Episode 65 - Allison Pharmakis on Dancing with Grief and Its Gifts
Release Date: 02/29/2024
Ep. 84 - How to Anchor Your Life to What Matters Most with Jermaine Ee
My Mourning Routine
70% of Americans don't have a will. In this episode, Jermaine Ee shares personal stories behind why he created HeirLight, an app that organizes infomation for you to draft a legal document that represents what you want; how clarity is love, in practical form; and that life's neither about the journey nor the destination, but the company we keep. Jermaine is a founder and storyteller interested in three things: how we spend our time, the work we do, and what we leave behind. His career has zigzagged across ed‑tech, logistics, toys, political campaigns, executive search, and impact projects,...
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Ep. 83 - Alicia Henry on How Grief is Woven into the Fabric of Being
My Mourning Routine
In this poetic episode, Alicia Henry shares: how grief is part of her every cell, in the most beautiful way; how choosing to live seasonally with Nature can provide deep comfort; why Winter is the lightest time of year; and tender words of encouragment for those facing grief. Alicia is a mother, meditation teacher, writer, actor, and ceremonialist. Having spent her childhood in awe of nature’s beauty and grace, Alicia continues to explore mindfulness through meditation, poetry, Reiki, and tea ceremony. She facilitates moon circles, intentional gatherings, and wellness retreats for fellow...
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Ep. 82 - Lauren O'Connell on Astrology & Grief
My Mourning Routine
"Taking the eye-rolls out of astrology", Lauren O'Connell shares: how this celestial framework helps with the emotional & spiritual side of health; how it can be used as a self-care tool to support you through grief; and the ways that it is your blueprint to your highest potential, in every apect of life. Lauren, known as The Modern Astrologer, is an astrologer based in Santa Monica, California, with over a decade of experience helping clients around the world understand their purpose, trust their timing, and navigate life with greater self-awareness. Deeply connected to the Moon and its...
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Ep. 81 - A Letter to My Mother
My Mourning Routine
This is a short episode to celebrate 3 years of My Mourning Routine Podcast, launched on Winter Solstice 2022, as well as honor the recent 10th Anniversary of Lauren's mother's death. Here, she shares a letter that she wrote to her mother, Mary Ellen, on December 17, 2025 during a reflective morning of remembrance. *TIME SENSITIVE: Lauren opened the doors today 12/21/25 to work with her 1:1 in the New Year. She is only accepting FIVE new clients to go on a 3-month journey into the heart with, beginning the week of January 5, 2026. DEADLINE to sign up: December 28, 2025!...
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Ep. 80 - Anna Beecher on Life, and the Living of It
My Mourning Routine
Here, author Anna Beecher tenderly shares what brought her to write both her debut novel and recently published memoir, and speaks to: the fragile miraculousness of everything; grief, as a tear in the fabric of the universe; the privilege of aging; and how accepting mortality, as a part of life, is to be more fully alive. Anna is a writer and theatre-maker from the United Kingdom. She is the author of the novel Here Comes the Miracle, which was shortlisted for The Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award. Here Comes the Miracle follows siblings in their twenties, Joe and Emily, during...
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Ep. 79 - MaKshya Tolbert on Attention as Something to Interrupt Sorrow
My Mourning Routine
In this intimate conversation, MaKshya Tolbert shares the "why" behind writing Shade is a place; explores loss, as a structure to see grief; the (devastating) consequences of wanting shade; and being invited into yourself. MaKshya practices poetry and placemaking in Virginia, where her grandmother raised her. She was the 2025 Art in Library Spaces Artist-in-Residence at the University of Virginia, 2024 New City Arts Fellowship Guest Curator, and serves on the Charlottesville Tree Commission (2022-present), including as 2024 Chair. Her debut book of poems, Shade is a place (winner of the...
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Ep. 78 - Anya Faruque on Grief in Romantic Love
My Mourning Routine
In this episode, Anya Faruque speaks to a different level of grief that many of us experience in our lives: Romantic grief. While living losses can hurt deeply, there is tremendous potential for them to transform us for the better, inviting us to create and maintain nurturing relationships with self, first and foresmost, as she believes that "what we go through, we grow through". She shares what wisdom and lessons she has gained going through her own romantic losses and ways for you to support yourself, as time heals a lot-- but it’s dependent on your actions! With over five...
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Ep. 77 - On Legacy Work, with Matt Jacobson of LifeBooks
My Mourning Routine
Matt Jacobson, born and raised in Temecula, CA, created LifeBooks to help families capture and cherish the stories of their loved ones. After taking over his family’s mattress store, he was inspired by the loss of his father to ensure that his family—and others—would always have a way to preserve memories for generations. His goal with LifeBooks is to make storytelling easy, meaningful, and collaborative, so that every loved one’s legacy lives on. Tune in to hear how Matt found purpose after grief, became a more empathetic, grounded individual, created a therapeutic process of...
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Ep. 75 - Simplifying Estate Planning and End-of-Life Tasks with Adam Zuckerman, of Buried In Work
My Mourning Routine
Adam Zuckerman is the Founder of Buried in Work, a leading eCommerce platform specializing in estate planning/organization, end-of-life tasks, and estate transitions. With a deeply personal motivation stemming from his experience managing his father's estate, Adam is dedicated to simplifying these complex processes for individuals and families nationwide. As an Eisenhower Fellow, attorney, and MBA, Adam brings a wealth of expertise to his role, combining legal knowledge with entrepreneurial vision to drive innovation in the field of estate planning. Adam's mission is to...
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Ep. 74 - Frisbee Full of Figs: On Enjoying Life's Fruits While They're Ripe
My Mourning Routine
There's power in acknowledging the impermanence and fleeting nature of the fruits of life-- savoring simple moments and people, while sweet and ripe. This episode is a gentle call-to-action to appreciate and take delight in the bounty before you! [HAPPY 75th BIRTHDAY, MARY ELLEN! You will be forever celebrated!] ------- Get Lauren's to support you on your journey! You can connect with Lauren on Instagram via and , on Facebook or through How delicious would it be for your soul to share the parts of loss that greater society doesn't...
info_outlineIn this episode, Artist + Intuitive Medium Allison Pharmakis shares how she has come to find beauty and deeper connections in loss; how grief has shifted the ways she interacts with humans, at large; what led her to fully embrace and offer mediumship; and how Spirit is ever-present and ready to be of service, if we know how to invite it in.
Pharmakis has possessed the unique gift of connecting with the deceased since her childhood. She is a facilitator of healing between the living and the dead, and uses automatism (spirit guided writing and drawing) to help channel and connect the past and the present. Although this was an intuitive ability bestowed upon her, she fine tuned her role as vehicle and vessel. As a teenager, Pharmakis realized that utilizing the medium of automatic drawing helped her to see her visions more clearly. She uses the medium of automatism to connect with spirits, as well as the Tarot.
Her Visual Mediumship Sessions and Multi-Deck Intuitive Tarot Readings are hands-on and intimate, yet create a safe environment for beginners, and the more experienced, alike. During each Visual Mediumship Session - which is tailored and personalized to her client - Pharmakis creates an original piece of artwork. She not only aims to heal and inspire, but to supply her clients with the tools to integrate the experience and to strengthen themselves from within.
Allison is part of a large team of Psychics, Mediums and Federal Agents (Find Me Group) who assist law enforcement task forces by helping to locate missing people internationally.
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You can connect with Lauren on Instagram via @lauren.samay and @mymourningroutinepodcast, on Facebook @lauren.samay.coaching or through www.laurensamay.com
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