Poetry has always played a powerful role in funerals. Celebrants will often choose or ask a family to choose a poem that captures a moment or a life perfectly, and in a few well crafted lines. Sometimes, as in the
Слава Україні!
Today marks the fourth anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. It’s a strange co-incidence but it’s also the day that my Ukrainian guest, a refugee from the war, moves out of my flat and into more permanent accommodation
The D Word
I wanted to highlight the work of some celebrant colleagues of mine in the field of death education or death literacy in Scotland. My good friend Gillian Robertson set up the D Word with a mission: ….to increase knowledge and
Reading Silent Spring
Silent Spring by Rachel Carson was published in 1962. It was one of the most significant books of its time and it helped launch the environmental movement. I was very young when it first appeared but I did grow up
A Thank You to The Grief Well!
I just wanted to say thank you to Tracy Chalmers and Willow Meili of The Grief Well. I’ve just completed a six-month course of facilitator training: “A six-month embodied journey to cultivate the skills for holding space and witnessing grief.”
Climate grief – finding a space to talk
In March this year it will be seven years since I started to work as a funeral celebrant. Recently I have been examining how I can use some of the skills I’ve acquired to make a change of direction. Specifically