128 - Mirabai Starr: Ordinary Mysticism: Your Life as Sacred Ground

In this episode of The Sacred Speaks, host Dr. John W. Price welcomes Mirabai Starr—acclaimed translator of the mystics, teacher of interspiritual wisdom, and luminous guide to the sacred woven through daily life. Together, they explore the heart of ordinary mysticism: discovering holiness not only in monasteries or mountaintops, but in the tender rhythms of our own existence. Mirabai opens her story with radical honesty—her countercultural Jewish upbringing, alternative education, and the teachers and traditions that shaped her. The conversation turns to how rigid ideas of “being spiritual” can keep us from true intimacy with the divine, and how humility, humor, and embodiment restore us to a living spirituality. Mirabai shares how the death of her teenage daughter became a devastating but sacred initiation, revealing grief as one of the deepest portals into divine love. Moving between ancient voices and her own life, Mirabai offers a mysticism that is fiercely tender, humble, embodied, and accessible to all. This dialogue invites us to see our own lives as sacred ground—woven with loss and beauty, pain and joy, shadow and wonder. Key Takeaways Mysticism is accessible in everyday life, not just in monasteries or religious settings. Rigid religious or cultural ideas of “spirituality” can block authentic spiritual experience. Embodiment and emotions—especially grief—are sacred entry points into deeper connection. Translating the mystics is less about history than entering a living dialogue across time. Friendship, humor, humility, and even money can be part of an integrated spiritual life. In This Episode (00:00) Introduction and Welcome (00:20) Introducing Mirabai (01:14) Mirabai’s Background and Influences (02:30) Personal Tragedy and Grief (03:21) Housekeeping and Announcements (05:26) Interview with Mirabai Starr Begins (07:33) Ordinary Mysticism and Everyday Spirituality (08:54) Critique of Organized Religion (13:38) Counterculture Upbringing and Influence (18:39) Alternative Education and Teaching Philosophy (23:29) Feminine Mysticism and Embodiment (38:32) Translating the Mystics as Living Companions (43:33) The Supernatural and the Natural (45:55) Writing as Dialogic Spiritual Practice (51:27) Grief and the Sacredness of Loss (01:00:21) Writing as a Spiritual Path (01:14:02) Navigating Money and Spirituality (01:18:17) Closing Reflections & Resources Connect with Mirabai Starr Company: Wild Heart Community: Holy Lament (online support for grief; opens twice yearly, next in Nov 2025) Book: Ordinary Mysticism: Your Life as Sacred Ground (HarperOne, Sept 2025) Earlier Works: Wild Mercy, Caravan of No Despair, her translations of Dark Night of the Soul and The Interior Castle, and more - check out Mirabai's website: mirabaistarr.com Connect with John Come and join, The Open Gate. Link on website Website: https://drjohnwprice.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjohnwprice/