Another feminine Initiate of the Essenian Order who had also advanced far upon the path of soul attainment was Elisabeth, wife of the high priest Zacharias and a cousin to the blessed Virgin. Both Zacharias and Elisabeth, like Joseph and Mary, were Essenes, and received an angelic annunciation and were the agents of an immaculate conception and holy birth through which that ego described by the Master as the "greatest born of woman" returned to earth, in the person of John the Baptist.

   Both Mary and Elisabeth knew their sons before their incarnation, while as yet they were among the Angels of heaven, and it was the soul-call of these two great Masters which awakened the latent spiritual powers of the women destined to be their mothers in the flesh. Elisabeth's visit with Mary, the memorable weeks which they spent together companioned by Angels in the solemn sanctity of the hill country, was a high adventure of spirit which is emblazoned upon the cosmic records for the emulation of all prospective mothers for all time.

   If the Gospel of Luke is read carefully it will be observed that the ego who was to bear the name of John the Baptist was at this time already working with his mother Elisabeth in the preparation of his physical vehicle, and that he, as a spirit recognized the coming of Mary and greeted her with joy.

   To such exalted beings there are no barriers between the inner and outer planes, nor between life and so-called death. They function always in the sublime state of conscious and continuous being and becoming.

   Elisabeth and John were alike benefited by the visit with Mary. The story of their communion together, these two holy women and the Master-egos who were to be their sons, amid the silence of the secluded hill country, is one of the most beautiful of all biblical gems and will serve as an inspiration for every New Age mother.

   Every prospective mother is influenced by the spirit that is incarnative through her men during the months of ecstasy. The holy Mary was particularly susceptible to the tremendous spiritual forces of the high master Jesus. She walked with a new beauty and grace; her words passed an ever greater wisdom than formerly and the radiations of light that surrounded her were dazzling to ordinary vision.

   The moment Mary entered the garden of Elisabeth, the latter was suffused with the power of spirit and she greeted Mary as the mother of heaven's anointed. Mary, too, was lifted into an exaltation of consciousness wherein she saw the role that Elisabeth would assume in the life of Jesus. In gladness and thanksgiving she sang the beautiful words. "My soul doth magnify the Lord."

   During the visitation Marv occupied Elisabeth's shrine or prayer room and many were the ecstatic hours of spiritual communion that these two prospective mothers spent together in that room and in the lovely, quiet garden. This was, indeed, a passing of the three most important months of the prenatal epoch in the hill country of physical beauty and also in the hill country or the heights of spiritual knowing.

Luke 1: 5-14.
There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.
And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord, blameless.
And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.
And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office before Goal in the order of his course,
According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.
And the whole multitude of the people were praying without, at the time of incense.
And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.
And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said unto him, Fear not Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.
And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.

   The birth of John the Baptist, like that of Jesus, was preceded by an angelic Annunciation and an Immaculate Conception. Zacharias means "God's remembrance," and Elisabeth, "God's oath." Only the highest spiritual attainment permitted the priest of Zacharias' time to present the offering of incense on the golden altar in the Holy Place during the time of prayer. It was when Zacharias was engaged in the performance of this sacred rite that the Angel of the Annunciation appeared before him. The ceremony of presenting the incense on a special golden altar within the Holy Place is a veiled description of the building of the soul body, the Golden Wedding Garment, which is woven of the sublimated essence of deeds of love and service performed by the aspirant, hence symbolized by the presentation of incense upon a special golden altar.

   Zacharias, through great spiritual illumination, was enabled to look into the future. In the superphysical worlds time and space are nonexistent; all is an eternal here and now. In these high realms Zacharias saw the prophet Elias returning to earth, and he prophesied thus: "And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." (Luke 1: 17) Zacharias saw furthermore that it was to be his great privilege to prepare a physical body for the use of this great spirit during its mission upon earth.

Luke 1: 19-23.
And the angel, answering, said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stands in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee; and to show thee these glad tidings.
And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.
And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple.
And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless.
And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house.

   These high experiences are impossible of literal translation in the language of men. For this reason the secrets of Initiation must always remain veiled to the many. They are revealed only to those who are able to receive them. One to whom this revelation comes must always remain silent to those waiting without that Holy Place, even though they know that he has received a vision in the temple. It is an experience that will always cause the recipient to be "dissimilar" from the average individual. A strange radiance suffuses his aura; his words, both spoken and written, possess a vibrancy of life that eludes adequate description; and his creations, whether they be expressed in the written word or through some art form will be charged with inner meanings recognizable to those who are treading this same path of inner illumination.

Luke 1: 57-64.
Now Elisabeth's full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son.
And her neighbors and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her,
And it came to pass that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias after the name of his father.
And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John.
And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name.
And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called. And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote saying, His name is John.
And they marvelled all.
And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God.

   The mystic legends add that John was blessed with a beautiful childhood and that the spirit of God constantly illumined his face and speech.

   When Herod issued the decree that all male children under three should be slain, Elisabeth took her young son, Yohan (the name of life), into the desert, where no person lived. Angels accompanied them and protected them on their journey. The soldiers of Herod killed Zacharias before the sanctuary when he told them, in reply to their demand that the child be surrendered to them, that the infant had been taken into the desert for safe-keeping.

   The focusing point of the evil forces most active at this time was concentrated in the court of Herod. Herod had a double motive in slaying the innocents: first, he wanted to frustrate the work which the great spiritual Hierarchies were endeavoring to consummate upon the earth through Jesus; secondly, it was a means of procuring,for his evil purposes,the magical forces stored in the vital essence of the blood of the pure and innocent victims.

   Both the White and the Black Brotherhood have a method of transferring the essence of the blood into "something else." This truth is depicted in that strange hieroglyph of Abraham, the Jew, discovered by the alchemist Flamel. In this is shown the force that was generated through the massacre of the Innocents and was later employed in the nefarious practices of Herod and his court.

   There was always an intimate soul tie between Mary, her cousin Elisabeth and their sons Jesus and John. At the time of Herod's persecution of the children, Mary warned Elisabeth in spirit,to hide with John in the desert and as the Holy Family passed near their hiding place, both joyously greeted them in spirit.

   When Christ's herald, John the Forerunner, was quite young, his mother passed from earth, whereupon the boy was taken in charge by a holy man of the desert to be prepared for his mission. Death offered no barrier to John's companionship with his Initiate parents, Elizabeth and Zacharias, nor did time and space of the physical plane. Mary and Jesus were often with him and the two boys grew together in "stature and in wisdom."

   This beautiful relationship of spirit only waxed stronger and more vibrant with the passing of the years. During the imprisonment of this brave pioneer-martyr for Christ, Mary and the blessed Lord often visited him. Warned of their approach by the great light suffusing his cell, he would fall to his knees in adoration and reverence. These two were with him, as were hosts of Angels,when the time of his martyrdom came and this high spirit passed from darkness into Light, a willing sacrifice in the name of his Lord.

 — Corinne Heline