i
who came to worship the Christ-child, were in reality the
representatives of the great Mystic Brotherhoods and Occult Orders of
the Orient--Adepts, Masters, Hierophants! And thus do we find the
Occult and Mystic "wonder workers"--the high-degree brethren of the
Great Eastern Lodges of Mystic Occultism, appearing at the very
beginning of the Story of Christianity, indicating their great
interest in the mortal birth of the greater Master whose coming they
had long waited--the Master of Masters! And all Occultists and Mystics
find pleasure and just pride in the fact that the first recognition of
the Divine Nature of this human child came from these Magi from the
East--from the very Heart of the Mystic Inner Circles! To those
so-called Christians to whom all that is connected with Mysticism and
Occultism savors of the fiery sulphur and brimstone, we would call
attention to this intimate early relation between The Musters and THE
MASTER.

THE STAR IN THE EAST.

But the Mystic story begins still further back than the visit of the
Magi to Bethlehem. Did not the Magi say, "Where is He? We have seen
His star in the East and have come to worship him." What is meant by
the words, "We have seen his star in the East"?

To the majority of Christians the "Star of Bethlehem" means a great
star that suddenly appeared in the heavens, like a great beacon light,
and which miraculously guided the steps of the Magi, mile by mile, on
their weary journey, until at last it rested in the heavens,
stationary over the house in which the child Jesus lived, between the
ages of one and two years. In other words, they believe that this star
had constantly guided these skilled mystics, occultists and
astrologers, in their journey from the far East, which occupied over a
year, until it at last guided them to Bethlehem and then stopped
stationary over the house of Joseph and Mary. Alas! that these vulgar
traditions of the ignorant multitude should have served so long to
obscure a beautiful mystic occurrence, and which by their utter
improbability and unscientific nature should have caused thousands to
sneer at the very true legend of the "Star of Bethlehem." It remains
for the Mystic traditions to clear away the clouds of ignorance from
this beautiful story, and to re-establish it in the minds of men as a
natural and scientific occurrence.

This story of the "traveling star" arose from the superstitious and
ignorant ideas of many of the Chris