Floripondio End of Life Planning & Services provides culturally conscious death care and education to Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous, People of Color and all dying allies via the time-honored perspectives and practices of traditional healers. With deep listening and presence, we hold space for folks in times of transition.
We are death positive. We see and celebrate death as a natural part of life and seek to eradicate the silence around death-related topics.
We are committed to dismantling homophobia, racism, and marginalization in end of life and are deeply committed to advocacy and supporting our people to understand their options and feel a sense of respect, honor, and dignity as they navigate this journey. Although we know death cannot be cured, we believe that when given the proper conditions, the end of life can be a healing experience for everyone involved.
Your last wishes are our commitments.
Hi, hola, lios em chaniavu, my name is Batul True Heart (they/them/theirs). I’m a 2Spirit Yoeme (Yaqui), Mexican & Panamanian-American traditional healer, community & clinical herbalist, and death companion living on Lisjan Ohlone Land in Huchiun, also known as Oakland, CA.
I was born in Southeast LA (Bellflower, CA) but grew up in rural Ukiah in Northern California. On my father’s side I come from a long line of Arizona Natives and Mexicans. On my mother’s side, we’re Panamanian-American. As a child, I remember going around to convalescent homes with my abuela, happily and passionately singing church hymns alongside her. I also experienced family violence and separation as a child that led me to seek ancestral healing from a young age. With the guidance of elders and mentors, as well as learning directly from ancestors and the medicine itself, I’ve spent nearly 20 years facing, feeling & healing through my own personal and inherited traumas.
After years of dedicated work, training, and practice I’ve gained skills in being with other people, meeting them wherever they are. I’m currently a Hospice volunteer as well as a volunteer for Comfort Homesake and the 'No One Dies Alone' program. For 7 years I’ve offered my line of herbal remedies for emotions… Maaso Medicina: Flower Medicine for Ancestral, Generational, and Personal Pain which you can find at maasomedicina.bigcartel.com or on Instagram @maasomedicina.
My name is Melissa (they/them) and I am a two-spirit death and birth companion, herbalist, ceremonialist, and facilitator.I am a guest on Unceded Lisjan Ohlone Territory in Huchiun, also known as Berkeley, CA.
I was born in New Jersey and grew up mostly in what is now called the Bay Area though my family has roots in Boriké (Puerto Rico) and Poland. In addition to Taino heritage, I have lineages that trace to West Africa, the Congo, the Canary Islands, Italy, and more. My own lived experiences of grief and loss have led me to healing, birth, and death work. I am committed to following the steady guidance of my ancestors, the whispers of my dreams, and the teachings of the plants.
For over 21 years I have been building relationship with traditional medicine and earth based practices. I am deeply grateful for the many elders and mentors who have guided and supported me along the way.
I started working with young people as a community and cultural organizer, went on to teach elementary school for nearly a decade, and for the past 8 years I have been practicing as a full spectrum doula. I create spaces for folks to navigate their own journeys of reclamation, healing and transitions. To learn more about my birthwork services, classes, herbal medicine, and writing, please visit: remediosbirthandhealing.com or on Instagram @remediosbirthandhealing.
Our Friendship
We met in 2015 as students in Cecemmana, a three-year clinical herbalism program at Ancestral Apothecary, founded by Atava Garcia-Swiecicki.
Our friendship grew over the years as we got to know the plants, sat in ceremony, and followed our ancestral medicine journeys. We have travelled to Oaxaca, Mexico many times with Maestra Estela Roman, making relations and learning with her and other traditional healers in the practice of Curanderismo, a holistic, earth-based health-care system that works to keep all elements of our being in balance. We have supported each other and been witness as we individually and collectively continued to practice and deepen our commitment to the tradition.
For five years we co-taught Curanderx Toolkit at Ancestral Apothecary. We have also facilitated weekend-long retreats, taught workshops, and offered limpias for our community. Though we have been lifelong deathworkers, we officially completed our death doula certification with Alua Arthur and the Going with Grace program.
We are humbled to respond to the call to build this community project together and to continue growing, healing, and being of service.
The Floripondio Flower
(flor·i·pon·dio)
Floripondio (Brugmansia), also known as Angel’s Trumpet, is a Native South American flower whose fragrance emerges at night. Most Brugmansia expel their fragrant aroma in the dark to attract pollinating moths. One species, the red-flowered Brugmansia sanguinea, is pollinated by hummingbirds.
Floripondio flowers gracefully guide us to surrender in times of deep transformation and open us up to the mysteries of the spirit world.