The Origins of the Anthroposophical Society in the Light of the Ancient Mysteries

In conducting his research into the mysteries of antiquity, Frank Teichmann made a series of discoveries that connect directly to contemporary events and the tasks of the present-day. Whilst scholarly in nature and based on extensive documentation of historical sites, Teichmann’s work is no dry academic study. In The Origins of the Anthroposophical Society, he offers incisive new insights into Rudolf Steiner’s seminal esoteric deed – the refounding of the Anthroposophical Society at the Christmas Conference of 1923-24 – and considers how it impacts us today. The Conference itself, says Teichmann, ‘...did not just appear out of nowhere, nor did it happen merely as the result of a decision on Rudolf Steiner’s part. It was prepared for long beforehand.’

In the emergence of the anthroposophical movement, Teichmann reveals a conscious recapitulation and renewal by Rudolf Steiner of three types of primordial mystery. He states: ‘... the whole anthroposophical movement together with the Anthroposophical Society as it was re-founded at the Christmas Conference of 1923, was planned and prepared for in primordial times... All [Steiner’s] deeds, no matter how original they may appear in the foreground, have a deep esoteric background that contains the entire spiritual history of humanity.’ This renewal had been systematically prepared by Rudolf Steiner in three phases: through the evolution and intensification of thinking via the ‘mysteries of light’ in Greece; experiencing the spiritual through art via the ‘mysteries of space’ in Egypt; and, involving the ‘tasks of civilization’, the ‘northern’ or ‘earth mysteries’.

Teichmann’s groundbreaking book – featuring dozens of images including his own original photos of British mystery landmarks – is published here for the first time in English translation.

Frank Teichmann (1937-2006) trained as an aircraft designer. He studied Egyptology and Classical Archeology and was leader of the anthroposophical training course in Stuttgart. He is the author of many books, including Kultur der Verstandesseele, Kultur der Empfindungsseele, Die griechischen Mysterien, Die ägyptischen Mysterien, Der Gral im Osten, Der Mensch und sein Tempel: Chartres, Der Mensch und sein Tempel: Ägypten, and Der Mensch und sein Tempel: Griechenland. 4 August 2020; 178pp; 23.5 x 15.5 cm;
pb, trans. P. King.