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 Master of
the Great Lodge. But the child knew naught of this, and merely smiled
sweetly at these strange men in gorgeous foreign robes, and reached
out his little hand toward them. But Occult tradition has it that the
tiny fingers and thumb of his right hand, outstretched toward the
Magi, unconsciously assumed the mystic symbol of the Occult
Benediction, used by the Masters and Hierophants (and now used by the
Pope in Papal Benediction) and gave to the worshippers that Master's
benediction. The tiny Master of Masters thus gave his first blessing
to his followers, and exalted worshippers. But His Throne was not that
of the Great Lodge, but a still higher place--the knees of a Mother!

And the Magi then made mystic and symbolic offerings to the
child--Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh offered they Him. Gold, signifying
the tribute offered to a Ruler, was the first symbol. Then came
Frankincense, the purest and rarest incense used by the Occult and
Mystic Brotherhoods and Orders, in their ceremonies and rites, when
they were contemplating the sacred symbol of the Absolute Master of