Memento Mori Festival 2026

Have you always been curious about the Tarot? Do you want to learn how to “read the cards? Have you dreamed of making your own tarot deck? 

Join a small group of interested and like minded individuals to explore the history, myth and meaning of the tarot. We will meet for two sessions to learn more, focus on each card in the deck one at a time, learn more about imagery and start to “tell stories” with the cards. There are thousands of decks, with images that are somewhat familiar. Each session will begin with a brief guided meditation.

We will begin just before Samhain, an auspicious time when tradition says the veil between the worlds is thin and a terrific time to get in touch with your subconscious and the mysteries of this world and parallel worlds. Our sessions will draw on the pagan wheel of the year, and the connection to seasonal observances and celebrations.

Reminder that this is not a class, but rather a group exploration. 

Drop in fee of $5 per session.

To participate, please bring your own Tarot Deck and a journal or sketchbook.

• Tarot decks can be purchased online or locally at Oceanside Entertainment.
• Sessional leader, Myfanwy Cawley’s favourite spot to look at different decks is Banyen Books in Vancouver.

About the workshop:
We gather for an afternoon of clay immersion with a focus on Memento Mori (remembering our mortality and the shortness & fragility of life). Becoming ‘clay’ we shape artifacts that hold embedded knowledge, what the body knows before language. We will work with a blend of local and store-bought clay from Medicine Hat, Alberta ~ making beauty with what we receive and offering our creations ~ transformed by our bodies, our wonderful hands, and our wild imaginations ~ to the shrine. This workshop is open to anyone wanting to explore mortality & the fragility of life through material exploration. No prior experience necessary. It is process based, which may require us to let go of old ideas and ways of thinking about making as a commodity for the market.

Schedule

• 2pm – Gather at the totem pole on the wharf at the Westview Marina for face painting, lanterns
• 2:30pm – Parade procession towards Iguanas begins
• 3pm – Iguanas Community Ofrenda – bring your photos/mementos of your dearly departed to place on the altar
• 4pm – Tamales/pan de Muertos (day of the dead bread) and hot chocolate
• 5:30pm – Storytelling/remembrance
• 6pm – Close

You can participate in the parade, or just the ofrenda at Iguanas, or both!

An annual event in qathet, the Community Ofrenda is inspired by the Mexican tradition of the Days of the Dead, where community members come together to collectively share their memories of loved ones that have left this world. It is a vibrant celebration, with food, music, stories, and beautiful “ofrendas” or altars to remember the dead. It is also way to remember the cycle of life and death that we are all a part of and to connect with each other, knowing that we will all experience losing loved ones and how important it is to keep their memories alive. We also all hope to be remembered one day after we die. The Ofrenda, or altar is the space to bring elements of remembrance, photos, mementos, food or other offerings to our loved ones. It is a way to celebrate their lives, and to continue to keep their memories alive in our hearts. Grief is less of a burden when shared, and can transform into celebration when we remember the beauty of life in all its temporality. 

We invite you to participate in this custom that goes beyond borders and celebrates the ongoing cycles of life and death. You are welcome to place anything on the altar that you feel honours your dearly departed. Join us in food, music, and storytelling.

Email for more info: claudiamedina@enmedia.ca

Natural and Conservation Burial: A Living Legacy is a soulful and thought-provoking film that invites people into a deeper reflection on life, land, community, and our final gift to future generations. Through storytelling, personal reflection, and education, the film opens space for conversations that many are quietly yearning to have — but often don’t know how to begin.

Film Trailer: Natural and Conservation Burial: A Living Legacy

Advance Care Planning | 10:30 AM-12:30 PM
Learn more about Advance Care Planning and the My Voice booklet. Explore how to make your heath wishes known and start important conversations about future care.

Legal & Financial Planning | 1:30-3:30 PM
Join legal and financial planning speakers for general information, practical guidance, and an opportunity to ask questions about planning for the future.

Attend one or both sessions at the PR Library.

At qathet Living magazine, editor Pieta Goudron has been experimenting with a new kind of obituary. These are bigger than regular obits, tell stories that illuminate the person’s life, and include several images of the person over their life – as a child, weddings, their work life, their art, with family, etc. The concept is that, as traditional funerals and even celebrations of life become rare, obituaries are becoming more important – and need to do the work of both a notice to the community that a person has died, and also the work of the funeral – telling their story, and marking their contributions. They are as unique as the life lived. And, they become a physical keepsake. 

This is a workshop that will help folks start to produce a vivid, life-honouring obituary – and gain skills that will last through every obit they’ll ever write. The piece could be their own obit, or for someone who passed away who hasn’t been recognized yet (so many just died without recognition during COVID), or another grief.

As a part of this year’s Memento Mori Festival, you are invited to a special free drop in mentoring session on November 12th to get help and work on a legacy project. If you are approaching the end of your life and have a knitting, quilting, sewing or other similar project you’d like to finish, FibreSpace may be able to help. Also, if you’d like to finish a project someone has left behind after their death, there will be experienced textile artists on hand as well as supplies.