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Welcome to the SevenPonds.com blog – a community-driven extension of SevenPonds.com! I hope you find comfort and community in the resources and stories featured here. I’m always happy to hear from readers and can be reached at suzette@sevenponds.com.
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First the Wealth Gap, Now the U.S. Has a Growing Health Gap: Discover why the U.S. health gap is growing and how improving healthspan can enhance quality of life for Americans -
How to Comfort A Dying Loved One: End-of-life expert Dr. Marianne Matzo explains some simple ways to offer solace -
Our Annual Seven Holiday Gifts for Someone Who Is Grieving, 2024 Edition: Gracious gifts that spread love and beauty
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Categories
Tag Archives: Cultural Perspectives
Historic Haida Pit Burial
A simple, archaic burial for the commoners of this indigenous society
Despite some unpleasant connotations throughout history, pit burial was once commonplace among the indigenous people of the American northwest coast (modern-day British Columbia). The Haida people, rather than individual burial, would place the remains of people who had died into … Continue reading
Posted in Cultural Perspectives
Tagged Burial, Cultural Perspectives, Death, Death Rituals, Haida, Haida Burial Customs, Haida people, Pit Burial, Totem pole
9 Comments
Wiccan Funeral Customs
From going green to reincarnation -- what to expect at a Wiccan funeral
While common stereotypes link Wiccan beliefs to magic potions and fairy dust, there are some surprising elements to be found in Wiccan culture – if you do a little research. One of those elements is the Wiccan funeral, which emphasizes … Continue reading
Posted in Cultural Perspectives
Tagged Cultural Perspectives, Earth, Elements, Environmental Burial, Environmentalism, Green Burial, Life and Death Cycle, Natural burial, Pagan, Pentagram, Priest, Priestess, Reincarnatin, Reincarnation, Religious Ceremonies, Soul, Spirit, Sprituality, Summerlands, Wicca, Wiccan Funeral, Witch
5 Comments
Famadihana Death Ritual in Madagascar
Madagascar's Malagasy people connect and celebrate with their ancestors long after death.
The Malagasy people of Madagascar believe that the spirits of people who have died won’t join the world of their ancestors until after the body has completely decomposed. To assist the process, families perform a funerary tradition called Famadihana, “the … Continue reading
Posted in Cultural Perspectives
Tagged Cultural Perspectives, Death, Death Ritual, Famadihana, Madagascar, Malagasy people
3 Comments
Bizarre Death Ritual: 19th Century Buddhist Self-Mummification
This short-lived death ritual was believed to be a road to enlightenment.
In late 1800s Japan, several Buddhist monks called Sokushinbutsu attempted the rare ritual of self-mummification. Driven by the Buddhist quest for enlightenment and the belief that this requires non-attachment from the physical body, these monks prepared to take their own lives … Continue reading
Re-Thinking How Our Culture Experiences the Cemetery
Using your memorial to add beauty to the world
In addition to our growing inclination towards contemporary practices like cremation and green burial, there is one simpler way for us to re-imagine the cultural staple that is the cemetery. What if we see the grounds as a gallery of … Continue reading
Posted in Cultural Perspectives
Tagged Art, Burial, Cemeteries, Cemetery, Cultural Perspectives, Death, Manila, Mindanao, Natural burial
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Balinese Funeral Ceremony
Part one of Bali’s intricate end-of-life ceremonies
Bali, one of 33 provinces in Indonesia, is not only an exotic tourist destination but also home to the majority of Hindus in that country—92% to be precise. Along with this factoid comes a wealth of cultural knowledge that details … Continue reading
