About this episode
Mirabai Starr writes creative non-fiction and contemporary translations of sacred literature. She taught Philosophy and World Religions at the University of New Mexico-Taos for 20 years and now teaches and speaks internationally on contemplative practice and inter-spiritual dialog. A certified bereavement counselor, Mirabai helps mourners harness the transformational power of loss. She has received critical acclaim for her revolutionary new translations of the mystics: John of the Cross - Saint John of the Cross: Devotion, Prayers & Living Wisdom Teresa of Avila - The Interior Castle, and Julian of Norwich - The Showings of Julian of Norwich: A New Translation She is the award-winning author of: God of Love: A Guide to the Heart of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, Caravan of No Despair: A Memoir of Loss and Transformation, and Mother of God Similar to Fire, a collaboration with iconographer, William Hart McNichols. Her latest book, Wild Mercy: Living the Fierce and Tender Wisdom of the Women Mystics, was published in Spring 2019. She lives with her extended family in the mountains of northern New Mexico. Website: mirabaistarr.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Summary and transcript of this interview First BatGap interview with Mirabai. Interview recorded October 28, 2019 YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump 00:03:28 - Suppression of Women Mystics and the Rebalancing of Power 00:07:10 - The Burial of Feminine Wisdom in Religion 00:10:57 - The Dark Night of the Soul and Feminine Mysticism 00:14:34 - The Blend of Mysticism and Activism 00:18:39 - Finding Solace in Not Knowing 00:22:38 - Teresa's Second Conversion Experience 00:25:56 - The Gaze of Unconditional Love 00:29:17 - The Power of Spiritual Friendship 00:31:49 - Mystics and Wisdom Beings 00:34:32 - Non-duality and Surrender 00:37:00 - Dissolving into Sweetness 00:40:01 - Feminine Wisdom: Love and Embodiment in Spirituality 00:43:09 - Harmonizing Devotion and Non-Duality 00:45:24 - Devotion and Non-Dual Consciousness 00:48:40 - Mirabai: A 16th century woman mystic 00:50:44 - Krishna's Love and Protection 00:53:10 - The Life of Mirabai 00:55:56 - The Birth of Mirabai and Spiritual Awakening 00:58:46 - An Encounter with Anandamayi Ma 01:01:29 - Ram Dass and Anandamayi Ma 01:03:42 - Embracing Our True Selves 01:06:18 - Redefining Masculine Dominance and the Rise of the Divine Feminine 01:09:17 - The Reclamation of Mother Earth 01:12:36 - The Power of the Feminine 01:14:35 - The Dark Side of the Feminine 01:17:02 - Dropping into the Fierce Feminine 01:20:07 - Multiple Spiritual Belonging 01:22:25 - Women Mystics: Sharing Stories of Awakening and Service 01:25:13 - Finding Divinity in Everything 01:27:10 - End of Video