Astrology & The Bible: 11-06-06

[WalksInSpirit]

Astrology & The Bible: 11-06-06

ASTROLOGY AND THE BIBLE
Copyright © 2005 Near-Death Experiences & the Afterlife

"There shall be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars." - Jesus Christ, Luke 21:25

The Bible is filled with references to astrology. This is because astrology was widely accepted as truth in Biblical times. Christians who believe that astrology is satanic would be surprised to learn that the Bible is filled with astrology and even Jesus himself made numerous references to astrology.

People believed in the study of the stars in Biblical times. Everyone knew the influence of the sun on the earth, and the sun was a star. It certainly made a pattern, so far as life on earth was concerned - it shaped everything, or at least nourished everything - and the shape had to be such as to allow the sun to give life to it.

One of the great astrological stories in the Bible is the story of the star of Bethlehem. It is written that the star was a sign from God signaling the birth of the Messiah into the world. The three Magi, Persian astrologer-kings, determined the time of this birth by the position of this star. In 1600, Johannes Kepler hypothesized that this star was actually a conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn. Confirmed by modern astrology, this symbolism ties in with the prophecies of that era concerning a Messiah amongst the Jews. The conjunctions occurred at the end of Pisces, ruled by Jupiter. Jupiter is the planet of kings. Saturn is the planet that rules the Jews, thereby giving the king of the Jews. This was a very infrequent triple conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn and it occurred in the year 7 B.C.

The following are some of the most interesting Biblical references to astrology.

"I know a person in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the THIRD HEAVEN. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know - God knows. And I know that this person - whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows - was caught up to paradise. He heard inexpressible things, things that humans are not permitted to tell." (2 Cor. 12:1-4)

The phrase, "I know a person," is a euphemism people used in those days to refer to themselves in a humble manner. Paul explained that he was taken to the "third heaven." The phrase, "third heaven," is a reference to the multi-level realms of the afterlife. This is an astrological/religious concept believed by Jews, Christians, Gnostic Christians, Platonists, and other people in those days. A correlation with Paul's third heaven can be found in the Gnostic book entitled "The Apocalypse of Paul."


The Apocalypse of Paul also describes Paul's afterlife visit to the third heaven. It also describes how Paul travels through a hierarchy of heavenly realms all the way to the "tenth heaven."

According to Flavius Josephus, the famed Jewish historian, the Jewish temple at Jerusalem had the twelve signs of the zodiac inlaid in its floor. Josephus also stated that the twelve loaves of showbread in the temple was a reference to the zodiac. In modern times, Israel issued stamps with the zodiac signs identified with the twelve tribes of Israel and the astrological symbolism of the temple.

The Bible states that God made the heavenly bodies to show us "signs" of his intentions. These signs can be read by anyone who knows how to interpret them. Astrology is about interpreting these signs in the motions of the sun, moon, planets, and stars. "And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as SIGNS to mark seasons and days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the Earth." And it was so." (Gen. 1:14-15)

"And there shall be SIGNS in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the Earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the Earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory." (Luke 21:25-27)

In the verse above, Christ uses astrology to reveal the "signs" in the sky of his coming.

The Bible states that the first communication from God came from the stars. David writes in his Psalm:

"The HEAVENS declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows his handiwork. Day after day utters his speech and night after night shows his knowledge. There is no tongue or language where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all the Earth and their words to the ends of the world. In them (the heavens) he has set a tabernacle for the sun." (Psalm 19:1-4)

"Can you bring forth the Mazzaroth (the zodiac) in their seasons or lead out the Bear with its cubs? (an astrological constellation)" (Job 38:32)

This Bible verse shows God using astrology to answer Job.





The Bible also describes an astrological sign called the "Morning Star" which is a reference to the planet Venus. The Morning Star, also known as the "light bringer", is also an astrological symbol that functions as a sign for the onset of dawn. It appears as a brilliant "star" at night just before the sun rises and brings light each morning to earth. The greatest function of this "light bringer" is as a symbolic reference to the Messiah who brings the light of God to the people. The Bible also uses the term "Morning Star" as a reference to all sons of God including Lucifer, the "light bearer".

"I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright MORNING STAR." (Rev. 22:16)

"And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the MORNING STAR rises in your hearts." (2 Peter 1:19)

"Just as I have received authority from my Father. I will also give him the MORNING STAR." (Rev. 2:27-29)

"How you have fallen from heaven, O MORNING STAR, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the Earth, you who once laid low the nations! You said in your heart, "I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High." (Isaiah 14:12-14)

"After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth. He said: "May the day of my birth perish ... May its MORNING STARS become dark; may it wait for daylight in vain and not see the first rays of dawn, for it did not shut the doors of the womb on me to hide trouble from my eyes." (Job 3:1-10)

"Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation? ... On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone - while the MORNING STARS sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?" (Job 38:4-7)

In one of the prophetic dreams of Joseph, he saw eleven stars bowing down to his star. The interpretation of this dream was obvious and that was that Joseph's brothers will bow down to him.





"Then he (Joseph) had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. "Listen," he said, "I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me." When he told his father as well as his brothers, his father rebuked him and said, "What is this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you?" (Gen. 37:9-11)

Of course, we all know the rest of the story that they indeed had to bow down to Joseph when Pharaoh made him a prince because of his ability to interpret dreams. Here is an excellent Bible passage that describes the astrological influences on humanity:

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace." (Eccl. 3:1-8)

Astrology refers to every 2160 years as a new "AGE" which is a different sign of the zodiac that comes into position to influence the Earth. The Bible describes events that will occur according to the signs of the astrological "ages".

“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the AGE.” (Matt. 28:20)

“Anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this AGE or in the AGE to come.” (Matt. 12:32)

“The harvest is the end of the AGE, and the harvesters are angels. As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the AGE.” (Matt. 13:39-40)

“What will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the AGE?” (Matt. 24:3)

“No one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this AGE and, in the AGE to come, eternal life.” (Luke 18:29-30)

“We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this AGE or of the rulers of this AGE ... None of the rulers of this AGE understood it.” (1 Cor. 3:6-8)

“These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the AGES has come.” (1 Cor. 10:11)
"[Christ was raised] far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present AGE but also in the one to come.” (Eph. 1:21)

“... who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming AGE.” (Heb. 6:5)

“Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the AGE of the ages.” (Heb. 9:26)

“Just and true are your ways, King of the AGES.” (Rev. 15:3)

All these Bible verses are referring to the end of the AGE of Pisces (the fish, the Church age) and the beginning of the AGE of Aquarius (the water-bearer, Christ).

Jesus was born under the end of the age of Aries (the ram or lamb) and this may explain why he called himself the "lamb of God." By the time Jesus began his ministry, it was the beginning of the age of Pisces (the fish, the Church age). The sign of the fish has special significance to Christianity because the sign of the fish has been known throughout the millennia to be the sign of Christianity. Jesus recruited "fishermen" as disciples to make them "fishers of men." He fed the masses with a miraculous draft of fishes. His followers were known in Latin as "pisciculi", the "little fishes." A commonly used icon in Christian churches is the "Vesica Piscis", which is Latin for "mouth of the fish". Its shape resembles a fish without a tail. It can be seen in the shape of stained glass windows in many churches and cathedrals. The Pope wears a ceremonial hat in the shape of a fish head.

Around the year 2300 A.D., the end of the age of Pisces will occur. The world will then enter a new age, the age of Aquarius (the Water-Bearer). It should be obvious to Christians that the identity of this "Water-Bearer" is the one who

(1) came from the waters of Galilee
(2) baptized with water
(3) changed water into wine
(4) walked on the water
(5) washed the feet of others with water
(6) calmed the ocean waters
(7) gives living water
(8) says we must be born of water
(9) drank the cup from the Father.



Sometime before the age of Aquarius arrives, major earth changes were foretold by Jesus and Cayce to occur. Jesus said that before this happens, there will be wonders in the sun, moon, and stars signaling this coming age of the Christ consciousness. This is a good reason why every Christian should study astrology so that these heavenly signs can be interpreted.

Another astrological reference concerning Christianity deals with the winter solstice which begins on December 21. It is the day of the year when the night is longest and the daytime shortest. The ancient Egyptians noticed that on the autumn equinox, the sun does not set farther south and sets in the same place on the horizon for three days. This is an astrological reference to when the sun (Son) goes down for three days (dies) and then begins to rise again resurrection). Using the crude instruments available, ancient astronomers were able to detect by December 25th of each year that the daytime had become noticeably longer. This date was chosen, and remains, the traditional date for followers of many different religions to celebrate the "rebirth" of the sun. Following the equinox, each succeeding day has slightly more sunlight than the previous day. It was seen as a promise that warmth would return once more to the earth. Numerous pre-Christian religions honored their gods' birth or rebirth on or about that day.

The ancient Egyptians knew that as long as the sun rose in the morning, life would continue on the Earth. This explains why the Egyptians used the sun as their symbol for the eternal life of the cycle of the seasons. In many Christian churches today, the symbol of the cross with a circle in the center of it appears on church steeples. This icon of the circle as representing the sun, comes from the Egyptian belief that the sun represents eternal life.

In the Book of Revelation, the following symbolism is used to describe the appearance of the Son:

“Behold, he comes with clouds and every eye shall see him.” (Rev. 1:7) The Son (sun) is the “light of the world” and is seen by everyone.

“The Son (sun) of righteousness arises with healing in his wings.” (Malachi 4:2)

The Egyptian religion held that the Sun of God, Horus, was killed under the sign of Virgo (the virgin) but was resurrected in the age of Leo (the lion). This is why the Egyptians built the Sphinx with the head of a woman (Virgo) and the body of a lion (Leo).

During the days of Moses, the Hebrews were subject to the religion of Egypt. Before the worship of Amen-Ra (God) was instituted, Egyptians worshipped Isis (the Mother of God). When the Hebrews left Egypt and arrived in Canaan, their religion was influenced by the Canaanite religion whose God was named El (the planet of Saturn). The Star of David is a symbol which comes from the “star” of Saturn (El) which is the planet the ancients used to refer to the Hebrews.

With the influence of the religions of Isis, Ra and El, or: Is (is) Ra El (Elohim-Lord) or Mother Father Son (Sun) The Hebrews named their nation Is-Ra-El, or Israel. The Hebrews adopted Saturday (from Saturn’s day) as their day of worship. Christians, whose astrological influence was the sun (also from Egyptian origin), worshipped on Sunday (or the sun’s day/or SON‘S day).

The story of Jonah (Semetic for "sun") is about a man who is swallowed by a whale (death) and remains in it’s belly for three days at which time the man is freed (resurrection). This story is another symbolic of the astrological account of how the sun remains still for three days during the winter equinox. It is also symbolic of the resurrection of Christ.

When Moses came down from the mountain, he saw the people worshipping a golden calf. This idol came from the Egyptians astrological worship of the sun. Golden represents the color of the sun. The calf (Taurus the bull) represents the age in which the Moses lived when he wrote the Torah. When history moved into the next sign (Aries the ram), the Hebrews celebrated the approach of their Messiah by blowing rams horns. The sign of Aries influenced many religions to adopt the “lamb of God” concept.

The concept of the zodiac is very ancient, with roots in the early cited cultures of Mesopotamia. Astrology is, more than likely, the oldest religion created by humans. The first twelve-sign zodiacs were named after the gods of these cultures. The Greeks adopted astrology from the Babylonians, and the Romans, in turn, adopted astrology from the Greeks. These cultures renamed the signs of the Mesopotamian zodiac to symbols of their own mythologies. This is why the familiar zodiac of the contemporary West bears names out of Mediterranean mythology.

The concept of reincarnation is a necessary tenet of astrology. The notions of reincarnation and karma together explain why some people are born into lucky circumstances and others into unfortunate conditions. For astrologers concerned with the question of why some people are born into a life of hardship written large across their horoscopes and other people seem to be born under a lucky star, reincarnation and karma prove important explanatory tools to understand divine justice. Reincarnation also provides a framework for explaining why a person has certain personality traits. They are carryovers from past lifetimes.

"There shall be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars." - Jesus Christ, Luke 21:25

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THE MIND by John Van Auken

From his deep attunement to the Mind of God, that Universal Consciousness, Edgar Cayce stated that mind is the light, the builder, and the bridge to liberation and enlightenment. Here is his perspective on the mind:

“The Spirit moved ... and there was Light -- Mind. The Light became the light of men.”

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. How? The Spirit of God moved, and matter, form, came into being. Mind, then, in God the Father, is the builder. How much more, then, would or should Mind be the builder in the experience of those that have put on Christ or God, in Him, in His coming into the earth?”

“Each entity finds itself in a three-dimensional phase of existence or experience: the world without, the world within, and the mind that may span or bridge the two.”

Mind is the light, the builder, and the bridge between spirit and body.

He explained that life, all life, begins in the spirit, which is the creative force that brings all into existence. Then mind takes this life essence, and builds with it. Finally, the physical is the result: “Mind the builder, the spirit the creator, the material [is] that created. Great truth! Keep it before you.” It certainly is a powerful concept to keep before us. All outer “things” have their origin in the unseen spiritual forces, then find expression in the mind, and ultimately appear out here in the physical. So often we physical beings think that the outer, physical forces are the more powerful. But Cayce frequently encouraged us to accept that “the unseen forces are greater than the seen.” If we want to change something, it must begin in the spirit and the mind.

“That you think, that you put your Mind to work upon, to live upon, to feed upon, to live with, to abide with, to associate with in the mind, that your soul-body becomes! That is the law. That is the destiny.” He expands upon this: “Mind [is] the builder, the appreciator, the paralleler, the drawer of conclusions, the chooser....” And, Cayce says, mind is driven by “the ideal.”

THE IDEAL IS MIND'S NAVIGATOR
“As you contemplate, as you meditate, as you look upon the Mind, know the Mind has many windows. And as you look out of your inner self, know where you are looking, [where] you are seeking. What is your ideal? What would you have your mind-body to become?”





In a deep contemplation session on this teaching, my deeper mind saw the ancient boat of Pharaoh, with its twenty-four oarsmen and the navigator’s hut on the bow. As I sought to know the meaning of this imagery, Cayce’s teaching about the twelve nobles before the Throne of God in the Book of the Revelation came to mind. He said that they represent the twelve paired cranial nerves (24) in our own heads! As these nerves turn their attention away from worldly pursuits and toward heavenly ones, they bring a new heaven and a new earth, meaning a new mind, a new body. As I reflected on this, I realized that the twenty-four oarsmen on Pharaoh’s boat represented these same nerves and their ability to bring us across the barrier that the Nile River represented, that barrier between what the Egyptians called “the land of the living,” which is the place of the physically incarnate, and “the land of the dead,” the realm of the spiritually living. I realized that the navigator was indeed the ideal held as we sought to cross the barrier between this world and the spiritual.

“That upon which it [the mind] feeds it becomes. The most important experience of this or any individual entity is to first know what is the ideal -- spiritually. Who and what is your pattern?” Cayce frequently said that Christ is the consciousness and Jesus is the pattern. Jesus, for Cayce, is the ideal pattern for humans to use to build their own mind -- just as one would use a pattern to make clothes from new fabric. Jesus exemplified a human at one with God and making that oneness manifest in his life among others. Cayce often noted that Jesus simply went around doing good according to God’s inner guidance to Him. An ideal way for all of us to live.

We have covered the topic of ideals in detail in a previous issue, but for our purposes here, consider this from Cayce: “What, then, is an ideal? As concerning your fellow man, He gave, ‘As you would that others do to you, do you even so to them’; take no thought, worry not, be not overanxious about the body. For He knows what you have need of. In the place you are, in the consciousness in which you find yourself, is that which is needed today, now, for your greater, your better, your more wonderful unfoldment. This is that attitude of mind that puts away hates, malice, anxiety, jealousy. And it creates in their stead the fruits of the spirit: love, patience, mercy, longsuffering, kindness, gentleness. Against these there is no law. They break down barriers; they bring peace and harmony; they bring the outlook upon life of not finding fault because someone ‘forgot,’ someone’s judgment was bad, someone was selfish today. These you can overlook, for so did He.”

Such a state of attitude, of mind, toward life sets up a powerful map for navigating oneself through the day’s challenges and opportunities. This is an ideal, a navigational star by which to guide oneself each day. With this ideal, the mind approaches every obstacle, every crosscurrent, every undertow, and winds its way through them by holding to the ideal, the map set before us as the best way. This is the power of an ideal held by mind as we live life. Yet, as we grow and learn, we may see the need to adjust our ideal.


Cayce encouraged us to write our ideals down, but to do so in pencil. As we gain a greater understanding we see over the next mountain, we gain an increasingly better perspective of the whole truth, the way, and we adjust our ideal accordingly.

THOUGHTS ARE THINGS
Another fundamental Cayce teaching is: “Thoughts are things, and as their currents run they become miracles or crimes in the experiences of individual life.”

For the deeply attuned Cayce, thoughts were as real as actions. In fact, during his readings from the Book of Life, he had to strain to determine whether the person he was reading for had actually done something or had just thought about doing it! “Thoughts are things; just as the Mind is as concrete as a post or tree,” and the Akashic Record, the Book of Life, records them as such.

This is a hard one to hear. The first time I read it, it pained me to think how many times my thoughts had done harm to another and placed a negative influence in the Collective Mind. Watching our thoughts is important.

WATCH SELF PASS BY
Cayce was once asked: “How may I learn to know self as I am known?” He answered: “Being able to literally stand aside and watch self pass by! Take the time to occasionally be sufficiently introspective of that, that may happen in self’s relation to others, to see the reactions of others as to that as was done by self; for no man lives to himself, no man dies to him-self.... Be able, then, to see self as others see you. Stand aside and watch self pass by!” This is a powerful learning tool.

For Cayce, this was not just good mental advice, it was good physical advice: “If the body will watch self and the reactions of the various foods or preparations, and draw a comparison from what may be termed a combination of all the various authorities, then the body will find what is best for self. See?” Want to know the best diet for yourself? Watch how the various foods and cooking methods affect you. This information will be better than anyone else can give you, because it is revealed in your own body.

THE SUBLIMINAL MIND
Dreams and meditations are two of Cayce most recommended means for fully engaging the power of our minds. According to Cayce, our subliminal mind will engage with our outer mind to review and discuss all influences: “In this there is seen both the action of the subconscious and subliminal mind and the physical mind, reasoning together, as it were, of the past, present, and future conditions as relating to the mental attitude of the entity; for, as is seen in the final analysis of the real Mind,

the Builder, and as this is presented in the view of the dreams, the meditations of the entity in those days when the inner consciousness of the entity builded in the mental forces those conditions as would bring the great joy, peace, and happiness to the entity, these, as we see, took on physical forms in the mental aspirations of the entity.”

Seek within ourselves through dreams, meditations, and deep reflections, and our subliminal mind will convey the insights. Even God will help, as seen in this Cayce reading: “Thus the individual entity finds ... that the first creation of God, the mind, is the way; or the way through which light may come to the entity from the Father. Even as He brought to remembrance the promise, for memory brought in the light of consciousness is the outpouring of spirit. (Memory is the mind of the soul.) Keep not only the body clean, the mind pure, but in the light of the spiritual forces as aid -- keep in at-onement with same.” [statement about memory is Cayce’s.]

SUBCONSCIOUS: THE POLICE
“The only real guide that may be relied upon is that subconscious force that is as the police to the entity, both in the physical, material, and in the spiritual planes. And, as this [the subconscious] will guide and direct the entity, in that same way and manner as the police in their regular capacity ... in the physical life.” What a fascinating concept. Our subconscious is our conscience, our policing power. “That is, the police, the subconscious mind, represent the law that guides, directs, and that way upon which the entity, which any entity, may rely for the enforcement of that which will keep in peace, in war, in any condition, that straight way for the best interest of each and every individual.”

However, even as physical police departments can become corrupt, so can our subconscious police become misdirected by powerful suggestions of self-doubt, self-condemnation. “In the same way and manner as these (the police) may become subject to all of the vicissitudes that are ever present within the conditions in life, so may the subconscious forces, misdirected, misguided, or seeking to belittle the self ... through its experience in the Earth’s plane.” The only way to protect against this misdirection is to hold to a higher ideal that lifts us beyond our self-doubt, self-condemnation. God does not condemn us. God has erected no barrier. Self is the only obstacle to full enlightenment and reunion.

LEVELS OF CONSCIOUSNESS
Cayce identifies three levels of consciousness or dimensions of mind: conscious, subconscious, and superconscious. Conscious mind is the level that we are most familiar with. It is the level within which our personality and three-dimensional self develops and has much of its activity.

The subconscious is that part of our minds that bridges the outer self with the spiritual self. According to Cayce, the subconscious is both in the body, through the autonomic system, and beyond the body, in the soul realms of telepathy, non-physical life, and timelessness. This mind is the mind of the soul, says Cayce.
As the mind of our outer self is the conscious mind and that portion containing our personality, so the subconscious mind contains our developing “individuality,” which Cayce identifies as our true self.

The superconscious level is the portion made in the image of the Creator, as recorded in Genesis. It is that portion of us that is a god or godling, as the ancient Egyptians termed it. Cayce explained that the superconscious is a thing apart from anything earthly, and only makes its presence known or is knowable when the soul-self lifts itself and portions of the conscious mind up into the vast, expansive level that is the superconscious. This is the portion of our being that Cayce referred to when he said that “not only God is God, but self is a part of that oneness.”

To know the superconscious, Cayce says that one must learn to achieve deep levels of meditation. He said that if a dream feels more like a vision than a dream, then it most likely originated from this highest level of consciousness.

At death, the conscious mind is gradually absorbed into the subconscious (the mind of the surviving soul), and the subconscious becomes the operative mind, with the super-conscious now in the position the subconscious held while we were incarnate. Later, upon reincarnation, the subconscious projects another portion of itself into the newly developing outer, three-dimensional mind. Intuitions, “knowings,” and psychic perceptions come from the projected subconscious. Cayce explains that not all of the subconscious is projected; some of it remains in very high levels of perception and activity. But the portion that is in the body maintains the autonomic systems of the body (respiration, circulation, digestion, etc.) and the seven spiritual centers or chakras, which correspond with the seven endocrine glands.

We may feel that we do not know our subconscious soul-self, but we do, and we are comfortable with it. For example, when we are waking with a dream, but notice that our bladder is full and go empty it, only to return to the bed with no recall of the dream, then we have just experienced our two selves. One is the dreaming mind, the subconscious soul-mind, and the other is in charge of the bladder and the central nervous system that moves the body to the bathroom (somatic system). Yet, notice how comfortable we were in the dream state. Notice how we felt that WE were dreaming. That is because this is the true self, and we know it well. Yet, there is a veil that drops when we move outward, a veil that is opaque. The outer self cannot see back through that veil, cannot recall the contents of the dream, because it never had the dream and was only awakened when the physical body needed to move. Now you can see how we can die to this body and this world, and still live, still be active. Sleep, the shadow of death, is that condition in miniature each night.




Mind is our true nature. It is that portion of us that lives forever. What would it be like to live our lives as minds in bodies, rather than bodies with minds? Surprisingly, Cayce considered the mind to be a savior, a redeemer. It is that portion of our being that can mend and restore us. Let’s engage our minds and fully awaken to our spiritual selves. END

Published and Copyrighted by the Association for Research and Enlightenment, A.R.E. Inc.