Serendipity
There are no “signs” except those we assign.
Duende
A Pictorial Memoir of the Pixie Land Fairy Castle
I recently came across the Pixie Land Fairy Castle on an evening walk along the Ronan Park River Trail. (If he stays still, I might not spot him …) The Castle featured colorful flags, judiciously-placed pinecones, an array of painted stones and several fairies. Sadly, when I visited the spot last night, the Pixie Land … Read moreA Pictorial Memoir of the Pixie Land Fairy Castle
“Ashes to Ashes”
Tricia Romano’s new article for Alta offers an overview of the natural burial movement, including commentary from Morbid Anatomy founder/creative director Joanna Ebenstein and Return Home founder Micah Truman: “A lot of (people) are focusing on trying to change attitudes about death so that we can live, so we can have better deaths. And that … Read more“Ashes to Ashes”
“By the River”: the Death Hotels of Varanasi
For the people of Varanasi – the holiest of India’s seven sacred cities – death is a blessing. Stretching along the banks of the river Ganges, Varanasi is a place where devout Hindus go to die in the hope of achieving moksha: freedom from the endless cycle of death and rebirth (samsara). ‘Death hotels’ provide a … Read more“By the River”: the Death Hotels of Varanasi
“My Dead Mother, the Tree That Never Was: The Psychology of ‘Green Burial’ Practices”
Jesse Bering writes for the Scientific American on the psychology of green burial practices, especially regarding the psychological mechanism of essentialism: I’ll go out on a limb here and say that even if one doesn’t believe in some ethereal or religious version of the afterlife, it’s rather difficult to escape the cognitive illusion that the … Read more“My Dead Mother, the Tree That Never Was: The Psychology of ‘Green Burial’ Practices”
Life and Death in Albany Park, Chicago
I encountered this imposing but clearly benevolent fellow while exploring our new neighborhood and was reminded of one of Hugo Simberg’s “Death Series” images:
ManWoman, Mr. Death and Church Punk
I continuously dreamed of skulls — I’d be riding on a skull motorcycle, driving a skull car, living in a skull house. Because these experiences of mine were previews of death — what we will all see when Mr. Death taps us on the shoulder. The skulls express the ego death of the transcendental state … Read moreManWoman, Mr. Death and Church Punk
Moon Manor
Recommended viewing for those interested in end-of-life issues, especially the right to die on one’s own terms, the work of death doulas and the practice of “living funerals” (or FUN-erals, in this story). Moon Manor is a true-ish comedy-drama based on the life and philosophies of Jimmy Carozzo, who also stars in the movie as … Read moreMoon Manor