The Interior Castle by Saint Teresa of Avila



Happy Hanukkah everyone ! :)

 I thought I would share a wonderful book that I am embarking on reading ... I feel that I have been divinely guided to read this book and sense a great anticipation in my spirit as I immerse myself in this journey ...

 For it's much more than a read... it truly is an experience ...


 The Interior Castle by Saint Teresa of Avila is said to be one of the most celebrated works on mystical theology in existence .... 

 Below is a review that I found summarizing the progression through the differing rooms described in the interior castle.

 Love,
Ahava Sarah Fischer.



" This is a book about prayer written by Saint Teresa of Avila, a 16th century Carmelite nun, mystic and doctor of the Church.

 She presents a model of the human soul as a castle cut from a single diamond.

This castle is divided into seven groups of mansions, beginning at the outer gate and moving inward toward the center.

1) We enter the castle whenever we pray, 
 for the gate to the outermost mansion is prayer. 
(Those who never pray remain in a courtyard outside the gate.)

 As we progress in prayer, we move gradually inward through the mansions. Along the way, we discover that our attachment to sin is trailing us in the form of reptiles.

2) We battle our demons in the second mansions, and to win we must call for supernatural assistance from God and the saints who live near Him.

3) The third mansions are the arid deserts of the soul, 
and here we must travel lightly and swiftly through, which we accomplish by dropping our heavy self-centeredness.

4) And in the fourth mansions, there are two distinct fountains:  
the sweetness that comes from our own prayers, and the consolation that comes from God. In St. Teresa’s model of the soul, I’m guessing this is as far as most ordinary people get. Because…

 5 & 6) The fifth and sixth mansions are very strange and mystical.
St. Teresa describes such things as: death-like trances similar to going into a cocoon, raptures and visions of different types, out-of-body experiences, a knowledge of the near presence of Christ or one of the saints, sudden urges to vocally praise God, and an interior burning.

7) In the seventh mansion, 
of course, there is the ecstasy of uniting with God, which St. Teresa describes as sacred marriage to a Bridegroom." ~Diane

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-ZqQD4F-4s

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Tree of Knowledge - as described in the Book of Enoch

Image
From the extra-biblical text  The Book of Enoch ( formerly part of the canon )  Chapter 31 1 After these things,  surveying the entrances of the north,  above the mountains,  I perceived seven mountains  replete with pure nard, odoriferous trees, cinnamon and papyrus. 2 From there I passed on above the summits of those mountains to some distance eastwards, and went over the Erythraean sea. (37) (37) Erythraean sea. The Red Sea. And when I was advanced far beyond it,  I passed along above the angel Zateel ,  and arrived at the garden of righteousness.  In this garden I beheld, among other trees, some which were numerous and large, and which flourished there. 3 Their fragrance was agreeable and powerful, and their appearance both varied and elegant.  The tree of knowledge also was there, of which if any one eats, he becomes endowed with great wisdom. 4 It was like a species of the tamarind tree, bearing fruit which resembled gra
Read more

Establishing Heavenly Governments on Earth - The Bench of 3, 7 & 12

Image
BRINGING HEAVEN TO EARTH  Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. ~ Matthew 6:10 There are Heavenly protocols that are of great benefit to assume in our hierarchical structures (government, organizations or ministries) here on Earth. Why? Because Heaven looks for a shadow of itself to rest upon. The following videos & podcasts by Mike Parsons and Ian Clayton provide information on the Heavenly governments. The governmental patterns such as the Bench of 3,7 and 12 are also discussed. Love, Ahava Sarah Fischer. IAN CLAYTON Session 1 - Courts & Government of Heaven (Ian Clayton) This will revolutionise you and change the way you see the world! Session (1) of the Courts & Government of Heaven school recorded in Cardiff Wales, with Ian Clayton and Company of Burning Hearts. Get ready to go to new places and to begin to operate in the Courts and Justice System of God. No going back after this series!  http://companyofburningh
Read more

Raise your frequency through sound ...

Image
Raise your frequency through sound Sounds & music have a tremendous impact on us helping us abide in a state of peace and enter true worship. Sounds generate electromagnetic frequencies that impact our state of mind and being. Sound is so powerful that it evoked the creation of matter. John 1-1 “ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.               2   He was in the beginning with God;                3   All things were made through Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made”.   The secret of creation is released in the first sentence of Genesis. In the original Hebrew version of the Bible, Genesis starts with the word Be-resjiet meaning ‘at first’ or ‘in principle’. This is translated in the modern Bible as ‘in the beginning’. The first words Yahweh spoke were " LET". Genesis 1-3 " And God said, Let there be light: and there was light." My perception of this is tha
Read more