Dear community,

In Michoacán, there's a belief that has shaped Día de Muertos for generations: when monarch butterflies arrive in November, they carry something precious on their wings.

Xochi is a young girl who misses her grandmother deeply. She talks to her mother about these butterflies traveling from far away—crossing mountains and rivers—and always returning to this forest.

In Purépecha and Mazahua communities, if a butterfly lands near you during Día de Muertos, tradition says you should stay silent and listen—because its wings whisper messages from the dead.

This Week's Tip: Notice the -AR Verbs in Action

This story is full of regular -AR verbs that show how natural Spanish flows: extrañar (to miss), recordar (to remember), caminar (to walk), llegar (to arrive), volar (to fly), regresar (to return).

As you listen, write down a memory of someone you love using one of these verbs. This helps you internalize how these common verbs work in real storytelling.

🎧 Listen on Spotify:

🦋 Las Mariposas Monarca | D... Nov 2 · Spanish Learning Edge 6:38   ​

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📄 Download materials: Full transcript + 20-word vocabulary list + grammar practice on -AR verbs and ESTAR (location & emotion) → https://tinyurl.com/mariposas-learn-spanish

Discover why millions of monarch butterflies migrate over 4,000 kilometers every year—and how this natural phenomenon became intertwined with one of Mexico's most sacred traditions.

Con cariño,​
​Angélica, Ph.D.​
Founder, Spanish Learning Edge LLC

P.S. Día de Muertos es un momento de reflexión y memoria en México. Hoy, los invito a recordar a alguien especial.