Steiner, in rare prophetic mode, talks about an actual incarnation of Ahriman on the earth and its potential consequences. Just as Christ incarnated in a physical body, so would Ahriman incarnate in the Western world - before 'a part' of the third millennium had passed.

Robert Powell, SteinerBooks author and speaker, and astrologer, gives us this exciting bit of speculation about the incarnation of Ahriman:

In the summer of 2009, on July 22, there is a total eclipse of the Sun at 2:36 AM Greenwich Mean Time. The path of the eclipse crosses India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, the southern islands of Japan, and the western Pacific Ocean. The Moon will be at its perigee (its closest position to the Earth), making it larger than the Sun, resulting in a wider path and greater duration. (The arc of the partial eclipse path on this date swings as far north as 60° N, right across northern Russia, and as far south as 30° S, touching the North Island of New Zealand)

According to Rudolf Steiner, these are conditions that will allow for the maximum power of evil (the beast) to arise up from the interior of the Earth, should human beings remain unaware of the importance of aligning with Christ and maintaining their own consciousness in a state of wakeful awareness in relation to this event.

At the time of the July 22, 2009 eclipse, there is a triple conjunction of Jupiter, Neptune, and Chiron (formerly called an asteroid, it is now classified as a "centaur," suggesting its dual nature as half comet, half asteroid) -- all within less than a single degree, and also a heliocentric opposition of Saturn with Uranus.

At the time of a total solar eclipse, something sulphurous is stirred up. At the time of a solar eclipse, according to Rudolf Steiner, "that which spreads out as negativity upon the Earth can be borne up in a Luciferic way into cosmic space where it can bring about further damage." Demonic spiritual beings are more agitated than usual at the time of an eclipse, and thus -- according to Steiner -- eclipses offer special opportunities for the activity of black magicians. Very few people are able to discern this working of evil at the time of a solar eclipse.

Could it be that the solar eclipse of July 22, 2009 -- the longest eclipse (lasting 6½ minutes) of the whole 21st century -- signifies the start of the 3½-year period of the rule of the Antichrist? If so, the incarnation of Ahriman may take place at or around the time of this solar eclipse.