“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

Now: An open fire elicits certain responses from the cells⁴ that, for instance, a furnace does not. The effect of the light plus the warmth on the skin is extremely healing. People sit by a fireplace in wintertime because it is unconsciously recognized that recuperative and therapeutic results occur. Simply put, the cells respond to firelight in somewhat the same manner that flowers do to sunlight. The stimulation is much more than skin deep, however, and an open fire is cleansing. It even helps clear the blood.

Cavemen recognized this. I am not suggesting that you use your fireplace instead of the furnace. I am saying that in wintertime there are definite health-value effects to be felt when you sit in front of an open fire. Two evenings a week would be quite effective.

The proximity of so many trees also has considerable health value, and to those doing psychic or other creative work the effects are particularly conducive to a peaceful state of mind. Trees are great users and yet conservators of energy, and they automatically provide much vitality to areas in which they are plentiful. This is physically obvious in scientific terms. Besides that, however, the consciousnesses of trees are remarkably kind and enduring.⁵

(The flood referred to by Seth took place on June 23, 1972. It was caused by the massive tropical storm, Agnes, and devastated many areas in New York, among other eastern states. Low-lying portions of Elmira were much damaged. Jane and I were involved in it, and Seth discussed our experiences in Personal Reality; see Chapter 1, for instance.

Our own plans to relocate, however, plus those of the family next door (whom we’ll never get to know), reminded me of the material Seth gave at 11:25 for the 737th session, to the effect that any important decision we make organizes the patterns of probability set into motion: “This should be obvious … Unconsciously, then, the movers are in league with each other. There are sympathetic probabilities set up.”

So, I said to Jane, not only are we stirring things up by moving out of the apartment house, but we’re entering a situation where we will be staying put while others move away. Obvious, but intriguing: We’ll be joining the present residents of the hill neighborhood in forming a newer psychic and psychological entity than the one that existed before we arrived. Yet the full picture of our moving should include not only the myriad probabilities growing out of our own actions, but all of the probable developments involving that house next door: Whatever happenings take place there — which we’ll help create — are bound to have their effects upon us.