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Join the Twin Cities Grief Collective for our monthly Community Grief Ritual at Lakewood Cemetery. Together we create a sacred space where grief in all its forms can be honored and held in community.
A Community Grief Ritual is a practice of gathering with others to tend to sorrow, longing, and loss in a supportive circle. It is rooted in the wisdom that grief is not meant to be carried alone. Through song, reflection, movement, and deep listening, we witness one another with compassion. Deep listening means receiving what is shared without judgment or fixing, trusting that presence itself can be healing. In this space, all grief is welcome, and all expressions of grief—whether tears, wails, silence, laughter, or story—are honored.
Our rituals are not meant to solve grief, but to make space for it. Sometimes new discoveries or tender feelings may emerge. We encourage participants to care for themselves after the ritual—through rest, journaling, connecting with trusted friends, and exploring ongoing grief support. Our collective also offers resources and can help point you toward additional care.
What to Expect
Each ritual offers time for settling, sharing, and closing together, with space afterward to reorient gently before returning to the world. Doors open at 9 AM for coffee, gathering and quiet reflection. Ritual starts promptly at 9:15. The ritual itself lasts about 90 minutes, followed by optional time to explore Lakewood’s beautiful grounds.
Guidelines
There is no right or wrong way to grieve.
● All expressions of grief are welcome here.
● Everything is an invitation, not a demand.
● Your soul and body know what you need – listen to them.
● Be as fully present as possible.
● Trust and learn from the silence.
● No fixing, no saving, no advising others – this is vital to make
space for grief.
● Honor and respect all spiritual traditions that may be present
here.
● When things get rough, turn to wonder. Set aside judgment to be
more deeply present.
● Observe deep confidentiality of all that is said here.
● Don’t sorrow alone.
● You are welcome here.
The Twin Cities Grief Collective is a volunteer organization that holds a free monthly community grief ritual on the 3rd Saturday of the month from 9-11 am at Lakewood Cemetery.
These guidelines are based on the Circle of Trust Touchstones developed by Parker Palmer and The Center for Courage and Renewal.
What to Bring
You are invited to bring an object that represents your grief to place on our community altar during the ritual. It will be returned to you at the end of our time together. Cash donations are welcome.
About the Twin Cities Grief Collective
The Twin Cities Grief Collective is an organization of healing professionals -ritualists, spiritual directors, healing practitioners, music therapists, death doulas, and chaplains – committed to creating sacred space for loss and longing to be tended in community. All grief matters and we honor grief in all its forms as essential to the human experience. We offer this monthly ritual pro bono because we believe in the transformational power of grief, well-tended, to create a more compassionate and loving world for all beings. If you have questions or would like to hire us create a ritual for your family or organization, email us at twincitiesgriefcollective@gmail.com
Meet the Collective
Meet the individuals involved in the Community Grief Ritual led by members of the Twin Cities Grief Collective
Jadah Green
Spiritual Direction, Flower Bathing, Sigal Candles, & Museum Sage Guiding.
Greater Twin Cities, some services offered via Zoom
https://www.epiphany-house.com/
epihpanyhousellc@gmail.com
Syneva Barrett
Spiritual Guide, Ritualist, Death Doula
Greater Twin Cities, some services offered via Zoom
howlingowluniverse@gmail.com
Andrea Aase
Ancestral Lineage Healing, Ritualist, Reiki Master, Tarot
Greater Twin Cities, some services offered via Zoom
https://www.threeofcupsmedicine.com
andrea@threeofcupsmedicine.com
Sarah Cledwyn
Spiritual Guide, Energy Healer, Retreat Leader, Ceremonialist
Officed in Saint Paul and available online
sarah@sarahcledwyn.com
Julia Lopez-Kaley
Music Therapist, Spiritual Companion/Director, Energetic Ecologist Practitioner
Greater Twin Cities, some services offered via Zoom
julia@liminaltending.com
The Lakewood Welcome Center
This event takes place in the Community Room in the Welcome Center at Lakewood. This beautiful, state-of-the-art building provides a warm and sunny backdrop for community events, in addition to offering quiet space for families to gather and make arrangements for end-of-life.
Parking and Transportation
Driving Directions
Feel free to park anywhere along Lakewood’s roads unless otherwise noted with a no parking sign. Please do not park or drive on the grass.
Bus Directions
A bus stop is located right outside of Lakewood’s gates. Please refer to the Metro Transit website for the most up to date information about bus lines and schedules.
Bike Directions
Biking at Lakewood is permitted to and from and event, service, or grave. Lakewood has several small bike racks. Bike rack locations are noted on the map below.
Please do not lock bikes to any of our signs or trees. Please use caution when biking through Lakewood and yield to any vehicles or machinery. A 20mph speed limit is enforced. External speakers playing music are not permitted at Lakewood.
Our cemetery roads were not designed for biking. Unlike city streets, there are no stop signs or traffic signals. Often, people driving in the cemetery may be grieving and distracted. Because of this, recreational biking is not encouraged.
Questions?
For questions about the event, call Lakewood at 612-540-5165 or email events@lakewoodcemetery.org.
