The Celts believed in the transmigration of the soul, in the magical rhythm of life with a particular order of coming and going for each soul. As they celebrated every new stage of their lives with a ritual they also honoured the passing on of a soul - the death of the physical body: Embedded in the natural order of things, women, the facilitators of birth and death, used to care for the dying, easing their transition from this world into the next. Through her own hospice work, Phillida Anam-Aire, of Irish descent herself, has brought the Celtic tradition of watching with the dying and the dead back into practice. With her Celtic background she integrates modern knowledge of the death process with old wisdom of her ancestors and shows how a peaceful transition for the leaving person is possible, and how relatives or friends can consciously support this process.

Author Biography

Phillida Anam-Aire, a former nun, who has also trained with Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, has extensively worked with sick and dying people. She has set up hospices in Scotland and Germany, gives among other things workshops on "Conscious Living, Conscious Dying" and "Celtic Spirituality", and has been actively involved in prison work and the peace process in Northern Ireland. Phillida is also a singer who has released several Cds.