The Way of Initiation or How to Attain Knowledge of the Higher Worlds. With a Foreword by Annie Besante. by STEINER, Rudolf - 1909

London: Theosophical Publishing Society, 1909. First edition, second impression (there were 1500 copies printed of each impression). Octavo. Frontispiece photographic portrait of Steiner, [6], 237, [3, publisher's ads] pp. Publisher's gray cloth with a Rosy Cross in gilt and red on front, faded gilt spine lettering. This copy was once in the lending library of the Bowdon Branch of the Theosophical Society and as such has their label affixed to the front pastedown as well as (very faded) call letters on the spine. Tissue over frontispiece coming away and some general extremity wear. Overall a very good copy and one in which the library provenance is a helpful rather than a hurtful thing.Rudolf Joseph Lorenz Steiner was an Austrian clairvoyant, philosopher, social reformer, architect, economist and esotericist. Steiner gained initial recognition at the end of the nineteenth century as a literary critic and published philosophical works including The Philosophy of Freedom. At the beginning of the twentieth century he founded an esoteric spiritual movement, anthroposophy, with roots in German idealist philosophy and theosophy; other influences include Goethean science and Rosicrucianism. At the beginning of his quest Steiner and Theosophy were closely aligned. Steiner spoke regularly to the members of the Theosophical Society, becoming the head of its newly constituted German section in 1902. The German Section of the Theosophical Society grew rapidly under Steiner's leadership as he lectured throughout much of Europe on his spiritual science. Through his lecturing to Theosophists, Steiner met Marie von Sievers, owner of the Theosophical headquarters in Berlin, who was to become his spiritual partner and second wife. From the end of 1903 Steiner and von Sievers became the inseparable center of Berlin Theosophy. By 1904, Steiner was appointed by Annie Besant to be leader of an Esoteric School for Germany and Austria. Steiner made it clear that this school would teach a Western spiritual path harmonious with, but differing fundamentally in approach from, other Theosophical paths. This "differing" paths eventually led to a rupture between Steiner and Besante and Steiner was expelled from the world of Theosophy soon after he espoused his own branch of knowlege that he termed Anthroposphy.