uniquelyyourscraftjournal

Word Ghosts and memory

18 Aug 2017 3 Comments

by uniquelyyourscraftjournal in Word Ghosts Tags: Word Ghosts

“Writing isn’t letters on paper. It’s communication. It’s memory.”

Isaac Marton

Famous people’s unsent letters

16 Aug 2017 Comments Off on Famous people’s unsent letters

by uniquelyyourscraftjournal in The Un-Sent Letter Tags: Lincoln, Truman, Twain

Dear Fellow Journalers,

Lest you think that you’re the only one who’s faced their inner demons of writing un-sent letters take heart. Several famous people have written these missives but instead of destroying them, kept them for us to read many years later.

Abraham Lincoln composed “hot letters” which later became “Never sent. Never signed.” According to Doris Kearns Goodwin of NPR, Lincoln dumped all his feelings on paper, then set it aside until he cooled down. Good thing too. One of those un-sent letters blamed General George Meade for letting Robert E. Lee escape after Gettysburg.

Mark Twain was as famous for penning “unallowable frankness and freedom” as he was for Tom Sawyer.

Harry S. Truman once almost informed the treasurer of the US that “I don’t think that the financial advisor of God himself would be able to understand what the financial position of the Government of the US is, by reading your statement.” He also was tempted to send the following to Senator Joseph R. McCarthy. “You are not fit to have a hand in the operation of the Government of the United States. I am very sure that the people of Wisconsin are extremely sorry that they are represented by a person who has a little sense of responsibility as you have.”

Wow, can you imagine if that letter had actually been sent! The effect of all these letters is the same- anger, release, PEACE.

Word Ghosts and Emily Dickinson

11 Aug 2017 2 Comments

by uniquelyyourscraftjournal in Word Ghosts Tags: Emily Dickinson, Word Ghosts

” This is the letter to the world that never wrote to me.”

Emily Dickinson

Six tips to writing a meaningful unsent letter and ritual

09 Aug 2017 Comments Off on Six tips to writing a meaningful unsent letter and ritual

by uniquelyyourscraftjournal in Paper Daydreams, The Un-Sent Letter Tags: Ritual

“Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart.”

William Wordsworth

Dear Fellow Journalers,

The first time you write an emotional letter you dump all your feelings on paper- sadness, anger, regret, wonder, gratitude and finally joy. You write with what we’ve come to call “stream of consciousness.” This is writing without thought of grammar or punctuation.

~~~~~~~~ There’s so much I had to say~~~~~~~

Some people have written these types of letters in their journals mainly because they never ever mean to send them. Some people though, want to make the experience more meaningful. So here are six tips to writing this type of letter and a final piece I call The Ritual of Writing and Release.

Choose your paper, favorite pen and writing place.
Find a comfortable place where you won’t be disturbed for a while.
Decide how you’ll dispose of y our undeliverable letter. You could decide to shred, hide or burn it.
Write when you’re ready.

5. Include forgiving and forgiveness in your letter. Ask forgiveness and grant forgiveness even if you don’t feel like it.

Include good memories and end on a positive note.

I’ve said it all – Now What??

Now you face a daunting task, do you shred, keep or??? The Ritual below may help.

Burning Letter Ritual

Take a fireproof bowl, your letter, a lighter or match and go outside. Read your letter out loud, read it as if you were talking directly to that person. Use your emotions, give voice and expression to everything you have written. Take time to feel your feelings, there is no rush, and the more energy and determination you give to this process the more powerful it becomes. When complete, hold the letter in your hands and say out loud: “I release this person and their energy from my life. I release them with gratitude and love for the universe who brings me healing.” Tear your letter into quarters, and place it in the fire-proof bowl. Light it and let it burn. As you watch the flames, thank the element of fire which has burned your letter. Scatter the ashes remaining in the bowl on the ground, and thank the element of earth and the element of air for accepting and sweeping away the remnants of your letter. Return inside and wash out your fire-proof bowl. As you do this thank the element of water for washing away the dust and burned fragments left in the bowl. Now thank the universe, god, creator etc, and thank them for allowing you to release the negative energy into the universe, and to free yourself from its power. Ask the universe that this energy may be transformed to light and that it be a positive experience sharing healing powers with all – as we are all connected energetically, all healing work brings universal benefit.

The Letter Burning Ritual can be repeated as many time as you like about any person, situation or circumstance that causes you to experience negative feelings that you cannot on your own get clear of.

~Sallie