OLIVIA PEPPER: QUEER GRIEF Queer Death Stories podcast

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Naomi is a glorious human ! So grateful to have her as a friend, and inspiration in this work. Are you following her on IG as The Glorious Hum ? If you are looking for a new perspective on grief, and how to give yourself permission to just be with it, I would absolutely encourage you to go follow her now. She is a queer and FABULOUS host of a space called Black Folks Grieve (along with A Tribe Called Queer) and I have enjoyed her personal shares and wisdom for years on her page. One thing the algorithm does not encourage is stepping back to take space, to be quiet, to mourn on out own time. In this conversation we talked about the universality of Grief and how it intersects with harm to communities that are already trying to heal. As always I appreciate you for listening and for giving my show a stellar rating. Also please help me by supporting MOTHER MARROW (my amazing friend /musical guest for this season) they are on tour and if you wanted to show them some love on Band Camp or on IG that would be so appreciated! The QDS Virtual ZEEN # 3 is coming out next week The issue is Dead Hot Summer and if you would like to submit a small piece or receive it in your inbox follow me on IG and send me a little message! Love Yall Moon…

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MOTHER MARROW 36:59

3 years тому36:59

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Hey Queers , Happy Pride YALL!!!!! Happy Summer too! And for the Cancers out there, it's your time to shine babies! My guest for this episode, Charity Cimarron is magical! And not just because they are SO GENEROUSLY allowing me to share their BEAUTIFUL music for this season?! But also because they are Queer, and therefore Magical! Charity lives in the Asheville area, one of my favorite places ever, they are a dedicated parent, a weaver, singer / storyteller and a phenomenal musician! I love their voice, and I could listen to their music all day long, finding little parts of the songs that I haven't taken in before. I love their dream of taking their passions for Death Positivity / Education and combining them with their goth rocky music to help people feel less alone, a little more CURIOUS . We must have said the word Curious 100 times, (I edit people! lol) I love so many things that they said in this conversation about the multitudes, and the mycelial connections, it occurs to me how much we need more people that think this way, with compassion and open heartedness. And how blessed we are to have Charity, and their gorgeous music available on Spotify as Mother Marrow on IG & Bandcamp! xo Moon…

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Meet Mangda : Bacii is Beautiful 50:26

3 years тому50:26

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Ghosts, Witch House and Sylvia Plath OH MY.... This Pastel Goth Angel and I got together to talk about DEATHHHHHH Meet Mangda (find her IG Bacii and say HIII) BACII is a Laotian word for Spirit Gathering, ritual, and celebration. I love everything she said in this conversation and will me taking it with me everywhere. We need more gentleness, more connection and compassion for ourselves. It is a gift to know and love someone who has been through it, is going through it, and leads with her heart. But also how we need each other to help demystify this pathway. I'm excited because together we are creating a monthly space SKY LOUNGE (Virtual Heaven) a mixer for the Death Curious. If you would like to join us for the next event (June 16th 6pm EST / 3pm PST) please DM either of us on IG Thank you for the love the support and always sharing these conversations with others! The 2nd issue of QDS Virtual Zine DADDY ISSUES & QUEER PRIDE out soon. If you would like to submit a piece for July The HOT issue pls Dm me. Love Yall Moon Fang…

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MICHELLE TEA: SISTER SPIT 49:58

3 years тому49:58

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Hello hello YALL I was so lucky to interview one of my Queer Icons author and badass outsider Michelle Tea for a second time!!! Who didn't we name drop on this auspicious day? Birthday Queen Dolly Parton was absolutely in our hearts, along with Phoebe Cates, Joh Wayne Gacy, Janis Joplin, Stevie Nicks, punk mama icon Ariel Gore, two Edgars (one Poe), and Gay Jesus too....and more OMG if you haven't read Michelle's books you're in for a treat. She is the epitome of SPARKLE MOTION , and in this saucy convo we also went deep into the depths of what is is meant by EGO DEATH ? Is it truly a goal, or is it more like a really bad acid trip? Is it merely another way of describing shedding of old skins? As a Gemini Snake I am so interested in shedding and REBIRTH. I also love how real she is about her grief, sharing her divorce PTSD and coping with loss.I feel like we're just like sisters gossiping and giggling about the stars on the telephone. Except these stars are more galactic less Johnny Depp . She has been so generous and supportive of my show I'm so grateful to have had these conversations with her. Please go find her, read her books, and let me know if you wanna be in my bookclub and read her new opus KNOCKING MYSELF UP when it comes out in June!…

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DR AMANDA STRONZA : ANIMAL MEMORIALS 44:37

3 years тому44:37

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Dr Amanda Stronza is an ICON y'all. If you've never seen her IG or her website you're in for a treat!!! Her passion for creating memorials and rituals for animals who have been hit by cars and abandoned make her an honorary Death Midwife in my book, and a bit of a witch too ! (And you know how I love my fellow witches) By day, she is a well respected anthropologist and photographer, but she also dedicated to educating us on how to make space for these small creatures who die in silence, be it deer or mice, snakes or rabbits. She makes them each a beautiful mandala or simply decorates their bodies with flowers and gives them a caring "send off". I was so moved by her images when I first discovered her on IG that I immediately needed to follow her and know more. Sharing her carefully arranged effigies withy own community in order to invoke more understanding for this work I'm doing too. We don't need expensive funeral homes and metal coffins, we need to be reconnected with nature and to return to our roots. These modern sanitized solutions are not sustainable, and they are not even cost effective?! Amanda should know, her work in Africa is incredible to witness in the documentary with ECOexist on her website. As a conservationist her focus is on harmonizing humans with nature. And she is every bit the compassionate, brilliant deep soul that she appears to be on social media. Authentic and tender, and so fierce. Even though she doesn't think of herself as "brave", she is RAD. To be honest, it's hard to imagine people getting upset with her about her photos. But like we talk about in this conversation, people are frightened by DEATH and pain. Seeing dead animals is very heartbreaking, but then again we also need to stop looking away. They need our advocacy, our friendship, our grace as they lay suffering, or discarded. In this conversation you'll hear her talk about "human exceptionalism" when it comes to death and I hope her message reaches as many folks as possible. We need to move towards understanding that every death matters. Every living being deserves death with dignity! If you like my show please give me a kind review , share with your Grandma (true story someone did and she loved it) share with your co workers and neighbors, the more we have these discussions the less alone we feel in our grief. The next episode airs next week! With the one and only Legendary Queer Outsider Author & Astrologer Michelle Tea…

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OLIVIA BAREHAM : DEATH GURU 56:42

3 years тому56:42

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Hello Beautiful friends and family!!! Welcome back to Queer Death Stories Podcast ...!!!!!! I've been so busy with interviews it's been almost two months since I've last been in this process, been in the producer seat, been in the DIY lounge LOL It's no secret that this pa, the intentions are I'm keeping in my mind's eye are to really try to get to the core, what is this work we call death, what is is s to every word. I'm so lucky for this opportunity and can't emphasize how cool it is that these people start out as just other folks I admire, and morph into my friends, and we stay in touch and share more behind the scenes, and it brings me so much joy. I want to share that with you too, which is why I've decided to take on another role, as QDS becomes a newsletter!!! If you would like to subscribe please message me at QDS on Instagram! This season is so different , the intentions I'm keeping in my mind's eye are to really try to get to the core, what is this work we call death, what is Queer Grief , why must we continue to tell our stories, and who needs to hear them ? Also this season I have (and therefore you have) been gifted the breathtaking music of Mother Marrow, a band lead by a friend and a guest my show this season Charity Cimarron !!! Their song Good as Dead is also on Bandcamp. Please go follow them on all the places you get your music, and you can find them on IG as well. You know, I'm always inspired and curious to hear how other folks began their mystical carpet ride of death work, grief work, doula care, and spiritual path walking, but in this particular episode I wanted to have an intimate conversation with one of my mentors : REVEREND OLIVIA BAREHAM Is a mythical sort teacher, she is the kind of person who can walk you through your own grave (if you know you know) and also laugh at the her own human weaknesses. Maybe it's her accent that draws people close, or maybe it's the all the wisdom she's earned over the years of building her dream to revolutionize the way we sanitize death and dying? She is absolutely a pioneer. Or maybe it's her witchy magic that she channels while she is guiding her students into a portal where they encounter Kali or contemplate their own aging bodies? One thing I know is she is a goddess , she is kindness, beauty and compassion embodied. Please go follow her at Sacred Crossings IG today and visit her other interviews for more insight to her incredible work. Take her courses (I did) and tell her Moon says Hi. Watch her on YouTube demonstrate her home funerals, you guys they are so elegant, and so peaceful. Each body is covered in rose petals and other flowers and then laid to rest in natural coffins with drawings and messages from loved ones. Just by watching these videos, that could be frightening to anyone with death anxiety, you can feel her love and you know you're safe. You can see why she was my first guest, like a home base or a touchstone she has been there for me along the way. Giving me words of encouragement, and even caring for our nephew that died suddenly last year from an overdose. I trust Olivia because she living and breathing this work, and can even pause and reflect when she doesn't have the answers. To me that takes courage. Thank you so much for listening!!! If you would please rate and review my show (if you enjoyed it hah) it helps me SO MUCH. If you wanna share your story reach out to me Moon Fang on IG at Queer Death Storie s (let's be friends). Lots of love and gratitude! Moon…

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NICOLE J GEORGES : QUEER ICON 39:25

3 years тому39:25

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Hello beautiful friends & fam!!! In honor of LOVE WEEK I re-worked this little baby and here she is back in the MIX! Y'all Nicole was my first guest, and she is AMAZING. Kind, Funny as Hell, and so crushable. ( my wife agrees !) She is someone who inspires me to tell my stories and to keep making art everyday. I even wear a SMOCK now because of her. I LOVE this conversation with my cult hero Nicole J Georges so much that I went back to the beginning and tweaked the episode adding music and other touches to make it even better for you! In case you are not already stanning Queen NJG : Nicole J Georges is a Queer writer, artist, dog mother to Ponyo , and a QUEER ICON . She was so unbelievably generous to come meet me meet in zoomlandia to talk about her incredible podcast Relative Fiction , (GO LISTEN) and queer grief, healing with art, and her mentor Lynda Barry ! I still can not even believe it that I got to spend and hour with her and I really wanted to re-share this episode with all of you because she is FABULOUS .…

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OLIVIA PEPPER: QUEER GRIEF 46:26

3 years тому46:26

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Star Poet OLIVIA PEPPER is a Cosmic forecaster and Queer Icon. It makes perfect sense that I would conclude QDS season one with their prescient reflections on Queer Grief and explaining how we need to heal from within as a community. Many "archaic thoughts" around sexual preferences and gender identities are still alive and well today ! We still have infighting and gatekeeping that prevent all of our Queer Community from feeling whole, validated, and protecrted . The violence from the outside world of heteronormativity / patriarchy / white supremacy continues against our people, our trans women of color particularly, and we need to discuss how to help each other heal , and to continue to move forward with our queer ancestor's legacies of social justice . TODAY not just for the month of June ?! This conversation was heavy, and yet we found ways to highlight the beauty and strengths that organically emerge from our people, who are historically fierce and resilient. I appreciate Elvy's POV because they are kind they are wise and they are committed to Queer Healing & Justice . AND JUST LIKE THAT Well Friends and Family.. It's hard for me to believe that this is the end of season one, only five months later?! I have had so many amazing conversations with many of you, and I can not wait to have even more. QDS season 2 is going to be LIT . I have already started interviewing some incredible folks that bring new meaning to ART, DEATH & QUEERNESS! I can't wait to share! But in the meantime please help me spread the word about my show ! Tell your people, share the episodes with each other, tell your families, and rate my podcast on the various platforms ! It REALLY helps me out. I appreciate all the love and support and will continue to do my best to be weird, wild and inclusive !! Find me on IG and Twitter join the private QDS FB group and let's be friends y'all! With love Moon Fang…

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SALENA GODDEN : MRS DEATH 32:02

3 years тому32:02

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Hello beautiful friends and family~ Welcome to the second to last episode of QDS season 1!!! And it makes so much sense that this would season would end with two of my favorite poetic souls, storytellers, and visionaries, that to me are kindness embodied. First, the luminous poet & author Salena Godden sat down with me last fall to discuss modern grief, and the strange world we live in now after the Pandemic changed the world as we once knew it. Some months ago back in May, she was generous enough to join QDS for a virtual garden party, and read to us from her incredible book MRS DEATH MISSES DEATH . It was such a beautiful experience and a like a joyful reunion for our penpal style friendship, that has been one of a long distance shared love for the ocean, whales and of course poetry . And this second conversation was a delightful opportunity to sit down, one on one, with the full moon rising over her home in London. She sat in illuminated by candle light and surrounded by books, and shared what her what her life has been like lately. She described the emotional landscape out in the world on her book tour, and what that has been like for her as a deep feeler who didn't anticipate writing a book that would become more like prophecy, than prose. These days we are all witnessing collective grief , it's unescapable, hearing of so many people dying, losing loved ones, fearing the worst, and yes fighting with each other. And through her point of view I learned, that like me, so many others are drawn towards her, and her book because we are searching for a way to talk about what is happening. It's not easy being fabulous. Seriously, she has heard the heartbreak, and the worries, and sadness, and hugged many strangers who resonate with her words and create shrines in the back of their books! This is no ordinary book!it comes up front with a WARNING. This book is about DEATH. It's an EPIC story, one for the ages, and I feel it will especially speak to Queer Grievers. The central characters are Wolf and Mrs Death , a wounded, non binary child in despai r, and a shapeshifting old woman , who people go out of their way to ignore. What I love the most is the soft undulating underscore of hope and connection . Mrs Death is cautioning us to wake u p to see each other's pain, to listen to each other, to be activists for change, and it's the balm we need so desperately in a weary world torn to shreds by sadness. In celebration of the paperback edition, out someday soon in the US, I would absolutely love to start another QDS book club to re read this book and discuss it, please reach out if you're interested. The best way to find Salena Godden is on IG or Twitter, go say HELLO, and tell her Moon says HI! Find me there too, and let's talk about death and queerness baby! The next episode, wraps my first season. And appropriately I spoke with Star Poe t, Soothsayer, and heart melter Olivia Pepper, also known as Elvy and Pepper. We talked about Queer Grief , and as usual I loved listening to their observations, their grief forecast, their gentle voice that synthesizes kindness. Thank you all so much for listening, reviewing my podcast with also helps, please share with your friends and family, it really helps me so much. As always with love, Moon Fang…

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GOLDEN BETONY : UNDER THE PINK 41:09

3 years тому41:09

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Meet Golden , a fabulous Scorpionic, shapeshifting Queer astrologer , who has a lot of experience with grief and loss. They shared a bit of their poetic musings on Queering Death, in light of Covid, on giving our community access to resources, and the very serious need for queer joy. And it just so happened to be their birthday as well?! And I LOVE birthdays. It is always a great privilege for me to sit down and discuss how we need to project these futures onto to our people, how we need to keep queer lives centered in the narrative because mainstream culture all but forgets us, even when they aren't deliberately erasing us . Golden is a ritual practitioner and offers a variety of healing modalities and is also a full spectrum doula . They also shared with me some of their private struggle with chronic illness and the loss of a partner, but unfortunately some of the recording was uncooperative, and so I have gleaned the gems of this first conversation between us. Like many of these initial sit-downs I anticipate another time when we can sit down and revisit. If you are interested in connecting with Golden please follow them on IG as Ritual Witness . If you are a Queer griever, a death worker / worshipper, or an artist please PM me at QDS on IG . I would love to talk with you! Please tell your friends and family about my show, it really helps me so much. And as always I hope this conversation gave you some new insights and brought us a little closer to each other during these difficult times. I believe that by sharing these stories and reflections we are building better relationships together and can better support each other through our grief. Also you can subscribe to my Spotify page if you like and follow along with the playlists I make to accompany the interviews. I love a mixtape! So much love and Gratitude! Moon Fang…

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RAINBOW REMOVAL : QUEER BODY SNATCHERS 44:35

3 years тому44:35

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Welcome back QDS friends and fam! Meet Petra & Krystina ! Two of Portland, Oregon's coolest queers, changing the way people are treated after they die. You might not realize how potentially harmful the after death environment can be, and really why should you if you haven't worked for funeral services for years like these two have? As queer and biopoc folks know, these systems we are told to trust , are often toxic , and detrimental to our communities. And like they share with me in this conversation, conventional companies for profit do not always prioritize the rights of queer and trans bodies, much less the employees that do the "grunt work" for them, that are often treated without regard for their feelings or safety. I was really surprised to learn of this FABULOUS project because in all of my research and conversations I had not yet met death workers who actively cared bodies that weren't funeral guides or death doulas. But it makes sense to need advocacy in this liminal space , before the body is released to the family or funeral home. After all, we have to question who is protecting the integrity of your loved ones? Also in very sensitive situations it is beyond critical to have people that are supportive and non judgmental . I love that they call themselves "Queer Body Snatchers" because the implausibility of these strange circumstances we find ourselves in in this "death work" requires a serious sense of humor! I really enjoyed talking with them both, and hope that if you're in the Portland area you'll support them and their amazing business! HECK even if you aren't please make a donation to their go fund me so we can help them make this dream come true! Here's the link! Please find them on IG and tell them Moon sent ya! https://gofund.me/816bdc79…

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MADAME BLEU ~ THE PHOENIX 1:09:37

3 years тому1:09:37

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Meet Nadja also known as Madame Bleu . She is proud to be a fierce Mexican Satanist and advocates for animals as well as Death Positivity . We had a lot of fun in our first conversation getting to know each other, and learning how we are not so different, even with a fucking border wall between us! Nadja, like me, is passionate about social justice, and spreading awareness of how marginalized folks are the most vulnerable during these times. She also shares her perspective on the need for under privileged people to work during Covid, the reality of violence towards women, increasing in her culture, especially towards trans women. According to Nadja, "11 women are killed everyday" in Mexico, and that number includes children. She herself narrowly escaped her abusive stalker ex partner, and this another reason why she is so determined to speak up, and tell her story. Yet another tragedy we have in common. Courageously, she is also committed to abolishing the stigmas that encircle suicide , she has had her own relationship to suicidal ideation , and sadly because her father took his own life. Now she is using her grief to help educate others. I always love meeting people where they are, on their journey, and I'm so grateful Nadja found me, and that we're friends.…

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THE ABORTION DOULA 1:12:36

3 years тому1:12:36

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Meet Sarah, for obvious reasons I wanted to talk with her because of the current Abortion rights shit show we're in in our country at the moment, it's a nightmare, especially for women and non binary and trans folks who need access to an abortion, but live in a state (like TEXAS) that is literally targeting them. This year I've had the opportunity to tell my own abortion story, that is now almost 20 years old, but because of shame and stigma it's taken me this long to just fucking say it. Yes I had an abortion, I was 20 ish and poor and a survivor of childhood trauma and a single queer mother and so on, and it was a less than ideal situation to bring another child into, so I made an informed decision. One of the things I really appreciate about this open discussion with Sarah is that she is a fierce person who works in healthcare, and is raising two children and has also had an abortion. A LOT of us have and we are grateful , we are not ashamed and we are here to say it is not a crime. And it isn't always a choice to carry out a pregnancy even when you would like to, our bodies are put through so much for mental health and reproduction, not to mention sexual trauma, so it it should come as no surprise that we need to be able to make the best decisions we can under the worst of circumstances. Like most of my conversations we have open dialogue and sharing about how we have managed to somehow not die, and actually thrive after living through heartbreaking situations . And I really loved that in the beginning of our convo her kids were there sharing pre bed time stories with me about their funeral for a raccoon! Sarah is someone I admire deeply because of her passion and her radical honesty and someone I would absolutely want on my side. She has an amazing laugh and a bit of that spicy witch spirit I relate to, and I'm so grateful that she shared her story with me.…

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QUEER NEXT DOOR : MEGAN ASHLEY (Homicide Grief) 1:06:02

3 years тому1:06:02

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Meet Megan Ashley : Queer Next Door A writer, and co host of a fabulous podcast called Queers Next Door , ( I was honored to be on their show recently!) Megan is on a mission to spread Queer Joy! (You can follow her new IG account that is dedicated to highlighting exactly that) And perhaps one of the reasons she is focusing so intently on spreading QUEER JOY is because she's also a survivor of a homicide. Years ago her family was attacked by a stranger and her life was changed forever. She tells the story of her mother's murder as a way to heal and share her experiences. I have found a lot of healing from her perspectives on living with and struggling with PTSD. I especially wanted to share her perspective on Homicide Grief, because it is something we all know exists, but rarely ever hear spoken about in our Death Community . Why is that? When we we don't talk about this specific type of loss and grief, what happens to those left behind, those harmed, those friends and families that are dealing with loss and trauma at once? It doesn't make sense that we don't give them space more often. Homicides are at an all time high in the US (mostly due to gun violence don't get me started) and YET we are still not hearing enough from people who are going through this very specific kind of grief. While her story is a very painful one, she is a beautiful example of someone who had been through unimaginable HELL , but continues to be the light we need so much in this world. And I'm grateful to call her a friend. As a side note I also host a true crime podcast where I am telling a true story about a girl named Keri who was brutally murdered in the 90s. Part of the reason I'm telling that story is because we have a tendency to push these unpleasant crimes aside, because they're too painful to comprehend, but they need to be told in order to better understand their impact on communities, families, and how we need to do more for the people who are still here, very much alive.…

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CAITLIN COUTURE :QUEER DEATH DOULA (CAIM PDX) 1:01:17

3 years тому1:01:17