Common House Residents Journal #04: 2013-08-17

Entry #: 04
Journal Type: mixed
Date: 2013 August 17
Replies: yes
Author: Kalli with help from Apollo
Trigger Warnings: health whining

It's not fair! :(

Every time I end up fronting my issues carry to front (chicken or egg, no one's really sure, I think Emmy and/or Apollo have mentioned that elsewhere on this board).

I wish I could be like my big brother. For all his issues at least he can be more "normal" at front than me. I feel like I'm wasting spoons because I come front and basically the body shuts down to the same level I'm at inworld. It's ANNOYING. I want to be able to be a little girl sometimes. >:(

The only good thing that has happened this past week is that Daddy let me watch Rise of the Guardians with him and Emmy the other day. And we went to the art museum too. :D It was fun but I think I had enough adventure for the week. Unfortunately have to help daddy with homework now. (Technically we're kind of cheating on one of the homework assignments, but it's the best we can do on short notice.....)

(x-posted from Plurality Resource Forum)

Common House Residents Journal #03: 2013-08-09

Entry #: 03
Journal Type: outworld
Date: 2013 August 09
Replies: yes
Author: Nico
Trigger Warnings: none

Having a weird week. Registered for classes for the recovery education day program we go to on Wednesday.... Vocational Photovoice (which doesn't count), Qi Gong, Cognitive Remediation, and Stress Hardiness... We'll get in at least 1, maybe 2 of the last 3. And hopefully we'll also get in the photovoice class. We also registered for a networking for introverts seminar through the adult ed program at the high school.

We're still doing stuff on coursera. the songwriting class Thalassa mentioned though we're probably not going to pass because the people who wanted to take it aren't the fronters who are doing the work... this happens to us a lot, unfortunately. Thankfully the other courses we're taking right now everyone wants to do even though we feel a bit out of our element because we're neither teachers nor psychology students. It's just 2 fields we're heavily considering going back to school for and want to see if it IS a good fit first. It's kind of amusing to look at our notes because those of us who are working on this run the gamut from early teens to over 40 and those of us who are younger are basically helping with redefining things simply just so that anyone can get the basic gist of what we're studying even if they're younger than I am.

(x-posted from Plurality Resource Forum)

NaBloPoMo August 2013: Day 1

Do you like hot drinks such as coffee and tea?

Yes. I like tea and hot chocolate most for hot drinks. I have never tried coffee. Coffee smells good and makes for good ice cream but I can't wrap my head around drinking it, mostly because caffeine does funny things to my brain.

I like hot chocolate because that was one of my favorite things when i was younger. It has good memories attached to it. Though I tend to use it as a treat for the same reason I won't drink coffee. I don't want to deal with the loopiness caffeine causes.

I like tea and tisanes because there are so many varieties out there and I like investigating what each kind of tea can be used for based on herbal properties. Teas and tisanes are very versatile and you can get it caffeine-free and you can usually find more flower-y variations of strong teas (for example, I love Lady Grey Tea, which is a flowery alternative to Earl Grey).

Common House Residents Journal #02: 2013-07-28

Entry #: 02
Journal Type: outworld
Date: 2013 July 28
Replies: yes
Author: Emmy
Trigger Warnings: illness

Apparently there are more things I can't eat than dairy, fish and peanut butter. Stomach's been bugging us all morning and pretty much like "nope no food for you". I hate it and it doesn't help that it's impossible to shop for ourselves when we live with our parents.

Thinking of things we'd like to study and the more we do inner child work with our therapist and the more we work on The Artist's Way, the more I think we'd love to do expressive therapy/play therapy... one of my friends said she would bring me to St Francis House to meet people and talk about art therapy as a career option... though I feel guilty because while technically I'm low-income personally, living with my parents means I'm higher income than most of the people I know. It's a little awkward.

(x-posted from Plurality Resource Forum)

Common House Residents Journal #01: 2013-07-21

Entry #: 01
Journal Type: mixed
Date: 2013 July 21
Replies: yes
Author: Siren/Thalassa
Trigger Warnings: kid talk

Inworld things have been busy, but I have... almost my full chosen family (even though most of them aren't "actually mine") and my triplets too. Everyone grows up so fast. Trucy got married in June to Vera. Those two are cute together.

Outworld, we're planning on going back to school, so we've been exploring MOOCs in potential areas, but just for fun and writing purposes, myself, Machi, Sasame, Emmy and with some encouragement from Scholars' Klavier and Marigold (who tend to crossover because they need the social outlet), decided we wanted to try the songwriting class from Berklee because we all have a vested interest in making some of our inworld skillset available out front. So far we all like crowding in front and it's working better than the other MOOCs we're taking. Plus it's a nice follow up to the fact that we're currently finishing a poetry class at the recovery center.

We wrote a poem mapping out our innerworld earlier in the term but we're thinking about making a poem coming out just for our class. I'm not sure if there are other systems because we "aren't supposed to talk about whatever our Dx is" and we aren't DID overall though some of us fit the criteria, so we get kind of nervous and don't want impostor syndrome feelings to happen, even though we've been in this community long enough to know that we're not alone in this identity variation.

(x-posted from Plurality Resource Forum)

Oracle Readings Received: Bird Oracle (June 27 2012)

from wrenstarling's June one card draw using her bird oracle deck, we asked for a card to meditate on.

For you, I drew Lark. In the coldest of times, there is still freshness; beneath the snow is the soil of the earth in which good things grow. This is the bird of winter. It speaks of Earth and Sun, of spirals, of the sacred voice/sacred song, the importance of just listening, the warming of body and soul, seeking/loving the sun/light.

---

Personal thoughts - Lark has a lot of layers as a totem and it's application right now is also multi-layered.

"Lark teaches the lesson of freedom from worrying"
-(http://timberwolfhq.com/animals-spirit-power-totem/)

Lately worry is a lot of who I am. this encourages me a little, that I can learn to move beyond the insecurity.

"Larks are known for their melodious singing. They also sing while they are flying, unlike most other birds, who only sing when perched. This indicates cheerfulness and reminds us to find joy in our own lives....

Larks have a crescent shape across their breasts. The crescent shape often signifies lunar qualities, and the moon is often linked with the concept of self. Therefore the lark reflects the inward journey that’s often associated with self-discovery. This goes hand in hand with their singing, something that, for humans, is often considered a private activity and a deep reflection of inner self. Lark encourages us to explore our inner selves and sing out loud."
-(http://www.pure-spirit.com/more-animal-symbolism/508-lark-symbolism)
The Mystery of Sound
For those to whom the lark appears, the mysteries and science of
sound, music and voice will be important
and the shamanic aspects of song and sorcery will become unveiled.
The creative power of voice awakens.
Words spoken will take on greater power and magic.
Things spoken lovingly will be felt more deeply;
things spoken harshly will cut more deeply.
The power of the voice is awakening.

It has been said that the angels sing everyday for us,
but to hear the song of the angels we must first be able to hear the song
within our own hearts.
When the lark appears, our own sacred song is being awakened.
- http://www.linsdomain.com/totems/pages/lark.htm

I think the combination of these is an important reminder -- learning to just sing it reminds me of the Henry van Dyke quote I used in my high school yearbook


"Horned (Shore) Lark - Grounded and Dreaming
Keywords: Strutting your stuff, oneness with wind and ground spirits, staying grounded and dreaming big, knowing the healing power of the earth, the earth element, the wind element, doing what is necessary to protect loved ones, knowing the power of sacrifice, putting others first, seeking stability, don't damage your health for environmentalism, learning to live in new environments, the healing power of open places." - (WildSpeak Totem Dictionary)

We're doing a lot of internal and external maintenance, pulling away from things that aren't as in-line with our values and trying to manage taking care of each other and our chosen families.

Oracle Readings Received: May One Card Draw (May 7 2012)

from stonetalker's May One Card Draw

The card is from the Tarot of the Cloisters and is affected by the Fairy Tale Tarot card from the Leap Year Draw mentioned previously (Two of Swords, inverted).

Eight of Swords (inverted)
This combination is showing you that there is a choice to be made and that something is inhibiting you from making it. The Eight (reversed) is showing you that you have to be willing to take the first steps away from this inhibition and into what you want to see happen in your life. Seek support from others if you need it, but keep moving forward. Learn to trust yourself.