Woman clothed with the sun

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Fifth apocalyptic seal
William Blake: The Red Dragon and the Woman Clothed with the Sun (c. May 1803)

The virgin or woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars is a motif depicted in the 12th chapter of the Apocalypse of John. This imaginative picture can be read in multiple, interrelated nuances. Roughly speaking, it stands for the Christ-power, the macrocosmic I, which is conceived in the virginal pure soul-power of the sun and descends to earth, which is also the abode of the adversaries, to incarnate in a human body. This image is also shown on the fifth apocalyptic seal, which was made by Clara Rettich according to Rudolf Steiner's design.

Meister Eckhart, in his "Sermon on the Virgin who was a Woman", speaks of a "little castle" in the soul, the veiled sanctuary of the virgin soul, in which the Christ is conceived:

„Now take heed and watch carefully! If man were always a virgin, no fruit would come from him. If he is to be fruitful, it is necessary that he be a woman. "Woman" is the noblest name that can be given to the soul, and is much nobler than "virgin". That man receives God in himself is good, and in this receptivity he is a virgin. But that God should become fruitful in him, that is better; for the fruitfulness of the gift alone is gratitude for the gift, and there the spirit is a woman in the re-birthing gratitude where it gives birth to Jesus again in God's fatherly heart [...]

That we may thus be a "little castle" in which Jesus may arise and be conceived and remain in us forever in the way I have said, God help us. Amen.“

– Meister Eckhart: Sermon on the Virgin who was a Woman[1]

The woman clothed with the sun is pursued by the great red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, which corresponds to the Luciferic dragon, the ancient serpent, who tempted Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden to eat of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. The great red dragon is brought down to earth by Michael and his hosts.

„The Woman and the Dragon
1 And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. 2 She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth. 3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems. 4 His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it. 5 She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne, 6 and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days.

Satan Thrown Down to Earth
7 Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, 8 but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. 10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. 11 And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. 12 Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!” 13 And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14 But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time. 15 The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood. 16 But the earth came to the help of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth. 17 Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea.“

Literature
References to the work of Rudolf Steiner follow Rudolf Steiner's Collected Works (CW or GA), Rudolf Steiner Verlag, Dornach/Switzerland, unless otherwise stated.
Email: verlag@steinerverlag.com URL: www.steinerverlag.com.
Index to the Complete Works of Rudolf Steiner - Aelzina Books
A complete list by Volume Number and a full list of known English translations you may also find at Rudolf Steiner's Collected Works
Rudolf Steiner Archive - The largest online collection of Rudolf Steiner's books, lectures and articles in English.
Rudolf Steiner Audio - Recorded and Read by Dale Brunsvold
steinerbooks.org - Anthroposophic Press Inc. (USA)
Rudolf Steiner Handbook - Christian Karl's proven standard work for orientation in Rudolf Steiner's Collected Works for free download as PDF.

References

  1. ↑ Translated from: Meister Eckhart: Predigt von der Jungfrau die ein Weib war; cf. also: Intravit Iesus in quoddam castellum on www.eckhart.de
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