Artichokes

I was thinking today about Teresa d’Avila’s Interior Castle. I took a class in Christian Mysticism while I was in college and I surprisingly enjoyed it. Teresa d’Avila in her writing describes the human soul metaphorically as an artichoke when traveling down a spiritual journey. The exterior leaves of an artichoke are rough, prickly and dirty, much how humans are on the exterior when dealing with each other on a daily basis. They are made like this to protect the plant from danger from the outside environment. As one peels away the exterior leaves, the leaves begin to become softer, smoother, thinner, and more transparent. Teresa d’Avila compares the human soul in the same way. The more honest and open we are with each other in an intimate relationship with other people or with God, the more vulnerable we become similar to the interior of the artichoke. The artichoke cannot survive without its protective exterior leaves, it will become bruised and damaged. It isn’t until we get to the very center of the artichoke that we are able to receive others, and God; it is the place we are most vulnerable, and the psychological battle we must face within ourselves.

It is unfortunate that most of us will never get there, and most of us will be unable to really know who we are, for the center of the artichoke is a very beautiful place. However, it does take a lot of work, dedication, and commitment to reach such an oasis.

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