Just as a soul’s shortcomings and faults remain a part of the individual until they are overcome, soul strengths that have been acquired in the past can also be drawn upon in the present. The case of Sheila Roberts, a forty-eight-year-old secretary, presents a good example. Cayce told Sheila that, throughout her soul history, she had given of herself to such an extent that she had truly been able to bring a sense of God’s all-abiding peace into her own life and into the lives of those with whom she came in contact. In spite of the fact that, throughout her experiences in the earth, she had often been a witness to war, animosity, and prejudice among individuals, rather than becoming a part of this conflict, she had so learned tolerance that in the present she literally served as an example to others.
Her past lives included an experience in England during major hostilities with the Huns and the Gauls. According to Cayce, it was a time when neighbor often fought against neighbor, and it was not uncommon for people to take the law into their own hands. In that period, she had frequently attempted to bring a balanced perspective into the lives of her neighbors while assisting them with their own mental and physical burdens. From that experience, she still possessed the ability to give a sense of her own inner harmony to individuals somehow disturbed by emotional or physical distress.
Sheila had also lived a life among the Jews after the people’s return to the Promised Land. In addition to her duties as a handmaiden, she had often attempted to help those less fortunate than herself in the surrounding community. Again, she had gained because of her service to others. Unfortunately, at the time she had also been misjudged by a number of people as to the real motives for her work; for that, she had wallowed in self-pity and her soul had lost.
A lifetime in Egypt had given Sheila the opportunity to live at a time when civilization was attempting to bring together the knowledge and teachings of the world. During that period, there was much civil conflict within the society, enabling her to learn that animosity among people only grows unless it is replaced with love and tolerance. That particular lifetime enabled her to achieve a great deal of soul development.
Sheila apparently overcame the inclination toward self-pity in the present, and Cayce commended her abilities by stating, “Who would dare give the entity counsel when it may counsel so well!” (1143-2) She was encouraged to continue helping individuals awaken to an awareness of their own abilities, and she was told that not only could she help them by her physical contact but also by her thoughts, her prayers, and her meditations. Her soul strengths were such that she could often be used as a channel of blessings to others.
Another individual commended for her efforts at soul development was a twenty-year-old woman named Danette. Cayce actually stated that Danette’s growth surpassed that of many individuals. Apparently, the woman’s attitude was one in which she always placed others ahead of herself. However, it wasn’t that Danette was insecure or lacking in personal self-esteem; she was, by all accounts, a natural leader. Cayce informed her that she would be guided to positions of influence, but because of her strengths, she would never attempt to dominate or control someone else.
Danette’s past-life experiences included an incarnation in France when she had been one of the court entertainers and idolized by many of the nobility. In addition to bringing joy and happiness to people—for which she had been financially rewarded—her reading stated that she had used much of her wealth and her advantage as a means of being of service to those less fortunate than herself.
During a lifetime in Greece, she had been active in the Temple of Diana and had held a position of influence. In that experience, she often sought to bring spiritual truths to others. Her intent was to help free people from the toils and bondage of everyday life and give them a greater joy in living. Previously, in an Egyptian temple, she had been employed as one involved in music and song. Once again, her work and dedication to spiritual truths brought happiness and entertainment to many.
Cayce complimented her drive, even in the present, to bring hope, joy, peace, happiness, good cheer, and love into the lives of those with whom she came in contact. Danette was informed that her talents were varied and that she would make a wonderful nurse, a skilled teacher of dramatic arts, or an inspiring storyteller (4500-1).
Another example exploring both soul strengths and weaknesses is the case of a sixty-one-year-old widow named Barbara who received a life reading in 1937 and was told that many of her past lives were having a direct influence upon her present experience. Though drawn to sculpture throughout her life, Barbara had never really attempted to explore her own creative talents, apparently because she was somewhat reclusive and withdrew from fully expressing herself. Cayce informed her that part of the reason was because she possessed an innate fear of being misunderstood.
Her past lives included a sojourn as one of the first settlers in upper New York, where she had experienced many physical hardships. From that period, she had gained in personal strength and perseverance. At the same time, however, Barbara had encountered much loneliness, giving her a strong desire for friends and acquaintances, a desire that remained with her even in the present. Much of her ability to love still remained dormant, however.
During a lifetime in the Middle Ages in Germany, Barbara had been left behind as her family and male relations went off to fight for a religious cause. From that lifetime, she had gained the ability to be practical but she had lost because of frequent self-pity—it was an attitude on which she continued to work. In Greece, she had been an artist of note, specializing in sculpture. It was that experience that kept her love of art alive. In addition to her artistic talent, from that same incarnation she had acquired an interest in the pursuit of spiritual truths.
Barbara was told that a lifetime in Indochina had provided her with a variety of experiences in which she had made great strides in soul development, but she had lost as well. The Indochina experience had given her a true awareness of brotherly love, but at the same time she had become very much involved in the pursuit of pleasures and the satisfying of personal indulgences. Previous to that lifetime, she had been adept at esoteric sciences and divination and had used these tools as a means of showing people their true relationship to God.
In summing up her lifetimes, Cayce told Barbara that she possessed much motivation for assisting others with their personal welfare. She had a great deal of artistic talent that was waiting to be tapped. She had an immense capacity to love that needed to find outlets as well. Her deep interest in spiritual truths still resided within her. Barbara simply needed to open up and become more willing to express herself in many directions. She was encouraged to continue her pursuit of spirituality. All these things would provide her with a means to overcome some of the innate influences that needed to be purged from her inner being (1474-1).
From the Cayce files, it is apparent that one of the most important influences affecting whether a soul experiences retrogression or development in any given experience is the intent or motivation behind an individual’s actions. In the case of Angela, a thirty-six-year-old artist, Cayce noted how her change in motivations had altered her life experience, even within the same incarnation.
Part of Angela’s soul history included being a teacher during the early settling of Long Island. In that experience, she had gained for a period because of her practical service to others in assisting them in daily life. Eventually, her efforts led to some prominence and notoriety. Unfortunately, that notoriety caused her to become somewhat self-centered and interested in bettering her own environment and, as a result, she had lost. Because of the change in her motivation, she eventually alienated herself from the very people she had once tried to help. Cayce told her that, once she had alienated herself