The Crusades were a series of military campaigns during the middle ages, that pitted European
Christians against Islamic forces in or near
Jerusalem and the Christian holy paces in
Palestine.
The various intermittent crusades lasted from
1087 to 1291, with the Christians failing
to secure Jerusalem.
At least 16 individuals received readings
from Edgar Cayce that indicated past lives
in France during the period of the crusades.
None of the individuals were famous historical
figures.
These cases can be broadly grouped as those who left France on Crusade -- and those who
stayed at home -- or more precisely, in most cases, were left at home or simply abandoned.
Within that first group of those who traveled
to Palestine to fight the Muslims, we find
a common pattern of change of heart and mind,
wherein crusade did not turn out to be what
they expected, and that applies especially
to their attitudes toward their Muslim enemies.
For example, a reading for a 48 year old man
described a past life in France as Charleon.
Charleon was a ZEALOT for holy war when he
headed out on crusade.
He felt that all men should be impelled to
go under one rule, if not by persuasion, then
by coercion.
When he was taken prisoner, by what he regarded to be his heathen enemies, he had a change
of heart and mind when the Muslims, through
their kindness, made him an ZEALOT in the
OPPOSITE direction.
Many of his fellow crusaders considered him
to be a TURNCOAT, or one who changed their
allegiance for selfish reasons.
Yet Charleon gained in the latter portion
of that sojourn through the realization that
truly all force, all power of a spiritual
or mental nature emanates from One Source.
He carried over into his modern life a strong
commitment to the spiritual side of life.
A reading for a 54 year old WOMAN described
a past life as Jaun Bettelli, a French MAN
who fought in the Crusades.
As with many during that experience, Jaun
Bettelli undertook Crusade as an IDEA rather
than an IDEAL.
He didn't even make it to the Holy Land, being
injured and captured by Muslims in what is
now Turkey.
But when the enemies that he had sworn to
destroy healed his body and released him from
captivity, he returned home a changed man,
living in the southern region of France, near
to what is today Cannes.
He had learned the meaning of "love they neighbor
as thyself" and do unto others as you would
have them do to you.
From that French lifetime was carried over an innate psychic ability
that could be aroused.
Yet the reading insisted that the entity was constantly
meeting itself and must use that ability
for good.
In another case involving switched gender,
a reading for a 36 year old WOMAN described
a similar pattern in which she had lived in
France as a MAN during the crusades.
In the name Marcelus Dewetherna
he came to realize that the enemy was not
a heathen, but just as close to God -- only
with a different approach.
Confusion arose during the crusade venture
when Marcelus came to know a Muslim as a friend
and brother in Spirit.
From that crusade experience, Marcelus changed his attitude, and at a soul level, he determined
within himself that he would NEVER incarnate
as a MAN again.
The entity lost and gained in that past life:
Initially losing in the attempt to trust in
material things; but then gaining through
the realization of the ONENESS of all force.
The role of gender in the Crusades finds a
curious twist in a reading for a 51 year old
female missionary, who was told that she had
lived in France as Maria Facheuean during
the second crusade.
When her husband chose to go to the Holy Land,
her desire for his companionship (and perhaps
her own convictions about the virtue of crusade)
was so great that she posed as a man so that
she could be with him and be part of the Holy
War.
Her reading notes that she experienced hardships
but gained in self-control and remained true
to her ideals and marital relationship.
Perhaps part of her motivation for going on
crusade was to avoid the difficulties and
suffering of the women who were left at home,
in a very distressing situation, as we shall
see in some of the cases that follow.
For example, a reading for a 55 year old WOMAN
described a past life in France as a MAN named
Schmellenzar.
After participating in crusade Schmellenzar
was aware of his mistake with regard to the
heathen lawbreakers that he had gone conquer,
for the Muslims had shown him kindness.
We have seen this pattern before, but there
is another dimension in this case.
Schmellenzar had taken "precautions" with
his companion before leaving on crusade that
were not consistent with his ideal.
Based on several readings that describe these
"precautions" it is obvious that Schellenzar
had left his companion confined in a Chastity
Belt -- a contraption intended to insure the
sexual faithfulness of a woman during the man's
absence.
Chastity belts, although probably not known
by that name during the crusades, were likely
made of cloth and leather with a metal  lock
and key.
Although numerous medieval stories mention
the use of these devices, no actual physical
evidence of their existence has been
found in the graves of women of that era,
leading some scholars to doubt that they were
even used during the crusades.
Yet we find several such cases in the readings.
Apparently, compliance with the device was
usually enforced by the crusader's family,
thus in addition to the physical discomfort
and emotional shame, there were also interpersonal
consequences of such "precautions."
For example, a reading for a 54 year old woman
described a past life as Maribeauen living
near to what is now the Bordeaux region of
France, during the crusades when so many went
to the Holy Land to drive out the infidels.
Maribeauen experienced much turmoil and strife
when she was left at home, confined in a chastity
belt, that brought not only shame to the body,
but mental doubts as to the character of men,
who would boast of spirituality and yet would leave
their loved ones in such a manner.
She gained through the experience in learning
patience, but did carry over into her modern
incarnation some greater lessons yet to be
learned from that sad French incarnation.
In the question and answer section of her
reading she asked why she had been so fearful
in early childhood, especially of animals,
spiders, and sharp knives -- for even as an
adult she disliked to use or even see a sharp
knife.
Her reading stated that those feelings came
from the French experience when she was bound
about by her associates to maintain her virtue.
There was the use of knives and torture racks
all around her, during that period.
Apparently, in order to be fitted with the
device, she had to go to the local prison,
where those in charge had the necessary skillset
to make the contraption -- an experience that
would have been, not only humiliating, but
even terrifying if she had witnessed the torture
of prisoners in that dreadful environment.
A reading for a 41 year old housewife describes
a similar reincarnational scenario, when she
lived as Suzane Marceileu in France.
Doubted by her companion who left on crusade,
she was forced to wear a chastity belt to
prevent her from having sexual relations.
This brought disturbing conditions of many
natures, and the determination that she would
SOMETIME, SOMEWHERE be free and "GET EVEN."
Her reading noted that she carried over these
issues into her modern incarnation, which
were only "the meeting of self."
The background information for the reading
indicates that she had been married for 18
years to an impotent man (her crusader companion
in that French past life) -- and although
attempting sexual abstinence at times, she
was currently engaged in an affair with a
married man.
She was suffering physical problems due to
the breaking of peripheral blood vessels in
her legs.
There is much more to this story, but you
get the picture.
From a soul development standpoint, she was
sincerely trying to meet her karma.
And some progress was noted in the three readings
that she obtained from Edgar Cayce.
A reading for a 38 year old secretary described
a past life in France as Marcia Fleucheur.
During the crusades she had been left alone
by her companion who took "precautions" -- confining
her in a chastity belt.
This brought hardships, fears and doubts about
relations with men that carried over into
her modern life in which she questioned favors
and harbored doubts, raising questions about
closer relationships.
In her French incarnation, with the return
of her companion and freedom from the belt,
there was no homebuilding -- only dealing
with matters of the world, for she would do
ANYTHING ELSE rather than be associated with
him.
A reading for a 59 year old woman described
a past life in France as Renee Schwalder.
Her husband had been ZEALOUS in his pursuit
of ideas and ideals as he went on crusade.
But he was OVERzealous in taking "precautions"
to prevent indiscretions by his wife.
He even left an OVERzealous maid in charge
of enforcing compliance with the chastity
belt, bringing much anxiety and trouble -- wreaking
vengeance within Renee's own self and outwardly
toward others.
Her reading warned her about the law regarding
vengeance -- vengeance is best left to God
-- if one is to have peace within and freedom
from anxiety and worry.
A reading for a 39 year old woman described
a past life in the region along what is now
the NORTHERN border of France with Germany.
I'm not even going to try to pronounce her
name in that incarnation (Schweighelce), which
obviously indicates a German origin.
But will simply note that she gained in that
experience as one who assisted other women,
who were left at home by their crusading companions.
Her reading was discreet in describing the
exact nature of her assistance -- stating
that she helped those womenfolk who were distrusted
by men and suffered bodily persecution through
the various characters of "enthrallments"
-- another polite reference to the PRECAUTIONS
taken -- in other words, chastity belts of
one form or other.
The assistance provided by this woman included
counseling, and what we would now call support
groups for their own preservation.
She brought redemption to not only the women
in her family, but to ALL women that she encountered
in that experience.
In her modern incarnation, the theme of women's
liberation was carried over as the belief
and practice of the independence of women,
in their relationships with other women and
men, yet in the spirit of COOPERATION, that
makes for the best for all.
In another case of women's liberation during
the crusades, a reading for a 61 year old
housewife and civic leader, described a past
life as Flaun Mercellei, who lived in the
SOUTH of France near the border with Spain.
Her reading notes that in her region, one
of the outcomes of the crusades, was the later
separation of church and state.
Certainly the Holy Wars did illustrate the
problems that can arise when religion and
politics are combined.
But the really important influence in the
experience of Flaun Mercellei was the progress
made in her region with regard to women's
freedom, as well as the ability for individuals
to confidently manage their own personal affairs
and relationships.
Apparently having the men away at war, provided
an opportunity for women to take charge and
be responsible for their lives.
The reading also notes that the community
in her area drew together in unity and support
of each other, perhaps somewhat like we noted
in the previous case of women's liberation
along the northern border of France during
the crusades.
Our final case in this section is based on
a reading for a 34 year old osteopathic physician,
that described a past life as Peneuel.
Being young in years as others left for the
Holy Wars, Peneuel remained in France, in
the town Neuelley, becoming more and more
a materialist as a merchant and practitioner
of the healing arts of that time.
In addition to selling medicinal remedies,
he performed BLEEDING as a healing modality,
all the while pondering spiritual understandings
and material relationships.
His reading noted that he carried over into
his modern life an innate urge to be a bone
surgeon.
In addition to whatever spiritual gain he
had in that past life, while operating his
medieval medical business, he also lost in
the turmoils that arose during that experience,
as in many of the cases that we have reviewed
in this section.
So as we conclude our reincarnational survey
of past lives of French crusaders and
their associates, we may feel some resonance
with modern times, not only for the individuals
who participated in the world wars of Cayce's
era, but in our own time of seemingly constant
warfare, often carried on in the name of religion,
by overzealous extremists on either side of
every conflict.
And of course, there are those left at home
to make due as best they can in difficult
times -- making progress in soul development,
meeting themselves in the midst of life.
We resume the theme of religion and warfare
in the next section in the story of Joan of
Arc, a spiritual warrior on a mission from
God -- or so she said.
