Death & Desserts

Bold and bright, delicate white. Sinister bloom, bouquets of doom.  Flowers have been intrinsically tied with death for almost as long as we’ve had society and funeral rites. Grab your favorite chocolate-covered candies because we’ve discovered ours, and let’s talk about all the flowers at funerals, found in cemeteries and arts, and of course, the blooms that can kill. This week is…THE FLOWERS OF...

Death News: "Dead" Woman found breathing in coffin Dessert: Fruit Salad made by Sonne with produce by Darnell Farms Resources: Queer Funeral Guide Funeral Planning in the LGBTQ+ Community LGBTQIA Deathcare Professionals The future of queer death could be outside of the funeral home 6 Funeral Alternatives Credits: Research by Sonne & Czarria Editing and Art Provided by Czarria Theme M...

We advise listener discretion for a frank discussion of mental illness, homophobia, transphobia, suicidal ideation, and some profoundly uncomfortable statistics regarding LGBTQ Youth in America today. If these topics are distressing, we hope you take care of yourself and skip today's episode. Whenever you’re feeling ready and able we hope you’ll join us. Today's interview with Adrian is ul...

In Honor of AAPI Heritage Month, we wanted to dip into Far East Asian Death Deities briefly. This will definitely be a topic we will delve into in the future, not only for the Far East Asian regions but all the other regions. We specifically wanted to talk about The Abandoned Princess. “Bari Gongju muga” is a Korean Shaman priest’s “Muga”. Muga is a ritual sacred song performed by ⁠"Mudang/무...

Death News: First Known Death Reported as an AI Hoax Dessert: Death Cupcakes by Death Cupcakes FOR Death Cupcakes, Box mix by Betty Crocker. Effort By Sonne and Czarria. Fun: Can You Figure Out What These Band Logos Say? Resources: Credits: Research by Sonne & Czarria Editing and Art Provided by Czarria Theme Music: "Not As It Seems" - Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under C...

This is uploading on the official first anniversary of Episode 1. We have had a year of ups and downs, successes, and disasters, not only with life but also with the podcast, some of our plans, footage, and many desserts. But we aren't stopping yet. Thanks for hanging in there for our first season. We will see you for the start of Season 2 in one month, where as always, we will be discussing t...

Did you hear that? I hope not. The wail of the banshee is an ill omen, heralding the death of a family member. Sit down, grab some tea, and let us regale you with old tails. But don’t call them superstitions…they’re to be taken more seriously than the leprechauns themselves.  Dessert: Tea Cookies from Kandi's Cakes and Bakeshop   Death News/PSA: Drunk Driving - Saint Patrick's Day Resour...

Happy Women's History Month! Death Trivia: Henrietta Bowers Duterte : 1817-1903 Dessert: Twinkies by Hostess Cakes Resources:  When Death Was Womens Business Women are Revitalizing the Death Industry Death Doulas Rise with Covid-19 Pandemic Gender Dominance in Funeral Service Badass Women of the Death Industry: Caitlin Doughty (Mortician, Author, Advocate) - L et's Visit The Human Compositing...

How sentimental are we? Sentimental enough to keep a piece of a dead body? Should we all snip hair now to keep it on hand for the inevitable? Do you have a tattoo you’d like preserved for posterity? Let’s talk about keepsakes from the dead. Death Trivia: Victor Noir Dessert: Girl Scout Cookies (but are they made from real girl scouts?) Sources: Bronze Age Britons Made Keepsakes from Dead Relatives...

Death In The News:  E-Bike Battery Blaze in Queens 12-year-old girl dies in TikTok Challenge Two Men Killed in Freak Cockfighting Incidents Dessert: Brownies with Cherry Whip by Sonne  Resources: Why We Write Obituaries Cultural Implications of Obituaries History of the Obituary Reasons NOT to have an Obituary Why You Should Write Your Own Obituary What is Necrology? Why Do Some of the E...

Is there another side? Have some of us been there? Is there dessert? We ponder such things as we discuss near-death experiences, what they are, what they are not, and whether or not such experiences are purely biological or if there is something…divine on the other side.  Death News :  Research in Pigs Shakes Up What We Know About Dying Resources: Near-death experience - Wikipedia Near-D...

Antarctica may be one of the hardest places on Earth to live. So how many ways are there to die on this frozen, mysterious continent? Grab the hot cocoa to warm your soul and let us count the ways.  Bibliomancy (New Years Divination in lieu of Death News this week) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bibliomancy Sources www.coolantarctica.com Hidden Antarctic Secrets - All is Revealed what "they" d...

Death News: Archeologists Discover Mummies with Solid Gold Tongues Resources: Spirits: 314 - The Wild Hunt Calling All Spirits: Wolf Days, Liminal Time and the 12 Days AFTER Christmas Charles Dickens...More Thana Christmas Carol Charities & Fundraisers: Help Nayna Kick Cancer Help Corvus With Cancer Expenses Binx's Home For Black Cats Grandma Mary's Cookie Recipe: 2 cups of flour 1 teaspoon ba...

We jump out of hiatus to talk about the funeral traditions of Southern Europe and to eat Sonne's Chocolate Raspberry Poke Cake.

Light your Jack’o’lanterns and set out your “treats” for the denizens of otherworlds as the veil grows thin. Let’s sit around a silent supper or tell each other’s futures—hushed whispers in the dark, raucous celebration in the firelight. Take a bite of an apple and learn about Samhain, the Gaelic fire festival of the dead. Dessert: Apples from Apple Wedge Packers, Hendersonville NC Death Trivia: A...

Death Trivia: The Gay Love Letters of Hans Christian Andersen The Heartbreak of HCA Hans Christian Andersen Dessert: Key Lime Pie from The Lunchbox Cafe - Canton, NC Resources: Where Does The Concept of the Grim Reaper Come From? Death (Personified) The Grim Reaper Credits: Research by Sonne, Editing & Art by Czarria  Theme Music: "Not As It Seems" - Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) ...

There are 4 possible afterlife destinations in the Ancient Aztec religion: Chichihuacuauhco - The Sacred Orchard of the Gods, Mansion of the gods, and dead infants. Souls wait to repopulate the earth. Mictlan - The Place of Darkness, reserved for those who died of natural causes, old age, or "common" illness. After a 4 year journey, your soul is destroyed. No reincarnation for you! Ilhuuicatl-Tona...

Death In The News: Historic African-American Church Cemetery listed on National Register of Historic Places  Dessert: Cannoli by DiMaggio Pizza & Pasta  Resources/Stuff You Need To Read: The difference between Palliative Care and Hospice 7 Documents You Need to Fill Out ASAP Five Wishes The Freedom of Planning for Your Own Death Credits: Research by Sonne & Beth Editing and Art P...

Death Trivia : King's Drops Medicinal Cannibalism in Early Modern English Literature and Culture *author misattributed. The author is Louise Noble. Dinner Guests : Hunter S Thompson , Rumi , Alice Roosevelt , Joan of Arc , Nietzsche , Emma Goldman , Bruce Lee , Tutankhamun , Kafka , Christopher Lee , Bowie , Prince , Leonard Cohen , Vincent Price , Nina Simone , Jack The Ripper , Alan Turing , Lew...

This episode was entertaining and exciting for us. That may sound weird, but it's true. On our recent journey of exploring burial options, we kept running into new things we had NEVER heard of (quick - define aquamation!) I think it's fair to say that we are both rethinking some aspects of our current personal funeral plans. There is no reason to shy away from thinking about your options, or at th...

If you could have a dinner party for 5 dead guests, who would they be, and why? What would you serve to eat? A full menu, or just dessert? Give us all the details! We will be publishing a Listeners Episode, on the first Saturday of every month. For the September episode, the deadline to submit your answer is August 30th! Please DM or email us! You can connect with any of our socials here or Send E...

Want the dead to open up and tell you their secrets? Well, you’ll have to open them up yourself and take a peek! We talk about the often inaccurately depicted procedure known as the autopsy and enjoy some melty dessert from the local heroes at Jukebox Junction. Death In The News: Human Remains and Animal Sacrifices Found in Dorset Resources: What Is an Autopsy? Autopsy Types Private Autopsy Provid...

Oh, sweet deathlings, you shared such wonderful stories. From the subtle presence of a lost beloved sister to tiny but fierce guardians to a wild group experience, you gave us some great stories. Thank you so much and we can’t wait to hear more! Please check out our show notes on our website to see the location featured in the story directly from Sonne's Uncle Chuck. Death In The News: Colorado Fu...

In Today's Episode, we wrap up Part 2 of our discussion around Eastern European Death and Funeral Customs. We learned so much from all the research for these episodes, and we hope you did the same. From the Macedonian use of Magic Kerchiefs and Albanian Custom of preventing vampires to the Ukrainian "Week of the Nymphs", and their Pysanky Eggs, our minds were boggled at every turn. But not as bogg...

Oh, Sweet Darklings. We took such a journey. From the Balkans to the Baltics and everywhere in between, we tread through some of the most mysterious and ancient parts of Eastern Europe and found their pagan roots still mingling with their Eastern Orthodox and Muslim patriarchs. It was magical and I hope it piques your curiosity as it did ours. The journey was so long, that we had to break it into...