h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I've just been to a funeral. It was the nicest funeral I've ever been to (and I've been to 20 or more). Why? Because the Minister did a 'spiritual' service, not a religious one - and he did it brilliantly. He really expressed the beliefs of the man who died and talked about life after life but with no religious side to it.

A long time ago I wondered if I could do something like that. So I had the courage to go up and talk to him about it - and he was really helpful and supportive.

Hopefully I'm going to go and see him to find out more. But I wonder how one sets oneself up as a 'funerals minister.'

Any ideas out there?

Have you tried Googling on spiritual funerals or green funerals, Meg?

Pas un saucisson, ochi loukanika on 'spiritual' or 'holistic' funerals. 'Green funerals' has stuff about coffins and woodlands...

I've emailed a few companies but, of course, it's a case of 'what have you done so far?' when you have to get a start somewhere! (a bit like Equity and actors )

I can see the point...you don't really want a funeral messed up by an amateur!

However, I have finally made contact with my would-be mentor (whom I met last week). He's away in Germany for a while - conducting an orchestra no less! So we will talk next week and meet up soon. So I am much cheered by that.

How are you BTW?

Later addition - I did find a site....http://www.liferites.org...which runs a foundation course for would-be celebrants. I've sent them an email and we'll see which way is the best.

...and their course for this year started last weekend...so that's not the route then

Well, today I had some new numberplates fitted. Someone stole my original ones yesterday and I was very put out. I reported it to the Police and to my insurance company. It seems likely that I am now going to get accused of parking on yellow lines, going through the congestion charge zone, etc. Boo!

I've just been having an argument with Hackney Council who gave me a parking ticket for £100 after I paid at a parking meter, but parked on the wrong side of the road in a resident's bay. It really was not obvious that the parking meter didn't cover both sides of the road.

It's as though someone has stolen my identity. Usually I think of a spiritual message when things like this happen, but I'm not sure what to think

Little lost one of his second front teeth (one of the ones next to the big ones) as well. I put my finger in his mouth and felt the gum - there's another tooth coming through.

I'm glad you have found some information on being a spiritual funeral director. Yes, I thought about cardboard coffins and woodlands. Not the same as you were talking about. I'd like to know a bit more about it.

How are you?

Oh, you might like to know I had an article published in the UK version of the Human Design update;

http://www.hdvc.org/updates/articlesUK/Khair-un-NisaSimmonds/1-OneMonthOn.asp

I originally wrote it as an e-mail to my HD analyst and he suggested I send it for publication.

><.

I'm glad you had the courage to folow on from your first wonderings. I often ask of the minister what is their authority to take the ceremony - the clergy claim ordination, God's license, but does this meet the need of the mourner who feels no connection to the church. Personal experience is important, maybe who and how you request your loved one's ceremony to go. Also I think we should have a look at our shadow side in this, what we are getting out of it - rather like the counsellor has to undergo their own personal therapy - the mourners are truly captive given their grief so we should take care ( those ministers who went overtime were they exploiting the congregants?!

Interesting perspective, Meg! And stuff to ponder, especially if I'm thinking of becoming a Human Design analyst or a person eventually who teaches analysts, as mine suggested might be a possibility. What would I be getting out of it?

Well, I think possibly appreciation, admiration, being an 'expert', being 'in charge', although in a function like this, it is the other person who is the most important. Food for thought.

I'm going to Newcastle next weekend but one on a Human Design course, talking about 'circuits' - the channels which connect the centres. Should be interesting and I'm really looking forward to it.

Oh, it's teeming with rain again. It's little 's sports day tomorrow. I do hope the weather is rather kinder!

Gosh, I must look out my Human Design stuff properly - I never got into it did I?

Jack you're absolutely right in that one has to look at the shadow side. Just because I want to do a job that most people would run a mile from doesn't make it necessarily right!

I only want to do funerals...weddings and celebrations I can happily leave to others. However, I am in the process of training as a fully-fledged minister so maybe I'll get to do those too one day.

My original interest in funerals is that my own husband died and, in those days, I couldn't find anyone who would give him the funeral that he or I would have preferred and he got the ordinary Christian rite which was inappropriate and painful for me.

I've been haunting crematoria (which either makes me rather worrying or very sad ) as part of my training and I'm still finding very few ministers who work between orthodox religion and humanist. But it's changing slowly...Thank Goodness you're out there!