Finding our way to the etheric/life world
(http://www.bruisvat.nl/english/jasper.htm)
Nicolaas de Jong ; anthroposophist, astrosophist, etc., working with elementals (so-called nature spirits).
" The Jasper Initiative
Out of a New Practical Goethean Science of the Stars “The Jasper Initiative” Tries to Develop Ways into the Realms of Life, Soul and Spirit by Using the Sense-Organs and Experiencing and Investigating the Phenomena of Life.
1. Introduction on Goethean Science of the Stars
2. The one taking this initiative, Nicolaas M. de Jong
3. Courses in New Practical Goethean Science of the Stars: Astrosophy, Astrophonics and Astrognomics:
I. Practical Astrosophy- for Therapy and Inner Development. An introduction
II. Observation of Elemental Beings in Plants and Colors
III. The Curing of Landscapes in Cooperation with the Elemental Beings and their Tasks in Connection with Cosmic Power Points and Energy Flows
IV. Investigating and Working with the Subterranean Spheres and the Beings that Dwell There, by Means of Rhythmical Texts, Music and by Clay Modeling
V. Knowing Thyself Through the Senses - By Means of Clay Modeling
VI. Course of the Planet Influences as Organ Processes within Man and Organization - Through Rhythm and Clay Modeling
VII. Clay Modeling the Virtues that Lead to the Development of the Lotus Flowers
VIII. Dancing and Moving to the Virtues that can be Developed by the Petals of the Lotus Flowers out of written Text and Music
IX. Working with Elementals in Technique - By Means of Clay-modeling
X. Dancing to the Planets Mercury and the Moon to get in Touch with their Influences upon the Earth and within the Human Being
4. Rune Books and Music Theatre Plays, by Nicolaas M. de Jong
5. Rune Instruments - Lyres and Phonic Sculptures
All the above mentioned courses can be given upon request. Their costs depend on duration, attendance and own expenses. Instruments of the Zodiac can also be built upon request. Books can be ordered (shipping costs will be added).
1. Introduction on Goethean Science of the Stars
- Spiritual Science, Objective Art and Moral Technique -
Contemporary materialistic science in its methodology and its results is totally inadequate and unable to explain the what, how and why of our existence, and is merely a science that ‘describes’ the physical chronology and concerted action of the occurring phenomena. Nevertheless the position it claims or that which is imputed to it is one of bringing about the truth of things. Its methodology focuses on proving things it ad random postulates and formulates itself (proclaiming it is proven as long as the contrary hasn’t been proven, only by statistics). Its basic presupposition is “there’s only matter” as a cause in itself of existence, but that contradicts the necessary fundamentals of an objective epistemology.
A clarifying comparison is how the science in question thinks about e.g. the way how our planetary system should have come into existence. What it comes down to is that it actually says it went like somebody who stirs a drop of oil that’s in a glass of water with a needle. By it you can see how the big oil drop is divided in various little oil-bubbles, supposed to represent planets, all going their direction. With its methodology the attention is only focused on the description of this loosening process and the path the little bubbles follow. There’s no focus on the hand and the needle, because they deny that any cause comes from the hand and the needle. It’s like the denial of the wind when it blows through the trees and makes branches and leaves move, because you don’t see it. This means that its barrier is given by its focus and the concepts and ideas it brings forth about it, and that is the physical plane. Within that barrier the methodology should cohere with the essence and characteristics of that plane. Any explanation of the what, how and why of the physical phenomena is illusion, an abstraction. Therefore it is the belief in materialistic science and its worldview we are confronted with in recent centuries.
The basis for a methodology of cognition is to be found in the four [4] elements of existence, viz. fire, light/air, water and earth. In Nature they are reflected in the four seasons (fire: spring, air/light: summer, water: autumn, earth: winter) like they are traceable in the knowledge of the North American Indians who say Life constantly goes about in a cycle of four phases: birth, life, death and resurrection and the Brahman Spirituality of India which talks about the evolutionary cycle of the 4 phases Iron, Brass, Silver and Gold.
The 4 elements and the 4 realms/aspects in the divisions of existence, all basically differ from one another. They also coincide with the four realms of our existence on Earth: the Mineral Realm, the Vegetable Realm, the Animal World and the Human Realm. The first is purely material form, the next is material form but also goes with the four seasons by instinct, it grows, it drinks, eats and multiplies. The Animal World is bound to the characteristics of their species. They are also embedded in the Mineral and Vegetable Realm of the former two but animals also have feelings, dream life, a sense of recognition: a form of soul-life. Humans have these characteristics as well but they are coloured by our spirit. Because of that we are all individuals who can do something out of our own free will; those of the former three realms are embedded in the realms itself and are not able to emerge from that and do the way humans can (like waking up in the morning with a new idea: next August I’m going to study Art etc.). Another characteristic of humans is that we walk up straight on two [2] legs, which the others can’t do. Thus, these four [4] realms can respectively and specifically be connected to:
- Fire/Spirit World/ Human Realm
- Light-Air/Soul-Astral World/Animal World
- Water/Life-Etheric Realm/ Vegetable Realm
- Earth/Physical World/Mineral Realm.
Seen their differing qualities and aspects it seems justified, logic and appropriate to use a methodology of cognition which applies specifically to the realm that’s investigated. This is not a novum in history, but in the past two centuries some people were focused on working this out in a contemporary way. Wolfgang Goethe (1749-1832) worked towards this because he experienced the dynamic relation between the inner and outer world. His milestone what this concerns was his “Phenomenology” . W. von Humboldt (1767-1835) was dedicated to such an approach as well and e.g. Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), a student of Goethe’s work, had made this the basis of his methods of cognition. Subsequently Rudolf Steiner (1859-1925) found out during his 15 years of studying Goethe in Weimar that he experienced and perceived the inner and outer worlds in a similar manner. He found out though nobody had yet sufficiently condensed and clarified the basic differences of the methodologies that had to be applied to the 4 different realms.
The combination of these methods of epistemology is called Goethean Science and in short it consists of four coherent and appropriate steps of research:
- The first one is the sheer observation of the phenomena of its aspects, qualities and quantities. Using our intellect to discern -but not judge- and our senses to absorb the phenomena.
- The second step consists of to ultimately come via our thinking to an archetypal imagination of the observed phenomena, giving us possibilities to develop the faculty of clairvoyance.
- The third consists of moving this imagination aside and to empathize, with our feeling, into the processes which created it, giving the possibility to develop the faculty of inspiration (clair-audiency and clair-sentiency).
- The fourth is to explore what the purpose, the why, the meaning is of generating this creative process, and to be able to do accordingly, having its basis in our will, and giving the possibility to develop the faculty of intuition (clair-volitancy).
The basis of the methodology of the second step is formed by Anthroposophy and Astrosophy. Through these one can get an insight into the meaning of life and its phenomena by visualizing them. One cannot directly come into action through this. The anthroposophical methods of training can purify and metamorphosize the astral- or soul body and therefore eventually open up the Grail-chalice of that body for the spiritual world, which then may be perceived as imaginations.
For the purpose of trying to specify, develop and shape Goethean Science further out of working with the stars and planets, its approach on the basis of the four steps is here referred to as a: Goethean Science of the Stars. This because the third and fourth step are specifically shaped to focus on making the effects of the stars and planets in us experienceable in an artistic way, which includes the observer into the observed phenomena.
To establish this these developed methods of Goethean Science have their basis in 'phonics' and 'form'. They consist of communal singing and visualizing images which are created by life forces, of clay-modeling in which the feelings and willing-impulses can be made objective, and of music-theatre as a means of investigating phenomena by acting.
Through those having to do with 'phonics' one is able to experience and act in the life forces, as well as to observe in what way one has already created paths of life forces within oneself, to be able to observe the realms of life within and around us. The tools that are developed with and within music and its link to the human bodies help to develop the faculties of clair-sentiency and clair-audiency of those direct phenomena.
The ones having to do with 'form' enables understanding of the gestures that objectify the willing of phenomena and the willing within oneself, so one can learn to recognize those germs of development within oneself and within every creature and phenomenon and thus the faculties of clair-volitancy.
The realms of feeling and will can also be referred to as those of the Holy Wine and the Holy Bread (Christ’ Blood and Body) and they can therefore be seen as the Grail-substances that fill the Grail-chalice.
The various steps can also be traced back in two different Mystery-streams. The second step has to do with our thinking, viz. the Mystery-stream of Light and the third and fourth step, originating in the realms of the feeling and the will themselves, have to do with the combined Mystery-stream of Darkness. In B.C. ages they were separated from one another. In the Gospel of St. John Christ, when hanging on the cross, invokes their necessary dynamic cooperation and initiates the combination of these two different streams, by saying “Mother, behold your Son” and “Son, behold your Mother” to resp. Mother Mary (representative of the Light-Mysteries) and St. John (representative of the Darkness-Mysteries; he was e.g. always listening to the Cosmic Music stemming from Christ’s heart - John Lazarus was a singer). This means that by acting and afterwards bringing into consciousness what one has done, one opens up insights into one’s own being and bodies, as well as learning to use these insights as directive forces.
What one can encounter is that the outcome of the various realms might contradict, but it is possible that they actually say something (else) about a realm out of their own specific perspective. Through this meant mutual fertilization out of a structural dynamic cooperation, it is also possible to solve such problems of e.g. one-sidedness and/or conflict, that might occur within these methodologies and their results of research. Rudolf Steiner made the first step to achieve this by bringing the two mystery-streams together in the Christmas-meeting in 1923, calling this impulse the start of the New Mysteries. However, so far his impulse mainly brought about the realization of the Imaginative Mysteries - those which Christ called the Comforter, through which you can see Him -, although Rudolf Steiner brought different people together, among whom were bearers of these Darkness-Mysteries. But because of Rudolf Steiner’s death soon after this accomplishment and the arisen quarrels and subsequent rupture, the development of likewise safe and constructive new methods for developing the consciousness of inspiration and intuition - by which you can enter and gain awareness in the realm where Christ is creating and become co-creative with Him - has not been possible and has not happened since then.
Thus, by taking Astrosophy as the basis, one can recognize within a horoscope the archetype of man and of mankind. In the stories that are written in the star images, as well as an understanding of their form gestures, one can learn a lot about the forms on earth within the realms of life and the plans that the gods have with man and the earth. The conscious insights (Light, Mother-side of development) and the faculty of acting and directing (Darkness, Son of Mankind-side of development) thus complement each other. One may call the Universal Language which is written in the stars, planet-spheres and within the human being as well as in nature, the Language of the “Cosmic Word ” , or “Logos” .
In this way Astrophonics and Astrognomics may help in the quest for this Language, and Anthroposophy and Astrosophy may help to make it clear in the consciousness."
If you're interested in reading the rest of the article "Finding our way in the etheric/life world" here's the address: http://www.bruisvat.nl/english/jasper.htm
Nicolaas de Jong has also wrote an article on ufos. He works mainly with elementals and devas through goethean anthroposophy-based spiritual science. His understanding of the etheric world goes beyond abstractions to encounter real spiritual beings.
Bye
Druid