Issue #61 The Magic Heron Newsletter – What creature symbolizes protecting family by acting injured?
Welcome to the 61st 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, June 18, 2023
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Hi there
The summer solstice is this week, on the 21st, the longest day of the year. What plans do you have for celebrating?
Greebo has settled a little more in the last few weeks. She still plays rough, biting and scratching hard, but we’ve figured out how to hold her to calm her down when she does that. I just hold her tight in my arms and talk softly to her and she calms down. Shiloh used to do that when she was a baby, so I suppose it is comforting to her.
Summer is here! Time for getting out, enjoy the sun, and have fun. I miss North Carolina and going to the beach. So, we’ll probably go to a lake nearby and enjoy being around the water.
My son has been watching a clutch of Killdeer eggs on the river bank when he walks his dog. The parent Killdeer performs her ‘broken-wing’ act every time to lure him and his dog Bug away from the nest.
When I was growing up, a Killdeer had her nest right in the middle of the gravel lane leading up to our house. We put bricks around the nest so everyone, including the harvesters with their combines, knew to drive around it. The eggs hatched and the baby killdeer went out on their own!
So this week’s newsletter Spirit Animal is Killdeer.
This week’s Newsletter Spirit Animal
Killdeer Symbolism and Meanings:
Killdeer symbolism is about defending your family and loved ones at all costs. The Killdeer parents will act injured, dragging a wing and chirping when a predator comes too close to the nest. And just when the predator is distracted from the nest or too close to the “injured” bird, they will fly off and circle back to the nest once the predator has passed by.
Killdeer Symbolism and Meanings:
- Freedom
- New experiences
- Possibilities
- New life
- Spiritual growth
- Misdirection
- Grounding
- Overcoming fear
- Releasing fear
Killdeer young leave the nest a few days after hatching. This symbolizes finding your own way in life.
Killdeer symbolizes remaining focused on your dreams and goals. Don’t let anyone or anything keep you from working on them.
Recently Published . . .
New in the Etsy Shop
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 notebooks on the Magic Heron Amazon Author Page
1. My Feather Signs Journal: Tracking sacred messages and meanings on my life journey
2. All the Walkies!: A dog walking journal
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. Everything You Should Know About the Longest Day of the Year
2. DIY OLD-FASHIONED BEARD OIL: A PERFECT FATHER’S DAY GIFT
4. Herb Notes: The Medicinal Benefits of the Herb Plantain
5. MAKE YOUR OWN DRAWING CHARCOAL
***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:
MasterClass Writers Series . . .
I’m watching several of the writers classes on MasterClass.com since my daughter and I just got a subscription. We are enjoying them all. MasterClass has many other categories too! Like Food, Music, Home & Lifestyle, Science & Tech and much more. Well worth the annual subscription for how much knowledge you can learn on there.
Amy Tan
Even though I have never read any of Amy Tan’s books, I absolutely adored her Masterclass this week. She shows how she utilizes journaling and nature journaling for writing stories. (She’s also in The Nature Journal Club group on Facebook!)
I’ve watched all of her classes at least twice and it has given me new ideas for my own journaling.
Check out her class and video here:
(this is an affiliate link)
Summer Recipe . . .
Celebrate summer with seasonal recipes!
Summer Fun . . .
Summer Nature Bucket List! Go hiking in a national park!
Journaling Inspiration . . .
1. THE POWER OF FINDING POSITIVE WRITING ROLE MODELS
2. The Magic of Journaling by Hand
4. 10 Journaling Tips to Help You Heal, Grow and Thrive
5. How to Write Better: 5 Benefits of Journaling
Random Nature Fact . . .
Dragonflies keep cool by doing headstands to turn their body away from the sun!
Nature Journal Video . . .
1. Solstice and Equinox Journaling
2. Sun Shadows: exploring the solstice and equinox
Nature Journal Prompt . . .
Use the picture above to practice drawing in your nature journal and noticing details about this animal.
Killdeer facts:
Lifespan: 10 years
Scientific name: Charadrius vociferus
Weight: 3.1 oz.
Habitat: fields, airports, lawns, river banks, mudflats, shores, open ground, pastures, plowed fields, large lawns
What it eats: earthworms, snails, crayfish, grasshoppers, beetles, aquatic insect larvae, frogs, dead minnows
What eats (or preys on) it: birds of prey, gulls, crows, ravens, snakes, foxes, coyotes, raccoons, skunks, opossums, domestic cats, domestic dogs
Did you know?
Killdeer will put on the ‘broken-wing’ act to lure predators away from the nest!
A Killdeer’s Broken Wing Act–NARRATED
What I’m watching . . .
1. We just started watching this one and loving it!
OUR PLANET II | Official Trailer | Netflix
What I’m reading . . .
1. I finished The Meg and have started The Trench. Good so far!
The Trench by Steve Alten
What I’m Listening to . . .
1. 4K Forest Birdsong 2 – Birds Sing in the Woods – No Loop Realtime Birdsong – Relaxing Nature Video
Quotes I’m pondering . . .
“Summer means happy times and good sunshine.”
~~Brian Wilson
and
“Summertime is always the best of what might be.”
~~ Charles Bowden
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 favorite childhood memory in nature”
Prompt from: Campfire Stories Deck: Prompts for Igniting Conversation by the Fire by Ilyssa Ky
Journal Prompt . . .
Journal what the summer solstice means to you. The passage into a new season of the year.
- Is it one of your favorite seasons?
- Or do you dread it for the heat?
- What does your perfect summer day look like?
- What are your goals and intentions?
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
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I’ll be back on July 2nd!
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