The Silkworm and the Cocoon
Spiritual marriage, when she finally distinguishes it from betrothal, is rain falling from heaven into a river or stream, becoming one and the same liquid. The little butterfly dies with supreme joy, for Christ is her life. This is not a stage you claim after a retreat. It presupposes union already given. Teresa keeps the later mansions from becoming a ladder you climb with better habits. The liquid is one. The office of the worm is finished only when the life is no longer yours to brand.
Key Insight
Last stages look less like promotion and more like mixture. If you still need the floor number on the door, you are not in the rain. You are still counting mansions.
“Spiritual marriage is like rain falling from heaven into a river or stream, becoming one and the same liquid.”Full analysis
