Applications for February – April 2024 are now open

If you would like to apply for this course please visit Stardustmeadow.com and apply there first. (The two sites are currently merging. Thanks for your patience!)

The February 2024 session  is a 111+ hour, 12 week course.

It is crucial, now, that deathcare be revived as a healthy part of community. Deathcare is ancient and belongs to no one and belongs to everyone- but we have lost our way. Through examining our own mortality, fears and aspirations, ancestry, and discovering the challenges of today’s complexities of caring for our own dying and dead, we will begin to understand the great importance and urgency of reviving community deathcaring. There are many courses to train you within a system of professional care to be a death doula (I can recommend some) this training is for deepening the roots of healing within your self, your ancestral lines, your home and your physical community.

Apply by submitting a one page summary of why you would like to be a Village Deathcare Citizen to strengthen your community and bring deep loving healing into your own life.

There are limed Fair Exchange options for those who are unable to make the full donation amount of $890.

Limited scholarships available for BIPOC, ESL, discounts for Canadian citizens and those over 75.

“The Village Deathcare Citizen Course allowed my husband and I to have a greater knowledge of self as well as practice mindfulness meditation. We knew that this course would be an amazing experience as a married couple, but it far exceeded our expectations. Anne-Marie, thank you for reconnecting us to our Ancestral Roots. We now know that we are a link in a Great Chain of BEING. We know for certain that we belong as we begin to restore our relationship with the death wellness movement in our current work and life.” T.S. & F.S. North Carolina

“Anne-Marie offers a sacred, safe space to grow into the role of a Village Deathcare Citizen through rich inner work upheld with breath work & guided visualizations, challenging & uncomfortable solo and/or partner work to face one’s personal shadows & real-life scenarios, art & film to imagine what can be & a supportive community of classmates to learn with & be inspired by. The richness of the groundwork of self-love of this course has assisted me in my continual weaving of stepping into the world with compassion. I cannot recommend this course highly enough, I find myself stepping forth into my life & work a little taller & even more grounded.” S.S Maine

“I’m proud and grateful to have been part of the first cohort of this class. Practical, unsentimental, reflective, connection based and rooted in the ethic of community. This is an excellent supplement to traditional, business-oriented death doula training, it’s also an ideal first step for those wanting to explore how end of life care can look, in their communities and through their hands.” L.D Louisiana

“I cannot say enough about Anne-Marie Keppel as a human and her most beautiful course. This was a dream of mine since journeying with my mama and it was all that I had been asking for and more. A game changer for my heart, healing and a path of service I have been seeking. I am honored and grateful beyond words for the opportunity to do this course, for opening up the dialogue on death, and being a part of such a beautiful rite of passage. I am looking forward to the unfolding of this work in my life.” C. North Carolina

“This course has really helped me to clarify what my skills and interests are in death care. I understand more deeply what I am bringing when I facilitate groups about death & dying, and what I can offer when someone asks me to help with a loved one’s death. I see clearly the work that is most important for me right now and feel connected to a supportive community!” A.T. Maine

“I highly recommend this course. Anne Marie’s background in Buddhist studies and event planning make her classes all at once humbling, enlightening, organized, and action packed. I learned about the processes involved in preparing to die and, from this, I unexpectedly learned more about what it means to be alive. I leave this coursework feeling more connected to my own humanity, the human-ness of others, and all humans through time that have walked before me. Better yet, I feel prepared to act as a resource to others in service to my community.” S. Vermont

“I learned new and important information during Anne-Marie’s class that I will be implementing into my work as a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT). My eyes and heart were opened to a world I had limited experience with; I am grateful for the lived experience and expertise Anne-Marie shared with us.” C.D Oregon

“I took Anne-Marie’s Village Deathcare Citizen Course in hopes to heal some of my grief from loosing a dear friend and heal some trauma around my fear of death. Not only did it do these things, it also created this beautiful circle of vulnerable humans, who opened their hearts and minds up to each other. I stepped through a portal and have collected useful tools along the way. I am a different person because of this class, and this experience. I am grateful.” B Vermont

“Anne-Marie’s course on death doula will bring you back to the ancient time-old traditions of caring for family members in our homes that was the practice for all of mankind until the last century while addressing the modern concerns of racism, LGBTQ issues, and more. She uses her own books at the basis for the course and her knowledge, experience and life centered on connection to nature and the importance of tending an inner life shines through every week. The course is self-paced during the week with videos, reading and writing on your own, followed by connecting with class members, discussions and content delivery every Sunday. Though Anne-Marie keeps her tuition low so that anyone can participate, this course is priceless. I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in living life fully and moving toward death intentionally, whether or not you plan to become a death doula.” C.S. North Carolina