This is a tale based on a recent dream which I worked with in my journal. There once was a little girl who lived in her father's big, old house. Although the little girl's father was kindly and gave her all he thought she needed and wanted, he kept her in her room to protect … Continue reading The House of Disrepair: A Fairy Re- Tale
Author: Joanna Tebbs Young
The Authentic Voice Project
For redefinition, I was thrown back to myself, to my inner knowing… Marilyn Sewell, Cries of the Spirit Words. Manifestations of our thoughts. Creators of our internal messages. Words have and continue to shape history and people - not always positively and sometimes with devastating consequences. Words have an affect on us, more powerful than … Continue reading The Authentic Voice Project
Do you need a map or a box of chocolates?
I have to thank Mark Matousek, with whom I took a class at the Therapeutic Writing Institute, for his insightful article in Psychology Today: What's Your Metaphor? Shifting Shapes In The New Year. This post is my response. Having never asked myself what word or phrase I consider my life metaphor, and how it affects … Continue reading Do you need a map or a box of chocolates?
Again with the Tension?! (Or, It’s OK not to know)
It's happened again. An old theme has come circling around, adding another new level of understanding. June 2009: I wrote this post on a different blog, which I then re-posted here in July 2011. This is the gist: During a Journal Therapy training I wrote (well, it kind of wrote itself while I held the … Continue reading Again with the Tension?! (Or, It’s OK not to know)
Hallelujah!
It would be a stretch to say that all Christmas music is beautiful. Every year when turkey-leftover soup is still very much on the menu and I find myself in a store singing along with some ear-gnawing song, I cringe with self-derision. But the Christmas carols, the ones I have heard and sung since birth, … Continue reading Hallelujah!
Trust your pen
I have to share a beautiful experience that speaks to the power of the pen to tap into something deeper and older than we can explain. This morning I was reading The Chalice and the Blade by Riane Eisler. I won't go into all the emotions this book arouses in me but I cannot emphasize … Continue reading Trust your pen
Gotta dance!
When I was a very little girl I loved to dance. Once a week my Nana would take me to the Senior Center (which in England I think they used to call the Old Age Pensioner's Club - nice) so I could gavotte around for their entertainment. I loved it. And I almost killed my … Continue reading Gotta dance!
An open letter to those who are human
C.P. Estes (author of Women Who Run With the Wolves) always addresses her readers as "Dear Brave Souls." I do not know her exact reasoning for this but I can guess that she knows how much courage it takes to live in this world, to face the pains and heartbreaks, unknowns and setbacks. But even … Continue reading An open letter to those who are human
Natural Wisdom – in verse
These poems were written by a participant in one of my recent workshops, Natural Wisdom: Writing as Spiritual Voice. They are Alphapoems written in response to prompts while listening to sounds from nature. As you will read, not all are directly related to nature, but this is an example of the wonder and power of … Continue reading Natural Wisdom – in verse
A turret and some (alone) time
I'm sitting in my new Writer's Turret, as I am calling it. It's actually just a small room we recently created by putting up a dividing wall in our son's large bedroom. It is a north-facing room and I was concerned that I would feel the lack of light. But with my desk directly next … Continue reading A turret and some (alone) time
joanna tebbs young 