On Death and Cycles: a conversation with Joanna Ebenstein from Morbid Anatomy

What do capitalism and our rejection of death have to do with each other?

Courtesy of Joanna Ebenstein

Today I share Joanna Ebenstein's journey with Morbid Anatomy, delving into the links between oppression, rejection of endings, and finding rituals for rebirth. Access the in-depth audio interview, a special ritual guide, and this week's Inspiration Station for joy and knowledge at the end. Don't miss the limited end-of-year offer for full access to all content. Enjoy!

When I was a child, I made a graveyard in my garden. I used to save lots of animals, once even nursing a hand-sized grasshopper back to life for 6 days, but sometimes, these animals would die. It didn’t scare me, that they were dead, but I felt that I wanted to honor their life. Usually, I would dig a hole in the ground the size of said animal, then I would bury them with some memento, and place a flower, a leaf, or a cross made of two sticks on top of the grave. 

Today, when I think back at the grace with which I accepted death as a child, I wonder if it is because I was somehow nearer to “death”. After all,  the beginning of life and the end of it are beautifully intertwined, and although I don’t remember it, I’m quite sure birth must be a sort of near-death experience.

For years, I have been reflecting on death and its role in this society, so I reached out to someone who has dedicated the last ten years of her life to reclaiming the narrative of death in the modern world. Founder of Morbid Anatomy, a global platform investigating the intricacies of death, culture, medicine and art, Joanna Ebenstein is a tender soul who has a childlike wonder for everything death-related. Her platform celebrates death through art, giving classes from craft Victorian hair art, creating a memento mori, making taxidermy, expert lectures, and much more. “I think, an awareness of death is an appreciation of life. Without contemplating the finitude, I don't think we're necessarily motivated to do the things we want to do with our time on earth.”

*here is an audio snippet from our conversation (more at the end of the essay)

Joanna’s grandparents arrived from Vienna after they fled the Holocaust.