Everyone was given a white orchid at my Dad's funeral to give to him before the dirt was placed back on his grave. One by one, each attendee lined up and had a final moment with him as they placed their orchid on his casket or in his grave.

As each person said one last goodbye to William, a hawk flew in a circle directly over his grave the entire time we presented him with orchids. I will always think of that moment every time I see a white orchid.

Shanti's Geranium

My dog Shanti was loved by our entire neighborhood. Well, actually everyone who ever met her loved her. On the day of her crossover which was facilitated by home euthanasia, our neighbors came in and gifted her with this beautiful geranium.

Geranium just "happens" to be my earliest plant memory at the age of three. I hope you are starting to see the thread of synchronicities, serendipity and magic that happens when we stay in the heart space. We just discussed music choices and you will see my search selection in this photo , as I'm trying to find the song she told me she wanted! Shamanism requires flexibility to diverge from the plan.

Dale and Jeanne Stacy showed up for Shanti and gave her the most beautiful crossover ceremony. Shanti was blessed with a crossover any human would be fortunate to have and she was so ready.

What are your flower memories?

Flowers define the moments of our lives. From graduation, baptism, illness, marriage, birth and death, flowers soothe our emotions and help us celebrate!

I love to ask people, "What is your earliest memory of a flower or plant?" This is powerful activation of the plant wisdom and ancient knowledge we carry in our DNA about plants.

I guarantee you have some emotional associations with flowers because flowers tend to our emotional bodies. An excellent skill set to put in your tool box as a Death Doula is to become well trained and educated in Flower Essence Therapy. Flower essences are the perfect compliment to energy healing sessions and emotional support. A flower essence can be offered as an adjunct to your death doula ministry without risk of side effects of interference with medication or contraindications.

Bonus Zoom Class: Flower Power

Since flowers are such an important part of ceremony and transition, I am gifting you with a two-hour zoom class on how to use flowers for healing. Enjoy!

"I always have visions of marigolds in strands floating down the Ghanges in honor of the dead. Sacred. The poppies speak to me as well….

The Red Poppy in the UK honoring those who served and passed."-Greg C.

Brugmansia (Angel's Trumpet) began appearing in my dreams in late 2019. This plant spirit had a message for me. She told me that she would help me through a season of transition and she really did. Little did I know how many clients and family members would cross over in 2020 and 2021. We have strong allies in all the realms of nature to assist us with our Death Doula work. My course on shamanism will help you go even deeper into cultivating relationships with the plant kingdom.

My favorite flower essences for grief support and death doula work:

Honeysuckle essence is useful if you're:

• Having trouble moving on from things that happened in the past.
• Wanting to feel more mindful and “in the now” in your day-to-day life.
• Grieving the loss of someone or something important to you.
• Living in a new place and feeling homesick.

Star of Bethlehem essence is useful if you're:

• Working with shock and trauma
• Dealing with intense grief and sadness
• In need of a soothing emotional support and uplifting, gentle energy

Flower Shamanism Course