Duende

Dying and Living: An Immersive Online Experience (October 21-25, 2020)

Dying and Living is an online festival of presentations about the Big Question of mortality, presented by Science and Nonduality: This gathering is centered around the theme of Dying and Living. Our world is going through challenges, upheaval and confusion. Death feels closer. False beliefs, obsolete structures, and ideas of separateness are falling away. Reclaiming … Read moreDying and Living: An Immersive Online Experience (October 21-25, 2020)

Stephen Jenkinson – the Meaning of Death

Canadian teacher, author, storyteller, cultural activist and farmer Stephen Jenkinson offers words of deep wisdom on the subject of “finding meaning” in death. Currently in abeyance due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Jenkinson’s Orphan Wisdom School waits to re-open its doors. In the meantime, fortunately, his interviews and other works are widely available.

Odyssey of the Dead (2019)

According to ceremonialist Daniel Lev Shkolnik: In the oldest story in existence, Gilgamesh crosses the sea of death in search of immortality. In Greek mythology, Charon ferries souls across the river Styx to Hades. In ancient Egypt, departed souls were thought to travel with Ra on the solar bark to reach the sacred field of … Read moreOdyssey of the Dead (2019)

Autumnal Equinox Memorial Altar 2020

I started creating this bookshelf altar during the day and evening of September 22, which was the Autumnal Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere. The altar features a colorful scattering of dead leaves gathered during my evening walks, a copper string of white lights, a mirror for self-reflection, an incense holder, a small jar of home-mixed … Read moreAutumnal Equinox Memorial Altar 2020

The Meaning of Life According to Tom Robbins

Tom Robbins is the author of numerous counterculture classics including Another Roadside Attraction (1971), Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (1976) and Jitterbug Perfume (1984). The search for meaning is not a whole lot different than the yearning for certainty, which is to say, an unsuitable pursuit for any who might aspire to nimbleness of mind, … Read moreThe Meaning of Life According to Tom Robbins

Living Fully Through Death Awareness

This talk was given at a local TEDxSnoIsleLibraries event and produced independently of the TED Conferences. Cultural anthropologist, Jennifer James, believes embracing the awareness of our mortality is a key to fully living. Jennifer’s lifetime of curiosity about beliefs, human behavior and the human spirit has roots in her childhood. That curiosity has underpinned her … Read moreLiving Fully Through Death Awareness