ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the effect of modernist myths which have enshrined concepts of human separation from the natural world. Climate crisis and ecological collapse make these mythic framings untenable, making way for new cultural myths that acknowledge human embeddedness within the natural world, and the existential crisis of our present era, often referred to as the Anthropocene. Facing into ecological destructions and species collapse stirs intense grief in many people. A collective acknowledgement of ecological losses and the need to mourn them is vital for ongoing engagement and cultural transformation, as is facing into the inescapability of mortality. In conclusion, the chapter considers how facing into death and loss can lay the groundwork for a more intimate and committed relationship to Earth which gifts the possibility of symbolic immortality projects focused on ecological care and appreciation of Earth’s ecosystems and beauty.
