The Childhood of Jesus

Paul S dir, pseudonym of Yvon Le Loup (1871-1926), published numerous works on Christian Mysticism and Hermeticism. He first collaborated with several esoteric movements of his time; then, following his meeting with the remarkable Christian teacher and healer Master Philippe of Lyon, he devoted himself to serving Christ. In this service he gave numerous lectures, many of which were collected and published as books. Of S dir's meeting with Master Philippe, the prolific author Dr. Gerard Encausse (Papus), wrote: "There was in S dir's life a solemn, decisive event that made him grasp the emptiness of secret sciences and societies and placed him forever upon the sole way of the gospel."

The Childhood of Jesus is the first of five volumes by S dir dedicated the gospels. Selections from each gospel are given, together with the author's panoramic commentaries. Far from being outdated, the gospels are shown to be eternally "current" guides to the inner mysteries of Christianity. S dir especially stresses that reading the gospel is useless if we do not apply it practically in our daily life. He writes: "May those who read my books keep all their emotion, all their enthusiasm, for Him who is their only Master since the creation of their souls, and who will remain their Friend unto eternity."

"S dir believed, not without reason, to have found in Master Philippe an authentic witness to spiritual reality, to Hermeticism understood in the same sense as we understand it in these Letters: as the tradition of authentic spiritual experience across the ages, which has the aspects named mysticism, gnosis, and magic."-Valentin Tomberg, Meditations on the Tarot: A Journey into Christian Hermeticism

"After the death of the Austrian thinker and seer Rudolf Steiner in 1925, when the revered Bulgarian spiritual teacher Peter Deunov was asked whether great spirits who had already died ever came to his lectures, he replied that only Rudolf Steiner and Paul S dir attended them."-Harrie Salman, Rudolf Steiner & Peter Deunov