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Resources: video script | Cayce quotes
For we all – and ye are as others – are gods in the making; not THE God, but gods in the making! For He would have thee be one with Him. (877-21)
For ye are indeed (this is not merely philosophizing) gods in the growth. And as ye apply today, tomorrow's step is given thee. (1554-6)
For thou ART gods in the making. What wilt thou be to thy fellow man if the desire is for exaltation of self? For thus sin entered in the flesh. (262-67)
Since ancient times human have created gods in their own image, as portrayed in the mythologies of the world. We have considered this concept of anthropomorphic projection in several lessons.
We have also touched upon the idea of theomorphic projection – God creating humans in God’s image, a projection from the mind of God. Regardless of how one approaches the subject, humans do appear to have some inherent association with divinity.
Within the creation story portrayed in the Cayce readings, souls were created in the image of God to be companions and co-creators with the divine. From a relationship perspective, souls were intended to be equal with God by virtue of the gift of will. And yet something went wrong in the plan. Some souls chose to use will in a selfish manner that ignored the Whole.
Even with the creation of the physical universe as a space/time matrix in which souls could grow and develop as fit companions to the creator, will could be used selfishly. Hence the “sin” or “error” of becoming entrapped and ensnared in physical existence on this planet.
And yet the soul’s journey continues on and on through eternity as the soul reclaims its divine inheritance. As children of God, growing into the role of companions and co-creators, souls are gods in the making, as it were.
Application: Become attuned to the God nature that is within. This universal consciousness is your birthright as a soul. As a god in the making, maintain this universal consciousness as you go about your daily activities. Some spiritual traditions refer to this practice as “Buddha consciousness” or “Christ consciousness.” It is a growth process, so don’t be discouraged if it only comes in little steps.
There are centers through which those of one solar system may pass to another … (5755-2)
For the entity has attained to that realm even of Arcturus, or that center from which there may be the entrance into other realms of consciousness. (2823-1)
At least 18 individuals received readings from Edgar Cayce noting that they would not need to reincarnate again in flesh bodies on planet earth, unless they so desired. Not that they were perfect in any sense. The commonality of these individuals was service to others, and using the will to focus on ideals.
Keep in mind that lessons completed in the classroom of earth consciousness are only part of the broader curriculum of soul development from a universal perspective. The Cayce readings identified the star Arcturus as the transit point for souls moving on from this system to other realms for soul development.
In a sense, it may come as a relief that perfection is not required to graduate from the earthly classroom and sojourns in the various other planets of this system. Soul development is continuous in whatever realm the soul may find itself.
Application: How do you assess your own development with regard to the necessity for further earthly reincarnations? Are you ready to move beyond this solar system and through Arcturus to other systems in this universe? How do you feel about the possibility of such transitions in consciousness?
(Q) What is meant by the Gods of the Universe referred to in the readings?
(A) Just as in this. All force has its incentive, the directing or creating of that force. That force to the human mind apparent, as different conditions, or relations, as referred to as the God, or the ruling force, of that individual force, as is giving the expression, and is referred to as the God, as of War, as of Peace, as of Water, as of the elements under the Sea. As of those above, as the God of High Heaven, the ruler over all, the one in all and the all in one. (3744-5)
To be sure, there are those consciousnesses or awarenesses that have not participated in nor been a part of earth's PHYSICAL consciousness; as the angels, the archangels, the masters to whom there has been attainment, and to those influences that have prepared the way. (5755-2)
Man may become, with the people of the universe, ruler of any of the various spheres through which the soul passes in its experiences. (281-16)
Considering the widespread public interest in contact with extraterrestrials as evidenced by our mass media and the increasing interest among scientists who specialize in areas dealing with possible life elsewhere in the universe, it seems reasonable to reflect on such implications for theology in the search for God. As was noted in the video overview, apparently leaders within the Catholic church are already open to such questions.
If humans did make contact with alien intelligence, what effect might that have on how we think about the divine? Some individuals believe that we have already (and are almost continuously) making such contact, whether in a strictly physical sense, or through psychic sources who claim to exist outside the earth realm in other dimensions within the physical universe or from other dimensions of consciousness apart from material reality.
Since humans seem to have problems cooperating with other species of life on this planet, even in a strictly biological sense, what effects might a broader view of consciousness have on how we relate to other beings from outside the sphere we call home?
The Cayce readings observe that we as humans, along with the other “people of the universe,” may become a “ruler of any of the various spheres through which the soul passes in its experiences.” Apparently, as has been noted amongst the various examples of the perennial philosophy underlies all the great spiritual traditions, there is the concept of a hierarchy of the real. As the Cayce readings attest, there are “consciousnesses” and “awarenesses” that have never assumed flesh bodies in this system. Perhaps such entities could be regarded as angels, or simply master souls who have never incarnated, in a material sense, and yet have their own roles to fulfill in cosmic drama as it unfolds.
If we, as souls, are truly citizens of the universe, how might this greater perspective of the cosmos factor into our personal and collective theologies? How might it influence our search for God?
Application: Take some time to reflect on the implications for a cosmic theology that recognizes soul experiences beyond the flesh bodies of earthly existence. Do you feel threatened by such questions? Or excited by the possibilities, perhaps?