Before the Divine Fire of Love is introduced into the substance of the soul, and is united with it, by means of a purity and purgation which is perfect and complete, the Divine Fire of Love wounds the soul; destroying and consuming the soul’s imperfections from evil habits; and this is the operation of the Holy Spirit, wherein He prepares it for Divine Union and the transformation of its substance in God through love…..Thus at this time the soul suffers great darkness in the understanding, many aridities and afflictions in the will, plus grievous knowledge of its miseries in the memory, for the eye of its spiritual self-knowledge is very bright….For as the Divine Fire of Love is of the brightest light, assailing the soul, it is a light that shines in the darkness of the soul, which is as dark as the light is bright.  In this brightness, the soul is conscious of its natural darkness, which opposes itself to the supernatural, and it is not conscious of the supernatural, because the darkness comprehends it not…only when the darkness has been driven out is the soul illumined and able to see the light, its eye having been cleansed and strengthened.  –St John of the Cross ‘Living Flame of Love’