Hosted by Jo Jensen & Brooks Kasson

This Death Cafe has taken place

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About this Death Cafe

Austin Texas loves Death Café!!!

                        By Jo Jensen

On Thursday evening, November 21^st, Austin held its sixth Death Café  with a diverse group of fourteen men and women, most of whom had never attended a Death Café event. Oh yes, there were a couple of seasoned “repeaters” who brought their ongoing interest and curiosity to keep the conversation ever- lively.

Thanks to co-facilitator, Brooks Kasson, who enjoys transforming an average café  meeting room into an extraordinary sacred space, we began by closing the doors to the private meeting room at Café Express. Colorful tablecloths, tea lights flickering warmly, and a “talking stone” on every table set the tone for the intimate conversation that followed.  The talking stone does a fabulous job of eliminating “cross-talk.”  When someone wishes to ask a question or make a comment, s/he has the undivided attention of everyone at that table.  It an excellent tool!  

We recently switched to a format that seems to be working well for the number of people in attendance.  In an effort to bring the introverts more fully into conversation and provide the extroverts greater opportunity to sharpen their listening skills, we now break into multiple groups of 4-5 at a table. After about 40 minutes, we ring a chime letting folks know we are at the mid-point and they are welcome to move to a different table or remain where they are.  They are no longer limited to 4-5 to a table.  We often end up with a group interested in discussing more practical things like funeral planning or completing advance directive forms, while other table participants might be dialoguing about the spiritual aspects of death.  Every month brings new people and new topics of conversation.  There are small cards scattered about on tables and face down just in case the attendees need a question to boost their conversation.  Did I mention we had not one, but two cakes?  Oh yay…gingerbread and sour cream…and they were yummy!

Based on evaluations, last Thursday’s group seemed especially pleased with the event!  Some of the words used to describe the event were: liberating, sacred, interactive, edifying, enlightening, open, honest, comfortable, uncomfortable, and somewhere-in-between.  One comment was, “Interesting to see very organic discussions grow with very little structure (elegant, subtle guidance!).”

Death Café Austin takes a month sabbatical for the holidays and returns in January 2014 for more conversation and cake.   Thanks, Austin, for keeping us talking about living and dying!!!

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