The mystics were not speaking metaphorically when they described the soul’s innermost nature as fire. Not emotion. Not enthusiasm. The active, self-sustaining, illuminating principle that requires no external fuel because it participates directly in the divine nature itself. The “scintilla animae” — the spark of the soul — spoken of by Meister Eckhart. The ground of the soul where God and the soul are indistinguishable from one another. That innermost chamber that no experience can violate, no sin can extinguish, no darkness can reach. Eckhart called it the little castle. The fortress within. Thomas Merton called it the true self — hidden in God, untouchable by the accumulated false selves we construct across a lifetime.

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Each of us has a different journey, but these six stages are common. It is less about progress and more about orientation. Here are some Bible verses that speak to each section, as interested. ——— ✨The Beginning “He has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11) “The true Light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.” (John 1:9) 🔥The Spark “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him.” (John 6:44) “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” (Romans 8:16) ⬅️ ➡️ The Choice “You will seek Me and find Me, when you seek Me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13) “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7) 🌘The Between “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed… for behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:20–21) “That they should seek God… yet He is actually not far from each one of us, for in Him we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:27–28) 🔅The Shift “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” (Galatians 2:20) “For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.” (Romans 8:6) 🧘🏻‍♂️The Becoming “In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.” (John 14:20) “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:27) “…that God may be all in all.” (1 Corinthians 15:28)