The “True” Star of Bethlehem (January 6, 6 BCE)
Over time, I have researched and written about Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem in the early part of 6 BCE. Even now, there are those that would suggest March 6, 5 BCE, but they are not astrologers and therefore have no complete understanding of the Magi, who were spiritual seekers and followers of the Star.
Now the traditions of the Occult Orders inform us that at last the Magi witnessed a peculiar conjunction of planets; first, the conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter, in the Constellation of Pisces, the two planets being afterward joined by the planet Mars, the three planets in close relation of position, making a startling and unusual stellar display, and having a deep astrological significance. Now, the Constellation of Pisces, as all astrologers, ancient and modern, know, is the constellation governing the national existence of Judea. Seeing the predicted conjunction of the planets, occurring in the Constellation having to do with Judea (as well as the relative positions of the other planets, all of which played its part in the observation), the Magi knew two things, i.e., (1) that the birth of the Master of Masters had occurred; and (2) that He had been born in Judea, as indicated by the constellation in which the conjunction occurred. And, so, making the calculation of the exact moment of the conjunction, they started on their long journey toward Judea in search of the Master of Masters.
Atkinson, William Walker. Mystic Christianity: The Inner Teachings of the Master (p. 12). GENERAL PRESS. Kindle Edition.
In essence, this is the same journey I made in 1996. That seems a lifetime ago now.
And, in the third place, the calculations of Modern Astronomy show without possibility of contradiction that in the Roman year 747 (or seven years before the Christian Era) the planets Saturn and Jupiter formed a conjunction in the Constellation of Pisces, and that these two planets, still in close position to each other, were joined by the planet Mars in the Spring of 748. The great astronomer Kepler first made this calculation in the year 1604, and it has been since verified by modern calculations. To those who would object that all this occurred seven years before the commonly accepted date of the birth of Christ, we would say that any modern work on New Testament Chronology, or any encyclopedia or reference work on the subject, will show that the former calculations were several years out of the way, and that the records of other events mentioned in the Bible, such as the “enrollment” of the people, which brought Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem, enable modern Biblical scholars to fix the date of the birth of Christ at about six or seven years before the usually accepted time. So that modern research fully corroborates the astrological record and the Mystic traditions.
Atkinson, William Walker. Mystic Christianity: The Inner Teachings of the Master (pp. 12-13). GENERAL PRESS. Kindle Edition.
Using astrology as my benchmark, I moved the date forward from January 6, 6 BCE to February 24, 6 BCE in order to get Mars to meet and split the conjunction between Jupiter and Saturn. That’s still not springtime, but it matches better that March 6 of the next year. This makes me think that the ‘experts’ are trying to give Jesus a birthdate that is as far away as possible from our modern day Christmas.
