Foundation Stone Rhythms: Introduction

The Foundation Stone Meditation combines the patterns of incarnate life with the patterns of spirit that create life. Inwardly it tracks the coming-into-being of the sense of self, (the day-time ego,) then its dissolution or death (as happens in both joy and sorrow) followed by its resurrection as a vehicle for Cosmic Truth in the world. The verses then connect this with patterns-of-Being in the spiritual cosmos itself: The work of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit to weave past, present and future into a basket for the creation of Love in all that we do; and the work of the Hierarchies of angelic beings that support and apply that creation.
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At its simplest this is meditation describes three aspects of our awareness:
1. Here I am
2. This is my life, Now
3. What should I do about this?

These are the experiences behind the first three panels of the Foundation Stone. The fourth panel could be expressed as:
4. Let me focus all this for the best possible outcomes.

We are not alone in the world. Consciousness is everywhere. Not all conscious beings have solid bodies. Everywhere, conscious beings interact in an ongoing flow of relationship, weaving all being into the reality we experience. Only Human Beings are excluded from perceiving this, that is what gives us freedom. Freedom will eventually devolve into love. Through Love we will re-integrate ourselves into this Cosmic Dance. – So, the meditation calls on us to practice this freedom, consciously.

1. Here I am – Human Soul, You live in the Limbs! In-touch, Call yourself back to this body. – reliably.
a. Know thyself as a sense-of-self, that reminds you to be here
2. This is my life, Now Human Soul, You live in the space between. The balance of rhythms, pulsing heart and lung, become aware of change, in every moment. Know thyself as Sensation, an interest in this! This experience, Now.
3. What should I do about this? Human Soul, You live in the Silence, the resting of the head. Where Wonder can open up the heavens themselves to you inner vision. Know thyself as profound comprehension of the vastness of existence, as the Great Mystery of All that Is, Know thyself as Enquiry into This, that we are creating.
That might seem complete.
But the Foundation Stone the opens it up to expand on the cosmic connections behind the practices and the baseline experiences.
Where you are, here, The entire heavens spread themselves out to beget you.
The Father experience
When you pay attention, All that moves across your world invites you to become At One with itself.
The Son/Sun experience
If you cease the endless activity, and allow for all possibility, Spirit in you opens up, you discover the entire spiritual world offering itself as you.
The Sacred Wholeness experience of Holy Spirit.

All of this and so much more weaves through this meditation. The size of it makes this a high mountain to climb. As if to make this easier, Steiner extracted seven “Rhythms” from it. like taking the flour, butter and eggs out of a cake, the Rhythms give us the ingredients to begin our own inner creative baking. As in the Grounding exercises, each of these rhythms fits into the cosmic support-pattern for a day of the week. Monday’s references a moon-like glow, Tuesday’s connects with Mars’s strength, etc. This is where this page takes off. Here you will find each and each verse of these Rhythms, with some guidance notes that may assist your understanding or act as an introduction to working with them.

Practising these seven rhythms will most wonderfully integrate your soul’s work with the active support of the cosmos: the desire of all beings to see you flourish, in your place as creative contributor to the Cosmic Dance.

Go to the verses

See on the Steiner Archive site

Watch: 7 Cosmic Steps to God – Zoom, March 1st 2025

Check out the Grounding Exercises that support this work.