But the Magi, being warned by higher intelligences in a vision, did not return to the wily and crafty Herod, but “departed unto their own country another way.” (Matt. 2:12.) And Herod waited in vain for their return, and finally discovering their escape wrathfully ordered the massacre of all male children that had been born in Bethlehem and its suburbs of two years of age and under.  He calculated the two years from the witnessing of the “star” by the Magi.  Matthew 2:16 states the story of the fixing of the time as follows: 

“And slew all the male children that were in Bethlehem, and all the borders thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he exactly learned of the wise men.”

Herod sought to kill the feared Messiah—­the King of the Jews, who threatened to drive him from his earthly throne—­by killing all the male infants in Bethlehem that had been born since the astrological indication as stated by the Magi.

But this plot failed, for Joseph had been warned by “an angel in a dream” (which mystics teach was the Astral Form of one of the Magi) and was told to take the mother and child and flee into Egypt, and to stay there until the death of Herod.  And so Joseph, Mary, and Jesus then fled from the wrath of Herod, and stole silently away to Egypt.  And the Occult traditions have it that the expenses of the journey of this poor carpenter and his family—­that journey into strange lands, hurried, and without the chance to earn money along the way—­was accomplished by the means of the Gold that the Magi had offered to Jesus, and which they had insisted upon his parents storing away for His use.  And so the gold of these Occult Mystics saved the founder of Christianity from massacre.  And how poorly has Christianity repaid the debt, when one thinks of the persecutions of the Oriental “heathen” by the so-called Christians of all times!

And note this—­they carried the child to Egypt, the home of Mystery and Occultism—­the land of Isis!  A worthy resting place for the Great Occult Master that was to be!  And Occult tradition also has it that one night, wearied with their long journey, the family halted and passed the night in the place of the Sphinx and Pyramids.  And that the Mother and Babe rested between the outstretched forepaws of the mighty Sphinx, which held them safe and secure, while Joseph threw himself on the base before them, and slept on guard.  What a scene—­the Master as an infant protected by the Sphinx, that ancient Occult emblem and symbol, while close by, reared like mighty watchful sentinels, stood the Great Pyramids of Egypt, the master work of Egypt’s Mystics, every line and inch of which symbolizes an Occult Teaching.  Verily, indeed is Christianity cradled in the lap of Mysticism.

Thus endeth our First Lesson.  The Second Lesson will take up the Mystic Teachings regarding the Divine Incarnation of the Spirit in the mortal body of Jesus—­a subject of the greatest importance to all who are troubled with this difficult point.  We hope to be able to shed the Mystic light of Truth upon this corner which so many have found dark, non-understandable, and contrary to reason, natural law and science.  The Mystic Teachings are the great Reconciler of Faith and Reason.