CHapTer V

THE MYSTICAL BIRTH OF JESUS V
=as| EFORE giving the account of the birth of )) Jesus as it is recorded in the ancient Rosi- @| crucian records, I wish to call to the attention of my readers the following in- - portant points.
At the time of the birth of Jesus, the Essene Brotherhood as a part of the Great White Brother- hood was not only well established in various parts of Egypt and Palestine with its largest center of members in Egypt, located at Alexandria, and its very large community district in Galilee, but the organization maintained a great secret temple at Heliopolis in Egypt where the Supreme officers met and where the highest ceremonies of the or- ganization were held. This temple was often re- ferred to in ancient records as the temple of Helios, or the “temple of the sun.” In Palestine, a smaller temple for the sacred ceremonies of the Essenes in and around Jerusalem was located close to one of the Jerusalem gates. It was in this temple in Jeru- salem that officers of the Essene Brotherhood in
Palestine assembled for their high ceremonies. [or]
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Perhaps it is necessary to explain at this point, also, that in all the ancient temples of the Great White Brotherhood, including those of the Es senes, the young daughters of the highest members of the organization served as virgins or as Vestals for certain periods of their lives, and were under the guardianship of the organization. In all the Rosicrucian branches throughout the world today, including those’ in North America, there are several Vestals associated with each Temple or Lodge representing the spiritual consciousness of the Cosmic. These girls are always daughters of parents who have been in the organization for some time. They are highly respected and aided in every way to high attainments in all the ethical, cultural, and educational principles of the land.
With these points in mind, I now present what is probably the oldest and most complete story of the Immaculate Conception and Divine Birth of the Master Jesus, as it has been recorded and pre- served in the archives of the Rosicrucian organiza- tion in Egypt, India, and Tibet. I have had to condense the story slightly for presentation in this book, in order that the entire volume might not become too large, but I have not eliminated any essential detail nor altered any of the important mystical phrases.
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The following story is the one that is generally accepted with perfect understanding by the mys- tics of the Great White Brotherhood, and I trust that the mystics of the Western world will find in it a perfect explanation of this greatest of all mystical mysteries.
In the days of the mystic sects and sacred cults of the Great White Brotherhood of the Orient, there was one Joachim who was High Priest in the Holy Temple of Helios at the outer gates of Jeru- salem. He was a devout follower of the sacred rituals and had pledged to give all that was his to the great work. And when the time came that his wife, Anna, was to have a child they agreed that if it should be a girl, and she should show in her infancy that she was Divinely ordained, she should become a dove in the Holy Temple and remain a Virgin of the Sacred Sanctum. And in the ninth month Anna bore a child, and it was a girl as the astrologers (Magi) of the Temple, had predicted. When the days were accomplished, Anna purified herself, and gave the child the breast, and called its name Mary because the sun at birth was in the sign of Libra.
When the child was six months old it was taken by the parents to the Temple that the child might be examined and that which it carried from its last
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life revealed in the presence of the Priests and the Magi. The child was placed in the Sanctum upon its own feet, with its face toward the east, while the mother sat upon a white cloth at the foot of the Vestal Fire. The baby was urged to walk and it did walk. The Priests and Magi noticed that the child took seven steps and then knelt upon its knees before its mother in the Sanctum. And as the Magi chanted, the mother lifted up her child and cried aloud to the heavens: “As the Lord my God liveth, thou shalt not walk upon this earth until I give thee to the Temple of the Lord.” And the priests glorified in the fulfillment of the prophecy that Joachim, their High Priest, should give to the Temple a virgin.
The mother was true to her promise. She made a sanctuary in her home and placed a cloth from the Temple of Helios upon the floor on which the child Mary should walk so that she set foot not upon the earth until the day of her deliverance to the Temple. The mother suffered nothing common or unclean to pass by her child and called the undefiled Virgins of the Priests of the Temples to lead her about the improvised Sanctuary and to carry her into the rose gardens when the sun was mellow.
The child’s first birthday came and there was a
sacred feast at the home of Joachim and Anna, and [ 100 }
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all the Priests and Scribes and Magi of the Temples of the Brotherhood were present. Joachim brought the child Mary from the sanctuary to the Priests, and she was sprinkled with undefiled water, and the petals of the rose, and the Magi proclaimed her officially named Mary, the Dove of Helios. The Priests blessed her and prayed to God, saying: “O God of our Hearts, bless this child and make her name, as the Magi have just proclaimed it to be, a name to be eternally named in all generations of the sons of God.” And all present said, “So be it, So be it, Amen!” Her mother then took the Dove to the Sanctuary to give it breast and she sang a song to God saying: “I sing thee a song, O holy child, a song unto God, for He hath given me the fruit of righteousness. Harken, ye Scribes of the Twelve Kingdoms of our land, for the Holy Dove is with me and God abideth with us.” And when the feast was ended they went away rejoic- ing, each of the twelve Scribes to bring the great tidings to their Twelve Temples of the Twelve Kingdoms.
The months passed and the child became two years old and there was another birthday feast. And Joachim said, “Let us carry Mary to the Temple, that we may render the vow which we promised, lest perchance God refuse us the privi-
lege and our gift become unacceptable.” But [101]
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Anna, her mother, said: “Seest not that Mary is wise and strong for her years and blessed with an understanding not of this life but that which she carried with her to the mouth of my womb when she was born? In another year she will be stronger and of wisdom sufficient to permit her to journey to the Temple alone without her father and mother as in the past.” And Joachim agreed. And when the child became three years of age and was exceedingly bright with inner understanding, Joachim called the Priests and Scribes of the Twelve Kingdoms and invited the undefiled Vir- gins of the Priests to escort Mary to the Temple. The Virgins came with the sacred lamps burning with joy at the gift of God to the Temple. But Mary refused escort and was carried only by her Mother to the Temple gate, that her feet might not touch the earth. The Virgins were within the Temple chanting and incensing the Sanctum when Mary was received at the outer portal by the Priests of Helios. The child was then taken into the Temple and placed on the third step leading to the Altar while the Sacred Fire burned and the Priest prayed to God, saying: “God hath magni- fied His purposes and His name in all generations and through this child God will manifest His re- demption to the children of this land.” And he
blessed the child and she danced with joy and [ 102}
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walked from the Altar into the Sanctum and knelt before the Shekinah.
As the parents made their way toward the door of the Temple they turned and saw that the child asked not to go. And as the Virgins and Priests and the Scribes and Magi walked to the West of the Temple they cast rose leaves upon the kneeling child. The parents marveled at the child’s desire to remain alone in the great Temple. When they had departed and the child was alone, Mary saw her own child body floating as a Dove in the air, and from out of the space above the Shekinah there appeared a hand as though of an angel giving Mary as she floated, a morsel of food, and a voice, as if from the angel said: “Behold, this is to be thy food henceforth, for no longer shalt thou find milk at thy mother’s breast, for thou hast sucked that which God hath provided and now thou shalt eat only that which thy kin shall serve thee.”
At the time Mary became twelve years of age she was made womanly with functions which gave sign and symbol that her day had come to fulfill the vow of her parents. A council was held of the Priests and the Magi, who said: “Behold, Mary the Dove is become twelve years old and she giveth sign that her day either to dwell within the Temple or be given in marriage has come. Shall
we take her now or wait the allotted time of [ 103 ]
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twelve years and eleven months?” And the Magi replied: “Go before the Altar and ask God to show that which is right and whatever God shall manifest to thee, that also will we do.” And Joachim, as High Priest, entered the Sanctum and placed upon his official garment the triangular breastplate, and prayed for illumination. And a form appeared to him, saying, “Joachim, Joachim, go forth and summon the widowers of the Brother- hood who hath homes and let them take a sacred staff apiece, and Mary shall be given to be cared for to him to whom God shall show a sign.” And Joachim reported that which was given to him and the Scribes were informed to bring forth the widowers of their Kingdoms.
Now there was one, by name Joseph, who was of the Essene community at Galilee, and who was a devout Brother of the Temple of his Kingdom; and when he heard that all the widowers were summoned to Helios, he laid down his axe and tools with which he was building a house, and hastened to meet the others. When all the widow- ers were assembled before the Temple of Helios, the High Priest selected 144 sacred staffs and purified them before the Altar and gave each of the widowers a staff. But there was no sign given by which Joachim could tell the answer to the
selection the voice promised. Joseph was the last [ 104 }
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to receive a staff and as he lifted it in sacred salu tation to the High Priest, behold a white dove went out of the rod and hovered over the head of Joseph. And the High Priest said to Joseph: “Thou hast been allotted to receive the Virgin which hath been given to Helios, to keep with thyself in thy home.” But Joseph refused, saying he knew not what was intended by the gathering and that he had two sons and he was old, and the Virgin appeared to be a young girl not yet thirteen as was the law. The High Priest admonished Joseph, reminding him what God did to Dathan and Abiram, and Korah, how the earth opened and they were swallowed up because of their gainsaying. And Joseph feared, and offered to take the Virgin and to keep with himself the Dove of Helios. And he said to Mary: “Behold, I have received thee from the Temple of God, and I will leave thee in my house and go to finish my building and will come to thee.” And thus came Mary to live with Joseph, the widower and builder, as the Virgin of the Brotherhood.
And there came a time when the council of the priests of Helios was called to make plans for the making of a new curtain for the Temple. And the Priests said, let us call the undefiled Virgins of our Brethren and also our Dove of the Temple. And
when the call was answered there were seven [ 105 ]
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virgins. And Mary was sent for as the Dove of the Temple. When they were within the Temple, the High Priest ordered that lots should be cast to see who should spin the gold for the curtain and who should spin the green, the scarlet, the purple, the blue, and the fine linen and silk. And the true purple and scarlet fell to the lot of Mary, their Dove. And she took the materials and went away to her home.
As she worked upon her spinning there appeared to her a figure of a great Master who said: “Fear not! I come to bring thee a message of great joy, Mary, Holy Virgin and Sacred Dove of Helios, for thy day hath come to fulfill the prophecy of the Magi. Thou hast found favor with God and thy Brethren, and now thou shalt conceive from the word of God.” And when Mary heard this she disputed, saying: “Shall I conceive from the word of God? And yet shall I bear as every woman beareth?” And the voice of the figure said: “Not in the manner of thy understanding shalt thou conceive, but in the manner of thy understanding shalt thou bear. For though the lips of man may kiss thee as the hands of the High Priest hath blessed thee, so shalt the seed of man be thy heritage; but the word of God shall be breathed upon thee and its power shall make thee
holy and bless the seed that it may be of God. [ 106 }
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Wherefore, also, that Holy life which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God, and he shall attain the name Jesus because he shall be the God in Man and will become the God with men.” And Mary answered: “It shall be accord- ing to the word of God!”
Mary wrought the purple and the scarlet and took it to the High Priest. He spoke to Mary and told her he had been informed that her day had come to conceive and he blessed her and rejoiced with her, and told her that her name would be holy in all the generations of the earth. Mary went away, in time of preparation, to her cousin Eliza- beth, and stayed there until her condition was so manifest that she again sought the privacy of her home sanctuary.
Her sixth month came and Joseph returned from his housebuilding and found Mary was with child and he was surprised and sorrowful. He smote his face and threw himself upon the sack- cloth of the sanctuary and wept bitterly, saying: “With what face shall I look to my God? for I receive a Virgin, and the Dove of our Temple, and have not guarded over her and she has been defiled by man? Who hath done this thing in my home? Is not the history of Adam repeated in me?” And Joseph arose from his sackcloth and called Mary
and said to her: ‘““Why hast thou who walked the [107
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seven steps and was raised to the third step of the Holy of Holies in our Temple, permitted man to defile thee? Didst thou not receive food from the hands of an angel as a token that thou wast not to accept from the profane that which would feed thy earthly desires?” And she wept bitterly that Joseph did not know and that he should mistrust her, and she cried: “I am pure and know no man!” And Joseph was filled with awe and chal- lenged her words, saying: ““Whence then is it that thou art thus?” And she said with sweetness of voice: “As our God liveth I know not how this came but through the word! As I slept He came unto me with pureness of spirit, freed from the mortal body, and whereas He breathed not the breath of lust but spake with the breath of the word of God, I conceived in fact as God first con ceived in thought; and as the thought preceded the creation of the world, so with me the most holy of all words preceded the quickening that came upon me.”
And Joseph was afraid lest those who knew not of the laws of God would misunderstand and mis- judge, and he was in a quandary. But in the night there came to him the voice of the Master, saying: “Be not afraid, for that which she hath conceived is of the Holy Spirit, and she shall bear a son and
the Heavenly Hosts shall call his name Jesus [ 108 ]
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because the Holy Spirit, through the word of God, shall be in him.”
And there came later, a Scribe to the home of Joseph to inquire about his absence from a meeting of the Brotherhood and the Scribe saw that Mary was with child and he went forthwith to the High Priest and was ready to attest that Mary had been defiled. And the High Priest sent for Joseph and Mary and gave them hearing and listened know- ingly to Mary’s declaration of innocence and purity and then reasoned with the Scribe. The Magi consulted and it was decided that the test should be given whereby their auras would mani- fest the color of sin, if sin there be upon them. And each was given a drink from the vessel con- taining the radiant water and they were placed in the dark and naught but pureness of Light came from them and no sin was made manifest. And the High Priest said: “If the God of our Temple manifests not thy sin through His laws, then I cannot judge you.” And he dismissed them as pure in heart and clean in body.
The day came when Joseph found it necessary to journey with Mary to avoid censure because of his predicament and Mary’s strange experience. And they came to a cave where they rested at Mary’s request for she believed her hour at hand.
Joseph sought aid and met a woman who came to [ 109 J
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the cave and met Mary and heard the strange story and believed it not. And in all directions Joseph saw that the heavens and the earth and the distant people upon it were silent and motionless and he knew that the presence of God was upon the face of the earth and that some miracle was about to be wrought. While he and the woman waited in the cave, a great Light came into the darkness and repelled them and it hovered over Mary. And the Light became smaller in size and more dense in whiteness until it enveloped Mary and then slowly reduced to naught. And as Joseph and the woman watched in the silence the Light was gone and there came the cry of a baby’s voice and an angel appeared and said unto them: “At this hour, in humility of spirit, and with pureness of mind, to a Virgin in the Temple, there is now born the Son of God, conceived by the Holy Spirit through the word of God, and his name will become Jesus, for that is the name of God into which the fire of spirit and the power of the word is given. But I warn thee not to tell to the profane that which has happened, for they will believe thee not but will say that unto a Virgin some mortal man hath given child; and they will curse thee as a defiler of thy trust.”
Joseph and Mary made ready to depart from the
cave where they had been some time and were met [110]
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by the Magi who came, saying: “Where is the great King whose star in the heavens declares his birth? This hour should see him and his parents upon the highway for his hour of birth is passed.” And Joseph said: “I come unto Judea with the Son of God, not the King, for his Kingdom is not of the land but of the hearts of men.”
And when Herod heard that a great King was born who fulfilled the strange predictions of the prophets, he made inquiries and was troubled. And when the Magi of the Brotherhood heard what Herod threatened, they warned Joseph, while blessing Mary and giving to her of their script, gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And Joseph and Mary proceeded on their way by another road.
aii t
Cuapter VI THE BIRTHPLACE AND THE MAGI
V
l@X@|T MAY not be generally realized that bi2*| there is a very interesting story in con nection with the birthplace of the Holy eet! Child, and for many centuries the exact location of the place has been an impor- tant point of discussion, and is even disputed at the present time among the highest authorities.
We note in the Christian Gospel of Matthew the inference that Jesus was born in a house in Bethlehem. The words of Matthew are:
““Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold there came wise men from the East to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he that is born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East, and are come to worship him . . .. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary, his mother, and fell down and worshipped him.”
No comments are made in the usual Christian Bible in regard to the Matthew statement that Mary and the child were in a house, and this dif- ference of location usually passed unnoticed. We
must bear in mind that the writer of the Book of F113]
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St. Luke distinctly implies that the child was born in a stable, in the following words:
‘And she brought forth her first-born son and wrapped Him in swaddling-clothes and laid Him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.”
Just why the almost universal impression exists that Jesus was born in a manger when there are two different statements in that regard will be explained in a moment. The fact of the matter is that in the early Christian days there was a third version of the place of birth that was exceedingly popular and based upon information not generally revealed in the present-day Christian stories.
We find, for instance, that Eusebius, the first ecclesiastical historian, who played an important