01 November 2011: In honor of Dia de los Muertos, I offer this post, one of my favorites, from the archives (originally posted 27 July 2010).
Hello, dear readers. Natural burial is a subject that has been on my mind for years, and I have been pondering how best to introduce the theme on The Tangled Nest, so I was thrilled to meet “death midwife” Nora Cedarwind Young at a recent speaking engagement, and even more thrilled when she agreed to write this guest post. There’s something for everyone here: personal philosophy, care for the earth, and even a DIY coffin plan. I hope you’ll share this post with your friends and dear ones as a way of inviting discussion on this essential theme–finding our way gracefully through the turning of life. Here’s Nora…
Greetings friends! Recently I had the pleasure to meet Lyanda when she was the keynote speaker for People’s Memorial Association. I have been a fan of hers, so imagine how deeply touched I was she asked me to be a guest author for The Tangled Nest! I am Nora Cedarwind Young ~ Death Midwife, Green Burial Educator, Hospice Chaplain and Ceremonialist. I live and work on the Olympic Peninsula, teach nationwide and assist families remotely; but I am especially devoted to the area in which I live, Western Washington. I create and facilitate ceremonies for all of life’s passages, from birth through the grave; however, my heart truly lies in end-of-life work. My belief system, deeply grounded in the seasons and cycles of nature, has taught me that death is as certain and sacred as birth. I envision individuals and families fearlessly facing death, feeling free to extend this “time out of time” with a loved one, and knowing who to call for support. I believe in educating families that at-home-after-death-care is their legal right, and I help empower individuals and families to make educated choices around their final act–especially how small choices can create amazing change when it comes to greening our final act in this world. My dictum is “proudly reclaiming family directed choice at end-of-life.”
Today, the United Kingdom and Australia together host over 200 natural burial locations; in the US we have sadly, only twenty. Even more shocking is the reality that every year in the United States 22,500 cemeteries bury:
- 827,060 gallons of embalming fluid (including formaldehyde)
- 104,272 tons of steel for caskets & vaults (enough to build another Golden Gate Bridge!)
- 2,700 tons of copper and bronze for more caskets
- 30 plus million board feet of hardwoods
- 1,636,000 tons of concrete
(Statistics compiled by Mary Woodsen, VP Pre-Posthumous Society of Ithaca, New York, and a science writer at Cornell University).
More than ever it is time for each of us on the planet to awaken our mortality and our deepest nature. We can live with heightened awareness of how we affect others and the interconnectedness of all. As we embrace the idea that we are the stewards of this beautiful earth, we welcome “womb to womb” awareness. May we have the wisdom to return from the toxic environment
of institutions, consumerism and sterile buildings to the safety and sacred space of home.
Until the modern era, our formaldehyde-free bodies were laid in the ground, serving as nutrition to the earth. Embalming is often unnecessary and not required in any state under most circumstances. Metal or hardwood caskets and steel reinforced concrete grave liners are options people can choose to go without. Ask yourself; is it necessary to place your casket into a concrete and steel reinforced lined grave, simply for easy maintenance of the cemetery grounds?
We are learning it does not have to be all or nothing, simple changes will create great change. For a Natural Burial you can choose all or any part of the following:
- A clean, unembalmed body
- A biodegradable container such as a plain pine box or natural fiber shroud. You can go to my website and find directions of how to build your own wooden casket that serves as bookshelves until you are ready to repurpose it to be a casket!
- A vault free grave
Some natural graveyard providers have restrictions such as no synthetic materials, jewelry or buttons. Some allow headstones; others reveal no trace that a burial site exists. Global positioning satellites can allow us to have marker free graves, while precisely locating and visiting our loved ones. Even if you are buried in a conventional cemetery and choose any part of natural burial, you lessen the ecological footprint for the planet. You can: avoid synthetic and non-natural materials in your container and clothing; choose biodegradable or recycled materials, wicker, sea grass and woods like pine for caskets; choose non-virgin, organic materials and sustainable production, supporting local family business, handcrafting, and artisans; support burial goods with organic, fair trade, and eco-certifications; talk to your local cemetery provider–tell them you want Green and Natural Burial options.
In Washington State, we are fortunate to have two options for Green Burial. Other community resources are considering this change, so you need to let your local providers know you want Green Burial available in your community. Moles Funeral Home in Ferndale has dedicated four acres for Natural Burial called The Meadow, and White Eagle Preserve in Goldendale is a perfect model for Conservation Burial.
About Biodegradable Coffins
Biodegradable coffins, also known as green caskets, come in a multitude of styles and materials. They were designed to satisfy the growing number of individuals who prefer to have a “natural burial” instead of a traditional funeral. Cremation was long thought to be an eco-friendly option, but many people have been raising concerns about its excessive use of fossil fuels.
Biodegradable caskets can be made to bury someone in the ground or at sea. They will not harm the environment and budget-wise, they are a very cost-efficient burial option. These coffins do not use a vault — cement or otherwise — and everything, including the hardware and lining, is completely natural.
Biodegradable coffins can be made from:
- Cardboard
- Biodegradable plastic
- Fair-trade-certified bamboo
- Wood
- Recycled paper
- Formaldehyde-free plywood
- Hand-woven willow or wicker
You can always consider building your own casket, or a plain pine box–have a look at these simple plans from Last Things. You can even build a coffin that doubles as a bookshelf or an entertainment center until you are ready to repurpose it! My website has several resources and pictures for you to consider.
Thank you for taking into account some of the simple choices you can make that will add up to great change. When I imagine eight Olympic-sized swimming pools full of embalming fluid being buried every year in this nation it inspires me to be a change maker; I hope it will inspire you also! Join me in committing to change and to the stewardship of our planet. Join with me and choose to green your final act! All or some, the choice is yours! Together, we are creating change we can live with! Blessed Be!
From Lyanda: Thank you, Nora, for your wise words! And thanks to the good folks at White Eagle Preserve for the beautiful photos.
For more information, and links to many many more resources, explore:
–Nora’s lovely Thresholds of Life website, and sign up for her Newsletter
–White Eagle Memorial Preserve website
—People’s Memorial Association
–I also highly recommend the documentary, A Family Undertaking
All goes onward and outward, nothing collapses, and to die is different from what anyone supposed, and luckier.
~ Walt Whitman, Song to Myself
You can keep your spray tan longer by using products that
will not only preserve its color but also enhances it.
Surgical treatment for Gynecomastia is considered the fastest and most effective way to reshape the male breast.
Frederick Mohs in the 1930’s who began this treatment for skin cancer.
My website … best st tropez tan
Things must be held away to be seen clearly and comfortably.
Achieve Financial Freedom and you will enjoy
Time Freedom in its splendor. In fact, the other person’s perceptions might be very useful
to know about.
My webpage Restore My Vision
You could definitely see your enthusiasm within the work you
write. The sector hopes for more passionate
writers such as you who aren’t afraid to mention how they believe.
At all times follow your heart.
Feel free to visit my web-site; how much are you paying for car insurance
I do believe all of the ideas you have presented on your post.
They’re really convincing and will definitely work.
Still, the posts are very quick for starters.
May you please lengthen them a bit from subsequent time?
Thanks for the post.
Also visit my web-site: nya spilleautomat (spilleautomater.n.nu)
Generalmente ci circa 48 tutti i semi buoni siate
cauti a questo punto perchè sono fragili. A questo punto
piantateli facendo una piccola buca di 1-1.5 cm e copriteli delicatamente (consigliamo l’uso di
prodotti acquistati adhoc da un vivavio) e dategli dell’acqua senza
esagerare con le quantità.
It’s truly a nice and helpful piece of information. I’m happy that you just shared this
helpful information with us. Please stay us informed like this.
Thank you for sharing.
My web blog; Trinity FL half price gym membership
What’s up colleagues, how is all, and what you wish
for to say regarding this piece of writing, in my view its in fact
remarkable in favor of me.
My homepage … Jacksonville florida dui attorneys
You only have to know how your ex boyfriend thinks and how certain things you do will
make him react. Write it out word for word, count the words, and then put
that script away. The other consequence of an ovarian cyst rupturing
is the abdomen becoming distended or sensitive.
Look into my webpage … heavy (Harrison)
The demands of the more mainstream content,
such as Facebook and blogging, can leave little time for these extras, and it’s important not to become so buried in online activities that you steal time away from your core business.
If you are able to examine and master new trends, it will be easy to keep your target audience
informed and glued to your site. The major challenge of SEO is that there are billions of pages in the search engine indexes and your position in the SERPS is dependent
on a constantly changing algorithm which is not published.
My blog post :: social networking
Ruby for IIS does some patching to Rails and Ruby to allow
IIS to route its requests to Fast – CGI and eventually to Rails.
MB6-819 Exam Objectives:. SAP B1 was initially designed
with International Business considerations and we know examples when major multinational corporation decided
to switch completely from Microsoft Dynamics GP (Great Plains) to SAP
Business One in its headquarters after implementing SAP Business One for Brazilian subsidiary.
My web-site: Windows 7 64 bit Activator
Hi there, I check yourr blos on a regular basis.
Your writing style is awesome, keep up the good work!
Stop by myy web page – hoow much to advertise on tv (gapingweakness199.blog.com)
I have been reading out some of your articles and i must say nice stuff.
I will certainly bookmark your blog.
Do you have a spam problem on this site; I also am a blogger,
and I was wondering your situation; we have developed some nice procedures and we are looking to swap
techniques with otner folks, plase shoot me an e-mail if interested.
The hose pipe is linked to an outdoors unit through a compact window
that lets out merely the supplied air and doesn’t allow exterior air to get in by way
of it. Save any left over paste in an air tight container and
refrigerate. Pillows: Most old ladies can sew and some
make a small hole in a pillow and add money.
Radisson Lodge Fresno Convention Center, CA. Radisson Los Angeles
Airport, Los Angeles, CA. Radisson Lodge Los Angeles Midtown at USC,
Los Angeles, CA. Radisson Resort Newport Seashore, CA. Radisson Hotel Ontario Airport, CA.
Radisson Lodge San Diego-Rancho Bernardo, CA.
Radisson Lodge Fisherman’s Wharf, San Francisco, CA. Radisson Hotel At Santa Maria, CA.
Radisson Lodge Whittier, CA. Colorado Lodges. Belgium.
Amazing! Its truly amazing piece of writing,
I havbe got much clear idea about from this piece of writing.
You will be soothed and put at ease by taking a steam bath
in your house after your tiring day in office. Because of the significant demand for quality do the job, only the best experts can rise to the top and succeed though carrying out business
here. Selecting the right accessories, lighting and colors
can make even a low-budget bathroom remodeling project appear luxurious.
Moreover, the enjoying of a video game doesn’t involve the exact same physical talent,
energy and/or risk as being a real world illustration of the sport,
and can offer sometimes really realistic, exaggerated or difficult physics,
permitting elements of a fantastical nature, activities involving assault, or simulations of sports.
Several business activities focus on organizational habits.
The pyramid is significantly larger at the
bottom, so there’s room for a lot the best way to, but at
the very top there is only room for one. In this informative article I need
to teach you how to find market which has cheaper clicks so you’ll be able to
bring in more money through the traffic. But, its to soon in summary between Facebook and Google+.
Once a couple of grams have been through the pollenator enough
resin will have been collected in order to produce hashish using a pollen press.
Armed Forces and some civilians who have worked with the military or U.
spacing also makes for more healthy plants because
they will be less liable to.
Barcode Printers are immense requirement of many industries for keeping track
of their orders and equipments. One of the leading reasons why so many clients are now selecting the expert services of
the team at International Warehouse Group is that the company is able to
offer a great-range of specific warehousing environments.
List Rental Management & Fulfillment: A database management company can purchase or
rent any type of list that you would need, and will also warehouse your master database.
If some one needs to be updated with newest technologies therefore he must be
go to see this site and be up to date every day.
This can be quite convenient as it is not as invasive as standard
cosmetic plastic surgery procedures. Some doctors even to
understand two for being the ying and also the
yang of any person’s facial profile. Alter the gauze patches within the nasal place as essential with moist swabs
in saline.
Hello, this weekend is pleasant for me, for the reason that this time i am reading this enormous educational post here at
my residence.
Thank you, I have recently been searching for info approximately this topic for ages and yours is the greatest I’ve found out so far.
However, what in regards to the bottom line? Are you positive in regards to the source?
However, it is absolutely essential to understand that the term HEPA should not equate to immediate trust of the purifier using it.
Simply place the unit in a central location in your home and select the desired
cleaning setting to match the size of your environment as
well as fan speed and Fresh – Air Surround’s mold-killing vapor will arrest mold growth in as little as 2- 4 hours.
You will find more information that will help you as regards or other related oreck air purifier review, corinthian, neoair enviro plus air purifier neoair plus two, air
filters purifiers reviews.
Because he is now on his best behaviour but you need to find out the other side to his
personality. Sitting tight and waiting for him won’t give you
what you want. Do everything you can to understand what his thought process is, and you will have won half the battle.
There are lots of stores too as authorized retailers where one can buy Casio watches,
you may also order these watches online. This ultra shock-resistance hails from several layers of construction that actually work to
isolate and absorb the effect of intense shocks, protecting the inner watch core.
By the 1990’s G-Shock slowly became highly popular inside
the fashion watch sector with many different department stores and independent fashion stores stocking the
product.
C’est toutefois à ce moment qu’il convient de s’en défaire, afin d’éviter le progression de graine de cannabis femelle.
When you become peut member of a cannabis club in Barcelona, you are essentially part of a coalition that grows and distributes
marijuana among its members.
Hi it’s me, I am also visiting this website on a regular basis, this website is really
nice and the visitors are in fact sharing fastidious thoughts.
I’d like to thank you for the efforts you have put in penning this
blog. I really hope to see the same high-grade content bby you in the future as well.
In fact,your creative writing abilities haas encouraged me to get my own blog now 😉
Great web site you’ve got here.. It’s hard to find good quality writing like yours nowadays.
I truly appreciate individuals like you! Take care!!
Fate attenzione per come attaccate le lampade, dal momento che
se sono troppo vicine alle piante di marijuana, rischiate di bruciarle.
First of all I would like to say fantastic blog! I had a quick question in which I’d like
to ask if you do not mind. I was curious to know how you center yourself and clear
your mind before writing. I’ve had a difficult time clearing my
thoughts in getting my thoughts out. I truly do take pleasure in writing however it just seems
like the first 10 to 15 minutes are wasted simply just trying to figure
out how to begin. Any recommendations or hints? Kudos!
great points altogether, you simply received
a logo new reader. What could you recommend about your
submit that you just made some days ago? Any sure?
My coder is trying to convince me to move to .net from PHP.
I have always disliked the idea because of the costs.
But he’s tryiong none the less. I’ve been using Movable-type on a
number of websites for about a year and am worried about switching to another platform.
I have heard fantastic things about blogengine.net. Is there a way I can import all my wordpress
posts into it? Any kind of help would be greatly appreciated!