658. In our investigations of the 24-hour cycle, we came across the phenomenon that its "seasons" or contrasts did not quite fit in with the terrestrial human being's mental 24-hour cycle. We experience thus that here in the northern latitudes, where "Livets Bog" is being written, the daytime around the time of midsummer is more than enough for human beings' mental expression, whereas in winter, on the other hand, it is far too short. This disproportion between the parts of the 24-hour cycle and the terrestrial human being's mental expression becomes even more noticeable in the polar regions where, as indicated above, there is no night-time at all in the summer and no daytime in the winter. This circumstance has its origin in the position of the very I of the Earth in the zone of the killing principle. It constitutes one of the imperfections that are still bound up with its fate and that moreover contribute to determining the quality of its microbeings' present living conditions.
      These outer, physical living conditions are therefore influenced to the greatest extent by the particular tilt of the Earth's axis in relation to its orbit in the solar system. From the special quality of these conditions we can see that this tilt represents the release of a factor of fate that at present holds the Earth in a relationship to light and warmth that could to a certain extent in reality be defined as a "disability" compared to the degree of perfection that might otherwise be thought normal for the physical organism of the Earth's I. The beings must therefore overcome the unpleasant effects of the present tilt of the axis by using their intelligence. In reality, overcoming these effects in this way leads to an artificial way of life. Wherever Nature, that is to say the climate, is unfavourable towards the beings' existence, due to the tilt in the axis, the beings have to create more favourable conditions by artificial means. We have already mentioned the creation of these artificial living conditions when we realised that the beings' mental "unfolding of the afternoon" had to be prolonged into the sphere of the night. To a large extent they have to create the conditions or possibilities themselves for the manifestation of this unfolding.
      Because there is not enough light for this manifestation after sunset or at the approach of darkness, it has to be produced artificially. And it is on this account that the various forms of artificial lighting have been invented.
      As the tilt of the Earth's axis also causes what, in relation to the natural life of the beings, is a relatively severe climate, with strongly contrasting seasons involving the cold, frost and snow of winter and the rather excessive heat in summer, here too the beings are forced to create artificial possibilities in order to bring their manifestation of the seasons up to the full "unfolding of summer". Consequently, they have to build houses and live for a great part of their lives indoors if they are to protect themselves against the severity of the climate, just as clothing is also intended to create a similar protection.