRITS OF SPACE:
How swift the spheres in splendour circuit
Round radiant paths are burning
Their movement flows with Far- flung force
Lengths widths and breadths of Cosmic learning

There is a bright light and Michael Appears from the right.

SOPHIA:
My son!
Thine countenance is radiant
With light-reflecting Sun
Thine sword-iron defiant
Thine steady heart compliant
Toward thine heavenly role

It is time that thou must yield
What thou hast held with heart-fast will
Cast forth intelligence below
In freedom’s will within man’s soul
Will shine thought’s mighty force-filled glow

MICHAEL : (gesturing downwards with grave and solemn expression)
O mother!
When wisdom’s light flames free
From world creative will
And tumbles toward the earth
My sacrifice is sealed

The intelligence of gods
I hereby liberate
What I’ve held fast for aeons now
Is man’s to contemplate


(In a puff of smoke enters Lucifer and Satan, immediately the spirits form a protective circle around Sophia and Michael steps forward brandishing his sword.

MICHAEL:
Who requests your presence!

LUCIFER:
It is the essence of what you speak
That calls our spirits forth
From our abodes above and below
We come to see if there is sport
In what to man you have bestowed

SATAN:
You place such hopes upon these beasts
I really must decry!
Thoughts in their heads
As good as dead
Corpses cold and dry,

LUCIFER:
And as for feeling
Man is lacking
Any studied care
He swings from sadness
To joy and gladness
From laughter to despair

SATAN
In his will, he is fast sleeping
Habit drives his every move
It would not be daunting
Or even demanding
To lead him about in a noose

LUCIFER:
Shall we make thee a wager?
We are at your pleasure
Perhaps it is not so secure

SATAN:
He will take your intelligence
And make it material

LUCIFER;
He will use it for means
Sinful and serial

SATAN:
He will throw in the mud
What you hold so dear

LUCIFER:
Like pearls to a swine
It will not take a year!

MICHAEL:
Away, away! You deplorable ghosts
I trust in the power of spirit inherent
In every man though he may be aberrant.
Error is good when it brings about learning
Inside every man the right question is burning!

SATAN:
He will not ask it!

LUCIFER:
He will look past it!

MICHAEL:
I believe that intelligence leads
To inquiry,
That is my creed.

LUCIFER AND SATAN TOGETHER (to one another):
The sons of earth will ne’er see heaven
Once they’ve tasted of our leaven.
Come let us go to your place and to mine...
The pageant has started there isn't much time!

Fragment Continued....

It was the Archangel Michael whose flaming sword first struck the stone from Lucifer’s crown. I hear the sound of it - iron against emerald struck from silver! This stone of the greatest beauty and purity, preserved from the fall shines - like an angel! Unlike those angels who sought to ensnare men, this angel did not follow Adam, but took the path from the heights to the depths to shape a vessel of flesh; by whose power it is said that the phoenix burns to ashes and the ashes give him life again; upon sight of which no man can die but waxes youthful if daily he beholds it – the stone all men call The Grail.

Now hearken to the wisdom of this Grail and the two ways that the knowledge of it passed into the world.

Firstly it came into the hands of one of Israel’s race who was able through blood to see the future in the stars. His name was Flegitanis and in the city of Hiram he did give this knowledge to a queen, Sheba, who bore it to her groom Solomon. With this knowledge Solomon then built a mighty temple that observed the maxim as above so it is below; for Solomon’s temple foretold the vessel, the Grail born from a virgin, destined to be present at the cenacle on the night of the Last Supper and to stand before Pilate and hang upon a cross of black wood. This Grail the stars foretold, a Roman soldier would pierce so that the God’s blood - His Sang Real - could fall into the clefts of the earth to redeem the sin of Cain.

This intelligence of the Grail was to Joseph of Arithmathea given, and it found a way to England and by way of St Columba to Spain, where in Toledo, that place of learning, it was made into a book that by chance was brought to France by a man who became my master - Guyot of Provence.

This is the first way...Hearken to the second...

A Fragment ...

From Lucifer’s crown Michael cast a stone.
What is the stone?
A pure spirit that fell
Why did it fall?
To become a vessel
What is this vessel?
It is the Holy Grail
What is the Grail?
It holds the blood of Christ
Who is Christ?
He resides within the Grail
What is the Grail?
It is a vessel
What is this vessel?
A pure spirit that fell
Why did it fall?
Because it was a stone
And what is the stone?
It was what Michael cast from Lucifer’s crown.

Lo with bated breath and fearful do I begin my song which long ago was written in a cluster of stars.

What does it tell you ask?

It is a secret so great as the Sun! So small as a drop of blood!
For never have I met one so wise he did not seek to learn from it; nor one so satisfied he did not yearn to possess it; nor indeed one so idle he did not will to find it. Some have died for it and some have killed for it - but no man may come near to it through desire, it will come to him instead, through lack of it. For he must guard himself against incontinence, in him humility must conquer pride, faith must conquer doubt, love - hatred and courage fear. Only when he has awakened from dullness into doubt shall he be called by God to it and to blessedness, as I have been – and what of you, kind listener?

Are you one of those whom the Grail calls to service? Is your name inscribed upon its lip and does it fade from sight as soon as read? If so, then sooth indeed are these words said:

Here begins the song of thy descent,
Here begins the song of the Grail
Here begins the terror,
Here begins the miracle.

Such is the nature of it, which few understand but many tell.
Let him who has ears, hear it, for what God doeth, he doeth well.