Author Archives: Richard

The Purgation Process

After the opening prayer of Canto XI Dante briefly describes the overall process of purgation as similar to how one sometimes dreams of the boulders – likely referring to the sense of old distortions disappearing and healing in a sort … Continue reading

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The Daily Bread

After the circulation of the Divine and Creation, and the right ordering of receiving and engaging, Dante moves on to the idea of alignment of the Will, in gratitude. Come del suo voler li angeli tuoi fan sacrificio a te, … Continue reading

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The Call and Response – and Circulation

After the lifting of sights up to the Heavens, and to the Love that overflows for the first effects (souls and angels), the second tercet returns this outpouring of love, with a praising up from the whole of creation: laudato … Continue reading

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Purg XI:1-3, Analysis

Here is the full analysis with the method. Note especially the Result section at the end: “This tercet is the pivot from the foundational architecture of the spiritual life (Purgatorio X) to the spiritual life itself as lived relationship with … Continue reading

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Opening Purgatory XI

After the discernment and reflection on Purgatory X, one might wonder: what comes naturally next after this? After the full outline of the spiritual life and removal of Superbia? And the first tercet of Purgatory XI shows us. «O Padre … Continue reading

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Reflection on Purgatory X

After the entrance of the gate and in many ways laying out the foundations for the spiritual life and the process of changing cosmology, one might take a deep breath, and a step back, and consider the nutrition of Purgatory … Continue reading

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The Method on the entire Purgatorio X

This is purely for reference, but it is also showing a form of analysis that does not exit within the Anglosphere Dante Scholarship currently, but that should exist in some form – a serious analysis of the anagogical, the spiritual … Continue reading

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The Method on the Corbel passage

For a more elaborate analysis from using the anagogical method, here is the output from analysing with Claude Opus 4.6, on the Corbel Passage that concludes Purgatorio X. This is mostly meant for skimming, but the Reader Variable section is … Continue reading

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The Corbels of one’s old Cosmology

At the end of Purgatory X we get a new image of the conclusion of the Divine Process that crushes the internal distortions. In a way this becomes an expression similar to the three carvings of the Spiritual Life that … Continue reading

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Purgatory 10 – first 129 lines

For a quick recap; here is what Dante presents in the first chapter inside the Gate, where the Spiritual Path begins. We first have 99 lines of the opening and presence of the spiritual within onself. Then we have the … Continue reading

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Not shaped or mal-shaped spiritually, the two traps.

After the warning of a mis-shaped spiritual life vs. the full fruition of a healthy and aligned ascent, Dante points to the nature of superbia again – this time showing us the similar cases of distortions with or without the spiritual … Continue reading

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The Spiritual Life without distortions – the Angelic Butterfly

After the warning of spiritual distortions, Dante continues with an image of how it should be, when the distortions are removed and the will and being are aligned: non v’accorgete voi che noi siam vermi  nati a formar l’angelica farfalla,  che … Continue reading

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The warning of distorted spiritual life within

At this point in the canto, after the first 40 tercets and the opening and early familiarity with the Spiritual Life, and also now its beginning purgation – we get a stern and arresting warning: Do not think all is … Continue reading

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The Anagogical Method applied to Isaiah 1

For experimentation, we tried using the new method on Isaiah 1, and the result was stunning: “Isaiah 1 is the same map as the Divine Comedy in one chapter. A soul that was faithfully connected to God has become disconnected, … Continue reading

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How the Distortions self-destruct under the weight of the Divine Process

After the Pilgrim understands that something is crushing the distortions into the ground, Virgil tells him to take a closer look at what is actually happening: Ma guarda fiso là, e disviticchia col viso quel che vien sotto a quei … Continue reading

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The Force that descends upon the Distortions

As the process of purgation is slowly approaching, and the Pilgrim is unsure of whether he is mistaken about what he sees, Virgil as rationality starts speaking: Ed elli a me: «La grave condizione  di lor tormento a terra li … Continue reading

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The Nature of the Process Approaching You

Where intuition and rational analysis concur. After delighting in the three spiritual images, and finding the rational argument to continue the process, the Pilgrim begins to speak to Virgil. Io cominciai: «Maestro, quel ch’io veggio muovere a noi, non mi … Continue reading

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The Argument for Purgation

After the new insights of the spirtual life, and also how to combine this with continuously new insights – Dante gives us a direct address and the reasons why one should continue. The argument is very simple: do not focus … Continue reading

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Applying the Anagogical Interpretation Method

We will now try to apply and double check our last reading with the new anagogical method and the four tools of discernment. The passage is the following: «Ecco di qua, ma fanno i passi radi», mormorava il poeta, «molte … Continue reading

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Keeping the Images – and – Taking in More

After the delighting in the three images and overall foundation of the spiritual life, one might face the internal decision: now what? Move on to the next thing, or, just dwell and love the beauty of these three spiritual images … Continue reading

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