For many of us, our introduction to grief is made following our first understanding of death. Death from the metaphysical lens — the terminal point in our understanding of reality as we know it. Death from a literal sense – as a step in the metabolic process, a necessary ending of one form of life so that materials can be released and re-enter the endless cycle of life. And death, too, as a metaphor — an added layer of depth in our perception of endings, how we move through loss, and how we are shaped by understanding the finite.
This goodGrief circle is an opportunity to sit with what our death-and-grief-averse culture often hides from sight. To complement our discussions in the otherWisdom Circles around the mythical land of Away, we will hold space for open conversation in the style of a virtual Death Cafe. Taking the time to explore a topic that the dominant culture has deemed taboo might just shift our perceptions of death and decay in ways that can inform how we lean into otherWays of living, loving, and grieving amidst a finite world.
Although there are no pre-requirements for joining this goodGrief Circle, here are some recommended resources available that may serve to orient participants to the theme of this circle and guide our group.
Let this TedTalk given by Rochelle Martin, aptly titled “Let’s Talk About Death”, plant the seeds for conversation surrounding how we have been taught to perceive death in our culture, and how we might begin to reshape those perceptions.
In the pursuit of restoring the process of human death and decay to be in alignment with the natural cycles of decomposition, there has been a movement towards Green Burials. Some of these efforts to return bodies to the earth without the added harm of increasing carbon emissions, exposing death workers to harmful chemicals, and restoring or preserving the natural habitats we exist within include a green burial forest cemetery local to the otherWise headquarters in Vermont, as well as human composting options that allow human remains to enter back into the life cycles as soil, or even restoring coral reefs.
If you’ve never heard of a Death Cafe, feel free to poke around this website which gives some context to the style and structure of this goodGrief circle. And if you find yourself craving more after our session, let it be an inspiring guide to host your own Death Cafe locally!