Light & Shadow - The Edgar Cayce Way
When I think of light I think of all the blessings one may have: food on the table, roof over your head, clean clothes to wear. But it goes beyond materiality. Light is your grandparents who showed you what it means to be warm and generous, the older brother who taught you to be brave by always having your back, that teacher who became your coach and a father-figure, or your pet animal who unconditionally shares his or her love. All of these figures and the lessons they impart are sources of light.
Yet you are the only one who can allow these experiences to shine through in your own life. When you share the ways in which you have been supported, you embody the light within you. It’s a light that can be a beacon for other lights. If we welcome this uplifting approach into our life, it can become a spiritual cleansing for our soul.
The opposite of this light effect is when we live in the shadow. The shadow is the darker nature of the light. And we, as humans, perpetually exist straddling this light and dark nature of ourselves…physically, emotionally, spiritually. We represent the dichotomy between light and shadow. When we face the light, our whole world shines. If we turn away from it, we operate in the shadows of our existence. The shadow exists so that we may know the light.
We all experience this light and shadow phenomenon daily. From sunrise to sundown our thoughts and actions dictate who we are, and how we are perceived. And it begins with our motivations. To bring a greater focus to this direction we choose, consider some of these general questions to start the day: how will my decisions effect those around me? Am I selfishly bulldozing others so I can win or am I clearing a path for something bigger than me…a group win perhaps? Throughout each day is my communication clear or do I leave people guessing? Do I operate secretively so as not to be seen, or am I proud of my actions, my hard work, and humbly let them shine? Whatever our approach and how we choose to interact with others, that becomes who we are, our character. Over time, we seemingly get locked into our choices and so those choices become harder to undo, even when we know that they no longer work for us.
How can this be? Why is it so hard to pause, pivot, and move into the right direction? In a word: “temptations.” These temptations or shadows could be your desires, lusts, vanity, pride, your will, concerns, selfishness, materialism, addictions, habits, personal gratifications, digital devices, drugs, dysfunctional relationships or any number of distractions that pull us away from what truly matters. They become distractions that give us pseudo highs and keep us from stepping into our better selves. Simply put - remove the temptations! The temptations that you keep in front of you are the temptations that you succumb to.
And how can we shine more light into our life?
Essentially, this is my interpretation of our life’s challenge – to follow your inner knowing, connect to self and others in ways that welcome thankfulness, humility; stay in the light, and keep the shadows behind you. Easier said than done. One way you can start to let go is by picking up distractions that are positive, especially in anticipation of when your temptations kick in; grab a book to read, get out in nature, do some house cleaning, go for a walk. Do whatever you can to minimize the shadows in your life. Whatever your temptations, let them fall behind you and continue to face the light.
The ability to connect to one’s inner knowing, or intuition, in search of better solutions reminds me of the work of the renowned 20th century seer Edgar Cayce. Cayce would put himself into a trance and be able to miraculously channel ethereal answers to questions about bodily conditions and the state of one’s spiritual well-being. He had a profoundly logical response to a question posed to him about ‘the inner voice’ and how to make the right decisions in accordance with this voice.
When Cayce was asked “How to make decisions that were more in keeping with the spiritual ideal rather than the events and circumstances of the moment?” He answered: “first seek an answer consciously for any question within thine own environment, thine own ideas, answer yes or no. Then take the answer – yes or no – to the inner consciousness [such as in meditation or prayer] and let thy ruling influence in the spirit answer. And ye may know, and the truth in same sets you free…Let the answer be in the highest – mental and then in the spirit self from within.” Cayce claimed that meditation and prayers are a strong connective way to our angels who stand beside us consistently, lovingly.
Cayce’s message is a call to pay greater attention to your inner voice. To activate this voice, sit with self and get still. Keep yourself still. When we calm our monkey brain we can become a conduit for positive self-counsel. Allow yourself that moment, specifically with concerns or life shifts, to reflect deeply within self and be brave enough to follow your truth with right action. Let your voice be heard. Heed your inner calling when it comes to people, places, activities, diet. Keep your antennae up because if you don’t listen to what you’re picking up, your ability to pick things up begins to rust over.
Furthermore, if you continue to ignore your inner knowing, I would surmise that you’re not putting your best foot forward. Cayce describes how that plays out in one’s life: “The farther the individual wandered from the spiritual path, the harder it is for that person to access intuitive guidance from the spirit realm. It was only when the individual sought instead to do the best of his or her ability that somehow the “barriers” were removed, making guidance available once again. This guidance can in a variety of ways include hunches and advice in the sleep state.” Angelic intercession can even come through as a thought.
The idea that a thought or a hunch could be an angelic intercession opened my mind as to the number of ways we are connected and how frequently this may occur. Perhaps one of the ways to develop this connection and further tap into our talents is to put these thoughts or hunches into action. Act upon your instinct! Ask yourself how do I feel compelled to express such actions? Maybe this action satisfies a goal, or activates a latent skill, or leads to a new hobby. Over time and with practice, this connective process can become innate.
When we combine our intuitive connection with our compassionate side we stand on the side of the light. Yet when we waiver from our good nature or lose sense of our conscientious connection, we begin to walk a darker path. Cayce stated that the road to perdition is paved by those who choose selfishness, materialism, and personal gratification over things of the spirit. It is essentially acting out of accord with spiritual principles and instead giving thought of self in preference to the need of others. “Keep self and the shadow away. Turn thy face to the light and the shadows fall behind.” “Harmony, peace, joy, love, long-suffering, patience, brotherly love, kindness – these are the fruits of the spirit. Hate, harsh words, unkind thoughts, oppressions and the like, these are the fruits of the evil forces or Satan.” Do not be a channel through which that serpent might work.
We don’t need to lift up the world. So, start where you are and use what you’ve got. This can be done in subtle ways – a simple nod and a smile to those in public, take a moment to openly listen to someone and let go of judgments, especially ones you hold so tight for yourself; Trust in you, and guide your choices through your inner spirit. “The body is but the shadow or the temple of the living soul (Edgar Cayce).” Bring forth the best of your legacy.
