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AdventConsecration and Trial By Margarete van den BrinkTranslated by Philip Mees
Advent, the time before Christmas, is a period of hopeful expectation—hopeful expectation of what comes out of lofty heavenly heights to the earth. Esoteric tradition tells us that in the time before Christmas the spiritual world moves closer to the earth than at other times of the year. In that movement angelic hierarchies pour heavenly forces and energies out of lofty heights to the earth. In that way they consecrate the earth, nature, and human beings. To concentrate means to touch and bless. In this touching and blessing the high angelic beings strengthen and restore the connection between human beings and the divine world. Why do they need to do that? In the course of the year, tears and breaks occur in the connection between the divine world and humanity. Those breaks are caused by the negative thoughts, feelings, and deeds of human beings. For negative human behavior opens the possibility to work destructively for dark spiritual beings that live in the world of matter. They can then drive a wedge between God and humanity and damage the bond that exists between heaven and earth. Consecrated NightsThe knowledge that in the times before Christmas, and also thereafter, the earth and all that lives on it is consecrated out of heavenly heights has especially been preserved in the German name for Christmas: Weihnachten, the night or nights when consecration takes place. According to esoteric tradition, this consecration principally takes place during the period of the “twelve holy nights,” from December 24 to January 6. The old knowledge that around Christmas, in Advent, the earth is blessed by angels is something you can still encounter in Holland also, here and there. You can see it in the custom of ploughing up gardens and fields before Christmas so that what shines down from heavenly heights at that time can penetrate deeply into the earth with blessing and healing. Inner PreparationWe human beings can also prepare in a similar way for this instreaming from the spiritual world. We do that by making space and creating a soul sphere that allows something to be born in us, a mood of openness and devotion for what is coming. That is the mood and sphere needed in our time to experience the being of the divine, Christ, in our own heart. Only in the manger of our own inner being can we become like Mary, and receive the true Christmas gift. Such an open, receptive attitude and mood doesn't just come by itself. We have to make an effort for it and create the right conditions. In the first place there is the need to free up time for it in our busy schedules. In the second place, we have to turn inward, create an inner space, purify the atmosphere, and create a sphere of serenity, concentration, and devotion. Anyone who tries to do this during Advent will notice how difficult it is. It seems pretty obvious and easy, but to do it, and especially to do it regularly, demands much willpower and resolution. It looks as if everything is organized to prevent it. What causes this? Time of Inner TrialEsoteric tradition says that the Fall is a time of inner trial.i Sunlight declines, the leaves turn yellow and fall off, there are storms, and the branches and bushes become bare. Nature shows that the spiritual forces that brought light and warmth to the earth in spring and summer are withdrawing at that time. As light and warmth pull back in nature, the forces of night, of darkness increase. It becomes cold. A time comes when human beings are thrown back onto themselves. We are no longer enveloped and carried by nature, the warmth and light of summer. We now have to take care of ourselves. In ourselves we will have to kindle the light and warmth, and find the forces in them to keep going. The Dark Powers Are IncreasingWhen the old, carrying forces are withdrawing and the new forces in our inner being are not yet very strong, the time has come when negative spiritual forces work more strongly into us. This brings us to a theme that we also experience in fairytales and other stories with the character of initiation. The more we proceed in the direction of Christmas, the more those dark spiritual powers try to tighten their grip on us. Why? Because more than anything they want to prevent us from connecting with the divine world, with Christ, and from taking his forces into us. For the moment we inwardly share in the forces of Christ, these dark powers lose their grip on the part of us with which we are connected with the divine. And therefore they can also no longer pull forces out of us that they need for their own reinforcement. It is therefore not surprising that especially in the time of Advent all kinds of things happen in our surroundings and in ourselves that distract us from approaching the sacred event that is coming. Just think of the noise, the buying and selling, and the unrest that are characteristic for the time before Christmas. In this way, the dark powers try to prevent us from preparing ourselves to make a connection with the sphere of consecration and enlightenment that comes to us out of heavenly heights at Christmas time. As modern human beings we have lost all, or nearly all, knowledge of the existence of dark, negative spiritual powers and the way they work into us. Watch Out for EvilIn the mystery schools in ancient Greece, in the time before Christ's descent to the earth therefore, this was still known. For this reason the aspirants in those schools were warned to be especially vigilant in the dark season. The dark season stretched from late September to the time of the winter solstice at the end of the year. They had to be awake to the workings and temptations of the powers of evil and feel responsible for them. Esoteric tradition says that the aspirants received for every season a certain task to which they had to give special attention during that time. That task was formulated in a motto.ii For the summer the motto was:
For the fall it consisted of the mystery words:
In this way they were always conscious of what they had to look out for, both in regard to what was happening in themselves, and in their relationships with other people. It was known that the forces of evil can only be overcome if you recognize them and learn to deal with them. But that is not yet enough. In addition, you also had to develop moral characteristics or qualities in yourself. Plato, the Greek philosopher, mentioned in his Politeia four qualities or virtues the mystery student had to develop, not only to withstand evil, but also to obtain access to the good. Those virtues are:
The Seven Virtues in the Christian TraditionThe above are the qualities we find in all religions, because these four virtues form the foundation of human spiritual development. In the Middle Ages to these four cardinal virtues from antiquity were added the three virtues from the Bible: faith, hope, and love. This was the origin of the seven virtues of Christian tradition:
The Transforming Effect of the VirtuesEsoteric tradition points out that actively practicing these virtues—and positive characteristics in general—has a transforming effect on the physical body, etheric body, astral body and I,iii It transforms these bodies and makes them permeable with the result that our corporeality, soul, and I become more accessible to the inworking of the divine forces of light and love. For instance, as human beings we are constantly pulled along by certain desires and longings. This makes us do things too much, too often, or too long. But if you learn—through trial and error—to keep within bounds with it, it has a health-bestowing effect on the etheric body, your store of energy. A similar thing happens if you face the fears, insecurities, and untruths in yourself and your relationships with other people. If you practice dealing with those in a conscious manner, you develop the virtue of courage. The virtue of courage works in a transformative and health-bestowing way on the astral body, the soul body. In a similar way good service to others has a transformative and purifying effect on the I, especially on that part of the I that has the character of our ego. Peace on EarthBy working on yourself in this way you develop moral qualities. And these moral qualities create the right inner attitude and sphere that enable the energies of the consecrating angels and the renewing powers of Christ to gain access to us. This means that when in the dark time before Christmas, especially during Advent, we practice certain virtues and learn to recognize the distracting powers of the dark forces, we do an infinite amount of good. We then prepare the ground in our inner being that makes it possible for the peace that streams down from the high angelic beings at the time of Christmas, to come down to the earth, not only into our own souls, but also into the souls of other people on earth. As a result, that which comes to us from heavenly heights as the “Light of the World” can connect more deeply with us human beings. In this way, by becoming active ourselves, we can in the time of Advent and Christmas contribute to peace and good things on earth.
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