This psychic reading given by Edgar Cayce at his home on Arctic Crescent, Virginia Beach, Virginia, on this 19th day of September, 1933, in accordance with request made by self - Edgar Cayce.
P R E S E N T
Edgar Cayce; Gertrude Cayce, Conductor; Gladys Davis, Steno. L. B. Cayce.
R E A D I N G
Time of Reading 4:00 to 4:10 P. M. ..., Va. (Dream Suggestion)
1. (Q) GC: First, Tues. Morn, Sept. 19th - a copy of which I hold in my hand.
[Dream not read]: I saw myself not as a physical being, but knew that I was part of the whole order of things. Yet, I was only a little snail crawling around on the ground, and recognized that there were many others that were snails also that would eventually be human beings. There were many human beings I didn't know, but I knew they were just occupying different bodies at that time.
Then I saw myself (as the snail) eaten by something else, that I had been taught to fear or to expect to be destroyed by.
Then I saw myself as a physical human being, with many human beings who had been snails with me; and many of those who had been human beings were now snails.
I saw myself, as a human being, pass out of the physical body with a fever brought on by eating something which had been infested by the larva of the snail.
Next I recognized myself as a fish swimming in the ocean. There were ships and boats sailing over me. I was able then to communicate with other fish that were of the same variety as myself. Here I saw only very few of the people with whom I had been associated as a physical body. I saw many of my own kind caught in nets, and hooks that were used by men. Finally I saw myself caught in a net, after following several other fish of my kind. We were taken in an enormous net. I saw myself prepared for food, and gradually lost consciousness.
Again I became a physical being, and associated with many more individuals with whom I had been associated as human beings before. Very few of these people had been with me as
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a fish. I had to do with a lot of cattle, and came to know that I was among those looked after by David, the king of Israel; though he was a shepherd and not a herdsman. I saw him quite often looking after his sheep; and I was changing into a cow, how I didn't know; I merely recognized that I was a cow. Later I had the experience of knowing the feelings of the mother-cow, as I was a mother myself and had a little calf. The calf was scared by the dog that David had with him tending the sheep, which disturbed me (as a cow) very much. I saw him save the calf and bring it back to me for me to take care of, and every time I saw the dog I was enraged at it for trying to harm the calf.
Then I realized I was a dog; didn't know I had died or changed from a cow; but I was a dog and tending the sheep. Then I realized the difference between the dog and the feeling of distrust the dog has for the cows generally, and I saw many cows that had been people I had known. I seemed to be a very good dog, for I was eventually taken to be in the circus, where I saw many people I had known before as snails, fish, cows and human beings; and I felt the elation of being thought of as a very remarkable and wonderful dog. I had a great desire to make known to all the people my own experience, but could only talk in the dog language. With the number of animals associated in the circus, I recognized the feeling that exists between the cat family and the dog family. Then, in performing one of my acts, in which I had to go through a hoop, I broke my leg; as someone - not intentionally - had misplaced the platform from which I was to jump through a ring (the ring being formed from a grape vine, as the circus was a long time ago and not anything like what we have today). So, I remember very distinctly the man taking a sword (more like a spear) and sticking it through my side, into my heart, to put me out of my misery; which I thanked him for doing.
Again I was a man, and among those guarding the gates in Rome. [Greece? See 294-8 & 294-19 in re Troy] I saw all the fighting, being a guard at the gate. My attendant on the other side of the gate (as the gate opened from the center) I recognized as the one I now know as [5453], but he was much bigger physically than I. I wore a garment that would be called something of a toga today. My trousers were composed of a cloth wrapped around me, gathered and pinned in the middle between my legs. Then another square piece of cloth with a hole for my head dropped over my shoulders. I made armholes in this piece, so that my arms could come
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through and not have to throw the garment out of the way; which method was afterward adopted by most of the army (or the people, for I didn't recognize them as an army). I saw the battle between Hector and Achilles, recognizing these two as the individuals I now know as [5717] and [900]. They were both beautiful of countenance. Both had matted black ringlets on their heads, which reminded me of Medusa. The hair seemed to be their strength. I noticed that Achilles was very hairy, while Hector only had hair on his neck - which was a different color from the hair on his head. I saw Hector dragged through the gate which I was guarding, into a large arena; and was dragged around the arena several times. Although he was losing, and had lost, quite a bit of blood - leaving the ground and stones bloody as he was dragged along, I noticed that he hadn't wholly lost consciousness. Eventually, the horses - in turning very swiftly, with Achilles driving - caused Hector's head to be dashed against the pillar or the gate near me, and his brains ran out. Before he had even lost the life, or the quiver of the muscles and nerves, I saw the carrion birds eat the great portions of his brain.
Again I passed out, for some reason, and was in the unseen world (from the physical manifestations). I was seeking some way or manner in which I might come back into physical being, and seeking to find others. There were many souls near me who had been in physical bodies, yet very few that I recognized. Finally I did meet someone I had known before, so we decided to come to a mother bird - and we were hatched out by a little jenny wren, as tiny little birds. Then, after we grew up, near the same place where we were hatched out, we built a nest and had a brood of six little birds; then an old cat got them. We were very much distressed, and swore vengeance on the whole cat family.
Then I recognized that I was again manifesting in the material world as a man, very anxious to find the one who had been with me as a little bird the time before. It seemed the time of Columbus' discovering of America, because I was among the people in the land when Columbus came; then I met the individual among the people with Columbus who had been with me as a bird. We were anxious to make a trip on the boat with the people who had come ashore, because we seemed to be the only ones who could talk with them. But we were not allowed to. Then we attempted to get back to the mainland, from the island. A storm came up, and we were drowned.
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Next I came into the earth as a man, still in America, at the time of the Civil War. I knew there was a war going on between the north and south country, and that I was in or about the place where I was born in the present. I noticed the home where I was born this time, and the changes - there were more woods then. There were many more people associated with me here that I had known as snails, fish, cows, cats, dogs and sheep - and they were all about me. I started off to see one of the armies where many soldiers were gathered, to find someone I had known before in the various manifestations. Someone told me I had better watch the dogs, cats, and cows that I would meet on the road over which I would go. In going through the great woods I met some of all these, and I could talk in their own language; and I recognized them as being individuals whom I know today. Here I awoke.
(A) EC: Yes, we have the enquiring mind, EC, present in this room, and the dream experience by this body.
Dreams, as indicated, are of different natures; or have their inception from varied causes.
In this particular experience or vision may be seen the entity-mind, or soul-mind, seeking - through the varied experiences of the entity - for the kindred thought, that is presented in the emblematical manner of the soul-entity contacting that as is seen of the one force which manifests itself in a material world; and brings - with the activity of that force - an emblematical condition of the mental attributes of a soul.
Hence, in the varied development experienced by the body, there may be seen all forms or characterizations of the result of an influence upon that force that is termed or designated by man as being of one force, or one source, from which all manifested forms may take their activity, as in the relationships of that known as the first law in nature - which is, in an earthly manner, at variance with spiritual law; yet, as experienced by the varied scenes of man's associations with the activities, the result depends upon what the soul of man does about that IT (the soul) knows concerning the laws, or the APPLICATION of laws, of or toward the first cause; or as to the PURPOSES for which that activity comes into being, and the activity's relative position to man's becoming aware OF the spiritual force in a
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material world.
Hence, the lesson or the application, is that:
The soul of the entity is seeking, through such, to find - as it were - the manners of presenting that which may become Truth, Knowledge, Intellect, or the impulse or impelling influence in the experiences of those who may receive instruction or direction through those channels of associations in the material plane in the present.
Ready for questions.
2. (Q) Should this be presented in any literature? (A) This is for the entity's or soul, or body's, own interpretation and enlightenment.
For, as seen in the manner in which certain associations were sought, and the environment in which the activity of a soul force sought to know the associations and the understanding of the impelling influence in that termed Nature, or elements, or Life in its manifested varied forms; from the lowest to the highest; and the paralleling of many in the various aspects, as well as seeking out those associations for the relationships that brought the understanding of those propagations in the material activities of an earth's sphere or plane.
3. (Q) Second, Tues. Morn, 10/25/32 - a copy of which I hold in my hand.
[Dream not read]: I had a pleasant dream and was going into the office to tell it; Miss G. and H. L. were writing on the typewriter, while Mil was reading from a phonograph record with a trumpet and G. was looking at what she was doing. I snatched the thing and threw it on the floor, saying they hadn't asked me about it and I didn't want such a thing used in that office. Mil got mad, said she was going home. I said, "Alright - that will only leave 3 of us, but it's alright!" Then an enormous body of a man came down over the whole room, spreading his hands over us as if in protection. I said, "That's the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Try and talk." Everyone began talking in a different tongue, so that none could understand the other. [Gen. 11:7]
(A) As we have given, these should be followed more closely.
This has passed.
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4. We are through for the present.