8/15/46 Letter from [
531]: "Dear friends: Precisely last
week I was thinking about the Association, and later one
evening had found a mimeographed sheet with a picture of our
old friend Mr. Cayce (may his soul rest in peace) while
wondering if anyone individual has been able to take up his
work? These days of super-ego, religious national
antagonism, over-zeal, gossip, jealousy and factors
accentuated with a skepticism that challenges everything,
while bio-chemistry appears to want and want to get a lead in
the dilemma of life, masquerading as a search for truth - the
entire human race is involved in that mysterious situation to
which Goethe referred in one of his books, and men who
learned to trace their life in the fortitude of so called
'spiritual' things are very often set aside. I could be
considered superstitious, where any explanation given could
be taken with a 'grain of salt.' My convictions are that in
the essence of life there is no doubt a 'something' which few
men have been able to tap, know how to use for the welfare of
the race, and consider it as 'something' where no dictionary
can define, what our educators may call 'spirituality',
'grace' or 'sanctification'. That is, the, let's say
'domain' which governed many men in the past, and guided most
strongly that man which men crucified, called, Jesus.
"Gems like many things have their legend, their beginning,
and what may seem mythical created by the mind of men, is a
'thought' which can be transferred, increased or decreased to
become a something, a realization. It can be termed an
illusion, vision, dream, fallacy, anything, where regardless
it was created and originated what may be termed speculation,
auto-suggestion, etc., but what can be a strong belief, as
strong as the assumption or anything we want to realize and
do realize knowing that no matter how you turn it around, the
thought must come and end in truth, love, respect - good
things - in order to live, let's say eternally.
"When Cayce gave me a first reading I was tired from
overwork, from humble, moderate aspirations; where I knew I
would gain most by serving best, and if my physical being did
not respond to the power of my mind, I can't say that I was
at fault, but blame it in the hustle bustle, surrounding of
business and possibly the individuals around me - let's say
the mental influences; and since I felt sick and found relief
in proceeding just as Cayce said, it is fitting that again I
should say I earnestly believed in his work, moreover as I
felt improved. Truly he wrote me about a ruby, and I must
say I always had fascination, like perhaps most people, for
rare gems, beautiful stones, where I could never afford to
have any such valuable items, yet hoped someday to work in a
store specializing in out of the ordinary stones. While I
have studied about gems, all I have done is admire them -
whenever I saw a zircon with its blueish-greenish tints and I
looked for the 'reddish' spectrum I was seeking that contrast
which in reality gave the stone some life, regardless of the
art of the lapidarist. In a way it was sort of a leaning to
a hobby which I have never been fortunate enough to follow,
and where I haven't any other hobby than fishing with the
disappointing experience that I get a lot of sun, and rarely
even a minnow!
"Do not remember how I came to be in possession of a small
stone a few months after the reading, and far from being a
genuine ruby with its wine and carmine colors or tints, to me
it was a 'ruby' though it could have been termed a garnet
because of its leaning towards pomegranate tint, which
never - as some rubies have - verged into a violet spectrum.
I admired the little stone while it hanged on my chain,
holding an old watch which I had for over 35 years, and
someway, somehow, watch, chain and 'ruby' disappeared; I lost
it, or misplaced it, or perhaps was stolen. I lost some
documents, papers, etc. as I have misplaced or lost some old
coins given to me by friends, though I am not a
collectionist, or a philatelist, or a collector of gems, as
'Mr. Green' could be. All I know that the green of the
emerald reflected the same hopes I have had for years to
become of real value of broad minded men, and to make for
myself a moderate success for the sake of my family, and
nothing surprises me; as it seems, since the beginning of the
first world war I have sort of walked like in a trance, and
at the outset of this second war, as if among spider webs.
As my physical being gets older and I examine myself,
reasoning I hope, as if my memory had been attacked, where, I
do know that up to that time I had my 'ruby' I was more
contented, and today I miss the contentment I had when I knew
I possessed the stone, as naturally I felt possessed of
other, just as valuable invisible attributes, where I lived,
let lived and hoped.
"Many times I would sit down in my office, and as the sun
shined I would take this little stone - which fascinated me -
and mirrored it against the sun rays, to see it reflect in
the wall, and particularly I could see the 'sun' mirrored,
photographed as if in a microscope, on the top, or table of
the stone. Diverting my thoughts, amused perhaps, I would
turn towards my work with new impetus, an invigoration, as if
I had taken a little rest, where no other rest outside of my
own meditation of my own free-will, could replace my inner
feelings. I liked my small stone, and many are the times
that I admired it, though it may have been of a very low,
almost intrinsic material value. Last night precisely my
wife thought she had seen the stone and my chain, together
with an old lapiz-azule (my birth stone) but we looked high
and low and could not find it. We have lost or misplaced
many items, so we just let it go at that, and apparently
today my little stone, which I had forgotten, is gone.
Perhaps someday I may have, and will want to have another
one, now that this matter came to my attention. It could be
a stone alike, or a real genuine ruby - which as 'grace' you
cannot buy - it comes, or it is sent and that is that. I do
remember now, as you have opened the storeroom of my mind,
that when I was a child someone man from Utah, I think give
me a pin with a pink stone, which I cherished, as a gift, but
then too it was stolen or lost or misplaced. Today it
wouldn't matter, it's really gone, but, I was a
happy-go-lucky fellow, and didn't know there was so much bile
in the World. If I get a stone, naturally now I would be
more careful to watch its effects without disclosing the
cause, because I feel that stones are things, expressions to
the eye, or feeling, as the picture of Washington or the
conception of the Saviour represents. As Melchizedek, or
Debussy, or Wagner, or Israel, or the Virgin Mary, as
anything that is not repulsive, does represent to any mind,
educated or not. It's all within the individuality, yes the
interpretation is within the person itself. Someday again -
who knows - I'll have another 'ruby'.
"I feel that most stones - particularly rare gems found and
to be found in the breast of mother earth, etc., carry,
because of mythology, or any other expression a
'hard-to-discern' logic of events and developments, where
even as I have studied gems, legends, etc. such study will
not affect my conviction, that they are part of the
illuminative wisdom of the Creator for men to make good use
of them, in honor, esteem, truth - thus no different than a
thing of the spirit, difficult for many to feel, as what
could be termed 'psychic' vibrations, could be called an
auto-suggestion, where a saintful, good, normal individual,
would be as attacked as the Saviour himself if he were to
Come back to earth. These days of imprudence, habit and
antecedents seeking, the formation of a world trying to
compete with reason and God, if Jesus was to arrive a Radar
would be searching all over heaven for him, some electronic
device would be listening to his conversations, and the
curiosity plus, would torment, indirectly the man who has
done the most for the human race. So you see, my friends,
our scientific world with its present days systems and
rationalism (?) makes it very difficult for the average
layman to express such feelings, where it could mirror on a
certain experience, as on a certain possession, where if we
all learned to see ourselves and navigate in the belief and
faith that made the Master exemplary of a dignity which men
had tried to destroy for over 1500 years, then we could
learn, as we feel 'in the way of God' mysterious, seemingly
slow, sure and yet invisible, that things we cherish would
help in meditation, in decision, in plans. Looking back,
again I'll say I was contented when I had the ruby.
"Great thoughts have turned into valuable contributions to
the human race, from seemingly unknown persons, thoughts
arising from meditation by free-will, without any outside
interference, and those who have learned to be in good, of
good and truth, have lived to naturally never parallel the
wisdom of God, of nature, of creation, but could also 'thank'
some little trinket attached to a watch chain, which has been
cherished for sentimental value. Yes, while our hands played
unconsciously with a ring, or a pin, or while smoking a
cigarette or cigar we enjoy and cherish, or tapped a pencil
against the desk - consciously or not - there has arisen
light where there was darkness. Be it the stone, the
trinket, the pencil, the thought itself, the hand of mystery
solved a problem, when men had the right to attribute it to
something that directly or indirectly is attached to the
soul. Stones, gems, anything to which there is attached a
soul value, an appreciation - as anything which some loved
person gives, may turn to be another chapter in the book of
superstitions, or the logical developments of life, but if we
weigh all the explanations written about gems, and try to go
back to the beginning - much of which I have read - am lead
to feel, as on things I never read before that there is a
'something' as hard to explain as when you pray in
earnestness, or the man who is drowned, to others, has saved
himself because of FAITH, Certain Faith!
"The unfortunate thing is that things doubted or not found in
facts and evidences, are derailed, attacked, where I would
say contempt without real, truthful, honorable examination is
a sign of ignorance, and as all things in the Universe are
part of creation, that which leads to honor and truth will
survive, and that which leads to evil - what more proof do
you want then the war just ended? - not matter how
represented is subjected to the law of adjustment, where the
supremacy of God is in everything that is good and noble.
The spiritual value of a true gem, is higher than its
material asset, and men as a whole is a gem in the chysalisis
[chrysalis] - so is everything he discovers for good - good
that is love, hope, aspirations, truth.
"I miss the stone and if we feel effect and cause as logical
developments, I must say that now I miss it more. I liked
it. It had sort of a God given right, in which the tool of
many men may have attacked its physical make up, while some
may have while laboring honestly, diligently, in the spirit
may have put a beauty that attracted me. I learned to like
it, to tinker with it, as something that was indicated to me
from a stranger who became a friend, and I learned to respect
as a man. Often it would take me back to its origin, how
come, what for, etc., where today I am not contented as I was
years ago, where perhaps some green eyed monster or some one
may have come into my way of living to satisfy his ego or his
own potentials over mine, for no reason at all, where if I
analyze myself prudently seeking to make the twilight of my
life more serene, it would seem to me the lack of
spirituality in others based on the experiences and tries and
trials of the past, coupled to my own ego can be taken as
reasons for my state of mind where am far from being a
pathological case, but I sort of retreat, meditate, try to
think and think, feeling that if my every days acts are
worthy of the guidance of my Creator, just as I felt very
contented, differently when I had the stone, may be someday
I'll have another, to caress it and cherish it till I fall
asleep. In that union with my creator, in that
interpretation of my inner self which the stone carried, and
so far as I have misplaced or lost, the aspirations I had to
be more successful, moderately, than what I have been since
the beginning of the war, and, possibly since I lost the
stone too, (as I do not have any recollection as to when, how
and where I lost or misplaced it,) or what happened. As
mostly everything seems to be challenged today I could not
tell at present what's in store, what I would feel and
experience in the tomorrow which is not here yet, when
another stone would be in my possession. I was contented
when I had the stone.
"Very foolish of me to make these statements? It does not
matter! You asked me to write, and I have obliged you,
where, if you will say a little prayer for me, that will be
amply reward for my time, the privilege that you have
accorded me, to present these experiences and ramblings, to
which you or anyone can give any valuation. My fears of what
may be done with my expressions and sentiments, my emotions
where you have asked in a realm that I like and admire, in my
embryo of knowledge, may plunge or lift me according to the
judgments given by my fellowmen. If these so called upsurges
of emotions have any possibilities or realism - whatever its
use or value - if the application is for good it shall live,
if not, it shall die. I do not know where the principles and
fundamentals of many strange things and even known things
begin. There is a law applicable to every minute phase of
human experience, and nothing can come before man, outside of
such infinite wisdom, the effect being to harmonize if man
does not attempt to fight it, and whatever may seem
problematic belongs to that principle, where we all share in
any endeavor, if MEN will only help each other, not
jeopardize each other.
"And right or wrong - it has been a privilege to write you.
It all depends on the spirit of truth, realizing that -
Infirma mundi elegit deus el confundat fortia - et ea quoe
non sunt, ut ea quoe sunt destrueret - "
9/04/46 Letter from Mr. [
531]: "The other day - I was
agreeably surprised with a letter from the Association,
signed by Miss Woodward. She spoke about something, where my
reply perhaps was a bit too long, but I usually let my
enthusiasm run away with me on matters of a spiritual nature.
"Today I am doing nothing practical, and have gone through so
many disappointments, that perhaps the gentleman who collects
gems will want to take a trip abroad and may need an
interpreter, if so, let me know - I'd be glad to go!
'All in all - we have gone through so many experiences and so
many of us miss Mr. Cayce, that naturally when we are
approached on any subject, we respond with the same fidelity
with which Mr. Cayce served many of us.
"I hope you folks are carrying on, and that everything is
going better with you all; and remember that everyone of the
Cayce family as the associates, have always my best wishes
for their continued success.
"This letter needs no reply. When and if a folder is
published on these gems and result of your investigation I
will like to have it."
11/30/46 We sent him a copy of the 12/46 A.R.E. Bulletin
carrying Mary Ann Woodard's article, THE BENEFICENT INFLUENCE
OF GEMS AND STONES.
12/02/46 Mr. [
531]'s letter from Phila. to HLC: "Will you
please tell Mr. Green [S. N. Green] that I have a lapiz azule
(turquesa) stone and a small, apparently 'ruby' where one
that I really valued years ago has been lost, but if these
two stones, can be replaced for those that Mr. Green himself
as a collector feels, can be used by me, I will appreciate
it. There may be a small very nominal charge for the
exchange and perhaps the making of a pendant too, and if he
will write me, I will send them to him for his
consideration."
1/14/47 HLC's letter: "We are launching a new feature in our
monthly bulletin under the title 'My Personal Experience with
the Readings of Edgar Cayce'. I believe that your original
approach to the work was a very interesting one. First,
constructively skeptical, and then, one of having been
convinced as a result of some rather accurate clairvoyant
information which came at the first of your reading.
"I would appreciate it very much if you would write this
little incident up for me, using from 600 to 1200 words. I
think it would be of great interest to many of our members.
If possible, please let me have this by February 1st.
Best wishes for 1947."
1/19/47 [
531]'s letter to HLC:
(Sunday after communion)
Dear Hugh:
Could search book after book, library after library, and
nothing could take the place of my "own inner-feeling,"
experience, where not even the most complete dictionary would
have words to express, what to many may seem foolish, to
others may open the eyes towards investigation - often too
secretive; where to me is, one of those phenomenas where we
have been so uninterested in discovering man's own
potentialities, that we have lost the thread that held the
ideal to man's pursuit of happiness: "Knowledge of his
soul."
You have asked me to write. I could go into the closet and
dictate a letter, filled with errors from top to bottom, and
I could dig and dig into this fragile mind that just tells
me, that am living and I only know it, where the unnecessary
struggle all these years has been such, that I want to shake
the man who made "life a battle", in competition with the
wisdom of nature, creation, God. I say in competetion,
because man, knowing that he is the image of his creator is
his own competitor, and feels that he can equal God, and even
search for truth, with the stint of sin and imperfection
where absolute purity could be created, if we only had one
man or group, with sufficient spunk to tackle the objective,
as some tackled the much talked about atomic energy. The so
called "psychic" subject is for a few, at present.
When your father's name came to my attention, I was the same
happy go lucky, student and observant, seeking moderate
compensation for my services, and being, somewhat of an
eternal fool, searching for things that I could not find in
books. If I tell this to everyone, I place myself in an
awkward position, but, it's like sort of an spirit or an
impulse, or a complex or a degree of emotion arising from
nerve centers or "what have you" which I need not discuss.
I liked what seemed to me: divine newness.
In my opinion - and thank goodness we can express this
freely (?) on this side of the pond - this psychic business
is something that every man has a bit of - but few men have
had the purity of thought, mind, to cope with its grandeur,
its good or its evil. At this time I do not know which.
But, free from the analysis, your father did me a lot of
good, he helped me in my studies, my hobby, as he helped me
physically because following his information, regardless of
how he got it or gave it, I felt better. Of that there's no
doubt.
It's just like an experience I had years ago. I was walking
the streets hunting for a job. I knew I was equipped to meet
any competitor for the job I was looking for. But I had no
money. Not a red cent. Walking in the middle of the street,
while crossing the car line, I said: "God, if I only had a
dime...!" At that time I heard a coin drop right on the
rails, I picked it up, and there was a "dime".
Sort of helped myself to find myself; to seek "that which
gave me life;" asked something that I felt was worth having,
and I got it. In your Father's case, (as in the case of any
one man that wants to team-work), when he gave me the so
called first reading I consented to place myself receptive,
in unison, and helped to set aside my skepticism and let him
do for me what I felt was GOOD.
Thus my experience with your Father as just another human
being, as just another man, was indication of the
pleasantness that can be had in any of life's logical
developments, where man and man alone, must give his share,
help and love, not hate or become doubtful, on things that
even if we understand cannot be proved, where I alone can
prove that am alive, at this moment, infinitesimal
micro-lapse of time in the Universe.
Possibly, while I had hunted high and low for even a cent,
this dime may have been concealed in the cuff of my trousers.
My emotion was so great, my yearning such, that I shook the
cuff and at that time, the dime was dropped; but I never
knew, never suspected there was a dime in my cuffs. Then too
there may not have been a dime in my cuffs at any time, but I
prayed, a prayer that seeked no challenge from any man - it
was unobstructed, and in the middle of the street -
regardless of how come - there was what I needed.
At that time, beans, coffee and bread could be purchased for
ten cents at a restaurant which served laborers, office boys,
etc. I ate, felt better, shined my shoes with a rag, and the
old shirt that I had washed the night before seemed as though
present-day Duz had done everything to it. I went and
applied for a job and got it.
That incident, no different than the retreats I have made in
life, and the things that I have read and observed, coupled
to the experience gained with your Father helped me, (as
other people I know) lead me to feel that if we could create
a group to close all black books, learn more about the need
for love among mankind, disregard the ego, and try to become
part of the essence of God through psychic research, training
etc. perhaps - who knows - we may have in our hands the key
that opens the door to eternal happiness, and holds the
thread leading us to such pursuit; where in great measure if
we can identify ourselves with Jesus - and this is not said
in the purely religious sense - and be like him, we would
live better.
The job is difficult, the man are few; but your Father
contributed his share, so that those who seek light, may see,
and to those that can't understand, we all may say - yes;
"Perdonalos Dios, que no saben lo que hacen..." Forgive them
God, for they know not what they are doing...
Sincerely, [
531]
5/16/49 Mr. [
531] wrote he was hoping to bring his wife and
14 yr. old daughter for a vacation in Va. Beach.
5/10/58 He asked to be put on the A.R.E. Prayer List to help
him find a job. See Par. R18 below.
5/10/58 [
531]'s letter to Hugh Lynn Cayce:
My Dear Hugh:
Here is this letter motivated by the fact that I received and
am thankful for the announcement you have sent me regarding
your yearly get together, and more over your fifth summer
which I trust will be most successful. Perhaps I never wrote
you in my Consular letterhead, but am using it to state that
since 1932 or so I have been just Honorary Consul, primarily
a man engaged in administration, be it sales, advertising,
credit, etc. all of which belongs to that material realm
which may help to "bring home the bacon" though my bacon has
been very small, limited indeed, but I am not complaining.
With the Carr-Consolidated Biscuit Co., with whom I worked
for ten years to finally lose my investment in stocks and
much of the wages and commission they owed me I lost much
very much, and since then nothing worthy has come my way, but
do you know that for some reason or another, whatever it may
be, every evening punctually I read "There is a River" I
meditate re your dear father whom in this skeptical work did
so much for so many, that such meditation is a consolation to
me, a soothing experience, free of just sentimentalism, but
a "something that I can't explain". He did so much good for
me when I was sick and working very hard that really I have
missed him, many times.
Your dad was to me a clear-eyes seer of the things of God, a
patient, loving, uncomplaining soul - a worthy friend.
Unfortunately my honorary position is one where I just prove
my character as a clean minded man. It offers no financial
remuneration. Things have been rather unpleasant with me
because I have been unable to land a job - a worthy job, so I
cannot go to your "get together". But I was thinking - would
a group of men and women, like to try an experiment with me.
If they will tell me the number of persons, the time
(Philadelphia daylight savings time) at which in a circle, in
complete silence, for say 15 or 20 minutes (state exact time
to begin exact time to end, preferably evening or early at
night) they will TRY TO PASS ON TO ME their thoughts towards
helping me find a job I will write to them, precisely what
has transpired in my mind. If what I write to them "clicks"
with what they may have thought (pre-arranged) then it will
be evidence that, as mentioned in a passage in the bible
"whatever you do in a group, etc., am in the midst of thee"
(or words to that effect) perhaps - who knows - I will find
a way to locate a job, thanks to the meditation of these men
and women, in silence, while the Lord is in their midst
too...! (Do I explain myself?)
Will be glad to have your re-action. With kind regards, I
am
Sincerely [
531]
HLC's note to Ruth LeNoir:
Ruth LeNoir:
Bring this up at the Prayer Group meeting next Wednesday.
Hugh Lynn
Ruth LeNoir's response: We have put him on the prayer list -
no experiments.
5/29/58 Letter:
Dear [
531]:
Just a note to say that your letter of May 10 was on my desk
when I returned from the California trip. My secretary
didn't know just how to answer it, hence, the delay.
It's very good to hear from you again, but I was sorry to
learn that your work hasn't been proceeding as you would like
to have it. On June the fourth, Wednesday morning, between
11:00 and 11:30 a.m. our Prayer Group will be meeting at the
Headquarters in Virginia Beach. At that time I have asked
the secretary to put you on the list for a special prayer.
This, I think, will coincide with your suggested schedule.
I certainly hope that we may be of assistance.
We are always glad to hear from you, and I hope that it will
be possible for you to pay us a visit here at the Association
headquarters sometime this summer. We're back, you know, in
the old hospital building, and I think you would be
interested in seeing what we are doing in preserving and
making the records available for use.
Sincerely yours,
Hugh Lynn Cayce
HLC:jp
Edgar Cayce Readings © 1971, 1993, 1994, 1995 by the Edgar Cayce Foundation