Stars and Sprouts

Cawnawyn chats with her friend Emily, a longtime Pagan/Wiccan mama of a three-year-old and an eight-month-old who is currently a stay-at-home parent after years of coaching gymnastics. They discuss how motherhood reshapes spiritual practice, from seasonal altars and simple home-clearing rituals to adapting Sabbat timing to real-life seasons in the Pacific Northwest. Emily discusses how her Scottish and Irish heritage shapes her pagan journey. The mamas also talk about sleep deprivation, identity changes, postpartum anxiety, and redefining “balance” as continuous maintenance, and share plans for the equinox and autumn with kids, along with personal practices for the upcoming Venus retrograde on healing and honesty. 00:00 Podcast Welcome 00:58 Meet Emily, Pagan Mama and Competitive Gymnastics Coach 02:59 Kids And Sleep 06:24 Heritage And Pagan Practice 11:17 How Motherhood Changes Spirituality 15:36 Identity After Kids 18:57 Creative Play 22:28 How We Are Celebrating the Equinox 24:50 Maintenance Over Balance 29:03 Nostalgia and Impossible Standards 33:29 Upcoming Venus Retrograde Healing Work 38:16 Missing Meditation and Truth Telling 41:44 The Attachment to Intensity 49:13 The Gifts of the Equinox 51:52 Closing Reflections and Farewell   Resources Mentioned in this Episode: “Mill Dust and Dreaming Bread: Exploring Scottish Folk Belief and Folk Magic” by Scott Richardson-Read   Questions, comments, and suggestions can be addressed to [email protected].   Follow Cawnawyn on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok @cawnawynmor for more music, astrology, and witchcraft.   Astrology classes, new podcast episodes, the Dark Moon Chronicle Blog, and music releases on cawnawynmor.com.   Watch the Podcast Video version on youtube.com/@StarsandSprouts Music by C. A. Worden ©️ Smashing Ivory Productions LLC 2026 Violin - Jean-Philippe de Passos (via Musiversal)

Cawnawyn welcomes back Aura to discuss her work as a birth doula in the Pacific Northwest and how her pagan spirituality privately informs her support for mothers. Aura discusses how she became a doula and shares her extensive experience helping new and expecting mothers, including tips on creating a sacred birth space. Cawnawyn reflects on her two births with Aura as her doula, highlighting the benefits of hiring a doula for a smooth, successful birth experience. 00:00 Welcome 01:42 Meeting Aura, A Pagan Doula 02:52 Called to Birth Work 07:29 What a Doula Does 14:40 Partner Support and Advocacy 16:32 Placenta Encapsulation Magic 20:45 Pagan Birth Ritual Tips 26:18 Creating a Sacred Birth Space 34:49 Postpartum Rituals and Rest 40:59 Doula Stories in Pivotal Moments 47:29 Intuition and Spiritual Cues 55:08 Where to Find Aura 56:08 Closing   Resources Mentioned in this Episode: Wintertide Birth Services https://wintertidebirthservices.com/ Follow Aura @wintertidebirthservices   Freya: Hypnobirthing Surge Timer The Positive Birth Company https://thepositivebirthcompany.com/   Questions, comments, and suggestions can be addressed to [email protected].   Follow Cawnawyn on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok @cawnawynmor for more music, astrology, and witchcraft.   Astrology classes, new podcast episodes, the Dark Moon Chronicle Blog, and music releases on cawnawynmor.com.   Watch the Podcast Video version on youtube.com/@StarsandSprouts Music by C. A. Worden ©️ Smashing Ivory Productions LLC 2026 Violin - Jean-Philippe de Passos (via Musiversal)

Cawnawyn returns to the Stars and Sprouts Podcast to share how her family’s early homeschooling experiments have gone less smoothly than expected, but have brought lessons about retention, curiosity, play, and rhythm. Cawnawyn discusses balancing educator-mom roles while navigating work-from-home demands and careful media choices. She reflects on prioritizing children while still pursuing creative goals, grief work around unrealized past ambitions, Lughnasadh themes of harvest and mourning, and closes with eclipse-season astrology on the Leo–Aquarius nodal axis and what it suggests for parenting values. 00:00 Welcome 00:28 Summer Update and Homeschool Plans 01:56 Wondergarten Summer Curriculum 06:45 Myth Atlas for Kids 10:30 Wheel of the Year Guide 13:03 How Homeschool Is Going 16:50 Importance of Movement in Home Education 24:12 Work From Home Reality Check 27:53 Finding Your “Why” and Balance 31:05 Grief Work and First Harvest 36:34 Leo/Aquarius Axis Parenting Lessons 47:34 Closing Blessings and Invitation   Resources Mentioned in this Episode: Wondergarten Early Childhood Curriculum by Lisa and Nathaniel Santa Cruz https://wondergarten.net/   Myth Atlas: Maps and Monsters, Heroes and Gods from Twelve Mythological Worlds by Thiago de Moraes https://bookshop.org/p/books/myth-atlas-maps-and-monsters-heroes-and-gods-from-twelve-mythological-worlds-thiago-de-moraes/1dec6ed3a85b5df6?ean=9781499808285&bkshp-astro=t   The Wheel of the Year: An Illustrated Guide to Nature’s Rhythms by Fiona Cook, Illustrated by Jessica Roux https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-wheel-of-the-year-an-illustrated-guide-to-nature-s-rhythms-fiona-cook/59d2ee6bca7fc937?ean=9781524874803&bkshp-astro=t   Questions, comments, and suggestions can be addressed to [email protected].   Follow Cawnawyn on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok @cawnawynmor for more music, astrology, and witchcraft.   Astrology classes, new podcast episodes, the Dark Moon Chronicle Blog, and music releases on cawnawynmor.com.   Watch the Podcast Video version on youtube.com/@StarsandSprouts Music by C. A. Worden ©️ Smashing Ivory Productions LLC 2026 Violin - Jean-Philippe de Passos (via Musiversal)

In this Beltane episode of Stars and Sprouts, Cawnawyn explores parenting through the Taurus–Scorpio axis of security, focusing on her children’s Taurus placements and her goal of guiding them toward Taurus qualities like slowness, peace, embodiment, and nourishment. She discusses Taurus traits around food, comfort, possessions, and sensory needs, and encourages parents to use a child’s chart, especially the North Node, Midheaven, and Moon, to support the growth of the child. Cawnawyn closes with a Beltane mother’s blessing from Circle Round.   00:00 Beltane Welcome 00:43 Celebration Plans 03:26 Nodes and Parenting 07:05 Taurus Lessons 16:54 Mothers Blessing 19:11 Closing Farewell   Resources Mentioned in this Episode: Circle Round: Raising Children in Goddess Traditions by Starhawk, Diane Baker, Anne Hill https://bookshop.org/p/books/circle-round-raising-children-in-goddess-traditions-starhawk/19e4999f9b2d2d7e?ean=9780553378054&next=t Questions, comments, and suggestions can be addressed to [email protected].   Follow Cawnawyn on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok @cawnawynmor for more music, astrology, and witchcraft.   Astrology classes, new podcast episodes, the Dark Moon Chronicle Blog, and music releases on cawnawynmor.com.   Music by C. A. Worden ©️ Smashing Ivory Productions LLC 2026 Violin - Jean-Philippe de Passos (via Musiversal)

Cawnawyn welcomes Courtney Weber and Kanani Soleil to discuss how community events support pagan parents, highlighting their upcoming conference: “Spirit Northwest”, a four-day immersive pagan conference in the Pacific Northwest, emphasizing inclusivity and diversity of practice.   Spirit Northwest: April 23-26, 2026! A make-your-own-adventure conference with varied workshops, keynotes, rituals, and evening social events. Tickets to Spirit Northwest in Portland, OR: www.spiritnorthwest.com   Courtney shares how motherhood shifted her practice toward survival and a more private, personal magic, including boundaries around sharing online and navigating her toddler’s spiritual experiences. Learn more about Courtney Weber: courtneyaweber.com Follow Courtney on Instagram & TikTok: @courtneyaweber   Kanani describes how motherhood moved her from solitary practice into public community-building through volunteering, and how her older kids engage differently as teens. Learn more about Kanani Soleil: suburbanwitchlady.com Follow Kanani on Instagram & TikTok: @suburbanwitchlady   00:00 Welcome to the Podcast 03:23 Parenting Shifts Practice 05:49 Keeping Magic Private 10:41 Finding Pagan Community 15:51 Kids and Spiritual Moments 20:43 Samhain and Ancestors 24:16 Boundaries With Spirits 25:22 Spirit Northwest Origins 27:13 Why Local Conferences Matter 27:46 Highlighting National Pagan Conferences 29:24 Immersive Workshop Format 30:17 Entry Level to Advanced 33:35 Learning Through Differences 37:06 Workaholics and Weddings 45:19 Evening Rituals and Socials 46:28 Parenting Pagan Values 48:42 Closing   Questions, comments, and suggestions can be addressed to [email protected].   Follow Cawnawyn on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok @cawnawynmor for more music, astrology, and witchcraft.   Astrology classes, new podcast episodes, the Dark Moon Chronicle Blog, and music releases on cawnawynmor.com.   Music by C. A. Worden ©️ Smashing Ivory Productions LLC 2026 Violin - Jean-Philippe de Passos (via Musiversal)