Issue #73 The Magic Heron Newsletter – What creature symbolizes preparing for winter and is called the ‘changer’?

Welcome to the 73rd issue of The Magic Heron Newsletter, a fortnightly newsletter with a focus on journaling, writing, and learning through nature’s wisdom. 

Did you miss a past newsletter issue? I’ve put them on the blog. Click here to read them: Newsletter Archive

If this newsletter was forwarded to you, you need your own: Subscribe here.

New to our newsletter? Welcome!

Looking for the unsub button? Check the bottom of the newsletter!

You’re on this list because you signed up on my website for a free printable or pdf. You can unsubscribe at the bottom; please don’t mark as spam. I hope you’ll stay as I like to give out FREEBIES. 

Note: This email has affiliate links to partner deals. If you make a purchase, I get a commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my business.

Thanks for being here. I appreciate you.

Texas, December 3, 2023

Be sure to hit the SUBSCRIBE button to receive The Magic Heron Newsletter in your inbox!

Hi there !

Today’s journaling tip: Journal about your successes and failures.

Journaling about your successes and failures brings you much insight about both. I do this a lot when I’m stuck on a project that just isn’t moving forward.

I write about what I think made something successful. So that I can repeat that process. I ask questions about why something did not work. Did I take action? Did I follow a plan? What can I do differently next time?

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”

~ Thomas Edison

Write through a process of what you did (or did not do) to see your perceived failure from another perspective (see this week’s spirit animal about this). Perhaps you just found another way that doesn’t work. So try again.

Journaling helps you think through the problem / situation to find a new solution. It has helped me through many problems. Just by continually asking myself questions through journaling, many times I have an a-hah! moment. Sometimes I figure out that I didn’t take the action needed (even though I thought I did!)

Don’t forget to journal your successes! Take a moment to be proud of yourself for your accomplishments and your hard work. Pat yourself on the back. Give yourself a nice reward.

NaNoWriMo

My daughter and I won our NaNoWriMo word count! We each reached the 50,000 word count in 30 days. I loved the routine we set each night to spend time on our writing and we decided we’ll continue it for December.

She decided mid-month to switch novels that she was writing on to an older one that has been in the works for a few years. She kept getting stuck on where the story was going, so she brainstormed a solution and the story that wanted to be written had been scratching at the back of her brain all month. So, she decided to set the first one on the backburner to simmer for a while and work on the one that she really was excited about. Now the writing is going more smoothly for her.

Important lesson: don’t force what you think you “should” be writing / doing. If it’s not working, step back and listen to your intuition. Is something else needing to come to the forefront?

I put out a lot of journals and some planners for the new year as well as cookbook ebooks on the Payhip shop. So, in December, I’ll be working on journaling blog posts and personal essays. I’m excited about this change and ready to dive into deeper writing.

This week Squirrel has shown up as the Spirit Animal for the newsletter. Check it out below and see if any of Squirrel’s teachings resonate with you.

Happy journaling!

This week’s Newsletter Spirit Animal

Squirrel Symbolism and Meanings:

Playful and light-hearted, squirrels remind us to have fun while we are working hard to prepare for winter.

Squirrels are enjoyable to watch as they run along the tree branches, fence rails, and power lines. They work hard to prepare for winter, stashing nuts in different places.

Squirrel teaches us to prepare for the future. This could mean putting money aside for emergency funds, stocking up on extra groceries in case of power outages, or preparing for early retirement.

Squirrel Symbolism and Meanings:

• Frugal
• Balance
• Resourcefulness
• Playfulness
• Stamina
• Social
• Adaptability
• Renewal
• Gratitude
• Foresight
• Connection with earth

Squirrel is often called the ‘changer’. Squirrel teaches how to shift our perspective and look at our life from different angles–shift our experiences to see things differently. Squirrel teaches to not get stuck in the same pattern or routine. Time to try something new!

You have the ability to shift and change. Time to evolve from the lessons of the past and step forward toward the future with an open mind and positive attitude.

Recently Published . . .

New Printables!

I am in the middle of moving a lot of my printables to a new platform called Payhip. I have all the Spirit Animal Journals moved and will continue to put out a new one about once a month. Check out the new shop and I’ll be adding new planners and ebooks there soon!

1. New shop: Shanna Lea Author / Magic Heron Creations Printables

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

3. Life of Abundance Journal and Tracker Printable, Abundance Log Planner Inserts, Manifestation Journaling Pages, Wealth Diary, Digital PDF

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

2. Mandala Coloring & Writing Journal: A notebook for coloring, journaling, and taking notes with peaceful focus

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. 50 Ways to Spice Up Your Life!

2. HERBAL WELLNESS ROUTINES ON THE GO FOR TRAVEL AND A BUSY SCHEDULE

3. Winter Crafts For Seniors

4. 18 Fun and Festive Activities to Do in December

5. What’s in Season – December Produce Guide

***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

Big Announcement! . . .

If you’ve been on the fence about taking an herbal course, now is the best time!

Up to 25% off ALL Herbal Courses including Foundational Programs, Path Packages, and Short Courses

Sale runs this week–December 1 – 5

Click here to grab this deal now!

MasterClass Buy One Gift One Sale . . .

For a limited time, you can buy one membership and gift one free for MasterClass’s annual subscriptions.

With 185+ classes led by the greatest minds of our time, you can unlock access for not only yourself, but also your loved ones.

Learn how to write a novel, craft poetry, write nonfiction. Or, look at the other classes they offer in cooking, music, business, and many others.

Click here to sign up for MasterClass Buy One Gift One Sale ( * $10 a month, billed annually)

Autumn Recipe . . .

Celebrate Autumn with seasonal recipes! Make homemade chicken noodle soup!

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup with Rotisserie Chicken

Autumn Fun  . . .

Autumn Nature Bucket List! Make a blanket scarf!

How to Make a Blanket Scarf 3 Different Ways with JOANN

Journaling Inspiration . . .

1. Daily in December Journal Page Set Up

2. Famous December Poems by Famous Poets

3. Soft floral collages | Mini Altered Book 1

4. Index Card Junk Journaling Challenge Paper Crafting on a Budget!

5. Soapbox: What is the fate of a humanity that has lost touch with nature?

Random Nature Fact . . .

One elephant tooth weighs as much as 9 lbs!

Nature Journal Video . . .

1. Do you have a pet guinea pig, hamster, or rat? These pets are great resources to help you practice moving animal forms. We will start with the basics of how to construct the rodent body and then learn how to show fur texture, from short hair to the fluffy tail of a squirrel.

How to Draw Squirrels

Nature Journal Prompt . . .

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

Squirrel facts:

Lifespan: 1-2 years for a young squirrel, if it survives to adulthood, then 6 years

Scientific name: Sciuridae

Weight: 10.5 – 25 oz

Speed: 20 mph

Habitat: forests, old-growth hardwoods, mixed hardwood-coniferous forests, rural, suburban, and urban woodlots

For dens they make nests out of leaves, twigs, and shredded bark or tree cavities.

What it eats: seeds (maple, ash, basswood) and nuts (acorns, beechnuts, butternuts, hickory nuts). Tree buds, flowers and inner bark of the trees, mushrooms, berries and fruits. Bury the nuts and use their sense of smell to find them in the winter. Will also eat insects, bird eggs and even young birds.

What eats (or preys on) it: Predators include humans (hunting, vehicle strikes), birds of prey (red-tailed hawks, owls, etc.), bobcats, coyotes, foxes, black rat snakes, raccoons

Did you know?

Squirrels lose 25% of the food they bury—to other squirrels!

22 Things You May Not Know About Squirrels

More fun facts:

Squirrels have a sense of humor—This is one of my all-time favorite videos!

Pet flying squirrel plays dead with a broom

What I’m watching . . .

1. I’ve been enjoying going back and rewatching a Longmire episode in between my work projects for NaNoWrimo.

Longmire – Trailer

What I’m reading . . .

What’s on my bookshelf:

These have been favorite writing books I’ve always kept on my bookshelf to refer to over and over.

1. I’ll be starting a new book to work from with my writing for December.

Little Stories of Your Life: Find your voice, share your world and tell your story by Laura Pashby

Quotes I’m pondering . . .

“The autumn wind is a pirate. Blustering in from sea with a rollicking song he sweeps along swaggering boisterously. His face is weather beaten, he wears a hooded sash with a silver hat about his head… The autumn wind is a raider, pillaging just for fun.”

~~ Steve Sabol

and

“I would rather sit on a pumpkin, and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion.”

~~ Henry David Thoreau

Questions I’m considering journaling on . . .

I’m switching to new projects for December, going deeper into my writing. As autumn changes over to winter, it will be a time for going within. I’m ready.

But… what am I ready to write?

Journal Prompt . . .

It’s the in-between time. In-between holidays. Back to a routine, but also busy getting ready for the next holiday.

What are your plans?

Have you made your lists? Are you planning ahead so as not to be overwhelmed? Are you keeping it simple? Or do you love the busyness?

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 December 13th !

P.P.S. If you like this newsletter and want to support it, buy a book or notebook. Or forward this newsletter to a friend with an invitation to subscribe, right here.