stor, we must show how that which was there formerly is
repeated in a descendant. Now if it were demonstrated that something
existed at the beginning of a genealogical line which reappeared in
its further course, we might speak of heredity. We cannot do so when
something appears at the end of it which was not there before. The
reversal of the above proposition is only to show that the belief in
heredity is impossible.

8 In different chapters of this book it has been shown how the world
of humanity, and man himself, pass, in their progressive evolution,
through conditions which have been named Saturn, Sun, Moon, Earth,
Jupiter, Venus, and Vulcan. The relationship has also been indicated
in which human evolution stands with regard to the celestial bodies
which exist besides the earth and which are called saturn, jupiter,
mars, and so on. These latter planets are also passing through their
evolution in the natural way. At the present period they have
reached such a stage that their physical portions are seen as those
bodies which physical astronomy calls saturn, jupiter, mars, and so
forth. Now when the saturn of the present day is observed by
occultism it is seen to be, in a certain sense, a reincarnation of
the old Saturn. It has come into existence because of the presence
of certain beings, who before the separation of the sun from the
earth were unable, like the others, to leave with the sun. The
reason of this was that they had gained so many qualities which are
suitable for a saturn existence, that their place could not be where
the qualities of the sun were specially unfolded. The present
jupiter, however, arose in consequence of the presence of beings
possessed of qualities which can only be matured on the future
jupiter of the whole evolution. A dwelling place appeared for them
on which they can already begin in anticipation of this later
evolution.

In the same way mars is a planetary body on which dwell beings whose
lunar evolution was such that further progress on the earth could
bring them nothing. Mars is a reincarnation of the old Moon at a
higher stage. The present mercury is the dwelling place of beings
who are beyond the evolution of the earth; but this is just because
they have developed certain qua