Th e Mys tic al Interp retation of Chris tm as M A! HEIND EL FIVE DISSERTATIONS UPON THE SUBJECT OF CHRISTM AS FROM THE VIEWP OINT OF THE M! C S WI G O OOULT SIGNIFI STI , HO N THE CAN CE OF THIS GREAT EVENT FIRST EDITION ROSICRUCIAN FELLOW SHIP In t ern at io n al H e ad q u art e rs M t . Eccl e s ia r O ce an s id e , C al if o n ia Lo nd o n Im er l A r d . e L N . Fo wl e r C O . , 7 p ia ca Lu d gat e C irc u s COP! RIGHT 1920 R! M A! HEINDEL PRESS P reface The contents Of this book were sent in letter form to s student from time to time by the author . They o Of - es comprise nly five his ninety nine epistl . The principal feature Of these lessons is the mystic birth and a Of a de th the gre t Christ Spirit, given from the e vi wpoint Of a seer . The author received these rare gems Of truth through divine illumination . The most pronounced materialist must become convinced Of the ’ divinity of man after reading this writer s revelations on the inner significance Of the Christ and the prin ci les a p which He procl imed . Seventeen Of these booklets have been printed in ” D in book form under the title , The Web Of estiny ; ! ” E O u r E cluding The Occul t ffect f O motions , ! ” ! a —A a l Pr yer , Magic Invocation , and Pr ctica ” n N a Methods of Achievi g Success . ine h ve been ! published on the subject Of Freemasonry and Cathol ” icism as v m . re , iewed fro behind the scenes The maining sixty- eight lessons will be published in book a form s time permits . We hope that the perusal Of thi s volume on the holy life of Christ will stimul ate a greater veneration for a n w a a a o the Christi n religion , o m de ccept ble t the f reason through the inspired work O this author , whose greatest aim W hile he lived was t o bring the Christ i deal and the simple life of service closer to the hearts o f the people . Mrs . Max Heindel . ct 2 19 O . 8 , 20 . Content s I h n a a T e Cosmic Sig ific nce of Christm s . — II Spiritual Light The New Element and The New Substance III The An nual Sacrifice of Christ 23 IV The Mystic Midnight Sun V The Mission Of Christ and The Festival of the Fairies 39 anemic fiignifimme Of Christmas Once more in the course of a year we are up on the s D s i a hi eve of Christma . i s mil r is the view w ch each n of us takes Of thi s festival from that of every o e else . the a a TO devout religionist it is a se son h llowed , n W s su b sacred , a d fraught ith mystery , none the le s a lime because uncomprehended . TO the theist it is a a a silly superstition . TO the purely intellectu l it is z i as pu zle , for it s beyond re on . In the churches the story is recited of how upon L and this, the holi est night Of the year, our ord av a ul was of . S ior, imm c ately conceived , born a virgin NO a a further explan tion is made , the m tter is left to acceptance or rejection by the hearer according to his am If an as o a him temper ent . mind d re on d min te to s o a an the exclu i n Of f ith , if he c believe nothing which o a an cann t be demonstrated to the senses t y moment , he is forced to rej ect the tale as absurd and ou t Of con o a s n nce with various immutable laws Of nature . Various interpretations have been given to satisfy a an as a a . the mind , these princip lly Of tronomic l n ture set on n They have forth how, the ight between the 24th and 25th Of m the su n m the D ece ber , com ences its h j ourney from t e south to the north . He is the ! L o nd a o l in ight Of the World . C ld a f mine w u d evitably exterminate the human race if the sun re a a is a a m ined lways in the south . Therefore it c use for great rej oicing when he commences his northward ! i or . s a a f journey He then h iled as s vior , he comes ! ” ! t o a w r a s ve the orld , to give it the b e d Of as s a an a s life , he ripen gr in d gr pe . Thus he give ” his life upon the cross (ing) Of the equator (at the s e an m a pring quinox ) , d then co mences his scent into the n a n (norther ) he ven . O the night when he com mences his northward journey the zodiacal sign Virgo , ! a n a a the celesti l virgi , the ! ueen Of He ven , st nds a an is upon the e stern horizon at midnight , d there ! ” o a a a . f re , strologic lly spe king, his rising Sign Thus ! he h h is born Of a virgin wit out ot er intermediary , ” a a hence , imm cul tely conceived . Thi s explanation may satisfy the mind regarding ori in s ach the g Of the supposed uperstition , but the a wheth ing void which is in the he rt Of every Skeptic , 8 f a or un er he is aware O the f ct not , must remain til the spiritual illumination is attained whi ch Shall fur nish an explanation acceptable to both heart and s mind . TO Shed such light upon this sublime my tery s shall be our endeavor in the following p age . The immaculate conception will form the topic Of a future lesson ; just now we will Show how the material and spiritual forces alternately ebb and flow in the course ! a n a of the ye r, a d why Christm s is truly a holy day . Let us say that we subscribe to the astronomical in r r i n i of te p etat o as being as valid from ts point view, as the following is true when viewing the mystery a u birth from another ngle . The s n is born from year a a s - to ye r in the d rke t night . The world saving Christs are also born when the spiritual darkn ess Of a as of m nkind is the greatest . There is a third pect a a a is supreme import nce , n mely th t it no mere idle foolishness when P aul speaks of Christ being ! ” u I i ha are formed in yo . t s a sublime fact t t we all -in - - a an a Christs the m king , d the sooner we re lize that we must cultivate the Christ within before we h a can perceive the Christ wit out , the more we sh ll as of u r a a In h ten the day o spiritu l illumin tion . this 9 connection we again quote our favorite aphorism from A Silesiu s W 1r1 u l o ngelus , hose sublime sp t a percepti n caused him to say Though Christ a thousand times in B ethlehem be born , An d not within thyself , thy soul will be forlorn ; l ha a The Cross on Go got thou lookest to in v in , ” U w a a nless ithin thyself it be set up g in . At the summer solstice in June the earth is furthest r ra f om the sun , but the solar y strikes the earth at nearly right angles to its axis in the Northern E emis here r f h si a ti it re p , hence the high deg ee O p y cal c v y su ltin s irit a a g. Then the p ual r di tions from the sun are obli ue a a t an are as q to this p rt Of the e r h , d weak as al a r the physic r ys when they a e Oblique . At i nter solstice n o a a the w , o the ther h nd , the e rth a a a a at is ne rest the sun . The spiritu l r ys then f ll right ’ angles to the earth s surface in the Northern B emis here romotin iritu alit a activi p , p g sp y, while physic l ties are held in abeyance on account Of the Oblique angle at whi ch the Solar rays strike the surface of the a . On a a are e rth this principle , the physic l ctivities at their lowest ebb and the spiritual forces reach their 10 highest tidal flow on the night between the 24th and 25 D i o th Of ecember, wh ch is theref re the most holy ” .