May/June 2022 Alchemical Voice

Death is a monumental, singular event. Many people choose to not even mention its existence. It is surrounded by
taboos. It is the elephant in the room. Yet it is common knowledge to all of us. Most people have been touched by death
in one way or another. It is remarkable, I think, that people are so reluctant to talk about such a natural phenomenon.
People happily share news about births but seldom talk about deaths. One day all of us will rendezvous with it.
It seems that beginnings are valued more than endings. Why is that? Is there more value in beginning something, than
bringing it to a final conclusion? In my work in the corporate world, I have participated in many projects. Everybody
wants to join the launch of a new project, attend the kick-off meeting and draw up plans. When the day comes to close
the project, I have often found myself sitting in a small conference room with the project manager, the controller, the
chief engineer and nobody else.
In Shamanism, there is the concept of “the good death”. It is a celebration of a life lived with all its uniqueness, strivings
and beauty. To ensure that the physical conclusion of a lifetime is as respectful and as free from anxiety and anguish as
possible. To assist the soul to transition from this world to the great beyond, to the great mystery of the light on the
other side of the bridge.
We should celebrate that a soul has enjoyed the unique experience of having had a body and been able to sing, dance
and love; having been able to take part fully in the experience of life on planet Earth, to participate, to contribute, to just
be.
Some years ago, I passed by the National Theatre in Oslo, Norway. I happened to see a pigeon lying on the ground next
to the building. It looked as if it was sleeping, peacefully and undisturbed. I thought that it must have died just a moment
ago. The sight of the dead little pigeon in the centre of the big city moved me and I wanted to do something for it. So I
walked up to it and stood near it. I held my hands towards it in a blessing. In my mind, I read a prayer for the safe
passage of the pigeon’s soul to the next world. I invited my helping spirits to assist in that work. Then I visualized an
angel folding its wings around the soul of the pigeon and carrying it up and away into the light. After a brief moment, the
light faded away and the work was done. On the ground remained the body of the pigeon but its soul had transitioned
beyond the veil. I said my thanks to my helping spirits and I continued walking to the bus station. As I was waiting for
my bus, all of a sudden I noticed a tiny feather from a pigeon coming into view just in from of my face. It fell softly,
quivered for a moment in mid air and was taken away by the wind. I had tears in my eyes and quietly said “you’re
welcome”.
In the beginning of this year, the monk Thich Nhat Hanh passed away. He wrote:
“I have never been born,
And I have never died”
This is a good reminder of the eternal nature of your soul, which is you.
Birth and death are common to all living beings on the planet; be it human beings, animals or plants. They are part of the
great mystery of the Cosmos and really beyond complete comprehension.
A friend of mine has a young daughter, around 5 years old. She is preoccupied with trying to understand the big
questions in life, such as Life and Death. Some time ago, she said to her father that she had come to the conclusion that
when you are no longer alive, you are dead. So it follows that you are either alive or dead. It then follows that if she is
dead when she is no longer alive, she must have been dead before she was born and became alive. So a person is dead,
then alive, then dead, then alive and so on. By her own logic, she had discovered reincarnation. Children are amazing.
Keep in mind that the concept of death is not only about physical death. In indigenous societies Rites Of Passage is an
important life transition. Death & rebirth rituals, for example in puberty rites, the childhood identity dies and the child is
reborn as an adult. In psychology, there is the concept of the death of the ego. In religion, there is the concept of being
“born again” in the spirit, into a new belief.
25