On The Farm
Our brilliant greens are showing off after a rainy spring. So many different shades and textures of leaves, grass, herbs, flowers. Good time of year to go forest bathing and feel that new energy surrounding you. A short distance from us, the University of Michigan has a teaching forest, Saginaw Woods in Ann Arbor. When we had the clinic close by, we took long walks through those trees. They date from the early 1900s when white pine was being logged on one side of the woods and deciduous trees like maple were being logged on the other side.
When I enter the woods, I enter on the hardwood side and become present. The sentinel trees greet me and I am enveloped in gentle salutations as their energy surrounds me and carries me through the forest. When I am still, I can hear them sing. Their song is etheric, soft and beautiful. Sometimes I hum or sing with them.
Animals aren’t the only more-than-humans that communicate. To hear the trees, you have to be very embodied, with quiet mind. Standing against a tree, asking them to show you how they root into the ground and extend upward to the sky will help. The trees are very eager to show you. Place your back against the bark, hand on your heart. Notice your heart and how it feels to have the tree at your back. Imagine your roots extending into the ground. Feel the blood flowing in your body and the sap flowing in the tree. Put all thoughts into the ground or let the wind take them. Then, open to the songs.
The process of listening takes time, patience and an open heart to truly hear what is being said or sung. It may be that the trees are just the teachers we need at this time to listen to each other.
WHAT I DO
If you ever wondered what I’m doing when I’m not writing a newsletter, the Crazy Wisdom Journal did a nice feature article on me and the services I offer. It’s a good journal that comes out quarterly—they did the writing and photos last year.
Michelle McLemore did a nice job of writing the article and did not leave any stone unturned. Edda Pacifico took the photos. We had fun doing that last fall. Borrowed the neighbor’s goats when she wanted an animal picture, and a tree across the street that had nice colors. Stitch cooperated well for his photo with me. At that time, Ernie had not yet come home.
Enjoy.
PERU
Stay tuned to this space for upcoming news about next year’s trip. We’re planning for October 27-November 8, 2026. Plenty of time for scheduling and payments. I’ll meet group participants in Lima, where we can acclimate and relax by the ocean awhile before going to the Sacred Valley. We’ll stay in the Sacred Valley until November 3, when we’ll go to Lake Titicaca and begin our stays on the islands with families and native guest houses. Details to come.
I will be going this October to check out Arequipa and Colca Canyon, where the condors nest. Fielding Wood Vizcarra, who designs our itineraries, and I will be exploring options for a new tour that takes in southern Peru and the unique cultures and landscape there. I’m excited to see something I’ve never seen before—condors flying in the canyon. I’ll keep you posted.
Something near and dear to my heart is Kusi Kawsay, the native school in Pisaq at the head of the Sacred Valley. Modeled after Rudolph Steiner’s framework for education, this award-winning project has seen years of native-based education that truly supports indigenous intelligence and creativity within a cultural base, true to Steiner’s vision of how children learn to be strong adults in the world. The school is managed by parents and community and supported by donations, grants, and tuition, as well as the sweat and tears of everyone involved. The classrooms, grounds, playground and gardens were all built by the community and the parents. Those of you who have traveled with me to Peru can attest to how special this place is.
One of the most significant projects that the school has made possible is an annual international cultural exchange. The exchange in 2023 originally was comprised of youth of the Ñawpa Ñan cultural community, the cultural project of Kusi Kawsay, doing a cultural exchange with Indigenous youth of tribal Pueblos of northern New Mexico, primarily Taos Pueblo. Some members of the community also came to help with chaperoning, as well as to demonstrate native weaving and dancing. In 2024, the Taos youth came to Peru and brought their culture to the Andes. 2025 is Peru’s turn again to travel. It is a HUGE undertaking to not only fund the effort and to sync travel schedules and reservations, but also just to get everyone’s passports, visas, and permissions to leave the country as a group. The logistics are mind-boggling. Anticipation is growing in the native communities in the U.S. and Canada where the project has expanded its reach to indigenous communities in more locations.
The students and school staff have produced a video that explains the significance of the trip, as well as details of some previous trips—their enthusiasm and determination are so evident. The exchange helps each student navigate the balance between their own culture and a rapidly shifting world without losing their cultural essence. Please consider making a donation of any amount to support this effort. The link for student video and donations is https://gofund.me/702f145b.
JUST FOR YOU
With days becoming longer, the tendency of most will be to stay up later with outdoor activities, gardening, work or other things that need DOING. What most of us need is just BEING. Many of you came to me through your animal companions. Have you ever watched how thoroughly they relax? How they can BE without distractions, multi-tasking or thoughts that take up time today about what they need to do tomorrow? AND, they can do it anywhere. Are you able to relax at the end of your day? Are thoughts of the day or yesterday, or tomorrow interrupting the quiet? It may help to have an end-of-day ritual that helps you to discard the day’s events and news, and prepare to just BE. Here are some suggestions and a favorite recipe that isn’t in the MOON MILK cookbook. Try something you haven’t done before or enjoy an old favorite.
*Meditate with a candle in the dark & get a felt sense of the flame and its motion
*Smudge yourself with sweetgrass, sage or copal
*Write a blessing focused on something that happened today—a negative experience that gave you a gift/lesson
*Spend time with fur in a relaxed way (Ernie will come and purr for 15 minutes every night. If you don’t have an Ernie, go to https://Purrli.com)
*Celebrate the little things, like seeing a bloom for the first time or a heron on your walk
*Look at the stars outside in the dark near a favorite tree and get the tree’s perspective
*Read a poem or affirmation (my personal favorite is A YEAR WITH RILKE, Rainer Maria Rilke’s writing translated by Joanna Macy and Anita Barrows) and get a felt sense of the poem (Note: limericks will tickle you)
*Listen to easy music like classical guitar & let the sound flow through you
*Take a salt soak with a favorite essential oil (1 cup epsom or sea salt to one tub hot water) Relaxing oils include peppermint, frankincense, lavender. Imagine you are part of the water.
*Stand/walk barefoot in the grass for 15 minutes and feel the Earth energy coming through your feet
*Soak your feet in ginger water for 15 minutes (1/2 cup epsom salt and several ginger slices in warm water) and feel tension leaving your body
*Drink a hot beetroot beverage and smell the spices as you drink
1.5-2 cups of alternative milk from almonds or oats
1 T. powdered beetroot (see any market that sells powdered plant supplements)
1/2 t. powdered cinnamon
1/4 t. powdered ginger
1/8 t. powdered cardamom
1 T. maple syrup
Whisk all ingredients together in a small saucepan. Heat until small bubbles appear at the edge. Pour into one large mug or two small mugs and enjoy! This drink, once mixed, can also be served iced and cold if outside temps have been high. Please note: if you have diabetes or other condition exacerbated by high blood sugar levels, choose tahini instead or powdered blueberries.
THE BOOKSHELF
THE UNWINDING, By Jackie Morris
Jackie Morris is one my favorite book illustrators, and this is a strange little book that she also wrote. The work is comprised of small chapters, not meant to be read in any particular order, but in total describe a beautiful relationship between a woman and nature, animals, and her own being. The writing is very visual and peaks the imagination. I use it for meditation and stillness.
Other Jackie Morris books that are good for contemplation include THE LOST WORDS and THE LOST SPELLS.
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.
JULY 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.
JULY 19-20, 2025
Extraction: Illness & Healing From a Shamanic Perspective— Deepen your understanding of illness and how one’s spirit can help the physical body thrive or not. We will focus on power loss and extraction of intrusions. Explore different ways to “diagnose” an illness as well as to address its healing. Working with partners, deepen your understanding of spiritual intrusions and learn ways to extract them. Prerequisites: Basic Journeying, Medicine For the Earth/Healing With Spiritual Light. Suggested Reading: Walking In Light by Sandra Ingerman.
Held online via ZOOM with careful monitoring of techniques & practice.
$300, $150 for repeating students
9am-5pm each day est
AUGUST 2-3, 2025
Basic Telepathic Animal Communication—Isn’t it time you knew what your animals are thinking? Learn to communicate with animals telepathically, the way they communicate with each other. Get step-by-step gentle support to open your natural telepathic skills. Experience a fun exploration of communication with both live animals and photos of the group’s pets.
The class will be taught online via ZOOM.
$160 per person, $80 for repeating students. 9am-5pm each day
AUGUST 7 & 21, 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.
AUGUST 5-26, 2025
Shamanic Healing for Animals II— Deepen your shamanic techniques working with animals’ ancestors and the elements for conditions like dementia. Psychopomp and grief/loss for animals will be covered in depth. Pre-requisite: Shamanic Healing for Animals I.
The class will be taught online via ZOOM.
$280/$140 for repeating students
SEPTEMBER 4 & 18, 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.
SEPTEMBER 27-28, 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 may be made for west coast students with starting time at 10am-4pm)