Lifeworlds 30. Grief, Song and Ceremonies of Mourning - with Alexandra “ahlay” Blakey
May 20, 2025
In this insightful discussion, artist and communal grief ritual facilitator Alexandra “ahlay” Blakey delves into the often-overlooked importance of communal mourning. She highlights the revival of grief ceremonies as essential for healing, describing how music and ritual can transform sorrow into connection. Ahlay also shares her experience creating the collective album 'WAILS: Songs for Grief,' inspired by whales and ancestral sorrow. Through her reflections, listeners are invited to rethink societal attitudes towards grief and embrace love as a vital part of the healing process.
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History of Communal Mourning
- Mourning was once a communal practice, deeply embedded in communities.
- It was suppressed and privatized to maintain political and social control.
Crying for the Earth
- Alexandra shared a personal experience crying deeply for the earth, not herself.
- It shows how grief can be for collective beings beyond individual loss.
Community Heals Through Grief
- Community is the true healer in grief; facilitators simply guide the process.
- Public grieving is a form of activism resisting social numbness and control.
