From Mother Ruth:
It is said there is one Way but many paths that lead thereto, and we have seen different routes that souls have traveled to find spiritual illumination, each according to the nature or need of the individual.
Looking at the lovely and literal story of Jesus’ birth, one may glimpse a symbolical pattern suggesting different paths whereby the seeker might come to the newborn Light of spiritual illumination.
Those of the inn, which is overly filled with material concerns, have no room to spare and pass up the opportunity.
The shepherds, in their quiet simplicity, are receptive to angelic vision and trustfully obey instructions to find the Light.
Those more learned or highly-placed, through occult wisdom and study of the universe, travel a longer and more arduous route to the Light, but give freely of their goods.
Mary and Joseph have been previously initiated and are already there, as chosen channels to bring the blessed Light to humanity. – RMR, Dec. 2003
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Ernest Holmes, in Science of Mind magazine for December 1985, wrote of Christmas and the meaning of the shepherds and the wise men. The shepherds represent simple faith, heart, feeling and intuition, and to those qualities the angels appear to declare peace and to tell where to find the Christ child. They quickly and joyfully accept this, without question, and go to find him.
The Magi, coming from a distance, follow a star. They have calculated from their store of knowledge approximately when and where the Child would be born. They represent the searching intellect.
These two approaches to religion aptly represent the ways of the heart and of the head. Might they also show two eras or Ages? The Christian church of the Piscean Age represented by the shepherds, and the Aquarian approach by the Magi? Aquarius is an Air (mental) sign, which rules the study of the stars. It is also believed that the Magi arrived about a year later, when Mary and Joseph were living in a house.
We all enjoy the feeling of being snug and cozy on Christmas day with our own family all about. But deep inside persists another feeling, that perhaps stems from the first Christmas when there was “no room at the inn”. Our hearts reach with yearning to be out there with the lonely and forgotten folk, to share with them this holy day.
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The lights we put on at Christmas time, the festivity and gaiety, are akin to the affirmation made by a metaphysician. It is a declaration of light in the midst of darkness, of warmth when the world shivers with cold, and of health when there is an appearance of illness.
Jesus came as the Light of the world to affirm salvation where there appeared to be none, and he brought God’s love to those who felt abandoned. So is faith a brave declaration where there is no outward evidence to back it up.
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Christmas is a gift of beauty on all levels, from the most spiritual to the mundane. At the time of year when it might otherwise be most dark and somber with cold, even lonely, there is brought Light and lights, twinkling to overcome the dark and cheer the heart with beauty and renewal of the Promise from God. There comes cheer and warmth of heart, with people seeking other people in the best of ways, to give or to bless them with love and caring, recompensing for the warmth and light the earth has temporarily hidden away.
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“Yea, and thine own soul a sword shall pierce – that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed,” prophesied Simeon to Mary. This is not in comparison with Mary, but in some odd way the pains of the aftermath of Father’s passing certainly pierced some hearts and indeed revealed, and has continued to reveal in the years since, the thoughts of many hearts. What was there, not showing clearly before, has come out; the pure have shown purity and some others the reverse.