Nine Keys: the art, business, activism, and mystery of death work

In this episode of the Nine Keys podcast, Narinder reflects on an art piece by Mel Hsu from the Philadelphia Death and Arts Festival. Watching art and death work weave together was a powerful experience for her, one she knew was potent but was still so deeply moved by in person. Though the sound quality is a bit off as Narinder is recording with headphones instead of her usual microphone, she invites you to enjoy this raw and intimate reflection. Check out Mel Hsu's work at melaniehsu.com.

In this soul-nourishing episode, Narinder is joined by the luminous Arria Deepwater - intuitive healer, writer, and speaker - for a conversation that moves gently. Together, they explore the radical power of deep rest, the wisdom of moving slowly, and the sacred choices we make to honor our bodies and spirits in a world that often demands speed and productivity.They speak candidly about living with chronic illness and disability, the grief, the tenderness, and the unexpected beauty found in those liminal spaces. Arria shares their own journey and offers insight into how we can all begin to reclaim rhythms that align with our bodies, and ultimately our inner worlds.This episode is a soft landing for those who are soul-tired, body-weary, and longing for another way to live, one that centers slowness, intuition, and rest. Arria is the author of Three Moons: A Grief Story and a contributor to Inbetween Spaces: An Anthology of Disabled Writers, and their presence in this conversation is a gentle invitation toward rest that restores.You can find Arria at www.arriadeepwater.com

In this episode of Nine Keys, recorded under the potent full moon in Scorpio with the Sun in grounded Taurus, Narinder gets bold, grounded, and beautifully honest. She runs the numbers, yes, real numbers, on what a sustainable, abundant living wage can look like for death workers outside of institutions, outside of burnout, and outside of the myth that sacred work must mean self-sacrifice.This is a taboo-tearing conversation about money, labor, and power in death work. Narinder makes space for the truth: that witches, healers, artists, and death doulas can, and must, build new economies rooted in care, rest, and cultural transformation. She shares personal insights, visionary math, and examples of what it means to build an income that centers the most vulnerable, honors your artistry, and refuses exploitation.She also uplifts fellow new world builders like Ayana Zaire Cotton (For New World Builders Podcast), Daje Aloh (The Story Doula), and Bear Hebert, anti-capitalist business coach, as comrades in reshaping what livelihood means in the work of world-ending and world-beginning. All can be found on Instagram or through the links provided. Tell the truth.Tear it down.Find stability, beauty, and abundance.This is witch labor. This is how we live.✨ Listen in and step into a bigger, more honest vision of what’s possible.

In this episode of Nine Keys, Narinder explores what it truly takes for death workers to become solid infrastructure for new worlds. What happens when our own bodies, soft-businesses, and inner-facing death work become the foundation for cultural transformation? Narinder speaks to the necessity of being well-resourced, boundaried, creative, and in rhythm, so that our death work doesn't become stalled, but propagates futures. This is a conversation about sustainability, sovereignty, and the sacred responsibility of becoming the ground upon which new systems are built.For support for your death work soft-business or inner-facing death work, go to narinderbazen.com and check out Study With Narinder.

In this episode of The Nine Keys Podcast, I'm joined by Annie Wilson, the brilliant lead instigator behind the Philadelphia Death and Arts Festival. MAY 29 - JUNE 1 2025Our conversation is full of information, vision, and deep truth as we explore the beauty and power of weaving deathwork and art into a shared cultural experience, one that invites tenderness, provocation, and collective transformation.After we spoke, I realized our conversation had unwittingly danced through almost every facet of The Death Healer’s Hexagon, from the Outer logistics and Inner stirrings, to the Cultural urgency and death/life-force behind this kind of work.Annie’s shares are tender and insightful, and this episode is a reminder of how powerful the fusion of deathwork and art can be.🌿 I’ll be at the Philadelphia Death and Arts Festival to teach a class and be on a panel, come find me!🕸️ All artists and death workers mentioned in this episode can be found at philadelphiadeathandarts.com.

If you're just beginning your journey as a death worker, this episode is for you. It’s a grounding love letter of encouragement for you who are answering your first calls, tending your first thresholds, or simply wondering if you're ready. This episode is a pocket-sized companion for your journey—save it for the days you need a little courage and clarity.Reach out for support if needed. Go to www.narinderbazen.com/study-with-narinder.

In this episode, Narinder invites death workers and grief workers into a deep remembering: you are not here to replicate what has already been done — you are here to dream, to create, to reshape death care itself.Narinder speaks about the quiet trap of seeking approval — how it waters down your vision, drains your energy, and keeps your deepest offerings hidden. She shares personal stories about choosing truth over popularity, and how standing firmly in her values magnetized the exact people who were seeking her voice.You’ll be reminded that your "far out" ideas and your truths are sacred threads in the larger weaving of this work. Your authenticity is not just personal — it is part of the universe’s great unfolding.This episode is a permission slip to stop asking if you are "allowed" and instead to step fully into the death care world you are here to build.Maybe you are not here to fit in — maybe you are here to transform culture.

So many healers, artists, and death workers feel called to grief work but hold themselves back—waiting for a certification, a title, or someone to tell them they’re “qualified.” But grief isn’t something you master. It’s something you witness, hold, and walk with. Grief teaches grief.In this episode, Narinder unpacks the myth of expertise in grief work and why you don’t need permission to show up for the grieving. We’ll explore how our gifts—whether they come through your healing modality, your creativity, your weirdness, or deep gifts for witnessing —are enough. If you’ve been playing small, doubting your readiness, or feeling like you need another credential before you can begin, this is for you.

Press play and let the unraveling begin.In this episode, Narinder sits down with The Story Doula, Vision Midwife Dajé Alōh, to explore the wild and real terrain of bringing our visions to life, our soul's work to the world. From the grief that shapes our boldest creations to the authentic expression that leads us to liberation, Dajé invites us into a deeper understanding of what it means to lead with soul.Whether you're a death worker, a creative entrepreneur, or someone longing to follow the pulse of your own vision, this episode will leave you stirred, softened, and ready to step 👏 it 👏 up! 👏🌿 Connect with Dajé at https://storywork.studio/. ✨ Follow her on Instagram: @thestorydoula