She was a Carmelite nun in 1500's Spain, but aside from those life details, we might be kindred spirits. Other than that...
Several Christian authors have recommended this and I finally checked it out. I wish I had read it in Spanish or another English translation, as the translation I read (by Mirabai Starr) was geared for non-Christian spiritual seekers, so some of the translated words were stretched: "spirit of evil" for Satan and "errors" for sins. I get the attempt to be more relevant and less churchy, but I personally do not need that kind of editing, especially because I already understand the words in Spanish, so this takes it further away from the original language words in my mind. The one exception to this was the fitting choice of "Beloved" instead of Lord (for Señor), as it denotes a personal, affectionate relationship, which was certainly what this mystic nun had with God.
Aside from that, the translator did write a helpful prologue with Teresa's life summary and explanations about her world context, like how self-effacing she was, probably due to the Spanish Inquisition looking for any excuse to punish unorthodoxy. So since writing to other nuns about ecstatic experiences in prayer was probably going to irk someone in authority, she included repeated reminders such as "but I don't know what I'm talking about" and "more learned men can speak of what they know".
My favorite quote might be the most famous one from the book. "What there is to do now is not to think, but to love, and to do whatever best awakens you to love." Very poetic, and in spirituality, quite fitting. What best awakens me to love? What about you? Since I often find I am lacking in love, what should I so be doing more of? (I should probably write a poem about this since I seem to often find clarity by writing lyrically...)
I also liked how Teresa was very practical in her suggestions for prayer (and meditation): don't worry too much about your busy thoughts bogging you down while you try to concentrate. Just let them go, and with time you will connect your soul, a deeper part than your rational, day-to-day mind, to the Lord, and He will also do work in you to respond to your effort to connect. I found that simple and refreshing.
She repeatedly encourages humility on the path to deeper spiritual maturity and communion with the Beloved, which I agree is crucial. Otherwise, from a human stance, the more godly you are, the more proud you'd become. But humility is everything as we grow-- and also inevitable if we're truly growing closer to God, as we realize how great He is and how loved yet undeserving we are.
Overall, this was the perfect read for me: nonfiction, part biography, more parts spiritually devotional. As usual, I took notes, because I like looking back on details of previous reads and because I retain more that way... Yeah okay, I'm a nerd. Has anyone else read this book or other works by her or about her? What are your thoughts and inspirations?
Thoughtfully yours,
Ellen H.
P.S. The book is about closer and closer stages of intimacy with the Lord, and the front cover art of this particular edition was a painting of a spiral waterway through a castle traveled by maidens in boats called "Spiral Transit." It hints at the concept of the book's title, but is ironic because the painter Remedios Varo was critical of (though influenced by) Catholicism. It was also ironic for me because she also painted "Embroidering the Earth Mantle" which I wrote an earlier ekphrastic poem about, "Hum of Creation". I thought Spiral Transit's style looked familiar but didn't know it was by Varo until I looked it up.
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