On The Farm
As I write this article, temperatures are below zero. I can hardly wait for the heat wave to hit Sunday with a high of 34 degrees! While winter is usually a time to hunker down and do some inner work, be cozy, and hibernate a little, we’ve all been kept on our toes by the current political frenzy surrounding a new presidency. The chaos and vigilance that come with rhetoric that is violent and unpredictable have put everyone on edge. So many clients are coming to me with overwhelm and anxiety. How can we remain calm and carry on?
My shamanic mentor, Sandra Ingerman, is an expert counselor for trauma. She advises that when we feel powerless because of what’s happening around us, we look inward to the soul to rediscover what we’re made of. Spending time connected with our soul keeps us grounded, centered, and present — in meditation, prayer, shamanic journeying, walking in nature, or even just a meal blessing. When we give ourselves dedicated quiet time during our day, we can expand into our passion, our will and our power. We give our minds a break from worry about things that haven’t happened yet, injustices that we fear will occur, and the drama that the daily news offers us.
Further, when we spend time with our soul, we see just how much power we DO have. Soul power. If you are fortunate enough to have a community to spend soul time with, you know that there is even more power available to you and the others.
Creating spaciousness in our lives is important. Worry, anxiety and fear all tend to contract us into small, tight balls. Even the mind begins to think small thoughts. The heart is our most spacious organ. Its energy field rivals that of a car battery. The love we carry, the gratitude we hold in our hearts can expand beyond the physical container and really contribute energy that will keep us sane in the world at large just now. Think of everything you are grateful for, everything you love in this world, and move that energy into your heart.
Our words are some of the strongest weapons we can wield. The vitriol is as contagious as a virus. We can immunize ourselves against the verbal toxicity by not contributing to it. Think carefully before you comment, respond or otherwise react to the chaos around you. The BOOKSHELF selection this month will support you to do this.
Bless you in your process of coping. May you live with grace and ease, knowing you are not alone, knowing your soul power is strong enough to move mountains should you choose to do so. My upcoming course, MEDICINE FOR THE EARTH, includes many ways to heal toxic thoughts, words, and overwhelm. Check it out in Upcoming Classes below.
Come Join Me In Peru!
The itinerary for this year’s Peru trip has been finalized. You can see the full trip description at here. While costs everywhere have risen, our trip costs remain at about 1/2-1/3 less than other outfitters with more days, native immersion experiences, and the richness of local support.
There is an early bird $200 discount if you send your trip payment by April 1, 2025. Deadline for the trip enrollment is May 1, 2025. If you have questions or would like to do incremental payments, contact Judy at ramsey.judy003@yahoo.com.
This is going to be so much fun! and so magical! and so beautiful! and so tasty! I would love to show you some of my favorite places in the world. I hope you can join me.
The Bookshelf
How to Heal Toxic Thoughts: Simple Tools for Personal Transformation by Sandra Ingerman
In olden times, psychic warfare was waged with words as the most powerful tool humankind had. Anger that took the form of curses brought down whole villages.
Not much has changed. In our present time, negative feelings caused by rage, rant, resentment, and stress wear us down, causing depression, illness and burnout. How is it possible to feel safe and secure in this kind of environment?
Sandra Ingerman, a psychologist and shamanic teacher (one of my primary mentors), uses the ancient principles of alchemy, which metaphorically transformed heavy leaded consciousness into gold light consciousness. She offers strategies for processing the harmful thoughts and emotions that we encounter daily. Instead of sending and receiving harmful energy, you will learn how to radiate positive thoughts and shield yourself from those that are destructive. Simple methods, but very effective to change yourself and the world around you.
If you would like to dive deeply, I will be teaching Sandra’s methods in the MEDICINE FOR THE EARTH class beginning online in April. See details below. You do not need to know how to do shamanic journeying to take the class. It is open to everyone, all faiths and practices.
Just For You
When I can’t get outside regularly and have been holed up for long stretches of bitter cold temperatures, more-intense-than-average weather, and stressful work schedule, my mind, body and spirit crave spaciousness—sacred space where I can just ‘be’. I turn to my senses for grounding and inspiration. For a quick do-over or to enhance an existing space, see if any of them inspire your own creation of a sacred place for yourself.
PHYSICAL SPACE. I choose one small corner of the house where I could spend “cozy” time, and clean it thoroughly, limiting the time spent—usually half an hour to an hour max. I clear and clean as much as I can in that time and then stop. Next, I set up a chair with cushions (or just cushions, but that puts me at dog licking level), a lamp, and maybe a small rug and stand/table. What small space could you set up in your home? Maybe just a tabletop or a window space?
SIGHT. Color can really change your mood. The rug, cushions, and little table cover are in colors that relax me, make me feel at home. Artwork and photos help stimulate my mind. I also bring nature inside with found natural objects and plants that flower. I have a little yellow orchid that just keeps blooming, and the geranium i brought in for the winter shoots out beautiful red clusters. What colors affect your psyche?
SMELL. I smudge my area with sage, but also use a lavender spray or burn a piece of palo santo, not only to clean the energy, but because they smell good to me. These smells take me to deep relaxation and comfort. I find that burning incense can be too much for my sensitive nose. However, just putting the incense in an open jar is just the right amount of smell. I also think that nothing rivals the scent of baking chocolate chip cookies.
TASTE. Speaking of cookies. I do like fine chocolate, taking time to let it melt on my tongue. I meditate with tea, making it so hot that I can’t gulp it down. I’m forced to drink slowly, savoring each sip. Is there a taste you can enjoy slowly? Treat yourself.
HEAR. I work with the winds shamanically, so I have chimes everywhere. I also love to listen to classical music, Nora Jones, and the Dixie Chicks, depending on my mood. Classic guitar is my go-to sound. Sometimes, silence is golden and I sit in the dark in beautiful silence just to unplug from my world for awhile. I do love singing, mostly in the car. It helps my voice express itself. I also read poetry aloud, and love NPR’s Poetry Unbound with Padrick O’Tuama. Is there music you haven’t heard in awhile? Have you experienced full silence lately?
TOUCH. Touch brings us closer to our animals, our people, our world. It’s a way of communicating, and a way of relating to our environment. I am a very tactile person. I love textures of fiber, wood, fur, leaves, you name it. Sitting in my space, spinning fiber, is one of the most meditative things I do. I’m that person who has to touch everything in the store. While I love making snow balls, walking through crunching leaves or on a wet beach that gives way to my step, touch is a bit more challenging to experience indoors. What has hard, soft, smooth or rough surfaces in your space? Notice the textures of your life. Do you have a favorite that you could incorporate into your space?
FEEL. Mostly, I want my personal space to feel good. I want it to feel like a small sanctuary, a place with the specific purpose of taking time out to nurture and replenish my energy even for just a moment. Could you use some nurturing and replenishment? Think about giving this to yourself—a mini getaway.
Upcoming Classes
Find full descriptions and costs of the classes and events on the website - https://JudyRamsey.net. Registrations are on the website. Please note: “Repeat Student” means that you have already taken a particular class once. If repeating a class, you will be eligible for reduced tuition in most cases. Once registered, a Zoom invitation will be sent to register to receive the meeting link. If you want to attend a journey circle, please contact Judy at info@judyramsey.net. Journey circles are held the first and third Thursday of each month. All classes and journey circles are recorded for your convenience. All class times listed are eastern time.
2025 CLASSES ARE NOW ON THE WEBSITE. I WILL BE STARTING A NEW YEAR OF SHAMANIC TRAINING BEGINNING WITH MEDICINE FOR THE EARTH IN APRIL. I HOPE YOU CAN JOIN ME.
APRIL 2-MAY 14, 2025
Medicine For the Earth/Healing With Spiritual Light—This course is the beginning of the shamanic year of training, and also stands on its own as a wonderful resource for everyone. Explore the depth of your own inner light and its connection with All That Is. Learn how to transform the energy behind toxic thoughts and achieve balance in yourself and harmony in your world. You will connect with nature, spirit allies, and the elements to learn how to transform and heal yourself, your community and your environment. Suggested reading: Medicine for the Earth: How to Transform Personal and Environmental Toxins by Sandra Ingerman. Journeying skills are not necessary. All levels and traditions are welcome.
The class will be taught online via ZOOM.
$400 per person, $200 for repeating students
6 sessions, Wednesdays from 7pm-9pm est
APRIL 3 & 17, 2025
Journey Circle—Journey circle meets on the first and third Thursday of each month, exploring themes that support your inner work. Your first circle is free. Pre-requisite: shamanic journeying skills.
Held online via ZOOM
$25 per session or $40 per month
7pm-8:30pm est
Contact Judy for registration and payment.
MAY 1 & 15, 2025
Journey Circle—Journey circle meets on the first and third Thursday of each month, exploring themes that support your inner work. Your first circle is free. Pre-requisite: shamanic journeying skills.
Held online via ZOOM
$25 per session or $40 per month
7pm-8:30pm est
Contact Judy for registration and payment.
MAY 3-4, 2025
Ancestors: The Power Within—Ancestors can be powerful allies in your practice, and healing our ancestral lines can help us heal ourselves and our families. Deepen your connection with the grandmothers and grandfathers in ceremony, in initiation and in the shamanic journey. Prerequisite: basic journeying skills.
Held online via ZOOM
$200 per person, $100 for repeating students
9am-4pm each day est
MAY 6-JULY 1, 2025
Shamanic Healing for Animals I—Explore unique perspectives for animal healing that draw upon core shamanic practices. Students will develop a toolkit of techniques within a supportive, interactive, and experiential learning framework of instruction from a professional animal communicator who also practices shamanism. Prerequisite: journeying basics. Knowledge of animal communication not necessary.
The class is taught via ZOOM
$425 per person, $225 for repeating students
Tuesdays for 9 weeks
7pm-9pm est
MAY 31, 2025
Shamanic Gardening—From vision to harvest, take steps to manifest your life dreams and goals through shamanic gardening. Learn how to work with blocks and challenges so that everything contributes to your growth and synchronizes with your own pace and flow. Prerequisite: journeying basics.
The class is taught via ZOOM
$150 per person, $75 for repeating students
9am-4pm est
JUNE 21-22, 2025
Basic Shamanic Journeying— The shamanic journey is an easy and powerful tool we can use to access spiritual information. In this class you will meet and begin to develop a relationship with a compassionate spirit or power animal who is coming forward to help you at this time in your life. You will learn techniques to help you develop a self-directed practice of empowerment, allowing you to move safely, intentionally through the world in a balanced way.This class is a prerequisite to ongoing and more advanced shamanic studies.
The class will be taught online via ZOOM.
$160 per person, $80 for repeating students
9am-3pm each day (consideration will be made for west coast students with starting time at 10am-4pm)