On The Farm
What an amazing spring! We don’t get springs like this in Michigan except every 6-7 years or so. The pollinators must be very happy—everything is in bloom and staying for awhile, not cut off by a late frost. I love the abundance of colors.
My mother and grandmother used blossoms and plants in tea or ointments that could cure anything that ailed me. I was taught plant identification at a young age, and still feel close to my childhood friends—lilacs, may apples, apple blossoms, daisies, and others. I remember making garlands of blossoms to wear or using flowers to decorate my mud pies. I still make wishes on dandelion seed heads, blowing them on their way and watching them float off to their next home.
Presently, I am engaged in a plant initiation training that is helping me have close relationships with plants we are studying: rose, dandelion, nettle and others. For each plant, there is a meditation activity, a culinary dish, an apothecary remedy and a story about how the plant has related over centuries to various cultures. I love the spiritual approach to being with a plant—it’s very shamanic, since in shamanism we consider that everything has a spirit. I can talk with plants, sing with trees, and open my world to more than human beings just by spending time with them and all aspects of their personalities.
My first taste of rose tea was amazing! I could feel the gentle energy of the plant moving through my whole body, giving me a sense of well-being that lasted for days. I drank it every day for that first week of class. This week, I tried dandelion tabouli. The bitterness can be balanced with mixing parsley or spinach with the chopped dandelion leaves. I intend to make a tonic with apple cider vinegar and dandelion flower and root. Perfect timing, since our property is covered with their golden heads right now.
The teas of each plant are giving me such gifts. Besides their actual beneficial properties for my body/health, I’m making the tea with such hot water that I can’t chug it down in a hurry. For class, I have to sit, sip, reflect on how it feels to mind, body and spirit, acknowledge the gift, and thank the plant for its treasures, and journal all that.
Try steeping about a tablespoon of dried rose petals in a cup of water. It’s a whole different take on “take time to smell the roses”. Immerse yourself in the beauty of this season and enjoy your tea.
**Please note: if you are diabetic, check with your doctor before taking the rose tea.
GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS
The bad news is that due to the economic uncertainty that we’re going through at this time, the group trip to Peru has been cancelled. Not enough people signed up and those that contacted me indicated this was not a good time for finances. I agree.
The GOOD news is that I will take a group to Peru next year in October/November 2026 that will include Lake Titicaca. Look for the promotion to begin in June 2025.
JUST FOR YOU
I’m taking a Plant Initiation course through The Sacred Science which is helping me to establish close relationships with plants that have been supporting humans since the beginning of time. It’s amazing.
The instructor is Tara Lanich-LaBrie, plant and foraging expert. Tara has incredible intimate knowledge of plants that she derived from building relationships with plants since childhood. Being with plants to learn their language, their gifts and how they relate to the whole web of life, is a very shamanic approach, and one that medicine men and women the world over have taken for thousands of years.
I’m finding that her recipes, made and adapted from foraged wild plants, are so nurturing and good for these times. Those I’ve tried so far besides the teas include dandelion tabouli, nettle ice cream, rose tonic for facial cleansing and a variety of vinegars I can use to flavor water or salads. There’s so much to learn!
Please visit her website: https://themedicinecircle.com, to view recipes, buy her book on foraging, take a seasonal class or have a private session and get tinctures or remedies designed just for you. Her enthusiasm for plants will bring you closer to the Earth and to nature.
THE BOOKSHELF
MOON MILK, by Gina Fontana
So, you may notice there’s a theme this month. I was inspired by the glorious spring we’re having. When you look at the photo of the book cover, you’ll see spills, spots and an often-used, well-loved book that has helped me sleep many times.
These recipes all contain wonderful ingredients to help us calm, sleep, slow down—you get the picture. AND, they are delicious! My personal favorite is Cherry-Cocoa. I was inspired to make my own beet drink that I will pass along to you. Makes two servings of Beet Milk:
2 cups milk alternative (I like to use almond or oat milk)
2 T. beet root powder (I get organic)
1/2 t. powdered cinnamon
1/4 t. powdered ginger
1/8 t. powdered cardamom
1 t. vanilla
1 T. maple syrup
Whisk all ingredients together and heat until bubbles form around the edge of the pan. Pour and enjoy!
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.
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 5 & 19, 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.
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 may be made for west coast students with starting time at
10am-4pm)
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