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Saturday, January 23, 2010

Earlier Uses of the Word "Anthroposophy"

The term was used in a Latin book which appeared in Basel Switzerland, in 1575: Arbatel de magia veterum. it is defined there as the "knowledge of natural things" and the "wisdom in humane things". This may be the earliest reference. 

Thomas Vaughan, the twin brother of Henry Vaughan, used the term in his Anthroposophia Theomagica in the 17th century.

"The brothers were born at Newton in Breconshire in 1621. In his years in London Vaughan devoted himself to alchemical experiment and theory. He published a series of treatises, the first three of which appeared in 1650. These were Anthroposophia Theomagica: or a Discourse of the Nature of Man and his State after Death; Grounded on his Creator's Proto-Chemistry and verified by a practical Examination of Principles in the Great World, Anima Magica Abscondita: or a Discourse of the universal Spirit of Nature and Magia Adamica: or the Antiquitie of Magic.

All three were published under the name of Eugenius Philalethes, as were Lumen de Lumine: or a New Magical Light, which appeared in 1651, and Euphrates: or the Waters of the East, published in 1655. In 1652 there had been published Aula Lucis: or The House of Light, attributed to one S.N., but identified by Henry Vaughan as one of his brother's works (S and N being the final letters of Thomas Vaughan's Christian name and surname)."

Rudolf Steiner used the term in 1902-3 in a lecture cycle From Zarathustra to Nietzsche. History of Human Evolution Based on the World conception of the Orient up to the Present or Anthroposophy- no manuscript of these lectures is available.


2 comments:

Michael said...

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy strength, and thy neighbour as thy self: [Luke 10.27] And the Lord will keep thee as the apple of his eye, and will deliver thee from all evil, and will replenish thee with all good; and nothing shall thy soul desire, but thou shalt be fully endued therewith, so that it be contingent to the salvation of thy soul and body.
Call upon me in the day of trouble, and I will hear thee, and thou shalt glorifie me, [Ps49.15] saith the Lord. For all Ignorance is tribulation of the minde; therefore call upon the Lord in thy ignorance, and he will hear thee. And remember that thou give honour unto God, and say with the Psalmist, Not unto us, Lord, but unto thy Name give the glory. [Ps113.9]

Even as the Scripture testifies, that God appointeth names to things or persons, and also with them hath distributed certain powers and offices out of his treasures: so the Characters and Names of Stars have not any power by reason of their figure or pronunciation, but by reason of the vertue or office which God hath ordained by nature either to such a Name or Character. For there is no power either in heaven or in earth, or hell, which doth not descend from God; and without his permission, they can neither give or draw forth into any action, any thing they have.

Therefore thou shalt pray thus:

O Lord of heaven and earth, Creator and Maker of all things visible and invisible; I, though unworthy, by thy assistance call upon thee, through thy onely begotten Son Jesus Christ our Lord, that thou wilt give unto me thy holy Spirit, to direct me in thy truth unto all good. Amen.

Because I earnestly desire perfectly to know the Arts of this life and such things as are necessary for us, which are so overwhelmed in darkness, and polluted with infinite humane opinions, that I of my own power can attain to no knowledge in them, unless thou teach it me: Grant me therefore one of thy spirits, who may teach me those things which thou wouldest have me to know and learn, to thy praise and glory, and the profit of our neighbour. Give me also an apt and teachable heart, that I may easily understand those things which thou shalt teach me, and may hide them in my understanding, that I may bring them forth as out of thy inexhaustible treasures, to all necessary uses. And give me grace, that I may use such thy gifts humbly, with fear and trembling, through our Lord Jesus Christ, with thy holy Spirit. Amen.

-Arbatel of Magic

Michael said...

In the Name of the Creator of all things both visible and invisible, who revealeth his Mysteries out of his Treasures to them that call upon him; and fatherly and mercifully bestoweth those his Secrets upon us without measure. May he grant unto us, through his onely-begotten Son Jesus Christ our Lord, his ministring spirits, the revealers of his secrets, that we may write this Book of Arbatel, concerning the greatest Secrets which are lawful for man to know, and to use them without offence unto God. Amen.

In all things call upon the Name of the Lord: and without prayer unto God through his onely-begotten son, do not thou undertake to do or think any thing. And use the Spirits given and attributed unto thee, as Ministers, without rashness and presumption, as the messengers of God; having a due reverence towards the Lord of Spirits. And the remainder of thy life do thou accomplish, demeaning thy self peaceably, to the honour of God, and the profit of thy self and thy neighbour.

Live to thy self, and the Muses: avoid the friendship of the Multitude: be thou covetous of time, beneficial to all men. Use thy Gifts, be vigilant in thy Calling; and let the Word of God never depart from thy mouth.

Be obedient to good Admonitions: avoid all procrastination: accustom thy self to Contancie and Gravity, both in thy words and deeds. Resist temptations of the Tempter, by the Word of God. Flee from earthly things; seek after heavenly things. Put no confidence in thy own wisdom; but look unto God in all things, according to that sentence of the Scripture: When we know not what we shall do, unto thee, O God, do we lift up our eyes, and from thee we expect our help. For where all humane refuges do forsake us, there will the help of God shine forth, according to the saying of Philo.

-Arbatel of Magic