There were theories and beliefs, most of them controversial. While teachers, leaders, and experts in these fields assured us that certain theories and beliefs were correct, I observed over many years that they were continually changed and disputed; most proved to be erroneous in the long run. In those areas dealing with humans there seemed to be no solid base on which to build or operate with assurance. A sad situation!
As I went on to a career as an executive, I found that the same lack of reliable laws existed in the practice of management and also in dealing with individuals or groups, whether at home, in business, in the community, nation, or world. This did not seem reasonable to me. I always had the feeling that there must be reliable laws that applied in the affairs of individuals as well as in science.
It was many years before I learned of a very unusual source of knowledge which explained that there really are laws that apply in our relationships, in business, and in our everyday lives. That source was the Edgar Cayce readings. Edgar Cayce was, in most respects, an ordinary person, but he had an amazing gift. He was a psychic, perhaps the most famous and most carefully documented psychic of our time. He began to use his unusual abilities when he was a young man. For over forty years, he would, usually twice a day, lie on a couch, go into a sleeplike state, and respond to questions. He gave over 14,000 of these discourses, called readings. They were carefully transcribed by his secretary and have been preserved by the Edgar Cayce Foundation in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
The Edgar Cayce readings, given for thousands of individuals who asked for help and guidance in their lives, cover a vast array of conditions and situations. To a great extent the readings deal with relationships among individuals, and individuals and their world, their inner selves, and their Creator. The readings frequently explain these relationships in terms of the basic laws by which life operates and referred to them as “Universal Laws.” The readings are a gold mine of information and guidance for understanding how the laws apply to every aspect of life. They explain how, by our use of the laws, we create our lives, our relationships with others, and the quality of both. They explain how, through our use of the laws, we unknowingly create the conditions we experience in our lives: financial, social, mental, and spiritual.
Upon investigation, I found that when Edgar Cayce’s readings were correctly utilized, they had indeed helped most of those for whom they had been given. This fact was attested to by the hundreds of letters of appreciation that are in the files.
I found that not only had thousands of people been helped by their readings, but the advice given continues to provide inspiration, insight, and physical help to countless others who choose to apply it in their lives. This led me to try the advice for myself.
I found that when I judiciously selected from the information given and applied it correctly, it worked for me. I found it gave me new tools with which to deal with life. It helped me to understand and gave practical answers for problems at work, at home, with my children, with others. Most important of all, the Cayce material gave me an understanding of why my life was the way it was, why certain situations were happening to me, and what I could do to change them.
In short, information on the Universal Laws, derived from the Cayce readings, changed my life. Instead of facing the problems that came to me with a sense of helplessness, I found a sense of understanding and a knowing of how to deal with the difficulties and being certain of what I was doing. Life became not only understandable, but enjoyable. I learned that I was indeed subject to Universal Laws in every phase of my life and that these laws are the keys by which we can transform our lives.
You do not need to accept the Edgar Cayce readings as a reliable source of information in order to derive full benefit from the Universal Laws. In fact, the readings were only a window which highlighted these principles. The laws stand on their own. They need no further authority for they are so basic and fundamental you can check them out for yourself. You will realize their true magnificence as you come to know and apply them in your life. You will learn for yourself that, through their application, you can gain a fuller understanding of existence, of your relationships with others, and with your Creator. You can not only create a far better life for yourself, but also help others to do the same. Based on more than twenty-five years of experience, I can assure you these Universal Laws have done this for me and for many others, and they can do the same for you.
The readings speak of many kinds of law: God’s law, divine law, spiritual laws, natural laws, nature’s laws, laws of mind, of body, of spirit, law of force, law of creative forces. All of these are often referred to collectively as God’s laws or as universal laws. All of the principles which humanity divides into laws of science, mathematics, biology, Newton’s laws, spiritual laws, and the like are laws set by the Creator and considered by the readings to be universal laws.
It might seem that there must be an infinite number of universal laws. However, in researching the Edgar Cayce readings, I have found only about sixty laws that apply to our lives. Of the sixty, about a dozen of them were referred to far more frequently than others. These are the master laws that are most important for us, the laws which you and I can easily study and understand. These are the Universal Laws which are vital to our lives.
When I write about these mental, spiritual, and physical laws that apply to our lives, I will refer to them with first letters capitalized: “Universal Laws.” (I will also capitalize the word “Universe” when it refers to the source of these laws.) When all universal laws is meant, including the laws of science, I will use lower-case letters: “universal laws.”
As noted, there are many Universal Laws. Occasionally, however, I shall refer in the singular to all of them as a body of law; for example: the path of Universal Law.
By the Universal Laws we unknowingly make or break our relationships, our careers, our finances, and our lives. If we become aware of them and use them effectively, we can create joy in our relationships, success in our careers, and abundance in many forms in our lives. These master mental and spiritual laws are the basic ones this book will present to you as the keys to help you transform your life.
Once I had become aware of what Universal Laws were like, I began to find them in other literature—sacred texts like the Bible and the Bhagavad Gita—and in writings of the ancient mystery schools. Universal Laws may also be referred to in other literature as “principle,” “universal principles,” “laws of consciousness,” “timeless laws of the universe,” or similar terminolgy.
The most exciting and rewarding aspect of my study of the Universal Laws was the realization that these are guideposts to an absolutely basic path of spiritual development. That path can lead all people from their present state to the highest state of consciousness—one which will enable them to fulfill the purpose for which they came into the earth.
Bruce McArthur
Usage of the Edgar Cayce Readings
The Association for Research and Enlightenment, Inc. (A.R.E.), is a membership organization for those interested in the study and use of the Cayce readings.
For reference purposes and to preserve anonymity, each person who received a reading was given a number, and the reading carries that number instead of the name of the person. For example, reading number 3902-2 was given for the person assigned number 3902. This particular reading was the second one that person obtained from Cayce, as indicated by the “-2” following the reading number.
I used the readings in this volume in several ways.
They are quoted verbatim, paraphrased, or used as a reference source. Used as a reference source, the reading excerpt may be included in the chapter notes or the reference number may be given so that the seeker can research the subject further, if desired.
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