The video above features a memorial soundscape made by mourning singer FayePatrick Kennedy, I have a really exciting announcement about them, and me, and us in a moment, but first:
Our next somatic new moon mourning & moving gathering is in one week on Wednesday October 2nd - on the NEW MOON - 8pm eastern/5pm pacific.
If you’re a paid subscriber you’ll automatically get the link to join the day before. If you’re a free subscriber you’ll need to RSVP with your email address and I’ll send you the link to join.
This 1 (or optional 2) hour gathering of *embodied mourning* will include:
gentle somatic movements to help you digest your grief
simple breathing and reconnecting with your body through a body scan
several somatic release techniques that allow the body's healing mechanism to assist you in your grieving process (both gentle rocking and a release of the body's neurogenic tremor (which supports letting go of tension in the body, as well as stagnation/frozenness that could be surrounding grief within the body)- this release often feels like a small vibration, pulse, or healing shake.)
and an optional sharing circle for the second hour where you can share about personal or collective grief and how you are feeling in this season and time, (you can bounce before we start this or you can stay and not speak but simply share your presence and listen).
Some of you may know about a documentary that I’ve been making for almost 7 years and that All donations for the new moon gatherings (that some are able to give, but this gathering is pay what you can, and attending for free is welcome) - go towards it’s production… “death, me, dying tree” seems to be… near completion. I thought it may take another 7 years but it looks like we may wrap production in a year. This means I’m starting to build the post-production team, which of course needs to consist of folks who are equal part talented technician and equal part healing artist… so that we can share the heartbreaking topic of death care in the U.S. in a way that soothes the nervous system: so that we can take gentle and community minded action in the years to come.
I feel full ecstasy in my body when I announce this exciting news: FayePatrick Kennedy (mourning singer, composer, animal communicator, grief-love mystic) is going to create the entire score for “death, me, dying tree”.
As someone who recently attended one of their grief-love sonic support gatherings said “you just have to experience it”- in regard to what they’re doing, and their soundscapes. Lucky for you, you get to listen to a sonic memorialization they recently made for me, an opossum, and a turtle (burial video at the top).
I’ve long been contemplating how I could add the sound of cat’s purring, binaural beats, and other nervous system down-regulators to a score made by some industry pro. Then I found FayePatrick, likely the only person who knows how to do this for me, I’m amazed at my fortunate that we’re alive at the same time. I plan to have FayePatrick sing at my funeral (yes it’s in my death plan,) or record a soundscape ahead of time if we hear whispers on the wind that they may die first…
My parents found these two beautiful bodies in our neighborhood, heartlessly thrown on the side of the road in a box. We took them to our home in a wheelbarrow (with masks on as they were quite decomposed and the smell was strong,) we were able to dig holes and lovingly bury them in all but 10 minutes. I had some flowers I was able to lay to rest with them - and some heart leaves I'd just weeded from the garden - that I used to mark their graves.
We all wanted to share these burials with you for two reasons:
First, to show you how simple and easy it is to bury a body, this truly took 10 minutes - even with my filling the sacred compost earth holes (graves) - by hand. I hope this inspires you to dig holes for decomposing animal friends next time you see them, their bodies aren't dangerous, wear a mask if they're smelly, adorn with plants and flowers if you can. If you're in the wild and you find a dead body, you don't need to make them a hole, as other animals and insects will happily eat them above ground- but in crowded areas it is best to bury them, returning them to the earth, and showing your neighbors that all bodies deserve respect and a final love tap back into the soil.
Second, to remind all that when you see roadkill or bodies being disrespected, you can do something, even a gentle moving with a shovel or stick, out of the road and to a gentler resting place is more than enough. If you have time, ask some plants to help you out, and create a memorial with plant matter around their bodies. I often use leaves and sticks and plant parts that are already decomposing themselves.
The more we learn to respect each other, the longer the earth can be our home, the sooner our grief backlog will simmer and dilute into a distant memory of past societal woes.
And I hope to see you next week on October's new moon...
...big exhales into the fall breezes, sending each of you appreciation for existing and being you,
Lana
p.s. Next month's gathering will be on Saturday November 30th at 1pm Eastern/10am Pacific.
Burial Video stills by: Lana Smithner Greenleaf
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