red
to press the Magi into his service as detectives, by pretending to
join in their desire to locate the Divine Child.

The Magi traveled on to Bethlehem, and arriving there made diligent
inquiry regarding infants that had been born about the time that the
star appeared. There were many infants born in Bethlehem during the
same month, of course, and the search was difficult. But they soon
heard strange rumors about a babe that had been born to travelers in
Bethlehem about that time, the birth of whom had been attended by a
strange occurrence. This peculiar happening is related in Luke 2:8-20,
in which it is stated that at the time of the birth of Jesus in the
manger, certain shepherds keeping the night-watch over their flocks
saw an angel standing by them, and "the glory of the Lord" shining
around about them. And the angel bade them be not afraid, for to them
was to be given tidings of great joy, for there was born that very
day, in Bethlehem, one who was to be the Anointed Lord of the world.
And the angel further directed them that the babe would be found lying
in a manger in a stable, wrapped in swaddling clothes which was to be
their sign. And then suddenly the place was filled with a multitude of
supernatural beings, praising God, singing, "Glory to God in the
highest, and on earth peace and good-will among men." And the
shepherds flocked to the town, and there found the child in the
manger. And they spread abroad the report of the wonderful event
accompanying the birth of the child. And consequently the child and
its parents became objects of more or less public interest.

And so when the Magi instituted their search they were in due time
informed of this strange occurrence. And they visited the house of
Joseph and Mary and saw the Babe. Making close inquiry of the parents,
they found that the time of the child's birth tallied precisely with
the moment of the astrological signs. Then they cast the Child's
horoscope and they knew that their shepherd's vision coincided with
their own science, and that here indeed was He for whom the Eastern
Occultists and Mystics had waited for centuries. They had found the
Master! The Star Child was before them!

Then these Great Men of their own lands--these Adepts, Masters and
Hierophants--prostrated themselves on the ground before the child and
gave him the salutation due only to the great Occult Master of Masters
who was come to take his seat upon the Throne of the Grand Ma