Shows
Death and TeaEP 25: 2024 Wrap Up - Meet CricketI wanted to talk a little about what was happening in the background of 2024 and its been a while since I introduced myself (if I ever have) so before we end this podcast I just wanted to say "Hi" and thank you to The Estate and Elder of Central Virginia for their support. Big Thanks to Scout Wiles and Frank Bassett for their production work! Have an amazing 2025!
2024-12-2344 min
Death and TeaEP24: Kelley Harrell - From Elder to Ancestor From Elder to Ancestor is a new book from Kelley Harrell, an animist, death walker and death doula. Cricket and Kelley discuss the ethical creation of a personal ancestor practice, tending to inherited trauma, working to heal unquiet spirits of place or familial ancestry and so much more. Share your thoughts with us and follow the Death and Tea Podcast on Instagram and TikTok.
Find Kelley Harrell at https://www.soulintentarts.com/
2024-11-191h 09Death and TeaEP23: The Legal Side of DyingRobert W. Haley is a Certified Advanced Practitioner of Elder Law (and Cricket, AKA Ryvyn's husband). In this episode, Robert and Cricket discuss all the common questions people have about
pre-planning for the end-of-life, the funeral, Powers of Attorney, Health Care documents, The Living Will and the Last Will & Testament. We even discuss how to handle LGBTQIA partnerships at death and more. Robert is a wealth of information and experience, you might want to take notes on this one!
Note: If you notice the questions are somewhat redundant in the middle its because this interview was recorded...
2024-09-241h 31
Death and TeaEP22: An Energy Healer's Book of DyingSuzanne Worthley is an energy healing practitioner and intuitive who has focused on death and dying for 20 years. She has played a vital role in partnership with families and hospice teams, helping the dying have a peaceful transition and helping families and caregivers understand what is happening and energetically during the process.
2024-08-271h 07Death and TeaEP21: An Interview with a Dying Man, Meet Steve HodgesIn this episode, Cricket speaks with Steve Hodges, a pianist, cancer survivor and coach, hospice volunteer, and he is dying. This conversation goes deep into the places most people are not comfortable with, Steve is willing to be open and revealing about his experiences from both sides of the aisle. Hail the Traveler to Steve for sharing his unique journey with us.
www.youtube.com/@SteveHodgesPianoZooms
2024-07-251h 32
Death and TeaEP20: Old City Cemetery and the Grim ReaperThis episode is an in-depth discussion with Jay Brooks the Executive Director of The Old City Cemetary of Lynchburg Virginia. This unique Grave Garden is not only 200 years old with fascinating residents. It is also an extensive Arboretum providing the community with classes for Master Gardners, Headstone restoration enthusiasts, genealogy assistance, and even entertaining historical tours sharing the lives of their more colorful residents. Jay and his team have successfully recreated the Victorian Death culture's aspect of making the City cemetery a community hub AND so much more. Listen to this episode to find out!
2024-07-091h 18
Death and TeaEP19: Ancestor Veneration with Tyler ColesEmbark on a mystical odyssey as we explore the timeless bond between the living and the departed. In this enlightening episode, Unitarian Minister Tyler Coles, hailing from deep family roots found "where the water kisses the Earth" in Roanoke VA, delves into the sacred art of honoring our ancestors and the beloved dead. Discover the profound rituals of ancestral veneration and the sacred altars that bridge the gap between worlds. From tender offerings to navigating the complexities of ancestral trauma, we unravel the mysteries of connecting with our lineage, forging a path of reverence and remembrance. No matter your journey...
2024-06-111h 13
Death and TeaEP18: Discussing Last Rites with Todd HarraIn this episode, we speak with Todd Harra, co-author of the Amazon bestselling books Mortuary Confidential: Undertakers Spill the Dirt and Over Our Dead Bodies: Undertakers Lift the Lid, as well as the Clip Undertaker mystery series, Grave Matters and Patient Zero, and more recently the funeral history book, Last Rites: The Evolution of the American Funeral.
He works for the family business, McCrery & Harra Funeral Homes and Crematory (www.mccreryandharra.com) in Wilmington, Delaware. He is a funeral director, embalmer, post-mortem reconstructionist, and cremationist. Cricket and Todd discuss the history and future of funeral/burial services in America and...
2024-05-211h 18
Death and TeaEP17: Preventing Dementia: Insights from Dr. Emily and Mitchell ClionskyIn this episode, we chat with Dr. Emily and Mitchell Clionsky to discuss their book, "Dementia Prevention" and other related topics on what may cause this condition. Dr. Emily Clionsky combines internal medicine, psychiatry, and neurology to focus exclusively on patients with dementia and cognitive impairment and Dr. Mitchell Clionsky is a board-certified neuropsychologist with more than 30 years of clinical experience in hospital and outpatient settings.
2024-04-171h 02
Death and TeaEP16: The Craft of Dying, A discussion with Dr Ara FrancisThe Craft of Dying was written by Lyn H. Lofland in 1978, this timeless book was written at the beginning of the death-positive movement. In this episode, Dr. Ara Fransis discusses the book, the era for which it was chronicling and how Lofland's assertions are still an accurate gauge of today's death services and activism.
2024-03-071h 21Death and TeaEP15: Emerging Understandings of the Non-Religious AfterlifeIn this episode, Dr. Chris Miller of the University of Ottawa discusses the research projects: "Speaking of Death: Understanding, Participation and Death Cafes" and his research paper, "Non-Religious Afterlife: Emerging Understandings of Death and Dying". This surprising interview reveals new trends in death and afterlife beliefs from those who are and are not religiously affiliated.
2024-02-2156 min
Death and TeaEP14: Tiktok: Tips From Dead PeopleMary McGreevy is the creator of the unexpectedly viral TikTok account, Tips from Dead People (@tipsfromdeadpeople), where she shares unique obituaries and the wisdom we can all take from them. Tips From Dead People was born from a simple but ironic question: what life advice can be gathered from stories of the dead? What started as an everyday hobby for Mary turned into a bigger objective: to help people think about their own lives, their own choices, in new ways. Mining lifehacks from poignant, irreverent, hilarious, brutally honest, and achingly bittersweet obituaries may leave you feeling inspired and reminded of...
2024-02-0147 min
Death and TeaEP13: The Gentle Art of Swedish Death CleaningRobert, Cricket's husband, joins her to discuss Margareta Mangnusson's book, The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning and their choice to downsize and to move away from their family homeplace. Moving is difficult at any age but particularly stressful when it involves a lifetime of memories and collectibles. Tips and tricks to get through it successfully.
Music by www.welvynzporter.com "The Devil's Etude"
Cover Art from The Gentle Art of Death Cleaning
2024-02-0146 min
Death and TeaEP12: The Right to Die MovementHello again, Grab a cup of tea and your head phones and take a moment to be grateful for your life by contemplating your death. Discussion includes: the Right to Die Movement being the right to physician-assisted suicide or human euthanasia for people suffering from incurable diseases, Dr. Kevorkian case, the case of Karen Ann Quinlan, Nancy Beth Cruzan case. Recommended reading for funeral celebrates and death doulas in Virginia, mostly Christian and Pagan based books.
For more information follow me at Ryvyn Lefey on Facebook or Death & Tea on Patheos.com
2022-08-2525 min
Death and TeaEP11: Meet MortellusMortellus is a lineaged Third Degree Gardnerian High Priestex of the Long Island Line. Presently busy at work on their third book for Llewellyn Worldwide, with the second, "The Bones Fall in a Spiral: A Guide to Necromancy and the Magic of Death" set to arrive on shelves September 8, 2022. Be sure to check out their first book: Do I have to wear Black? Rituals, Customs and Funerary Etiquettte for Modern Pagans.
In addition to their role as High Priestex, Mortellus is a Mortician, and holds degrees in Design, Education, Fine Arts, and Mortuary Sciences. Their areas of expertise include necromancy...
2022-03-311h 23
Death and TeaEP10: Magickal Mediumship with Danielle DionneDanielle Dionne is a psychic medium, witch, herbalist, homesteader, and author of the book Magickal Mediumship. She has been offering sessions professionally for over thirteen years. Her practice draws upon a vast foundation in mediumship, occultism, healing arts, witchcraft, and herbalism. Danielle is an initiate of the Temple of Witchcraft, serving as Scorpio deputy minister for death and dying and ancestral connections. She is a student in their mystery school. Prior to the pandemic, Danielle ran Moth and Moon Studio, a spiritual education center. She now offers her spiritual services, herbal and farm products, and consultations around death work through See...
2022-03-1059 min
Death and TeaEP9: Exploring the Spirit of Nature with John Beckett, Druid and AuthorJohn Beckett grew up in Tennessee with the woods right outside his back door. Wandering through them gave him a sense of connection to Nature and to a certain Forest God.
John is a Druid in the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids (OBOD), a member of Ár nDraíocht Féin (ADF), a member of the Denton Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans, and a former Vice President of CUUPS Continental. He’s been writing, speaking, teaching, and leading public rituals since 2003. His books The Path of Paganism (2017) and Paganism In Depth (2019) are published by Llewellyn Worldwide.
John can be found...
2022-02-2448 min
Death and TeaEP8: What is a Death Doula?A death doula is a bit different than a psychopomp, but is the use of one is becoming more common as more people experience how they can assist the dying and their family in a "good death". Ryvyn works as an Elder Care Coordinator, death doula, and hosted many Death Cafe meetings. The goal of the death doula is to help people become more aware and educated about their options and soul altering opportunities death can provide. Warning: Much of this conversation pertains to death and dying.
2022-02-1023 min
Death and TeaEP7: Our House is Haunted with ISDP InvestigationsOur house is haunted. Its a large, Greek revival built about 1930 by the industrialist Reed Stone, one of the founders of Bassett Furniture. Reed and a woman has been seen on several occasions through out the 16 years we have lived here. We regularly hear disembodied voices, objects inexplicable move without being touched, and I have dozens of videos of orbs and a few of black shadows/mists in daylight. I finally called in the professionals to substantiate (or disprove) our experiences. Terry and Sue Osborne and Melvin Yeamans came to our home to investigate. They too are full time legal...
2022-02-0332 min
Death and TeaEP6: Messages From SpiritWhat can Spirit communication look like? What are you expecting it to be? Maybe you are expecting your talking board to come alive or a full body apparition of Grandma? Are your expectations making communication difficult? Let's talk? Do you have a story to share? Send me a message: https://anchor.fm/aseekerspath/message You can find me in social media as Ryvyn LeFey.
2022-01-2726 min
Death and TeaEP5: Gina Carter, Spiritual Intuitive, Channeler and CounselorGina Carter is an Intuitive Healer and communicator with Spirit, she has been channeling spirit since she was a little girl, which began with Jesus. Her gifts of channeling and healing grew as she grew. Now, she connects Higher Source Spirit with life on this plane and other dimensions while providing safe, sacred space for healing and enlightenment. She does this by using various modalities and intuitive insight while facilitating the opportunity of spirit connection for those on their healing journey.
Transformed and rebirth many times in her life. Her life took on, yet another transformation in 2002 as she began...
2022-01-201h 00
Death and TeaEP4: Why Communicate with Spirit(s)It seems to be a theme lately that people are receiving more opportunities to communicate with Spirit from all walks of life. By "Spirit" I am not only referring to your higher self and spirit guides but to those who people have transitioned from life to death. Yes, I also mean the Dead. I have never understood why people freak out about communicating with the dead. A little girl in your attic is likely exactly what she seems, a lost little girl. TV and movies have deeply influenced and skewed the reality of Spirit communication. Let's discuss some reasons why...
2022-01-1320 min
Death and TeaEP3: 2022! New GoalsWelcome back to the Seeker's Path, where together, we seek out the mysteries of life and death. Listen in to catch up on why I've been away for so long and where the podcast is going to go this coming year! In this episode, I talk about the things I've had to deal with in addition to my new goals for 2021. I'm excited to start a new year and start new directions. And in making plans for the new year we have to release and focus on what didn't serve us last year.
2022-01-0620 minDeath and TeaEP2: Transitioning to Death by CovidMany people are transitioning at this time. But is death and experience that is put upon us or something we choose. What about communicating with your passed loved ones? https://anchor.fm/aseekerspath/message
2021-01-2710 min
Death and TeaEP1: Death and COVID-19What are your belief systems around death? https://anchor.fm/aseekerspath/message
2020-04-0225 min