Looking for the Magic✨: A Nature Almanac
Nov 2025 / It is all about the Magical Creatures 🐿️ 🐸 🐌
Welcome to Looking for the Magic✨: A Nature Almanac
There’s a squirrel that lives in the tree behind my house. He perches on the concrete wall outside my kitchen window, tail twitching furiously as he stares at me. I fill the birdfeeder he can’t reach, and it drives him batty. His revenge is clear; he’s taken to digging holes in my potted plants, burying his winter treasures, and tossing my poor plant babies aside in the process.
I get it. We all have our work to do. It’s time to prepare for the change of seasons.
In my endless curiosity for the natural world, I’ve stumbled upon so many small, magical things about the creatures who share our backyards. So, in this newsletter, I wanted to share some of these with you.
Things included this month:
Creature Feature: Magical facts about the creatures preparing for winter
Creature Guest Homes: Your yard can help nature thrive
The Beaver Moon (Another Supermoon!): November 5th
Creative Prompts: Collect Tiny Joys
✦ 🐿️ The Squirrel
Squirrels are hoarders. They collect nuts from all different trees and hide treasures throughout their territory. They are smart in the fact that they don’t put all their nuts in one basket. But they are rather absent-minded – they forget where they put up to 75% of their stash. It is estimated that the forgetful squirrel is responsible for planting millions of new trees each year. So remember this next time you curse yourself for having brainfog – the universe is always working in your favor.
✦ 🐌 The Snail
There’s a tree in my neighborhood covered in snails. They’ve been there so long they almost feel like part of the bark. Did you know snails can hibernate for years? When the air grows cold or dries out, they seal themselves in their shell with a thin layer of mucus. Their tiny heartbeat slows down, and their growth stops.
Pause to imagine a tiny snail heart beating inside a shell. 🥰
Its tiny heart is quietly beating, waiting for the climate to be just right in order to live its best life. It makes me think how our own bodies know when it’s time to winter. No one was meant to work relentlessly throughout seasons.
✦ 🐸 The Frog
The skin of a frog always seems so delicate to me, which is why it feels almost unbelievable to learn that some frogs freeze solid in winter. Their hearts stop beating. Their lungs stop breathing. To anyone watching, they appear lifeless. By human definition, they are dead. But not frogs. Their bodies flood with glucose, a natural antifreeze that protects their cells from ice. And when the thaw comes, within a few days, they are back to being. Just when we think we understand how the world works, there’s always a creature that reminds us otherwise. The truth is, there are so many things we can’t explain. Some might fear that. But when you look at it with curiosity, it makes anything seem possible. It makes the world feel magical.
Your yard is filled with guest houses for creatures to thrive. That is, if you allow it. The dead foliage left over from summer harbors nesting places for solitary bees, ladybugs, cocoons, and many other organisms. Here are some facts to inspire you to not be so tidy in the yard…
✦ Let it rot.
What looks like decay is actually part of nature’s process. As plants break down, fungi and bacteria turn leaves and stems into rich compost that feeds the soil for next year’s growth. Nothing goes to waste. Everything has a purpose.
✦ Hollow stems are tiny studio apartments.
Many native bees, solitary wasps, and ladybugs find shelter inside hollow or dead plant stems. When we cut everything back too early, we unknowingly throw out whole neighborhoods of pollinators. And we know how much we love to watch them in spring.
✦ Fallen leaves are a wildlife blanket.
Fallen leaves create a cozy layer of insulation that shelters butterflies in chrysalis form, moth pupae, frogs, toads, snails, and countless insects through the cold months. There is a reason we instinctively hate the sound of those leaf blowers.
✦ Dead flowers are a buffet for feathered friends.
Goldfinches, sparrows, and other winter birds rely on dried flowers and grass seeds when other food is scarce. A messy garden is their all-you-can-eat buffet. And who doesn’t love winter bird visitors? Much needed for those of you with snow cover in winter.
✦ Old stems protect baby roots.
Dead growth helps catch snow, which insulates and protects tender roots from deep freezes. It also prevents erosion and holds moisture in the soil come spring. It makes a rather fertile soil for your flowers to bloom bright in spring!
✦ A rotting log is a magical universe. (I love this sentence 💛)
Logs, branches, and piles of brush become ecosystems of their own. They shelter beetles, fungi, and other creatures. They are like little terrariums. When I stumble upon mushrooms growing out of logs in the forest, I am transported into a fairytale.
So this winter, be messy. It is not neglect, it is helping our ecosystem. ✨
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The Beaver Moon 🌙 Nov 5th
The Beaver Moon will officially peak on November 5th at 8:19 A.M. ET. This means the night of November 4th, you will still see a pretty amazing full moon at bedtime. It is another supermoon! We are actually finishing the year with three supermoons in a row. ✨
What is a supermoon? It’s when the moon travels a little closer to Earth than usual, sitting low on the horizon. This makes the moon appear larger and brighter.
Historically, beavers were especially busy this time of year: knocking down trees, patching dams, and gathering food before the freeze. It was also, sadly, the peak season for hunting them. Poor beavers are just trying to prepare for winter like the rest of us.
The Beaver Moon marks the shifting of the seasons. Winter is on the horizon. It’s a time to pause, reflect on the year, and prepare for rest. Just as we ready our homes for colder days, we must also allow ourselves to slow down. In nature, everything retreats and renews itself, storing energy for next spring.
Nature moves in cycles, and so should we. I always think of that line from Footloose: “There is a time to rest and a time to dance.” Good words to live by.
We live in a world that has long told us our worth is measured by how hard we work. But I believe that tide is turning. It’s not about how much we do - it’s about doing the right work, the meaningful work that flows from us. I’ve found that the more balanced I am, the more meaningful the art becomes - and the more aligned the opportunities that find their way to me.
✨ The Beaver Moon Meditation:
Create a little space: Light a candle or incense, sip some tea.
Take some slow breaths: Let yourself be in the moment.
Close your eyes: Picture the November moon glowing golden above you, the Beaver Moon. Sit quietly in front of the glow of the candlelight and imagine yourself watching a little beaver building a dam in the middle of a river. Snowflakes are silently falling as you sit in a cozy blanket. The dam divides the water into two parts. One side is being cut off from flowing. This pool of water is collecting. You will throw all the things that do not serve you in it. The worry you have over things you can’t control. The tasks you do that no longer serve you. One by one, let them go. On the other side, the water seeps in and creates a gentle flowing current. On this side, you will envision all the things that brought you joy this year. What things did you invest your time in that filled you up? What did you grow? What made you feel alive?
Journal: Open your eyes and take out a page of paper. Divide it in half with your pen. One side is: “What didn’t serve me this year?” and the other side is: “What meaningful things did I accomplish this year?” Don’t edit yourself. Just get it all down.
Little moon rituals you can indulge monthly…
✦ Crystal Moon Magic:
Do you collect crystals or gemstones? Ever since I was a kid living in Colorado, you could not keep me away from the table of gems. You can pop one of your favorites on the windowsill to soak up some moon magic energy. I carry a favorite stone in my pocket often. When I change, they go flying across the floor. Essentially, I have little magical stones living all around me.
✦ Moon Water Magic:
Leave a bowl or jar of water out overnight to soak up the moonlight. The next day, use it to water your indoor plants and infuse your space with a little lunar energy. I keep a mason jar of moon water on my desk to water my plants there. It infuses a little bit of moon magic into my workspace. 😊
🌿Creative Prompts for November:
✦ Tiny Joys Challenge
This is a personal practice of mine, and one I return to often. Find a little notebook –something small enough to tuck into your pocket or purse. Each day in November, notice one tiny thing that sparks joy. It might be your first cup of coffee, a bird outside your window, an unexpected synchronicity, or a line from a book that stays with you. Write it down. Collect them, all thirty.
At the end of the month, you’ll have a little book of joy to revisit whenever you need a lift – a tiny book of reminders of what lights you up.
✦ Make a Pie
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays – no weeks of preparation, just a single day set aside for gratitude, gathering, and, of course, pies. Lots and lots of pies.
Have you ever made one from scratch? They’re easier than you might think. Here’s a no-fail crust I use – flaky, buttery, and foolproof. Fill it with your favorite fruit. There’s nothing quite like pulling a pie from your own oven and topping it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Pure magic.
✦ Fall Walk + Sketchbook or Journal
There’s nothing quite like a walk in fall – the scrunch of leaves underfoot, that squirrel darting across your path with a mouthful of acorns. Take yourself to a nearby park, pour your favorite warm drink into a thermos, and bring along your journal or sketchbook. Sit, observe, and just be. Do it more than once. In fact, make it your November ritual.
✦ The Beaver Moon Meditation (listed above)
Be sure to get outside and take a look at the moon. It is so easy to forget to slow down and take time for yourself.
Until Next Time✨,
Kim
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So beautiful 💙
I love all of these ideas! Thank you 💐