This exercise consist in perceiving the forces and beings involved in germination and growth, as well as perceiving their counterpart, the forces and beings involved in decaying.
Steiner makes a radical point: the cosmic divine wisdom (the Higher Hierarchies) actually allows or incorporates these lagging beings into the universal plan.
To truly perceive the past as a "world in movement," a spiritual researcher must realize that the ancient Lemurian "fire" and Atlantean "water" have not vanished—they have transformed.