Mirabai Starr

"This gorgeous, transformative, welcoming book is for anyone who longs to feel more present, more alive, more joyful and aware of the holiness of daily life."--Anne Lamott, author of Dusk, Night, Dawn and Help, Thanks, WowWelcome to the temple of your regular life. So begins beloved spiritual guide Mirabai Starr's stunning exploration of finding the extraordinary in the everyday. In Ordinary Mysticism, she helps readers discover their own inner mystic and let go of the limiting belief that spiritual life exists only in traditional places of worship. Mysticism, she explains, is a direct experience of the sacred--no church or clergy required. Our everyday life can be an encounter with the sacred if we pay attention. Starr explores the magic of mundane life, from weeding in our humble gardens to a slow evening walk with a friend to a full kitchen table surrounded by family. Embracing mysticism in our everyday is a way of being more alive in the world, an awakening to the interconnectedness between all things. You can visit an ashram in the Himalayas or kneel in a church pew to connect to the spirit or examine life's big questions--but these aren't the only opportunities to discover the sacred. Life, Starr reminds us, is holy ground. Lyrical and tender, filled with profound wisdom and mind-opening insights, Ordinary Mysticism is about finding wonder in regular life, grounded in lessons from spiritual teachers across the centuries--from Julian of Norwich to Ram Dass. Starr combines their ancient wisdom with the story of her own personal and spiritual journey--from surviving the heartbreak of her fourteen-year-old daughter's death to growing up amid the 1960s counterculture that introduced her to mysticism to her self-made spiritual practice of today. Alongside storytelling and age-old teachings, Starr offers practices and writing prompts for help our souls seek holy ground. When you decide to walk the path of the mystic, the mundane shows up as miraculous, the boring becomes fascinating, and your own shortcomings turn out to be your greatest gifts. May we all find meaning and wonder in our most ordinary moments.

"This gorgeous, transformative, welcoming book is for anyone who longs to feel more present, more alive, more joyful and aware of the holiness of daily life."--Anne Lamott, author of Dusk, Night, Dawn and Help, Thanks, WowWelcome to the temple of your regular life. So begins beloved spiritual guide Mirabai Starr's stunning exploration of finding the extraordinary in the everyday. In Ordinary Mysticism, she helps readers discover their own inner mystic and let go of the limiting belief that spiritual life exists only in traditional places of worship. Mysticism, she explains, is a direct experience of the sacred--no church or clergy required. Our everyday life can be an encounter with the sacred if we pay attention. Starr explores the magic of mundane life, from weeding in our humble gardens to a slow evening walk with a friend to a full kitchen table surrounded by family. Embracing mysticism in our everyday is a way of being more alive in the world, an awakening to the interconnectedness between all things. You can visit an ashram in the Himalayas or kneel in a church pew to connect to the spirit or examine life's big questions--but these aren't the only opportunities to discover the sacred. Life, Starr reminds us, is holy ground. Lyrical and tender, filled with profound wisdom and mind-opening insights, Ordinary Mysticism is about finding wonder in regular life, grounded in lessons from spiritual teachers across the centuries--from Julian of Norwich to Ram Dass. Starr combines their ancient wisdom with the story of her own personal and spiritual journey--from surviving the heartbreak of her fourteen-year-old daughter's death to growing up amid the 1960s counterculture that introduced her to mysticism to her self-made spiritual practice of today. Alongside storytelling and age-old teachings, Starr offers practices and writing prompts for help our souls seek holy ground. When you decide to walk the path of the mystic, the mundane shows up as miraculous, the boring becomes fascinating, and your own shortcomings turn out to be your greatest gifts. May we all find meaning and wonder in our most ordinary moments.

"As a major fan and promoter of Julian of Norwich, whom I call 'my favorite mystic', it is genuinely exciting to find such a faithful but freeing translation of Julian's long-lost Showings. Now they are no longer lost--for anyone " --Fr. Richard Rohr, O. F. M., Center for Action and Contemplation In this contemporary translation of one of the most beloved and influential mystical texts of all time, Julian of Norwich: The Showings brings the message and spirituality of this 14th-century mystic to 21st-century readers. Revelations of Divine Love, the first book published in English attributed to a woman, is also included. Julian of Norwich, a contemporary of Geoffrey Chaucer, was an English anchoress in East Anglia. At the age of 30, suffering from a severe illness and believing she was on her deathbed, Julian had a series of intense visions of Jesus, which she recorded and then expanded on later in her life. In her visions, God was not angry and wrathful. Instead, the three properties of God were presented as life, love, and light, and all of His creation was good, including his servant, man. In Julian's version, man is not to blame for his sin; sin is something that he must experience and overcome in his spiritual journey with God. Her message for today's readers is simply this: She reveals the feminine face of the Divine and reminds us to see God there. All our failings are an opportunity to learn and grow; they should be honored, but not dwelled upon. God's love has nothing to do with love and retribution and everything to do with love and compassion. In spite of all appearances, all is well. This book contains some of the most profound spiritual writing ever written and remains a perennial favorite among Christians. This book was previously published as The Showings of Julian of Norwich. This new edition includes a foreword by Richard Rohr, author of Falling Upwards.

The feminine mystique takes the suffering of the world into its arms and transforms it using wild mercy: the fusion of bravery with the unstoppable forces of forgiveness, compassion, and love. And we need it now more than ever. This book is an invitation to discover your internal mystic together with the wisdom of Mother Teresa, Mary Magdalene, Hildegarde von Bingen, the ecstatic poet Mirabai, and Sufi saint Rabia Basri. Align yourself with the archetypical energy of figures like Guanyin, Tara, Kali, Sofia, and shekhinah, and find the light that will guide you on your own journey towards spiritual awakening and service to the world.

Bestselling author, spiritual teacher, grief counselor, and poet Stephen Levine spent more than 40 years in the Southwest, living near the Carson National Forest and the Picuris Pueblo in northern New Mexico and tending a wildlife reserve in southern Arizona for The Nature Conservancy. He spent every day interacting with, meditating on, and learning from the local wildlife and landscape as well as from his own companion animals. Inspired by the Jataka Tales--hundreds of anecdotes and fables depicting earlier incarnations of the future Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama--Levine collected his own stories of transcendent moments with animals. These memoirs, essays, and poems comprise an open-hearted, vulnerable, sometimes apologetic, and often humorous exploration of the mystical importance of animals in the cultivation of meaning and purpose in our lives and in teaching us compassion and empathy.

God of Love is Mirabai Starr's passionate and personal exploration of the interconnected wisdom of the three Abrahamic faiths. She shares an overview of essential teachings, stories of saints and spiritual masters, prophetic calls for peace and justice, and for the first time in print, deeply engaging narratives from her own spiritual experiences. She guides readers to recognize the teachings and practices that unify rather then divide the three religions, and sheds light on the interspiritual perspective, which celebrates the Divine in all paths. It is Mirabai's hope that this book will serve as a reminder that a dedication to lovingkindness is the highest expression of faith for all three religions. EARLY REVIEWS FOR God of Love "Mirabai Starr takes us out dancing with the One. God of Love is a confluence of the currents of Judaism, Islam and Christianity all emptying into the great ocean of Love."--Ram Dass, Author Be Here Now "In a time of division between people, this book -- which is a masterful blend of research, storytelling, poetry, and memoir -- is like a sacred magnet, pulling on the spiritual heart of all seekers."--Elizabeth Lesser, Cofounder, Omega Institute; Author, Broken Open: How Difficult Times Can Help Us Grow "Mirabai Starr writes of the divine from a luminous gene inherited by only a few. We hear The True Song in each word she attributes to the holy. It is more than just her song; it is the Melody of the Spheres translated by an astute musician. We are always touched by the genuine in her call to the reader to love and love well, to see with the sacred eye of beauty."-Ondrea & Stephen Levine, Authors Embracing the Beloved "Mirabai's book has brought me great consolation."-Daniel Berrigan, S. J. activist-priest; Author, No Gods but One "This book brilliantly reminds us that in the heart of the Abrahamic traditions there burns a singular divine flame."-Rev. Robert V. Thompson, Author A Voluptuous God "A wonderful and 'perfect' book. Highly recommended."-Rabbi David A. Cooper, Author God Is a Verb " God of Love] will expand your vision and inspire your search; I recommend it with great joy." -Andrew Harvey, Author The Hope: A Guide to Sacred Activism "At home in the three great Abrahamic traditions, Mirabai Starr takes us on a deeply personal journey 'Toward the One, ' exploring aspects of the 'God of Love' as seen through the eyes of Jewish, Christian and Muslim mystics. This is a book which will delight the seeker of sacred connections between these traditions and those who look forward to a day when Jerusalem, the city shared by all these faiths, will be a house of prayer for all people."-Reb Netanel Miles-Yepez, Co-Author A Heart Afire: Stories and Teachings of the Early Hasidic Masters

Renowned grief counselor Stephen Levine tells us that long after an initial loss has passed and the period of grieving has ended an unattended sorrow lingers, accounting for a host of physical, emotional and spiritual maladies. It is not uncommon then for those with unresolved grief to lean toward addictions or dangerous behaviors or other forms of self-destruction. In Unattended Sorrow, Levine addresses the grief from fresh loss but also attends to the pain and troubles caused by the unresolved anguish, sadness and delayed stress than can accumulate over a lifetime. He notes that we may never entirely overcome sorrows but we can confront them with mercy and self-acceptance that smooths the path to healing the heart.

Wild Mercy is essential reading for anyone ready to awaken the feminine mystic within and birth her loving, creative, and untamed power into the world. "Mystical brilliance at its best." —Caroline Myss "No one can take us into the fiery and tender depths of the sacred feminine with more skill, humor, clarity, and vibrant naked honesty than Mirabai Starr." —Andrew Harvey, author of The Hope and The Return of the Mother We live in a world that has suffered the abuses of an unbalanced masculine rule for thousands of years—but the feminine is rising. "Seeds of feminine wisdom that have been quietly germinating underground are now breaking through the surface," writes Mirabai Starr. "Women everywhere are rising to the collective call to step up and repair our broken Earth. And we are activating a paradigm shift such as the world has never seen." With Wild Mercy, Mirabai shares the subversive wisdom and fierce compassion of the feminine mystic across cultural boundaries and throughout history. From saints and sages, to goddesses and archetypal energies, to contemporary teachers and seekers—you’ll meet women who blazed a path that will illuminate your own. Each chapter explores a different facet of feminine mysticism through a tapestry of teachings, reflections, and stories, along with a practice for integrating the chapter’s themes into your own life. As you journey through these pages, you’ll explore: Taking refuge in contemplative practice with St. Teresa of Avila and the Shekinah • Longing, embodiment, and union as the heart of feminine spiritual practice with the Hindu poet Mirabai and Mary Magdalene • Your relationship with the Earth, motherhood in all its forms, and a loving call to action alongside Gaia and Ix Chel • Community and the web of life with Indra, the Beguines, and female prophets throughout history • Wild, playful, and compassionate mercy with Tara and Kuan Yin • Finding joy in creativity and the arts with Saraswati and Chiyo-ni • More inspiration from archetypal goddesses and amazing women past and present—Julian of Norwich, the Sufi saint Rabia, Pachamama, Sophia, Old Spider Woman, Hildegard of Bingen, Demeter, Kali, and more Wild Mercy provides a much-needed alternative to the models of religion and spirituality that have dominated history. Here, Mirabai invites you to welcome the wisdom of women back into the collective field where it may transform the human family, heal the ravaged Earth, and awaken the divine love in our hearts.

Iconography is undergoing a revival in twenty-first-century American Catholicism. William Hart McNichols, who paints in his studio in New Mexico, is one of the most popular iconographers of this renaissance, and this book comprises a selection of his icons and sacred images. The book presents images of holy women and holy men as well as images of Mary and Jesus. Philosopher and theologian John D. Dadosky introduces each piece and demonstrates how McNichols’s paintings communicate sacred stories as well as mark significant moments in the artist’s personal development.

On the day her first book came out-a new translation of Dark Night of the Soul by Saint John of the Cross-Mirabai Starr's daughter, Jenny, was killed in a car accident. "My spiritual life began the day my daughter died," writes Mirabai. Even with decades of spiritual practice and a deep immersion in the greatest mystical texts, she found herself utterly unprepared for "my most powerful catalyst for transformation, my fiercest and most compassionate teacher." With Caravan of No Despair, Mirabai shares an irreverent, uplifting, and intimate memoir of her extraordinary life journey. Through the many twists and turns of her life-including a tangled relationship with a charlatan-guru, her unexpected connection with the great Christian mystics, and the loss of her daughter-Mirabai finds the courage to remain open and defenseless before the mystery of the divine. "Tragedy and trauma are not guarantees for a transformational spiritual experience," writes Mirabai Starr, "but they are opportunities. They are invitations to sit in the fire and allow it to transfigure us."

This is a fresh and contemporary rendering of one of the most loved and influential spiritual texts of all time. It brings alive the message and spirituality of this great 14th-century mystic to 21st century readers. At the age of 30, Julian of Norwich, a contemporary of Chaucer, was suffering a severe illness and believed she was on her deathbed. She had a series of intense visions of Jesus and recovered. Julian wrote down the narration of the visions shortly after they occurred and expanded on them 20 to 30 years later in what became the first book written in English by a woman. Her message remains strikingly relevant today: that failure is an opportunity to learn and grow that God's love has nothing to do with retribution and everything to do with compassionin spite of appearances, all is well.

God of Love is Mirabai Starr s passionate and personal exploration of the interconnected wisdom of the three Abrahamic faiths. She shares an overview of essential teachings, stories of saints and spiritual masters, prophetic calls for peace and justice, and for the first time in print, deeply engaging narratives from her own spiritual experiences. She guides readers to recognize the teachings and practices that unify rather then divide the three religions, and sheds light on the interspiritual perspective, which celebrates the Divine in all paths. It is Mirabai s hope that this book will serve as a reminder that a dedication to lovingkindness is the highest expression of faith for all three religions. EARLY REVIEWS FOR "God of Love" Mirabai Starr takes us out dancing with the One. "God of Love" is a confluence of the currents of Judaism, Islam and Christianity all emptying into the great ocean of Love. Ram Dass, Author "Be Here Now" In a time of division between people, this book which is a masterful blend of research, storytelling, poetry, and memoir is like a sacred magnet, pulling on the spiritual heart of all seekers. Elizabeth Lesser, Cofounder, Omega Institute; Author, "Broken Open: How Difficult Times Can Help Us Grow" Mirabai Starr writes of the divine from a luminous gene inherited by only a few. We hear The True Song in each word she attributes to the holy. It is more than just her song; it is the Melody of the Spheres translated by an astute musician. We are always touched by the genuine in her call to the reader to love and love well, to see with the sacred eye of beauty. -Ondrea & Stephen Levine, Authors " Embracing the Beloved" "Mirabai's book has brought me great consolation."-Daniel Berrigan, S. J. activist-priest; Author, "No Gods but One" This book brilliantly reminds us that in the heart of the Abrahamic traditions there burns a singular divine flame. -Rev. Robert V. Thompson, Author "A Voluptuous God" A wonderful and perfect book. Highly recommended. -Rabbi David A. Cooper, Author "God Is a Verb" ["God of Love"] will expand your vision and inspire your search; I recommend it with great joy. -Andrew Harvey, Author "The Hope: A Guide to Sacred Activism" At home in the three great Abrahamic traditions, Mirabai Starr takes us on a deeply personal journey 'Toward the One, ' exploring aspects of the 'God of Love' as seen through the eyes of Jewish, Christian and Muslim mystics. This is a book which will delight the seeker of sacred connections between these traditions and those who look forward to a day when Jerusalem, the city shared by all these faiths, will be a house of prayer for all people."-Reb Netanel Miles-Yepez, Co-Author " A Heart Afire: Stories and Teachings of the Early Hasidic Masters""

Our Lady of Guadalupe takes you to a time when a modest Aztec peasant had a vision of a radiant woman """"clothed in the sun."""" This divine presence began to emerge as a union between Mary of Christianity and the Mother Goddess of the native people. As her legend swept across the crumbling Aztec empire, she inspired millions of followers to peacefully embrace a changing world. Today, the beloved Lady of Guadalupe still acts as a benevolent, merciful force to help us rise above strife and violence. For those times when we are called to engage in compassionate yet decisive action, it is the force of the divine feminine embodied by Our Lady of Guadalupe that can guide our path. With poetry, prayers, and art gathered together by editor Mirabai Starr, Our Lady of Guadalupe gives you a powerful link to this blessed mother, and to the loving and righteous grace of her sacred energy.