Issue #58 The Magic Heron Newsletter – What creature symbolizes home, communication, and tasting the sweetness of life?

Welcome to the 58th 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, May 7, 2023

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Hi there !

Greebo killed her first mouse this week! I didn’t know we had any, since I haven’t seen any sign of them in a long time. She was playing around the stove—she figured out how to pull the bottom drawer open. I saw her go from one side of the stove to the other and I thought, hmmm that sure looks like mouse hunting behavior. Sure enough, the dead mouse showed up on my bedroom floor that evening.

Spring is in full swing now, we have had some rain, and the grass is greening up and most all the trees have leafed out now. It’s May and the mesquite is saying, yes you can plant now! So we have a few tomato and pepper plants we will add to the container garden. There is nothing like the taste of a homegrown tomato!

We’ve also had a moth infestation. Not so much around our house, but other places in town people are complaining about hundreds of them on their doors and inside closures. Many people are wanting instant solutions like pesticides. I don’t understand. It’s a temporary inconvenience, and it’s a MOTH. They are already so fragile. Anyway, they won’t be here that long and I don’t know what the fuss is about.

This week’s newsletter Spirit Animal is Honey Bee, another creature that heralds in Spring.

This week’s Newsletter Spirit Animal

Bee Symbolism and Meanings:

Bees and their homes (hives) are highly symbolic of harmony, communication, and domestic stability. Bee reminds us to focus on family, community, and the people who support us.

Worker bees take care of the queen until she matures, so that the colony continues. This symbolizes teamwork, and family working together for the benefit of the whole.

Although tiny, Bee reminds us that even though we might feel small or insignificant, even the smallest of us can make a change in the world around us.

Bee Symbolism and Meanings:

• Life
• Order
• Nurturing
• Community
• Productivity
• Communication
• Growth
• Family
• Sweetness

Bees produce honey from flower nectar, symbolizing nourishment, sweetness, and wealth. With hard work, we can enjoy the sweetness of life.

Bee provides life for flowers, gathering pollen while visiting flower to flower and thus pollinating the plants along the way. Bee reminds us to look within and ask how we are pollinating our inner garden/growth in our hearts, mind, and dreams.

Recently Published . . .

New in the Etsy Shop

1. Letter writing – Sunflower & Honey Bees printable stationery – digital download

2. Gnome and Sunflowers on Honeycomb Printable Stationery, Green, Letter Writing Paper, Lined, Unlined, Planner Inserts, Notepaper for Women

New Books!

My daughter and I created a whole line of Writer’s Notebooks. Use them for NaNoWriMo, notetaking, for work, or journaling! You can find the the notebooks on the Magic Heron Amazon Author Page

This week I’m promoting a a coloring book journal and a To Do List notebook.

1. Hello Spring! Coloring Book and Journal: Adult coloring book and lined journal of Spring flowers, owls, birds, mushroom, birdhouses, and butterflies

2. To Do List Notebook: To Do Checklist & Dot Grid Pages: Sunflower with Black Background Cover

Zazzle Shop . . .

New Products!

I’ll be adding more products soon—more spiral bound notebooks, journals, stationery, office accessories, and cooking related products. Stay tuned!

Magic Heron Creations Zazzle Shop

Spiral Bound Notebooks! You can customize the name, and choose the interior: lines, graphs, bullet journal, or sketch pages!

1. Stingray Custom Name Notebook

2. Seahorse Custom Name Notebook

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. Northern Lights Dance across U.S. because of ‘Stealthy’ Sun Eruptions

2. When Will You See Maple ‘Copters Flying?

3. Tree Eyes Can Help Us Find Our Way

4. CHICKWEED PESTO: HOW TO MAKE THIS WILD GREENS RECIPE

5. 5 Natural Recipes For When You’ve Had Too Much Sun

***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

Spring Recipe . . .

Celebrate spring with seasonal recipes!

30 Strawberry Recipes to Make This Spring

Spring Fun  . . .

Spring Nature Bucket List! Visit a local botanical garden and discover local plants and learn about plant conservation!

What Are the Benefits of Botanical Gardens?

Fun Idea From: Spring Nature Bucket List

Nature Walk Video . . .

Nature video to play in the background while you work, walk on a treadmill, or just to relax to!

Welcome to Oregon! This is an 8K 360° VR virtual relaxation video featuring the stunning Silver Falls State Park in Oregon. The video takes you on a visual journey through the park, showcasing the amazing Lower South Falls and its surroundings. As you watch, you will be immersed in the sights and sounds of the calming pond, bright greenery, and the relaxing nature sounds of the waterfall. This video is perfect for those looking for a calming ambiance, as it provides the perfect escape from the noise and chaos of everyday life.

Experience the Beauty of Silver Falls State Park in 8K 360° VR – Virtual Relaxation

Journaling Inspiration . . .

1. 5 Reasons to Write Your Memoir

2. The Stradivarius in the Spruce: Writing Heals

3. THE POWER OF FINDING POSITIVE WRITING ROLE MODELS

4. Conquering Blank Page Syndrome

5. Tips For Keeping A Sketchbook Or Visual Journal

Random Nature Fact . . .

A honeybee’s wings flap 200 times a second!

Nature Journal Video . . .

1. In this glimpse into “Year of the Question”, John Muir Laws explores how to ask more questions and generate more curiosity in your nature journal, including asking different kinds of questions. (October 2022)

Asking Questions

Nature Journal Prompt . . .

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

Honey Bee facts:

Lifespan: 30-60 days

Scientific name: Apis mellifera

Weight: single bee weighs .00025 lbs. 4,000 bees together weigh 1 lb.

Speed: 15-20 mph

Habitat: natural or domesticated environments—prefer gardens, woodlands, orchards, meadows, areas with abundant flowering plants. Build nests inside tree cavities and under edges of objects

What it eats: pollen and nectar from flowering plants, including milkweed, dandelions, clover, goldenrod, fruit tress, etc.

What eats (or preys on) it: bears, skunks, snakes (Africa), raccoons, opossums, mountain lions eating either the honey or the bee larvae

Did you know?

Each honey bee makes about 1/12 of a teaspoon of honey in its life time!

More fun facts:

Honey Bee Facts

More fun facts:

Health Benefits of Honey

What I’m watching . . .

1. One of my oldie favorites.

Tremors Official Trailer #1 – (1990) HD

What I’m reading . . .

1. The View from the Cheap Seats by Neil Gaiman

What I’m Listening to . . . 

1. Live nature cams are fun to have on in the background while working!

Mesmerizing Jellyfish Cam at Aquarium of the Pacific. Play on large screen TV!

Quotes I’m pondering . . .

“Spring adds new life and new joy to all that is”.

—Jessica Harrelson

and

“Can words describe the fragrance of the very breath of spring?”

—Neltje Blanchan

Questions I’m considering journaling on . . .

My daughter and I have been enjoying this card deck of writing prompts. We each do one prompt for about 20 minutes each evening. It’s surprising where some of my writing dives into, sometimes completely different than where I started. That’s the power of journaling with your subconscious!

Here’s one of the prompts I enjoyed writing with:

“a time you put away the map”

Prompt from: Campfire Stories Deck: Prompts for Igniting Conversation by the Fire by Ilyssa Ky

Journal Prompt . . .

Take a day to go out in nature—a park, lake, wilderness area, etc and collect a few items and take pictures to put in a Spring Journal.

What things will you collect and what will you photograph for the journal that represent Spring?

What do you think it will be like to come back to this Spring Journal 10 years from now and why?

Reviews . . .

If you have bought any of our books or printables and enjoyed them, please leave a positive review on Amazon, Etsy, or Zazzle. Those reviews mean the world to us and help boost us up on the platforms. Thank You!!

Happy Journaling!

. . . Shanna

P.S. Is there something you like or would rather see in the newsletter? Hit reply and let me know!

I’ll be back on May 21st !

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