Where we go when we die

No, I’m not talking about the afterlife – I mean where our bodies go after we leave them: into the ground, or into the air. I mention in Mycogenous that this approach to Dionysos is, like many others, concerned with death and dying, perhaps more so with the physical processes since fungi are such key decomposers. So while I work on my own spiritual preparations for that inevitable transition – something that plays a significant part in my relationship with the god – I also think it’s very important to make practical plans for what happens to my body (along with the disposition of various religious items, accompanying ritual and prayers, etc.).

I remain a bit surprised at how little I see this discussed in polytheist circles, all things considered. Depending on your personal situation, everyone should at the very least have their wishes set down in writing, and preferably in an official, legal format, especially if one can’t rely on next of kin to know or even abide by the proper religious steps. Better yet, you can pre-arrange and pre-pay for things, which takes all the pressure off those who will be handling it.

Death can come at any time, so this is not just an activity for the elderly, but for everyone.

I’ve gone back and forth between cremation and burial for many years. While I like the idea of an immediate release in flames, I just can’t justify the carbon footprint of modern cremation – I don’t want my last act on this earth to consume enough fuel to fill an SUV gas tank and release toxic pollution into the air. I find a lot of meaning in the idea of returning to the soil, too – but current Western burial practices are terrible for the environment as well. Fortunately there is now a green burial movement, but even these are often just designated sections in otherwise traditional cemeteries, which is not something that appeals to me (I have no desire to be crammed next to a bunch of people in the middle of a town any more when dead than when alive).

So I was very happy to discover that one of the 20 or so conservation cemeteries in the country is not far from me, and the other day I finally went on a field trip to visit it. It’s absolutely perfect (well, as good as it can get while still being legal, as you’re not allowed to just drag a body out into the middle of the woods far from all human habitation). Remote, near wetlands, surrounded by tall old pines and fairy rings of mushrooms. Here’s the view:

The graves are invisible in the woods, the bodies buried relatively shallow (since the active layer of soil is just a few feet deep), only natural stone markers allowed. Without embalming or lead-lined graves or shellacked caskets, my body will decompose quickly and return to the ecosystem, aided by insects and bacteria and, of course, fungi. It seems like the right way to lay this flesh suit to rest when I’m done with it, perfectly in keeping with my values and spiritual beliefs. I am going to start saving up now to pre-purchase interment rights, since not many are available, and I see this as a religious act in itself. I will also take this opportunity to revise and update the written instructions I already have regarding funeral rites and related issues.

Because natural burial only allows a biodegradable wrapping or container, my plan (as I mention in the book) is to procure a piece of linen for my shroud, embroider it with relevant symbols and prayers, and use it while still alive when I pray to chthonic Dionysos and contemplate my end…think of the power it will accumulate by the time it serves its ultimate purpose – between that and my tattoos, I think I will be covered in terms of communicating who I am and Who I belong to.

How are you all handling this issue? Have you researched the death and funerary practices of your tradition or your gods? Have you investigated the legalities and decided on a disposition method? Have you ensured your wishes will be followed? Have you prepared religious rituals or prayers to be said? Have you talked with your loved ones about it? What do you want done with your shrines and sacred objects?

I wish our communities were a little more robust so we could perhaps offer practical support to each other for such matters. How many of us have even one person in our lives who would be willing and able to undertake the appropriate rites on our behalf, who would understand the significance of our ritual items enough to properly allocate them to others or destroy if necessary? I can’t be the only one worried about such things.

Preparing for death – practically, spiritually, psychologically – is to my mind an absolute necessity on any religious path but especially for mystics and specialists of any kind. This life is as amazing as it is painful but regardless it is temporary, and while I certainly don’t claim to know the details of what happens next (like most things, I think it is probably far weirder than anything we can fully imagine), I am sure that something of us continues, and I am also sure that something (the body, at least) does not, and that the whole process needs to be handled properly from a religious standpoint, as much as anything we do in life. Where will you go when you die?

~ by Dver on October 22, 2023.