Holy Night 1 – 2018

Indications given by Rudolf Steiner to Herbert Hahn for the Twelve Holy Nights

On December 24th the 12 holy nights begin.

The 12 holy nights are symbols for the 12 forces of the soul that live in us. And so this indication is valid forever, not only for the 12 holy nights.

On January 1 at noon we have the Sun as close as possible to the Earth and that is why there are just five and half days before and five and a half days later, which is the time of the 12 holy nights.

On these nights, the darkest of the year, we are closest to the Sun’s Spirit and this means that the Spiritual Sun shining from inside the Earth makes it translucent and illuminates everything from the inside, not as it is afterwards when the Sun illuminates the Earth from above, from the outside.

You have to enter these 12 holy nights wide awake and very conscious. It is important that the first night (Dec. 24th) we only stay awake until one or two in the morning. On the other nights, if possible, try to go to bed regularly at the same time, it is of principal importance to live in a regular rhythm at this time, if this is not possible in the active life, one has to try to do so internally; Those who cannot be silent in the external life should seek constantly to be inwardly aware of the sanctity of the time. It is important to perform daily duties without losing sight of this realization, of the sacredness of the time, allowing nothing unhealthy, no ugly movement to enter the soul, remaining always attentive and severe on oneself in this regard.

During the experience of Christmas, with its 12 holy nights, we sow the seed for the next 12 months. Therefore these 12 days are important, if for example we make mistakes on the first day, we lay a seed, which, in the first month, will germinate negatively in the blood.

We must try to pass the 12 holy days properly, according to the Law, because we need each year to work on our rebirth and we cannot lose any year.

In 2015 Laura Zanutto acquired the original German text and translated it using Google, adjusted by Laura and tweaked by Kristina Kaine. In 2016 Mark Willan further sharpened the translation.

Holy Night 1

December 24-25 – Capricorn

Christmas Eve, when Christ is born in the soul. The soul asks: Can I, with all my weaknesses, deficiencies and passions, be heard?

Symbol: The stable of Bethlehem, where the Light of the World is born in humility and poverty. The Voice of Silence penetrates the soul and teaches to joyfully affirm the good in us and in others.

Capricorn. The Divine Spirit is born in Matter. Spirit and Matter, the Alpha and Omega touch and life comes into being.

Mystery: The seeking soul in the darkness of a pathless forest.

Rudolf Steiner’s indications for the Holy Nights given to Herbert Hahn

Translation from German by Laura Zanutto 2015 adjusted by Mark Willan

1. Heilige Nacht in Bezug auf Januar

24./25. Dezember – Steinbock

Der Heilige Abend, an dem Christus der Seele geboren wird. Und die Seele fragt: kann ich mit all meinen Schwächen und Mängeln und Leidenschaften erhört werden? Symbol: Der Stall von Bethlehem, in dessen Niedrigkeit und Armut wurde das Licht der Welt hineingeboren. Die Stimme der Stille dringt zur Seele und lehrt sie, das Gute in uns und den Anderen freudig zu bejahen. Steinbock. Göttlicher Geist wird im Stoff geboren. Geist und Stoff, das A und O berühren sich und es entsteht Leben.

Mysterium: die suchende Seele im Dunkel eines weglosen Waldes.

2018 Meditation written by Kristina Kaine

What is this “Divine Spirit that is born in Matter”? What does it mean when “Spirit and Matter, the Alpha and Omega touch and life comes into being.”?

Sure we can say it is “Christmas Eve, when Christ is born in the soul.” This is too broad a brush stroke. This is not something that happens as a matter of course. The following words fill in some of the detail and place this night into perspective.

“Mary shows us that purity of soul gives birth to the I AM which receives into itself the Cosmic Christ.” Kristina Kaine

How can we engage in this process? We only have one place to start and that is in our soul. It is in our soul that we differentiate between our two selves: our constructed self and our Real Self. Our constructed self arises from the influences in our lives after we are born. Our Higher Self, our I Am, is our eternal being that has experienced every life we have ever lived. Our I Am is the Divine Spirit that is born into matter. Jesus represents the I Am who enters into the earth through the purity of Mary.

The first (alpha) and the last (omega) touch, the beginning and the end become one. This speaks of the idea of the human being reaching its potential. On Christmas Eve we can fill ourselves with awe for the journey made by human beings to reach the point where they can experience their Real Self, the I Am. Mary, through her labor, gives us this opportunity tonight.

If we accept the birth of our I Am in our soul we can nurture it by guiding our constructed self to be the highest it can be. This constructed self seeks in the darkness, in the pathless. Only when it tastes freedom will it look up and see the splendor of itself – its Higher Self. Then the real journey begins. There is always an experience of the eternal being we are at this time of the year. We can step into it through the voice of silence to be enlightened and uplifted. No words can really express this, only we can experience it for ourselves, and on this night we have the greatest opportunity to do it. This is Christ’s Christmas blessing for us.

Previous meditations on the Holy Nights are available on Amazon