Death & Grief Talk with The Grave Woman®
33 episodes - English - Latest episode: 3 months ago - ★★★★★ - 1 ratingDeath and grief are sacred aspects of our human journey that we all witness, honor and process uniquely. The Death and Grief Talk Podcast is here to host open and honest conversation about the questions, fears, anxieties and emotions that we all experience when someone dies.
I am your host The Grave Woman. I'm a licensed funeral director, embalmer, insurance agent and scared death/grief care practitioner. I have over a decade of experience working in the death care industry. I am dedicated to helping everyone navigate individual journeys to find peace and purpose with life, death and grief.
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Episodes
Briefly Perfectly Human w/ Alua Arthur
April 17, 2024 14:00 - 47 minutes - 43.6 MB“By envisioning who I want to be on my deathbed, I invited life in.” - Alua Arthur (a-lu-ah) Founder of Going with Grace, Death Doula, Recovering Lawyer, Perpetual Seeker of nothing to be found What do an authentic life lived and death worth dying look like? How does sitting with the inevitable reality of our deaths impact our willingness to show up in the world as our most true selves so that when we meet our deaths; we are able to die empty? In this episode of The Death & Grief Talk Po...
Death & Grief MagiK w/ Uncle Brandon
November 01, 2023 16:54 - 59 minutes - 54 MBHave you ever heard of a conjurer? According to my guest “a conjurer is a magical practitioner based in the African American experience”. He explains that “being an African American is not just based on being a descendant of slaves from Africa but being the blueprint of mankind. We are the living embodiment of what multiple races look like in one vessel. All our bloodlines come with sets of magik.” But what is magic? Is it something that we all possess? Is this something given only to a sel...
Beyond the Veil with Shawna Temple aka Oshun's Light
October 03, 2023 16:10 - 59 minutes - 54.3 MBLoss and grief have a magical and peculiar way of propelling our personal and spiritual journeys in directions that in many times result in us showing up for ourselves and in the world in ways that differ from the visions of ourselves that we had sketched in our minds. For many, spirituality becomes less about subscribing to what some consider to be outdated traditions and more about seeking answers and guidance from divine sources both seen and unseen. When embarking upon transformative spi...
Dear Brandon with Krystina Christiansen
September 03, 2023 13:53 - 35 minutes - 32.9 MBThe universe has a very strange way of connecting us all in ways that at times seem divinely orchestrated and at others feel completely chaotic and random. Regardless of how it chooses to connect it; the universe, aka Spirit is intentional, timely and unfathomably precise and accurate in its execution. I was connected to today’s guest of The Death & Grief Talk Podcast; Krystina Christiansen in a way that feels equally divine and random. Krystina is a filmmaker based in Los Angeles, CA. She...
Sunday Dinner Conversations- What Really Matters to YOU at the End of Your Life?
May 20, 2023 10:16 - 35 minutes - 32.8 MBEnd of life planning looks different for Black and Indigenous families. It’s more casual, more informal and in most cases involves food and historically happens around our tables at Sunday dinner. Sunday Dinner conversations not only serve as social gatherings but are imperative for Black and Indigenous families because they serve as a medium for opportunities to discuss preferences, desires and individual needs and wishes for end-of-life treatment, funeral and burial planning. Each person ...
To Have and to Hold
March 29, 2023 14:00 - 47 minutes - 43.3 MB“To have and to hold”, these words are commonly thought of as being part of wedding or commitment vows but for me these words resonate across the board in all things especially finance. When we think about it, we are constantly in the process of working towards accumulating something. Possessions, money, a partner, a home, vehicle, health, relationships, achieving our personal goals, etc. During this accumulation of gathering to “have”; how many of us stop and think the cost of “holding” on...
Caitlin
March 15, 2023 14:01 - 58 minutes - 53.1 MBI was first introduced to Caitlin Doughty through the Ask a Mortician YouTube channel in 2012. Caitlin Doughty is a mortician, advocate, and bête noire of the traditional funeral industry. In 2011 she founded the funeral reform collective The Order of the Good Death, which has spawned the death positive movement. Her educational web series "Ask a Mortician" has been viewed almost 200 million times and all three of her books Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, From Here to Eternity, and Will My Cat Eat ...
Behind the Bangs w/ Caitlin Caitlin Doughty
March 15, 2023 14:01 - 58 minutes - 53.1 MBI was first introduced to Caitlin Doughty through the Ask a Mortician YouTube channel in 2012. Caitlin Doughty is a mortician, advocate, and bête noire of the traditional funeral industry. In 2011 she founded the funeral reform collective The Order of the Good Death, which has spawned the death positive movement. Her educational web series "Ask a Mortician" has been viewed almost 200 million times and all three of her books Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, From Here to Eternity, and Will My Cat Eat ...
Honoring Identity in Life & Death w/ Alexandra Jo
March 01, 2023 15:00 - 41 minutes - 38.4 MB“If someone can't respect another person's gender identity, pronouns, or other aspect of their identity or sexuality, a safe, healthy environment where consent can be comfortably given is not possible. Respecting someone's gender identity, whatever it may be, is key to a healthy relationship.” – www.speakaboutit.com I love having conversations that challenge my perspective, open my mind all the while educating and stretching the boundaries of my understanding, compassion, and empathy. One s...
How Hoodoo Helps Black and Indigenous Peoples Navigate Life, Death & Grief
February 22, 2023 15:00 - 42 minutes - 38.9 MBAccording to Wikipedia, Hoodoo is a set of spiritual practices, traditions, and beliefs created and concealed from slaveholders by enslaved Africans in North America. Hoodoo evolved from various traditional African religions, practices, and in the American South incorporated with various elements. In this installment of The Death and Grief Talk Podcast Mrs. Lisa Jones, hoodoo practitioner and owner of Memphis Conjure defines her sacred practice passed down through maternal generations for ov...
Why Are Black Mentors Important in Death Care?
February 15, 2023 15:00 - 36 minutes - 33 MB“What you want in a mentor is someone who truly cares for you and who will look after your interests and not just their own. When you do come across the right person to mentor you, start by showing them that the time they spend with you is worthwhile.” – Vivek Wadhwa It is impossible to overstate the importance of having professional black mentors in the end of life and death care industry. Individuals who selflessly give of themselves, teach, encourage, uplift, and provide opportunity with...
Creating Space for Black Vendors in Death Care Through Personalized Memorial Keepsakes
February 08, 2023 15:00 - 11 minutes - 10.2 MBWhen someone passes away having personalized memorial keepsakes such as keychains, cups, t-shirts, jewelry, programs, fans, headstones, grave markers, and other items that reflect the personality, image, and encompass the essence of those that we have lost brings a level of comfort and peace that can not be explained. Having tangible things to hold, see and lean into can never replace our dearly departed loved ones but they do offer endless benefits that soothe and help us process our grief....
How Black & Indigenous Communities Use Euphemisms, Parables and Proverbs as Tools for Preplanning
February 01, 2023 15:00 - 52 minutes - 48.2 MBHave you ever heard the sayings “eat the fish and spit out the bones” or “don’t throw the baby out with the bath water? Am I the only one who feels like they sound like some sort of secret language? These coded messages are known as euphemisms. Euphemisms are defined by Webster as a mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to be too harsh or blunt when referring to something unpleasant or embarrassing. For many, conversations about end of life, health care and plann...
Healing Our Inner Child Through Exploring Our Grief
January 18, 2023 15:00 - 50 minutes - 46.3 MBHave you ever met someone or someone’s who you just immediately click with, where the conversation flows and your almost finishing one another’s sentences? This is exactly how I felt like speaking with the ladies of Grief After Dark connecting and sharing experiences about life being a self-fulfilling prophesy, learning to heal our inner child through our experiences with grief, sensuality, pleasure, taking full autonomy over our life and grief experiences through filtering who and what has ...
Preserving Joy in Grief w/ Crystallee Crain PhD
January 04, 2023 05:00 - 29 minutes - 26.6 MB“There is nothing more powerful than to clearly articulate our intention to the universe and trust boldly in its desire to not only deliver but to also unfold itself before us as our path to enlightenment. What is your intention?” - The Grave Woman “My intention is to alleviate unnecessary suffering in the world. Suffering is a spectrum; it doesn’t mean that we are in crisis and that that there is something wrong with us or that we are in a clinical space. The ways in which we are exper...
The Cosmic Order of Death & Grief w/ Aurianna Joy
December 21, 2022 15:00 - 32 minutes - 29.7 MBHow bold must we be to offer back to life in the form of accepting death what no longer serves or affirms our journey? What if our perception of the end, of death, of life are severely warped by the limitations of our Western society to embrace and return to the natural order of LIFE? These and so many other questionings float through the collective mind at times ready to be explored at times shunned away due to universal fears that we share. Why are we here? What is our purpose? How long do...
Anticipatory Grief, Fear and Social Media Life Balance with Hollis Funeral Home
December 07, 2022 15:00 - 43 minutes - 39.4 MBI love having conversations with death care professionals and people in general who are not afraid to show up naked and be 1,000% authentically who they are. In this installment of The Death and Grief Talk Podcast with The Grave Woman; I have the honor of exploring this and so much more with Eileen Hollis of Hollis Funeral Home. Eileen known worldwide as @HollisFuneralHome is a licensed funeral director and embalmer who operates her family-owned funeral home with her father in Syracuse, NY....
Asking, Listening, Inviting and Seeking Guidance from the Next Room (ALIGN) w/ Jane & Joe'l
November 30, 2022 21:28 - 10 minutes - 9.49 MBSIGN UP HERE https://www.thegravewoman.com/store/p50/ALIGN.html Read The Next Room Here https://www.amazon.com/Next-Room-Jane-Asher/dp/1737435608 It was obvious from the onset of our connection that Jane and I were connected and destined to do something impactful and meaningful in the death care space together. After 2 years of intentional listening, meditating, praying, planning, asking and waiting for the right time; the project we're sharing with you was conceived in the universe and...
Patient Directed End-Of-Life Care w/ Compassion & Choices President and CEO Kim Callinan
November 22, 2022 23:34 - 35 minutes - 32.5 MBOur relationships with death, dying and the end-of-life are very personal and unique to use all. We will all meet death differently and because of this it is vital that our collective perspectives allow for countless vantage points. For many who have received or been living with terminal diagnosis, the thought of taking autonomy over “our meeting death” is vitally important yet impossible because of limited legislation, misconceptions, and taboo around Medical Aid in Dying. In this installm...
3 Reasons You Need an Estate Plan w/ Shannon Pawley J.D., LL.M
November 08, 2022 14:46 - 49 minutes - 45.3 MBI had the honor of sitting down with my friend and colleague Shannon M. Pawley, J.D., LL.M CEO of The Estate & Asset Protection Law Firm @ElderLawGeorgia During our time together we discussed the importance of Estate Planning, ensuring end of life and asset protection documents are in order, strategizing for long term care, end of life care benefits for veterans and much more. While our entire conversation can be heard in the video here the 3 Reasons You Need an Estate Plan are to: 1. Av...
What is an End of Life Guide with Emerald Awakenings
October 26, 2022 04:00 - 32 minutes - 29.8 MBI had the honor of speaking with my death care colleague Nicole Comach known virtually as Emerald Awakening. Nicole is an End-of-Life Guide and Grief Companion. She assists people in navigating the death and dying process, while advocating or end-of-life wishes. As a death educator and empath, she guides others in finding a sense of ease and comfort in ties of immense sorrow and fear. During our time together we discussed answering the call of a career in death care, finding the balance in c...
Walking Besides Those Considering Suicide with Special Guest Cait
September 14, 2022 04:00 - 32 minutes - 29.8 MB*** No information offered by Cait or myself should be a substitute or replacement for licensed medical or mental health care in any way. In addition, the information and techniques offered or suggested on this podcast do not constitute medical advice. Please seek medical advice from a qualified doctor in the case of serious illness*** If you are in crisis and need immediate support please dial 988 to be connected with the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Cait’s personal experience with th...
The Dark Side of Death Care, Mental Health and Finding Your Way in the Industry w Melissa Meadow
September 07, 2022 04:00 - 31 minutes - 28.9 MBOne of my favorite people in death care is Melissa also known as @The Modern Mortician . Melissa is a licensed funeral director, educator, dog Mommy to her grief therapy dog Kermit and advocate for eco-friendly burial and disposition methods. In this installment of The Death and Grief Talk Podcast, Melissa and I speak candidly about the dark side of working in death care, mental health, finding and creating space in deathcare and the newest installment of her brand The Knotty Coffin. Con...
Showing Up Authentically While Breaking Barriers - Death & Grief Talk Podcast Ep 2 w/ Dr. C Frazier
August 31, 2022 00:45 - 29 minutes - 26.9 MBI recently had the honor of meeting and speaking with Dr. Chantrell Frazier about how she balanced showing up authentically in academia, navigating grief and loss while remaining motivated and inspired to complete her doctoral degree in biochemistry from Florida International University. (The following was written by Michelle Chernicoff) Chantrell Frazier grew up a competitive athlete but, when it came to her education, the only person she was trying to beat was herself. After earning h...
What Does it Mean to Almost Die? with Special Guest Emergency Medicine Physician Satheesh Gunaga, DO
August 26, 2022 03:31 - 43 minutes - 40 MBHow many times have you or someone you know used the phrase "I almost died"? What does this truly mean? What exactly is a terminal diagnosis? Why is it that some emergency room scenarios end in death when others don't? Who is responsible for making your end of life decisions? When does healing end and comfort care begin? How do those that bear the burden of delivering the news of death manage emotionally? In this episode of the Death and Grief Talk Podcast, I speak with Satheesh Gunaga, D...
The Next Room with Jane Asher
October 01, 2021 04:00 - 36 minutes - 33.9 MBJane Asher has always been a natural connector who has enjoyed a successful career in media and the music industry, most notably at major radio stations in San Diego and Santa Barbara, and Virgin Records based out of Chicago. Her book, The Next Room is a story transcending space and time about the relationship between mother and daughter that grew stronger through death. Written together, through interpretation with a psychic medium, The Next Room takes us on a daughter’s journey through lea...
Bridging Beauty and Death Care w/ Briana Peoples
September 07, 2021 21:23 - 44 minutes - 40.7 MBBriana Peoples aka Ms. Mortuary aka Drpdeadgorgeous is a mortuary cosmetologist who is using her training as a hairstylist and personal experience with loss and grief to enhance not only the appearance of the dead but create beautiful memories for their families. Social Media: Email: [email protected] [email protected] Website: http://www.ddgmh.com Instagram: @msmortuary TikTok: @ms_mortuary Facebook: @drpdeadgorgeous Twitter: @msmortuaryy YouTube: https://www.youtub...
Spiritual Aspects of Death Care Work w/ Cait Maddsan
August 02, 2021 22:23 - 28 minutes - 26.1 MBThere is a great deal of spirituality and ritual that goes into working in death care for many practitioners. In this month's episode, death doula and educator Cait Maddan and I discuss our personal experiences, rituals and share ideas on the sacred nature of this work.
Pet Death and Memorialization with Monica Torres
July 12, 2021 04:00 - 22 minutes - 20.8 MBMonica Torres LFD and internationally recognized Embalmer/Postmortem Reconstructive Specialist and Cole Imperi leading expert in Thanatology and Founder of the School of American Thanatology share their own experiences preparing their beloved pets after death. This class includes doing’s and don’ts of preparations of the body including special considerations and research-based community aspects of aftercare. The course is a compilation of modern grief theory and technical postmortem instructi...
Death at the Movies Episode 4: Healing & Honoring Our Womanhood
July 04, 2021 19:00 - 1 hour - 60.9 MBIn this month's podcast, my special guest LaToya Britt and I discuss our journeys through womanhood. We share everything from getting our cycles for the first time to navigating our journies as women while honoring the parallels between menstrual cycles, fertility, and self-care. To learn more about LaToya Britt and her business Skyn ATL: Visit her website www.skynatl.com Follow her on social media @skynatl Subscribe to her YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMZN...
Is the Death Care Industry Prepared for Transhumanism?
June 01, 2021 10:23 - 15 minutes - 14.3 MBI was recently asked what I think is next for death care. Here are my thoughts.
Death at the Movies Episode 2: SOUL
January 04, 2021 00:22 - 19 minutes - 17.8 MBHappy New Year Everyone! I am so excited to have my first special guest, my sister De Anne Anthony. In this month's episode of Death at the movies we will be discussing the Disney movie SOUL. Television and movies truly have the power to touch us all. Here we explore how death, dying and grief portrayed on the big and small screen's impact and connect us all. Listen to the podcast on Anchor The intention of this month's podcast is to encourage each and every one of you to start the year ...
Death at the Movies Episode 1: Movies That Inspired My Career
December 14, 2020 23:39 - 12 minutes - 11.6 MBThe intention of this month’s podcast is to encourage and inspire all aspiring death care professionals to chase their dreams. Media discussed in this month's episode. Idlewild 2006 Cast – Paula Patton, Andre 3000, Big Boi Brief Synopsis: A reticent piano player, named Percival (André Benjamin), along with Rooster (Antwan A. Patton), his flamboyant lead performer and manager, struggle to keep their speakeasy, in the Prohibition-era South, out of the hands of gangsters who want to take i...