Author Archives: Richard Emerson

New Life to the Relationship

After the restoration of the soul and the first 65 cantos of the Comedy, one can take a long break and simply enjoy the fruits of the readings. The first main step is completed. And one’s life, apprehension, perception, experience, … Continue reading

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The Internal Restoration in Eden in 14 Essays

Here are the 14 essays that give a new and more anagogical (spiritual) reading of the Garden of Eden in Canto 28-31 of Dante’s Purgatorio, focusing primarily on the Soul’s Journey to God. Garden of Eden The Soul as Reflecting … Continue reading

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Beatrice’s eyes – and smile

After the vision of the Griffin in front of him and its changing reflection inside Beatrice’s eyes (as his own soul growing), there is just one more step to make the new presence of the Pilgrim’s soul complete. The three … Continue reading

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Dual Perception of the Soul

After the crossing of the river Lethe and the cleansing of old misconceptions, the spiritual vision of the Pilgrim is much clearer and more intense. The very first thing that happens is that Dante redeems his old guiding stars from … Continue reading

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Full confession, and cleansing the Meta-mistake

After the Pilgrim has admitted and realized his deepest mistake; abandoning the spiritual life and falling for lesser replacements, an even harder truth hits him. The things he loved the most in his years of disconnect: secular philosophy, science, Greek … Continue reading

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Restoring the Spiritual Life

As the exchange with Beatrice is continuing, now seen as both Divine Wisdom and Dante’s inner spiritual life, the big question then comes: Why did Dante abandon the spiritual life for such a long time? What happened that made him … Continue reading

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A new relationship: God and Soul

After Beatrice appears, first as a channel emerging from deep within the Chariot, and connecting the Pilgrim to God’s Love and Power (The “Ancient Love”), something extraordinary happens. Virgil disappears, in large part since a direct connection with God is … Continue reading

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Beatrice – Love as the deeper Reality

After the channel to God opens, it finally happens: Beatrice emerges out of the chariot, in a rain of flowers and with the angels singing with blessings. The key here is very simple: Love is the deeper reality of God, … Continue reading

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Opening the channel to God

With the pageant of the Scriptures stopping and focusing on the chariot, the spiritual “charge” is sharply intensifying, as the fuller connection to God is about to erupt. One of the elders then starts to chant: “Come, spouse, from Lebanon” … Continue reading

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The Chariot in the Night Sky

After Dante has established the chariot as a deep metaphor for both your soul and ultimate reality, he opens up the next canto by lifting the sights into the night sky, and recognizes the chariot (carro) once again. The poem … Continue reading

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The Chariot – the Deepest of Reality

After the four gospels have appeared on the other side of the river, as a deepening vision and experience of spiritual wisdom – the Pilgrim sees something more: in the “midst of” or “inside” the four gospels there is a … Continue reading

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Gaining more eyes to see

After the appearance of the 24 elders in the wake of the light of the Covenant, they slowly pass by and there are new and fresh flowers visible on the other side of the river – in part meaning new … Continue reading

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Receptivity as key for the Soul’s relationship to God

As the imagery keeps expanding in the Garden of Eden, we are presented with several new key elements for how the relationship between the soul and the Heavens/God can grow and deepen, once the capacity has been developed. Behind the … Continue reading

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Discovering the “bank” between the Spiritual and Earthly

The revelations of Eden deepen as the Pilgrim looks beyond the Seven Lights. After the Divine Light intensifies above the seven candle sticks, a new cascade of insights are happening for the Pilgrim. First, Virgil admits with his facial expression … Continue reading

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The Soul as Reflecting Divine Light

A new relationship between the soul and the Divine, as we enter the Garden of Eden. After the combined experience of Heavenly and Earthly is to some extent established in the Garden Eden – as grounded in the Earthly but … Continue reading

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