This psychic reading given by Edgar Cayce at the home of Mr. and Mrs. T. Mitchell Hastings, 410 Park Avenue, New York City, this 26th day of January, 1934, in accordance with request made by self - Mr. [442], Associate Member of the Ass'n for Research & Enlightenment, Inc.

Present: Edgar Cayce; Hugh Lynn Cayce, Conductor; Gladys Davis, Steno. Mr. [442].

TEXT

1. EC: Yes, we have the entity here, [442].
2. In considering the activities of the mental and soul body of an entity, in relations to its activities or its purposes in any given experience, something of that which has been builded in the soul development is necessary to be referred to as comparison, that there may be presented in a comprehensible way and manner that for mental and soul expansion in any given activity.
3. In this entity, [442], we find in the varied experiences or appearances through its activity in the environs, more of the developments than of retardments. While in varied experiences there are seen periods when indecisions and the particular activity made for rather the retarding, in the whole we have found that with the application of that which has become apparent in the present experience - as to what has been set as the ideals and principles by which the application of life in a given appearance or experience may be in a direction or in accordance with the entity's own judgements - the development has been in accord with an ideal. Making for, then, in self, patience - which has been pointed by Him who is the Giver of life as being the qualification in every entity's experience through the application of which every entity becomes aware of possessing a soul, that birthright which is the gift of the Father to each and every entity that may be presented before the Throne of thrones, before the Holy of holies, in a holy and acceptable way and manner.
4. In righteousness, then - as is found in patience, that has become the worthy attribute of the soul of this entity, in tolerance and in patience, has come the awareness of the continuity of life - and that the soul is that which is individual of each and every body as it finds expression in the material world, which lives on and on in those environs that have been created by what that soul has seen and comprehended in its experience as being according to those directions as He, the Father, the Lord of all, would have each and every soul be.
5. Then, as we find in the experiences of this entity, these have become worthy attributes, as these are well pleasing in His eyes; so that there may only be given that injunction, "Be not weary in well-doing, for he that endureth unto the end shall wear the crown of life." The crown of life here means being aware of those abilities within self to know that the self, the ego, the I, is in accord with, is aware of, the divine protection that has and does come to each and every soul that fulfills its mission in any experience.
6. What, then, ye ask, has been the mission of this entity, this soul, in this experience? That, with that which has gone before, there may be given the opportunity as to what the soul would do about that it knows is in accordance with, in keeping with, what His injunctions have ever been to His fellow man; that ye make thy paths straight, that ye do unto thy fellow man as ye would have your fellow man do unto you; love the Lord thy God, eschewing evil, keeping the heart joyous in the service and in the tasks that are set before thee day by day, doing with a might in the Lord that thy hands find to do. For, His ways have ever been that ye grow in the grace and in the knowledge and in the understanding of the Lord and His ways. Not that ye rest idly by when there is work to do, but just being kind, just being patient, just being long-suffering with those who would err according to thine own conscience, yet in thine own life, in thine own dealings with such ye show forth that love, that patience that He hast shown with the sons of men since He has called into being BODIES - physically - that are known in the material world that these may furnish a channel through which those things that are known and accepted as being the qualifications of a spiritual life may FIND manifestations, and thus bring forth their fruits, their meats, ready for repentance.
7. For, while in humbleness of heart yet, in gladness does each soul find those things, those loads to be met day by day. And as there is the step taken here and there in the meditations (for, as He has given, "As oft as ye ask in my name, BELIEVING, it shall be done unto you"), He is faithful in His promises; for, as He has given, "I will not leave thee comfortless, but ye shall be quickened - even as the spirit in thee makes thee alive, makes thee aware of the joys that are thine through the service that thou may render to thy fellow man, in justness, in mercy, in just being kind, just being gentle to those here, there, that have become and do become thy lot to be measured with." For, there are no such things as perchance, but the law of demand, the law of supply, the laws of love are ever, ever in thine own hands day by day. For, when there comes the needs that thou shouldst show forth thy love that has been shed on thee in thy activities in a material world, the opportunities that may be measured to thy fellow man are shown. For, as He has given, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these, my little ones, ye have done it unto me."
8. Hence, in thy steps, be acquainted with the Lord. Seek, in thy secret places, that He knoweth thee aright. And there will come those answers as thou meditatest in thine inner self as to what, where and how thou shalt measure thy steps day by day. For, justice and mercy and peace and harmony are as His gifts to those that seek His face. He has given, "If ye love me, keep my commandments." His commandments are not grievous, neither do they deny thee any influence, any material things that will make for joy in thine own experience. Rather do the fruits of mercy, peace, justice and harmony make for such in thine own experience.
9. Hence, follow in the ways that are set before thee, knowing that He will call thee by name. And he that HE names is redeemed in His sight. And there is nothing to fear save self. For, as has been given, "I am persuaded there is nothing in heaven, in earth, in principalities or in powers, that may separate the soul from the love of the Father save the waywardness, the indecisions, the unkindnesses that the self may inflict upon self or the fellow man."
10. Keep the way. Feed His sheep. Tend His lambs, those that are in thy way, those thou meetest day by day. Let thine own light so shine that they may know that thou walkest, that thou talkest, oft with thy God.
11. Ready for questions.
12. (Q) Is this entity one who may properly now pursue the higher and inner development of its soul and psychic forces?
    (A) It is, as has been indicated. And in the development of the psychic forces, of the psychic influences and powers in the experience, enter into the Holy of holies, cleansing the mind, the body, in whatsoever way and manner as prepareth or bespeaketh to thee that thou mayest present thyself in body and mind as being CLEAN and ready for the acceptance of that the Lord, thy God, may give thee in the way of directions. As He has promised to be thy guide, as He has sent His Son into the earth to show thee the way, be satisfied with nothing less than those that He may guide. Let thy prayer ever be:
    THY WILL, O GOD, BE DONE IN ME AS THOU SEEST I HAVE NEED OF, THAT I MAY BE ONE WITH THEE - EVEN AS THAT I POSSESSED WITH THEE BEFORE THE WORLD WAS.
13. (Q) Are the mental and physical bodies of this entity at war with each other in such a manner as to retard its soul and psychic development at the moment and, if so, in what manner and how best to overcome such condition?
    (A) As indicated from that just given, such is not the condition. The way to meet all such, as has been indicated through these sources, is to seek in the mental mind the answer to all questions that may be presented in the things that may be thy experiences day by day, and have the answer within self as thou prayest. Then lay this answer before the Throne of grace, or mercy itself, as thou would meditate within the chambers of thine own heart, and the answer will be within self as to the necessary step, the necessary things to perform to be rid of the warring of the flesh with the spirit. While each body, each soul, in the flesh is subject to the flesh, yet - as has been given of Him, "Though ye may be in the world, ye may not be OF this world, if ye will but put your whole trust, your whole love, your whole life, in His keeping." He will not lead thee astray. He will guide, guard and direct thee, even as has been given, "He loveth every one and giveth his own life for those that will come to Him."
    In the preparations, then, for these warrings within, as has been given, meet them step by step. That that is given thee put to use, for only in the use of that which is thine own may this grow, even as patience and mercy and love and endurance and tolerance. Putting them to use they become those bulwarks that prevent an interception from carnal forces or the spirits of an evil influence. For, these are helpless in HIS sight; for He is made Lord of all.
14. (Q) Has this entity yet karmic debts from previous life experiences to be met and paid off. If so, briefly, of what nature and how best to be met with most benefit to others?
    (A) Karmic influences must ever be met, but He has prepared a way that He takes them upon Himself, and as ye trust in Him He shows thee the way to meet the hindrances or conditions that would disturb thee in any phase of thine experience. For, karmic forces are: What is meted must be met. If they are met in Him that is the Maker, the Creator of all that exists in manifestation, as He has promised, then not in BLIND faith is it met - but by the deeds and the thoughts and the acts of the body, that through Him the conditions may be met day by day. Thus has He bought every soul that would trust in Him. For, since the foundations of the world He has paved the ways, here and there entering into the experience of man's existence that He may know every temptation that might beset man in all of his ways. Then in that as the Christ He came into the earth, fulfilling then that which makes Him that channel, that we making ourselves a channel through Him may - with the boldness of the Son - approach the Throne of mercy and grace and pardon, and know that all that has been done is washed away in that HE has suffered that WE have meted to our brother in the change that is wrought in our lives, through the manner we act toward him.
15. (Q) Has this entity yet karmic debts from previous life experiences to be met and paid off in regard to his immediate family? If so, briefly, of what nature and how best to be met with most benefit to them?
    (A) No karmic debts from other sojourns or experiences enter in the present that may not be taken away in that, "Lord have Thy ways with me. Use me as thou seest fit that I may be one with Thee."
16. (Q) In the previous experiences given for this entity, his experiences seem to have been mostly in the economic fields. Why, then, has his present urge always been to express self through some form of art?
    (A) Art and its higher meanings are meeting the economic influences in man in his every experience. That is easily seen by this entity, as it studies for the moment as to how that he has visualized God's glory in the earth and that man uses in his daily needs is but an expression of how those economic forces in the needs of the body of the man are blessed in their whole sense or terms.
    Hence as the expression of this art in the soul of self to give expression to these very influences of nature itself that are the closest manifestations of the love of a merciful Father to a wayward son, it shows to the entity in his studies that these are but the expressions that may in their measures be meted to man in such a way and manner as may make him aware of the love of the Father. Not so much the obligation that man is to a merciful Father, but rather the privilege of the man in the presence of a merciful Father. Rather as the love of the man to the fellow man in the presence of Him who gives mercy and peace and life in all its phases in the experience of man, that he may but come to know His ways the better.
17. (Q) Had this entity any previous experiences on this earth during the Italian Renaissance Period, or during the Roman Period, and if so, briefly, in what periods and for what purpose?
    (A) In both of these periods we find the activities of the entity, rather in the one in the expression of the physical forces of the body - in the Roman period - as in the gladiator's activity; while in the Renaissance we find rather the expression of self in - yes, some of the oils - Reese (?) - Reese (?) is a portion of that assigned - in one of the caves - now it's on a wall in - on a wall in a cave. These expressions were to give, as it were, the combination of all the periods into one.
    For the moment turn thy mind, my brother, to what has been meant in the variations of manifestations in the flesh, and in the spirit or in the soul body in its sojourn in the environs of other spheres - where there are the manifestations, as has oft been pointed out, of one particular activity; that is, one enters for a specific activity in Mars, Mercury or Venus, and in Saturn for that cleansing that must come to all that have departed from the earth and have not kept the ways clean. But in the earth we find ALL rolled into one, with a body and a body-mind for self-expression.
    Hence, as has been given in regard to the appearances and their associations with the economic forces and influences in the experiences of a people, so has the influence in the present brought to thine experience the necessities of the activities in these directions; yet that may be expressed in this material plane, this earth's activity, by self in those visualizations, in those activities in the material things, in the meeting of the things in the daily activities of life, that may find expression in ALL of those things that may be found throughout the spheres. For, as has been given by Him, "Other sheep I have that are not of this fold," for they were on their journey that they, too, might come and hear His voice, from His children and His brethren that would make known His ways. What, ye ask again, are His ways? Just being kind, just being patient, just that as He gave, "A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another, that ye love thy neighbor as thyself, that THOU would stand in thy neighbor's stead. Not to everyone that saith Lord, Lord, shall be called, but he that doeth the will of the Father." So in thine judgements, in the associations, he that doeth the will - or seeks to know the will, He may thy ways guide, He may thy acts manifested in His experience bring to the soul the knowledge of thy walks with thy God. Hence, as has been said, when thou prayest, let thy meditation be: "Use me, O God, as thou seest I may better serve thee; in my waking moments, in my walks and my dealings with my fellow man, be Thou the guide."
18. We are through.

    Copy to Self
    Copy to Ass'n file

BACKGROUND

1. See 442-1, his Life Reading on 11/15/33.

REPORTS

1. Subsequently he obtained Ck. Physical Rdgs. 442-4 and 442-5.

Edgar Cayce Readings © 1971, 1993, 1994, 1995 by the Edgar Cayce Foundation