An Open Mic community exploration of death and grieving
We are the Luminous Threshold Collective. We are called end of life doulas, death midwives, deathcare workers, deathwalkers or deathtenders. We collaborate with the dying and those close to them on every facet of their journey toward and through the portal between this life and the next.
We want to increase community building, support and engagement around the topics of death, dying, grief and loss and, in so doing, heighten everyone’s moment to moment awareness of the beauty and preciousness of the gift of life.
The event will be an open mic format where people can sing, dance, recite poetry, or speak extemporaneously about their experiences of death and grief and be witnessed and heard by a radically present and loving audience in a well-held container.
There are no rules other than a share cannot last longer than five minutes. You need not perform to attend. The witnessing is at least as important as the performing!
We imagine it as a community grief ritual. Sometimes a couple hours of cathartic release and tender listening and holding can do more to heal than years on a therapist’s couch.
We believe our fractured and frenetic culture sorely needs spaces like this for people to slow down and come together. We also believe there is no greater or more ubiquitous fear, no greater or more ubiquitous taboo and no greater or more ubiquitous teacher than death around which to come together.
🖤 DEATH MEDICINE 🖤
A Community Grief Ritual & Open Mic
Hosted by the Luminous Threshold Collective
📍 Arlene Francis Center – 99 6th Street, Santa Rosa, CA
📅 Thursday, October 9th, 2025
🕖 7:00 PM (Doors at 6:30 PM)
💫 Suggested donation: $10–20 (no one turned away)
Death Medicine is a space of truth-telling, tenderness, and transformation.
We are end-of-life doulas, death midwives, deathcare workers, deathwalkers, and deathtenders. This gathering is an open mic ritual on death, dying, grief, loss — and the luminous awareness of life that these bring.
In a culture that avoids death, we offer a space to turn toward it — together.
🎤 WHAT TO EXPECT
This is not a performance night — it’s a community offering.
Come to share or simply to witness. Both are sacred.
You’re invited to:
🎶 Sing
💃 Dance
📝 Read poetry
🗣 Speak from the heart
🧘 Sit in silence
⏳ Each share = 5 minutes max
✨ No other rules
💗 No pressure to perform
🕯 WHY WE GATHER
We believe death — so often silenced — is one of our greatest teachers.
In a world that moves too fast, we offer slowness.
In a culture that hides grief, we offer truth.
In a time of disconnection, we offer presence.
Sometimes a couple of hours in a well-held space can heal more than years on a couch.
✨ WHO IT’S FOR
Those who have:
💔 Lost someone
🫱🏽🫲🏼 Supported someone dying
💭 Contemplated their own death
😔 Carried unexpressed grief
🧍♀️ Longed for deeper connection
👁️ Wished to witness or be witnessed
Come as you are.
With your grief, your questions, your silence, your stories.
Let us hold and be held.
#DeathMedicine #GriefRitual #LuminousThreshold #CommunityGrief #EndOfLifeCare #GriefSupport #DeathDoula #SantaRosaEvents #DeathAwareness #HealingTogether
2 responses to “Death Medicine”
I love this a lot ~ all of it. A dear colleague & friend just turned me on to this event, and I am so grateful to know of it so I can attend. I would like to read two poems I’ve written about death, and will be so grateful to hear and feel what others share. I have done a lot of hospicing work ~ the spiritual and emotional portions in that holistic process ~ and especially with my homeless clients over the long years. The before, during, and after of the dying transition…from here…to there. I have learned that people need love and help on this side, and often on the other side, too, and especially if their leaving of their body and this Earth has been hard. Suicided people especially need a lot of loving accompaniment to walk over the bridge; often “come to” still in crisis on the other side. People who lose their body through murder, too. Fortunately Love speaks and Lives on both sides of the veil, and prayer (all the flavors! no one flavor!) works beautifully for the needed assists. 🙂 Thank you so much for creating this body of work and this community event. 🙂
Thank you for sharing this. The Arlene Francis Center is looking forward to hosting this event again sometime soon. pot it here when it booe.
Miinda