h century up to the present time.

Under these influences the evolution of the fifth period became an
ever-increasing endeavour to foster the powers of intellect, while, on the
contrary, the knowledge by faith of former times, and traditional wisdom,
gradually lost its hold over the human soul. On the other hand, however,
from the twelfth and thirteenth centuries on, there developed that which
may be called an ever increasing flow of cognition born of modern
clairvoyant consciousness. This "hidden knowledge" flows even though at
first quite imperceptibly, into the human concepts of that period. It is
only natural that even up to the present time the purely intellectual
forces should have maintained an antagonistic attitude toward this
knowledge. But that which must come to pass will do so in spite of all
temporary antagonism. That "hidden knowledge" which is taking possession
of humanity more and more may be called symbolically, the "wisdom of the
Holy Grail."

For he who learns to understand this symbol in its deeper meaning, as it
is told in story and legend, will find that it symbolizes the nature of
what has been called above, the knowledge of the new Initiation, with the
Christ Mystery as its central point. Modern Initiates may therefore be
called "the Initiates of the Grail." The preliminary stages of the path to
the supersensible worlds described in this book, leads to the "Wisdom of
the Grail." It is a peculiarity of this wisdom that its facts can be
investigated only when the necessary means, as described in this book,
have been acquired. Once investigated, however, these facts can be
understood by means of those very soul-forces which are the result of the
evolution of the fifth period. Indeed, it will become more and more
evident that to an ever increasing extent those forces find satisfaction
through this knowledge. We are now living at a time in which this
knowledge must be absorbed by human consciousness in general to a much
fuller extent than was formerly the case. And it is from this point of
view that the teachings contained in this Christ-event will grow ever more
powerful in proportion as human evolution assimilates the Wisdom of the
Grail. The inner side of the development of Christianity will more and
more keep pace with the exoteric side. That which may be learned through
imagination, inspiration and intuition, concerning the higher worlds, in
connection with the Christ Mystery, will penetrate ever