Autumn Equinox And End-Of-Life Workshop

NikiAnne Feinberg — Tue, 28 Sep 2021 15:48:32 +0000

As we pass through the autumn equinox, we can see the seasonal change in our Appalachian forest home. Bees are feasting on the goldenrod flowers, sumac leaves are turning red, and acorns are falling.

At autumn equinox, we celebrate our harvests of squash and corn, and also the ways we have grown individually and as a community. We make corn dollies, exchange our harvests, and have a feast. The next morning, we gather early to sing up the sun.

We also start preparing for the time of death. My friend and SOIL co-founder, Lee Warren, says:

As we move toward a land-based life, we start to see that death is inherent in everything we do. We respect death and decay in the composting process, in the cycles of giving death to animals, or in the cycles of the seasons changing. As we get more familiar with those cycles, we turn towards the idea that human death can be sacred also, an important and even meaningful part of our lives.

Because we’re a residential community at Earthaven, we have the opportunity to get to know each other over a long period of time. When our friend and elder, Kimchi, entered her dying process, she had a community of people who could really honor her decisions and support her. It was such a gift that she let us in close, let us be of service, and hold and support her as she declined and died. We were able to care for the body at home and have a home funeral as well. It was one of the most profound experiences of my life — there’s some portal that opens into whatever we want to call it, the source or spirit world or the great beyond.

We easily share these stories of the meaningful end-of-life home care and death care, including home burials, but rarely share some of the other stories. Stories of the ones who didn’t have their affairs in order before they passed and had not shared their after-death wishes with their family, creating conflict and stress, and thwarting their dreams for how their life savings would benefit future generations.

Now, I am on a mission to encourage all of our community members to prepare their end-of-life papers. Creating clear end-of-life paperwork is important for all stages of life and health. Written documents help loved ones know what to expect, guide our own inner and outer processes and, when the time comes, allow us to turn our attention to the mystery and magic inherent in the dying process.

We offer you a sacred journey to contemplate your end-of-life intentions and prepare the appropriate documents. Lee is leading a five-week online workshop on Conscious Living, Conscious Dying — Preparing for the End of Life starting November 12. This workshop emerged through our own experiences, help from our mentors, wisdom from the dying, and a synthesis of the celebrations and challenges.

Many people have good intentions for getting their end-of-life papers together. I hope that you will take this opportunity to complete this sacred work in a guided, supportive group process.

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Autumn Equinox And End-Of-Life Workshop