My aversion to Cremation
Gordon, over at the ever erudite Rune Soup, has an article about what he'd like done with his remains when he passes from this life. I've had some thoughts on this very topic myself, which I'd like to share.
Do not cremate me.
I did a meditation the other day from Jason Miller's Strategic Sorcery Course called "Dissolving into Fire". That was the single most disturbing magical ritual I've ever done. It was incredibly valuable, but in that sort of way that hitting your finger with a hammer teaches you to be more careful where you're putting your hand and the hammer at speed.
In the exercise, you're supposed to imagine your body being burned away, starting at the skin, ending with the bones carbonizing into ash and only pure flame remaining. I was able to visualize the process clearly, and it made me realize that cremation is not for me. Neither is dying in a fire. Just not the way I want to go, nor have my remains handled.
I did the 'Dissolving into Earth' exercise, and that was fine. I slowly settled into the ground, my body decaying and the bones calcifying until nothing remained but the elements. It was peaceful and wonderful and exactly what you'd figure earth to be, sort of a welcome home. The idea that there would be some of 'you' left, even though the 'you' would go on to do other things.
The fire, though. That was active and powerful and disturbing. There was no welcome, no rest. There was no you, and all that effort, all that energy that went into making the physical vessel for the spiritual form was...wasted.
So, no cremation for me.
I would like a burial in a Masonic Cemetery, with Masonic Honors and a Johannite funeral. I'd like my body preserved, preferably Mummified. And maybe a pyramid stone. Nothing gigantic, something like the picture, or even smaller.
Talking about death is kind of weird. It feels far off, not something that is coming to me any time soon. Yet, it could affect any of us at any time. What about you, do you have any plans on how you'd like your remains handled?
Do not cremate me.
I did a meditation the other day from Jason Miller's Strategic Sorcery Course called "Dissolving into Fire". That was the single most disturbing magical ritual I've ever done. It was incredibly valuable, but in that sort of way that hitting your finger with a hammer teaches you to be more careful where you're putting your hand and the hammer at speed.
In the exercise, you're supposed to imagine your body being burned away, starting at the skin, ending with the bones carbonizing into ash and only pure flame remaining. I was able to visualize the process clearly, and it made me realize that cremation is not for me. Neither is dying in a fire. Just not the way I want to go, nor have my remains handled.
I did the 'Dissolving into Earth' exercise, and that was fine. I slowly settled into the ground, my body decaying and the bones calcifying until nothing remained but the elements. It was peaceful and wonderful and exactly what you'd figure earth to be, sort of a welcome home. The idea that there would be some of 'you' left, even though the 'you' would go on to do other things.
The fire, though. That was active and powerful and disturbing. There was no welcome, no rest. There was no you, and all that effort, all that energy that went into making the physical vessel for the spiritual form was...wasted.So, no cremation for me.
I would like a burial in a Masonic Cemetery, with Masonic Honors and a Johannite funeral. I'd like my body preserved, preferably Mummified. And maybe a pyramid stone. Nothing gigantic, something like the picture, or even smaller.
Talking about death is kind of weird. It feels far off, not something that is coming to me any time soon. Yet, it could affect any of us at any time. What about you, do you have any plans on how you'd like your remains handled?
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