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.

Rooting Grief is a practice 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, it also land-rooted practice woven through our relationship with the earth and creativity.

It is a ritual way of engaging with grief, with liminal practices, and creative projects such as making a grief poppet doll, as well as holding keening circles.

Rooting grief, is not about fixing or getting over loss, but about engaging with it, sitting with it, expressing it, listening to the land and becoming rooted within ourselves.

• This course covers exploring the tradition of the keening woman

• Liminal space - projects and practices of moving into liminal space

• Creative project - Make a grief poppet doll

• How to hold your own keening circles - two examples, from a musical journey to following the steps of the keening woman

• Four meetings on Zoom to discuss the materials and share insights

How does this course work?

This course is designed as an interactive learning journey, combing online learning (through videos and practical projects) with an ongoing community participation and reflection.

Rather than a static series of recordings, it follows the model of cohort‑based courses where learners meet regularly in real time, deepening their practice between sessions, and receive ongoing guidance and learn from one another as they apply what they are learning.

This way participants aren’t just “watching” material, but are actively invited into a learning community, returning month after month to share how they integrate the work, reflect on the themes and engage that into their lives. This keeps the course alive, allowing it to repond to peoples needs while offering support rather than a static one off insight.

This course launches in early 2027 - sign up below and we will be in touch when registration opens