Who We Are
Death Education Central is a community-rooted initiative dedicated to transforming the way we engage with death, loss, and transition. Inspired by myth, symbolism, and expressive arts, we offer a welcoming space to explore life’s endings not as taboos—but as meaningful thresholds. Our work invites people of all ages, especially young adults, to reflect, create, and reclaim their personal narrative through grief and growth. We believe death education is life education—and everyone deserves tools to navigate both with courage and creativity.
What We Do
We offer a growing collection of workshops, ritual kits, art-based resources, and educational experiences that blend academic depth with artistic expression. Whether you’re creating a personal memento mori, exploring your grief through narrative and collage, or learning about death symbolism across cultures, our offerings are grounded in the belief that transformation is possible—through art, community, and reflection. From in-person gatherings like “The Mourning After” coffee hour to take-home ritual boxes and self-paced courses, we provide multiple paths to meaning.
Why It Matters
We live in a culture that often avoids death—but avoidance leaves us unprepared and unhealed. Death Education Central exists to break that silence. By integrating psychology, mythology, anthropology, and expressive arts, we foster a gentle but powerful approach to death literacy. Here, the moth is more than a logo—it’s a symbol of metamorphosis, mystery, and the sacred darkness we all must face. Whether you’re grieving, soul-searching, or simply curious, you belong here.
About Our Founder
Becky Floyd is an artist, educator, and lifelong learner who believes that creativity can illuminate even the darkest paths. With a background in anthropology, a passion for myth and meaning-making, over 25 years as a college professor, and years of experience in community-based art and education, Becky founded Death Education Central to help people explore the intersections of grief, growth, and transformation.
Her work is deeply rooted in both scholarship and reflection, drawing from disciplines like thanatology, depth psychology, mythology, and ritual studies. As a stained glass and mosaic artist, Becky brings symbolism to life—turning brokenness into beauty. She believes that losses are not failures, but threshold experiences which push us into our next adventure.
Symbolism of our Logo
The Moth of Becoming
The moth, as opposed to the more often idealized butterfly, carries an especially powerful resonance:
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Moths are drawn to light in darkness; symbolic of searching for meaning in grief.
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Their transformation is quiet, unglamorous, and often happens in the shadows; a more honest metaphor for the messy “becoming” process.
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They are nocturnal and connected to death and mystery in many mythologies.
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Moths are often misunderstood — just like grief and death
The Iconography
Crescent Moon
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Symbolism: Cycles of life and death, the waxing and waning of experiences, and the unconscious.
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Cultural ties: Associated with feminine energy, mystery, and transitions in many mythologies (e.g., Hecate, Artemis, Isis).
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Why it fits: Reflects the inevitability and rhythm of change — loss, healing, and rebirth.
Spiral
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Symbolism: The journey inward and outward — transformation, evolution, and the personal growth found in grief.
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Cross-cultural presence: Found in Celtic, Indigenous, and prehistoric art; often marks spiritual or life transitions.
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Why it fits: Echoes the Hero’s Journey model and the idea of mourning as a path, not a destination.
Skull
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Symbolism: Mortality, remembrance, and the reality of death.
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Contextual nuance: In this design, the skull is not threatening but neutral and stylized — suggesting death as a teacher, not a terror.
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Why it fits: Makes the death theme visible, without fear — inviting reflection rather than avoidance
Five-Pointed Star
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Symbolism: Hope, guidance, the soul, and transformation.
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Esoteric significance: Sometimes represents the human spirit or the five stages of grief, or even rebirth after darkness.
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Why it fits: Balances the symbolism — representing the light one can find or follow through grief and loss.
Flame
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Symbolism: Transformation, consciousness, inner light, and the pull toward meaning.
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Moth lore: Moths are drawn to flame — a metaphor for our instinct to seek truth, beauty, and understanding even in darkness.
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Why it fits: A perfect emblem for death education — illuminating what is often hidden.