In Chapter 21 of The Mirror of Simple Souls, the main teaching centers on the paradoxical truth that the Soul, having once obeyed the Virtues with full devotion under Reason’s guidance, eventually transcends them not by rejection but by surpassing their external practice through perfect union with Divine Love. Though she no longer “practices” the Virtues in the conventional sense, the Virtues now dwell in her more perfectly because she lives by their essence, not their form. Love, who reveals Himself to be God, explains that this Soul has been transformed into Him by love’s righteousness, becoming His own without self-possession. This culminates in a profound mystical state in which the Soul, entirely given over to Love, no longer acts from herself but from God within her, having passed beyond moral striving into divine assimilation.
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1. “It is true that this Soul takes leave of the Virtues, insofar as the practicing of them is concerned, and insofar as the desire for what they demand is concerned. But the Virtues have not taken leave of her, for they are always with her, but this is from perfect obedience to them.”
Love clarifies that the soul’s apparent departure from the Virtues is not a rejection but a transcendence of active, willful practice. The soul no longer strives to practice the virtues because she has become a perfect vessel of them. Her earlier obedience has brought her to a point where the virtues are no longer external obligations but internalized presences, infused by Divine Love.
2. “For if a man serves a master, it is he whom the man serves, and the master does not belong to him… [But later] the servant leaves the master for a better master.”
This analogy reveals the transformation of the soul: like a servant who outgrows a teacher and finds a higher one, the soul transcends the external governance of the Virtues once she is mastered by Love itself. The Virtues now serve her in return, not out of reversal of hierarchy but because the soul has been elevated by grace into union with God.
3. “So this Soul has gained and learned so much with the Virtues that she is now superior to the Virtues… she has within her the mistress of the Virtues, whom one calls Divine Love.”
The soul has internalized all that the Virtues could offer and more, because Divine Love-who is above all virtues-now dwells in her. The soul’s condition surpasses moral excellence: she lives by a divine infusion, no longer needing moral scaffolding, having become the dwelling place of Divine Love.
4. “Reason: To whom does she belong then? says Reason.
Love: To my will, says Love, which transformed her into me.”
The soul now belongs entirely to Love. Not to herself, not to Reason, not even to the Virtues. Love, which is God, has absorbed her into divine will, indicating full deification of the soul-not ontologically, but through righteousness of love.
5. “Love: I am God, says Love, for Love is God and God is Love, and this Soul is God by the condition of Love. I am God by divine nature and this Soul is God by righteousness of Love.”
This is the central mystical declaration of the chapter: a bold articulation of deification. Love identifies itself as God, echoing 1 John 4:8 (“God is Love”), and states that the soul, through perfect union and love, has become God-not by nature, but by participation. The soul is not obliterated but transformed so completely by divine charity that it lives God’s life through infused love.
6. “This precious beloved of mine is taught and guided by me, without herself, for she is transformed into me, and such a perfect one… takes my nourishment.”
The soul no longer acts with self-possession. Her own will has been entirely taken up by Love’s will. The phrase “without herself” suggests not self-annihilation, but a complete divine possession in which God becomes the soul’s guide, teacher, and sustenance. She lives entirely in God, by God, and for God.
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1. Why does Reason perceive a contradiction between the Soul leaving the Virtues and still having them more perfectly than others?
Reason is confused because the text says the Soul has “taken leave” of the Virtues, which sounds like abandonment. Yet it also says that the Soul possesses the Virtues more perfectly than anyone. This seems contradictory unless understood in a deeper, spiritual sense.
2. How does Love resolve this apparent contradiction?
Love explains that the Soul has ceased practicing the Virtues in an active, effortful way and no longer desires what they demand because she has reached perfect obedience. The Virtues now abide in her not as external demands but as internal realities-she lives them spontaneously through union with Love.
3. What is the significance of the servant-master analogy used by Love?
The analogy shows how the Soul once learned from the Virtues as a servant learns from a master. But once the servant surpasses the master in wisdom and status, the roles reverse. Similarly, the Soul becomes greater than the Virtues because she is transformed by Divine Love, who is their source and mistress.
4. What role does Divine Love play in the transformation of the Soul?
Divine Love is the principle by which the Soul is united to God. Love is not merely a virtue but God Himself. When the Soul is transformed by Divine Love, she becomes God’s own by righteousness of Love, living no longer by self but by God’s indwelling.
5. What does it mean when Love says the Soul is “God by righteousness of Love”?
It means that through perfect love and surrender, the Soul participates in God’s life-not by nature (as God is divine by essence), but through righteousness, meaning she is entirely united with God’s will and filled with His love. It is an expression of mystical union and deification.
6. How does this chapter portray the highest stage of spiritual life?
The highest stage is not moral striving but complete transformation into Divine Love. The Soul no longer belongs to herself or even to the Virtues but to God directly. She is taught, guided, and nourished by Love itself, having no will or movement apart from God.
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Chapter 22 teaches that the Soul, transformed by Divine Love, rises like an eagle above all natural limitations, surpassing the realm of Nature to live in the freedom and nourishment of God’s splendor. By taking leave of “Lady Nature,” the Soul is no longer subject to the demands of the flesh, the instability of emotions, or the sway of worldly consolations and trials. Her interior is filled with Pure Charity and Goodness, which make her completely self-sufficient in God, joyful without excess, and sober without sorrow. This divine indwelling of the Trinity sanctifies her and renders her available to all while attached to none. The chapter closes with a warning to spiritual beginners not to settle for lesser goods but to pursue the fullness of divine union with courage and generosity of heart.
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1. “And so this Soul is like the eagle, because this Soul flies high, indeed, very high, higher than any other bird because she is feathered by Fine Love.”
The eagle, a classical symbol of spiritual elevation and vision, represents the Soul’s exalted state through Divine Love. “Feathered by Fine Love” suggests that Love is not only the cause of ascent but also the means-granting the Soul the strength and capacity to rise beyond all created things, including the natural order. Her soaring flight implies detachment, freedom, and a clarity of spiritual sight superior to all others.
2. “She sees more clearly the beauty of the sun, the rays of the sun, and the splendor of the sun, and the rays which feed her with the marrow of the high cedars.”
This poetic vision conveys the Soul’s direct perception of Divine Truth (“the sun”), not through mediated symbols but through experiential intimacy. The imagery of “rays” feeding her with “marrow” underscores that her nourishment is no longer from external virtues or created nature, but directly from the radiance and inner substance of God. The “high cedars” likely symbolize saints or spiritual greatness-yet even these are surpassed, as she now feeds on their inner life source.
3. “Thus this Soul says to the unhappy Nature who through many days has made her remain in servitude: ‘Lady Nature, I take leave of you; Love is near me and I free myself by her without fear, and contrary to all else.'”
This marks the Soul’s formal renunciation of all attachments to natural inclinations, instincts, or limitations. “Lady Nature” is personified as a former mistress who once ruled the Soul through necessity and desire. Now, aided by Love, the Soul announces her final liberation from even the noblest human drives. She is free “contrary to all else,” meaning her detachment defies not only nature but conventional piety and fear alike.
4. “This Soul is not fearful of tribulation; she is not detained for consolation, nor is she lowered on account of temptation, nor is she diminished by any subtraction.”
The Soul has reached a state of pure equanimity. She is unmoved by suffering, unbound by desire for comfort, and unshaken by temptation or loss. This indicates that she no longer acts from self-interest or vulnerability, but from the rootedness of Divine Love itself. Her identity and sustenance are no longer affected by the flux of created things.
5. “She is at all times sober without sadness, joyous without dissolution, for God has sanctified His name within her and there the Trinity is at home.”
In this profound line, we see the characteristics of divine indwelling: a quiet, balanced joy (“sober without sadness”) and a dignity of spirit (“joyous without dissolution”) that results from union with the Trinity. The sanctification of God’s name within her indicates total interior transformation-God now dwells in her as in a temple, and she shares in His eternal life.
6. “To you little ones who in desire and will take prey for your nourishment, desire that you be such as she is.”
This is a direct exhortation to the reader or spiritual seeker. “Little ones” implies beginners on the path, and “take prey for your nourishment” refers to those who still seek spiritual or emotional satisfaction from things lesser than God. The author calls them to aim higher-not to settle for partial goods or spiritual crumbs, but to aspire to the Soul’s complete union with God.
7. “For whoever desires the lesser part and desires not the greater part, such a one is not worthy of the least of God’s blessings because of the cowardice of a poor heart.”
This striking and challenging conclusion criticizes spiritual mediocrity. To desire “the lesser part” (created consolations, virtues for their own sake, spiritual pride) without aspiring to complete surrender to Love is, in this text’s view, a failure of courage and love. The phrase “cowardice of a poor heart” indicates that fear and smallness of spirit keep souls from reaching their divine destiny.
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1. Why is the Soul compared to an eagle in this chapter?
The Soul is compared to an eagle because she rises higher than all others, symbolizing her spiritual ascent beyond the natural and created order. She flies with the wings of “Fine Love,” which empowers her to see and receive divine realities-especially the rays and splendor of the “sun,” a symbol for God. Her vision is clearer, and her nourishment is drawn from the deepest sources of divine life.
2. What does it mean when the Soul says she takes leave of “Lady Nature”?
To take leave of “Lady Nature” means the Soul has transcended the limitations and demands of human nature, including desires, fears, and the instinctual life. Nature had once bound the Soul in “servitude,” but now, through Love, she is freed from all natural inclinations. This is a renunciation not of the body per se, but of being governed by anything other than divine Love.
3. How does Love describe the Soul’s freedom from external conditions like tribulation, temptation, and consolation?
Love explains that the Soul is no longer affected by suffering (tribulation), the need for comfort (consolation), temptation, or loss. She remains unshaken and undiminished in all circumstances. This reflects her perfect detachment and full identification with Divine Love, which makes her invulnerable to changes in fortune or emotional states.
4. What is meant by “She is at all times sober without sadness, joyous without dissolution”?
This means that the Soul possesses a stable, serene joy that is not excessive or fleeting. “Sober without sadness” indicates a deep peace without gloom, and “joyous without dissolution” implies a joyful state that does not lose itself in ecstasy or emotionalism. Her joy is grounded in the indwelling presence of the Trinity, who has made His home within her.
5. What warning or exhortation is given to spiritual beginners at the end of the chapter?
The text exhorts “little ones”-those beginning the spiritual journey-not to settle for lesser spiritual goods or temporary satisfactions. Instead, they are called to desire the greater part: full union with God. Those who cling to lesser desires are said to be unworthy even of God’s smallest blessings because of their “cowardice of a poor heart,” which reflects spiritual timidity and lack of generosity in love.
6. What role does “Pure Charity” and “Pure Goodness” play in the Soul’s condition?
Pure Charity and Pure Goodness are the divine qualities that fill the Soul and cause her to be content, detached, and generous. Because she is immersed in these, she asks nothing from anyone and has become “common to all things,” meaning she belongs to all and is constrained by nothing. These divine gifts anchor her in God’s fullness.
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Chapter 23 teaches that the soul united with God through pure love becomes perfectly balanced, strong, and invulnerable-like a castle fortified against all opposition-by holding together a profound awareness of her own poverty and the illumination received from God. In this state of deep humility and divine union, she is so transformed that she becomes spiritually intoxicated, not merely by what she receives, but by what God Himself enjoys. Through the mystery of love’s transformation, she participates in the joy of the Trinity without directly “drinking” of it. This mystical inebriation surpasses comprehension, as she shares in the divine delight simply because her Lover drinks of it. The soul is thus lifted above herself, emptied of self, yet filled with divine praise and freedom. Her faculties remain but are wholly surrendered, submerged in divine humility, and made radiantly free by God’s love.
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1. “This Unencumbered Soul, says Love, is balanced by means of a yoke with two equal weights … One of these weights … is her true understanding of her poverty … The left weight … is strength. The one on the right is the high understanding which the Soul receives from the pure Deity.”
The Soul’s spiritual stability is described through the imagery of a balanced yoke, symbolizing an equilibrium between self-awareness and divine enlightenment. The “understanding of her poverty” roots the Soul in profound humility, while divine understanding lifts her toward union with God. Strength sustains her along this path, suggesting that spiritual maturity involves a dynamic interplay between lowliness and exaltation. This balance renders the Soul invulnerable to interior or exterior attack-she is like a “castle in the sea,” inaccessible and serene.
2. “She is so deeply awed … by the understanding of her poverty that she seems … completely beside herself. And she is so inebriated … by the grace of the pure Deity that she is forever inebriated … from what she never drinks nor will ever drink.”
Here, Love describes the Soul as overcome by two paradoxical experiences: utter abasement in self-knowledge and ecstatic intoxication through divine grace. The most startling image is that of becoming “drunk” from a wine she “never drinks.” This points to a mystical union so deep that the Soul shares in what Christ drinks-in other words, she participates in divine joy and glory without having direct access to its essence. Her transformation in Love allows her to be affected by God’s own experience, not merely her own.
3. “The clearest wine, the newest, the most profitable … is the wine from the tap at the top. This is the supreme beverage which none drinks except the Trinity … the Annihilated Soul is inebriated … from what she never drinks nor ever will drink.”
This vivid metaphor of the divine “barrel” deepens the mystical paradox. The “top tap” contains the most sublime intimacy of God-reserved for the Trinity alone-yet the Soul is somehow inebriated by it. This expresses the Soul’s participation by communion rather than by possession. Through divine Love, she shares in the joy and delight of the Trinity, though she does not herself drink it. Her state is one of profound receptivity, transformed by what belongs to her Lover, not herself.
4. “In this barrel … are, without fail, several taps … The humanity [of Christ] … drinks at the most noble tap after the Trinity … Virgin Mary … and … the ardent Seraphim drink, on the wings of whom these Free Souls fly.”
The hierarchy of drinkers at the “divine barrel” reflects a spiritual order: Christ’s humanity drinks most nobly, followed by Mary, then the Seraphim. The Free Souls-like the one described-soar with the Seraphim, suggesting that though they may not drink from the highest tap, they participate in this divine ecstasy through union with those who do. This imagery underscores the mystical solidarity between God and all the elect in the ecstatic circulation of divine Love.
5. “Such a Soul … possesses memory, intellect, and will, in an abyss through humility and is highly penetrated with understanding through subtlety, and very free in all places by the love from the Deity.”
The Soul, while still fully human-with memory, intellect, and will-is transfigured through humility and subtlety, meaning she is no longer limited by natural categories. Her faculties are immersed in the “abyss” of God’s presence. Her freedom is no longer a choice between things, but an effortless availability to God in all things. Her very being is irradiated by divine understanding and Love.
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1. What does the imagery of the “yoke with two equal weights” symbolize in the Soul’s spiritual life?
The yoke symbolizes the Soul’s perfect balance and interior stability. One weight is her deep understanding of her own poverty (humility), and the other is divine understanding (illumination). These opposing yet equal forces create a spiritual equilibrium that makes the Soul strong and unshakable-like a fortified castle in the midst of the sea.
2. Why is the Soul described as inebriated by something she never drinks?
The Soul is so united with her Lover (God) that she shares in His joy and delight as if they were her own, even without directly experiencing or “drinking” them. Her inebriation signifies a mystical participation in divine bliss beyond what is accessible to creatures-she is transformed by the joy God Himself receives.
3. What is the significance of the barrel and its multiple taps?
The barrel represents the infinite goodness of God, and the taps symbolize different degrees of participation in divine delight. Only the Trinity drinks from the topmost tap-pure, ineffable joy. Christ’s humanity, Mary, and the Seraphim drink in hierarchical order. The Soul, though she does not drink from this supreme source, is nonetheless intoxicated by it through her union with the Lover.
4. How does Love explain the transformation that enables the Soul to be inebriated from what she does not drink?
Love explains that the transformation occurs through righteousness and union in Love, whereby the Soul becomes one with her Lover. There remains a distinction of nature, but not of affection or union. Because her Lover drinks the supreme wine, she, being one with Him in love, feels its effect without consuming it.
5. What does Holy Church’s exclamation reveal about the value of such a Soul?
Holy Church admires the Soul’s sublime elevation and calls for her to be loved purely and guarded closely. This expresses the Church’s recognition of the Soul’s spiritual nobility and the necessity of reverence toward souls who have attained such intimate union with God.
6. How are the faculties of memory, intellect, and will described in the transformed Soul?
These faculties remain, but they are immersed in an abyss of humility, penetrated with divine understanding, and freed entirely through divine Love. The Soul retains her human capacities but they are utterly transformed and governed by God, making her free, subtle, and wholly available to Him.
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Chapter 24 teaches that souls who dwell in the righteous freeness of Pure Love are utterly detached from desire, emotional feeling, and spiritual affection, for even these can bind the soul and disturb the deep peace that Pure Love requires. Such souls do nothing that would disrupt their interior stillness; they live from the fullness of the divine presence within and do not seek anything beyond themselves. Their purity is preserved not by avoidance but by fullness-they have become transparent vessels of the divine sun, shining outward without being tainted by anything external. Because of this, they alone grasp the “greater part” of divine understanding. They live in a paradoxical state: utterly alone and free in all things, yet universally open and available to all. Like the sun, they illuminate without absorbing any impurity, having their being entirely from God and in God.
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1. “[Reason]: Ah, Love, says Reason, when are such Souls in the righteous freeness of Pure Love?”
Reason, still seeking to understand the mystery of divine union, asks Love to define the precise moment or condition in which souls live in pure, unencumbered freedom-the “righteous freeness” that is the fruit of perfect love. The question reveals Reason’s humility and awareness of its own limitations when it comes to the depths of divine transformation.
2. “Love: When they possess neither desire, nor feeling, nor at any time affection of spirit. For these things would enslave them because it is too far from the peace of freeness where few folk allow themselves to remain.”
Love responds that true freeness in God comes only when the soul is utterly emptied of all self-originating movements-no desires, no felt emotions, not even spiritual affections. These seemingly good things are revealed as subtle forms of selfhood that disturb the soul’s total openness to God. Very few remain in this radical detachment, which is the threshold of divine peace.
3. “Also these Souls, says Love, do nothing which would be contrary to the peace of the being of their interior, and so they carry in peace the ordinance of Love.”
Such souls live entirely from the inner ground of peace and do not disturb that interior stillness with disordered action. Their every movement flows from the harmony of divine love, which has become their guiding law. “Ordinance” here refers not to an external command, but to the divine order now written into their being.
4. “Such persons are so filled that they possess the divine sun within themselves, without begging for anything beyond themselves, by which they can guard a purity of heart.”
These souls are completely indwelt by God (“the divine sun”) and so are never needy. They do not seek outward consolations or even graces, because they already contain the Source. This fullness enables them to maintain a radical purity of heart-not through effort, but through divine indwelling.
5. “And no others than they, says Love, have understanding of the greater part. And if they did not have understanding of it, they could beg for the lesser part, and still they would not have their sufficiency.”
Only these souls grasp the “greater part”-likely meaning God’s own joy and freedom. Without that understanding, even begging for lesser spiritual gifts would leave one empty. True sufficiency lies not in what one receives from God, but in the deep participation in God’s own being and understanding.
6. “Such Souls are alone in all things, and common in all things, for they do not encumber their being on account of something which might happen to them.”
These souls live a paradox: they are inwardly detached (“alone in all things”) and yet universally present and available (“common in all things”). Nothing exterior binds or agitates them. They are rooted in being, not circumstance.
7. “For as completely as the sun has light from God and shines on all things without taking any impurity into it, so also such Souls have their being from God and in God, without taking impurity into themselves on account of things which they might see or hear outside themselves.”
Here, the soul is likened to the sun-radiant, pure, and untouched by external defilements. This simile captures the essence of contemplative transformation: the soul does not react to the external world because she no longer lives from it. Her being is hidden in God, from whom she receives both existence and light.
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1. What does it mean for a soul to be in the “righteous freeness of Pure Love”?
To be in this freeness means the soul is totally detached from all inner movements such as desire, feeling, and spiritual affection. These elements, while often valued, are seen here as potential enslavers, pulling the soul away from the unbroken peace and selflessness required by Pure Love.
2. Why must the soul be free from desire, feeling, and spiritual affection to remain in divine peace?
Because even subtle inner movements introduce self-centeredness or emotional disturbance, which compromise the total inner stillness and openness necessary for dwelling in God’s peace. Only those who let go of all inner possessiveness can remain in the pure freeness of divine love.
3. How do these souls maintain purity of heart without seeking anything outside themselves?
They are filled with the divine sun-God’s own presence-within themselves. This indwelling fullness prevents them from needing to “beg” or seek externally, and so they can preserve purity not through avoidance, but through a fullness that excludes all impurity.
4. What is the “greater part” that only these souls understand?
The “greater part” refers to the deepest divine realities-God’s own peace, joy, and nature-which are not accessible through effort or lesser spiritual experience. This understanding comes only through transformation and indwelling; without it, one may seek lesser gifts but remain spiritually insufficient.
5. In what way are these souls both “alone in all things” and “common in all things”?
They are alone in that they are free from attachment to any created thing. Yet they are common in that they belong to all and are available to all, because their detachment frees them to love universally without clinging or fear.
6. What is the significance of comparing these souls to the sun?
Like the sun, these souls shine outwardly with light and warmth, yet take in no impurity from the world around them. The image emphasizes that their source is divine, and that their interior remains undefiled despite being fully present in the world.
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In Chapter 25, the main teaching is that the soul entirely united to God through pure love no longer experiences joys or spiritual sensations in a separate or perceptible way, because she has died to self-will and become wholly one with the divine will. Like a fire that does not feel its own burning, she is so transformed by the fire of divine love that she no longer perceives it as something external or even internal-she simply is that fire. This state excludes all need for spiritual consolation or external support, which are seen as signs of incompleteness. Because she is stripped of all “matter,” including the desire for experiences or means to God, she sees clearly and acts rightly in all things through humility and divine charity. She becomes at once solitary in God and universally available in love, a vessel of divine largesse untouched by the distractions of sense or effort.
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1. “[Reason]: Now tell me, Love, says Reason, do such Souls feel any joys within them or outside them?”
Reason begins with a simple yet profound inquiry-whether souls who dwell in pure divine love experience joy in the way others might expect. This question assumes that joy is something one can locate or feel as a discrete experience, either internally or externally.
2. “[Love]: Not at all as regards your question, says Love, because their nature is mortified and their spirit is dead. For all will has departed from them, and on account of this [such a Soul] lives and remains, and is, because of such mortification, in divine will.”
Love responds paradoxically: such souls do not experience joy as Reason defines it because their nature and will have been entirely mortified-they are dead to themselves. But precisely through this death of will, they now live fully in God’s will. Their joy is not felt as a separate emotional state but is instead identical with being rooted in divine will-an ontological transformation, not a passing feeling.
3. “That which burns has no cold, and the one who swims has no thirst.”
Love uses metaphor to convey a mystical paradox: the soul so immersed in divine love no longer notices or experiences love as an external object. Like a swimmer no longer feels thirst, the soul engulfed in divine fire is no longer “aware” of fire-it has become fire itself. The soul doesn’t feel joy as something added or separate, because it is joy in its divine essence.
4. “She is fire in herself through the power of Love who transforms her into the fire of Love.”
The soul is no longer a subject that experiences love; she has become love. Transformation is so complete that there’s no longer a division between lover and beloved, experiencer and experience. The soul is fully conformed to God’s nature through Love.
5. “This fire burns of itself in all places and in all moments of an hour without consuming any matter…”
This mystical fire is divine-eternal, active, and self-sufficient. It burns without consuming, echoing the burning bush in Exodus. The soul, now one with this divine fire, is sustained by God directly, without intermediaries, and is no longer dependent on external stimuli or acts for spiritual growth.
6. “Whoever feels something of God through matter… this is not the total fire… only blindness about the understanding of the goodness of God.”
Love criticizes those who seek divine experience through external means or their own effort. While such efforts may be well-intentioned, they reflect an incomplete understanding. True divine love is unmediated and does not rely on anything outside the soul’s union with God.
7. “The one who burns with this fire, without seeking matter… sees clearly in all things…”
The soul fully surrendered to God, seeking nothing and attached to nothing, has clarity of vision. With no selfish will or personal matter clouding her interior, she discerns all things rightly. Her vision is pure because her being is purified.
8. “She is alone in Him by the virtue of true humility. And she is common to all things through the largesse of perfect charity…”
This soul is in a state of paradox: utterly alone in God through humility, yet universally open to all through charity. Her radical detachment has made her radically available. She has transcended self and is both singularly God’s and universally loving.
This chapter intensifies the spiritual portrait of the annihilated soul. She does not “feel joy” because joy, like will, is transcended in the abyss of divine union. She is not a subject that feels-she is a flame that is.
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1. Why does Love say that such souls do not feel joys within or outside themselves?
Because their nature is mortified and their spirit is dead-they have relinquished their personal will and now live entirely in the divine will. In this state, joy is no longer experienced as a distinct feeling but is absorbed into their very being.
2. What metaphor does Love use to explain why these souls do not feel the fire of divine love?
Love says, “That which burns has no cold, and the one who swims has no thirst.” Just as fire doesn’t feel fire and a swimmer doesn’t feel thirst, the soul fully immersed in divine love becomes the fire itself and therefore does not “feel” it as something separate.
3. What does Love mean by saying the fire “burns of itself …without consuming any matter”?
This divine fire is self-sustaining and spiritual-it is not fueled by created things or external matter. The soul united to God in this way is no longer dependent on anything outside itself to love or serve God.
4. How does Love critique spiritual practices that rely on matter or effort?
Love says that relying on external things or human effort to grow in divine love is “blindness about the understanding of the goodness of God.” Such striving is still limited and not the total fire of pure divine love.
5. What allows the soul to see clearly and act rightly in all things?
Because the soul is detached from all matter and free from self-will, she sees without obstruction. Her vision and judgment are purified by humility, allowing her to act with true charity and divine clarity.
6. What paradox does the soul embody at the end of this chapter?
She is “alone in Him by the virtue of true humility” and at the same time “common to all things through the largesse of perfect charity.” This means she is utterly united to God in solitude and equally open to all in love.
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Chapter 26 teaches that the Soul who has entered into Pure Love loves nothing except for God’s sake alone-not even the noblest of things-unless they are willed by God and directed toward His love. In this radical detachment, the Soul is alone in God, emptied of self-interest, and sees herself as nothing in God and God as nothing in her, expressing a mystical union free of possessiveness or image. Such a Soul no longer desires even divine consolations, for any craving for spiritual sweetness would hinder the delicate enterprise of Fine Love. Instead, she dwells in silent meditation that transcends sense and emotion, guided solely by Pure Love, which alone instructs her without intermediary.
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1. “Such a Soul no longer loves anything in God, nor will she love anything, however noble it may be, if it is not solely for the sake of God and for the sake of what He wills, and for the sake of God in all things and all things for the sake of the love from Him.”
The soul has reached the highest refinement of love, where even noble things-spiritual delights, saints, virtues, or divine attributes-are not loved for themselves, but purely because God wills them. All attachments have been stripped away except for God’s will and love. This is the epitome of detachment and spiritual purification: to will nothing but what God wills, and to love nothing except for God’s sake.
2. “And through such love is this Soul alone in the Pure Love of the love of God. Such a Soul is so transparent in understanding that she sees herself to be nothing in God and God nothing in her.”
The soul’s union with God has become so radical that she exists in a state of total self-effacement. The phrase “she sees herself to be nothing in God and God nothing in her” expresses the obliteration of any imagined division, likeness, or possession. There is no “thingness” left-even God is no longer grasped as an object within her. This paradox articulates the absolute simplicity and emptiness necessary for union in Pure Love.
3. “Now give attention, noble lovers, to the one dwelling through meditation on Love, without creaturely hearing.”
The text addresses those advanced in the spiritual path-“noble lovers”-and invites them to a silent, interior meditation that transcends all created forms of knowledge or spiritual instruction. “Creaturely hearing” stands for all external or sensory forms of spiritual input, which must now be relinquished.
4. “For such meditation-which the Soul takes in Love, without willing any of Love’s gifts, called consolations, which comfort the Soul by the feeling of the sweetness of prayer-such meditation teaches the Soul, and no other practice teaches her except Pure Love.”
True spiritual learning at this stage no longer comes from prayerful sweetness, spiritual gifts, or even elevated understanding. The soul learns only through Pure Love, which strips her of all self-seeking. Desiring the comforts of God-consolations-would hinder her from advancing in this radical enterprise of “Fine Love,” which demands poverty of spirit and total abandonment to God.
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1. What is the only motive for love in the purified Soul at this stage?
The only motive for love is God Himself-His will, His love, and His presence in all things. The Soul loves nothing except for the sake of God, even if it is noble or spiritual in nature.
2. What does it mean when Love says the Soul is “alone in the Pure Love of the love of God”?
It means the Soul is entirely absorbed in God’s love with no admixture of self-will, desire for reward, or emotional consolation. She dwells in pure, unselfish love without distraction, consolation, or dependence on anything else.
3. How does the Soul see herself and God at this point?
She sees herself to be nothing in God, and God nothing in her. This paradox expresses radical detachment and total transparency-there is no possession, no image, no duality. All boundaries have dissolved in the simplicity of pure being.
4. What kind of meditation is recommended, and what is it free from?
The meditation is one that abides in Love without relying on creaturely hearing-i.e., without dependence on external senses, thoughts, or teachings. It is pure, silent, interior dwelling in God.
5. Why are divine consolations considered an impediment at this stage?
Because seeking the comfort of God through emotional or spiritual sweetness involves self-will and attachment. These consolations, though good in earlier stages, can obstruct the Soul’s progress in “Fine Love,” which requires complete surrender and the renunciation of all spiritual self-interest.
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Chapter 27 teaches that meditation on Pure Love has only one purpose: to enable the soul to love God loyally and selflessly, without seeking any personal consolation or reward. True love is undivided and cannot have multiple aims, for any self-interest weakens its purity. The soul must be emptied of herself, surrendering even spiritual comforts, and seek only to do God’s will. Her will becomes one with God’s, not through her own effort but through the divine operation of the Holy Trinity within her. Pure Love thus transforms the soul into a vessel of unwavering fidelity, resting not in feelings but in the perfection of willing only what God wills.
1. “Meditation on Pure Love has only one intent alone, which is that the Soul love always loyally without wishing to have anything in return.”
This opening line defines the entire thrust of Pure Love: it is utterly disinterested, not seeking consolations, rewards, or any reciprocal affection. True love is loyal, free of self-interest, and focuses solely on loving for love’s sake. This radical purity makes the soul capable of divine union, where the motive is no longer benefit but fidelity.
2. “And the Soul can do this only if she is without herself, for Loyal Love would not deign to have any consolations which might come from her own seeking.”
To love loyally, the soul must be emptied of self. “Without herself” means transcending ego, desire, and even spiritual ambition. If she were to seek consolation-even spiritual-it would compromise the purity of love, introducing a self-referential motive that Love refuses to accept.
3. “Meditation on Love knows well according to the better part that she must not excuse herself from her work, which is to will perfectly the will of God.”
True meditation is not about introspection or the pursuit of interior comfort, but about uniting the will entirely with God’s. The “better part” refers to the superior way of surrender-where obedience to God’s will becomes the soul’s only labor and joy.
4. “For the one who wills that God cause him to experience God’s will in comforts does not trust perfectly in God’s goodness alone, but in the gifts of His riches which He has to give.”
To desire the experience of God’s will, rather than the will itself, is to seek the sweetness of the gift over the Giver. This is a subtle form of spiritual egoism. Pure trust rests in God’s goodness alone, whether He gives consolation or not.
5. “And without fail, says this Soul, whoever would love well would not remember to take nor to ask, but instead always would wish to give without retaining anything in order to love loyally.”
The soul reaches a state where it forgets self-entitlement entirely. She does not think in terms of receiving, only of giving. This radical generosity is the mirror of divine charity, which pours itself out without counting the cost or requiring return.
6. “For whoever would have two goals in one same work will enfeeble the one for the other.”
Divided intention weakens love. If the soul seeks both God and self-fulfillment, her love loses its single-heartedness and therefore its spiritual power. Pure Love is unified, undistracted, and simple.
7. “And so Loyal Love has only one sole intent, that she might always be able to love loyally. For she has no doubt about the love of her Lover…”
The Soul’s only concern is to remain loyal in her love. She has full confidence in God’s love-it is her own constancy that she questions. This doubt about herself, not about God, is the fruit of humility and clarity in love.
8. “And also of her [own] power she cannot will anything, for her will is no longer her own nor in her, but instead is in the One who loves her.”
This culminates the teaching: the soul’s will has been so united with God’s that it no longer resides in her as a private faculty. Her being is transparent, and the will of God moves within her as her own. This is a mystical transference, not annihilation, in which divine will becomes operative within the soul.
9. “And this is not her work but instead is the work of the whole Trinity, who works His will in such a Soul.”
This final line attributes all this transformation to the action of the Trinity. Pure Love, total surrender, and the unity of wills is a divine work, not a human achievement. The soul’s role is consent, receptivity, and faithfulness. The transformation into divine likeness is the loving labor of God alone.
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1. What is the single intent of meditation on Pure Love, according to Love?
The sole intent of meditation on Pure Love is that the soul loves always with loyal, disinterested love-without wishing to receive anything in return. This love is entirely selfless and directed toward God alone.
2. Why must the soul be “without herself” in order to love loyally?
Being “without herself” means the soul must renounce all self-interest, even spiritual consolations or satisfaction. Only by forgetting herself can she love purely, since Loyal Love rejects all comforts that come from personal seeking.
3. How does Pure Love relate to the will of God?
Pure Love requires the soul to perfectly will the will of God without exceptions. She trusts that God knows and wills what is best, and her only desire is that His will be done in her, not that she experience His will in comforting ways.
4. Why does seeking God’s consolations show imperfect trust?
Desiring consolations from God shows trust in His gifts rather than in His goodness alone. Perfect trust surrenders to God’s will regardless of personal feeling or benefit.
5. What is the danger of having more than one intention in love?
If a soul has multiple goals-such as loving God and also seeking spiritual pleasure-her love is weakened and divided. Pure Love requires unity of purpose: to love God loyally without self-seeking.
6. How does the soul view herself in relation to God’s love?
She has complete confidence in God’s love for her, but she doubts her own fidelity. Her only concern is whether she remains true in loving as she should.
7. What happens to the soul’s will in this state of Pure Love?
The soul’s will no longer resides in herself; it is fully united with the will of God, who works His will in her. She no longer acts from her own power but is moved by divine initiative.
8. Who is ultimately responsible for this transformation of the soul’s will?
The transformation is not the soul’s own work but that of the entire Trinity, who operates within her to bring about this union of wills and pure, loyal love.
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In Chapter 28 of The Mirror of Simple Souls, the soul is described as having entered such an intimate union with God that she no longer feels joy as an external sensation because she has become joy itself. Immersed in the divine, she rejoices more in what is incommunicable and eternal than in passing spiritual consolations. Her will is one with God’s, like fire and flame, and she is transformed by Love into Love, losing all sense of individual identity. The soul acknowledges her own smallness in love, yet knows that whatever love she possesses flows entirely from God. This chapter portrays the consummation of mystical union: a state beyond feelings or selfhood, where the soul is entirely given over to God’s being, will, and joy.
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1. “Such a Soul, says Love, swims in the sea of joy, that is in the sea of delights, flowing and running out of the Divinity. And so she feels no joy, for she is joy itself.”
The soul has become so deeply immersed in divine joy that it no longer experiences joy as an emotion distinct from itself. Rather, it is entirely assimilated into the very substance of joy, which flows from God. The paradox is that by losing the capacity to “feel” joy in the usual sense, the soul becomes joy itself-its nature entirely suffused with divine delight.
2. “She swims and flows in joy, without feeling any joy, for she dwells in Joy and Joy dwells in her. She is Joy itself by the virtue of Joy which transforms her into Joy itself.”
This repeated imagery of indwelling and identity shows the depth of union the soul shares with God. Feeling has given way to being; affective experience has been transcended by ontological transformation. The soul no longer seeks joy because it is joy-unified with divine Joy through the operation of Love.
3. “She rejoices more in that which can be communicated to no one than what can be communicated, because the latter is mediocre and only of the moment, and the former is infinite and eternal.”
The soul values most what is incommunicable-those hidden divine mysteries that transcend words, time, and shared human experience. These intimate touches of God’s eternal nature surpass all temporal consolations or spiritual gifts, which, by comparison, are fleeting and “mediocre.” True joy lies in what cannot be grasped or shared: the soul’s secret participation in God.
4. “Now there is one common will, as fire and flame, as the will of the Lover and the one who is loved, for Love has transformed this Soul into Love herself.”
The union between God and the soul is now likened to the inseparable relationship between fire and flame-two aspects of one reality. There is no longer a distinction between the will of the soul and that of God; Love has unified them so completely that the soul is not only loved but has become Love itself.
5. “Ah! very sweet Pure Divine Love, says this Soul, how it is a sweet transformation by which I am transformed into the thing which I love better than myself!”
The soul, speaking in ecstasy, acknowledges the sublime nature of this transformation: it has become what it loves more than itself-God. This is the ultimate fulfillment of mystical love, in which the soul is re-created into the likeness of its beloved.
6. “And I am so transformed that I have lost my name in it for the sake of Love, I who am able to love so little.”
By losing her “name,” the soul lets go of any individual identity, self-reference, or personal claim. This is spiritual annihilation in the highest mystical sense: the self has vanished into Love, even though the soul humbly admits it can love only a little-emphasizing the gratuitous nature of the transformation.
7. “However little I can love, it is in love, for I do not love except by Love.”
Even the soul’s capacity to love is not its own-it is Love loving through her. This underscores the radical passivity and receptivity of the mystic soul. Love is both the source and the agent of all true love, completing the full circle of mystical union.
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1. What does it mean for the soul to “swim in the sea of joy” without feeling joy?
The soul has become so fully united with divine joy that it no longer experiences joy as a distinct feeling. Rather than receiving joy from without, she has become joy itself through her union with God. Joy is no longer something she possesses-it is what she is.
2. Why does the soul prefer what cannot be communicated to others over what can?
The soul rejoices more in the incommunicable aspects of divine union because they are eternal and infinite. In contrast, communicable experiences are transient, partial, and temporal-only “mediocre and of the moment.” The deepest joy lies in secret union with God, beyond words or sharing.
3. How does the imagery of “fire and flame” describe the union between God and the soul?
Just as fire and flame are inseparable, so too are the will of the Lover (God) and the beloved (the soul) unified into one common will. Love has so transformed the soul that her own will is no longer separate but identical with God’s.
4. What does the soul mean when she says she has lost her name for the sake of Love?
The soul has renounced all self-identity and ego, losing even her spiritual name or self-concept in the all-consuming presence of divine Love. This “losing of the name” symbolizes total self-emptying and transformation into Love itself.
5. Why does the soul say she can love only a little, and yet claim to love by Love?
This statement reflects the soul’s humility. Though she acknowledges her human incapacity to love adequately, she affirms that true love happens through Love itself-that is, God. Any love she has is not from herself, but is God’s love acting in her.
6. What does this chapter reveal about the nature of divine transformation?
Divine transformation is not merely ethical or emotional-it is ontological. The soul is not just close to God or inspired by Him; she is changed into joy, into love, into the very attributes of God Himself. This transformation strips away the self entirely and brings about a mystical identity with the divine.
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Chapter 29 teaches that the Soul, having been transformed by Pure Love, enters into a state of “righteous freeness,” in which she acts in complete harmony with the inner peace of her being and refuses to do anything that would violate it. This condition is likened to the innocence of an infant, who instinctively rejects anything displeasing. The Soul in this state lives entirely in divine simplicity and innocence, responding only to what is consonant with God’s will. Her freedom is not self-willed but rooted in perfect spiritual peace, untouched by external demands or inner disturbance. Reason, in this encounter, learns that true wisdom lies in surrendering to this divine innocence, where all is governed by the tranquil operation of Love.
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1. “[Reason]: Now, Lady Love, says Reason, I pray you that you say what you meant when you said that this Soul is in the righteous freeness of Pure Love, when she does nothing which might be contrary to the demand of the peace of her being within.”
Reason asks for clarification about what it means for a soul to live in the “righteous freeness” of Pure Love. The focus here is on an interior state of unbroken spiritual peace. For such a soul, everything must align with the deep inner stillness and harmony that characterizes perfect union with God. Reason still seeks understanding through distinctions and rational categories, but Love is guiding it into the realm of childlike simplicity.
2. “Love: I will tell you what it means, says Love. It means that she would do nothing, regardless of what happens, which might be contrary to the perfect peace of her spirit. Instead the truly innocent one does it, and the being of which we speak is true innocence.”
Love responds with clarity: the soul acts only in ways that preserve the perfect interior peace she now possesses. This doesn’t mean passivity, but a radical non-disturbance-her every action flows from divine simplicity and inner harmony. She has become “true innocence,” acting from a source deeper than moral calculation: the pure motion of divine Love.
3. “Reason, says Love, I give you an example. Look at the infant who is purely innocent: does he allow a thing to be done, great or small, if he is not pleased by it?”
Love gives Reason a parable: the image of an infant. This simile connects the soul’s pure freeness with the spontaneous, uncompromised resistance of a child to anything that violates its nature. In this comparison, the soul is not immature, but utterly innocent and free-unaltered by external coercion or internal conflict.
4. “Reason: Without fail, Love, no, and well I can perceive it, and by this I am wise from my question.”
Reason is satisfied. It concedes to the superiority of Love’s insight, recognizing that this profound inner freedom is not irrational but supra-rational-a wisdom that transcends ordinary reasoning. The soul in pure freeness mirrors divine simplicity, unbound by fear, self-interest, or even consolations.
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1. What does Reason ask Love to clarify at the beginning of this chapter?
Reason asks Love to explain what it means when she said that the Soul is in the “righteous freeness of Pure Love,” particularly how this relates to the Soul doing nothing that contradicts the peace of her inner being.
2. How does Love define this “righteous freeness”?
Love explains that the Soul in this state would never do anything-regardless of the situation-that might disturb the perfect peace of her spirit. Her will is in harmony with divine innocence and simplicity.
3. What does the example of the infant illustrate in this context?
The infant represents pure innocence: it refuses anything it does not find pleasing. Similarly, the Soul in divine freeness does not permit anything within or around her that would violate her inner peace and harmony with God’s will.
4. What transformation has occurred in the Soul to allow her to live in this state?
The Soul has become “true innocence,” having been transformed by Love. She now lives in such unity with divine peace that her actions are no longer self-directed but entirely in accord with the divine will and simplicity.
5. What is Reason’s reaction to Love’s explanation?
Reason accepts Love’s answer with humility and insight, acknowledging that he now understands and gains wisdom from his question. This shows the submission of rational understanding to divine Love and spiritual innocence.
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Chapter 30 teaches that God’s essence infinitely transcends all human and angelic understanding, even in the beatific vision. Love reveals that nothing which can be said about God can compare to what He is in Himself, and that even the saints who see His face grasp less than He deserves to be known and loved. The Soul, overwhelmed by this truth, laments that despite giving her whole self-body, heart, and soul-to God, she feels she has received little in return. Yet Love gently reminds her that all she gave was already God’s, and in her total gift of self, she has in fact received the best part: deep union with Love Himself. The chapter thus presents the mystery of divine generosity hidden in the soul’s surrender and the paradox of joy found in knowing one cannot possess or comprehend the One who has given all.
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1. “Ah, Lady Love,” says Reason, “I ask mercy of you, in praying that you satisfy this Soul by saying at least all that one can say about Him who is all in all things.”
Reason, as the faculty of understanding, desires to give rest to the Soul by exhausting the knowable content about God. This reveals Reason’s limitation: it believes peace can come through complete knowledge, yet it does not grasp that Divine Mystery surpasses the intellect.
2. “She always finds Him there, that is, in all things… All things are fitting for her, for she does not find anything anywhere but that she finds God there.”
Love responds that the Soul already lives in a state of divine awareness – she perceives God in all things. Her peace is not dependent on what can be said about God, but on her union with Him. Her soul is so divinely attuned that every created thing mediates the divine presence to her.
3. “Everything which this Soul has heard about God… is at best nothing (to speak properly) compared to what He is of Himself, which never was said, is not now said, nor will be.”
This profound assertion demolishes any notion that God can be adequately captured by language. Love affirms the Soul’s longing but insists that all speech about God falls short of His ineffable reality. Divine self-knowledge infinitely exceeds creaturely comprehension or praise.
4. “All creatures… who remain in the vision of the sweet face of your Spouse, have comprehended and will comprehend less about Him… compared to what He is worthy of.”
Even in the beatific vision, no creature can grasp God in His fullness. This underscores the infinite gap between God’s essence and created understanding, reinforcing both awe and humility in the soul’s contemplative love.
5. Soul: “Now very sweet Love… why would He be so gracious to create me and ransom me and recreate me in order to give me so little, He who has so much to give?”
The Soul, overwhelmed, laments that she receives so little from a God who has so much to give. This speaks from the ache of divine longing – the more the soul is united to God, the more she becomes aware of the abyss between the finite and the infinite.
6. “I would give Him everything if I had something to give… And however little I have… I have held nothing from Him… and He has given nothing to me, but keeps everything. Ah, Love… is this the portion of the lover?”
The Soul expresses the paradox of spiritual poverty: having given all, she feels she has received nothing. This mirrors the cruciform path of love, where total self-donation leads not to possession but to dispossession – yet this very surrender is the lover’s portion.
7. Love: “If you have given Him everything, the best part has come to you. And… you have not given Him anything which was not His own before you gave it to Him.”
Love gently corrects the Soul: all she gives was already God’s, and in giving all, she receives the best – union, transformation, and participation in Divine Life. Her offering, though seemingly impoverished, places her in the stream of God’s own self-gift.
8. Soul: “You speak truly, sweet Love… I could not deny it even if I wanted to.”
The Soul ultimately assents to the truth that her gift was itself God’s grace in her. This humble admission shows a soul emptied of self, living by love alone – receptive, obedient, and surrendered in the face of divine majesty.
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1. Why does Reason ask Love to speak everything that can be said about God to the Soul?
Reason hopes that if Love can articulate everything about God, the Soul will be fully satisfied and can rest peacefully in her being of innocence without needing further inquiry or movement.
2. How does Love respond to Reason’s request for complete knowledge about God?
Love affirms that the Soul already finds God everywhere because He is in all things. Love insists that nothing said or ever to be said about God can compare to what He truly is in Himself, which transcends all speech and comprehension.
3. What does Love say about the knowledge of God even in the beatific vision?
Love reveals that even those souls who behold God’s face in heaven comprehend less about Him than He deserves, and far less than He understands and loves in Himself. This emphasizes the mystery of God’s infinite being, which remains beyond full grasp even in glory.
4. How does the Soul react to Love’s teaching about the unknowability of God?
The Soul is stunned and sorrowful. She laments that though God created, ransomed, and renewed her, He seems to have given her very little in return. She expresses a deep desire to give everything to God, and pain that He, having everything, seems to hold back.
5. What theological paradox does the Soul express about giving and receiving?
The Soul claims she has nothing of her own to give, yet she has given God everything – her body, heart, and soul – and still feels she has received nothing in return. This reflects the paradox of divine love, where the more one gives, the more one becomes aware of one’s nothingness and of God’s hidden generosity.
6. What insight does Love provide about the Soul’s gift to God?
Love points out that everything the Soul has given to God was already His, and that in giving all, the Soul has received the best part. Her total self-offering, though it seems empty, has actually brought her into deepest union with God.
7. How does the chapter express the theme of divine unknowability and loving surrender?
It affirms that God infinitely exceeds all knowledge, even in heaven, yet He is fully present to the Soul who loves. The Soul’s longing and surrender are met not with comprehension, but with deeper participation in God’s mystery – a love beyond reason and reward.