{The Dark Night of the Soul (2)}[18th September 1989]

[Redbook6:269][19890918:2030]{The Dark Night of the Soul (2)}[18th September 1989]

.2030

[I have] r[ead] ‘The Dark Night of the Soul’.* (I had in the past** been unable to read past Book II, Ch[apter] III*** owing to a kind of psychological block – perhaps because I had not myself passed that point).

I now fit St. John of the Cross as follows:

#

[The layout of the text in the ms diagram reproduced above is too complex to be represented in a text table.]

Note that per [St] John [of the] Cross, on the 10^th step the soul has left the body, and departed from this life (ie the body is dead)#

The Dark Night of the Senses is a gradual process, but marked. The Dark Night of the Spirit is accurately described, if you can get through all the verbiage. I sometimes think, though, that St. John [of the] Cross misses the point of many of the phenomena which he describes so precisely.

#**

In other words, his cast of mind is mediaeval.

Thank God I’ve finished it at last!

#***

*St. John of the Cross, ‘The Dark Night of the Soul’:James Clarke, Cambridge, 1973.

**ref [[Redbook6:226-227][19890908:1619]{The Dark Night of the Soul (1)}[8th September 1989],] 226-7{→}

***([ibid] p78)

****cf Vol III? [See fn#*** below]

#For details of ladder see [[Redbook6:226-227][19890908:1619]{The Dark Night of the Soul (1)}[8th September 1989],] 227, and

D[ark] N[ight of the] S[oul] II: XIX-XX

For Colours, D[ark] N[ight of the] S[oul II: XXI

For imperfections of [… unfinished note]

#*– D[ark] N[ight of the] S[oul], II:XX:5-6

#**{There is also a strong vein of suppressed eroticism.

(Look who’s talking!)}

#***{cf III. [[Redbook3:37-38][19870326:1543r]{Corruption and Aridity: The Dark Night of the Soul}[26^th March 1987],] 37-8,

V. [[Redbook5:109][19880320:2300]{The Dark Night}[20th March 1988]] 109}

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