In the background of the Cayce material are many allusions advising us to be prepared for times of change. Those of us who are students of the work have been, consciously or unconsciously, building the skill set to manage change. What is that skill set? Let’s have a look.
In my talks around the country, I often make reference to this topic of change and preparation for change. When circumstances are mundane, when life is going along smoothly, everyone basically appears the same. But when a crisis happens, leaders step up. If you’re at a movie theater and the PA system announces that everyone must leave the building, some will follow the orders, some may panic and a few will step up to calmly help lead the evacuation process. That person who was watching the movie nearby, who is now assisting with the evacuation, was a leader in waiting. My theme today is to explore how Cayce has been preparing us for times like these, how we are all leaders in waiting. Let me briefly summarize these important topics and if they pique your interest, you can explore them in depth in other Cayce materials:
Physical. The Cayce holistic view of health clearly teaches us that we get ill, for the most part, not because a germ or virus outside of us has attacks us, but because our normal systems of managing health have gotten stagnant or vulnerable. The key to health is not in attacking pathogens, but in building immunity, fostering a healthy body environment. There are several keys. Harold Reilly coined the acronym “C.A.R.E.” for Circulation, Assimilation, Relaxation and Elimination. If we maintain healthy circulation, assimilation, relaxation and eliminations, we will be pretty healthy. Cayce said many times that a key to health is the ability to eliminate toxins and absorb nutrients. He said that in this dynamic, we could, basically, “choose when we die”! Another key to resistance to infection is in maintaining alkalinity. An alkaline environment is very resistant to infection. On the other hand, an acid environment is a hotbed for illness. The key to maintaining alkalinity is to eat predominantly vegetables. There! Now you know the Cayce’s “secret” for maintaining physical health!
Mental. Cayce teaches that the mind is alive, in a way. And that it needs to be fed. If it isn’t fed properly, it will forage for itself. And we all know that “mind is the builder”. Every building depends on the quality of the materials used to build it. Here Cayce advises us to feed the mind a spiritual ideal. If we feed the mind consistently with “fruits of the spirit” (such as patience, kindness, love or peace), then the mind will use that to build that consciousness in our lives. Our lives will be more patient, kind, loving and peaceful. In the void of a spiritual ideal, the mind will feed on the material, on material ideals. We will follow an ideal that is convenient and feels good. I call this “the potato chips of the ego”. This will not lead to a healthy consciousness.
Spiritual. The Cayce work is full of reminders of how we are basically spiritual beings having a material existence and how we have largely forgotten that reality. The key is to awaken the sleeping pattern of oneness. We awaken this oneness pattern by entering the inner temple and listening to the still small voice within and then acting from that consciousness of oneness. We are told that in prayer, we talk with God, and in meditation we listen to God. Then we must take what we are hearing and becoming and then apply it in our lives. The whole law is in loving God above all else and then applying that thru loving your neighbor as thyself. In meditation, prayer, silence and in nature we come to know God and love God. As we become more Godlike, then we will act more Godlike and loving with ourselves and with others.
If we maintain this balance of a healthy body, a spiritually informed mind and an abundance supply of the “bread and water of life” within, we will, for the most part, maintain health. Let us now look at humanity as an organism, as a oneness. Let’s think of ourselves as a cell in the body of humanity alive on the Earth at this time. How is our collective physical, mental and spiritual health? As a humanity, how are we doing physically? Are we eating well, drinking pure water, resting and relatively anxiety free? Mentally, do we as a people turn often within, in silence and in meditation? Spiritually, are we guided by spiritual ideals? Are we thinking more and more of others? Are we sharing? Are we acting as our brother’s and sister’s keepers?
I can’t really speak for other countries, but in our country we carry a lot of stress. We have ready and easy access to foods that aren’t of the highest nutritional value. Our water is treated for the most part. Many struggle to make ends meet. It seems that sleep disorders, like insomnia, are on the rise. And as far as ideals, are we driven by a spiritual consciousness of love for brother and sister? Our world seems very competitive. For example, Cayce said that the “bread basket” of the United States could feed the world. Has that happened? So in current time, we are confronted with a pandemic. If a body is not taking care of itself physically, mentally and spiritually, it becomes vulnerable to illness. While the rush is on for a vaccine, it might be wise to consult the Cayce information as well. When the body becomes ill, Cayce advised what I have stated earlier such as alkalinizing, meditating, praying and resting. But we also know that “the Lord moves in mysterious ways”. We are very beloved by our Creator and always guided by the Unseen towards healing. In response to the pandemic, many nations are asking, even mandating, its citizens to socially isolate. To stay home.
Schools are closing. Offices closing. Sports cancelled. Restaurants shut down. All the things that distract us are being taken away. What we are left with is alone time and family time. We must stay home with our loved ones and get reacquainted. We can also sleep more. What a body needs most when compromised is rest. I know that many, myself included, are taking significant financial hits at this time, which is indeed stressful. But might this forced pause be a chance to actually start meditating regularly? To pray? To look at the arc of your life and see where it is headed? Research has shown that stress is a predictive factor for every disease that they have been able to study. A regular meditation practice reduces every measurable indicator of stress in the body. It might be a good time to deepen your meditation practice.
I remember reading those early books about people that had recovered from a deadly illness, and they oftentimes would say things like, “The diagnosis of cancer was the best thing that ever happened to me!” Or people who had a near death experience (NDE) and they’d report how the NDE shifted and spiritualized their lives for the better. The message is oftentimes to work less and spend more time with family, more time in joy. You never see written on a gravestone, “I wish I had worked more!” There are times in life when we get a wake-up call, where we are awakened to the fact that we aren’t headed in the best direction, that we might want to recalibrate. That’s what the cancer survivor meant. Cancer was a wake-up call, the NDE was a wake-up call, alerting them to a pathological lifestyle. Could it be possible that in the midst of this Coronavirus situation, that we are all getting a wake-up call, a pause, a time to reflect? What choices do you have? What options are there? In our hectic daily lives, it might be very hard to find the space to stop and think, where we can only attend to what is urgent, never able to get to what is important.
Remember when there was a blizzard, a prolonged blackout, or some other forced stoppage of routine? People went outside and got to know each other. It was a pause. And then we might have been slightly sad when things went back to “normal”. This current pause, though, is actually calling us inward. Not to socializing with neighbors, but into isolation. Forced isolation with yourself and your loved ones. What will you do with your pause? Buy up all the toilet paper you can find? Or might you “give God a chance”, as Cayce advised? This pause will be over sooner than you know it. I have a feeling there will be some books written about the awakenings that happened during this pause. And many of us will miss this pause that passed all too quickly.
So take the time to deepen your spiritual attunement. Then as Cayce students, just know that this information is life changing. We might take it for granted as we have been working with it for years. But many don’t know about it. Crisis has a way of opening people up. The consciousness that you have been building is needed in these times. Be that beacon of peace in the confusion, that others may ask you, “How can you be at peace at a time like this?” Seize the opportunity to guide people inward. And as He advised, “feed my lambs, feed my sheep” that everyone might find the sources of wellness within. I will end with a reference to the renowned author Gabriel Garcia Marquez”: May we all find “Love in the time of Coronavirus”!
Posted In:Spiritual Growth
Peter Woodbury, MSW Peter Woodbury, MSW, received his undergraduate degree in psychology from Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts and his master’s degree in social work from Boston University. He trained in hypnotherapy and past-life regression techniques with Dr. Brian Weiss, Dr. Allen Chips, and Dan Brown, PhD. Peter is in private practice as a psycho-therapist and hypnotherapist in Virginia Beach, with a focus on the use of spirituality and faith as tools for personal transformation and liberation. A student of the Cayce readings for over 20 years, he is a popular presenter on key topics from the Cayce readings both at A.R.E. Headquarters and in the field. Fluent in three languages, he is also known for his outstanding leadership of A.R.E. Tours to South America, India, and Egypt. He also finds time to play Edgar Cayce in the popular one-man show titled “An Evening with Edgar Cayce.”
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