Tag Archives: Union

The Fifth Tower: The Silkworm

Posted on September 19, 2019 by Vajragoni

By now one can realize that Teresa’s Interior Castle is a treatise on profound Unitive Mysticism. What she has been revealing are the later stages of the interior spiritual life. The final stages correspond to the fifth, sixth and seventh dwelling places. While the Fourth Tower was about a transitional phase from active to passive contemplation, this glorious Fifth Tower designates what Teresa refers to as the beginning of the Divine Union, or Absolute Illumination. According to her, ones task belies any form of adequate human communication for what IT is truly like: read more

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Creepy Crawlies

Posted on September 3, 2019 by Vajragoni

Before reaching the First Tower, or Teresa’s First Mansion, some more preliminary observations are in order. Towers 1-3 manifests the Active phase of Recollection, while Towers 4-7 constitute the Passive Phase of Recollection. Also 1-3 establishes what is known as the Purgative Phase of the spiritual journey, likened unto what John of the Cross would classify as the Dark Night of the Senses; 4-5 presents the Illuminative Stage, wherein the adept enters into a more supernal-realization of what still needs to be shredded (Dark Night of the Spirit) in order for union with the Absolute to occur; Towers 6-7 represent the Unitive Phase, or Absolute Coitus with the Unborn Mind. Throughout all of this, the self must continue ever-onward towards its goal of Absolute Recollection—Recognition of its self AS Self. read more

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