Join us in this episode, for a thought provoking conversation and with Rev. Angie Buchanan. Angie is a Founder and the Spiritual Director of Earth Traditions Church(since 2008), and of Gaia's Womb(for 26 years), an interfaith spirituality group that has been producing women's spiritual retreats since 1998. and a Certified Death Midwife; having developed a program that provides hands-on, intensive training for compassionate end-of-life care, and information about ecologically sensitive funerals.

She is a life-long Pagan animist with over 40 years of experience as a speaker, officiant, and ritualist. She served on the Board of Trustees for the Parliament of World Religions from 2002 – 2010. As a Certified Death Midwife; Angie developed a program that provides hands-on, intensive training for compassionate end-of-life care, and information about ecologically sensitive funerals.

Angie is a life-long Pagan animist and believes that the Earth is a living sentient being. Mother Nature is the force of always giving birth to itself with the Elements, the cycles and the seasons. Angie talks about her Influence with Nora Cedarwind Young and the Death Positive movement. Nora died in 2014 but expressed that Angie continue her work. Angie then became certified to teach.

Angie believes that Death is the Final rite of passage and a very much overlooked and neglected rite of passage deserving of as much dignity as any other significant rite of passage. She discusses how we live in a Death Denying culture and most of us die alone without prior Death planning. She sees her work as a sacred calling. Death Midwifery also deals with Death from an emotional, spiritual and practical place. She believes that Death has been taken from us by industry (medical, funeral , academia). She encourages families and loved ones to spend time with the beloved dead that have recently passed on. Angie explains that we have over-medicalized and over-industrialized Death so that it has become an incredibly toxic and unsustainable industry.

Angie, as a Death Midwife, is reclaiming the caring for the Dead and their loved ones and family. Our culture doesn't give us the tools to grieve or mourn the 3 days of workplace bereavement leave doesn't cut it. Other cultures and countries continue to do forms of mourning. Angie’s Death Midwifery practices include a strong consideration for Eco-Friendly body disposition options. She tells us about how embalming fluid (Formaldehyde) is one of the most dangerous carcinogens known. It leaches into soil & ground water, etc. Angie says that there are many options and resources for Eco-Friendly natural burials, green cemeteries, green burials and water and earth cremation processes that are available and are carbon neutral. Burials and body disposition do not have to be toxic.

It's Angie's hope that she opens up new ideas and alternative traditions around Death and Dying to the public and to be open to talking about these for ourselves and our loved ones. More about Angie at: www.deathmidwife.org and www.earthtraditions.org. Tune in and be enlightened!

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