Home Funerals, Home Burials

A half-day introduction to death care at Earthaven

Saturday, October 26, 1 – 4 pm

Earthaven Ecovillage
Near Asheville, NC

Since 2015, our community has experienced the losses of eight beloved community members. These deaths rocked our world and initiated us into taking more responsibility for this stage of life. Some deaths were unexpected and some were after a long illness. Regardless of the nature of the death, we, as a village rose to the occasion of tending this final passage into the mystery beyond our human form.

When this initiation was thrust upon us, we leaned on the experience of our mentors. We learned to grieve together from Sobonfu Somé, now an ancestor herself. We learned to care for the dying together, as well as prepare bodies and conduct home funerals and home burials from Caroline and Ruth with the Center for End of Life Transitions (CEOLT). With each death and through years of formal death care training with CEOLT, we created beautiful, reverent, and sacred life-death honoring spaces of healing, transformation, and transition.

We are now starting to share what we’ve experienced in our village, as well as our stories, lessons-learned, and ideas of how we can be seed-crystals for others looking to feel empowered to care for and honor their dead from their homes, with their family and friends.

In this half-day workshop, we will share an introduction to home funerals and home burials, including a visit to our village burial ground.

Chuck Marsh's wake
Kimchi with her Death Team

Program

Saturday, October 26

  • 10 am – noon: Earthaven Ecovillage tour (Optional. There is a discount when registering for both the tour and program.)
  • 1 – 4 pm: Home Funeral and Home Burial program

In this three-hour session, we’ll:

  • tour our village grave yard
  • share stories of what’s involved in holding a vigil and home funeral and how each one has been different and unique to the beloved dead and the needs of their family
  • discuss our rights for disposition of body after death and home burials
  • share how to begin conversations about death with your family and friends
  • view photos of some of the home funerals at Earthaven

Space will be respectful of all faiths and spiritual beliefs. One of Earthaven’s operating assumptions, which will be exhibited and honored in this tour and introductory session to home funerals and home burials, is that there is no one way to do something. The session will explore all this in an embodied, relational, reverent, and welcoming way.

Flower mandala on new grave

Cost

Earthaven tour and program: $55 – 85 sliding scale

Program only: $35 – $55 sliding scale

Camping is extra. No food is provided.

Logistics

Food

No food is provided for the program. Please bring food that you will need.

Cancellation & Refunds

If you cancel your registration, you may:

  • Donate your tuition to support our continued work
  • Request a refund per our policy:
    • 90% refund for cancellations prior to 30 days before the start of the program
    • 50% refund for cancellations prior to 10 days before the start of the program

If SOIL cancels this program for any reason whatsoever, you would receive a 100% refund.

Contact us at [email protected] with registration questions.

Lodging

Several accommodation options are available at Earthaven Ecovillage and in the surrounding area. No indoor lodging is available at Earthaven for this program.

Camping
Cost per person: 1 or 2 nights $50
Cost per person: 3 nights $75

Campground Cabin Shared Lodging
Cost per person: 1 or 2 nights $70
Cost per person: 3 nights $85

Off-Site Options
Various options in Bat Cave, Black Mountain, and Asheville.Sleeping bags and pads are available for rental for $15/set. Cleaning supplies to clean mats are available before and/or after use. SOIL launders the sleeping bags once a year. FYI: There are a couple of loaner tests that live in the campground, no guarantee on condition. First come, first served on tents.

Read More About Accommodations

Location

This program takes place at Earthaven Ecovillage. This permaculture-based community offers a unique living classroom where participants will engage with the natural world, eco-infrastructure, and the intimate experience of rural community living.

What to Expect at Earthaven

Instructor

NikiAnne Feinberg

NikiAnne Feinberg

In-person Programs Director, Faculty

Throughout the last two decades, NikiAnne has been immersed in community and in service to a wide range of educational endeavors focused on nature connection, personal empowerment, and community resilience. No matter what she’s teaching, NikiAnne is always on the same mission: to raise awareness of our whole selves – gifts, passions, blind spots, shadows – and help those whole selves find and fill niches in their communities.

Registration

Complete the registration form once per participant. It takes 5-10 minutes, and you will complete your enrollment with a credit card authorization.

After your enrollment is processed, you will receive several confirmations…

  1. An automatic confirmation of receiving your registration form
  2. A payment confirmation from our card processor
  3. Confirmation that your registration has been processed
Contact Info - Step 1 of 3
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