When a life ends and a spirit passes into the Summerland, a rite of passage is needed. A funeral rite helps the spirit of the person passing to make its transition to a new plane of existence. Funerals are also necessary for those mourning for their departed to experience their grief, accept the loss, and move forward.
During our decades together in the Crow Women, we have held ceremonies to mark the passing of members, friends, and familiars. She Calls is a song about making peace with death when she is on the horizon. Breaths is a gentle song that reminds us that “those who are gone have never, never left”. Farewell My Familiar honors the passing of an animal companion. Web of Wonder was composed for the wake of a dear friend and mentor, and has been used many times over the years for death rites. Your Voice Still Lingers is a eulogy for our departed sister Donna.
This playlist contains our songs just mentioned, as well as the songs of other pagan artists, that grapple with death or can be used in a passing-over ritual.
Blog posts related to funeral rites of passage, death and dying
When it’s time to release a loved one to the Summerland, or heaven, or Valhalla, or wherever you believe we go upon death (if anywhere) perhaps you’ll use my song Web of Wonder in the funeral rite. It’s on the Crow Women’s first album: Crow Goddess. In this post, I’ll...
A Gift of Song Safely curled up in my tent after a wet Autumn festival weekend, I contemplated this: my last evening in the woods, the pre-Samhain introspection of the rituals and workshops, and my connection to my community and to our elders and ancestors. A time for thoughts of...
She Calls is a song about making peace with mortality. The “she” in this song is the Dark Goddess. The song is about listening to her call, and hearing the secrets she whispers about grace and serenity in the “dusk of lifetime”. It’s a quiet little song that came to...
Music and Grief Music is evocative. Music is magical. Music is emotional. It helps us express what we cannot express through words alone. It can help us celebrate our lives. And music can help us grieve. Listen to our Crow Women albums Crow Goddess and Crow Magic, and in almost...
Crow Magic was my first foray into recording with the Crow Women. Imagine my elation when our most prolific and arguably most talented songwriter Alane Crowomyn asked me to sing a lead on one of her songs. If only because of that, Farewell, My Familiar holds a special place in my...
