529. Mirabai Starr, 2nd Interview

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.

Transcript, summary, and key takeaways from 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