About me
Let’s get to know each other
Sylvia Garcia-Menendez
Hello, my name is Sylvia. I am a funeral ceremonialist and death walker living in Mullumbimby on the northern rivers of NSW on Arakwal, Bundjalung country. A death walker is somebody that can offer you non medical support and walk beside you on your end of life journey. I am now offering ceremony and funeral celebrancy, my hope is that we can co-create a meaningful end of life ceremony that honours the life of your loved one and the sacred time that is end of life.
I’ve had alot of personal experience with death, including accompanying people in the end of life journey as well as experienced many of my own losses. I bring my personal experience to the table, coupled with a big heart, presence and dedication. I have deep reverence for the sacred time that is end of life. I am a spiritual person and work with mysticism, but I am also very open and respectful to differing cultural views and belief systems. I am a curious, empathetic, caring human who is also super organised and will bring you the best of myself in service. I am very good at managing lots of moving parts and taking care of important details. I speak fluent Spanish, French and English.
The Why
Many people ask me why I am interested in working in this space, and like many fellow death walkers it came after a personal loss that turned my life upside down.
I lived and worked in Paris for 20 years as an art director and event organiser. After the sudden death of my brother I returned to Australia to organise his funeral and experienced what Jungian’s refer to as “the dark night of the soul.” I was devastated and rudderless. I had no tools for dealing with death. So I went on a search to find meaning, I did Vipassana, yoga, read books on zen buddhism, quantum physics, explored religious systems, you name it I looked into it. I was looking for answers but instead I found more questions and a call to work with death. This has this led me on a spiritual quest one that continues today.
I found renewed purpose by following the call to work with death and to be in service to others.
Studies
In 2022 I embarked on my Death walker training with Zenith Virago. In 2023 I continued my studies with the Consultation and Celebrancy training and the completed Zenith Virago’s Ceremony Masterclass. I am now exploring more spiritual approaches to death and the art of crafting personalised rituals for rites of passage. I am continuing to further my studies, currently completing Marza Millar’s Threshold Medicine course with the Academy of Oracle arts and deepening my understanding of the Tibetan texts and other mystical writings. I also explore Tarot and am exploring crafting personal grief rituals.
The journey is ongoing, and as I continue my learning, my mission is to build resources both embodied and virtual to help others who may find themselves in need of a guide to navigate sacred end of life times.
Projects
I am a busy human and I love doing things and working in my community. My mission is cultivate open conversations about death to inform, inspire and empower.
I am the co-founder of Ritual Objects, a ceramics studio specialising in funerary urns and I am currently developing “the dying well” podcast. It is a resource for learning more about death and dying through a series of interviews with experts and death workers. I host a Death cafe in Mullumbimby at the beginning of every new season.
If I sound like your person to work with, get in touch. I will be honoured to be of service.
