National Make-a-Will Month: A Love Letter to the Living
August is National Make-a-Will Month, a timely invitation to pause and do one of the most caring, empowering, and deeply sacred things you can do for the people you love: make a will.
In deathcare spaces, we talk often about the importance of planning — not because we’re morbid or obsessed with control, but because we believe death is not just an ending. It’s a passage, a threshold, and a moment of potential grace for everyone involved — if we allow it to be.
Making a will is an act of devotion. It’s a spell you cast forward in time — one that speaks for you when you can’t speak anymore. It says:
“I thought of you. I wanted to make this easier for you. I wanted you to know what mattered to me.”
And for many of us walking a more-than-mainstream path — whether we’re witches, queer folks, chronically ill, neurodivergent, or simply disinterested in the cookie-cutter estate templates — writing a will can also be an act of radical self-determination. It gives you the power to say who your people are. To choose your guardians, your rituals, your legacy.
It doesn’t have to be fancy or expensive. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to exist.
Why It Matters
If you die without a will (called dying “intestate”), the state decides how your assets are distributed. That includes everything from your money to your pets to your body.
Wills are especially important for those in unmarried partnerships, chosen families, or complex kinship constellations — because without legal documentation, the people you consider family might be excluded entirely.
Making your wishes clear is an incredible gift to those left behind. Grief is already heavy enough without confusion, conflict, or court battles.
What You Can Include
Who you want to handle your estate (your executor)
Guardianship plans for minor children or dependents
What should happen to your body (burial, cremation, green burial, etc.)
Any specific bequests — financial or sentimental
Funeral and memorial preferences
Instructions for pets, digital assets, and creative work
A letter, poem, or blessing for your loved ones
Don’t Forget the Sacred
Making a will can also be a ritual — a chance to light a candle, pull a card, meditate, journal, or invite your ancestors into the process. You are weaving your deathcare into your life with intention. That’s powerful magic.
How to Begin
You can write a simple will by hand (a “holographic will”) depending on your state laws — just be sure to research local requirements.
There are many online tools (like FreeWill, Trust & Will, or Quicken WillMaker).
Consult a lawyer if your estate is complex or you want added legal protection.
And remember: it’s okay if your will changes over time. What matters most is that you start.
This Month’s Invitation:
If you’ve already made a will, review it. Update it if needed.
If you haven’t — set a date. Gather what you need. Make it part of your spiritual practice.
Let August be the month you face the end with courage, clarity, and care.
You don’t have to do it alone.
You just have to do it with love.
