Lou Andreas-Salome (1861-1937)

• One of the first female psychoanalysts
• Passionate student of philosophy & brilliant interdisciplinary thinker
• Friend & muse of Nietszche
• Lover & muse of Rainer Maria Rilke

Heloise (1090-1164)

• French nun, writer, philosopher, & scholar
• Was renowned throughout Western Europe for her intellectual brilliance & philosophical erudition
• Best known for her relationship with Peter Abelard (subject of poem 'Eloisa to Abelard' by Alexander Pope; aka "eternal sunshine of the spotless mind")

Rabia Basri (714-801)

• One of the most revered Sufi saints
• Devout mystic renowned for her piety & devotion to God
• Lived a life of seclusion, asceticism, and composed poetry to express her love of God
• Preached & embodied ishq e haqeeqi (ie. love of God is the only true love)

Anais Nin (1903-1977)

• French-Cuban writer, best known for her introspective, philosophical diaries
• Passionate about psychoanalysis & understanding the human condition
• Led a Bohemian lifestyle full of intellectual & romantic entanglements

Sayyida Nafisa (762-824)

• Daughter in law of Imam Sadiq ع; teacher & close friend of Imam Shafi'i, deeply cherished by the people of Cairo
• Famous muhaddith, teacher, & patron of religious students
• Renowned for her extraordinary piety & miracles
• Memorized Qur'an, studied fiqh in depth, & taught the Islamic sciences

https://healing-hearts-blog.com/2014/03/16/luminaries-vii-sayyida-nafisa/ http://www.sunnah.org/history/Scholars/nafisa_at_tahira.htm

Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179)

• German-Christian nun, writer, composer, philosopher, mystic, visionary, & polymath
• Considered by many in Europe to be the founder of scientific natural history in Germany
• Exhibited deep spiritual awareness since childhood & led an extremely prolific, accomplished religious & scientific life

Ann Druyan (1949-)

• Award-winning writer, producer, & scientist
• Creative Director of NASA's Voyager Interstellar Message Project
• Third wife of Carl Sagan
• Frequently collaborated & co-wrote with Carl, carried on his scientific legacy after his death
• Fun fact: two days after she & Carl declared their love for each other, they recorded an EEG of her thinking about their love onto a golden phonograph record & attached it to Voyager

The Moment Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan Fell In Love: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2cLdwwYE0c&ab_channel=ChristianG

Cleopatra VII (51 BC - 30 BC)

• Last ruler of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt (after her death, Egypt became a province of the Roman Empire)
• Renowned for her legendary diplomatic skills, mastery of persuasion, leadership, & political prowess
• Known for her political alliances & relationships with Julius Caesar & Mark Anthony

Audrey Hepburn (1929-1993)

• One of the most beloved Hollywood actresses
• Survived starvation & malnutrition during WW2
• Known for her kind, softspoken nature, elegance, & humility
• Devoted her later life to doing extensive humanitarian work

Veronica Franco (1546–1591)

• Italian courtesan & public figure
• Accomplished poet known for her intellect, wit, & outspoken nature
• Belonged to one of the most prestigious literary circles in Venice

Sor Juana Ines de La Cruz (1648-1695)

• Mexican nun, philosopher, poet, & composer
• Self-taught scholar widely celebrated for her literary & intellectual brilliance
• Advocated for women's rights, especially in the realm of education & literacy
• Had one of the largest private libraries in the New World

Ninon De L'enclos (1620-1705)

• French author, courtesan, & patron of the arts
• Hosted major literary discussions in Paris
• Known for her intellect, wit, social charm, independence, & romantic hunger

Zeb un Nissa (1638-1702)

• Mughal princess & poet who wrote under the penname 'Makhfi' (the hidden one)
• Memorized the Qur'an & was known for her diverse range of intellectual and religious pursuits and talents
• Had a personal library that rivaled all other private collections of the time
• Daughter of Emperor Aurangzeb
• Spent the last 20 years of her life imprisoned by her father

Hannah Arendt (1906-1975)

• One of the most important political philosophers of the 20th century
• Wrote extensively on totalitarianism, the nature of political power, & the "banality of evil"
• Note: problematic bc of racist views :/

Honorable Mentions

• Salma bint Amr, Mary Oliver, Amina Baygum Majlisi, Virginia Woolf, Leila Khaled, Amina al Sadr, Jane Austen, Maya Angelou, Marianne Williamson, Simone Weil, Mary Shelley, Marie Curie, bell hooks, Audre Lorde, Assata Shakur, Susan Sontag, Angela Davis, Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Paula Gunn Allen, Jacinda Ardern, Jhene Aiko