Dark Night of the Senses — Purgation of Appetite
John of the Cross describes the first dark night as God's withdrawal of sensory consolation from prayer — the sweetness dries up, meditation becomes impossible, and the soul feels abandoned. But this is not regression; it is weaning. The senses must be purged of their attachment to spiritual pleasure before deeper union is possible. Hex 36 (Darkening of the Light) is the sun driven underground, brilliance forced to conceal itself. King Wen imprisoned, keeping his light hidden. Both describe a condition where the luminous principle is present but inaccessible — not destroyed, only obscured. John insists the night is itself the means of purification; the hexagram insists the light persists beneath the darkness. The resonance is structural: what feels like loss is actually preparation.