On the Table with Ashley

For the sixth episode of our death rituals series, we are joined by Todd Harra. Todd is the co-author of the Amazon bestselling books Mortuary Confidential: Undertakers Spill the Dirt and Over Our Dead Bodies: Undertakers Lift the Lid, as well as the Clip Undertaker Mystery Series. More recently, he authored the funeral history book Last Rites: The Evolution of the American Funeral. Todd works for his family’s business, McCrery & Harra Funeral Homes and Crematory, where he serves as a funeral director, embalmer, post-mortem reconstructionist, and cremationist. In addition, Todd is an associate editor for Southern Calls Magazine, The Journal of the Funeral Profession.Todd joins us to discuss the long and ever-evolving history of the American funeral, exploring the social and cultural contexts in which many of the death rituals we now consider commonplace were created and transformed over time. Drawing on his family’s long history in funeral service as an anchor, Todd examines the development of practices such as embalming and cremation, and reflects on how shifts in American culture continue to reshape the ways we mourn our dead. The result is a fascinating and informative conversation that highlights the enduring importance of ceremonially honoring those who have passed.Listen to the full episode, out now on your favorite podcast platform. Read Last Rites: The Evolution of the American Funeral by Todd Harra.Read Mortuary Confidential: Undertakers Spill the Dirt by Todd Harra.Read Over Our Dead Bodies:Undertakers Lift the Lid by Todd Harra.Read Patient Zero by Todd Harra.Learn more about McCrery & Harra Funeral Homes and Crematory.Learn more about Todd Harra.Follow On the Table with Ashley on Instagram and TikTok.On the Table with Ashley is presented by Âme Atendre, a luxury home goods and tableware brand with a mission to connect people to all that matters. 

Death Technology is on the table today!For the fifth episode in our Death Rituals series, we are joined by John Troyer. John Troyer is a leading scholar in the field of death studies and a former director of the Centre for Death and Society at the University of Bath. Growing up in a family funeral business, his work explores how technology, culture, and policy shape the ways societies understand and care for the dead. He writes and speaks widely about the future of cemeteries, the politics of human remains, and how innovations in science and technology are changing our relationship with death. Troyer is also the author of the book Technologies of the Human Corpse. John Troyer joins us to discuss how his personal experience with death and grief inspired him to start the popular Grief and Support network at the University of Bath. He dives into how everyday death rituals inform our grief and the ways in which death technology has evolved over time, from handheld pictures to digital remains. Finally, John Troyer breaks down resounding debates in the field of bioethics, revealing where they stand today. What results is a fascinating conversation that divulges into the specificity of grief, power of ritualizing, and importance of having open conversations surrounding death and dying.Listen to the full episode, out now on your favorite podcast platform. Learn more about John Troyer.Read A Beginners Guide to the End: Practical Advice for Living Life and Facing Death by Shoshana Berger and B.J. MillerRead Technologies of the Human Corpse by John Troyer.Read The Craft of Dying: The Modern Face of Death by Lyn Lofland.Check out The Centre for Death and Society at the University of Bath.Follow On the Table with Ashley on Instagram and TikTok.On the Table with Ashley is presented by Âme Atendre, a luxury home goods and tableware brand with a mission to connect people to all that matters. 

Memorial Ink is on the table today! In this episode of our Death Rituals series, Ashley speaks with tattoo artist Paul Cutler, founder of Bubblegum Ink Tattoo Shop, about the deeply personal process of creating ashes-infused tattoos. Bubblegum Ink is a tattoo studio in Cheshire, UK, specializing in deeply personal memorial tattoos, including ashes‑infused tattoos that incorporate cremated remains. Paul explains how cremation ashes can be safely incorporated into tattoo ink, allowing people to carry a physical connection to loved ones who have passed. Drawing from years of experience working with grieving clients, he shares emotional stories from the tattoo chair and reflects on what working so closely with grief has taught him about life and connection. Learn more about Bubblegum Ink Tattoo Shop. Read The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene.Follow On the Table with Ashley on Instagram and TikTok.On the Table with Ashley is presented by Âme Atendre, a luxury home goods and tableware brand with a mission to connect people to all that matters. If you have ideas for new episodes or guests, or just want to share feedback, email us at [email protected].

Olvera Street is on the Table Today!Today we are joined by Christina Mariscal Pasten. As the daughter of merchants herself, Christina is a founding board member of The Olvera Street Merchants Association. Olvera Street is a historical street in Los Angeles, which served as the center of Spanish and Mexican life in the early 1900s. The merchants on Olvera Street have been celebrating Dia De Los Muertos for decades with a 9 day long festival. The celebration incorporates the pre-Columbian, Aztec, Mayan and Catholic rituals surrounding death. This conversation explores the rich history and cultural significance of Olvera Street and the celebration of Dios de los Muertos. Christina Mariscal Pasten shares her personal connection to Olvera Street, her family's legacy, and the role of the Olvera Street Merchant Association Foundation in preserving traditions. What results is a beautiful conversation about cultural exchange and understanding, as well as the personal practices that keep the memory of loved ones alive.Learn more about Olvera Street Merchants Association here.Read Rain of Gold by Victor Villansenor.Listen to Brains On. Listen to Greeking Out.Listen to Work Life with Adam Grant.Follow On the Table with Ashley on Instagram and TikTok.On the Table with Ashley is presented by Âme Atendre, a luxury home goods and tableware brand with a mission to connect people to all that matters. If you have ideas for new episodes or guests, or just want to share feedback, email us at [email protected].

Secular Funerals are on the table today!For the third episode of our Death Rituals Series, we are joined by Blake Hutchings. Blake Hutchings is a Humanist Celebrant accredited by Humanists UK. He creates non-religious ceremonies for weddings, funerals, and naming days, working closely with individuals and families to ensure each ceremony reflects their values, stories, and relationships. Outside of his celebrant work, he is a musician, an active participant in amateur theatre, a writer, and a father of two.Blake takes us behind the scenes of what it means to be a humanist celebrant - from the multi-stage training process to the emotional and practical realities of meeting with families, writing personalized tributes, and guiding people through one of the most vulnerable moments of their lives from a secular lens. The conversation offers insight into the inner-workings of a secular funeral and the ways we can honor, think about, and remember death both inside and outside of organized religion.At its heart, this conversation reflects on how working so closely with death often becomes an exercise in learning how to live. Blake and Ashley talk about grief, legacy, and the importance of confronting mortality. Like many conversations On the Table With Ashley holds around death and dying, this episode ultimately becomes a conversation about life.Listen to the Skeptics Guide to the Universe podcast.Find out more about Humanists U.K.Learn more about Blake Hutchings.Follow On the Table with Ashley on Instagram and TikTok.On the Table with Ashley is presented by Âme Atendre, a luxury home goods and tableware brand with a mission to connect people to all that matters. If you have ideas for new episodes or guests, or just want to share feedback, email us at [email protected].