Death is an old woman sitting quietly at the edge of the bed of your beloved. Some recognise her presence in the weeks before death, taking her place among the gathered ancestors. She lovingly tends to the dying fox, badger, hawk and deer, as their ancestor’s circle around them, ready for their journey home. There is a deep comfort to picture a loving grandmother there to receive our beloveds, and when our time comes, to be wrapped up in soft wings, and carried home.
— Excerpt from Jude Lally, Death is an Old Woman. Contained within Girl God Books anthology, Grieving With Goddess.
While the traditional practice of keening existed in a particular time, in reclaiming keening we make it relevant for our needs to day. This is so needed as today we live in a grief phobic and death denying culture. Rooting Grief is a practice of exploring and engaging with grief, rather than suppressing it, bypassing it, or trying to erase it. It is a creative practice informed by the tradition of keening, as well as a land-rooted practice weaving in our relationship with the land we live on.
Our journey is one journeying around the wheel of the year with the stories of the of the Ancestral Mothers of Scotland, each holding a particular insight into grief from creative expressions, to ritual and connection to the land.
This course will also cover:
The history & tradition of the keening woman
Exploring the steps in the keening woman’s ritual from speaking her grief, speaking out against injustices, and entering liminal space
Stories of the Ancestral Mothers and insights into grief
A creative project - full instructions on how to make a grief poppet doll and how to use this in grief circles
How to hold your own keening circles
Meetings on Zoom to discuss the materials and share insights
This course launches in early 2027 - sign up below and we will be in touch when registration opens