Embracing the Divine through the wisdom of the mystics with Mirabai Starr
Event Information
About this event
The mystics of all traditions claim that their love-encounter with the Holy One defies all description and yet their experience of longing and union pours out in the form of ecstatic, luminous and richly descriptive poetry and prose.
In this gathering, Mirabai shares selected passages from the great Christian mystics, Teresa of Avila, Julian of Norwich, and Hildegard of Bingen, engaging these evocative words as objects of Lectio Divina (sacred reading). She tells stories from their lives and offers her reflections on their essential wisdom teachings, paying special attention to their unique relevance for our times.
After contemplative readings, along with meditations to support us, we can respond to evocative writing prompts to access our own words to deepen our personal journey.
Ticket holders will be able to hear the recordings in their own time after the event.
" 'I am the ground of your beseeching,' God tells Julian. In our very turning toward the Divine, the Divine enfolds us in love. Our suffering and the suffering of Christ are reciprocal and mutually redemptive. In sacrificing his body for our salvation, he becomes the womb of the world, giving birth to all that is. The Mother and Son are one. God is God the Mother."
Mirabai's God of Love p.170
"By saying yes to the best of our own heritage and entering the holiest grounds of one another's faith traditions, we may be able to usher in an age of love within our own lifetime."
Mirabai's God of Love p. 219
You are all invited to prepare for your retreat by spending time with the writings of Julian, or Teresa, or Hildegard.
Click here for information about Mirabai's own translations of their major works.
Organiser The Friends of Julian of Norwich 'and friends'
Organiser of Embracing the Divine through the wisdom of the mystics with Mirabai Starr
The four organisations promoting this event are and Silence in the City, London, Contemplative Outreach Bristol, the Norwich Christian Meditation Centre, and the Friends of Julian of Norwich. We came together in 2019 to introduce Mirabai Starr to a UK audience.
"...Mirabai Starr gives voice to every true and secret longing of the human heart. Whoever you are, whatever you thought you knew about how the Holy looks or acts, get ready to be loved into deeper reality by someone you can trust to show you the way."
Barbara Brown Taylor (about Mirabai's Wild Mercy)
Mirabai Starr is an award-winning author of 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 counsellor, Mirabai helps mourners harness the transformational power of loss. Her latest book, WILD MERCY: Living the Fierce & Tender Wisdom of the Women Mystics, was named one of the “Best Books of 2019” by Spirituality & Practice.
Mirabai has made her own translations of the writings of each of the female mystics whose insights are the subject of this retreat.
She lives with her extended family in the mountains of northern New Mexico.
