Issue #29 The Magic Heron Newsletter – What creature teaches us about wisdom and magic?

Welcome to the 29th issue of The Magic Heron Newsletter, a fortnightly newsletter with a focus on journaling, writing, and learning nature’s wisdom through midlife. 

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Texas, March 27, 2022

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Hi there !

Did you celebrate the Spring Equinox? It was a beautiful windy day here on the day of the Spring Equinox.

Then, wow, we had quite the weather afterwards to usher in spring! We had a few days of 70’s which felt so good to get out in and clean up the yards. But, that also brought high winds and several wildfires in the area. A few homes were lost but I think most all the animals and pets were saved.

Then, one afternoon we had thunderstorms with high winds (60mph+) that led into a blizzard overnight. It dumped 6 inches snow on us and the winds continued throughout the next day. By the afternoon most of the snow was melting off though. It was nice to get a wet slushy snow since we have been dry all winter. 

One day while we were out cleaning up the yards, a raven came to visit. He sat in the pine tree overlooking the front yard and watched us for a few moments. Then, he rose up and you could hear the weightiness of him as he flew overhead to another tree on the opposite side of the street. 

We don’t have many ravens or crows here. In North Carolina they are everywhere and I had fun watching them. This was a treat to see one here and this week’s newsletter Spirit Animal is Raven.

What changes is spring bringing to your area? Did you feel the shift into spring?

This week’s Newsletter Spirit Animal

Raven Symbolism and Meanings:

Symbolizing courage, wisdom, and strength, the raven spirit animal is an important totem to many. The raven is a trickster, but it is also known for its intelligence. People who have the raven as their totem possess these traits themselves. 

The raven is a powerful totem that can see the future and guide people to their destiny. It is also seen as a symbol of both wisdom and dark magic. 

A raven spirit animal symbolizes intelligence, intuition, exploration, and magic. The raven has long been an icon for wisdom in many cultures. They are seen as teachers, healers, mystics, seers, prophets, and tricksters. It’s important to connect with your inner raven because it can help you tap into the answers you seek most. 

Raven Symbolism:

• Courage
• Wisdom
• Strength
• Trickster
• Intelligence
• Intuition
• Exploration
• Magic

Meditate with the raven to learn what messages it has for you. There is a SPIRIT ANIMAL RAVEN printable journal listed below that may be of interest to you in helping you journal your messages.

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Recently Published . . .

New in the Etsy Shop!

1. SPIRIT ANIMAL Raven, Animal Guide Totem Meanings, Spirit Companion, Spirit Companionship, Printable Journal Prompts and Cards

2. SPIRIT ANIMAL Horse, Animal Guide Totem Meanings, Spirit Companion, Spirit Companionship, Printable Journal Prompts and Cards

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Recently Published . . .

New Books!

1. Yay my new book is live!

Homemade Spice Mix Recipes: 62 Tasty Spice Blends and Seasonings for Vegetables, Meat Dishes and Fish

2. I loved putting this notebook together for my best friend … she loves these retro vintage bikes and I think the cover came out really cute!

Be Free: Blue Beach Cruiser Bike notebook

Recipe

Here’s one of the recipes from the new book. My daughter and I recently had blackened salmon and absolutely loved it!

Blackened Spice Mix

1 tsp ground basil

1 tsp ground thyme

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp white pepper

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp onion powder

2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp paprika

Use for fish, shrimp, salmon, poultry, beef

FREE Herbal Course

1. Does herbalism spark your creative fire? If you doodle all over your study notes and dream of filling your materia medica with beautiful, accurate botanical illustrations, then the Botanical Drawing for Herbalists Course is for you!

Botanical Drawing for Herbalists Course

Interesting links . . .

Here are some interesting links I came across on my ventures through Internet Land this week that I thought you might enjoy

1. How to Make Herbal Tinctures

2. Herbs For Dementia, Alzheimer’s Disease, and the Aging Brain: What the Research Has to Say

3. DIY Seed Starter Pots

4. Living Trellises for Your Garden

5.  How to Attract Hummingbirds: 10 Expert Tips

***I use Mountain Rose Herbs for ordering all the herbs I use. Every order I’ve received has always been fresh and gorgeous. Click here to order the herbs you need for your teas, infusions, spices, and other ingredients for your kitchen:

Mountain Rose Herbs

Journaling Inspiration . . .

1. “Journaling is like a little door into the madness of my mind.” Journaling can be a hard habit to keep up with! Maybe you’re like me, and always kept a journal when you were younger. But once I left school, keeping up with my journaling become much more difficult. So, here is my challenge to you… pick up that pen and paper! Any time you’re tempted to procrastinate on your phone or laptop, try journaling instead. If you’re not quite sure what to write about, here are some prompts to get you started!

1. Where I Keep My Secrets | SoSonia’s Journal Flip Through

2. What Happens When You Write 20 Minutes a Day?

3. 5 Unusual Tactics That Have Really Improved My Writing

4. Journal Writing Tips: The Benefits of Freewriting

5. Blogtalk: A Roundup of Memoir Writing Tips

Nature Journal Video . . .

1. One of the most fundamental human awareness skills is being able to map out and quickly memorize the locations of key survival resources like food, water, animal trails, bird alarms, shelter, etc.

This video demonstrates how to practice the skill and provides tips for making the most of observation-based nature mapping.

Nature Mapping: The “Super-Skill” For Knowing Your Land

Nature Journal Prompt . . .

Use the picture above to practice drawing in your nature journal and noticing details about this animal.

Raven facts: 

Lifespan: 10-15 years

Scientific name: Corvus corax

Weight: up to 4 lbs

Speed: up to 25 mph, and can cover 100 miles in a day

Habitat: open areas, forests, high desert, sea coast, sagebrush, tundra, grasslands, rural settlements, town, cities

What it eats: ravens are omnivorous, they eat small mammals, nesting birds, eggs, berries, carrion, scavenge from other predators, and human landfills

What eats it: owls, hawks, eagles, coyotes, martens, other ravens

Did you know? 

A group of ravens is called an “unkindness” or “conspiracy”.

Check out this video on raven intelligence

Ravens Solve Test to get Food | Clever Critters | BBC Studios

What I’m watching . . .

1. I’ve been super busy publishing, so we’ve been watching Dr Who in the background. Such a fun series to watch– I love Dr Who!

Doctor Who – Series Seven Trailer

What I’m listening to . . .

1. It’s warming up, spring is almost here and the birds are chattering away. I keep my door or windows open now to listen to the bird language going on outside.

What I’m reading . . .

1. I read this book last summer and fell in love with it. I was living in North Carolina at the time and the author’s nature writing was spot on to the nature right outside my door. Time to reread it before the movie comes out.

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

2. And Reese Witherspoon just produced it into a movie that will be in theaters this summer. Check out the trailer:

WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING – Official Trailer (HD)

Quote I’m pondering . . .

“My favorite weather is bird chirping weather.”

—Terri Guillemets

Questions I’m considering journaling on . . . 

Time to get the yards cleaned up, find the containers for planting in, and step into the chaos of new growth. What steps do I take to shift from winter’s slumber to energetic growth?

Journal Prompt . . . 

Read several different blogs of interest to you—hobbies, nature, lifestyle, etc. Freewrite your reactions to the different ideas and make a list of questions you would ask the blogger. Then, answer those questions yourself!

Happy Journaling!

. . . Shanna

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I’ll be back on April 10th!

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Links

Shanna Lea Author website
Books on Amazon
Magic Heron Creations Notebooks on Amazon
Magic Heron Creations Etsy Shop

. . . Shanna Lea Author

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