the forces
gradually acquired by man during the Saturn, Sun, and Moon evolutions take
part more and more in the progress of man during the described formative
periods of the earth. The first part to be kindled by the earth's fire is
the astral body, still containing within it the etheric and physical
bodies in a state of solution. Then the astral body is organized into a
more subtle astral part, the sentient soul, and into a grosser etheric
part, which henceforth is in contact with the earth-element; when this
occurs, the etheric or vital body, already fore-shadowed, makes its
appearance. And while the intellectual and consciousness-souls are being
evolved in the astral man, there are incorporated into the etheric body
those coarser parts which are susceptible to sound and light.

At the time when the etheric body still further densifies and changes from
a light-body into a fire or heat-body, the stage of evolution has been
reached at which, as described above, parts of the solid earth-element are
incorporated into man. Because the etheric body has condensed to the
consistency of fire, it is now able, by means of the forces of the
physical body previously implanted in it, to combine with those substances
of the physical earth attenuated as far as the fire-state. But by itself
it would no longer be able to introduce air substances into the body which
has meanwhile become more solidified. Then, as indicated above, the higher
beings dwelling on the sun interpose, breathing air into the body. While
man, by virtue of his past, is able of himself to become permeated with
earthly fire, higher beings direct the breath of air into his body.
Heretofore the etheric body of man, as a receiver of sound, had been the
director of the air current. It permeated man's physical body with life.
Now the physical body gets life from without. The result is that this life
becomes independent of the soul part of man. On departing from the earth,
the soul leaves behind not only the seed of its form, but also a living
image of itself. The Lords of Form now remain united with that image, and
the life they have bestowed, they transfer to man's descendants, when his
soul has left the body. Thus comes about what may be called heredity, and
when the human soul once more appears on earth it feels that it is in a
body animated by the life of its ancestors. It feels itself especially
attracted to just that kind of a body. In this way something like a
_mem