To founts of worlds primeval His surging thoughts do mount;-- What as shadow he hath thought What as fancy he hath lived Soars up beyond the world of form and shape; On whose fulness pondering Mankind in shadow dreams, O'er whose fulness gazing forth Mankind in fancy lives.
A landscape, which seeks to express the world of souls by its characteristic peculiarities.
Enter Lucifer and Ahriman. Johannes is seen at the right of the stage in deep meditation. What follows is experienced by him in meditation.
O man, know thou thyself; O man, feel me. From spirit guidance, thou hast freed thyself, And into earth's free realms thou hast escaped. Midst earth's confusion thou didst seek to prove Thine own existence; and to find thyself Was thy reward, and was thy destiny. Me didst thou find: for certain spirits willed To cast a veil before the eyes of sense; Which veil I rent in twain. Those spirits willed To follow out their own desires in thee; But I gave thee self-will and foiled their aim. O man, know thou thyself; O man, feel me.
O man, know me; O man, feel thou thyself. Thou hast escaped from darkened spirit-realms And thou hast found again the earth's pure light, So now from my sure ground drink strength and truth. I make earth hard and fast. The spirits willed To snatch away from thee the charm of sense; Which charm I weave for thee in light condensed. I lead thee unto true reality. O man, know me; O man, feel thou thyself.
Time was not when thou didst not live through me. I followed thee throughout the course of life, And was permitted to bestow on thee Strong personal traits and joy in thine own self.
Time was not when thou didst not me behold. Thy mortal eyes saw me in all earth's growth; I was permitted to shine forth for thee In beauty proud and revelation's bliss.
This is the sign as Benedictus told. Before the world of souls stand these two powers: The one, as Tempter, lives within the soul; The other doth obscure the sight of man When he directeth it to outward things. The one took on the woman's form e'en now, To bring the soul's illusions 'neath my gaze; The other may be found in everything.
(Enter the Spirit of the Elements with Capesius and Strader, whom he has brought to the earth's surface from the earth's depths. They are conceived as souls looking out upon the earth's surface. The Spirit of the Elements is aged and stands erect upon a sphere. Capesius and Strader are in astral garb; the former, though the older man of the two in years, here appears the younger. He wears blue robes of various shades, Strader wears brown and yellow.)