Our shared grief, our "lineage" and the gifts of the ancestors

Grief stones, web of relationships and a shared ancestral altar

During my recent training in a remote part of central Mexico, I had the immense privilege of learning alongside a group of death doulas, doctors, sound healers, and shamans from various regions of Mexico. This experience was very intimate; we all gathered on a private ranch where we ate, slept, learned, shared, cried, explored, and confronted our fears together. This training involved deeply spiritual and transpersonal work, diving into Jungian themes and archetypes related to death, dying, fear, power, love, and wonderment. I was part of a cohort of six powerful women who felt called to learn and share this wisdom. We came from the US, the UK, Mexico, Peru, and Chile united in our desire to bring this knowledge back to our diverse communities, whom we serve, support, and love. 

The photographs included here represent some aspects of this transformational work.

On the left, you can see the stones that were gently dropped into the well on the grief altar. Whenever we felt ready to release —be it a worry, a fear, or a specific truth we were working with—we picked up a rock and whispered our intention into it before placing it in the well. This act of release symbolized the collective waters, community, and energy of the grief we all experience at various moments in our lives. In the honorable work of accompanying the dying on their end-of-life journey, we acknowledged that grief is experienced by everyone involved. It’s crucial in the healing process to invite this grief into our hearts as a means of working alongside its many lessons.

The second photograph features a quick sketch on a blackboard of the interconnected web or sphere of our ancestral "lineage." I use the word "lineage" in quotes to emphasize that our connections do not form a simple line, but rather a multidimensional web and sphere of our people. This visual representation serves as a reminder that we humans are truly interconnected and that we all relate to one another on our unique paths through life.

Finally, we have a photo of a traditional Mexican ancestor altar. It was a profound honor to invite our deceased loved ones into this space of honor, love, and remembrance. At the beginning of our training, we called in our ancestors, and we concluded our week with a shamanic blessing and a burial of all the herbal, natural, and stone medicine components of our altar. It is powerful to partake in this work while our ancestors witness, love, and support us. Throughout our time together, we often stopped by the altar to check in with our loved ones, speak to them, ask questions, and express our gratitude for their legacy and support. Our ancestors surround us at all times; they are our "heavenly cheerleaders," as a friend described them. If we embrace their presence and guidance, we can learn a great deal from the strength they lend us in this beautiful yet challenging journey of being human.

Shared grief, collective waters of consciousness, interconnected webs, and ancestral support are all foundational elements of my work as a death doula. If you are interested in exploring this journey with me, please feel free to reach out. I would be honored to be of assistance.

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To connect with our collective: http://edge-walking.com / 206.825.9780 / edgewalking.transitions@gmail.com