August in Review + Coming Up
August was a month full of creativity, connection and community. Here are a few highlights...
We kicked things off with our Lammas Gathering, marking the end of our first full turn of the Wheel of the Year together. It may just have been my favourite yet; a nourishing evening of good food, beautiful humans and generous sharing. I’ve written more about the evening and this first year of gatherings over on the blog.
I also joined another Book & Zine Club with Common Room WSM, this time creating our own manifestos. I’ve loved meeting other local creatives through these sessions, and Common Room are now offering monthly Drawing as Resistance sessions. If you’re local to Weston-Super-Mare, they’re well worth checking out.
Our final Dead Curious event of the year brought the summer series to a close. I’m so pleased with the conversations we’ve had, and many of the questions raised have inspired new (free) resources for planning ahead. Getting curious about difficult subjects is one small way we can become more comfortable having the conversations that matter.
There’s been plenty of time outdoors, too. From watching the eclipse at Sand Bay to visiting friends in Worthing and taking a memento moriwalk through one of Brighton’s largest cemeteries.
Finally, I launched my new community talks and workshops offerings for local groups. If you know an organisation that might be interested in a creative workshop or educational talk, I’d love you to share my details with them.
Now, let’s look at what’s coming up…
Photo credit: Sammy Hill, Autumn Equinox Gathering 2025
You’re Invited
Our next seasonal gathering is coming up on Sunday, 20th September. The Autumn Equinox is the moment in the year when day and night stand in perfect balance.
A time for pausing and noticing what has grown, what has ripened and what we are now ready to lay down and release. In nature, nothing clings to its fullness. Leaves fall, seeds drop and the tide takes what is no longer tethered. So we will do the same.
Join us for a shared meal, seasonal wisdom and reflection as we mark the equinox together in Kewstoke. You can find more details linked above. If it resonates, I hope to see you there! Registration closes Wednesday, 16th September.
Memento Makers Workshops
As part of Good Grief Weston in October I’ll be facilitating two workshops open to adults of all ages to explore the meaning of remembrance and legacy in our lives. Items created in these workshops will be exhibited as part of the Memento Makers Art Exhibition at Weston Artspace on Sunday, 18th October. Find all the details and how to register here.
52 Meditations on Mortality
Our final session for this project is Thursday, 10th September, 6-9pm. The finished deck will be exhibited as part of the Memento Makers Art Exhibition on 18th October at Weston Artspace Cabin, Old Town Quarry. The sessions are free to attend for Artspace members and pay what you decide for non-members. No need to book, just turn up anytime between 6-9pm.
Calling all Creatives
🎨 Become a Memento Maker
We're inviting local artists and creatives of all kinds to contribute a piece of work exploring the themes of memory and legacy.
Your work might ask:
• How do we remember our people?
• What memories do we choose to hold onto?
• What does legacy mean to you?
• What traces do we leave behind?
• How can creativity help us remember, honour or make meaning from loss?
We're open to art in all its forms; from painting, photography and illustration to sculpture, textiles, collage, poetry and other creative responses.
Learn more here and come along on 18 October to see what our community has created, discover different perspectives on remembrance and legacy, and perhaps leave thinking a little differently about the marks we make and the memories we carry.
The Virtual Silent Book Club of Death is back on Sunday 13th November, 8pm (UK). Join us for 30-40 minutes of silent reading and stay for some book chats and recommendations. Register for free here.
On the Blog
What I’m Reading
Thanks to Emily for recommending my current read: Our Later Years, the Women of New Ground Cohousing. It’s a wonderful account of a group of women, once strangers, who have worked for many years to build a cohousing community together in London. The book tells their story and shares the wisdom they have gained over the past decade together. I love reading accounts of people going against the grain and finding alternative ways of living that work for them. If you enjoy reading and getting new recommendations, consider joining us for our next Virtual Silent Book Club!
Share & Connect
If something here resonated, there are a few simple ways to stay connected: come along to an event, share your reflections with me, or pass this newsletter on to someone who might enjoy what we’re creating here. And if you’d like to stay close to the rhythm of things between gatherings, you can find This Mortal Life on Instagram and Facebook, where I share regular reflections and updates.
A Final Note…
Everything I share through This Mortal Life…our gatherings, community conversations, blog posts and resource library, is created with love and a genuine desire to support people as they navigate living, grieving and dying.
This isn't my full-time job or a commercial venture. I create these resources in the spaces around my paid work, my relationships and my own life, and I offer much of it freely because I believe conversations about mortality, community building and a more hopeful future should be accessible to everyone.
That does mean things don't always arrive on a perfectly predictable schedule. The newsletter is monthly, but not always on the same day. Sometimes life asks for my attention elsewhere, and I trust this community will understand. My hope is that what I offer feels thoughtful, generous and worthwhile, even if it's occasionally a little imperfect. Thank you for being part of it, and for helping make this community what it is. Reach out if there’s ever anything you want to chat about.
Receive one email a month with the most recent blog posts and upcoming gatherings and events you want to know about. Sign up to the This Mortal Life mailing list and join our community to stay connected. It’s free, and it’s a lovely community to be connected to. Join us!
