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Embalming is often treated as a default. But how much do we actually understand about it?
In this episode, we speak with Ray Chel, creator of the online zine The Lil’ Undertaker’s Embalming Guide. Using a fictional mortician narrator, Ray created an accessible and creative way to explain the embalming process while also introducing alternatives such as aquamation and natural organic reduction, commonly known as human composting.
Rather than teaching the technical steps, this conversation explores:

• Why embalming is so rarely discussed openly
• How families end up choosing it
• What alternatives to embalming are gaining traction
• The rise of green funeral options
• How creative media can reshape death literacy

Whether you work in the death space or are simply trying to make informed decisions before a crisis, this episode offers insight into how funeral practices are evolving.

Instagram: @chelsartistry

TikTok: @chelsartistry and @villagevultures

https://chelsartistry.etsy.com/

Season 3 Episode 6 - Compassionate End-of-Life Care for the 2SLGBTQIA+ Community with Tianna Dargent

Season 1 Episode 18 - Providing Resources and Support for the LGBTQ+ Community - with Grief Specialist Gary Sturgis

Season 3 Episode 5 - Culturally Sensitive Training with Joe'l the Grave Woman

Support the show

You can find us on SubStack, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and BlueSky. You are also invited to subscribe to support us financially. Anyone who supports us at any level will have access to Premium content, special online meet-ups, and one on one time with Annalouiza or Wakil.

And we would love your feedback and want to hear your stories. You can email us at endoflifeconvo@gmail.com.

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We keep watching the same pattern repeat: wars, political division, cultural breakdown, and families fractured over ideology. Many of us quietly ask, “Why can’t humans just stop fighting?” There’s exhaustion in the air. A sense that the world is locked in permanent conflict.

And beneath the headlines, many of us feel something personal: anxiety, grief, helplessness, even shame for not knowing what to do. If you work in death-positive spaces or support grieving people, you’ve likely felt how global conflict leaks into individual loss.

You are not wrong to feel worn down by it. You are not naïve for wishing it would stop.

What if the issue isn’t that humans love violence? What if conflict is often a maladaptive survival strategy rooted in fear, scarcity, and tribal wiring? Much of what we call hatred may actually be unprocessed grief and threat response. Scarcity beliefs, protection of “our people,” and fear of death can activate ancient survival instincts.

Instead of asking, “Why are humans so terrible?” we might ask, “What are humans afraid of losing?”

This shift doesn’t excuse harm. But it helps us understand the emotional architecture underneath it.

In this episode we'll discuss:
- The Evolutionary Roots of Tribalism and Conflict (Why humans divide into “us vs them”)
- Scarcity Mindset and Fear of Death (How fear and survival anxiety drive power struggles)
- Collective Grief and Generational Trauma from War (How unprocessed loss fuels ongoing cycles of conflict)

By the end of this episode, we’re not just going to understand why humans fight. We’re going to explore how recognizing collective grief changes the way we show up in our families, our communities, and even in moments of disagreement. There are practical ways to interrupt the cycle in small, meaningful spaces.

Stay with us, because the shift from conflict to awareness begins closer to home than we think.

Support the show

You can find us on SubStack, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and BlueSky. You are also invited to subscribe to support us financially. Anyone who supports us at any level will have access to Premium content, special online meet-ups, and one on one time with Annalouiza or Wakil.

And we would love your feedback and want to hear your stories. You can email us at endoflifeconvo@gmail.com.

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Many of us lose someone or something, and then… nothing. The funeral ends, the job is over, the relationship crashes. The meal train stops. But somehow, the world keeps moving. We are told grief is something to “process,” “get through,” or quietly endure.

You may feel like you want to do something to honor your loss… but you do not know what that something is. Maybe you think rituals are only for religious people or that creating an altar feels dramatic. Or that it might make the grief heavier instead of lighter.

If you have ever felt unsure how to acknowledge your loss in a real, tangible way, you are not alone.

The issue is not that you are grieving “wrong.” The issue may be that we no longer create intentional spaces for grief.

Ritual is not about religion. It is about giving attention to your grief and loss.

A sacred space does not have to be elaborate. It can be as simple as a candle, a photograph, a stone, or a handwritten note.

Instead of asking, “How do I move on?” What if we asked, “How do I make space?”

Creating sacred space after loss is not about holding onto pain. It is about giving grief somewhere to land.

In this episode, we'll share:
- How to Create a Grief Ritual at Home
Simple, accessible ways to begin without pressure or perfection.
- What to Put on a Remembrance Altar
Meaningful objects, intention, and how to personalize the space.
- How Ritual Helps You Process Grief
The emotional and psychological impact of intentional remembrance.

By the end of this episode, you will have practical, doable ways to create a sacred space that feels authentic to you. We will talk about small rituals that take minutes but can shift how grief moves through your life. And we will explore how gratitude and community can transform remembrance from something heavy into something sustaining.

Support the show

You can find us on SubStack, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and BlueSky. You are also invited to subscribe to support us financially. Anyone who supports us at any level will have access to Premium content, special online meet-ups, and one on one time with Annalouiza or Wakil.

And we would love your feedback and want to hear your stories. You can email us at endoflifeconvo@gmail.com.

Send a text

Grief touches all of us — but few of us know how to walk with it.
In this episode, we explore how Buddhist monks who walk for peace are quietly changing how we understand death, compassion, and collective healing.

Join us for a deeply human conversation about grief, loss, and the search for peace in a divided world.
You’ll hear how walking — something as simple as putting one foot in front of the other — can become a healing practice for individuals and entire communities.

Whether you’re a death doula, an artist, a caregiver, or simply someone learning to live with loss, this episode offers a calm and honest space to reflect on what it means to walk through grief instead of running from it.

What You’ll Learn:

• Facing Grief Without Fear — how Buddhist wisdom reframes death and loss.
• Walking as a Path to Healing — how the monk’s Peace Walk brings compassion into divided communities.
• Finding Peace in a World That’s Hurting — practical reflections to help carry grief as part of your spiritual growth.

Why Listen / Watch:

• You’re exploring grief, loss, or end-of-life work.
• You’re drawn to Buddhist or mindfulness teachings.
• You want to understand how spiritual practice can meet political and social suffering.
• You believe death conversations can be sacred, creative, and healing.

Support the show

You can find us on SubStack, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and BlueSky. You are also invited to subscribe to support us financially. Anyone who supports us at any level will have access to Premium content, special online meet-ups, and one on one time with Annalouiza or Wakil.

And we would love your feedback and want to hear your stories. You can email us at endoflifeconvo@gmail.com.

Send a text

Many families believe hospice is a safe, protected space where difficult end-of-life choices will be guided and supported. But some families discover, often too late, that confusion around medical decisions, documentation, or expectations can pull grief into the legal system.

Welcome to End-of-Life Conversations, where we tackle important topics like death and grief. This episode shares a shocking real-life story where Rachel Waters, after her mother's passing in hospice, faced an indictment for murder. This story highlights unexpected legal challenges after a profound loss, prompting us to reflect on true stories of justice and the complexities of coping with grief as we confront a gross injustice.

If you’ve ever worried about “doing the wrong thing” while trying to care for someone you love, you’re not alone

This isn’t really a story about crime. It’s a story about how unprepared most families are for the legal realities surrounding end-of-life care. Situations like the one involving Rachel Waters reveal gaps in communication, education, and support that many people did not know existed. Understanding these systems ahead of time can replace fear with clarity and help families move through grief with greater confidence and a sense of protection.

We will share:

• How hospice actually works for families
• Legal risks families don’t know about at the end of life
• How to protect yourself and your loved one during hospice care

By the end of this episode, you’ll understand the quiet legal pressures that can appear during end-of-life care—and the small, practical steps that can make an enormous difference for your family’s safety and peace of mind.

These are the kinds of insights most people only learn in a crisis… but you won’t have to.

Support the show

You can find us on SubStack, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and BlueSky. You are also invited to subscribe to support us financially. Anyone who supports us at any level will have access to Premium content, special online meet-ups, and one on one time with Annalouiza or Wakil.

And we would love your feedback and want to hear your stories. You can email us at endoflifeconvo@gmail.com.

Send a text

Welcome to End-of-Life Conversations Current Events, where we tackle important topics like death and grief.
In this episode, we continue our discussion on noticing things we are grieving and experiencing loss, emphasizing the importance of awareness in our daily lives.
Many of us are carrying a low-level heaviness we can’t quite name.
We move through daily life seeing signs of loss, dead leaves, disappearing birds, climate headlines, and we tell ourselves it’s normal, or that we should be used to it by now. When anxiety shows up, we often assume it’s personal, a mental health issue, or something we need to manage better, instead of asking what we’re responding to.
What if this weight isn’t a failure to cope, but a sign that you’re paying attention? What if grief doesn’t only arrive after a major death, but quietly accumulates through everyday encounters with loss and ecological change?
In this episode, we'll discuss:

• How climate change, environmental loss, and everyday signs of death affect us emotionally, even when we don’t consciously name them.
• How unacknowledged loss shows up in the body as tension, unease, or burnout rather than sadness.

We'll share somatic and emotional tools for grieving, including simple practices like breathwork, journaling, and shared rituals that help grief move rather than get stuck. We’ll share small, grounded practices you can actually use, not to get rid of grief, but to relate to it differently. These are tools meant for real life, moments you’re already living, not something you have to add on or fix later.

Support the show

You can find us on SubStack, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and BlueSky. You are also invited to subscribe to support us financially. Anyone who supports us at any level will have access to Premium content, special online meet-ups, and one on one time with Annalouiza or Wakil.

And we would love your feedback and want to hear your stories. You can email us at endoflifeconvo@gmail.com.

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Many people feel a quiet pressure to “record their story someday,” but they don’t know where to start. There’s a common belief that capturing your life story means writing a memoir, having lots of time, or waiting until the end.

For people living with grief or loss, there’s often regret—I wish I had asked more questions—and fear of doing it wrong while there’s still time.

The problem isn’t that you haven’t recorded your life story—it’s that we’ve been taught to think of legacy as something formal, finished, or perfect. Your story doesn’t need to be complete to be meaningful.

Recording a life story is less about documenting everything and more about creating moments of connection, reflection, and presence—right now.

By the end of this conversation, you’ll have practical, gentle ways to begin—whether you’re recording your own story or helping someone you love share theirs.

These aren’t overwhelming projects or tech-heavy solutions, but small, meaningful steps that can change how stories are remembered and carried forward.

In this conversation, Curt Meinhold, founder of LilyList, shares his journey of creating a platform dedicated to preserving memories and legacies. He reflects on how personal experiences with death have shaped his understanding of life and motivated him to help others capture their stories. The discussion delves into the importance of collaborative storytelling, the challenges of navigating grief, and the societal stigma surrounding death. Curt emphasizes the need for acceptance and self-care while exploring the complexities of life and legacy.

https://lilylist.com

https://siftmusic.com

https://theflux.com

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8382102/

Support the show

You can find us on SubStack, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and BlueSky. You are also invited to subscribe to support us financially. Anyone who supports us at any level will have access to Premium content, special online meet-ups, and one on one time with Annalouiza or Wakil.

And we would love your feedback and want to hear your stories. You can email us at endoflifeconvo@gmail.com.

Send a text

Welcome to End-of-Life Conversations Current Events, where we tackle important topics like death and grief. We aim to provide insights and support for bereavement, loss, and other significant life events, always seeking ways to support one another and our communities.

Why do we react differently to deaths we see on our screens versus those we only read about? In this latest episode, we dive deep into the impact of witnessing tragedy through our phones. It's crucial to recognize how this shapes our emotions and responses. Let's start a conversation: How does seeing these events affect you personally?

Support the show

You can find us on SubStack, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and BlueSky. You are also invited to subscribe to support us financially. Anyone who supports us at any level will have access to Premium content, special online meet-ups, and one on one time with Annalouiza or Wakil.

And we would love your feedback and want to hear your stories. You can email us at endoflifeconvo@gmail.com.