evolution. In order, however,
that the second degree of perfection for the physical and the first for
the etheric body may be reached, the intervention of still other
spirit-beings is necessary during the further course of the Sun life, in a
similar manner to that which has been described as taking place during the
Saturn stage.

When the Lords of Wisdom begin to stream forth their etheric body, the
Sun, previously dark, begins to shine. At the same time the first
appearances of inner activity are seen in the human germ; life has begun.
What had to be described as a semblance of life on Saturn now becomes
actual life. The influx lasts for a certain time, at the end of which an
important change for the human germ sets in--that is to say, it organizes
itself into two parts. Whereas up to this point the physical and etheric
bodies formed an intimately connected whole, the physical body now begins
to detach itself as a separate part. Yet even that separated physical body
is still pervaded by the etheric body. Therefore we have now to do with a
human being composed of two principles. One portion is a physical body
permeated by an etheric body; the other is an etheric body and nothing
else. This separation comes to pass, however, during a period of rest in
the Sun life. During this pause the shining, which had begun to appear,
dies away. The separation takes place during a "cosmic night," as it were.
Yet this interval of rest is much shorter than the one between the Saturn
and Sun evolutions mentioned above. At the expiration of the rest period
the Lords of Wisdom work for a while on the two-fold being of man, just as
they had previously done on the undivided being. Then the Lords of Motion
begin their activity. They cause their own astral body to stream through
the human etheric body. By this means man acquires the capacity for
executing certain inner movements in the physical body. These movements
may be compared with those of sap in a plant of our own time.

The Saturn body consisted exclusively of heat substance. During the Sun
evolution that heat substance is condensed into a state which may be
compared with that of our present-day gas or steam. In occult science
"air" is the name ordinarily used for this condition. The first beginnings
of such a state are seen after the Lords of Motion have begun their
activity. The following spectacle is presented to clairvoyant
consciousness. Within the heat substance there appears s