Amid the rush and confusion, the noise and excitement that always accompany the Christmas festival, it is well to slip away from outer activities and enter into the mystic rhythm of the season's solstitial life. In this holy time a miracle of heaven and earth is transpiring all about and within us, but earth dimmed senses fail to take cognizance of it.
Those who would experience something of the inner plane glories of the time will discover that immeasureable help is gained from frequent meditation upon the subject of spiritual Light; for the rhythm of this celestial festival is keyed to that Interior Light never seen on land or sea but which is nonetheless the one true Light of the world: the Light that shines in darkness. St. John the Divine, the White One, most advanced of biblical Initiates, relates in the opening chapter of his Gospel some small part of the cosmic story of the Word made flesh, and gives an intimation of the bliss that was his as he witnessed the sublime Ceremonial of the Inward Light.
The Life Ray of the Christ ensouls the whole earth globe. Therefore, when properly understood, Christmas or the Christ Mass is not a Christian festival only. It belongs to the world. It extends to all kingdoms of life. There is profound occult truth concealed in the legends telling how lowly animals, birds, and even plants, participated in the Rite of the Nativity. Literally every life wave on earth experiences intimately the inflow of divine Light as the Cosmic Christ Force reaches the heart of the planet and concentrates there in the form of a glorious mystic Star, whose influence permeates the globe, transforming it into a mass of shimmering gold. From lowest to highest, each living thing absorbs this Light according to its capacity to receive; even the mineral kingdom is stirred in the depths of its unconsciousness.
Associated with the Nativity are the Rites of Purification of the Virgin and Circumcision of the Child. In mystic terminology the latter is called "the Octave of the Nativity", for it takes place eight days after the birth. It may be said of this Rite that cosmically interpreted it has reference to the work of planetary purification carried forward by the Hierarchies of Capricorn and Aquarius who. utilizing the vibratory powers of celestial song, gather up and destroy the dark, deadly miasma which continually renews itself in the earth's psychic atmosphere. We have seen how Michael deals with this "dragon" at the Autumn Equinox, at the first inflowing of the Christ wave. His season extends to the Winter Solstice, when Gabriel takes over the reins of spiritual government and the angelic Hosts under his authority assume the labor of "redeeming the dragon."
Although the dark miasma is moment by moment replenished by man's continuing evil, yet with every passing year the cloud be comes less dense, and therefore more easily dissolved by the golden Christ Fire burning in the planet's heart at Christmastide. The annual repetition of the planetary Rite of Purification raises the vibrato1y rhythms of earth a bit closer to the keynote of the "New Song" mentioned by St. John, which is the musical keynote of the whole planetary chain ruled by the Solar or Cosmic Christ. This is the note concealed in the mystic Word with which the beloved Disciple opens his Gospel.
In the early days of the real initiatory Church in Palestine, the Mysteries of St. John were enacted to teach followers of this blessed Disciple how to attune themselves with the solstitial and equinoctial Life, and how to submerge themselves in its redeeming Light. The first chapter of John's Gospel holds the key to this illumi nation; hence, inspired teachers of the Mysteries have urged their pupils to make use of its mantramic power in their daily meditations. It is truly a celestial song, set in the measures of the planetary rhy thms, having the power to lift the heart closer to that Love which is the Life and Light of the universe. One of our greatest modern mystics has declared that, if it be rightly understood, an aspirant needs no other spiritual textbook than the Gospel of John.
On Holy Night, when the golden glory of the Spiritual Sun irradiates the earth globe from its center, it is easiest for the Inner Sun of the human spirit to be kindled into a flame so bright that the multitudinous wonders of the spiritual worlds are revealed in its light. During the long, dark hours of that holiest of nights the doors of the Temple stand open to those humble ones who wait without, for they have worthily walked in His Way and may now be numbered among the "newly born" and hailed by angelic messengers as Children of Light. Upon this number of the "newly born", slowly increasing from year to year, humanity must depend for the establish ment of the fellowship of Spirit which alone can bring about a last ing peace among men and nations.
— Corinne Heline
