Death & Grief Talk with The Grave Woman‪®‬ The Grave Woman

“By envisioning who I want to be on my deathbed, I invited life in.”


- Alua Arthur (a-lu-ah) Founder of Going with Grace, Death Doula, Recovering Lawyer, Perpetual Seeker of nothing to be found

What do an authentic life lived and death worth dying look like? How does sitting with the inevitable reality of our deaths impact our willingness to show up in the world as our most true selves so that when we meet our deaths; we are able to die empty?

In this episode of The Death & Grief Talk Podcast, I participate in a beautiful exchange with my death care colleague and founder of Going With Grace Alua Arthur . Alua Arthur is a death doula, recovering attorney, and the founder of Going with Grace, a death doula training and end-of-life planning organization that exists to support people as they answer the question, “What must I do to be at peace with myself so that I may live presently and die gracefully?”

Going with Grace works to improve and redefine the end-of-life experience for people rooted in every community using the individual lived experience as the foundation. Alua was a keynote speaker at EndWell 2019, and has been featured in the LA Times, Vogue, Refinery29, The Doctors, and InStyle. She is inspired by the gift of LIFE itself and is always on the quest for the best donuts and fried plantains! Alua Arthur is also the author of Briefly, Perfectly Human.

Connect with Alua Online

Read Briefly Perfectly Human https://www.harpercollins.com/pages/alua-arthur

Connect on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/going_with_grace/?hl=en

Visit the Website www.goingwithgrace.com

About the Death & Grief Talk Podcast

Death and grief are sacred aspects of our human journey that we all witness, honor, and process uniquely. The Death and Grief Talk Podcast is here to host open and honest conversation about the questions, fears, anxieties, and emotions that we all experience when someone dies.
I am your host The Grave Woman. I'm a licensed funeral director, embalmer, insurance agent and scared death/grief care practitioner. I have over a decade of experience working in the death care industry. I am dedicated to helping everyone navigate individual journeys to find peace and purpose with life, death, and grief.

Ways you can listen on the go:
Anchor FM https://anchor.fm/deathandgrieftalk
Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/3mdh03y...
Watch on YouTube www.youtube.com/thegravewoman
Follow @thegravewoman on social media






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Have you ever heard of a conjurer? According to my guest “a conjurer is a magical practitioner based in the African American experience”. He explains that “being an African American is not just based on being a descendant of slaves from Africa but being the blueprint of mankind. We are the living embodiment of what multiple races look like in one vessel. All our bloodlines come with sets of magik.” But what is magic? Is it something that we all possess? Is this something given only to a select few for specific reasons? How do we discover, work with, and begin the process of utilizing our own magik? How do death and grief tie into this and the overall ebbs and flows of the cycle of life? In this episode of The Death and Grief Talk Podcast, I explore and discuss the concept of reincarnation, spiritual progression, death truly being the beginning and other facets of black and hoodoo folklore with Brandon Wilkins aka Uncle Brandon. I became acquainted with Uncle Brandon on TikTok and was immediately drawn in by his enthusiastic and charismatic personality. Through his social media presence, he answers questions from his 1000,000 plus viewers daily. There is undeniably something mysteriously captivating about Uncle Brandon and the ancient wisdom that he shares. When he speaks the ancestors and Magik of the universe speak through his deep and raspy voice. He seems to have an endless wealth of not only spiritual knowledge but also practical and simple perspectives that awaken the desire to learn and glean more from his experience and expertise. He is a chef and spiritual practitioner and conjurer who has traveled extensively not only geographically but also through time and space utilizing the vehicles of literature, sacred text ancestral knowledge and wisdom. Uncle B is making His-story through carrying on his family’s legacy through sharing his craft. He grew up in the kitchen watching his grandmother make miracles with her hands. He is an entrepreneur, public speaker, musician and music director, bartender, sewist, personal chef, spiritual advisor, creative and teacher. His goal is to celebrate life, while creating meaning and enjoying a plate of new memories.  Connect with Uncle BrandonWebsite https://www.iamchefbrandon.com/Email Hausofmidnite@gmail.comInstagram @hausofmidniteTikTok @UncleB1133YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7CezWpVoTay_2V6RZCzlYg About the Death & Grief Talk PodcastDeath and grief are sacred aspects of our human journey that we all witness, honor, and process uniquely. The Death and Grief Talk Podcast is here to host open and honest conversation about the questions, fears, anxieties, and emotions that we all experience when someone dies.I am your host The Grave Woman. I'm a licensed funeral director, embalmer, insurance agent and scared death/grief care practitioner. I have over a decade of experience working in the death care industry. I am dedicated to helping everyone navigate individual journeys to find peace and purpose with life, death, and grief. Ways you can listen on the go:Anchor FM https://anchor.fm/deathandgrieftalkApple https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/3mdh03y...Watch on YouTube www.youtube.com/thegravewomanFollow @thegravewoman on all social media




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Loss and grief have a magical and peculiar way of propelling our personal and spiritual journeys in directions that in many times result in us showing up for ourselves and in the world in ways that differ from the visions of ourselves that we had sketched in our minds. For many, spirituality becomes less about subscribing to what some consider to be outdated traditions and more about seeking answers and guidance from divine sources both seen and unseen. When embarking upon transformative spiritual journeys many seek guidance from those gifted in communicating with the “other side”. One such person is Shawna Temple.

Shawna Temple aka Oshunslight describes herself as a Hoodoo/eclectic witch living in Houston, TX. Her practice combines spiritual paths, reiki healing, and psychology. Shawna holds two master’s degrees in psychology and counseling and is now pursuing a PsyThD. According to her website www.oshunslight.com , Shawna’s path is one of a Root worker and Grey Witch. She blends aspects of African Spirituality, Santaria, wisdom from the Orishas, Traditional Witchcraft, and good ol' Southern Hoodoo. She has walked a varied path and am ALWAYS learning. She believes strongly in the unseen. Forces that were set about at the beginning of time and before. She believes that witches, brujas, and root workers; are blessed to have the intuition and knowledge to touch this energy and be a part of the reawakening of the human race.” Shawna is the founder of The Deep Roots Society which boasts members from around the world and practitioners of varied backgrounds. Many paths are represented and respected in the space that she has created.

I was blessed to find and connect with Shawna via social media (Instagram to be exact) where she shares jewels of wisdom, readings, and real spiritual talk with her nearly 20,000 followers daily. During our time together in this episode of The Death and Grief Talk Podcast, Shawana and I candidly discuss everything from what left-handed work is, what she defines as rootwork, the necessity of elevating one’s ancestors to why it is important to not rush into setting up ancestral alters immediately after someone dies.

Connect with Shawna Online
Website www.oshunslight.com
Email Oshunslight@gmail.com
Social Media @Oshunslight
YouTube @oshunslightoshunslight8329

Magical Moments with Oshun’s Light Podcast https://open.spotify.com/show/1nkgrd5iXnccuck4iBQ8xM

About the Death & Grief Talk Podcast
Death and grief are sacred aspects of our human journey that we all witness, honor, and process uniquely. The Death and Grief Talk Podcast is here to host open and honest conversations about the questions, fears, anxieties, and emotions that we all experience when someone dies.
​
I am your host The Grave Woman. I'm a licensed funeral director, embalmer, insurance agent, and scared death/grief care practitioner. I have over a decade of experience working in the death care industry. I am dedicated to helping everyone navigate individual journeys to find peace and purpose in life, death, and grief.

Ways you can listen on the go:
Anchor FM https://anchor.fm/deathandgrieftalk
Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/3mdh03y...

Watch on YouTube www.youtube.com/thegravewoman
Follow @thegravewoman on all social media





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Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deathandgrieftalk/message

The universe has a very strange way of connecting us all in ways that at times seem divinely orchestrated and at others feel completely chaotic and random. Regardless of how it chooses to connect it; the universe, aka Spirit is intentional, timely and unfathomably precise and accurate in its execution.

I was connected to today’s guest of The Death & Grief Talk Podcast; Krystina Christiansen in a way that feels equally divine and random. Krystina is a filmmaker based in Los Angeles, CA. She's produced, directed, and written a bit of everything - from documentaries and music videos to art installations and talk shows. I had the honor of experiencing Krystina exercising her passion for story telling through the medium of film on the set of a documentary she is producing about the death care industry. In between shooting with her in LA we had a chance to share an intimate moment over dinner in which she shared the heart touching and breaking story behind her passion project.

During our time together in this podcast episode, Krystina and I discuss everything from the way Spirit speaks to and guides us, shared southern Baptist roots, how telling the stories about life and death and those of us who work in the death care industry has assisted her in navigating her personal grief to the current SAG AFRA strike and its true impact on the creators and the viewers of the stories they write, perform, and sell them.

Currently, she's campaigning for her short documentary, “Dear Brandon'', following an outdoorsman now paralyzed with MS who, at the end of his life, writes a letter that was left on a hiking trail in Utah by his social worker. The inspirational letter quickly made its way to the highest peaks in the world with his newfound family of strangers, which is how she finds it 3000 miles away in Hawaii. The 30-day crowdfunding campaign has a goal of $20,000 in order to finish the film and submit it to festivals for distribution consideration.

To support, visit seedandspark.com/fund/brandon. To read the letter visit: krystinachristiansen.com/brandon Krystina is also in post-production on her first feature length documentary produced under the Appian Way and QC Entertainment banners, with Leonardo DiCaprio and Eli Roth as Executive Producers. When not immersed in storytelling she can most likely be found maintaining her duolingo streak, wandering a National Park, art gallery, or the nearest science museum.

Connect with Krystina Online
Website www.krystinachristiansen.com
Email Krystinaoliva@gmail.com
Social Media @KrystinaOlivia
Brandon’s Instagram @forbrandonslove77

About the Death & Grief Talk Podcast

Death and grief are sacred aspects of our human journey that we all witness, honor, and process uniquely. The Death and Grief Talk Podcast is here to host open and honest conversation about the questions, fears, anxieties, and emotions that we all experience when someone dies. I am your host The Grave Woman. I'm a licensed funeral director, embalmer, insurance agent and scared death/grief care practitioner. I have over a decade of experience working in the death care industry. I am dedicated to helping everyone navigate individual journeys to find peace and purpose with life, death, and grief.

Ways you can listen on the go:

Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/3mdh03y...
Watch on YouTube www.youtube.com/thegravewoman
Follow @thegravewoman on all social media




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Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deathandgrieftalk/message

End of life planning looks different for Black and Indigenous families. It’s more casual, more informal and in most cases involves food and historically happens around our tables at Sunday dinner. Sunday Dinner conversations not only serve as social gatherings but are imperative for Black and Indigenous families because they serve as a medium for opportunities to discuss preferences, desires and individual needs and wishes for end-of-life treatment, funeral and burial planning. Each person has their own unique “diet” so to speak when thinking about these vitally important matters. Most importantly, Sunday dinners have the power to ensure that information is verbally communicated amongst loved ones in the hopes that further steps can be taken to create solid end of life plans. In this episode of The Death and Greif Talk Podcast I am joined by Ashley Johnson and Dr. Elisha Hall.  Ashley Johnson is an alumni of the Univ of Florida, and a trained End of Life Doula. She currently serves as the President of National End of Life Doula Alliance. Her death care career was inspired by growing up in a low socio-economic neighborhood that lacked advocacy on how to deal with end-of-life practices. With more than a decade in the death care industry ranging from Forensic Anthropology to whole body donation, she launched Loyal Hands, an End-of-Life consulting agency.   Dr. Hall restores African and Indigenous healing legacies. As an impact strategist and systems thinker, Dr. Hall is the founder of the African and Indigenous Knowledge Institute (AIKI), a local consulting organization that develops institutions through interactive educational platforms. In 2020, Dr. Hall received his Ph.D. in Policy Studies in Urban Education at the University of Illinois (Chicago). His research centers on how storytelling can heal youth and adults, especially when used as self-edification and character development. With over 20 years of food equity and community organizing experience, he fuses political education with public health justice frameworks to provide restoration for African and Indigenous communities. Currently, he is the African American Engagement Director at Compassion & Choices. About the Death & Grief Talk Podcast Death and grief are sacred aspects of our human journey that we all witness, honor, and process uniquely. The Death and Grief Talk Podcast is here to host open and honest conversation about the questions, fears, anxieties, and emotions that we all experience when someone dies. I am your host The Grave Woman. I'm a licensed funeral director, embalmer, insurance agent and scared death/grief care practitioner. I have over a decade of experience working in the death care industry. I am dedicated to helping everyone navigate individual journeys to find peace and purpose with life, death, and grief. Connect with Ashley JohnsonWebsite https://loyal-hands.com/Social Media TikTok & InstagramNELDA www.nedalliance.orgWatch Her Ted Talk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gj9gGJiD4c&feature=youtu.be Connect with Dr. Elisha HallWebsite www.elishahall.com Music https://unitedmasters.com/m/63b83d2fac4cd62c620c5d39Compassion and Choices https://www.compassionandchoices.org/ Ways you can listen on the go:Anchor FM https://anchor.fm/deathandgrieftalkApple https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/3mdh03y...Watch on YouTube www.youtue.com/thegravewomanWebsite www.thegravewoman.com/courses Follow @thegravewoman on all social media!




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​“To have and to hold”, these words are commonly thought of as being part of wedding or commitment vows but for me these words resonate across the board in all things especially finance. When we think about it, we are constantly in the process of working towards accumulating something. Possessions, money, a partner, a home, vehicle, health, relationships, achieving our personal goals, etc. During this accumulation of gathering to “have”; how many of us stop and think the cost of “holding” onto what we have accumulated. Especially when thinking about our personal finances and legacies.

In today’s world we are constantly being bombarded with financial advice, solicited. Every other person on social media is a financial guru, and phrases like “generational wealth”, “how to become a millionaire in 2 years” and “invest in this cryptocurrency today” flood our timelines along with images of everyone “living their best life” while in many cases leaving us wondering what were doing wrong.

In today’s episode of The Grief and Death Talk Podcast I have the honor of speaking with a credible source of financial information Mr. Ricardo Thomas. Ricardo Thomas is a graduate of Loyola University where he earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Finance. He is a Registered Financial Consultant and Chartered Federal Employee Benefits Consultant. He also became a fully licensed investment broker at the age of nineteen. He is a practicing financial consultant and is the president of THOMAS-WADDELL & Associates, Inc., a financial consulting & asset management firm with clients across the country. He has also, worked as a Divorce Financial Analyst, served as an expert witness, and consulted on divorce cases where expert opinions were needed on divorce settlements. He is also a former contributing financial writer for both Perspectives Magazine and Women of Excellence Magazine.

In addition, he is a former adjunct instructor at Delgado Community College and taught financial-related classes as a part of the University of New Orleans’ Project Pass program. His work in personal finance has been featured in the Times-Picayune, N.O. City Business, New Orleans Tribune, Barnes & Nobles Bookstore, as well as other publications around the country. Mr. Thomas is a member of the International Association of Registered Financial Consultants. He is also involved in the community by serving as a board member for the past 19 years for Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Louisiana where he is currently vice chairman of the board. He is also a board member of the Urban League of Louisiana and is the current president of the Urban League Guild.

He is also a former president of the Urban League of Greater New Orleans Young Professionals. Additionally, he is the immediate past chair of the Executive Council for WWNO FM radio, the local NPR affiliate and lastly, as a member of the African American leadership council for Compassion and Choices, a national non-profit focused on end-of-life planning. Over the years he has made numerous presentations on radio, television, and newspaper pertaining to a variety of financial topics. He is also the recipient of many awards including “Who’s Who among U.S. Executives”, “Who’s Who in Finance and Industry”, the & New Orleans; City Business Power Generation Award and was named a recipient of the 5-star Wealth manager award for financial planning and was featured in New Orleans magazine.

Connect with Ricardo Online

Website http://www.thomaswaddell.net/

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/ricardo-twaconnect/

Twitter https://twitter.com/twaconnect

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/thomaswaddellassociates/


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