Burial Rites.

Soon after my mother died, my family (Dad, 2 kids and partner Mook) went down to the Pass, a very special power spot in Byron Bay, where we scattered some of her ashes, with flowers, into the sea.

My Mum, a Pisces would have loved that!

Dad gave me the rest of her ashes to bury at the foot of a very large and special boulder on our property called 'Grandmother Rock'.

Because we had performed the sea ceremony just after Mum’s death, thereby fulfilling our own needs to lay her to rest at that time, I was able to wait for the 'right time' to do this …

Two and a half years later it felt just right to do this ceremony.



Eight wonderful friends, Mook and I formed a procession from our home to the rock, myself in front holding the ashes in a hand-painted heart-shaped box, the others in single file and Mook bringing up the rear playing my ritual drum (aptly called 'Grandmother Shanadi' after a Native North American grandmother we met in USA. A special rock she gave us is buried at the base of Grandmother Rock.)

We made our way down through the orchard, around the pond-like dam we call our 'Frog Resort', past stands of bananas and bamboos to the 'Sunset Rocks', a West-facing group of boulders, dominated by the giant Grandmother.

We formed a circle at the foot of her, I smudged everyone with incense and called in the directions.

I sang a favourite song of my mother’s - called 'Mother' (by Fantusi). I blessed her spirit, asked her to let go of all worldly possessions and asked that she may never know fear again. 'May you rest in peace in the arms of the Great Mother, with the protection of Grandmother Rock.' I spoke of her loving ways and thanked her for being my Mum. I then sang a song to send her Spirit on its way …

'Within the stillness of the heart,
The White Dove flies.
From soul to soul she rides the wind.
She’s born and never dies.
Sweet soul, your journey’s just begun
Sweet lover of the light, your time has come.
Sweet soul, your journey’s just begun
Sweet lover of the light, your time has come.'

This ritual was very moving for us all and there were many tears shed, every one of us thinking about our own dear mothers.

We all took a handful of petals and I placed the box in the ground, covered it over and put a white feather on the East side to symbolize freedom and rebirth. I put my flowers on the earth, said a prayer, and the others, very movingly, one by one, placed their flowers there and paid homage to the great spirit that she was. After that I passed around a large crystal that I had dedicated to her on the day she died, and we all put our own special healing vibe into it, then wedged it in a hole in the rock face, faceted side facing in, to empower this very sacred rock even more.

The circle was opened and as I was feeling very shaky and in need of a really big cuddle, we all had a group hug, with me in the middle (YUMMMM!) and did a big HUMMMM, and whooped and hollered. We then sat up on Grandmother Rock to ground our energy, take in the scenery, and feel the rock’s very special vibe.



This has been my most powerful and moving ceremony so far which I was most honoured to share with my partner Mook , our newfound friends from Japan, and Echan from Canada.


Blessed Be.

Email Mook and Shanti ~ mookshan@byrononline.net
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