The 16th-century Spanish saint Teresa of Avila spoke of “the beautiful wound” of longing for God, describing this depth of suffering as a doorway to union with her Beloved. John of the Cross, Teresa’s contemporary, coined the term “dark night of the soul” and developed a teaching that shows us how to surrender to radical unknowing and allow ourselves to be stripped of all that stands between our souls and the Divine. These and other mystics see deep sorrow as a great spiritual blessing rather than as a problem requiring a solution. Guided by acclaimed translator and certified grief counselor Mirabai Starr, we learn to see our own suffering as fruitful fodder for spiritual growth. Through contemplative reading, writing exercises, and guided meditation, we cultivate the tenderness and courage required to explore the places where our loss invites us into deeper aliveness and radiant joy. Students are asked to bring a photograph of a loved one who has died to be placed on an altar the class will create during the workshop.
Recommended reading: Starr (trans.), Dark Night of the Soul by John of the Cross; The Interior Castle and The Book of My Life by Teresa of Avila. Mirabai Starr, MA, is an adjunct professor of philosophy and world religions at the University of New Mexico. A certified grief counselor, she is an accomplished writer, critically acclaimed for her translations of the Spanish mystics, which include Dark Night of the Soul by John of the Cross, and The Interior Castle and The Book of My Life by Teresa of Avila. Starr is also the editor of the Sounds True Saints Series, Devotions, Prayers & Living Wisdom. mirabaistarr.com |
