The Way of Initiation

The Way of Initiation; or, How to Attain Knowledge of the Higher Worlds is a book by Rudolf Steiner, first published in German around 1904 and in English translation shortly thereafter. In this early work — which forms the first half of what later became Knowledge of the Higher Worlds and Its Attainment — Steiner lays out a systematic path of spiritual initiation suited for modern individuals, proposing that disciplined inner development can unlock latent capacities to perceive spiritual realities.

Covering stages such as preparation, discipleship, probation, and illumination, he combines philosophical insight with practical exercises aimed at awakening higher faculties, moral clarity, and inner sight. Steiner — an Austrian philosopher, founder of anthroposophy, and former Theosophist — integrates Western idealist philosophy, Goethean science, and Rosicrucian mystical tradition in service of this “spiritual science,” marking the book as a foundational guide in modern esoteric literature, influential in spiritual movements, occult studies, and anthroposophical education.

This translation by Max Gysi was published in 1910.