Wild Mercy: Living the Fierce and Tender Wisdom of the Women Mystics

“My deepest desire is . . .” Let whatever arises in your mind and heart spill onto the page (or screen) as you respond to it. Allow yourself to be surprised—maybe even shocked—by what comes up. Your desires could relate to your sexual appetites or emotional needs. They could be about how you want to embody yourself—or the Divine. Don’t hold back. G

Mary’s way was the way of the heart. She exemplified devotion.

This book is more than a book. It is an invitation. We are making a flying carpet here to carry us through our lives as contemporary mystics masquerading as ordinary people

The important thing is to cultivate a regular practice of laying aside all daily concerns and letting yourself rest.

Gaia, the mythic goddess, spontaneously came into being, without being created by some external force or driven by some utilitarian agenda. This is the feminine principle. She is being for the sake of being, beauty for the sake of beauty. We are entwined with the Earth. We belong to her, and we are her. If the Earth is sacred, then so are we. The m

Cynthia emphasizes that one of the most important elements in this process is dropping our preconceived notions of what healing is supposed to look like. “The conceptual mind can’t figure it out,” she says. “The need is too great. It’s overwhelming.”

Meanwhile, back in the kitchen, it is the women who transmit the living heart of religion, lighting the candles, singing the prayers, cleaning up the afterbirth, and bathing the dead.

When I lead grief retreats or teach writing workshops—which are largely populated by women—it takes about five minutes before community begins to magically coalesce before my eyes. Without my doing a thing, the people in the room gravitate toward one another and take the risk to trust. They notice one another’s wounds and tend them, detect one anot

When we deeply connect with another being, we touch the Divine.

Like God enters through a fissure that opens only on occasions like these, and you know you’d better pay attention, or you might miss her appearance.