Kirstie Celebrant

12/11/2025

Hi. It's me. Is it you?

Tis the time of year for my annual shout out ...

Did anyone put away their fairy lights last winter and promise themselves they'd have new ones this year?

If you are in possession of anything light-up that has reached the end of its relationship with you, please do consider chucking it our way.

As ever, we are putting together our Winterval Interval on a shoestring.
As ever we have Bollinger visions and Irn Bru pockets.

Also, whilst I'm at it, as Dead Positive is now a CIC - if anyone knows of any supportive businesses looking to donate to worthy community loveliness please also chuck them our way (but more gently, so as not to bump heads like).

Sending love and a throwback pic to last year's Winterval in which we created an extravaganza for the princely sum of 16 pence xx

12/11/2025

A funeral is a chance for a deep dive into story.
Space in which to absorb the memories of others.
Space in which to enliven our own.

Something which can be especially essential when your person has lived with dementia.

Allowing opportunity for reset.
To enable the person shaped by their illness to gently fade so that the person they truly are can be reenergised in the story of your life.

Sending love, as always x

09/11/2025

It's been a minute since we rambled on a Sunday morning, hasn't it?

This morning I woke up in the cosiest room. Nestled in like a Brambley Hedge mouse all tucked up for winter. Held by love.

A restorative night away with one of my longest standing friends.

Yesterday we viewed art. Marvelled at the creative whimsy of modern people alongside the creative philanthropy of long gone ones. We laughed and shared one another's sadness. We ate incredible food. And sat by the fire.

And this morning I woke up feeling like the most fortunate person who ever breathed.

This world is one in which, to survive, we need to touch every texture, see every colour, drink every breath. This world is one in which it increasingly feels that if you're not angry or afraid then you're clearly not listening. And then there's also love. Everywhere. Like f**king EVERY where.

I think we're beholden to unearth the little things and to marvel at them.
To tune out of the noise when we can and listen to the real.
To wear all of ourselves on the outside so that others feel able to do the same.
To indulge in someone emptying their heart through their finger and, via some magic and a screen, be able to see that heart for what it is.

I don't know what any of this means.
But I do know we're not meant to.
I don't know why it feels right to share this in this way.
But I do know that it does.

How are you?

Sending love as always x

PS if you love the vibe of this bedroom then the rest of the house would make your knees weak x

12/10/2025

Been thinking about ashes. Coz that's completely normal, right?

Been thinking about all the cremains of people lurking in urns and boxes, under stairs, in wardrobes.

Not the ones being intentionally held. Not the ones treasured, full of meaning and connection and energy. Not those ones. Those one are right where they're meant to be.

Been thinking about the ones which have lost their magic through time, through disconnect, because their magic was never yours for whatever reason. Those ones.

Those ones can, understandably, weigh heavy.

Been thinking about how freeing those, how releasing that weight, how letting them go with love, with care, with relief might actually be really healthy. How the weight of them might only be truly realised once they are gone.

If you're holding ashes and their journey doesn't feel complete yet, I'm always happy to help you to explore how you might complete their journey.

Who knows? Might be the key to freeing something new for you.

Sending love as always x

The Law Commission says funeral directors should be able to send unclaimed ashes back to crematoria.

01/10/2025

PhD induction day 2.

Haiku/draw our inspiration.

Pinning this here so when things become overwhelming I'll remember why it matters.

Being back at school (albeit only part time) is the cat's meow.

Sending love x

30/09/2025

First day at Big School.

Obligatory front door pic.

Oh my eeeeeekkk!

Sending love x

13/09/2025

What Saturday night looks like when it's your launch in 4 sleeps!

Are you following Dead Positive on socials?

Are you joining us on Wednesday?

Are you on board with our big bold compassionate revolution?

All the cool kids are.

Sending love as always xx

06/09/2025

Rambling on a Saturday?? What fresh madness be this?

Just felt like talking to you all. It's autumn isn't it? How does that feel for you?

Autumn has as many gorgeous glimmers as all the other seasons.
If you're struggling to see any though here are some suggestions of ones to try to spot -

⭐️The urge for new stationery- indulge it even if it's just a brand new single Bic. I usually try to only ever write with the legendary pens of Association of Independent Celebrants which are so lush whenever anyone signs their paperwork and comments on how nice the pen is i ask them to keep it - hence my dwindling supply - but I accidentally slummed it this week with a Bic that pixies had put in the kitchen drawer and the novel newness of it made me smile.

⭐️Super dry leaves looking up at you from the pavement. Scrunch them. Like deliberately stomp them. They're sad if you don't. It's what they've been looking forward to all summer. When you scrunch them with your feet remind yourself that very soon a day will come which is dry and bright and blustery and so many of the leaves will have bunched together all quivering with excitement as they wait for you to run through them up to your knees. When that day comes seize it. Like carpe it like you've never carpe-ed a diem before.

⭐️If you're reading this I'm assuming that the privilege of owning a phone is accompanied by the privilege of having a roof over your head. Blow your ceiling a kiss. Days are coming in which the wind and rain will test your walls and windows (accidental metaphor for life) and you'll be able to snug up. There are few joys in life greater than being able to snug up.

I forced myself to find such glimmers this week. Sometimes it's a week more emotional than others. That's just life, not necessarily work-related.

For me the seams of this week strained against the feels - difficult conversations - facing sad realities of ageing parents with my siblings - supporting a friend whose dad stopped breathing - supporting another in delivering a funeral for her son who had - laughing my head off with a couple I'd just married - pretending I was my mate's assistant Little Wonderland Photography- Cheshire eventhough all I was doing was holding the bride's champagne - looking at my husband and feeling my veins run with gratitude - the complete satisfaction of making a dress - excitement plotting treats for my baby's 18th - bafflement having been given the finger by a passing motorist - sheer relief of the antibiotics kicking in and my mouth infection f**king the f**k off - the flags, so many confusing flags ....

Then last night I watched the news. I try not to. I more of a radio person. But the unfolding of the latest events in the life of my hero Angela Rayner felt seismic to me. I am sad for her. Cross with her. Furious at the system of misogyny and class snobbery that was always in the blocks about to pounce. And then I saw Gaza.

If you're not sad, or scared, or raging, or baffled, or frustrated then you are not listening.

If you are listening and it feels overwhelming, coz how could it not, remember this ...
if each one of us commits to open heartedly ensuring that we do as little harm as possible, if each one of us focuses on that above all else and is quick to apologise the second we realise we did otherwise, we have the power to change it all.

There ends my TED talk.
Thank you.
You're appreciated more than you know.
Sending love x

03/09/2025

20/08/2025

TW

Teeny little short read but an enormously impactful description of grief.

"Right now, in this very, very moment ..."

Is surely the only opening to an answer when a grieving person is asked how they are.

Hats and gloves and all other accessories off to Aubrey Plaza. She'll always be Janet Snakehole to me.
Sending love x

https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2025/aug/19/aubrey-plaza-husband-jeff-baena-death?CMP=fb_gu&utm_medium=Social_img&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwQ0xDSwMShA9jbGNrAxKDtWV4dG4DYWVtAjExAAEew9oYG8KcKwr4f-Az76fkSR8bR-fKaU6MpFRby4PUQRSd_jJzgnxcM5sHN5c_aem_5p4zlgS-h0u6JPyWvuaLGw =1755625993

Actor opens up about death of her director husband Jeff Baena, referring to her grief as ‘a giant ocean of awfulness’