The Twelve Indescribable Hours
of Divine Love
Letter Twenty (Twingiste Brief)
from Hadewijch of Brabant
This text is copyright © Andy Anderson, 2009, but I'm happy for you to cite or quote parts of it, this being my way of putting something back for the help I?ve had from others in the UK, Belgium and the USA. However, a credit is always nice and if you?re going to make money out of it, I?d like a cut. For your own sakes, though, particularly if you?re working on assessed coursework, please read the notes (new window)
The nature that gives rise to Divine Love has indescribable stages that first awaken Divine Love and then draw it back into itself. As Divine Love returns to itself, it brings all that drives the indescribable time outwards: that is, a spirit seeking knowledge, a mind full of desire and a heart full of love. And as Divine Love brings these things, she throws them into the abyss of powerful nature where she was born and nourished.
Then the indescribable hours give rise to an unknowable nature. Divine Love is everywhere and its nature can be enjoyed below, above and all around. And all who have not attained this knowledge, shiver for those who have entered the abyss and must explore it, to live and to die, for such is the nature of Divine Love, and its bidding.
In the first of the twelve indescribable stages, which draw the soul into the nature of Divine Love, Divine Love opens itself out unexpectedly and touches the mind, without invitation and whenever dignity causes one to least expect it.
But no matter how hard one tries, it is impossible to understand the terrible nature of Divine Love. So it can truly be said that this is an indescribable time.
During the next indescribable time Divine Love kills the soul with a bitter death and the soul must pass through that death, but not die. Yet the soul has not known Divine Love long, having only just arrived in the second hour from the first.
In the third indescribable hour Divine Love shows how one can die in her and live, and makes it clear that one cannot experience love without great pain.
The fourth indescribable hour is the time in which Divine Love reveals its hidden designs - deeper and darker than those experienced in the abyss. This shows how miserable one is without Divine Love. For the soul does not know the being of Divine Love.
It must be an indescribable hour, in which one accepts the designs of Divine Love without knowing how to possess love.
During the fifth indescribable time Divine Love seduces both heart and soul, and the nature of Divine Love drives them outside of themselves and into the nature of Divine Love. Then one is amazed by the strength of Divine Love and by the contrariness of its designs. And one forgets what suffering Divine Love causes
At this stage one experiences Divine Love only through love itself, which seems be a reversal, but it is not. This is rightly called an indescribable time, for it feels as if one has intimate knowledge, understands it less.
In the sixth indescribable hour Divine Love scorns reason and everything that belongs to reason, whatever stands there above it or below. Pure reason cannot contain the true nature of Divine Love and is washed away. Reason can give nothing to Divine Love nor take anything away, because the real reason is a rising tide, which never rests and washes all away.
The seventh unknowable hour is the time in which nothing can live in Divine Love, nor in its unenviable touch. This is Divine Love's secret name. It creates strength that results from Divine Love itself, because Divine Love continuously desires, and touches, and feeds upon itself.
Yet Divine Love is nevertheless entirely perfect in itself. Divine Love does not dwell everywhere. Love cannot live in benevolence, but benevolence in Divine Love. Divine Love has no mercy, nor humility, nor reason, has no humility, no fear, no continence, nor anything else. But in all these things Divine Love is present, and Divine Love feeds all these things. Divine Love itself, however, feeds only on its own perfection.
In the eighth indescribable hour one becomes confused. The experience of Divine Love is most marvellous, and its features most clearly visible. Now Divine Love is most fully hidden, but it is also itself within itself, so that Love and its nature are better recognised and understood.
At the ninth indescribable hour Divine Love shows its most violent storms, the deepest touch within itself and its most penetrating desires.
Then its features are most wonderful; extremely peaceful and highly gracious. It is wonderful, and the deeper the wounds of Divine Love, the sweeter is the drowning within its storm. Then the dignity and beauty of Divine Love is revealed.
The tenth indescribable hour is the time in which Divine Love is not brought to account; but when Divine Love is that before which all that exists must stand trial.
Divine Love receives from God the capacity to judge all those it loves. It does not yield to saints or people, or to angels, or to heaven or earth. And the nature of Divine Love is greater than that of God.
Divine Love itself constantly calls all those who have encountered Divine Love to its heart, in a loud and untiring voice. Its voice sounds extremely strongly, undeniably awakening more fear than does thunder.
The word of Divine Love is the link with which it binds its captives. It is the sword with which it wounds those it has found. It is the rod with which it punishes its children, and the authority with which it instructs its children.
In the eleventh indescribable hour, one is possessed by Divine Love with great power and energy, which binds the soul so that it cannot stray. The spirit of Divine Love demands undivided attention, so that one cannot recall anything of saints or of people, of celestial or earthly things, of angels, nor even love itself, or even of God. One can think only of Divine Love, and the mechanism by which one is possessed is constantly renewed.
In the twelfth indescribable hour the soul experiences the highest nature of Divine Love. Firstly it breaks out of itself and works entirely with itself. But at the same time it is sinking deep inside itself.
It carries complete satisfaction in its nature. Thus even if one was not loved, the name of Divine Love itself would suffice in its graciousness and in its own delicious nature.
Its name is its inner nature. Its name is its external action. Its name is its crown above and its ground below it.
These are the twelve hours of Divine Love, which cannot be described, because in none of these twelve stages can those who have encountered Divine Love understand it, other than those who have been called to Divine Love and thrown into the abyss of Divine Love's omnipotent nature, and those who are working to that end. Even they, however, have more belief than understanding.