The Enchanted Morning, April 8, 2023

the

FOR THE WEEK OF APRIL 8, 2023

Your Weekly Horoscope Spring Greens Emotional Intelligence & Childrens TV

Inspiration & delight while discovering Your Joy

A Weekly Magazine by

Witchy Moms

So what's the story behind Witchy Moms?

In 2012, my husband died in a work accident at our business. Our daughters were 5yrs & 2yrs old at the time. I was a 34yr old widow. As one could imagine my entire world changed in an instant. I felt so alone & scared. I had no idea how I was going to move forward.

Fast forward to September 2016. I sat in a safe house with my 3 daughters hiding from my abusive partner. I felt so scared & so alone. I had no idea what I was going to do. Once again my life was totally turned upside down.

I could not believe that once again I was in the same type of situation- alone, scared & having to rebuild my life.

I knew one thing was for sure. I was going to heal & so were my kids. This was NOT how this story was going to end.

Doctors prescribed pills & sent me to talk therapy both when my husband died AND when we left our abuser.

I knew there had to be another way to get through it, so I spent 3 years discovering all of the healing modalities I could find. I learned so much & found relief & most of all hope that we were in fact going to make it.

I also realized that I could not be the only one going through this. There had to be other women like me struggling & looking for answers.

In April 2020, I started the Witchy Moms facebook group & instagram account in hopes of finding other likeminded women.

And now here we are 3 years later... I feel like I'm just getting started!

the

Enchanted Morning Witchy Moms EDITOR PUBLISHER ADVERTISING SALES Natalie Ryan natalie@witchymoms.com The Enchanted Morning is a Weekly Digital interactive publication supporting our magical community around the world.

Copyright Witchy Moms 2023.

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No reproduction of any material without written consent .

Curious to know more of my healing journey?

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In This Issue & Our Contributors Spring Greens- Prickly Lettuce

By Amy Doeun

Your Weekly Horoscope

By Sara McCormick

Emotional Intelligence & Children's TV

By Valarie Coulter

The Beauty of Bluebonnets

By Shawn Michael Foley

Feature Vendors & The Marketplace 4

New Release Books & Decks

From my

Kitchen table a note from the editor I am not sure if it is because Spring may actually be on it's way in our area or the powerful full pink moon a few days ago but I am FINALLY feeling human again!

After spending the last 8 months mainly on the couch feeling awful & contemplating life, I'm back! I would say definitely as an upgraded version too.

I guess it could be called a dark night of the soul period in my life. Necessary and so worth it. I now see life through a different lens with more gratitude, joy, simplicity & a clear vision of what lies ahead.

I am now owning my superpower, my intuition, and sharing my gift proudly.

I have realized that my story of survival through tough times is a beacon of hope for others struggling and it has immense value.

Now Available 1- on - 1 Sessions are back!

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Not yourself?

Wanting to move forward but just don't know where to start?

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Create a magical week,

Natalie Above: 3 of 5 of our herd of horses, Titan, Tinkerbell & Reba.

Right: All of my girls .

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Spring

Greens

By Amy Doeun Seasonal living connects us to a natural rhythm of health. In this way we are able to tap into eons of biological wisdom that our bodies can utilize in a modern world. One of the most important cycles of the year is the reawakening that happens in the spring. Traditionally, groups that lived in Northern climates would have much different winters than what we experience in our world of global commerce. I love the description of getting ready for winter in Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House in the Big Woods. For thousands of years humans depended on what they were able to grow or harvest to eat and winter required foods that would last.

The reawakening that happens in spring is our body and soul awakening to growth. But first we need to clear the out the debris of winter. It is no surprise that we naturally want to cleanse our environment in the spring. We want to wake and get moving. But nature has already provided a natural and gentle spring cleanse—spring greens.

I took a class on holistic and natural approaches to Lyme Disease prevention with a well known Herbalist. She recommended daily fresh salads of spring greens with a crushed garlic clove, swirl of olive oil, sprinkle of salt and squirt of vinegar (if you have some fire cider, this is awesome for this application!).

Well known spring greens include— Dandelion, Violet, Ground Ivy, Chickweed & Prickly Lettuce For the rest of this article I will focus on Prickly Lettuce.

Prickly Lettuce Common names for Prickly Lettuce include--wild lettuce, prickly lettuce, and according to Tredici “compass plant.” The main Latin name is Lactuca virosa but Lactuca seriola L. and Lactuca scariola are also used.

Prickly Lettuce grows in waste places. As such you do want to be careful where you harvest from because it is a plant for “phytoremediation” meaning that it absorbs heavy metals from the soil and stores these metals in their bodies.

The plant grows in a “basal rosette” meaning a swirl, right from the ground.

The leaves are long with a prominent mid-rib with “stiff prickles” on the mid rib. The leaves are lobed and there can have similar stiff prickles around the edge of the leaves.

The energy of the plant is warm and moist. Warmth promotes movement.

Winter is a notoriously dry time of the year (especially with artificial heat). The moisture in this plant can help bring your body into balance. It is also a nervine which means it soothes and supports our central nervous system.

Herbalist Matthew Wood says that a person with a “slow, hard” pulse would need prickly lettuce. This pulse indication is also important because it points to the core problem in the Lactuca profile. A slow, hard pulse is a classic indication for ‘internal cold’ in Traditional Chinese Medicine. It corresponds to a person who is cold, stiff, deadened, hardened. If there is more specifically, infertility, impotence or stiffness in the lower back and loins, we have what is called ‘cold in the liver meridian.’”(Wood, The Book of Herbal Wisdom, 1997) The beauty of this description is that it fits so perfectly with the totality of energy in the spring. Internal cold would definitely be a side effect of winter. It is important to clear this energy fully so that we can move on to the next season of growth and warmth. While we need the cyclical rest that winter offers--that in breath, slowing down and resting is important to our body at the end of a long growing season.

But spring is the time to wake up. The element associated with spring is Air. No surprise this is also the element associated with Prickly Lettuce. Air is also associated with spring. Are you seeing how completely and fully all the pieces are fitting together.

The planet it is associated with is Venus. This is based on it being warming and moistening and having an affinity for women’s issues including lactation and dysmenorrhea. It also treats a psychological picture women tend to suffer with and its gentle prickles reminds women to set boundaries in a loving way.

Spring is also the time for dreaming or new ventures and growth. New growth often requires new ways of thinking. Something that can be harder then we would think. Matthew Wood describes the personality of a patient in need of Prickly Lettuce.

“The Lactuca patient suffers from a general sense of tightness and coldness affecting the whole body, but especially the chest, groin and extremities. At the same time, however, a suppressed sort of heat shows itself here and there, especially in the eyelids.. .Wild Lettuce is the remedy for people who have been through adversity and harshness.

Internal cold can result from the invasion of cold from the environment. However, it usually results from prolonged emotional suffering, resulting in emotional deadness or coldness.

“Hughes generalized about the mental state produced in the provings. ‘The disposition manifested itself in sadness, anxiety, and causeless chagrin.’ Thought processes terminate in negative and disagreeable ideas—what we would nowadays call ‘negative thinking.’ This is really a great remedy for negative thinking in general, people who say, ‘Oh, but that would never work.’"

(Wood, The Book of Herbal Wisdom, 1997)

Physical indications Lungs are where we hold grief in our body. When Covid-19 happened many herbalists noted this interesting connection to a disease that attacks the lungs. As a species it seems like we have a lot to grieve. There are the myriad of personal tragedies, but also and overarching sense of disconnection, though social media and internet were supposed to connect us.

We also have a shared history of loss. Through a world view that values competition and consumption we have set out to divide and conquer. In this game even the winners loose. In addition, the disconnection we feel from our Earth Mother is literally tearing us apart. It is literally tearing the world apart. This is the grief we carry in our lungs. As such Prickly Lettuce has long been associated with the lungs and as a treatment for cough—from that persistent tickly cough, all the way up to whooping cough. In addition, it soothes bronchitis, asthma, tension across muscles of the chest and constricted, shallow breathing.

When you remember that it helps move stuck energy it makes sense that it would also work on lack of motivation, hard experiences, negative thinking, insomnia, restlessness and the, “train of thought habitually ends in negative possibilities and outcomes.”

One word of caution, Prickly Lettuce can cause sleepiness, so caution when driving.

The fresh leaves, before flowering is the part used. Make a fresh tincture (I use the simples method of packing a mason jar of fresh plant and then filling to the brim with menstruum), or the fresh young shoots can also be eating but there are very bitter.

Sources & Recommendations

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About the Author Amy Doeun is a mother, herbalist, educator and writer. Her work revolves around finding and pursuing your authentic calling as an individual, in families and the community.

She offers personalized consultations and blogs at www.amydoeun.com.

Thoughts on parenting are shared at www.esotericparenting.com.

Her email is amy@amydoeun.com.

This week's

Horoscopes

by Sara McCormick

The Week of April 8: After the intensity of last week with the Full Moon, things take a gentler vibe this week. A trine between Venus and Pluto makes Tuesday excellent for networking. Venus enters Gemini the same day, marking an auspicious period for writers until May 7. Don’t be afraid to call in for the help of a team on Thursday Aries: This week, the Sun makes its annual meetup with lucky Jupiter in your sign, which happens once every 12 years, on April 11. Let yourself dream big on this day!

Taurus: Since Jupiter moved into Aries in March 2022, you’ve been winding down a chapter, making way for when Jupiter will move into your sign, and luck will be on your side.

Gemini: On April 11, the Sun meets up with Jupiter, and for you, this day is all about taking a risk and crowdsourcing among your crew.

Cancer: Don’t be afraid to stretch outside your comfort zone this week, as the Sun and Jupiter are paving the way on April 11, and a career door could open.

Leo: This week, it’s all about a leap of faith for you as Jupiter and the Sun meet up in your lucky ninth house.

You’re feeling expansive and abundant, as well as full of optimism.

8

Virgo: As Jupiter and the Sun meet on April 11 this week, you’ll throw caution to the wind and perhaps make a significant investment or sale.

Libra: Collaborations are the name of the game for you this week, so look at whom you could team up with, especially on April 11 when the Sun and Jupiter meet up.

Scorpio: One of the luckiest days of the year is here on April 11 when the Sun and Jupiter meet up. These two will be giving you an extra burst of motivation to deal with any boulders that may be popping up on your path.

Sagittarius: Romance is in the air this week as Jupiter and the Sun meet up in your Fifth House of passion, romance, and creativity. Make sure to find a creative outlet this Aries Season.

Capricorn: The trick for you this week, Capricorn, is that Jupiter and the Sun are highlighting your receptive Fourth House of Home & Family. You’ll want to trust and relax.

Let yourself slow down.

Aquarius: With the Sun and Jupiter meeting up in your 3rd House of Communication, try to not exhaust yourself by overbooking your calendar. This meetup could help you have a breakthrough with your personal branding.

Pisces: Keep your eyes open for a new financial opportunity that may come your way on or around April 11, as the Sun makes its annual meetup with Jupiter. A risk may pay off later.

8

About the Author Sara McCormick is the astrologer behind Bella deLuna Astrology and the creator of The Soul Care Planner. Using her background in psychology, she creates astrology tools to help you find your power and rhythm through planning with the moon cycles, seasonal wisdom, and everyday magic. She lives in the forests of North Carolina with her husband, son, and three cat children.

You can follow her at www.belladeluna.com and on Instagram @belladelunastrology

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8

Emotional Intelligence

&

Children's T V

by Valarie Coulter

Over the last 12 years as a parent, I have watched a LOT of children's television. The favorites in my house have always been the ones that demonstrate emotional intelligence and role-play out feelings. Shows like Daniel Tiger, Bluey, and the more recent Disney movies (Encanto, Frozen 2, and Soul).

Then there is Mrs. Heeler, with her dirty car, her playful attitude with her family, and her honesty, like when she tells her husband that she “just needs 20 minutes with no one talking to her”. In those moments, I feel seen. Those are the most human responses I have ever seen on TV regarding raising children.

The character development in these newer shows is more human than in the cartoons I grew up on.

Roadrunner and Coyote, Bug’s Bunny, and then later Beavis and Butthead or Ren and Stimpy really lacked the essence of humanity that has started to shine through with newer television. Today’s characters have emotions that they actively identify with and speak to each other about, whereas the earlier cartoons of the late 90s and early ’00s were all about hurting each other and making light out of tragedy.

As a child, I was sensitive and cried quickly. I was taught early on to suppress that and not to discuss my pain because it was something another person could then use against me. It wasn’t until I became a mother and started teaching my children everything about life that I found it not only ok to identify difficult emotions but necessary to continue to function as a family. I needed to know whether my child was angry, sad, or hurt when she cried, what was frustrating her and whether she had a way to solve it or needed my help.

The rise in emotionally intelligent television has changed how I have parented as I watched Daniel Tigers' mom give out wisdom that I had never received for myself as a child.

Such as: It’s ok to be angry, or sometimes grownups get sad too.

I was raised in a home without an emotionally intelligent and regulated parent. I felt disliked and like I was a burden as a child. After years and years of unraveling those thoughts, (Cont'd on next page)

I have come to realize my parents were overstimulated people who had no idea that emotional intelligence was crucial to raising humans.

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs didn’t become popular to teach until 1943.

I’m pretty sure my parents do not know why I go to therapy or how trauma affects them, and they still get quiet when I start discussing anything I’m upset about. My mom has started to come out of her emotional shell slowly but is easily triggered right back in.

Television shows such as Oprah and Dr. Phil opened the doors for me to converse about how other people were behaving and chastise the actions of others so we all could feel superior in our house. Reality TV has always been unrealistic and taught us that you can't trust anyone if you throw 20 people together.

Action, drama, and comedy all have their place, but in a home like mine where stress ruled, and dysregulation was normal, I needed shows like today’s cartoons to teach me how to process my thoughts, feelings, and emotions.

“ Enter Daniel Tiger, which is a spinoff of Mr. Roger’s neighborhood.

The small tiger who isn’t afraid of his emotions and expresses them to everyone, what a concept! I eagerly let my oldest daughter watch this show every day on PBS. We would sing his songs when a feeling would arise, I would use his songs for myself when I was mad or needing a reminder that it’s ok to have a bad day. Eleven years later and, I am now a mother of 4, and he is still a crowd favorite.

Bluey, is an Australian based show, subtly shows parents how to interact with their children in a fun way. It helps identify why children feel certain emotions and allows us the audience to learn integral ways of bonding with children which may not come naturally to adults who were taught to suppress playfulness and replace it with work at all times.

The millennial generation along with the former generations were taught that idleness and playfulness were to be shunned because something or someone was going to get hurt or broken.

Cont'd next page

Encanto showed a diverse plethora of emotions, disorders and familial traditions which needed to be broken and changed. The characters followed the old ways of living life but they were all left unfulfilled and deeply hurt by their roles in life. To the point where one character was completely shunned, forced out of the family.

Soul showed us that showing up as the full embodiment of ourselves is what’s most important. That we never can see ourselves the way others see us and that we’re often times too focused on small details that we miss the big picture of our lives and who we inspire.

Frozen 2 shows us that things change and it can seem scary, but in the end, change is nothing to fear.

Today, therapy is finally becoming mainstream. It is becoming a social norm to have no contact with your family of origin because the millennial generation is still struggling with the idea that our feelings make us human. The boomer generation has difficulty taking accountability for their actions because they were taught that feelings were a weakness.

With quotes like “children should be seen and not heard” and “boys don’t cry” it’s easy to see where our parents got the idea that feelings were meant to be disregarded. Our parents had no idea how to handle the emotions of raising children. It wasn’t taught to them to be compassionate to life’s struggles. The only time it was acceptable to cry was when something tragic happened.

In a time where college was a far reaching thing to do after high school and any work was good work, our parents had little need for continued education after high school and continue to refuse to be educated by someone younger than themselves.

When our parents were actively parenting us, therapy was only for the rich or highly dysregulated.

Mental health was not something discussed over the dinner table because feelings are uncomfortable to talk about. The uprising of social media and the doors it opened by allowing you to talk to strangers across the country anonymously gave the millennial generation new Cont'd next page

freedom to express themselves however they wanted to strangers.

This freedom of being whoever you wanted on the internet has now moved from the internet into physical reality and has made room for people who have been closeted for years. You can see this in the rise of neurodivergence within almost all communities. We are currently seeing an emotional revolution as strangers are investing in others in a way that has never been seen before.

People are stepping up to help their neighbors with gofundme’s during crisis. They’re able to send a few dollars or even just a word of encouragement to random people who show up on their newsfeed. Or support their favorite creators because we can reach each other, not only for the physical, and financial support but also emotionally.

Raising a generation of emotionally intelligent children comes with hardships though. This new generation has asked that we step up and reparent ourselves or be left behind. We are being asked to look at ourselves in the mirror and really see who we are and change towards being a more emotionally aware

parent. The conversations at home are about how adults get angry all the time but when children get mad in schools or at home they receive punishment. We can see this in how they are unifying in schools to make sure that dress codes are changed to be reflective of everyone or standing up for their trans peers during the whole bathroom debacle from a few years ago. More children are getting involved in politics, they are staying updated on the news and they’re not impressed with what they see. The Gen Z and Alpha generation are not afraid to demand change.

We have asked our kids to be good friends, to sit with the lonely and the outcast. Our kids are doing that and responding by revolting against the bullies. The bullies are not other children but instead it is the school administration and rules that no longer work for our children. Rules are being changed because kids are showing up emotionally to schools and in public; they are demanding that we do better. All over the country, children are boycotting unfair dress codes, demanding BLM Cont'd next page

flags go up at their schools, actively showing up for their LGBTQIA+ peers, and demanding gun laws be changed.

I applaud the creators of these shows for helping us grow a kinder, more well-rounded generation. These shows have illuminated the lack of emotional intelligence in our outdated raising of children and asked us to do better. I look forward to a kinder, well-balanced, and emotionally intelligent future where we can all be human.

About the Author Valarie Coulter is an author, artist, and renaissance woman living in Deming, New Mexico. She has spent the last six years studying trauma, generational healing and neurodivergency. She has written multiple childrens books about emotional intelligence and inspires to help create a more peaceful world through healing the inner child in all of us.

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The Beauty of

Bluebonnets

by Shawn Michael Foley

Page 52

When I moved to the Dallas, TX area in 2019 I immediately fell in love with bluebonnets. Every year I like to venture to my local hiking trails and take pictures of the blooms of these iconic flowers.

I wanted to know more about them.

After a little research on the internet I was fortunate enough to stumbled upon the writings of Lyman Hardeman, a life member of the Texas State Historical Association and the author of Texas A&M The First 25 Years.

Here is a synopsis of what he wrote.

Bluebonnet flowers, also known as Lupinus Texensis, are an iconic symbol of Texas and its beauty.

These vibrant blue flowers are one of the most recognized and beloved wildflowers in the state, and are often seen growing along highways, in fields, and in parks.

One of the most unique aspects of bluebonnets is their ability to thrive in the harsh Texas climate.

They have adapted to the dry, hot conditions of the state and can survive long periods of drought.

Bluebonnets are also incredibly hardy and can grow in a variety of soils and environments.

Aside from their resilience, bluebonnets are also known for their striking beauty. Their bright blue petals, sometimes with hints of purple or pink, create a stunning contrast against the greenery of their surroundings.

The flowers also have a unique shape, with a distinct white tip that adds to their charm.

In addition to their physical beauty, bluebonnets have a cultural significance in Texas.

The flower is often associated with the state's history and pride and is a symbol of Texas identity.

Every spring, Texans eagerly await the arrival of bluebonnet season, when the fields are covered in a sea of blue.

It is a time of celebration and appreciation for the state's natural beauty.

Bluebonnets also have a practical purpose beyond their aesthetic appeal. They provide an important food source for bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. In fact, bluebonnets are often used in gardens and landscapes specifically to attract these important insects.

Contrary to popular myth, it is not illegal to pick them. (This is according to the Texas Department of Public Safety).

However, they should not be harvested where it’s prohibited to disturb wildflowers such as in state parks and private properties.

In conclusion, their vibrant blue color, unique shape, and cultural significance make them an essential part of the state's natural landscape.

Whether you are a Texan or simply an admirer of nature's wonders, the bluebonnet is a flower that deserves recognition and appreciation.

About the Author Shawn is the founder of Fleurvana+ & Fleurvana Interactive Magazine and is well known for his Human Form Project, an anthology showcasing unique and sensual floral designs enhancing the natural beauty of the human body. By fusing his floral design background and his Reiki Master Teacher training, Shawn created his coaching platform Fleurvana. He also teaches retreats & workshops on enhancing design skills, developing, and expressing signature design styles.

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