Portrait by Katie DelaVaughn Collage Madeleine Michal

Death & dying rituals and support

There are many names to these kind of offerings, death doula / midwife, vigil care, hospice support. I offer presence and rituals that honor, hold, and comfort, body and soul, as they prepare to release. Each is an invitation to intimately connect with this sacred passage, whether in preparation, in presence, or in parting.

  • This ritual is a tender space to honor life as it has unfolded in the body, and to meet what lies ahead with presence. Some come to this moment with clarity; others with grief, fear, pain or uncertainty. All are welcome. This ritual invites what is present to be seen and held with care.

    For some, it is a time to connect with loved ones before parting. A potent and beautiful way to honor and physically part with those around you as you begin your journey towards ancestry. For others, it is a private threshold, an opportunity to be with one’s inner world and the mystery ahead. Together, we may explore sacred touch, energy, breath, prayer, silence, or song.

    This space also allows room for forgiveness if that feels true. For the body when there may be a feeling it has “failed” us, for others, for ourselves, and for life itself. An invitation to trust that what is needed is already present now. It is a rite of reverence, returning us to the wisdom of the body and the soul’s knowing. 

    Available in person or as ritual guidance and grief support online.

  • Vigil Care is sacred presence offered during the last transitional period of this life. It is the gentle act of being with you, attuned and steady, as the body prepares to release and the soul begins to cross the threshold. This care is quiet and intentional, holding space for what is present to arise with every breath.

    Whether through touch, energy, shared silence, conversation, or simply witnessing, vigil care is a cocoon of comfort for both the one who is passing and those who are gathered close. It offers deep companionship to those who may not have loved ones present, or who choose to cross in solitude. It also serves as a source of grounding, direction, and respite for family and friends, creating space for deeper presence and rest for all.

  • This ritual honors body and soul. It is a ceremony of reverence and closure, held after the last breath when the physical transition has occurred. It is an honoring of the soul’s journey back to its origin of the ancestral or spiritual home beyond this life. Along with reverence to the body that has carried us as a vessel throughout this life cycle.

    Whether performed privately or with loved ones, the Rite of Return is an encompass a blessing, nourishing, washing, holding. A release in gratitude. It includes ritual bathing, sacred touch, song, or spoken blessings. It is a final act of care that cradles the body. A mirroring to the exit of a newborn from mothers womb.  

    These practices are still very alive in many traditions and religions and many times are done behind closed doors. This is an opportunity for loved ones to be present if this is the wish. And for this ritual to not be affiliated to a specific religion, if that is the desire.

    Available in person or as ritual guidance and grief support online.

  • All offerings are available at home, in hospice, or wherever the final moments unfold. They are a way of reminding you that you are not alone, you are held, and honored.

  • You are welcome to actively participate in what unfolds or surrender to the process as it arises in our time together.

  • Please feel free to contact me in advance for preparation or in final moments without any prior arrangement. All are welcome.

rooted rituals: A living tradition

Across time and cultures, death and dying rituals have been a sacred thread weaving humanity’s understanding of life’s cycles. To reclaim these rituals is to transform our relationship with death and with living itself.

Through my ancestral lineage, I have received the ritual of Tahara. The Jewish ritual of honoring and preparing the body as the soul departs. While caring for my mother through her illness and transition, in her final breath, I received this transmission and intuitively began washing, cradling, and singing at her hospital bedside. Later, I shared my experience with my mother’s dear friend, and she directed me to a circle of women where I learned in depth about this ritual. Together we provide this ritual to Jewish community through a nonprofit. This work, alongside my personal intimacy with other dear one’s transitioning, has deepened my knowing, that I am to offer these rituals more broadly, independent of any specific religion. What I offer outside of this circle is not Tahara as traditionally practiced. It is what intuitively flows through me and a co-creation with those present.

I hold a profound belief: that our collective disconnection from grief, ritual, and the natural cycle of dying breeds a cultural illness, a spiritual and bodily dis-ease. While our souls are infinite and will find their way beyond this life, to engage fully with the cycle, here and now, offers a profound personal and collective transformation. It opens space for honoring and becoming ancestors, embracing presence, and expanding the heart’s capacity for love and release.