2/21/48 WEEKLY GROUP LETTER:
Virginia Beach, Virginia
320 - 14 Street
Dear Folks:
The Association house is a beehive this weekend. Johan
Franco from New York is here. Eloise Lavrischeff and
Margaret Trim came down from Washington, D.C. And Captain
and Mrs. Harden are driving in this afternoon from Richmond.
Sunday afternoon, there will be a musical concert composed of
recordings and productions of Johan's own symphonies, which
many in this vicinity will attend.
Gladys and T. J. have moved out of the house into a house
about two blocks away, which she has rented together with her
sister's family. Thanks for the stamps and for the money for
stationery. Tommy Cayce says "Thank you" for the foreign
stamps for his collection.
The following is about meditation, and was given to me by a
member of the Norfolk Healing Group [Miss [
993]]. It is long
enough so that my letter consists of six pages this week
instead of four. I read one time that the best way to learn
big business was to work for a big business man and see how
he does it. Likewise, I think the best way to learn about
psychic matters is from those who have had long experience
and success. This woman has perhaps greater healing power
than any other person in the Association in Norfolk.
MEDITATION: "I think I was the first member of the present
Norfolk Group who contacted Edgar Cayce. It was before the
Cayce hospital was finished at Virginia Beach in 1928.
"During the time the hospital was being built, some of us
from Norfolk would often drive down to Virginia Beach. And
of course we were interested in all the new buildings which
were going up. Someone said, 'I wonder what that building is
over there on the hill', referring to the Cayce hospital.
"And another said, 'I guess its a night club.'
"Then, several weeks later, one of my acquaintances came down
during the week to visit a friend at the Beach, and she asked
the friend if the latter knew the purpose for which the
building was to be used. And the friend returned, 'Yes, it
is to be a hospital.' And she further said, 'It has two
doctors. One doctor goes to sleep and tells you what is
wrong with you, and the other doctor treats you.'
"This acquaintance of mine told six of us this information.
Naturally, it made us all very curious, because we were all
Truth students.
"A short time thereafter," she continued, "a number of people
from Norfolk were going on a pilgrimage to Cape Henry, which
is located a few miles north of Virginia Beach. All six of
us students were going on the pilgrimage. And we decided to
leave home early in the morning and spend the day. Thus, we
could go to the Beach first. And we would go up and inquire
about this new hospital, and these two doctors.
"Like pilgrims, which we were, we started on the pilgrimage,"
she told me. "But on the way to the Beach, we each one were
concerned as to how we would make our approach. None of us
was sick, and we didn't know what we were going to say.
"We decided that one of us would be the spokesman. Since the
husband of one in our group was a doctor, we selected her."
Then, she explained further. "The hospital was still in the
process of being built. When we arrived there, Doctor House
met us. Then, our spokesman made her little talk, of course,
that her husband was a doctor, that we were interested in
this new hospital, and that we had come to find about it.
And Doctor House took us through the entire building, and he
also told us about Edgar Cayce's work. Just when we were
starting to leave, Mr. Cayce came in. Then, we remained an
hour longer talking with him.
He informed us," she continued, "that the hospital would be
open, officially, the next Sunday for opening dedication
services. And he invited us to be present. Before leaving
the hospital, I made an appointment for my first reading.
"Up to that time, I had not accepted reincarnation. But
after talking with Mr. Cayce, I had a great urge to have a
reading. It was the second reading given to any of the
Norfolk Group."
She explained to me that she had made an appointment for a
reading first of any of the group, but she had found it
necessary to return to Norfolk that afternoon. Therefore,
one of the other girls in the Group had obtained a reading
before her. I asked her about her psychic abilities before
she met Mr. Cayce.
"Before I met him," she said, "I had taken quite a number of
courses in psychic study. Upon coming into contact with him,
I found that he not only had the usual psychic information,
but also he had the Christ teachings. Immediately, I
realized that here was a man who had just what I wanted.
"When I had my reading, it explained why I was so interested.
After the reading was over, Mrs. Cayce informed me that in a
past incarnation I had been Edgar Cayce's daughter. His
approach was the type I had been seeking. In addition to all
the other information, the readings included mercy and the
law of forgiveness. They said that the sin of omission is
brought to account, and must be met by each individual, but
that the sin of commission can be forgiven."
Then, I asked her again what psychic abilities she had
developed before she met Mr. Cayce. And she related, "I had
healing power when I was a child. When my father was quite
ill at that time, I could go into the room when he was
coughing and bring spiritual healing to him, and he would get
instant relief. Of course, mother thought I pleased him
merely because I was the baby. The nurse always asked me
where I would place my hands upon him to bring relief, but I
could never tell her in advance. I never knew until the time
came to do it.
"Father always said that, wherever I placed my hands, it
eased the pain; and his coughing would always stop. To this
day, I cannot tell where I am going to place my hands in
healing, until I get the urge where to place them at the time
of application."
In connection with her truth studies, she informed me, "I had
been told that I had healing power by one of my teachers in
metaphysics, and that I should use my gift for healing. The
first reading verified the fact that I had healing power, and
stated that I had been taught under Mr. Cayce in other
incarnations."
With respect to psychic abilities other than healing, she
said, "Before I saw Mr. Cayce, I had a few visions and
psychic dreams, but they became more frequent afterwards.
"When I was a child, I had the power to get anything I
wanted. If I was at school, and the girls wanted anything
from the teacher, they would get me to do the asking, because
they knew I would get it. I never attributed that to any
psychic power. But since coming to understand psychic power,
I know now that it was such power that gave me this unusual
ability. My brother would say, when I wanted anything, 'Sis,
you will have it before night.' Now, I am very careful not
to hold any strong desire for psychic manifestations, such as
dreams and visions, for example, because I know that I can
get them. Besides, I know that I will get them whenever it
is God's will that I should.
"In meditation in the Healing Group," she said, "we try to
follow as closely to the directions given in the readings as
we can; because Christ has promised to direct this Group.
Therefore, we try to keep our healing in accord with that
which has come through the readings. And we were told in the
readings to keep close to the Christ way of healing. For we
who were in this Group in the beginning were with it, because
each of us had done the same thing in past lives. This
applies to the original seven members of that Group.
"Of course," she explained, "each one of us will pick up our
own development in healing. But Mr. Cayce said to always
check it with the methods which Christ used, that is, those
which were given through the readings."
Then, she referred back to an incarnation in a period about
twelve thousand years ago. "My first training on healing
took place in the Temple Beautiful, when I was incarnated in
Egypt. And at that time, I was the Prophetess. Mr. Cayce
was the High Priest, known then as Ra-Ta; and we worked
together in the healing.
"The Priest, Ra-Ta, gave a physical marking on the body of
those individuals who passed through the Temple service,
thereby fitting themselves for their life work. And the
Prophetess gave a life seal. I have a mark on me now," she
told me, "which was given to me then by Mr. Cayce, as
Priest.
"It was the duty of the Prophetess," she further related, "to
interview all who came into the Temple Beautiful, in order to
find out their life work. Therefore, as the various
individuals came before the Prophetess, she was able to tell
them what their life work should be, and direct them to the
proper service in the Temple Beautiful for their best
development."
She also referred to some of our modern church service.
"Later," she said, "that Temple service became known as what
we now call Confession, although the latter does not include
the Temple service in its entirety. However, that is where
Confession originated. But it has lost much of its power,
perhaps, because the priest in our time may not have the
psychic ability which was possessed in those days. We are
more encased in matter now, and our psychic ability is not as
great now as it was then. But if we live spiritually, as we
did then, we can gain it back."
With regard to meditation, she said, "We hesitate going too
much into that because each individual in past incarnations
has already set a pattern. And the purpose of our way of
meditation is to help the individual to perfect his own
pattern. And that best can be done by surrendering our will
to God's will. Until we do surrender, we cannot get the true
picture of our pattern, because it is influenced through
self, jealousy, and fear when we get it from our conscious
self.
"Our conscious self is under the influence of our
subconscious; and sometimes there is hate, fear, and doubt
in it. It is only as we give up self, and become willing
for His will to manifest, that we will be guided what to do.
"I always like to take a spiritual truth," she said, "and
give it physical application, something tangible. I have
often used this illustration for some of the girls about the
little acorn. The reason I use this is because around my
neighborhood there are many acorn trees.
"In the fall when I am taking my walk, I often step on the
acorns; and I have taken an acorn in my hand, realizing that
in that acorn there there is a perfect pattern of an oak
tree. Maybe that acorn will never become an oak tree because
it is not fulfilling its natural law. It may do some good as
we step on it and crush it. It may fertilize the ground.
But it will not become an oak tree.
"However, with respect to each acorn which no longer desires
to be an acorn, and is willing to go into the earth and give
up self as an acorn, and fulfill God's natural law, this
perfect pattern which is within it, through patience, will
become an oak. As long as it wants to be an acorn, it cannot
be an oak. You can't be two things. You cannot let self
rule, and fulfill your divine pattern.
"There must be a desire strong enough to be put into action.
Often, people want a thing because someone else has it. But
there is a price to be paid for everything we have. There is
nothing which can be had without a price."
Then she continued discussing meditation. "When we
meditate," she said, "we are careful that we purify this
channel before we bring down this power. A lot of people
can bring down this universal power without themselves being
good. You don't have to be good to bring it down, but God
have mercy when you bring it down under such circumstances.
"In healing meditation, I am using one way now. I may use
something else six months from now. I know Christ said, 'I
am the way; I am the door.' It is through that door that I
approach the Father, and by no other door. Jesus said, 'If
you come up any other way, you are a thief and a robber.'
That is the way I approach it. Go through the Christ door to
become one with the Father.
"I go through the door of the Christ to the Father," she
continued. "Then, as that power comes back, it passes
through the Christ again to make the oneness, a power going
up and a power going down. Then the Christ distributes that
power. He makes the connection with God, and He distributes
the power. Then, we are at one with the Father, the Son, and
the Holy Spirit.
"As I pray for individuals, that same force goes out through
me; and I connect it with the Christ within them. As I feel
within me that connection with the Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit, I see it manifesting in the individual. In healing
meditation, I hold that thought in my mind as long as I hold
that individual's name. That is the way I carry on healing
meditation when I am absent from the person."
Then she explained, "When the individual who is seeking help
is present, I may vary at times according to the need of the
individual."
In meditation, she does not keep the image of Christ in mind.
She keeps the thought in mind which she has set forth above.
I asked her to tell about Healing Group meditation. "When I
am in a group," she said, "I never ask the different members
of the group to pray. I arrived at that conclusion when my
sister was ill, and the readings suggested the battery
treatment. They said that each time a different individual
used the battery, it should be demagnetized, and that you
should select one of the discs which contact the body to be
the positive disc, and the other one to be negative. After
you make your choice as to which disc is positive, whenever
you use the battery, attach the positive disc to the body
first, and it should be taken off first.
"The readings told me that, often in using mechanical
instruments, I would get spiritual truths. And it came to
me, if it were true with these two battery discs that one
should always be the positive one, would it not also be true
when individuals come together to pray that they should
select one of the group to do the praying. This is not
because any one individual is better than any of the rest,
but that one person should be selected to be the positive one
through which the power would flow. I had this verified by
the readings, and they said it was correct."
She said she may meditate one way one time, and another way
another time. One time, she may only say, "God have mercy on
me."
She told me, "We have never had anyone who has kept strictly
to the information given by the readings who has had any
physical trouble whatsoever as a result of meditation. I
have never used any process of purification before going into
meditation. This may be necessary for some people. If
someone else can meditate best that way, it is perfectly all
right. I don't feel that it is necessary for myself."
The following is an experience in treating a cold by a member
of the Association in New York City. [Gina Cerminara:] The
method is one which was given by the readings.
COLD: I felt a cold coming on Sunday evening, but I did
nothing about it immediately, except that I drank some warm
water. The next morning, I took some Baking Soda in water.
Then, early in the afternoon, I gargled with a solution
composed of a level teaspoonful each of Baking Soda, Salt,
and Cream of Tartar in about four ounces of warm water. I
gargled with this three times at once, and then sniffed the
solution up each nostril three times on each side. In doing
the latter, I put the solution in a saucer, and held one side
of my nose while sniffing the liquid up the other nostril. A
spray or medicine dropper may be used, if preferred.
This treatment checked the cold. The next day, I still felt
traces of it; but the first day, I felt weak all over.
The following are quotations from the readings showing how
certain individuals gained or lost in soul development in
past incarnations:
757-8 Life Rdg. "Tashmia was one of the wives of King
Croesus of Persia...While she was in a position of pomp and
finery which satisfied the body and exalted the material
surroundings, she brought much aid to her own people, and
thereby gained in soul development."
790-1 Life Rdg. "Abdelui was in Persia when there was the
destruction by the Grecians. He lost in soul development as
a result of the revenge felt because of the destruction.
2731-1 Life Rdg. "Ulda gave people much knowledge by
drawings representing and depicting places not seen by all.
This service brought gain in soul development. But the power
given brought destructive forces and loss in soul development
through aggrandizement of selfish interests."
989-2 Life Rdg. "This individual was in the household of
King Croesus. He lost in soul development by finding fault
and by bringing about turmoils and strifes. But he gained in
his latter days by expansion of spiritual activities."
Sincerely, Austin [Austin Rice]
Edgar Cayce Readings © 1971, 1993, 1994, 1995 by the Edgar Cayce Foundation