DEATHCRAFT
JOURNAL

A Brief History of Deathcare: From Sacred Rituals to Industrialized Death
Explore the evolution of deathcare from ancient sacred rites to the rise of the funeral industry. Understand how cultural shifts transformed how we care for the dead—and how we might reclaim it.
MEET THE AUTHOR
Kat Rist (she/they) is the founder of Deathcraft.
Kat is a death doula, educator, and hair stylist based just south of Louisville, Kentucky. With one foot in the sacred and the other in the everyday, Kat helps others navigate the mysteries of death and dying through a lens of nature-based spirituality, compassion, and curiosity. She’s also a licensed cosmetologist working magic with color and texture at Maeda in Louisville.
Kat is a cat mom to a sassy orange tabby named Tilly, partner to a total car guy, and proud aunt to four wild and wonderful kids. She’s deeply into spiritualism, Tarot, folklore, and the quiet wisdom of the natural world. Whether she’s holding space at the end of life or capturing a breathtaking sunset, Kat believes in honoring the cycles of life—and finding magic in every part of the journey.