Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 2, No. 2, 2003, Page 126
commented on the emergence of this prominent Theosophical leader in his book Afterlife:
An Investigation of the Evidence for Life After Death:
And then—it seemed to happen overnight—Dr. Steiner had become head of
the Berlin Lodge of the Theosophical Society, and was being accepted by an
increasing number of people as a kind of Messiah. Its membership increased
remarkably. Mrs. Besant had met Steiner, and been impressed. She had
seemed a little concerned about the strange, mystical Christianity preached
by Steiner, but then, Madam Blavatsky had taught that all religions are roads
to the same truth, so that was no cause for alarm. Steiner certainly seemed
to accept Madame Blavatsky‘s basic teaching that the present human race is
the fifth ‗root race‘ (the fourth were the inhabitants of Atlantis) and that we
all go through many reincarnations ...[He] talked with staggering authority
about the childhood of Christ and the various spiritual movements in Western
history. (Wilson, 1987, pp. 167-168)
In 1904 the Master moved out of Anna Eunicke‘s house and into the Berlin Theosophical
headquarters where the occultist Marie von Sievers lived. She became Steiner‘s adoring and
devoted disciple, helping him organize his life and attending his lectures. His wife Anna
Eunicke died in 1911, and Steiner eventually married Marie von Sievers in 1914.
All his adult life Steiner participated in various secret societies and magical orders,
establishing some of his own. For example, he joined the Masonic rite led by Heinrich Klein
and Franz Hartman, who initiated Steiner into the ―Brothers of Light and the Rosicrucian
Illuminati‖ (King, 1970, p. 206). He also bought a membership in ―Memphis-Misraim‖ from
Theodore Reuss in 1905 (Koenig, http://www.cyberlink.ch/~koenig/steiner.htm paragraph
8), and used that ritual as a basis for his ―Mizraim Aeterna,‖ which he hoped would restore
the Eleusinian mysteries. Rituals of ―Mystica Aeterna‖ were celebrated only in the presence
of Rudolf Steiner and by members of the Theosophical Society (Koenig, paragraph 17). The
mystagogue created an ―Esoteric School‖ that held closed meetings and utilized some
Masonic rituals. In 1921 the ―Esoteric School‖ was transformed into the ―Free University for
Hermeticism‖ (Koenig, paragraph 39). Steiner borrowed extensively from Blavatsky‘s
doctrine and took from the French occulist Eliphas Levi‘s Dogma and Ritual of High Magic
(Koenig, paragraph 45). Steiner‘s Apocalyptic Seals are almost identical to Levi‘s seals
pictured in the book. Steiner inspired others, like Max Heindel, to found the Rosicrucian
Fellowship in Oceanside, California (Jenkins, 2000, pp. 82-83), and L. Ron Hubbard of the
Church of Scientology.
Steiner told followers of his clairvoyant abilities and other psychic powers, claiming to read
the Akashic record to obtain information and channel Zarathustra. The Akashic Record is
believed to be an invisible chronicle that records every word spoken and deed performed by
mankind since the beginning of time. Occult believers say this record can be found in the
ether and read by clairvoyants. Steiner taught believers how to read to the dead and to
meditate on the deceased‘s handwriting in order to communicate with those that have died.
He lectured profusely on topics such as reincarnation, hypnotism, occult science,
Rosicrucianism, Theosophy, mystery centers of the middle ages, astral bodies, gnomes as
life forms, angels, karma, Christian mysticism, how to see spiritual beings, modern
initiation, Atlantis, Lemuria, etc. Steiner‘s sermons, setting out his occult teachings, were
recorded by his disciples and published in more than 350 volumes. In a paper such as this,
it is only possible to scratch the surface of the vast body of tenets that he imparted to his
followers.
During his time as General Secretary of the Theosophical Society, Steiner built Rosicrucian
Temples. One lay beneath the Stuttgart House, although many of his followers who met
upstairs knew nothing of its existence. In 1912, after a doctrinal rift with Annie Besant over
commented on the emergence of this prominent Theosophical leader in his book Afterlife:
An Investigation of the Evidence for Life After Death:
And then—it seemed to happen overnight—Dr. Steiner had become head of
the Berlin Lodge of the Theosophical Society, and was being accepted by an
increasing number of people as a kind of Messiah. Its membership increased
remarkably. Mrs. Besant had met Steiner, and been impressed. She had
seemed a little concerned about the strange, mystical Christianity preached
by Steiner, but then, Madam Blavatsky had taught that all religions are roads
to the same truth, so that was no cause for alarm. Steiner certainly seemed
to accept Madame Blavatsky‘s basic teaching that the present human race is
the fifth ‗root race‘ (the fourth were the inhabitants of Atlantis) and that we
all go through many reincarnations ...[He] talked with staggering authority
about the childhood of Christ and the various spiritual movements in Western
history. (Wilson, 1987, pp. 167-168)
In 1904 the Master moved out of Anna Eunicke‘s house and into the Berlin Theosophical
headquarters where the occultist Marie von Sievers lived. She became Steiner‘s adoring and
devoted disciple, helping him organize his life and attending his lectures. His wife Anna
Eunicke died in 1911, and Steiner eventually married Marie von Sievers in 1914.
All his adult life Steiner participated in various secret societies and magical orders,
establishing some of his own. For example, he joined the Masonic rite led by Heinrich Klein
and Franz Hartman, who initiated Steiner into the ―Brothers of Light and the Rosicrucian
Illuminati‖ (King, 1970, p. 206). He also bought a membership in ―Memphis-Misraim‖ from
Theodore Reuss in 1905 (Koenig, http://www.cyberlink.ch/~koenig/steiner.htm paragraph
8), and used that ritual as a basis for his ―Mizraim Aeterna,‖ which he hoped would restore
the Eleusinian mysteries. Rituals of ―Mystica Aeterna‖ were celebrated only in the presence
of Rudolf Steiner and by members of the Theosophical Society (Koenig, paragraph 17). The
mystagogue created an ―Esoteric School‖ that held closed meetings and utilized some
Masonic rituals. In 1921 the ―Esoteric School‖ was transformed into the ―Free University for
Hermeticism‖ (Koenig, paragraph 39). Steiner borrowed extensively from Blavatsky‘s
doctrine and took from the French occulist Eliphas Levi‘s Dogma and Ritual of High Magic
(Koenig, paragraph 45). Steiner‘s Apocalyptic Seals are almost identical to Levi‘s seals
pictured in the book. Steiner inspired others, like Max Heindel, to found the Rosicrucian
Fellowship in Oceanside, California (Jenkins, 2000, pp. 82-83), and L. Ron Hubbard of the
Church of Scientology.
Steiner told followers of his clairvoyant abilities and other psychic powers, claiming to read
the Akashic record to obtain information and channel Zarathustra. The Akashic Record is
believed to be an invisible chronicle that records every word spoken and deed performed by
mankind since the beginning of time. Occult believers say this record can be found in the
ether and read by clairvoyants. Steiner taught believers how to read to the dead and to
meditate on the deceased‘s handwriting in order to communicate with those that have died.
He lectured profusely on topics such as reincarnation, hypnotism, occult science,
Rosicrucianism, Theosophy, mystery centers of the middle ages, astral bodies, gnomes as
life forms, angels, karma, Christian mysticism, how to see spiritual beings, modern
initiation, Atlantis, Lemuria, etc. Steiner‘s sermons, setting out his occult teachings, were
recorded by his disciples and published in more than 350 volumes. In a paper such as this,
it is only possible to scratch the surface of the vast body of tenets that he imparted to his
followers.
During his time as General Secretary of the Theosophical Society, Steiner built Rosicrucian
Temples. One lay beneath the Stuttgart House, although many of his followers who met
upstairs knew nothing of its existence. In 1912, after a doctrinal rift with Annie Besant over
