They are the place of superficial life, not necessarily evil, but concerned with things that do not last, such as fame, honour and mere appearances. The First Mansions, on the outer edges of the castle, are the furtherest away from the centre where the King lives. But this first Mansion is foggy and dangerous, full of nasty, deceiving creatures. It is an image to describe the indescribable. St Teresa is aware of the great variety of people: “many Mansions, some above, some below, others at each side”. Within each of the seven Mansions there are many Mansions or rooms. We, of course, are not to follow her path slavishly, but with inspired wisdom she points out the opportunities and dangers of the beginnings of a prayer journey. The First Mansions are the beginning of the prayer journey. Outside the Castle, it is dark and cold and noisy, but inside, the King invites us to go deeper. We have this capacity to be the home of the triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. She was always fascinated with the Divine Indwelling of God within us. She gives a picture of her spiritual life as the journey from the outside courtyard of a crystal, global castle, to the central room where the King lived, full of light and in greatest splendour. She uses the image of seven Mansions, from the First Mansions of the inquirer / beginner, to the seventh Mansions of the spiritual marriage. So, as a good teacher, she looks back on her own experience to help us. It is based on the prayer journey she had herself already made. What distinguishes The Interior Castle is that it is a sublime description of the prayer journey from the beginning, to fulfilment in deep prayer. In fact, though, it was not written in a monastic retreat from the real world but during the most troubled time of the Discalced Reform.

It was said that those who observed her during this time saw a glowing radiance about her - the Holy Spirit was very close. It is her most ordered and mature work, written in 1577 and taking six months to complete. The Interior Castle is St Teresa’s masterpiece and one of the greatest books ever written about prayer. Fr Carl Telford SM Part 1 of 7 Introduction

Teresa of avila 7 mansions