According to some esoteric teachings: the impalpable substance surrounding the physical body,forming an aura. When etheric matter is distinguished from astral matter,then the former is more gross — closer to mere physical matter — and the latter more rarefied.
According to Steiner: the third division of the sevenfold nature of man or the third division of the fourfold nature of man: generally,the part of us that exists on the astral plane.
"In Spiritualism,often synonymous with the etheric plane...but in Theosophy it means the plane occupied by the recent dead and non-human nature spirits or 'elementals'." 73 p. 20 [In Steiner's teachings,the astral plane is the soul world: the world located between the physical world and the spirit world.]
"A state of separation between the physical and etheric bodies ... This occurs most often during sleep ... [A] technique can be acquired to accomplish projection at will ... This faculty offers an explanation of the seeing at a distance by Indian fakirs and witchdoctors [sic]." 73 p. 20[Astral projection more generally is conceived as the ability to send one's consciousness or one's astral body to distant locations.]
The Akashic Record(s): a hypothesized cosmic picture gallery and record of every thought,feeling,and action since the world began.
The astral womb within which the astral body develops,according to Steiner.
"An occult idea that the etheric body at death is soon discarded,leaving an inner astral or spirit body which continues." 73 p. 20
Nonphysical — emotional,mental,spiritual — punishment.
see "astral plane","astral world".
In Anthroposophy: the third stage of form during our current condition of life,preceding our current,Physical Stage. During the Astral Stage,we had descended far toward physicality,but not all the way. Our past actions were embodied as astral beings as we worked on our karmas.
