Autumn Blessings Y'all!
Tending Grief:
a holistic way forward
*the redwood*
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
Essence of this Seed:
*Grief Support
*Threshold Choir
*Somatic Activities
*Mandala Making (see images)
*SoulCollage Workshop (see Artistic and Somatic Insights)
*Grief Ritual
*Celebration of Life and Memorial Services
*Guided Meditation
*Death Café
*Circle of Trust
*Forest Bathing
*Walking the Labyrinth
*Conversation, Witness, and Deep Listening
*Personal Retreat Opportunities​
​Samhain:
a Prayer for Our Beloved Departed
November 2, 2025
4pm-6:30pm
ritual held at the
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
6401 Freedom Blvd, Aptos, CA​​
It is that sacred time of year and the beginning of the holy day season. We begin by honoring those who came before us --those who have left this Earthly plane-- on All Hallows Eve, Samhain, All Soul's Day.
​Please bring an artifact, photo, or something you love for the co-created altar and, if you like, wear magical clothing... it will be a magical evening full of love and honor for those whose shoulders we stand upon.
Suggested donation $0-20
​​​​​​​​​​​​​​"Grief is praise
because it is the natural way love honors what it misses."
--Martin Prechtel from The Smell of Rain on Dust
​
This is the tenderest seed...
These offerings strive to provide support to individuals, families, and communities as they process and transition through the days, weeks, and years following the passing of a beloved.
​
Grief is a life long process, something that will always be with us as our "love honors what it misses."
​
Meditation:
"The ocean refuses no river, no river.
the ocean refuses no river, no river..."
~*~
This video, by the Cleveland Clinic, shares a profound, empathic insight:
"Could a greater miracle take place
than for us to look through each other eyes for an instant."
--Henry David Thoreau
​
Creating mandalas made from nature's gifts of stones, leaves, wood, coral, sand, seaweed, flowers, bone, and other bits of matter you find is a holistic way of honoring your beloved departed and of processing the loss. It is a way of telling the story of your relationship, exploring what is settled, what is unresolved, and to give it shape so it can be attended to somatically and artistically. Perhaps, in this process, you can learn more about your own life going forward.
~*~
Tending to the Ill and Dying
*The Threshold Choir: Offering the gift of bedside singing for those on the threshold of life and death, and for their families and caregivers.
Santa Cruz Threshold Singers: (831) 854-7766
​
*Hospice of Santa Cruz County: volunteer visitor services
​
*Death Doula: Providing emotional, spiritual, physical, and logistical support to families and individuals near the end of their lives
Jennifer des Cognets can be contacted via email: descognets@comcast.net
​
*Mesothelioma Hope: a caring team helping mesothelioma patients and their loved ones, providing free mesothelioma resources
https://www.mesotheliomahope.com/
Tending to the Bereaved
Book Recommendations:
​
*The Smell of Rain on Dust: grief and praise
by Martin Prechtel
​
*Bitter-sweet: how sorrow and longing make us whole
by Susan Cain
​
*A Time to Grieve: meditations for healing after the death of a loved one
by Carol Staudacher
​
*The Wild Edge of Sorrow: rituals of renewal and the sacred work of grief
by Francis Weller
​
*Here If You Need Me: a true story
by Kate Braestrup
​
*The Unspeakable Loss: how do you live after a child dies
edited by Nisha Zenoff, PhD
Grief Support Recommendations:
​
"You are invited to the refuge of Holy Lament. Grief is not a mistake. It is a sacred response to the profound love we carry..." Mirabai Starr
* Bicycle Health: how best to cope with grief in recovery
"Understanding how grief typically works can help. Realizing how grief can trigger your desire to relapse and planning ahead to conquer challenges is even more helpful"
https://www.bicyclehealth.com/blog/cope-with-grief-in-recovery
*David Kessler weekly emails www.grief.com
and his online grief support groups are called Tender Hearts
​
*Compassionate Friends:
supporting families after a child dies
​
*Hospice of Santa Cruz County: grief support
www.hospicesantacruz.org/grief-support/
​
*Helping Parents Heal: Facebook group for parent and families after a child dies. Private group, ask for membership
https://www.facebook.com/groups/113966948620343
​
​
Tending to the Body:
*Sea Spirit Memorial:
"Specializing in Ocean Memorization, Ash Scattering and Full Body Burial at Sea"
SeaSpiritMemorial.com
(831) 336-2244
*Better Place Forests:
"A memorial tree is a private, established tree that serves as a resting place for cremated remains. Ashes are mixed with soil and spread at the base of the tree, becoming forever a part of the forest."
https://www.betterplaceforests.com/
​
*Recompose: a full-service funeral home specializing in human composting
"Recompose works directly with you and the people in your life to ensure respectful, empathetic service from the time of death through the body's transformation into soil."
​
​
~*~
"The call to ministry haunted my periphery for most of my adult life" A deep-hearted sharing of my own life processing the death of my precious son.
​
