Funerals In Our Western Society
The topic of death and dying is one that is mostly tip-toed around in our modern western culture. In the secular part of our society, in the last 50 years, the management of the body of the loved one, the participation of the family in planning and preparation, seem to have evolved away from the family into the role of the Funeral Parlour.
This may be the approach you wish to take, and we wish you well. However, if you have ever attended or been involved in a funeral ceremony that left you feeling a little distressed, or with the feeling that the ceremony was not one that paid true honour to the life of that loved one, then please read on. 
Civil Celebrant Funerals
Civil Celebrant Funerals are becoming recognized as a means by which the family can honour their loved one in a way that enhances the experience and recognizes the place of the ceremony in the most important grieving process. This process is well-recognised by social science professionals and is a vital link in the emotional healing process. Read the Civil Celebrant Funeral page to understand more.
The Funeral Celebrants represented on these pages are committed professionals who will work with you in preparing a ceremony that befits the memory of your loved one and considerably enhances the memory the family will hold of them.
Plan Your Own Funeral Ceremony
Funeral planning can encompass a number of activities that include insurance, selection of coffin, payment plans and so on. However, the most meaningful part of any funeral activity is the ceremony. This is the place where your life story can be told and where your place in your family can be honoured, where memories of your life are revived and given new life in those who remain. It is vitally important that you have a hand in this. Please consider planning your own ceremony.
What Can I Read That Might Help
The following list of books are recommended by celebrants who conduct funerals. Some are available through the Celebrants Centre.
To assist celebrants and others prepare for and deliver a Funeral:
Dally Messenger’s book ‘Ceremonies and Celebrations’, the funeral chapters, include five prototype ceremonies. It is the original and classic text for Funeral Celebrants and is available from the Celebrants Centre.
Books to Assist with Grief:
The following list of books are recommended by celebrants who conduct funerals. Some are available through the Celebrants Centre.
Mal and Dianne McKissock - ‘Coping with Grief’
Celebrant Robyn O’Connell’s book for children ‘What Happens when You Die’.
Elizabeth Kubhler-Ross - ‘On Death and Dying’ and ‘On Children and Death’.
Virginia Ironside - ‘You’ll get over it, The Rage of Bereavement’.
Kathleen Dowling Singh - ‘The Grace In Dying’.
Sri Chinmoy - ‘Death and Reincarnation’ (for those with Buddhist leanings).
Miriam Greenspan - ‘Healing Through The Dark Emotions’.
A Personal History - a Memorial
When a loved one dies and family members may be unable to attend a service or a memorial service, the pages in this section can be utilised to present the ceremony on-line to allow others to share your memories.
View these pages at www.apersonalhistory.com
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