Philotimo Life

Maria's on a mission to add a splash of colour to Ammo's wardrobe, and guess what shade she's picked? Green!  Join Maria as she chats with Candance Currie, a green burial advocate focusing on creating more green burial spaces. They dive deep into the world of green burials, explore Candance's journey into this unique field, and uncover the many benefits of going green for the afterlife.  But that's not all! Maria and Ammo also dissect the not-so-eco-friendly aspects of other burial practices, such as modern embalming and cremation. And, because it wouldn't be Philotimo Life without it, they take a spin on the Wheel of Misfortune for some predictably chaotic fun.  Whether you're a green burial aficionado or you've never thought twice about your final resting place, this episode promises to open your eyes to a world of alternative burial practices.  Prepare to bury your preconceptions and embrace the green way to rest in peace! Links: 11 Types of Green Burials via TalkDeath The environmental toll of cremating the dead via National Geographic  Why Conventional Burial Harms the Environment via Milton Fields Dulux Colour – Green The Medieval Arundel Tomb in Chichester via Medieval.EUAn Arundel Tomb by Philip Larkin via Poetry Foundation  How a Common Death Ritual Made It Harder to Mourn the Loss of My Mother via TIME Environmental Costs of the Afterlife via C&EN Understanding Aquamation via Eirene Can I have a Green Burial in Canada? via Eirene Toxic embalming chemicals via The Empty Square  Five Principles of a Green Burial via Green Burial Canada   Follow Philotimo Life on social! Twitter Facebook Instagram TikTok - Philotimo Life is produced and recorded by Maria Vassiliou and Ammo Somal in Toronto, Ontario. Audio by Stacie Hunter. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook!

Hey friends,  We have a special announcement! You'll hear Maria share that we have TWO sessions up for submission in for the 2024 SXSW programming, and we need YOUR votes! Please be sure to vote for our proposed sessions before August 20th, which is when voting closes! Maria wants to bring these sessions to the forefront of our collective conversations and societal discussions – since grief and death literacy are life skills everyone needs – and this is one way to do it. Links to vote are below, along with a summary of each session. Thank you for your votes and endless support 💖   VOTING LINKS Beyond Empathy: The Superpower Skill of the Future: https://bit.ly/3P2EKcP Good Mourning: Community Discussions Over Grief and Death: https://bit.ly/3QKN95H   SESSION DESCRIPTIONS Beyond Empathy: The Superpower Skill of the Future This session equips leaders and organizers with the skills and resources they need to lead compassionately and with a human-centric approach to navigating death and grief-related topics. This includes burnout, layoffs, the climate crisis, the death of a loved one, and other life transitions.   Good Mourning: Community Discussions Over Grief and Death This session is a meet-up to provide a space to lessen the tension and anxiety we feel when it comes to navigating death and grief discussions. People will be provided with prompt questions to discuss topics related to dying, grief, and death and will be encouraged to discuss these topics, which are often otherwise discouraged to discuss in most settings.    

Maria and Ammo delve into the realms of death, afterlife beliefs, and funeral rites in this season’s episode of Historical Perspectives of Death II! Join them as they journey through ancient tales of Norse Mythology, and explore the modern-day practices of Haitian Vodou.    Here’s what you can expect from each segment:    Norse Mythology Explore the realms of Helheim, Fólkvangr, and Valhalla Mysteries of Ragnarok and the end of the world Historical preservation and retelling of Norse mythologies   Haitian Vodou Gede, the spirit of death Parallels to other religions Addressingpop culture and Hollywood misconceptions Cultural insights and the unraveling of the history of Haitian Vodou Now's the time to rest your axe, grab some mead, and allow this shield maiden and her trusty partner in death, grief, and afterlife lore to regale you with the tales of old and new.   Links: Death and the Afterlife In Norse Mythology Ragnarok: What You Need To Know Folkvangr: Freya’s Realm Ten Norse Mythology Facts You Need to Know Vodou: The Black Religion That’s Been Maligned for Centuries The Mystery and Magic of Haitian Vodou Funeral Rites Haitian Funeral: Customs, Traditions & Etiquette Vodou Songs in Haitian Creole and English Cultural Spotlight: Haitian Funeral Traditions The Guardian - Vodou is elusive and endangered, but it remains the soul of Haitian people Follow Philotimo Life on social!Twitter Facebook Instagram TikTok - Philotimo Life is produced and recorded by Maria Vassiliou and Ammo Somal in Toronto, Ontario. Audio by Stacie Hunter.Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook!

Your favourite Macabre MCs are back with a very special guest! In this episode, they hear one of Maria's dear friends and mentor, Heather Massey, discuss this new death-positive movement that's making waves. She also shares her personal experiences with death, her story about her mother's death, and how death and birth are more similar than we would typically assume... Links: Death Over Dinner Conversation Project What is community deathcare? Canadian Hospice and Palliative Care Association (CHPCA) The Nightingale Centre for Grieving Children and Families Bereavement Support by Province Ontario Alberta Saskatchewan Manitoba Quebec British Columbia PEI Nova Scotia Newfoundland and Labrador  New Brunswick  Nunavut  Yukon Northwest Territories Quotes about death Follow Philotimo Life on social! Twitter Facebook Instagram TikTok - Philotimo Life is produced and recorded by Maria Vassiliou and Ammo Somal in Toronto, Ontario. Audio by Stacie Hunter. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook!

Have you ever wondered why Death is often portrayed as a hooded skeleton? Or why he carries a scythe? Or why he's always a he? Well, in this episode, Maria and Ammo take you on a historical adventure to break it down! They also look at Death as presented in more popular media such as the TV show Adventure Time, and The Sandman comics. Join them for another episode that covers the multifaceted presence of death in popular media! Links: The Many Appearances of Death  Maria can’t like fun things Infographics: Visualizing the History of Pandemics TalkDeath – The Most Popular Depictions Of Death In Art The Seventh Seal (don't hate us for linking a wikipedia article, please. we're sensitive.) El Silbon - Whistling Man  FORBES – The Ambiguous Ending To Adventure Time Explained  Cinamon Hadley – The Inspiration for Neil Gaiman's Death Sandman Fandom – Death Collider – How 'The Sandman' Reimagines Death as a Character Follow Philotimo Life on social! Twitter Facebook Instagram TikTok - Philotimo Life is produced and recorded by Maria Vassiliou and Ammo Somal in Toronto, Ontario. Audio by Stacie Hunter. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook!

Your favourite duo of death is back for season three! After some super exciting Philotimo Life updates (including news on a new episode schedule, and Philotimo corporate grief coaching), you'll hear from Dr. Susan Srigley.  Susan is a Professor of Religions and Cultures at Nipissing University, Ontario, Canada.  In this episode, you'll explore the need for higher-level death education and... a death cake cafe?   Links: Lifting the Lid, Why Death Education Matters To Young People w/ Prof Susan Srigley and Death Ambassadors  Death Denial: Hiding and Camouflaging Death  The Problem with Death Avoidance Death Literacy is Life Literacy Follow Dr.Susan Srigley on Instagram! Follow Philotimo Life on social! Twitter Facebook Instagram TikTok - Philotimo Life is produced and recorded by Maria Vassiliou and Ammo Somal in Toronto, Ontario. Audio by Stacie Hunter. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook!

Now that you've survived season 2, join your hosts as we look back at the most mind-blowing moments, funniest bits, and guest insights so far. But that's not all... You'll also hear a brand-new, exclusive blooper dance track (courtesy of editor Stacie), some hilarious skits, cameos, and we'll even spitball some ideas for season three and beyond! Oh, and you won't want to miss the head-to-head showdown for the title of "Season 2 Ultimate Thanatologist". Stay tuned for more, folks. - Philotimo Life is produced and recorded by Maria Vassiliou and Ammo Somal in Toronto, Ontario. Audio by Stacie Hunter. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook!

Welcome to the penultimate episode of season 2!  There’s nobody more suited to guide us through this last stage than an end-of-life expert with over 25 years of experience. Olga Nikolajev RN, MA, CT is an end-of-life nurse, doula, dying well advocate, and cannabis educator. She’ll use her death doula skills to teach us about dying well from a holistic point of view. This includes the spiritual, mental, physical, sexual, and emotional aspects. Yep. You read that right! We’ll also talk about her work in policy change, death literacy, social support, and even advocacy for psychedelics. Join us as we change how we approach our dying experience... Show notes: Kathy Kortes-Miller Working on educating children about Death Literacy Politics Behind Ontario’s SexEd Curriculum   “Strong social support decreases mental health problems in young adults” via McGill University “Ontario ‘completely ignored and bulldozed’ problems in long-term care: former inspector” via Global News “Comfort Care, Hospice or Palliative Care; What's the Difference?” via Compassus  Kerry Newnin “Cannabis In Hospice: Growing Demand And Acceptance For End-Of-Life Care” via Forbes “A Simple Guide to the Endocannabinoid System” via Healthline “Four Terminally Ill Canadians Gain Legal Right To Use Magic Mushrooms For End-Of-Life Distress” via Forbes - Philotimo Life is produced and recorded by Maria Vassiliou and Ammo Somal in Toronto, Ontario. Audio by Stacie Hunter. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook!

Since you all loved the “Ancient Perspectives On Death” episode from last season, we’re resurrecting it as a regular format! This time around, Maria and Ammo discuss The Torajan people of Indonesia, who hang out with their dead on an annual basis, Tibetan Sky Burials, and more! Let’s see what we can learn from other cultures about giving our loved ones a proper send-off and even continuing our relationship with them. And don’t forget to let us know what other cultures you want us to cover in future episodes. Show notes: BBC News: Living with the dead in Indonesia Cleaning the dead: the afterlife rituals of the Torajan people Tibetan Sky Burials: Stumbling upon the secret ritual of feeding the dead to vulture 'angels' Sky Burials: Tradition Becomes Controversial Tourist Attraction | Short Film Showcase Spiritfarer - Philotimo Life is produced and recorded by Maria Vassiliou and Ammo Somal in Toronto, Ontario. Audio by Stacie Hunter. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook!

It’s the 21st Century, so why are funerals still so religious and downbeat? If only there was an alternative… some sort of Life Cycle Celebrant? You’re in luck! Gone are the stuffy old preachers, and in comes the secular master of ceremonies, Linda Stuart. Linda creates meaningful ceremonies to help people honour the difficult changes in life and to also celebrate the joyful ones. We’ll discuss what she does, the myth of closure, the Welsh word to describe a grieving “homesickness for something to which you cannot return,” and even toxic positivity (Ammo rant detected!)  Join us and see why cold, dusty churches don’t always have to be written into your final chapter. Show notes: Check out Linda Stuart’s work What is Toxic Positivity? Via Very Well Mind The Myth of Closure: Why Experts Say It Doesn’t Exist via How Stuff Works  Welsh word: Hiraeth - Philotimo Life is produced and recorded by Maria Vassiliou and Ammo Somal in Toronto, Ontario. Audio by Stacie Hunter. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook!