The Beguines: The Forgotten Women Who Lived a Life Set Apart

"They lived neither in the world nor out of it, neither enclosed nor entirely free—choosing a middle path where they could serve God on their own terms." — Historian and theologian Amy Hollywood

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Intro to a Sacred Lineage of Holy Women and the Legacy They Left Behind

In a time when women were told their place was in a convent or at a man’s side, a quiet revolution unfolded in the cities and countrysides of 12th and 13th century Europe. Women began banding together—not in protest, but in prayer. Not for glory, but for God. These were the Beguines: mystics, healers, contemplatives, and visionaries who chose an unconventional path of spiritual devotion and communal life.

They weren’t nuns. They didn’t take vows. And they didn’t wait for anyone’s permission to live a life of radical intimacy with God.

Instead, they formed spiritual sisterhoods rooted in shared rhythms of work, worship, and contemplative service. Some lived in humble beguinages (small villages of homes and chapels), others stayed in their cities or homes. Many were deeply engaged in their communities—tending the sick, offering hospitality, caring for the poor—while cultivating a fierce interior life through prayer, poetry, and mystical union with Christ.

The Church didn’t quite know what to do with them.

Unaffiliated with official religious orders, these women—laywomen, single women, widows—carved out a sacred middle way. And that threatened power structures. Over time, their legacy was forgotten, erased, or condemned. But their spiritual brilliance couldn’t be snuffed out.

Among their ranks? Some of the most profound mystics and writers in Christian history:

• Mechthild of Magdeburg, who wrote of divine love flowing like a river through her soul

• Hadewijch of Brabant, whose ecstatic visions and spiritual poetry echo Julian and John of the Cross

• Marguerite Porete, whose controversial book The Mirror of Simple Souls would cost her her life, yet survives to this day as a spiritual masterpiece

These were Desert Mothers reimagined in the medieval cityscape—mystics with ink-stained hands and fire in their bones. They dared to believe that divine union was not just for the clergy, but for the everyday soul bold enough to say yes.

Why the Beguines Matter to Us Today

At Loto Wellness Collective, we honor these holy women because they chose soulful sovereignty over silence. They made space—literally and spiritually—for rest, ritual, creativity, and communion. They understood the need for a rhythm of life rooted in contemplative practice and radical connection.

Sound familiar?

The Beguines remind us that you don’t have to leave your life to live a holy one. You don’t need perfect theology, a seminary degree, or the blessing of an institution to walk intimately with the Spirit.

You just need to make room.

We’ve written a blog series about some of the most influential female contemplatives as a love letter to the Beguines and the mystics they birthed. These women walked before us—offering a path not paved by power, but by Presence. They remind us what’s possible when we choose a life of intention, surrender, and sacred resistance.

So pour a cup of tea. Light a candle. Settle in.

Let us reintroduce you to some of your spiritual ancestors….

Want to walk the Beguine Way?
Loto Wellness Collective is dreaming into a modern-day expression of the Beguine movement—a sacred circle of women (and allies) living contemplatively in the midst of the world. Sign up for our newsletter to join the revival.