Filename: RC4027.TXT

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                  WORKBOOK FOR "MYSTERIES OF THE GREAT OPERAS":

CHAPTER 1

1-1]     Lucifer pointed out to God that man might have fared better if God 
         had withheld a certain power from man.  a)  What was that power?  
         b)  Why (according to Lucifer) might man have been better off 
         without that power?

1-2]     When Lucifer describes Faust, what problem does he point out?

Thought question:

1-A]     Is discord needed in the universe?  Why?

CHAPTER 2

2-1]     Why do people need to experience temptation?

2-2]     Why is Faust dissatisfied with his "book learning"?

2-3]     How can one, in general, open one's consciousness to that of some 
         Spirit?

CHAPTER 3

3-1]     Where is it possible to meet the Spirit of the Earth face to face?

3-2]     What is the path by which one may obtain entrance to this location?

3-2]     On whom is the aspirant in the Western Mystery School taught to 
         depend for spiritual direction and for obtaining of a soul body?

3-4]     Choose the word of phrase in each parentheses which correctly 
         completes the sentence.
         In the ordinary process of Nature the human Spirit enters its dense 
         body during antenatal life by way of the (head, feet), and 
         withdraws at death by way of the (head, feet).  The Invisible 
         Helpers who have learned to transmute their sex force to soul power 
         in the pituitary body, leave the dense body by way of the (head, 
         feet) and enter by way of the (head, feet).  Christ entered the 
         Earth through (the north pole, the vital body of Jesus, the moon) 
         and when He

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         leaves He will go through (the south pole, the vital body of Jesus, 
         the moon).

CHAPTER 4

4-1]     Why was Faust not able to retain communion with the Earth Spirit?

4-2]     If Lucifer served Faust here on Earth, then when would Faust be 
         required to serve Lucifer in return?

4-3]     Faust says that it will be time for him to die when he takes on 
         what attitude?

4-4]     Lucifer required Faust to sign their contract in blood.  Why?

4-5]     From where do adherents of the Western Wisdom Teachings get the 
         life energy to obtain knowledge and use it creatively?

CHAPTER 5

5-1]     Which of the following is not a reason why Faust made a pact with 
         Lucifer?
         a)  Faust felt that Lucifer was a being of great virtue who could 
         help him to learn also to be virtuous.
         b)  Faust had failed at getting knowledge directly from Nature, and 
         thus was seeking elsewhere.
         c)  Faust wanted to experience various emotions, including the 
         depths of sorrows of the human soul as well as its most ecstatic 
         joys.

5-2]     What types of feelings have the Lucifer Spirits helped mankind to 
         develop?

5-3]     What caused the present-day apes to degenerate, instead of 
         progressing?

5-4]     What moral choice was Faust faced with when he met Marguerite?  
         What was Faust's choice?

5-5]     What moral choice was the priest faced with when Marguerite's 

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         mother brought him the jewels which came from Lucifer?  What was 
         the priest's choice?

5-6]     Why do the Lucifer Spirits incite people to war and murder?

CHAPTER 6

6-1]     a)  What sin did Marguerite commit?
         b)  Consequently, what punishment was inflicted on Marguerite?
         c)  What caused Marguerite to turn to Christ?

6-2]     a)  Whom did Faust blame for the disaster which befell Marguerite?
         b)  What effect did this have on Faust's aims in life?

6-3]     Why did Faust, after his death, not have to serve Lucifer?

6-4]     Goethe states, "All that is perishable is but a likeness."
         a)  Where are th perishable things?
         b)  What are the perishable things likenesses of?

6-5]     When Goethe states, "The unattainable, here is accomplished."  
         Where is he referring to?

CHAPTER 7

7-1]     Of the arts (sculpture, painting, and music), which has the 
         greatest power to soothe sorrows, calm passions, stir to bravery 
         and otherwise influence humanity?

7-2]     In our material existence what do we tend to forget which music is 
         able to remind us of?

7-3]     Next to each item on the left put the letter of the item on the 
         right which is most closely related (in the symbolism of Parsifal).

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         Gamuret weds Herzleide.___           A.  As a result of suffering,
                                                  one forsakes worldly 
         Gamuret dies and Parsifal is             attitudes and becomes a 
         born. ____                               fool from the worldly 
                                                  point of view.

         Parsifal leaves Herzleide,           B.  The aspiring soul flees
         and she dies. ____                       from worldly things and
                                                  leaves worldly sorrows
         Parsifal is told it is wrong             behind.
         to kill a swan, and he breaks
         his bow.____                         C.  The dense body must 
                                                  respond to the commands
         The wound in Amfortas' side              given it, whether they
         begins to bleed afresh at                come from the lower or
         the sight of the Grail.____              higher self.

         Kundry is forced to serve                D.The harmless life is an

         whoever wakes her, whether               absolute essential 
         it be Klingsor or the Grail              prerequisite to the
         Knights.____                             helpful life.

                                              E.  The man of the world is
                                                  tied to sorrow and 
                                                  suffering.

                                              F.  When we have sinned, we
                                                  feel remorse when we 
                                                  compare our actions 
                                                  with the ideal.

7-4]     When Kundry tempts Parsifal to engage in "love", how does Parsifal 
         describe Kundry's "love"?

7-5]     What did Parsifal discover (in his encounter with Kundry) was the 
         means by which the world is stirred, tossed, convulsed and often 
         lost in shame?

7-6]     In the third act when Parsifal is questioned as to how he came to 
         Mount Salvat, what is his answer?

7-7]     a)   Parsifal obtains the spear subsequent to having withstood what 
         temptation.
         b)   In what way would Parsifal not use the spear?
         c)   In what way did he use it?

CHAPTER 8

8-1]     Choose the word or phrase from each parentheses which correctly 
         completes each sentence.
         The (desire, vital) body can be powerfully stirred by one 
         particular event, but the effect does not last very long.  The 

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(desire, vital) body requires repeated impacts upon it to receive any 
significant impression, but then the effects last for some time.

8-2]     Next to each item on the left put the letter of the item on the 
         right which is most closely related.

         The Rhine maidens lived under the    A.  Ancient humanity was 
         waters of the Rhine.____                 guided and cared for by
                                                  divine hierarchies.
         The Rhine maidens spent their 
         time in frolic and play.____         B.  Ancient humanity was 
                                                  united in spirit.  All 
         There was one lump of Gold in            felt themselves to be
         the Rhine which all danced               part of one great family.
         around.____
                                              C.  Humans began to make a 
         Alberich stole the gold and              distinction between mine
         swam to the surface.____                 and not mine, and to work
                                                  to further their own
         By forswearing love, Alberich            interests.
         was able to form the gold into
         a ring.____                          D.  Humanity emigrated to the
                                                  highlands and began to see
                                                  themselves as individuals.

                                              E.  Primitive humanity dwelt 
                                                  at the bottom of the ocean 
                                                  in the dense, foggy
                                                  atmosphere of Atlantis.

Thought question:

8-A]     Do we view ourselves differently than we view other people?  Do we 
         apply the same standards of morality to ourselves as we do to 

         others?  Do we consider the needs or wants of others as important 
         as our own needs or wants.?

CHAPTER 9

9-1]     Next to each item on the left put the letter of the item on the 
         right which is most closely related.


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         The gods built a walled fortress,    A.  Creeds and dogmas are not
         Valhal.____                              universally true, and thus
                                                  may become outdated when
         The Sun and Moon were part of            situations change.
         the payment given to the builders
         of Valhal.____                       B.  Creeds and dogmas prevent
                                                  one from seeing the
         Freya, who fed the gods on her           universal light and 
         golden apples to preserve their          knowledge.
         youth, was given as part of the
         payment to the builders of           C.  Religion loses some of its
         Valhal.____                              spiritual power when it 
                                                  tries to make itself 
         To bind the bargains with the            understandable to the 
         builders, magic characters               masses.
         were cut in the spear of
         Wotan.____                           D.  Religion, to make itself
                                                  comprehensible to the
                                                  masses, develops creeds
                                                  and dogmas.

9-2]     According to the teaching of the Norsemen, those only who died in 
         battle were entitled to be taken to Valhal.  What lesson does this 
         contain for the aspirant?

CHAPTER 10

10-1]    What did the Walsungs seek?  Why?

10-2]    Why did Siegmund leave Valhal?

10-3]    Why did Sieglinda (initially) stay in Valhal?

10-4]    When Siegmund and Sieglinda flee from Hunding, they know they will 
         have to do battle with Hunding.  What will fortify them in this 
         battle?  In Life, what will fortify us in our battles against 
         conventionality?

10-5]    Which of the following is not one of the factors which influence 
         our lives (according to the symbolism of the Yggdrasil tree)?
         a)   The elements (fire, air, water)
         b)   Fate, as determined by primordial law
         c)   The caprice of the gods
         d)   The nature forces

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10-6]    What spiritual truth is portrayed by the myth when Brunhilde 
         refuses to obey Wotan's order to help Hunding as he fights 
         Siegmund?

Thought question:

10-A]    Think of a convention or creed or dogma in the world today which is 
         not in complete agreement with truth?  Is this convention or creed 
         or dogma (in spite of its untruth) of some value to those who hold 
         it?  What will be needed before its tenants will be able to seek 
         and find the truth?

CHAPTER 11

11-1]    How does fear prevent people from finding truth and living it?


11-2]    What did Wotan fear would happen if he did not put Brunhilde 
         (truth) to sleep?

11-3]    Next to each item on the left put the letter of the item on the 
         right which is most closely related.

         Siegfried, because he is fearless,   A.  Intuition leads the truth
         is able to forge the sword,              seeker forward.
         Nothung.____
                                              B.  Neither conventions nor
         Siegfried recognizes that he             illusions can waylay the
         does not look like Mime and that         fearless truthseeker.
         Mime is therefore not his
         father.____                          C.  Only the fearless can use
                                                  the courage of despair to 
         Fafner, the dragon, possesses            seek truth.
         the Ring of the Niebelung.____
                                              D.  The desire nature has the
         Mime hopes Siegfried can slay            Ego enmeshed in its 
         the dragon so Mime can get               snares.
         the Ring.____
                                              E.  The higher self recognizes 
         When Siegfried slays the                 that it is separate from 
         dragon he also slays Mime.____           the dense body, and was 
                                                  not produced by it.
         Siegfried is led by a bird to
         where Brunhilde lies sleeping.       F.  The lower nature may 
         ____                                     scheme to use the power of
                                                  the spirit to obtain 
         Siegfried breaks Wotan's spear           material wealth and 
         and passes through Loge's                worldly power.
         flames to reach and awaken
         Brunhilde.____                       G.  When the soul has 
                                                  conquered the desire 

                                                  nature it also is freed
                                                  from the dense body.

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CHAPTER 12

12-1]    What must the truth-seeker do with truth once he has found it?

12-2]    Next to each item on the left put the letter of the item on the 
         right which is most closely related.

         Brunhilde makes Siegfried's whole    A.  One who is married to
         body invulnerable except at one          truth is able to make
         point on his back between his            swift decisions.
         shoulders.____
                                              B.  We can stand the 
         Siegfried gives Brunhilde the            antagonism we will
         Ring of the Niebelung.____               encounter as we live
                                                  the truth provided we
         Brunhilde gives her horse,               meet it directly and
         Grane, to Siegfried.____                 do not turn our backs.

                                              C.  When the Spirit sees 
                                                  Truth, it also sees that
                                                  all things are one.

CHAPTER 13

13-1]    What two advantages are there in feeling the warnings and urgings 
         of conscience (which is the extracted essence of experiences from 
         past lives), rather than remembering the individual incidences of 
         the past lives?

13-2]    In one life we encounter certain experiences.  After death we 

         retrospect the experiences and build into our consciences an 
         imprint of the lessons learned.  Why must we then, in the next 
         life, encounter similar temptations?

Thought question:

13-A]    Why is the person who is able to search the Memory of Nature warned 
         not to use this power to gratify his curiosity?  What would be a 
         legitimate use of this power?

CHAPTER 14

14-1]    In each blank fill in a word or phrase which correctly completes 
         the sentence.

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         The Rhine maidens living in the Rhine correspond to the early ____ 
         Epoch.  Alberich forswearing love and forming the Ring, and 
         devoting his energies to amassing material wealth and fighting 
         others corresponds to the late ____ Epoch.  The birth and work of 
         the Walsungs (truth seekers) corresponds to the early ____ Epoch.  
         The truth being opened to Siegfried and his taking the drink of 
         forgetfulness and his being tempted to see if he will remain 
         faithful corresponds to the later ____ Epoch.

14-2]    Which of Loge's children was killed in the final battle between the 
         gods and the giants.  What element will be lacking in the "New 
         Earth"?

14-3]    When the earth undergoes the changes represented symbolically in 
         the battle on the plain Vigrid, man will no longer be able to 
         function in a dense body as he does now.  What vehicle will he then 
         function in?

Thought question:

14-A]    Give an example of a truth which the world knows (in its heart) but 
         to which, in the present day, it is generally not faithful to.

CHAPTER 15

15-1]    If an Ego takes a male body in one life, then in the next life it 
         generally will take on a body of what sex?

15-2]    Should women be treated as equals with men?  Why?

15-3]    What type of "love" did Tannhauser experience in the company of 
         Venus?

Thought question:

15-A]    What are some of the effects of passionate, sensual love?

CHAPTER 16

16-1]    Does true love seek to give, or does it seek to receive?

Thought question:

16-A]    Give an example of what one might do when he or she is filled with 
         "true love".

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CHAPTER 17

17-1]    What is the unpardonable sin?

17-2]    How must the unpardonable sin be expiated?

CHAPTER 18

18-1]    What did the Lucifer Spirits lead humanity to do with the creative 
         force?

18-2]    What must humanity learn to do with the creative force?


18-3]    Suppression of the sexual desire, by itself, is not celibacy.  What 
         additionally is needed for celibacy?

CHAPTER 19

19-1]    In what ways is a swan comparable to an Initiate?

19-2]    When a Teacher comes in response to the earnest prayers of an 
         aspirant, what does the Teacher do prior to expecting the aspirant 
         to believe in him?

19-3]    What does the Teacher require of the Aspirant (in respect to his 
         attitude toward the Teacher)?

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