Field Notes to Mystical Theology: Interior Castle First Mansions
These are my notes and not the book. So don't think you're getting away cheap here! The Field Guide to Mystical Theology is going to be awesome. Don't be turned off by the name 'mystic'. Did you know the original usage of the word 'mystic' was to describe the 'mystical body of Christ'? The mystical body means the Church. The term mystic means eastern religion or new age now. The enemy created its own counterfeit mysticism. Grab yourself a cup of tea or coffee, and step into my writing studio as I work on this project. Feel free to comment and talk as I work in the studio on this fascinating project.
The Field Guide to Mystical Theology is about seeking a deeper prayer life with Jesus. I have spent a considerable amount of time researching some saints from the 1500s. Saint Teresa of Avila and Saint John of the Cross. As well as Padre Pio, from the past century. In this blog entry I am going to walk you through the works of the master of prayer, Saint Teresa of Avila herself, from her book, The Interior Castle. She was a no non-sense Carmelite prioress nun who was deeply in love with God and had some supernatural encounters because of her deep calling and spiritual union to God Almighty. In fact it was noted that about 6-7 years after her death, her body was on display and still not in a state of decay.
Her work outlines the contemplative prayer life, which I will cover in another Field Notes of Mystical Theology blog. These are my personal notes and research and I will believe they will help fellow Christians being attacked by the enemy. The key to overcoming the enemy is to seek Jesus deeper and enter union with him. Those who seek to be freed from just the pain and torment rarely succeed. If you are in what you feel a no win situation it is time to turn within and ask the creator of the universe, Jesus Christ for help.
Again, the following are my notes, hence the name, Field Notes.
Field Notes Sources:
Field Notes on Mystical Theology: Interior Castle First Mansions
Saint Teresa discusses, metaphorically, what she identifies as the 7 stages of prayer life. These are NOT to be read as step-by-step instructions to prayer life, or goals to achieve. Merely, a depiction of the soul as it develops with deeper prayer and commune with God. It's about the soul and God becoming infused in a communion of love here on earth and getting a taste of Heaven. New Agers have run off with this as a spiritual guide and claims of how to attain the 7th mansion. This is a gross abuse of the works of our Carmelite saint. The Interior Castle is merely about prayer life development and its stages. And if read properly, the stages don't have to be in order. Although, for our edification, Saint Teresa arranges them in a logical order. The first and second mansions (rooms of the castle) are used in Teresa's metaphor of the soul to describe the beginning stages of prayer life.
Field Notes for Saint Teresa of Avila's Interior Castle, The First Mansion Chapter I
Chapter I The Description of the Castle
I:1 Plan of this book
Saint Teresa tells us she is laying the foundation for the rest of her book.
I:2 The Interior Castle
The mansions are a metaphor Saint Teresa uses to illustrate 7 distinct development stages in ones prayer life. The metaphor of the soul having many mansions is inspired from scripture, John 14:2, My Father’s house has many rooms. Saint Teresa points out these are not achievable milestones by our own efforts in prayer but only possible through a loving commune with God. The true mystic saints believe that our soul is a paradise and that God wants to live in us. Saint Teresa illustrates that the soul is beauty beyond our comprehension, it is a mystery and God is a mystery. God created us in his own image and likeness and he wants to come dwell in us. Saint Teresa uses a castle made of diamond to illustrate how God radiates from the center of our soul.
‘In domo Patris mei mansiones multæ sunt.’ St. John xiv. 2
My Father’s house has many rooms;
‘Deliciæ meæ esse cum filiis hominum.’ Prov. viii. 31
rejoicing in his whole world
and delighting in mankind.
and delighting in mankind.
‘Faciamus hominem ad imaginem et similitudinem nostram.’ Gen. i. 26
Let us make mankind in our image
I:3 Our Curable Self Ignorance
The fact that God created the castle, the soul, in His image means that it too is a mystery. The soul’s true beauty is beyond our comprehension. To go through life and only tend to our bodies and having a vague understanding about our own soul, Teresa says, is like a man, through his own ignorance, does not know who his mother or father is or what country he came from. We seldom consider the true beauty of the soul, of what it possesses and who dwells in the center of it, God. Our focus is on our bodies, the rough setting of the diamond, the outer walls of the castle.
I:4 God Dwells in the Center of the Soul
The chief mansion is in the center of the castle, the soul. And it is here, that Teresa says, “where the most secret things pass between God and the soul”. It is in the center mansion where God will grant you favors (sometimes Teresa refers to them as graces). Why God grants some people these experiences and not others is a mystery. The purpose of these favors is to demonstrate the goodness of Heaven that awaits us. Whether we receive these or not we need to rejoice and strive to a livelihood to commune with God. That is the purpose of our existence here on earth (or in exile as Teresa puts it). God, in his great boundless love, mercy, and grace, wants to commune with us.
(What saint Teresa refers to as favors and graces are commonly called touches in mystical theology. –author’s note. MJN).
mystical touch – is a deep intimate contact, union-experience of God in one of His attributes such, as power, light, goodness, beauty or joy. …The soul tastes here all the things of God, since God communicates to it fortitude, wisdom, love, beauty, grace and goodness. It is God giving a taste of eternal life. The soul clearly understands that this touch is from God and is too great to be expressed in any manner.
Thomas Dubay, SM, FIRE WITHIN, (Ignatius Press, 1989), 45.
More on mystical touches (favors/graces) later as Saint Teresa reveals them in other mansions (rooms of the castle).
(Mystical touches in the first and second mansions do not include visions. More a gentle sense of God's presence with us. God comes to us. We don't pray this into existence, and no matter how godly we are these don't occur on our own accord or through asking with prayer. God just bestows this upon us. –author’s note. MJN)
I:5 Why All Souls Do Not Receive Certain Favors
By our own nature we can become envious at seeing our brother’s/sister’s receiving graces and we are not. We can be receiving graces and still be envious of others receiving graces (favors) too, as if we’re being deprived of our own share. We need to work on our own humility and love for our neighbor (a repeating theme in the Interior Castle).God is not showing personal favor to those he bestows with these graces. Why does He grant His favors to anyone? Only God knows. But Teresa makes the point that sometimes God will do this to manifest His power for His glory, just as he restored the site to the blind man in John 9:12. The purpose of the manifestation is to make God’s greatness known. They have nothing to do with the holiness of the person He grants graces to. In other words, you can be on your face praying for years and never receive a grace. It is God who comes to us and grants them to whoever he pleases. He is God. The purpose is that His greatness be known and that we praise the God most high.
I:6 Reasons for Speaking of These Favors
Teresa writes about those who will disbelieve the favors and graces God bestows on some people. Little harm will come from their disbelief. Instead, we should focus on edifying (lifting up/building up in spirit) those who are receiving graces. God may be using these graces in people to make his people wake up, rejoice, and bring a fresh love for Him.
Some people may develop a closed mind and discredit those receiving graces. They are shutting off the graces of God in their minds, in their disbelief, and by doing so may be shutting themselves off from experiencing graces. Do not put confining boundaries on the sovereignty of the God most High. Teresa warns us not to discredit others because we ourselves are not led down this road by God. (Be aware of who you are in God and what His plans He has for you. –author’s note. MJN).
I:7 The Entrance of the Castle
Saint Teresa clearly states here that the metaphor of the castle is the soul. She writes that it sounds absurd a person needs to enter a room they are already in. But for the point of her metaphor, she describes some souls are in a state of standing in their own castle courtyard, held back by guards, and never entering their own castle. These souls are not interested in entering their own castle, or how many mansions (rooms) are in the castle, nor do they care who dwells in the center of it – God.
I:8 Entering Into Oneself
(Teresa references a book, Imitation , that was available to nuns in the convent. She goes on to say that the book advises the reader on how the soul enters into itself. These are NOT step-by-step instructions! Teresa is referring to discursive meditation (prayer). Where you read something spiritual, such as a Bible verse, or a spiritual reading, such as Imitation, and your mind ponders what you read. Let God speak to you on what your reading. This is pretty much standard reading of scripture and thinking about it. This does not involve any eastern meditation practices, which are spiritually dangerous, such as, breathing, sitting positions, or centering. This is mentally fixing on the presence of God---–author’s note. MJN)
discursive meditation (prayer) – where beginners start in their prayer life. Reading the Bible, getting absorbed in the word and at the same time getting drawn away from “sensual things” and the worldly things start to lose their appeal.
Thomas Dubay, SM, FIRE WITHIN, (Ignatius Press, 1989), 52.
Saint Teresa describes a soul that busies itself with worldly affairs, and inner demons, is metaphorically paralyzed much like a body’s limbs can be physically paralyzed. Some people can spend their entire lives in the outer courtyard of the castle and never enter nor meet God who resides inside. Unless they realize their own situation they will (metaphorically) become pillars of salt, much like Lot’s wife. Genesis 19:26.
I:9 Prayer
Saint Teresa tells us the way to enter the soul is through prayer and meditation.
(Through meditation Teresa is referring to Psalm 1:2, Psalm 119:97, discursive styles of meditation. Where we read scripture and reason through it in our mind and asking the Lord for His divine revelation. This is not eastern meditation! –Author notes MJN)
Forms of prayer Teresa speaks about are mental prayer and vocal prayer. Teresa instructs us to remember who we are praying to when we address His majesty, God. Be careful when you are reciting words you memorized by heart. Do not just merely utter them, but reflect on every word as you lift the words up to God. Frequent repetition is not prayer. Saint Teresa makes reference to the Father’s prayer, in Matthew 6:7-13. Saint Teresa has dedicated several chapters on how she prays the Father’s prayer in her work, The Way of Perfection. She reflects on each word, and meditates, as she prays the Father’s prayer.
Conversing with God in prayer is a good habit and begins to lead us from our evil ways. (Teresa’s point of prayer is that the deeper we go to God, the more the likelihood our soul becomes to being offended by the thought of sinning against God. Author’s note. MJN)
vocal prayer – words used to express our hearts and mind to God. It can be the Lord’s prayer from Matthew 6:7-13. Or it can be an outpouring of the heart. It can be done alone or as a group, such as a liturgical reading. It makes use of the body giving honor and glory to God. It is the simplest form of prayer and usually the first adopted by people beginning to pray.
Dennis Billy, C.Ss.R, Interior Castle: The Classic Text with a Spiritual Commentary, (Christian Classics, 2007), 13.
mental prayer – for Teresa is, “nothing but friendly intercourse, and frequent solitary converse, with him who we know loves us.” (The Life, St Teresa, Ch 8).
(The discursive meditation/prayer is required and an ongoing process to transform one’s life to commune deeper with God. –author’s note. MJN)
Dennis Billy, C.Ss.R, Interior Castle: The Classic Text with a Spiritual Commentary, (Christian Classics, 2007), 13.
I:10 Those Who Dwell in the First Mansion
Saint Teresa refers to the paralyzed souls as being similar to the man who laid paralyzed near the pool in Bethesda for 30 some years. Some may not move unless God himself comes and tells them to take up their mat.
Some souls may enter the castle on their own and but still have the tug of the worldly desires they left behind in the courtyard. Some of these souls bring with them their worldly preoccupations and this stifles their prayer growth. These individuals pray infrequently, a few times a month, and they are driven by their preoccupations. They do sometimes get their minds to focus on God. These individuals enter the first mansion but seldom advance beyond because of their own inner demons (Saint Teresa refers to this inner struggle as reptiles). and preoccupations. These souls have entered into themselves but don’t find peace.
(Parable of the Wedding Feast, Luke 14:15-20, is put on my spirit with this section. –author’s note. MJN)
I:11 Entering
Some people enter the first mansions (rooms) of the castle but they still have their inner demons and preoccupations. Because of this they don’t find peace or see the beauty of the castle. They still have accomplished a lot by just entering the first lower rooms.
I:12 Difficulties of the Subject
Saint Teresa comments on what she has just written. She apologizes to her sisters that what she has written is so fundamental to them. But Teresa wants to lay the foundation of prayer life and she starts with first and second mansions, so she can explain the more advance prayer life mansions later on.
Field Notes for Saint Teresa of Avila's Interior Castle, First Mansions, Chapter 2
Chapter II. The Human Soul
I:2 1. Effects of Mortal Sin
3 Et erit tamquam lignum quod plantatum est secus decursus aquarum,
quod fructum suum dabit in tempore suo:
et folium ejus non defluet;
et omnia quæcumque faciet prosperabuntur.
quod fructum suum dabit in tempore suo:
et folium ejus non defluet;
et omnia quæcumque faciet prosperabuntur.
3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers. Psalm 1:3
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers. Psalm 1:3
Saint Teresa now turns her discussion on what happens, when the beautiful pearl, “the tree of life, planted in the living waters of life – namely in God”, falls into a mortal sin. The crystal castle walls, Saint Teresa’s metaphor of the soul, become darkened and black by sin. She says no thicker darkness exists. Even though the walls of the soul are dark from sin, the Son himself, the Sun of the soul, still radiates from inside, the center of the soul. And because the sinful darkness on the outer walls of the soul, the person does not know the Son is still radiating inside them. Mortal sin causes the soul to completely miss the fact that the Son is residing deep inside. The darkness is a metaphor of a soul separated from God.
I:2 2. It Prevents the Soul from Gaining Merits
(Saint Teresa is clearly discussing an unredeemed soul, when she says it is mortal sin. –author notes. MJN)
A soul in the state of mortal sin will gain no glory through good works. There can be no pleasing through good works because a soul in mortal sin has separated itself from God. A soul in this state can’t be pleasing in God’s eye because it is focused on giving pleasure to the devil. The devil is darkness, thus the soul becomes darkness.
Teresa reflects upon her own darkness from her youth. She encourages her convent sisters to pray for souls in a state of mortal sin and darkness.
I:2 3. The Soul Compared to a Tree
Saint Teresa describes a healthy soul, using the metaphor of the soul as a tree planted in a clear stream (Psalm 1:3). If the soul falls into sin, it is as if the soul leaves the clear life bringing stream and plants itself in pitch-black evil smelling water. Instead of producing fruit, the tree now produces misery and filth.
I:2 4. Disorder of the Soul in Mortal Sin
Souls redeemed by the blood of Christ need to reflect on the sins they were saved from. A redeemed soul needs to understand its own natures –sin. These souls need to strive to remove the remnants of sin that blackens the outer shell crystal shell.
(perhaps she is talking about self reflection and deliverance – author notes MJN)
Teresa speaks on how precious it is for Jesus to live inside of us while we are alive.
The discussion turns towards the ill-controlled faculties of the mansions. The faculties are the imagination, reasoning and so forth - literally, our mental faculties. Evil produces no fruit it only produces evil.
I:2 5. Vision of a Sinful Soul
Two things:
One - Teresa realizes to fear God means to fear falling into mortal sin and even committing the smallest act of sin to offend Him. She continually begs God to help her from falling into sin. A fall can bring horrible consequences.
Two - Sin is a mirror of humility (she may be talking about self-reflection –author notes MJN). This mirror of humility made her realize that anything truly good we do comes from the spring, the source (God), where the tree (soul) is planted.
Without the source (God) we are truly powerless. Whenever Saint Teresa did something good she gave glory to God and not herself. For God was the Source of the good.
I:2 6. Profit of Realizing These Lessons
Realize the importance of the two things. God give us grace to understand this.
I:2 7 Prayer
Teresa addresses the matter that the nuns are told continually what a good thing prayer is. There Constitution has them engage in prayer for many hours a day. Yet Teresa points out that they are given no instruction is given on what part a person takes in the act of prayer. Nor is there instruction on what part God plays in the soul because of a healthy prayer life. The soul is a edifice in which God dwells.
I:2 8 Beauty of the Castle
The discussion returns to the castle with many mansions (rooms). The rooms are not laid out in a normal fashion. No matter how the rooms are arranged we must keep our eyes fixed on the king’s court in the center of the castle. No matter how large we can imagine our souls to be – it is still beyond our comprehension. And it is the Sun (Son) who illuminates every chamber of the soul.
I:2 9 Self-knowledge
A soul, which gives itself to prayer, is free to roam the boundless mansions (rooms). However, with growth in prayer life, one shouldn’t remain in one room for very long.
Teresa explains the importance of humility through healthy self-examination of oneself. Teresa called this self-examination, self-knowledge.
Self-knowledge (humility through self-examination) is extremely important for those who are brought in to dwell in the center mansion with God Himself (full union with God in a contemplative prayer life –author notes MJN).
The soul needs to cease thinking of itself to rise in meditation the grandeur and majesty of its God.
The beginning of self-knowledge comes into play when the soul enters the first room. Self-knowledge helps us understand our on inner demons (reptiles – Teresa) and helps us free ourselves from them. It is by the grace of God we begin to practice self-examination (humility). Too much self-examination is as bad as too little.
We shall advance more in prayer by contemplating God than by keeping our eyes fixed on ourselves.
(eastern religion contemplation focuses on self, zen, saturi – author notes MJN).
I:2 10. Gained by Meditating on the Divine Perfections
The first rooms we enter into the castle are the rooms where self-knowledge (humility) is put into practice in order to advance to other mansions (rooms). Teresa comments that self-knowledge is of significance and must be understood.
We learn to know about ourselves by endeavoring to know God. Beholding His greatness reveals our baseness. His purity shows how foul we are. By meditating on His humility we see how far we are from being humble.
(Isaiah – Jesus prophesy of torture and humiliation. John 13:1-7 Jesus washes the disciples feet –author notes MJN).
I:2 11 Advantages of Such Meditation
There are two advantages to this form of meditation (using self-knowledge).
First, Teresa uses a metaphor, that the color white, looks whiter when placed next to something that is black. Just as black looks blacker against something white.
Second, if we focus less on ourselves and more on God, our understanding and our will become more will become more nobler to embrace that which is good.
Teresa explains that trees (souls) planted in the black streams of mortal sin never examine their own faults. As long as we are self-absorbed in our earthly natures, we will never be free from our own cowardice and fears. We will develop a fear of failing and let self-condemnation absorb us.
I:2 12 Christ Should be Our Model
True humility comes from focusing on Christ, our only good, and His saints.
Self-knowledge can be come warped and make us overly self-conscious about our own actions in public.
If the soul learns to elude the inner demons that dwell in the first mansions it will most likely most likely advance to other mansions.
The devil will stop at nothing to prevent you from learning about your own weaknesses.
I:2 13 The Devil Entraps Beginners
The first mansions can be comprised of numerous rooms. Souls can enter any of these mansions by different ways, but always in good intention.
The devil is aggressive in these rooms to stop ones progress in their Christian faith. New Christians may be ignorant of the ways of the devil and easily trapped. The devil knows souls in these rooms are still absorbed with worldly ways and pleasures. Those not solidified in their faith can easily be vanquished by the devil here. Souls that reach mansions closer to where God resides are not so easily snared by the ways of the devil.
I:2 14 Our Strength Must Come from God
Those in the first mansions are in a fragile state, the warfare is intense, and these souls must pray as often as possible in this state of battle. We possess little strength in our own self-defense. All our help must come from God.
Souls in the first mansions must remember the importance of self-knowledge and humility. This is of the most importance.
I:2 15 Sin Blinds the Soul
The light from the King’s palace in the center of the soul barely shines into the first mansions. This is because of the inner demons and mortal sin, that darkens the light and makes their first mansions gloomy. The room is lit, the mortal sin blinds the eyes from seeing the light.
Teresa stresses it is the inner demons (snakes, vipers, and venomous reptiles) in the outside the castle (the courtyard) that prevents the souls entering the first mansions from seeing the light.
I:2 16 Wordliness
The soul, although it may not be in a state of mortal sin, it can be easily preoccupied with materialism, pride and honor. These obstacles are what prevent a soul from entering into itself. It is important try and separate oneself from these desires in order to move on to the second mansions.
I:2 17 The World in the Cloister
What would happen if a nun, having reached farther in the depths of the castle has a fall from grace? What would happen to the people who looked to her for spiritual guidance? In convents the nuns are protected from the evils occurring outside the walls. May God protect them from these ills (evil).
I:2 18 Assaults of the Devil
Struggles with the demons occurs through nearly all mansions of the castle.
the guards – are the powers of the soul, have strength for the combat, and must be aware of the tactics of the devil. Such as, being deceived by an angel of light.
I:2 19 Examples of the Devil’s Arts
(Note the early Catholic church used mortification, physically wounding the body, as an act of penance. St Teresa and St. John of the Cross used this in their penance –author notes MJN).
Example 1:
A nun feels the need for physical penance, to find peace through her own torment.
The head prioress forbids the nun from practicing mortifications without special leave. The nun feels her cause is righteous and disobeys the prioress nun and performs the mortifications anyway. She becomes ill from her own acts of rebellion and now cannot fulfill the requirements of her rule.
Way of Perf. ch. x. 5; xxxix. 4; Rel. iii. 12
Example 2:
A nun is zealous about religious perfection, but this causes to her to over exaggerate every small fault she sees in her sisters to be more serious faults. Now the nun is watching her sisters to find any faults and running to the prioress to accuse them.
This nun does not see her own shortcomings through her own zeal. Nor do the other nuns like the fact she has taken watch over them.
I:2 20 Perfection Consists in Charity
True perfection exists in the love of God and our neighbor. We will live a better life by keeping these commandments.
I:2 21 Indiscreet Zeal
Our souls lose their peace if we are always criticizing trivial actions of others.
I:2 22 Danger of Detraction
detraction - is the unjust damaging of another's good name by the revelation of some fault of which that other is really guilty or at any rate is seriously believed to be guilty by the defamer.
It is unhealthy to engage in discussions of detraction. The devil will only use it to deceive you. Fortunately, the convent is in almost perpetual silence to prevent such conversations. Stand guard against such conversations.
Copyright Michael Norton, 2010-2011 Non-commercially share amongst yourselves all you want.
But beware - unethically steal my notes and you'll meet the fate of Lot's wife.
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