__OM__"origin~dissolution"

MOURNING

Here are links I've found helpful - also check the Spirituality links.

Beliefnet provides discussion boards and articles about grief and loss.

Dealing with Dying FAQ's on helping a loved one through their last days.

Traditional mourning symbols (PDF file) List of Commemorative Motifs, Mourning Images, and Memento Mori

Grief & Mourning Helping Everone Acknowledge Loss

RITUALS
 After my father died I henna'ed my hands - one palm contained a winged heart with my family-name's symbol inside; the other had the Indian "OM" symbol on it, which signifies "origin and dissolution". This gave me comfort and also some quiet time while I was henna-ing.
 
After a couple of
weeks my winged heart
design morphed
into a heart-flower,
growing outward-
...then it turned into a heart-flower
inside a mandala

 Funerals are our society's traditional rituals, but I chose not to participate in my parents' for
various reasons, instead I created my own "Memorial Services". They incorporated various personal
mementos and symbolic acts that had personal meaning for me. You may wish to do this too -

Rituals can include:
- purifying or blessing yourselves by: washing, smudging, burning incense, or
  anointing with holy water or oil
- creating an altar or sacred space as a focus point
- written or spoken affirmation on the intent of the ritual
- symbolic acts (see "Letting Go" below)
- music or song
- eulogies
- ending with a group prayer, hugs, a simple "thank you."

Letting Go - create a ritual to "let go of the loss" (a subpage of Journey of Hearts)

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