The Yoga of Anthroposophy: the redemption of human thinking; the union of intelligence with spirituality: 'Not I, but Christ in me'

Rudolf Steiner, July 19, 1924:

[The archangel] Michael inspires human beings with his own being in order that there may appear on the Earth a spirituality consonant with human personal intelligence, in order that humans may be thinkers and at the same time truly spiritual. This and this alone is what Michael's dominion means. This is what must be wrestled for in the Anthroposophical Movement. And then those who are working today for the Anthroposophical Movement will appear again on Earth at the end of the twentieth century and will be united with the great teachers of Chartres. For according to the agreement reached in that heavenly conference at the beginning of the thirteenth century, the Aristotetilians and the Platonists were to appear together, working for the ever-growing prosperity of the Anthroposophical Movement in the twentieth century, in order that at the end of this century, with Platonists and Aristotelians in unison, Anthroposophy may reach a certain culmination in earthly civilization. If it is possible to work in this way, in the way predestined by Michael, then Europe and modern civilization will emerge from decline--but in no other way than this! The leading of civilization out of decline is bound up with an understanding of Michael.

I have now led you toward an understanding of the Michael Mystery reigning over the thinking and the spiritual striving of humankind. This means--as you can realize--that through Anthroposophy something must be introduced into the spiritual evolution of the Earth, for all kinds of demonic, Ahrimanic powers are taking possession of humanity. The Ahrimanic powers in many human bodies exulted in their confidence that it would no longer be possible for Michael to take over his rulership of the Cosmic Intelligence that had fallen down to the Earth. And this exultation was particularly strong in the middle of the nineteenth century, when Ahriman already believed: Michael will not recover his Cosmic Intelligence that made its way from the heavens to the Earth. Truly great and mighty issues are now at stake! For this reason it is not to be wondered at that those who stand in the midst of this battle have to go through many extraordinary experiences....

The whole Michael tradition must be renewed. Michael with his feet upon the dragon: it is right to contemplate this picture which portrays Michael the Warrrior, defending the Cosmic Spirit against the Ahrimanic powers under his feet. This battle, more than any other, is laid in the human heart. There, within human hearts, it is and has been waged since the last third of the nineteenth century. Decisive indeed will be what human hearts do with this Michael Impulse in the world in the course of the twentieth century. And in the course of the twentieth century, when the first century after the close of the Kali Yuga has ended, humanity will either stand at the grave of all civilization--or at the beginning of that Age when in the souls of human beings who unite intelligence with spirituality in their hearts, Michael's battle will be fought out to victory.

Source: Karmic Relationships, volume 6