Shattered Conception

My guest is Patricia Danaher. Patricia is a writer, mythologist and ecopsychologist. She lived in Japan for several years, where she observed and studied the Japanese rituals and traditions around death, in particular the death of unborn babies. A long time practitioner of Zen meditation and ritual, Patricia has a Master's degree in Mythology, Ritual and Jungian studies from Pacifica Graduate Institute, where she was awarded the Joseph Campbell Scholarship. Patricia has personally experienced the grief of miscarriage and failed IVF. Observing the absence of ways in western culture to memorialize babies who did not survive the pregnancy, she has created personalized rituals for individuals and families dealing with such heartbreak.  The loss of an unborn infant is a deeply painful experience for families. Yet in most societies, there is very little space allowed to recognize the grief which is felt by those who lose a baby before birth. Very often the sympathy that people deserve at such a loss is not availabl