Emily Porth - Heart of Yew Ceremonies - Scotland

This week I officiated a funeral at Daldowie crematorium in Glasgow for the first time. The whole place is beautifully situated between the land, sky, and sea (well, the River Clyde, more specifically!).

The blue sky and sunshine seemed endless, and it was the perfect setting to honour the life of a woman who loved to laugh and was the heart of her family. This wonderful lady had a deep connection to Native American spiritual traditions, and it was my honour to respectfully incorporate some of these beliefs, to ensure the service reflected what was important and meaningful to her.

I don’t often post about my funeral work out of respect for the families I support, but the meaningfulness of this work is the reason I initially trained as a celebrant. I especially love working with people who want to take more open, creative approaches to funerals and celebrations of life, and it’s so important to provide a service for people who feel a spiritual connection with nature, or those who want a Pagan service. This work is always an honour and a privilege. 🙏🏼🌳🍂🌀

Only 10 days to go until our second seasonal workshop! This time we are at a beautiful labyrinth in Penicuik, which is an easy bus ride from Edinburgh or Peebles.

This will be a gentle morning workshop at this time of newness and growth. Explore what within you is in balance, and what within you needs to be brought into balance. 🌀

You will leave with a renewed sense of what you need and where you want to focus your energy in order the flourish in the coming months. 🌱

Join us and fly on your heavy feet! 🕊️ Link to book in bio and we look forward to seeing you there. 💚

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/fly-on-your-heavy-feet-tickets-1981926957883

I’ve had some new followers in the last few weeks, so thought I’d introduce myself… Hello! I’m Emily.👋🏼

As a celebrant, I work with people who feel a spiritual connection with nature. 🌿 I’m particularly passionate about using ceremony to help people reconnect with themselves, each other, and the natural world as they mark the important milestones in their lives. 🌀✨ I’m also committed to more open and creative approaches to death, dying, and grief as part of my work, and this was one of my big motivations for becoming a celebrant. 🖤

Through Heart of Yew Ceremonies I work with couples from all over the world to mark and celebrate their love and commitment to each other. 💗 I offer naming ceremonies for babies 🌱 and for people who are taking on a new identity. 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈 I also lead heartfelt and inclusive funerals and celebrations of life for those who have died, whether human or a beloved pet. 💔

Random things you may not know about me:

* My personal spiritual path is Druidry. I founded and lead Elder & Gorse Druids in Edinburgh, a growing community in its seventh year, and have been leading Pagan group ceremonies for over 20 years. 🌳/|\🌳

* My favourite festival in the wheel of the year is Imbolc. I love seeing the snowdrops emerge with the returning light and weaving Brigid’s crosses. 🌱

* I’m an anthropologist and hold a PhD in Environmental Studies (if you want to use my title, it’s Dr., please!). I left academic research two years ago and am much happier now. ☺️

* Chocolate is my favourite food and I eat a wee bit every day, which seems to reflect the “everything in moderation” approach I take at this stage in my life. 😋🍫

* My husband is a forestry scientist and I get quizzed on tree ID when we go for walks. 😄 Our little girl is learning, too, and she’s pretty good for a 4 year old! 🌳

* I took up burlesque dancing as a hobby during my PhD and one of the highlights of my life is when I performed at the student talent show and created a small scandal. 💃🏻🤭😇 (Yes, only those of you who read to the end got to learn that fun fact! 😉).

So, thanks for the follow and I hope you’ll check back from time to time to see what I’m up to. 💚

This past week marked one year since I officiated my first ceremony as a celebrant. And what a year!

It’s certainly been one of the most challenging of my life with some incredible learning curves. But it has also been one of the most rewarding: I absolutely love this work and am grateful every day to the couples and families who trust me to help them mark the most important milestones of their lives.

I had the opportunity to do some webinars with Sharon Murray through Business Gateway. The quote above came from a conversation we had afterwards when she asked me how entrepreneurship was going, and she’s absolutely right. The biggest lesson I learned this year is that success mostly comes down to mindset. I’m leaning in, and hopefully Heart of Yew Ceremonies will just keep going from strength to strength. You can find Sharon on LinkedIn (she’s fab - work with her!).

Thank you so much to all of my wonderful clients; to my supportive community of celebrant colleagues at the Scottish Independent Celebrants’ Association and at the Scottish Pagan Federation; to the folks at Business Gateway, and especially my advisor, Ali; and of course to my friends and family. My husband, Ewan, has been particularly amazing through all the highs and lows of this first year. 💗

Looking forward to growing some more in year two. Here’s to coming out stronger. 💪🏼🌿🌀