Imagine this. It’s a crisp October night, and you board a ferry-transported for the evening to a place where the living and the dead play together again for just one night. You are on your way to a very special curated evening, with other folks who also walk the world with a silent companion-born out of the idea that our relationship with our dearly departed does not have to end when their human life does.

You get off the ferry and drive a short distance as the sun sets-bringing you to our isolated island location for this evening of otherworldly merriment. A beautiful barn glows with low light, as you look out over a misty field hay bales that looks on towards the water.

You have been instructed to bring some tokens/photos or mementos of your beloved to help bring their essence to the space with you. You’ll select one to add to our community alter, the rest you’ll set up at the empty seat beside you-waiting to welcome both you and your beloved dead companion to this experience. The space is set up beautifully, dark and macabre for the season- but glowing and alive with candles, lights and the hearts of a others who also walk with grief.

We’ll welcome you with a really special cocktail (non-alcoholic-the spirits for the night are bring your own and metaphorically only, we’re hoping for clear minds and hearts for the evening).

You’ll be invited to take your seat at our beautiful long table, beside your beloved and we begin. I’ll be your ghostess for the evening, weaving us through a 5 course locally sourced meal, each infused with a special herb or flower known for it’s role in grief support. As you enjoy your meal, you will get to learn about the traditions around the plants you’re enjoying-touching on the mythology and folklore that it comes with. During our courses, we will also work our way around the table, with each person having the chance to introduce us to their beloved dead date, who we are invited to be with deeply in spirit for the evening. After a round of cheers to your dearly departed, we will move onto the next course. Our meal will finish with a special closing ritual to ground us in our bodies, regulate our nervous system and close our container.

We will then have a chance to mingle with others and revere the community alter after we’ve taken in some more of the background stories and lore around our chosen dead.

Your night ends with a magical ferry ride back to Kingston-the glow of the city lights welcoming you back to real life once more.