The laws concerning Jewish mourners (#587–590) are one of the thirty-four categories of mitzvot according to Rambam, aka Moses Maimonides, “a preeminent medieval Sephardic Jewish philosopher, astronomer, and one of the most prolific and influential Torah scholars and physicians of the Middle Ages” (Wikipedia, no shame). There are 613 mitzvot in the Torah, the Jewish …
Live (or Undead) from Readercon In July I made a pilgrimage to the lands of the living, this time emerging for Readercon in Boston. Many excellent living persons gathered to ask questions about death and the dead. Here are a few of those questions answered in greater detail. What education is required to become a …
Growing up in Scotland, I have many fond memories of exploring remote and wild places, where the landscapes evoke a unique sense of atmosphere and of things unheard or unseen. There is something magical in the way the haar rolls in off the coast, shrouding the sea in a mythical fog, or the quiet stillness …
Seeing Death: Exploring Dark Omens from Scottish Folklore, by Lyndsey Croal Keep Reading »
Everyone gets Purgatory wrong. Most people have a pretty good idea of Heaven and Hell, since those are more or less constant across the many denominations of Christianity. Purgatory, however, is by and large a Catholic doctrine, which means it’s not as well known outside the Catholic Church. Therefore, the basic concept of a temporary …
A Catholic’s Guide to the Afterlife, by Julia LaFond Keep Reading »
An Inconvenient Corpse Jamie asks about “how/where/when to die for maximum inconvenience.” A flippant question deserves a flippant response, but let me begin on a serious note: A human being is not an inconvenience. I am not making light of anyone’s mental or physical health, financial situation, access to care, or social safety net. The …
Last night, the iron lid on the unused backyard well got thrown off. The rusted, soldered latticed rods that had lain unmoved for ages had come off. Everyone said it was you venting your rage—untimely deaths made the spirits linger, wreaking havoc on those left behind. Was it you plotting, heavy-lifting, Appa? You died on …
It was Almost a Shame to Bury Her As promised, dear readers, I recently rewatched Robert Zemeckis’s 1992 film Death Becomes Her. My friend Devin describes it as “the best movie I’ve ever seen about makeup for corpses. Also the only movie I’ve ever seen about makeup for corpses.” With the exception of some unpleasant …
One October night, when I was twelve, my sister Kimmy and I broke out a Ouija board. Our bedroom was my house’s Halloween destination, and my little sister Kimmy was my assistant in its macabre design. We sat on her bed among the cardboard tombstones, and asked the board innocuous questions: Who were we going …
Let me tell you a story. Three days before our dog died this past September, he was in the back yard early in the morning, lounging on the trampoline like he loved doing, when a shadow fell over him. He didn’t bark, like he would have if any other stranger had entered our yard. He …
A Dog, a Heart, a Box of Ashes, or Whom Rhodope Shed Tears For, by Maria Haskins Keep Reading »
Death Do Us Part Anonymous writes: Hello! I have always been interested in the occult, but my boyfriend has always warned me against becoming a witch. Is the occult really that dangerous, and how would one learn to use occult powers in a way that would not put anyone in harm’s way? I may not …