The big, open question is of course, whether the present obvious Sorath-impulse is coordinated with an imminent incarnation (incorporation) of Ahriman, foretold by Rudolf Steiner to take place in the beginning of this new millennium. On the basis of an interpretation of the Revelation chapter 12 and 13 and from a vision by the American psychic Jeane Dixon in 1962, the authors of Christ & the Maya Calendar expect this incarnation and Ahriman’s 3½ years of global reign (Rev 13:5) in the immediate future, coinciding with the solar eclipse July 22, 2009. Alternatively they point to the period from 2012 (the end of the Maya-calendar) to 2016 (the end of the 39^th human day in the wilderness). They see the financial crisis and the war against terror as preparatory events and even hint at the identity of a “false prophet” (the beast 666, Rev 13:11).[i] Now, the beast 666 is certainly Sorath, but not necessarily in the human shape of a “false prophet”, since the strategy and workings of the powerful Sun Demon is actually far more advanced, reshaping man’s outer and inner reality as discussed above. No doubt 1996-2012 is a prelude to great changes and tribulations, but we are not convinced, that this narrow timeframe will see any final events or Ahriman’s incarnation. That is too easy, too convenient and haphazard. We should not always look for outer events, but start looking into ourselves. Michael is the leading archangel from 1879 to 2229 and he will fight the evil powers till about 2300. 1999 is closing the 6^th 333 year-cycle since the Incarnation of Christ and commencing the 7^th cycle ending in 2332. Since the crossing from the 6^th to the 7^th cycle could very well correspond with the entry into the 7^th layer of the Earth in man’s overall pattern of descent, which unfolds in parallel cycles on different levels (the current acceleration of this century into still deeper layers being a preparatory phase?) – then perhaps we can look forward to a prolonged battle. The 7^th layer, Reflector Earth, corresponds with the 7^th level of initiation, Resurrection, in the Christian esoteric initiation and demarcates man’s overall evolutionary mission on this planetary stage.[ii] In our opinion, the decisive features of 1998 and the period 1996-2012 is the Sorath-impulse and the Etheric Christ and his function as Lord of Karma, with or without the incarnation of Ahriman being near. Anyway, the pragmatic response is to focus on the matter in hand, what is going on now.

The present period of temptation, 1996-99-2012, has seen a heavy build-up since 1979. The phrase from the 1960s “turn on, tune in, drop out” has been altered to “plug in, link up, stay on line”. It is no coincidence that Pluto has been the closest to the Sun and the Earth from 1979-99, even closer than Neptune.[iii] This period now is about choosing a total materialization and a materialistic spirituality on a global scale. We are beginning to understand the interconnectedness of all men in mankind and are getting an idea and a sense of globalism. But what is to be the common denominator of this universalism? The only true answer is the Etheric Christ, but the threatening answer is Sorath with the combined evil package, the anthill-model, with all the features we have discussed above. There will be false globalization, unification, regimentation, standardization and so forth on the basis of advanced technology and no doubt some kind of ideological superstructure based on a magic religion, both with deep and lasting impact on man’s constitution on all levels. The signs are apparent everywhere in this period – information technology, nano technology, cloning, mapping of the human genome, genetic engineering and testing, surveillance, capital-concentrations and –movements … you name it! So it is timely to wonder, whether we are moving towards a New World Order, what this order will comprise and who is going to control it?

We are convinced from extrasensory evidence that the Sorath-impulse actually took place in 1998-99.[iv]  Also we experienced in 1996-99 a strong positive spiritual impulse and opening connected with a beginning direct awareness of the subtle workings of evil principles within man (the double). 2000-2003 represented an interim-period of blending and understanding in which the Sorath-impact made itself more and more felt on a background of continued spiritual work, preparation and karmic cleansing. Late 2002 especially saw a culmination to this process, which then took on a whole new dimension and intensification from around Easter 2003. This was a turning point! And so we tend to look at the period from winter 1996 to autumn 1999 and then again to spring 2003 as a consecutive 2 x 3½ year period of totally 7 years, in which there was an intertwining and shadowing between the impulse of the Etheric Christ and Sorath. The first period with the weight on Christ’s ministry, the second mimicking this. This is of course a subjective valuation, but nevertheless based on rich extrasensory experience of a collective nature of the Sorath-phenomenon. On the same grounds and from careful analysis of evidence we strongly suspect that the process starting Easter 2003 in fact is a descent (in a descent, in a descent), that is – a year by year, or Easter after Easter, collective descent into the layers of evil, 2003-2006 (the luciferic, 1-3^d layers finished), 2006-2009 (the ahrimanic, 4-6^th layers finished), 2009-2010 (asuric, 7^th layer, beginning 3 x 33.33 years after the Etheric Christ became visible to initiates), 2010-12 (the final two asuric layers, 8-9^th , culminating in the province of Sorath from after Easter 2012). This micro-level descent-cycle is overlapped by the two macro-level descent-cycles: 1999 ending the 6^th 333-year cycle and commencing the 7^th decisive cycle, and the three temptation-cycles in the last century corresponding with the descent into the 7^th, 8^th and 9^th layers. And so we suggest this time map:

1996-99          Christ-impulse shadowed by actual Sorath-impulse 1998

1999-2003       Sorath-impact mimicking Christ-impulse

2003 Easter    Beginning of 9 year descent ending Easter 2012

2003-6            Luciferic

2006-9            Ahrimanic

2009-10          1. Asuric, important turning point

2010-12          Asuric

2012               Sorath, culmination

We fully realize that this interpretation of events can only appear speculative to many readers of a serious anthroposophical orientation, but perhaps it can be considered as a curious contribution to the sudden outbreak within the movement of interest in the Passion of Christ and His descent and resurrection. Anyway, on intuitive and factual grounds we are firmly convinced that the period of time under consideration in this essay, 1899-2012, is closely linked with the Mystery of Golgotha, representing the reappearance of Christ in the etheric and his new office as Lord of Karma on the one hand, and on the other Sorath’s attempt to disrupt this divine plan of redemption. The latter is the more overt part of the sequence apart from the inner conditioning of man. Sorath’s counter plan is to nullify Christ’s act of redemption by taking humanity through the same descent down in the interior of the Earth as the victorious Christ, without anyone noticing anything, no one calling out for Christ in fright, most of us fancying that this is actually an ascent into a fair and bright future. What Sorath has established by the year 2012 and how this is continued on, we can only guess at in this point of time. By Easter 2012 he has dismantled as much as possible of Christ’s redemptive descent through the interior layers of the Earth on behalf of humanity, concurrently with the inner dismantling of contact with Christ and the regenerated phantom in each of us according to karmic and existential conditions and a corresponding build-up of the advanced double (the descent-body). What kind of inner and outer theatre will then be opened? Will Sorath be faced openly by all those who did not face him inwardly? For sure, Michael will again battle for the birth of Christ on Earth, Advent will bring about the occult trials and temptations,[v] and then comes winter solstice 2012, the darkest time of the year (in many years). Sorath, for one, is not looking forward to Christmas with joyful expectation, and he certainly hopes, that the Resurrection of Christ at Easter 2013 will pass unnoticed. Will humanity slide comatose into total forgetfulness of Christ on Sorath’s space-station Earth?

Adam Michaelis

May 2009

NB. We have chosen this one neglected perspective, but perhaps it is more appropriate to choose the other, that the Etheric Christ, when entering and encountering man, will force out and reveal the double in him, as He pushed all evil aside in the Mystery of Golgotha. Perhaps, when we look at the Etheric Christ, Lord of Karma, but have not seen the Sorath inside, His reflection unto us will be that of Sorath in us.