Smith called the special stones both Urim and Thummim and seer stones, and he used these tools to help transcribe the messages that were recorded on the gold plates to write the Book of Mormon. Witnesses described Smith placing the seer stones in a hat and gazing at them in order to receive their divine messages.
In contrast, rather than referring to physical objects, Cayce and the Source connected Urim and Thummim with superconscious knowingness obtained in the dream state or through deep prayer and communication with the divine.
The Bible seems to suggest that the Urim and Thummim were actual material pieces. I believe they were more like the onyx Shoham stones worn over the heart that offered the priest a window into the other world where he could communicate with God. No one will ever know precisely what kinds of gems or stones were used at that time in history.
Conclusion
I cannot believe that ten years have passed since my first Edgar Cayce book was published. All these years, I have known that I was going to write another book for the A.R.E., and it turned out that the one I had been thinking about for years in the back of my mind was this one! It all started several years ago after a friend gave me a copy of Gems and Stones Based on the Edgar Cayce Readings, which was compiled in the sixties. That little book inspired me with the complexity of its material. I wanted to know more, and I still do! One can never finish exploring the depths of such rich material, but this is my attempt to give as much information as possible about the prior topics. While no research is truly ever finished, I hope that the research within these pages will endure. I also hope to encourage future scholars to pick up where others and I have left off to continue the study of Edgar Cayce’s readings. I pray that the work will continue for many years to come because there is still much to learn from the wisdom that was imparted by the Source through Cayce’s readings.
Studying the gem kingdom and learning how our ancestors used stones and gems are fascinating topics. I hope you will use the information found here to spark your curiosity and enhance your desire to discover which gems and stones you want to work with to enhance your life’s journey.
During the frequency sickness mentioned earlier in the book, what I initially failed to recognize on a conscious level was the fact that on the day before my headache started, I had visited a friend who had just chosen hospice care. She was a huge fan of the Cayce readings and one of the many lovely souls I have had the privilege to meet and befriend during the many years that I have worked with this material.
I had had a feeling for over a month that something important was going to happen on January 15, 2015. I immediately decided to plan a trip, thinking it was what I needed to do, and when the plans fell through, I was disappointed. Nevertheless, an ever-present urge kept telling me that something significant was impending.
My friend had been diagnosed with stage four lung cancer a year ago, even though she had never smoked a day in her life. During the past year, we had spent many hours talking about how she might overcome this situation with her thoughts and by using the material we know to be helpful, including the Cayce readings.
While I was not able to see her as often as I would have liked, I did speak to her by phone. Each time, she sounded positive and hopeful, never willing to give up, and she was always a source of inspiration and courage.
Imagine my surprise to receive an email from her neighbor in early January telling me that my friend was not doing very well. I went to see her and at the time had not even realized it was January 15th until I had arrived at home that evening. That was the very day she chose hospice care.
“Are you scared?” I asked her.
“No. I knew it was coming.”
Her next words surprised me.
“What will people think?”
Isn’t it amazing how despite everything, good people often worry more about others than about themselves?
This brings up an issue that has always bothered me about most of us in the spiritual community. We believe that if we don’t overcome every little circumstance with the power of positive thinking then there is something wrong with us.
I assured my friend that her journey had not been a failure. She had inspired many people along the way with her courage and wisdom—and especially me. None of us will get out of this life alive, and she had lived an amazing life. I told her that I believe in a life after this one and that we go on from here to a place far better. When it is her time, she is needed elsewhere, and her passing is meant to be.
As I was talking to her, I had a sense that I was not speaking these words myself. Part of me did not know whether these were appropriate things to say to someone who had just been given such shocking news about her imminent demise. She listened intently, nodded, and agreed. I soon realized that even though it was difficult to say, she had needed to hear my beliefs. I was probably the only person who was able to talk to her about them.
“Who cares what other people think?” I told her. “This is your journey, not theirs!”
And I want to say the same to you, dear friends. This is your journey. How you choose to use the information in this book is up to you. I honor your path and sincerely hope that this work may be of assistance to you in some small way.
Exactly two weeks after I had visited her on January 15th, my friend passed away. I had had every intention of going to see her again in the physical world, but I had been unable to go due to my own exhaustion during that time.
Shortly after hearing the news of her passing, my friend appeared to me in a dream. She carried a tiny box, handed it to me, and then floated away. I woke up and knew immediately that I would then fully recover. I used some Cayce remedies that helped greatly, along with the stones and a cleansing diet. The methods worked together to achieve a cure.
The moral of the story is to realize that there is no one magic cure for your life. Each step that you take and each remedy that you try is like a piece of a puzzle, and they all fit together. There is no right or wrong. All you can ask of yourself is to do your best.
Even more important is to spend more time seeing people rather than talking on the phone or emailing. Life is short. We need each other. I wish I had been there for my friend more often in the physical world. I am like everybody else—I do the best I can—but this situation truly reminded me of how precious life can be.
Finally, I am left with a feeling of how grateful I am for her and for all of the friends I have met through Edgar Cayce’s work. Life is good!
Every time I embark on a book like this, I am continually surprised. I always learn new ideas and gain information along the way. I am left with the profound feeling that the more I research, the more questions remain.
This book has been on my mind for over a decade now. For years, I have wondered whether I would ever actually finish it. In that regard, I conclude with a feeling of gratitude and awe. Whenever I delve into the Cayce material, I find renewed inspiration for all aspects of my life. I cannot even begin to tell you how many projects, thoughts, and ideas sprang forth from the first book that I wrote, and I can’t wait to see what will arise from this one.
Ancient mysteries will continue to inspire our imaginations for eons to come. I hope this exploration has provided a few seeds of thought for future generations of researchers. Above all, I wish you peace on your path through life. Enjoy the journey!
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About the Author
Shelley Kaehr, PhD is a world traveler and an expert on energy medicine, ancient mysteries, and the healing properties of gems and minerals. Her work as a past-life regression therapist has been endorsed by leaders in the field of consciousness.
Visit her online at: www.pastlifelady.com
A.R.E. PRESS
Edgar Cayce (1877–1945) founded the non-profit Association for Research and Enlightenment (A.R.E.) in 1931, to explore spirituality, holistic health, intuition, dream interpretation, psychic development, reincarnation, and ancient mysteries—all subjects that frequently came up in the more than 14,000 documented psychic readings given by Cayce.
Edgar Cayce’s A.R.E. provides individuals from all walks of life and a variety of religious backgrounds with tools for personal transformation and healing at all levels—body, mind, and spirit.
A.R.E. Press has been publishing since 1931 as well, with the mission of furthering the work of A.R.E. by publishing books, DVDs, and CDs to support the organization’s goal of helping people to change their lives for the better physically, mentally, and spiritually.
In 2009, A.R.E. Press launched its second imprint, 4th Dimension Press. While A.R.E. Press features topics directly related to the work of Edgar Cayce and often includes excerpts from the Cayce readings, 4th Dimension Press allows us to take our publishing efforts further with like-minded and expansive explorations into the mysteries and spirituality of our existence without direct reference to Cayce specific content.
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EDGAR CAYCE’S A.R.E.
Who Was Edgar Cayce?
Twentieth Century Psychic and Medical Clairvoyant
Edgar Cayce (pronounced Kay-Cee, 1877-1945) has been called the “sleeping prophet,” the “father of holistic medicine,” and the most-documented psychic of the 20th century. For more than 40 years of his adult life, Cayce gave psychic “readings” to thousands of seekers while in an unconscious state, diagnosing illnesses and revealing lives lived in the past and prophecies yet to come. But who, exactly, was Edgar Cayce?
Cayce was born on a farm in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, in 1877, and his psychic abilities began to appear as early as his childhood. He was able to see and talk to his late grandfather’s spirit, and often played with “imaginary friends” whom he said were spirits on the other side. He also displayed an uncanny ability to memorize the pages of a book simply by sleeping on it. These gifts labeled the young Cayce as strange, but all Cayce really wanted was to help others, especially children.
Later in life, Cayce would find that he had the ability to put himself into a sleep-like state by lying down on a couch, closing his eyes, and folding his hands over his stomach. In this state of relaxation and meditation, he was able to place his mind in contact with all time and space—the universal consciousness, also known as the super-conscious mind. From there, he could respond to questions as broad as, “What are the secrets of the universe?” and “What is my purpose in life?” to as specific as, “What can I do to help my arthritis?” and “How were the pyramids of Egypt built?” His responses to these questions came to be called “readings,” and their insights offer practical help and advice to individuals even today.
The majority of Edgar Cayce’s readings deal with holistic health and the treatment of illness. Yet, although best known for this material, the sleeping Cayce did not seem to be limited to concerns about the physical body. In fact, in their entirety, the readings discuss an astonishing 10,000 different topics. This vast array of subject matter can be narrowed down into a smaller group of topics that, when compiled together, deal with the following five categories: (1) Health-Related Information; (2) Philosophy and Reincarnation; (3) Dreams and Dream Interpretation; (4) ESP and Psychic Phenomena; and (5) Spiritual Growth, Meditation, and Prayer.
Edgar Cayce's Sacred Stones: The A-to-Z Guide to Working with Gems to Enhance Your Life and Health Page 20