Product DescriptionThe Green Snake and the Beautiful Lily is one of the most important stories of the Anthroposophic and Rosicrucian streams. It is a timeless, allegorical tale of initiation and had a profound impact on Rudolf Steiner and on the formulation of his teachings. He called the fairy tale a kind of 'secret revelation,' an 'apocalypse.' As the authors point out in The Time Is At Hand! Goethe’s fairy tale begins with a specific image: a river separating two lands that contrast to each other, as do the sensory world and the spiritual world. The story ends with a bridge, created through sacrifice, that spans the river between the two lands.
Indeed, Rudolf Steiner was so deeply impressed by Goethe’s fairy tale, that he used it as the model for his own first mystery drama, The Portal of Initiation. It is said that, prior to its first performance, he told friends, 'I know how long and deeply you have loved Goethe’s fairy tale, and today I am happy to tell you that you will see it performed on stage.'
The twelve paintings in this book represent the soul experiences of the 'Youth' in the fairy tale. These images are the fruit of an intense collaboration between the artist Hermann Linde and Rudolf Steiner, who commissioned the work. Steiner visited Linde’s studio every day and gave him detailed indications for the treatment of the various motifs. The result is this beautifully illustrated, full-color book.
This is a fairy tale for meditation—and for building bridges of the soul and spirit.
Customer Reviews
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Rating: - The Rosicrucian Fairy Tale
Steeped in symbolism both evident and obscure, haunting to the memory and both quaint and noble in its imagery is Goethe's miniature masterpiece of a fairy tale in the German romantic tradition. This is a tale that must be worked with, a superficial reading will find the tale tedious and pointless by the average reader. To those that appreciate the western esoteric tradition there is much food for thought here. In many ways I think of this as Goethe's "Magic Flute"- a Rosicrucian, possibly Masonic ... Read More
Rating: - About the book and essay
A group of people live in a world turned upside down. They realise that the efforts of one alone can do little to create a new society. But by waking up to each other at the right time, they bring about profound spiritual and social renewal.
Goethe originally told this magic tale in a group of travellers during the French Revolution. Today, this magic still sparkles in Thomas Carlyle's original translation. Michael Burton's play invites you to enjoy the tale afresh through his punchy dialogue. ... Read More
Rating: - A fairy tale for adults rich in imagery and symbolism
In the finest tradition of tales of adults this story is filled with rich symbolish and imagery. It can be read and re-read and never exhaused.
- The Rosicrucian Fairy Tale
- About the book and essay
