Death Matters

Death Matters is a unusual new book that encourages us to change how we think about dying. Throughout the book, author Sally Petch asks us to start talking about and planning our own death – so that we can reach a place of acceptance and lessen our fear of an event which is, ultimately inevitable. Taking a gentle, questioning format, Death Matters encourages us to pause and think about different aspects of dying. Sally poses several questions, encouraging us to note down our responses and consider our thoughts and feelings in response to specific topics. Death Matters also shares other people's thoughts, anecdotes and experiences to help us feel more comfortable with discussing death openly. There are few books on this topic, fewer still that deal with death in this direct manner – all of which make Death Matters essential reading for everyone who wishes to embrace death positively. By overcoming our fear of death, we will release ourselves to live a fuller live. By changing our emphasis to accept death, we can journey towards dying with confidence and equilibrium. A user-friendly sourcebook to celebrate and honor earth rhythms in the 8 Celtic Festivals: * How were these celebrations understood in the past? * What underlies the changing energy of the Earth? * How can this energy be used for meaningful celebrations today? Practical and down-to-earth, the celebratory instructions don't recreate the past, but guide the celebrant * to follow self-inspired interpretations of each sacred festival * to share in nature's power * to express feelings * to focus on spiritual regeneration and healing * to use creative activities to enhance and connect to the earth Subjects include the five elements, laws of manifestation, rhythms of the Moon, sacred landscape, meditation, healing energies of trees and herbs, and celebrations for children. This user-friendly source book will be of great value to everyone wishing to celebrate and honour the changing rhythms and seasons of the Earth and her cycles. Sacred Celebrations explores each of the eight Celtic festivals, looking at how they were celebrated and understood in the past, the underlying changing energy of the Earth and ways we may use this energy to create meaningful celebrations for today. This book does not attempt to follow or recreate the past, but encourages us, whether celebrating on our own or with family and friends, to follow our own inspired interpretations of each festival, to touch the sacred, share and participate in the power of nature, express our feelings and find ways to focus on spiritual regeneration and healing. Today, more people want to organize at least part of a funeral for themselves, without depending on funeral directors. This book offers advice on anything from ordering a coffin to hiring a horse-drawn hearse. It also explains how to set up a woodland burial ground as a business or charity.