JOHANNES (out of his meditation): This was the man, who of himself did say That spirit-light grew of its own accord Within his brain; and Dame Felicia came, Just like her husband, as she is in life. Curtain SCENE 7 The domain of spirit: a scene of various coloured crystal rocks and a few trees. Maria, Philia, Astrid, Luna; the child; Johannes, first at a distance, then coming nearer; Theodora; lastly Benedictus. MARIA: Ye sisters, who so often proved of old My helpers, help me also in this hour; That I may cause to vibrate in itself The ether of the worlds. Let it resound In harmony, and thus resounding reach And permeate a soul with knowledge true. Signs can I see which guide us to our work; For your work must unite itself with mine. Johannes, he who strives, by our designs To real existence shall be lifted up. The brethren in the temple counsel took How they should guide him to the heights of light Out of the depths, and they expect of us To fill his soul with power for such high flight. Thou shalt absorb for me, my Philia, The light's clear essence from the breadths of space; And fill thyself with all the charm of sound, Which wells from out the soul's creative power; That thou mayst then impart to me the gifts Which thou dost gather from the spirit's depths. Then can I weave their perfect harmonies In the soul-stirring rhythmic dance of spheres. Thou, Astrid, too, loved mirror of my soul, Thou shalt produce within the flowing light, The power of shade that colours may shine forth; Thou shalt give shape to formless harmonies, That as world-substance weaveth to and fro It may sound forth upon its living way. So am I able to entrust to man, When he doth seek, a spirit-consciousness. And thou, strong Luna, firm in thine own self, E'en like the living marrow, which doth grow Within the centre of the tree, do thou Unite unto thy sisters' gifts thine own; Impress thereon thy personality, That he who seeks may wisdom's surety find. PHILIA: With clearest essence of the light will I From world-wide breadths of space myself imbue; From distant ether-bounds will I breathe deep Living sound-substance that such things may cause Thy work, beloved sister, to succeed. ASTRID: I will weave through the beaming web of light Subduing darkness, and I will condense The living sounds, that, sounding, they may glow, And glowing, sound; that thou mayst thus direct, Beloved sister, soul-life's radiant beam. LUNA: Soul-substance will I warm; and will make hard The living ether; that they may condense, And feel themselves as living entities With active power to fashion their own life; That thou, beloved sister, mayst create True wisdom's surety in man's seeking soul. MARIA: