Initiation before and after the Mystery of Golgotha

The topic of the Old and New Mysteries can be approached from many perspectives, it is related to

the evolution of consciousness
- the stages of the development of the human 'I' through the working of the SoF since the Lemurian epoch
- the effects of the Luciferic and Ahrimanic influences and the 'fall into matter' that affected this evolution and the connection of Man with the spiritual worlds
the impact of the Mystery of Golgotha at the 'turning point of time' between descending and ascending evolution
The processes and rituals of initiation in the ancient Mysteries are a direct consequence and related to the above, and are put in perspectives in the Mysteries of the Spirit, the Son and the Father .. whereby the 'Mysteries of the Spirit' refer to the 'Old Mysteries' and those of the Son to the New Mysteries.

Introduction

vision of twelve parts

from 1906-12-02-GA097:

In initiation, the initiate would be in the higher worlds for three days and experience the whole progress of future human evolution, whereby every future stage was represented by an individual. The initiate would perceive twelve people representing the twelve stages of inner development and corresponding powers of soul in the form of human individuals. At a given moment the initiate would see his own individual nature taken to the stage where the whole of humanity is filled with buddhi, meaning that it will be christed. He would see himself in the God, with behind him John, the final figure indicating he had reached completion. He would see himself transfigured in a state he would achieve when he had reached completion; his powers of soul personified, with John the final stage of completion, proclaiming the Christ stage. In the yoga sleep those twelve figures would then make a group, gathering for the 'mystic communion'. The human being sitting surrounded by the powers of soul would say to himself: these are at one with me; they have taken me through Earth evolution and I have walked their feet. The communion meal symbolizes that the twelve powers of soul are at one with the human being.
- see more on: Spiritual guidance of mankind#Sig - Wotan and Druidic and Trotten mysteries#Overall - general
The brotherhoods in Palestine, developed out of the order of the Essence, had a meal symbolizing the mystical Holy Supper 'eating the easter lamb' at Easter

initiation

on baptism with water, from 1909-06-30-GA112 (see Baptism#1909-06-30-GA112)
- .. the procedure in the old initiation .. was based upon the withdrawal, in a certain respect, of the etheric body, which normally is firmly joined to the physical body, and that this enabled the astral body to imprint its experiences into the etheric body. The disciple was submerged in water, resulting in a certain separation of the etheric from the physical body; and thus he could attain to a survey of his life and become aware of the connection of this individual life with the regions of the divine-spiritual world.

on temple sleep of three and a half days - see Mystery School tradition#Temple sleep

Illustrations

Lecture coverage and references

1905-09-27-GA093A

[impact of MoG]
From this aspect we must consider the entrance of Christ into world history.
Previously, anyone who wished to achieve a life in Christ had to enter into a Mystery school. There a state of lethargy was induced in the physical body and only through the purified priesthood could there be added to the astral body what was still needed for its purification. This constituted initiation.
But through the coming of Christ into the world, it came about that a Man who felt himself drawn to Christ could receive from him something which could take the place of this old form of initiation. It is always possible that someone through union with Christ can preserve his astral body in so purified a condition that he is able to work into his etheric body without doing harm to the world.
When one bears this in mind the expression ‘vicarious atonement through death’ receives a quite other significance.
This is what is meant by the atoning death of Christ.
Before this, death in the Mysteries had to be suffered by everyone who wished to obtain purification.
Now the One suffered for all, so that through the world-historic initiation a substitute has been created for the old form of initiation. Through Christianity much that is of a communal nature has been brought about, which previously was not communal. The active power of this substitution is expressed in the fact that through inner vision, through true mysticism, community with Christ is possible.
This has also been embodied in language. The first Christian initiate in Europe, Ulfilas, himself embodied it in the German language, in that man found the ‘Ich’ within it. Other languages expressed this relationship through a special form of the verb, in Latin for instance the word ‘amo’, but the German language adds to it the Ich. ‘Ich’ is J. Ch. = Jesus Christ. It was with intention that this was introduced into the German language. It is the initiates who have created language. Just as in Sanskrit the AUM expresses the Trinity, so we have the sign ICH to express the inmost being of Man. By this means a central point was created whereby the tumultuous emotions of the world can be transformed into rhythm. Rhythm must be instilled into them through the Ich.
This centre point is literally the Christ.

1906-12-02-GA097

compare the below with compare this with 1907-04-01-GA096, see see: Holy Supper symbolism - apostles#1907-04-01-GA096

Human perfection consists in the falling away of the lower soul-forces, so that only the higher forces remain behind; in future, man will no longer have the lower forces; he will, for example, no longer have the forces of procreation. John's soul-power above all will raise those lower forces to the loving heart. It will send out streams of spiritual love. The heart is the most powerful organ, when Christ lives in man. The lower soul-forces are then raised from the abdominal regions to the heart.
Every initiate experienced this in the Mysteries of the heart. It re-echoed in the words: “My God, my God, how thou hast raised me!” With the appearance of Christ Jesus, the whole Mystery, the whole experience, became reality upon the physical plane.
At that time there were brotherhoods in Palestine which had developed out of the old order of the Essenes. Among their institutions, they also had a meal symbolizing the mystical Holy Supper. “To eat the Easter Lamb” is a general expression for something which took place at Easter.
Jesus sat down with the Twelve and inaugurated the Holy Supper with the words:
“At the end of the evolution of the Earth, all men will have absorbed what I brought down to the Earth, and the words, ‘This is my Body, This is my Blood,’ will then be true.”
Afterwards he said: “There is one among you who will betray me.”
This is brought about by the power of egoism. But as surely as this power of egoism is the source of treason, so surely will this lower soul-force be raised to a higher stage.
One of the disciples rested upon Jesus' bosom, he rested upon Jesus' heart. This means that all the lower forces, every form of egoism, will be raised to the heart.
[editor: see also: Mystery of the Heart]
At this point Jesus repeated to his disciples the words: “Eli, Eli, lama sabathani”—“Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him!”
[editor: see also: Eli Eli Lama Sabachthani - EELS]

1907-03-07-GA264

p 349

1907-04-01-GA096

see: Holy Supper symbolism - apostles#1907-04-01-GA096

1922-07-30-GA214

see: Initiation in ancient Mysteries#1922-07-30-GA214

Discussion

Note 1 - Confusion about old and new mysteries

Within the anthroposophical movement and society the topic of the 'New Mysteries' receives an additional dimension with the discussion around the fact that Rudolf Steiner 'founded the New Mysteries'. Without sufficient background this topic leads to considerable confusion, exemplified with discussions around the Foundation Stone event and meditation.

See: Mystery School tradition#.5B1.5D - Rudolf Steiner.27s new Mysteries and the Foundation Stone