Exploring Death as a Tradition

[LearningMan]

Recently, I've seen some signs that I should explore death and decay. What would be some good ways of going about this? My idea is going to a cemetery/graveyard and feeling the energy there. Any thoughts?

[monsno_leedra]

Re: Exploring Death as a Tradition

Are you asking about physical death, symbolic death, spiritual death, death rites, etc? That's a broad field of study and trying to understand.

It's like Sin Eater's are an aspect of death rituals and physical / spiritual death. Spirit Keepers are an aspect of spiritual death and transition of life to death. Shamanic death in both its actual loss of physical life or shamanic illness which comes close to death is another category. Close to that is what I've seen some shamanic practitioners call cultural or social death in which their lives are totally destroyed and they loose everything but life itself. Then there is the psychopomp aspect of death where you guide the spirit to the veil though humans tend to have varying degree's of that one.

So many possibilities it's hard to say death and decay.

[LearningMan]

Re: Exploring Death as a Tradition

I'd have to say physical death is the closest to what I'm thinking of, though the other things you listed could capture my interest.

[DragonsFriend]

Re: Exploring Death as a Tradition

Look at the floor of a hardwood forest. Nothing ever truly dies. It is just recycled to be reborn. The elements within our bodies came from dying stars. The soil in your garden came from the rocks that make up the mountains and the animals and plants that have lived and died. Everything is recycled so nothing truly dies. The personalities and energies change but they are never gone.

[monsno_leedra]

Re: Exploring Death as a Tradition

I'd have to say physical death is the closest to what I'm thinking of, though the other things you listed could capture my interest.

So it sounds like your talking about biological death and the chemical / physical processes the body goes through. Not sure I can help with that one as it was not my realm of study.

[Demifate]

Re: Exploring Death as a Tradition

Living immediately between two cemeteries and a funeral home (seriously, less than 2 minute walk, it's awesome and sooo quiet), I can say that cemeteries rarely feel like death to me.

Places people actually die, not just where they are laid to rest, may be a better option for exploration, such as hospitals, funeral homes, etc.

Decay is a bit more difficult. You would have to defined exactly what type of decay you're looking for. Decay of neighborhoods, morals, physical health, mental health, nature, etc.

[DragonsFriend]

Re: Exploring Death as a Tradition

All things physical go through a decay process to release those chemicals that are needed to feed life. Stars decay in huge explosions that spread elements over very large areas. The concussion of one stars death throws elements over wide expanses. The shock waves compress the gases close by to ignite a new star and the elements from the death of the star form into planets upon which some sprout life. This process has been going on at least 14 billion years or so and will continue for the next 14 billion or so years. The mass and energy of the universe remains constant and ever changing from one to the other. There is no difference between this process and that of a single plant, animal or human. The energy of life continues on while the material of life is recycled to feed the new life that follows.

[LearningMan]

Re: Exploring Death as a Tradition

Living immediately between two cemeteries and a funeral home (seriously, less than 2 minute walk, it's awesome and sooo quiet), I can say that cemeteries rarely feel like death to me.

Places people actually die, not just where they are laid to rest, may be a better option for exploration, such as hospitals, funeral homes, etc.

Decay is a bit more difficult. You would have to defined exactly what type of decay you're looking for. Decay of neighborhoods, morals, physical health, mental health, nature, etc.

Physical decay is what I'm talking about.

[Medusa]

Re: Exploring Death as a Tradition

Ever seen a real dead person? Betcha never want to explore that again. Trust me.

[anunitu]

Re: Exploring Death as a Tradition

Have,and no,do not want to relive that...

[Rae'ya]

Re: Exploring Death as a Tradition

Recently, I've seen some signs that I should explore death and decay. What would be some good ways of going about this? My idea is going to a cemetery/graveyard and feeling the energy there. Any thoughts?

Death:
Death is a difficult thing to explore spiritually if you do not work in some way with dead things. As a person who is sworn to a deity of death, who gets along very well with deities of the dead, and who kills things on a regular basis as a part of her occupation (I heal more than I kill, but humane euthanasia is a part of my job) I can tell you that you wont get particularly far with death as a spiritual path unless you either regularly kill things or tend to dead things. BUT... you can't just up and start killing things willy nilly... that wont get you anywhere. You need to be in an occupation that deals with death (medicine, veterinary medicine, autopsies, undertaking, mortuary work, crematorium work, taxidermy, environmental sciences or something along those lines) or in a position where you are regularly hunting or slaughtering livestock (preferably subsistence slaughtering... a commercial abbatoir will teach you about fear, not death). Working with death and the dead is very serious work, and requires a great deal of respect for both life and death. It's challenging and not particularly rewarding in the standard sense of spiritual rewards.

Of course, there is a whole pagan subculture who sometimes talk about working with death, but who are really just working with certain symbols and energies rather than the actual process of death and dying. If this is what you're after, Nocturnal Witchcraft or Gothcraft may be something you should look into.

Decay:
Start a compost heap. Seriously. Then start a worm farm.

Decay is something you can easily work with at home... you just need a system set up where you can experience the process of decay in a safe manner. A compost heap is a safe and easy way to do this. You can google instructions and DIY, or you can buy kits (including little ones designed for people who live in apartments) from hardware and garden stores. It doesn't sound particularly glamorous, but if you want to look into death and decay for the glamour or the image, you have the wrong attitude and shouldn't be doing it.

[Tylluan Penry]

Re: Exploring Death as a Tradition

Start by reading Lyall Watson's The Romeo Error. He highlights three stages, life, death and goth

But as others have said, if you've seen a real, dead body, you probably won't want to see another. I went through a phase once of 'seeing' when people were about to die.

Not a gift I wanted, and did my best to get rid of it very quickly.

[B. de Corbin]

Re: Exploring Death as a Tradition

I'm saving my exploration of death for sometime later...

It will be very personal, and not involve exploring the death of others. I'm not a voyeur.

[Tylluan Penry]

Re: Exploring Death as a Tradition

You could always apply for work as a funeral director's assistant.