Beloved Friends & Family,

As I write this, late afternoon sunbeams are glazing Taos Mountain with the rosy glow known around here as “Sangre de Cristo” – the blood of Christ.  Only Northern New Mexico, this Land of Enchantment, would name a mountain range after a quality of light!  Snow clouds hover in luxurious layers over the valley, mingling with the spicy aroma of piñon woodsmoke.  My beloved brother Father Bill taught me to recognize the Shekinah – the Feminine Presence of the Divine – in the forms of mist and flame.  The Shekinah is especially present this time of year, he tells me, this time of pregnant waiting, the last weeks of darkness leading up to the return of the light, the rebirth of the Light of the World (to shamelessly mix my mystical metaphors and genders, as per usual).

After many weeks on the road, traveling and teaching, I am home, striving to vanquish with the ten thousand demands designed to take me away from the dark and quiet center of myself.  Today I feel a shift deeper inward, a simplifying, a stillness that could be mistaken for emptiness after such a long season of outward focus.

My beloved mother-in-law, Bette Little, died a couple of weeks ago.  We were there – her children and their spouses, many grandchildren and a couple of greats -- and we gathered around her in awe, bearing witness to someone who, as Ganga Das says, “met her death with wide open arms.”  She was nearly 100, and while her mind was still clear and her sense of humor shining, her body was done.  We did not begrudge her letting go of it, though we will miss this colorful, feisty matriarch with all our hearts.

Looking ahead to February, there are two offerings you might be interested in, one in Florida and the other here in New Mexico.  Both are filling swiftly, so jump in soon if they resonate:

From February 6-9, I have the honor of co-presenting with my old friend and inveterate holy rascal, Rabbi Rami Shapiro, and my new soul-sister, Barbara Brown Taylor, for the much-loved Gladdening Light Festival in Winter Park, Florida.  Check it out HERE.

Then we gather again in Casa del Sol at Ghost Ranch in the New Mexico desert for our annual Writing Your Story of Loss & Transformation workshop.  The space is small, the group is intimate (20), and a powerful and loving sense of community always blossoms among us. If you have been longing to share an experience (or a lifetime of them) that has transfigured you and you’re not sure how to begin to write about it, this deep dive into sacred storytelling will help you set down roots (and then you can come back in September to take it to another level, with a vision of publication dancing in your head).  Reach out HERE.

And now, in light of this season of generosity, I share with you some of my favorite new resources that you may wish to gift the ones you love (including your own sweet self):

First, check out my family’s magical new guest house here in Taos.  If you’re interested, reach out to my brother Roy through the link below and feel free to ask for the Friends of Mirabai Discount.  We’re just launching this venture and would love to help you help us get this treasure on the map. Check it out HERE.

Love always,

Mirabai