Stardust Meadow

©Anne-Marie keppel When Does Death Nesting Become Necessary? When we arrive alive here on earth, we are guaranteed only one thing: we will die. We may not be loved, cared for, or fed, but we will one day die. We may be  very  well loved, abundantly nourished, supremely cared for, and yet we will die. Why not then, befriend death as it is our very closest mortal companion. Death Nesting is how you live your life. It is the attention you pay to your breath, your walk, how you experience taste, whether or not you take offense to someone forgetting your name or how you react when being cut off in traffic. It’s the challenges you accept and the allowances you give to yourself and others in times of stress or grieving or when your children are driving you bonkers. Death Nesting is fully and deeply living your life  because of death . Death Nesting is what you do to prepare for your time of death — whether it is sudden or prolonged, your death will impact your community and those

Tom Gilbert owner of Black Dirt Farm in Stannard, Vermont gives a quick overview of what composting humans in Vermont might look like. Human Composting has recently been made legal in Washington State and it won't be long before other States follow suit. There are many considerations and by no means is this interview the extent of Gilbert's knowledge or thoughts regarding human composting. This is however, a good start to the conversation. Human Composting Interview with Black Dirt Farm By Anne-Marie Keppel of Corpus Compost, Stardust Meadow & Village Deathcare Do you feel like most people in Vermont are familiar with composting enough to not completely flinch at the idea of human composting? Or, do you think this prospect would confuse or scare them?  Gilbert:  I think vermonters have a high degree of composting literacy, however human composting is more of a cultural stretch and less of an intellectual issue.  I do think its a very doable sell but wou

Will there come a time that I long for death? Or will I wish desperately not to have to leave? Could this not be one of the most unsettling human thoughts? One of us will go first I am healthy You are old Dark deathly clad Or Angel winged Long after I’d like an elephant to caress my dried bones And my great-grandchildren to desperately seek Which path I took out of my body And chart my exact location Just in case I want to make a quick come back And jump into a half-built body Midstream For a moment To feel gloriously unsettled

GET THE PSYCHOPOMP! Short Skit By Anne-Marie Keppel Delia’s Story:   I am 96 years old and I am dying. I have lived an incredibly wonderful life caring for those who are dying and I am not afraid.   My body is doing strange things… Cold then hot, great thirst, then not. I am in and out of deep, deep, peaceful sleep, with periodic sensations of a great lightness of being and pure bliss.   Then, I am back to my dry lips and aching bones. Fortunately, the meditation practice I have been doing for the past 90 years is helping significantly. This is fortunate as I am now unable to speak or communicate with those around me. And, as it turns out, dying is the most challenging episode in all my years that I have ever encountered. As I can gather, my daughter is flying in from wherever she has been, I can’t remember, and my son is on his way too. In the mean time, they’ve hired this unbelievably attentive young woman who is called a Death Doula