Our modern world rushes past death and endings, urging us to "move on" before we've properly acknowledged what's been lost. But what if this cultural tendency keeps us subtly tethered to the past, preventing us from fully opening to what comes next?

Inspired by the death of the hawk on a busy urban street (and the woman who stopped to collect her body), this episode examines how cultural barriers like commodification, clock-time orientation, and death aversion block our natural grieving processes, and how pushing back against these norms allows us to reclaim our basic humanness. By following our "sacred compass" rather than cultural pressures, we create space not just for proper grieving, but for the new life waiting to emerge.

Honoring the death of things—whether relationships, dreams, hopes, or phases of our lives—is essential for genuine healing and growth. Rituals of acknowledgment, from earth altars to simple moments of prayer, can help us properly release what has ended.

As we enter the harvest season, a time traditionally associated with both abundance and the beginning of nature's dying cycle, it's a potent moment to consider: What in your life needs proper acknowledgment? What might be waiting to enter if you open your hands heart, and release what has already gone?