The Grieving Tree Project

Welcome

The Grieving Tree project provides participants with a safe space to grieve, mourn, and reflect on their losses under a mulberry tree. 

In honor of
the precious lives lost from COVID-19,

a virtual grieving space was offered from June 6th to June 13th, 2021, remotely broadcasting around the Grieving Tree
from the Lambert campus of Pacifica Graduate Institute, CA.

Due to the tragic nature of the pandemic, most families could not bid farewell to their loved ones fully.
As a collective spirit, we commemorated our suffering and loss while sharing hearts through collective mourning.


Mulberry

The Mulberry Tree was central to life in ancient times around the world. Commonly known as the food source for silkworms, the mulberry leaf is considered one of the oldest herbs. Mulberries have also been used throughout Asia,…

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The Grieving Tree at Pacifica

Honoring and nourishing the life systems that have flourished on the sacred land, the organic garden at the Pacifica Graduate institute houses beautiful plants and trees, both their ecological and spiritual dimensions. The Lambert campus is located in…

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Share

Please share meaningful art, poetry, dance, and music that touches upon memories of a loved one or collective grief and loss. Ayumi Tanaka, Wish You Were Here, 2013-2015, Gelatin silver print At times in my day-to-day life, I…

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Virtual Grieving Tree


To honor the sacred Chumash land and the Grieving tree, we offered silent meditation on the site every morning at 6 am for 49 days from April 19, 2021, to June 5, 2021.

A live-streamed opening ceremony was broadcasted from the tree site on June 6th, 2021, and participants could virtually experience sitting under the Grieving Tree during the event. The messages to the loved ones from the participants were written on mulberry paper and hung on the Grieving Tree during the week. On the last day, all the participants were virtually invited to the closing ceremony on June 13th, 2021, transforming each mourning process into collective grieving.

The virtual grieving project continues on this website and we invite you to participate in the following ways:

  • Write a brief note of your loss that you want us to honor and share.
  • Share meaningful art, poetry, dance, or music that touches upon memories of a loved one or collective grief and loss.
  • List the name of your clinic or private practice as a resource for those who wish to reach out for support.

For more information, please leave a message on contact.