“How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.”
– A.A. Milne, Winnie the Pooh –
Last year (2018) was an initiation into Grief for me.
It’s not that I have never experienced devastating loss before – loss and grief have been a constant companion of mine since I was a child but last year felt different. Perhaps it was the many opportunities I was gifted to explore the deepest layers of this complex human emotion, or that in beginning to use magic in my grief work it took it to a different level I wasn’t expecting.
One of the most profound losses I have experienced to date was the loss of my familiar, Delilah.
She showed up in my yard one morning and never left my side again. Losing Dede was like losing my shadow. It was one of the hardest things I’ve experienced and the way I got through it was through magic and ritual.
Since beginning my Reiki practice over 20-years ago, I’ve leaned so much through helping people transition and their loved ones grieve. It’s without a doubt that some of my most sacred experiences have often been closely linked with death and dying.
As ritual and magic became an even bigger part of my personal life throughout the next two decades I found myself incorporating it into my grief work.
When Dede passed, one of the hardest things was losing her physical presence. She was a velcro cat and we were inseparable. I was craving a way to still feel her physically and also honor her memory.
Then I remembered my friend Veronica teaching me about amulets and the magic and power they hold. It was perfect. I could combine the magic of amulets with some of Delilah’s ashes and fur to create an amulet specifically for grief.
I didn’t tell many people about my creation because I thought they might find it creepy or macabre. I mean, I’m all about Georgian and Victorian mourning jewelry but not everyone shares my passion.
So, I secretly wore my amulet as if it were any other normal piece of jewelry.
I was so surprised to see how interested people were in my necklace and what it was. I couldn’t believe how many people were also looking for a way to keep their loved ones close to their heart in a sacred way. I realized then that I could help others grieve through this work.
If you’re on a grief journey of your own I’d be honored to create an amulet for you or any of the other tools I offer to help navigate the darkness of grief and bring comfort to your achy heart.
Shop my Custom Grief Amulets + Grief Rituals
