Born Miriam Simos in 1951, Starhawk is an American feminist and writer recognized for her contributions to neopaganism and ecofeminism. Her work often explores the intersection of spirituality, activism, and social justice, advocating for a harmonious relationship with nature and a transformative understanding of power.

Starhawk's influential book, "The Spiral Dance" (1979), became a foundational text in modern witchcraft and Goddess religion. She co-founded the Reclaiming Collective, an international organization focused on earth-based spirituality and activism. Her writings delve into themes of feminist spirituality, ecological consciousness, and the critique of patriarchal structures, advocating for egalitarian systems and a reconceptualization of power. She has also been recognized for her work in nonviolence training and various social and environmental movements.

Starhawk posits that the Earth is a living entity and emphasizes the importance of faith-based activism in reconnecting with fundamental human needs. She highlights core religious values such as community and self-sacrifice as vital for both eco-pagan movements and the broader environmental justice movement. Her philosophy advocates for integrating social justice concerns with a nature-based spirituality, suggesting that spending time in the natural world can foster deeper understanding and receptivity to its messages. Her activism is firmly rooted in an anti-war stance, critiquing how war dehumanizes those perceived as different. She has extensively written on activism, offering guidance for organizers, examining privilege within radical communities, and calling for an intersectional approach to combating oppression that encompasses spirituality, ecological awareness, and liberation of gender and sexuality.

Starhawk's feminism and spirituality are deeply intertwined, with her ecofeminism drawing parallels between the life-giving aspects of nature and women, and linking ecological devastation to patriarchal oppression within Western political economies. She calls for a paradigm shift in the understanding of power, moving away from 'power over' others towards more egalitarian structures. Starhawk believes that patriarchal systems are declining and will be succeeded by more equitable societal models, referencing historical matrilineal lineages where women held roles as priestesses, poets, healers, singers, and seers, arguing these have been historically erased due to their political implications. She contends that patriarchal culture has conflated the erotic with domination and violence, viewing sexuality as sacred when it fosters connection but corrupted when used as a tool of power-over or objectification. Her works, including "Webs of Power" and "Truth or Dare," explore these gendered power dynamics, tracing the psychology of liberation and the internalized 'Self-hater' within oppressive systems, and seeking ways to transform these into innate sources of female power that reject dominion.

In 1979, Starhawk co-founded the Reclaiming Collective, initially formed to celebrate the neopagan holiday of Samhain with a public spiral dance. This group has since grown into an international organization offering education and public rituals in earth-based spirituality, aiming to "unify spirit and politics." Beyond her work with Reclaiming, Starhawk is an internationally recognized trainer in nonviolence and direct action, actively participating in peace, women's, environmental, permaculture, and anti-globalization movements. She travels extensively, lecturing and conducting workshops across North America, Europe, and the Middle East. Her influence contributed to the Unitarian Universalist Association's inclusion of earth-centered traditions among their spiritual sources, and she was an active member of The Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans (CUUPS). Starhawk has also held teaching positions at several San Francisco Bay Area institutions, including the California Institute of Integral Studies, and is affiliated with various activist and training groups.

“can open up your understanding on deeper and more subtle levels where the natural world will speak to you.”

“is sacred because through it we make a connection with another self — but it is misused and perverted when it becomes an arena of power-over, a means of treating another — or oneself — as an object.”

“unify spirit and politics”