Riddle of America, The - Waldorf Research Institute

In view of the life-ether predominance over such a large area of NorthAmerica, it seems important to consider how Rudolf Steiner described thisether in another context. In lectures in Torquay, England, in 1924, he mentionedthe special task of the vital radiation, the vital ray.These life radiations are the rays which now must enter into ourage as something beneficial; because with all of the impulses whichshould be given in the Michael Age, the connection with the masteryof the life radiation, the vital radiation, should gradually occur.Mainly one must learn not to work in a lifeless, dead way with thatwhich comes from the spiritual, but directly in a living manner. Tofind living ideas, living concepts, living viewpoints, living feelings,not dead theories, that is the task of this Age. 4As this task of the Michael Age is connected with the vital radiation,we may explore its relevance for America and for a person either born inAmerica or who has immigrated to America. A characteristic of America maybe summed up as “openness.” It is open for all kinds of strange phenomena,but it has also always been open to regard seriously the spirit as a reality.We may recall the story connected with the signing of the Declaration ofIndependence. It was a hot, humid day in Philadelphia, and the deliberationshad extended over many hours. Finally, Benjamin Franklin spoke ina vociferous manner that they had all had so many thoughts about whatthey should do, but had they ever thought to ask the “Lord of Light” howthey could proceed more fruitfully? It is especially possible in America toallow the fruits of working out of a spiritual impulse to become visible, totake on physical form.With regard to the second factor, every person has a so-called geographicDouble (not just Americans!). We are not considering now the astralDouble, which sometimes has been described flippantly as the leftoverbaggage from previous incarnations that must be dealt with. Rudolf Steinerdescribes the geographic Double 5 as an Ahrimanic being who enters intothe human being just before the moment of birth and remains with himuntil just before death. It is important that the Double does not go throughdeath with the human being, which would affect his post-mortem situation.The Mystery of Golgotha prevented the Double from ever gaining enoughstrength to cross the threshold of death because as the blood of the Christbeing flowed into the earth, the very substance of the earth was changed.The earth itself is, however, the attraction for the geographic Double. Inaccordance with the earth configuration and its etheric components, the254