Totenpass Reconsecration Ritual
At midnight on November 1st, 2021 I reconsecrated my totenpass amulet in front of the public shrine at my local park. The rite had to be somewhat curtailed because of the presence of a late-night dog walker and the sudden appearance of a police patrol car – as far as I know, the park is … Read moreTotenpass Reconsecration Ritual
October 2021 Memoria Symposium: An Open Discussion on Artistic Innovation in Death-Positive Ritual
Artist Jill Littlewood hosts the October 2021 Memoria Symposium, a conversation between artists innovating in the sphere of memorial and memento mori ritual. Participants include: Nadia Hagen-Onuktav, artistic director of the All Souls Procession in Tucson, Arizona To-Ree-Nee Wolf, director of the All Souls Procession Urn Spirit Group Harley Dubois, Co-Founder of Burning Man John … Read moreOctober 2021 Memoria Symposium: An Open Discussion on Artistic Innovation in Death-Positive Ritual
The Satanic Temple’s Shiva Honey Speaks on Rituals for Death and Dying
Shiva Honey speaks to Sacred Tension host Stephen Bradford Long on her forthcoming book The Devil’s Death: Your Satanic Companion for Grief and Dying. Scheduled for release in early 2022, the book will cover: How to approach death and find comfort through a non-theistic Satanic lens Creating your own concept of ‘A Good Death’ Creating … Read moreThe Satanic Temple’s Shiva Honey Speaks on Rituals for Death and Dying
“Let’s visit a human composting facility!”
Thanatodiva Caitlin Doughty and human composting maven Katrina Spade present a short documentary on the Recompose facility in Seattle, and on the process and philosophy of recomposition.
“The Ghost Racket Crusade”
I was recently interviewed for the popular Criminal podcast on the shady business of the “ghost racket” – the early 20th century scam of using mind games and magic tricks to convince bereaved people that spiritualistic “mediums” could contact the spirits of the dead. Among other things, we discuss the friendship (and then bitter rivalry) … Read more“The Ghost Racket Crusade”
“Day of the Dead” (Eames Brothers, 1957)
Produced by the American designers Charles and Ray Eames, this short film offers insight into the Dia de Muertos festival through the medium of folk art. I’m fascinated by the animated diorama shown at 6.50 in the video, but unfortunately I’ve been unable to find any more information about this type of toy. Notably, none … Read more“Day of the Dead” (Eames Brothers, 1957)
Memoria Symposium Update
The Memoria symposium – an open discussion among death-positive artists innovating in the sphere of memorial and memento mori ritual – has now been set and scheduled. Our panelists will include: Existential coach Daniel Lev Shkolnik Burning Man co-founder Harley Dubois Way of Life and Death director/teacher Tony Wolf All Souls Procession artistic director Nadia … Read moreMemoria Symposium Update