Planetary Influences & Sojourns. Edgar Cayce

every entity, every soul, that which is life and death, good and evil. Each entity, each soul, chooses in its manifestations.

      Reading 815-6

      Not that there are not definite helps to be attained from astrology, but those who live by same the more oft are controlled rather than controlling their own lives and their destinies.

      Astrology is a fact, in most instances. But astrological aspects are but signs, symbols. No influence is of greater value or of greater help than the will of an individual. Use such directions [from the planets] as stepping-stones. Do not let them become stumbling-stones in thy experience.

      Reading 1719-1

      . . . will, that factor which may be trained, even as the mental forces, and will, that developer in the material force, being the balance between influences…innately built or those of that karmic influence that makes for the freedom of the mental being; for in Truth one finds freedom, for he that findeth the Truth is free indeed.

      Reading 630-2

      …it is not so much that an entity is influenced because the Moon is in Aquarius or the Sun in Capricorn or Venus or Mercury in that or the other house, sign, or the Moon and Sun sign, in that one of the planets is in this or that position in the heavens; but rather because those positions in the heavens are from the entity having been in that sojourn as a soul! This is how the planets have the greater influence in the earth upon the entity, see? For the application of an experience is that which makes for the development of a body, a mind, or a soul. For, how has it been written? “He that knows to do good and doesn't, to him it is sin.” Then, the altering or changing factor in an influence is the application of the will, that which makes a soul, an entity—that dwells in that called man or woman (means the same)—capable, through this gift of the Creator, of being one with the Giver.

      Reading 441-1

      The astrological aspects would vary considerably from that outlined from the position of the planets at the time of birth, or from the causes of the influences that are active in the earth. For, these vary as we find— because of the sojourn of the entity in the environs to which the entity merited or chose its activity from an earthly sojourn. For, as long as an entity is within the confines of that termed the earth's and the sons of the earth's solar system, the developments are within the sojourns of the entity from sphere to sphere; and when completed it begins— throughout the music of the spheres with Arcturus, Polaris, and through those sojourns in the outer sphere.

      Reading 451-2

      In those experiences, then, as come from the influences of the astrological experience of life, as to how the individual applies these in their experience makes for that as must be called true environ of the entity. As for that which has been done in earth, or in other experiences in the earth, may be called true heredity. In that which is to be met through experiences in the earth, and that which brings about the changes in the application of that known and felt and understood in the experience of an entity in the present as karma, as cosmic influence, as the moving of the spirit forces in an individual's application of its knowledge and understanding of things and conditions—these also are as the use that the entity has made, does make, of its ideal. Not ideas, not wishes, not just desires—for of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh! of the desires of the soul is effort made! The flesh is often weak, the spirit is ever willing!

      Reading 452-6

       (Q) What months and years will be of greatest progress for body materially and spiritually?

      (A) These, as indicated and as given, are builded; rather than their influencing the conditions that come about for changes for material or mental, or spiritual advancement; and are much in the same category as numerological conditions or astrological influences. These influence by the activities that an individual has accomplished in certain periods, that with their cycles bring those influences that act as a stimuli during certain periods.

      Reading 457-9

       (Q) Should the astrological influences lead us to choose one month or another?

      (A) Not necessarily; for, remember—as has been the ideal—all spirit comes from the one source. And as has been indicated, there is that giving of same from the one spirit. Thus the preparation of body and mind, and then offering self as the channel, would insure, would bring about that association that is giving the mother the opportunity for the expressing of the hopes and the desires—and the preparation of same for that channel.

      Reading 311-10

       (Q) Would it be well for me to make a study of astrology?

      (A) Well for everyone to make a study of astrology! for, as indicated, while many individuals have set about to prove the astrological aspects and astrological survey enable one to determine future as well as the past conditions, these are well to the point where the individual understands that these act upon individuals because of their sojourn or correlation of their associations with the environs through which these are shown—see? Rather than the star directing the life, the life of the individual directs the courses of the stars, see?

      Reading 262-94

      As has been declaimed by a teacher, there is one Glory of the sun, another of the moon, another of the stars; each differing in their Glory according to the purpose for which they each have been established. For what? That man might in himself see the Glory of the Father being made manifest by they each performing their purpose in their cooperation, in their activity, before Him.

      So, in thine own life, in thine own relation, in thine own associations one with another, how speakest thou—how readest thou? that ye do this or that in order that ye may be well thought of? or are ye fearful of what another will say because thou art called to do this or that?

      Does the sun fear the Glory of the moon, or the moon the sun?

      Do the stars fail to shine because the sun is in His Glory?

      Yea, these should be to each of us that example, even as He gave, “Abide in me, I in thee, and ye shall have and know the Glory of the Father.”

      Reading 288-50

      As the sun, the moon, the stars would be given for signs, for seasons, for days, for years in man's experience—then it would not be amiss that these would indicate the symbols as they were represented in those stages or phases of experience in the earth.

      Reading 2608-1

      Thus a soul is in the earth, in the material manifestations, as in a school of experience. For, no soul gains knowledge or understanding save through experience.

      The experience is not of another's making, but of thine own. For in spiritual truths, His spirit beareth witness with thy spirit—not thy uncle nor thy aunt, nor thy father or mother, but thy soul self.

      For, until the Creative Force—or God—becomes a personal experience of the soul it has only been heard of, and the activity more oft is because of what others will say. This may be truly called environment, while those experiences while absent from the body are in that realm in which the soul is present with what it has done about the opportunities in the material plane. Thus this may be truly called a spiritual-hereditary influence. Here it is called astrological aspects.

      For ye live, ye move in an environ of dimensions according to the awareness and application of thyself to these influences in thy activity. It is not then what ye think or what ye say that counts, but what thy soul desires, what thy soul hopes for, what thy soul manifests in thy relationships to these environs; that are opportunities for the application of that understanding ye may have at any given period of manifestation.

      Thus, astrologically, in the solar system of which the earth is a part, other environs are manifestations of the influence that controls centers in the human body—as the brain, the sun—sex, the moon—as the centers through which activity manifests