Carolina Memorial Sanctuary is part of a fairly recent movement to bring more environmental consciousness and stewardship to the inevitable process of burying our deceased friends and loved ones, while at the same time holding dignified and compassionate space for a wide variety of cultural and spiritual traditions. Our undertaking […]
Read MoreGrief a Love Story: Green Burials and Reverence for Death
Ep 6 Cassie Barrett: Green Burials and Reverence for Death “Get comfortable with being uncomfortable.” What is one of the best things you can do to prepare for death? “Get comfortable with being uncomfortable.” Carolina Memorial Sanctuary team member, Cassie Barrett, was interviewed by Tara Caffelle from the podcast Grief: […]
Read MoreNatural Burial of Paulus Berensohn
Last year when Paulus Berensohn learned about Carolina Memorial Sanctuary, he began preparing for the great event: the end of his life and his after death care. He purchased a cardboard coffin from Mourning Dove Studios, and invited his dear friends to assist in its decoration using his own art […]
Read MoreSteward’s Log: Expending Lots of Energy
With all the warm rainy days so far this year, the plants are in full growth mode. Wildflowers, especially in the milkweed and aster families, are blooming. Birds are busy, and it is hot and humid! The shift in season from Spring this year seems to have passed fairly quickly […]
Read MorePet Burials: How to Honor the Furry Members of Your Family
Pet Burials: How to Honor the Furry Members of Your Family Looking into the eyes of our adoring pet family member, we often feel deep gratitude for our mutual bond and trust. When Jasper gives me that look, I feel like the luckiest person to have him in my life, […]
Read MoreMemorial Planting: The Gift of Life and Renewal
It seems that many people in our modern American culture think of death as a dreary and fearful topic. There has been a movement over the last couple of decades with the idea of making funerals more about a celebration of life than about disheartened feelings around death. In my […]
Read MoreSteward’s Log: Ticks, Pollen, & Poison Ivy
With a mostly warm winter and plenty of April showers, here at the Sanctuary there is lots of green (and other) life racing ahead into Spring. In addition to new life, the scattered, outward energy of Spring also brings busy, crowded, and uncomfortable visitations from botanical and entomological guests. As […]
Read MoreAsheville Citizen Times – Three feet under: Asheville is a hub for green burial
Source: Asheville Citizen Times Written By: Emily Patrick Carol Motley would stop at funeral homes and say she was dying. She was in her 20s then — about 20 years ago — and she was conducting market research for her cardboard coffin company. She wasn’t terminally ill, but the allusion to death gave her […]
Read MoreSanctuary Update: February 2017
It’s been just over a year since we began land restoration at Carolina Memorial Sanctuary. During these past twelve months we have witnessed transformation of the Sanctuary grounds and a shifting of ideas and beliefs surrounding death. Much love, care and inspiration has manifested through the generosity of time and […]
Read MoreSteward’s Log: Winter, Death, and Reflection
As cooler temperatures have finally begun to reach our calendar, so too has the first year of Carolina Memorial Sanctuary ended. Living and dying have their season-like cycles as well, and I am reminded of all the work that was put into supporting many deceased beings and their grieving families. […]
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