Letting In The Light Celebration! 31st October to 8th November.
Letting In The Light By Last Wishes Live Your Legacy
End of Life Celebration by Last Wishes – Live Your Legacy – www.lastwishes.world
This 6 day celebration is jam packed with information from award winning Jean Francis and Last Wishes – Live your Legacy. Our ‘Tea House Supper Club’ celebrates all aspects of end of life, from art, history and archaeology, family and community, wellbeing, spiritual connections and science. From Viking boat funerals to near death experiences, family connections to beautiful blessings you are warmly invited to help us celebrate.
Everyone who joins us will be entered into our free prize draw to win a number of wonderful prizes! These include our beautiful Last Wishes Cards and books, as recommended by the Good Funeral Guide and Natural Death Centre. Plus, a selection of gifts donated by ethical gift shop www.jackinthegreen.org who plants trees with every purchase. We look forward to seeing you.
Our week of free events is as follows:
Sunday October 31st – Letting In The Light! Living and Dying In Harmony With Nature.
Opening night with awarding winning Jean Francis and Last Wishes – Live Your Legacy.
Be inspired by Michelle Eachus as she talks about Creating Altars for All Occasions accompanied by beautiful pictures. You will come away with lots of practical ideas for making your own.
Then we will hold a short “Letting In The Light” ceremony to honour those who have passed, prayers for the wellbeing of our wild neighbours and blessings for Mother Earth and the trees. Bring along your candles and lanterns to ‘Let In The Light’.
Monday 1st November – The Art of Beautiful Green Funerals With Yuli Sømme, Bellacouche
We discuss practical aesthetics, natural burial and minimising the environmental impact of cremation and burial. Yuli Sømme from Bellacouche will be sharing her thoughts on green funerals and some of her lovingly created earth friendly organic felt products from holistically managed wool flocks. She carefully sources sustainable natural materials as ethically and locally as she can, working in harmony with nature and protecting the earth producing unique range of biodegradable coffin alternatives for natural burial or cremation. You are sure to be inspired.
Tuesday 2nd November – Ken West MBE ‘godfather’ of Natural Burial
Ken West will take us on a humorous, and outrageous at times, jaunt through his experiences of the world of the funeral industry and his role in making natural burial and eco-friendly funerals mainstream.
Can the British laugh in the face of death and funerals? Do they really want to know what happens when they hand their body over to the men in black? You are a short time alive and a long time dead!
Having been involved with thousands of funerals, Ken West has become somewhat of an expert on the matter providing a unique insight into the world of death and funerals. What you learn here from Ken you won’t get elsewhere, he really is the ‘Last Word’ on the ‘Last Word’!
Wednesday 3rd November – Life After Life with Dr Piero Calvi-Parisetti
We know this is topic of great interest to many of you! Join us for a fascinating talk by medical doctor and scientist Piero Calivi-Parisetti from Scotland. Piero is a former university professor and humanitarian adviser for the United Nations.
He will take us on a voyage of discovery of what he calls “an ocean of evidence” for the facts that mind cannot be reduced to the activity of the physical brain and that, in a way which we cannot understand, human personality survives physical death. He will discuss the evidence including deathbed visions, near-death experiences, apparitions, reincarnation studies and various modalities of after-death communication. Come join us and make your own mind up on this intriguing subject!
Thursday 4th November ’The Vikings Are Here’! With Cradle To Grave & Amanda Claire Vesty.
This entertaining evening sets sail with a fascinating look at the history and archaeology of Viking boat funerals.
Have you ever thought how it would be to be sent off to sea or on a lake in a Viking ship? We talk about how you can create your own themed Viking funeral or other celebration with Tosh and Cath from ’Cradle To Grave’ makers of fabulous woven willow Viking boats. With Last Wishes team member Amanda Claire Vesty, currently in the second year of her MA, The Archaeology of Death and Memory.
November 5th The Power of Ceremony
Here at Last Wishes we celebrate sacred connection in all forms. Tonight, we discuss the power of ceremony with Interfaith minister Paula Alter.
Having been born and raised in California Paula had the privilege to experience a unique celebration, ‘called a Paddle-out’, after her father’s passing in 2014. As a lifelong surfer and sailor this traditional Hawaiian tribute to his life and legacy was very special. A paddle-out is mostly known as a floating memorial held in the ocean; a few yards from the shore, where surfers and other water sports participants honour someone they cherished. Paula is very happy to share her experience of this special tribute with us. Jean will also be sharing some seasonal thoughts for celebrations closer to home. The Natural Death Centre has said Jeans’ books “ are packed with inspiration. The reader will be hard pushed to think of things that are not included and ideas that she does not touch on.”
Welcome to the Last Wishes Tearoom ‘Family Friendly Funerals’ – Monday 8th November
We will talk about and explore Family Friendly Funerals using our last wishes cards as focus with Chris Dudzinska founder of Last Wishes Funerals who will join us from York. With the option to also discuss the previous weeks’ events and your thoughts afterwards. These intimate and friendly confidential chats are perfect for exploring various end of life themes.
Live prize draw and celebration. With live chat and your choice of tea or tipple afterwards, we will be hosting our prize draw to see who the winners of our wonderful cards, books and gifts are. We will also be raising a toast to all those who have joined us along the way so come along, say hello, and join in with our closing celebration!
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Each evening will be hosted with a warm welcome by Last Wishes and guests. Your hosts will be Jean Francis, Helen Grubert and Amanda Claire Vesty. Jean is founder of Last Wishes with 30 years’ experience in end of life planning as well as an interfaith minister and celebrant and was awarded ‘Most Significant Contribution To The Understanding of Death’ by the Good Funeral Awards. Helen is founder of the Unicorn eco foundation, in West Cork in the Republic of Ireland and an interfaith minister & celebrant. Amanda is founder of Ancient and Sacred Trees Not For Profit planting and protecting trees in the UK & Tropics, a teacher, storyteller & ritualist.
Feel free to bring along a cuppa, something a little stronger or even your supper. Each event has a discussion afterwards so please get your questions in as soon as you can.
Our FREE live tea house supper club events start at 7pm via Zoom. Please send in your questions for our speakers beforehand.
SIGN UP HERE via https://lastwishes.world/get-in-touch/ for free access and entry into our free prize draw!