On The Farm
Winter finally arrived with a flourish—6 inches of snow and below freezing temperatures for over a week! I hope you all are staying warm and that your animals are cozy. Caring for the larger ones in this weather is very challenging. Stay safe.
It’s easy to get overwhelmed at this time of year. Since January 1, I have had ongoing construction to renovate a bathroom, lost part of a crown that has to be replaced, totaled the front end of my car skidding on ice, upcoming surgery, and Stitch is climbing the walls, because below zero temperatures won’t allow his usual walks and exercise. Ever tried to entertain a 75 pound lab inside the house?
Balance is the most control we will ever have in our life. The softness of snow, the cold that permeates our core and wakes us up when we step outside, the brilliance of the sunlight and blue sky or moonlight on the snow—the beauty of the moment brings us into the present and out of anxious past or future events. If we can see all these events through our hearts, they tell us how alive we are. A snow day provides time for introspection (after we clear the path, of course) and being present with ourselves after the flurry of energy from the intensity of problem solving.
Everything we experience has a gift, a lesson for us. As soon as we find the point of gratitude, we heal, we balance, we become present. Here is a breathing exercise that I use to get back into balance. I hope it helps you, too.
SOFTENING STRONG ENERGY
Notice/recall a stressful event and how you feel/felt when that is/was happening.
Your spine represents your courage. Your heart represents your love.
Breathing in, focus on breathing toward your spine and say,
“May I meet this moment fully.”
Breathing out, focus on breathing out through your heart and say,
“May I meet it as a friend.”
Repeat these two phrases while breathing and focusing 6-7 times.
Notice how the intensity of your feelings shifted so you can cope.
PLEASE NOTE
I will be taking a medical leave from January 29-March 19, 2024. I will begin again in March to teach, and April 1 to resume client consultations for animal communication and shamanic healing. In my absence, I have arranged for some of the very best communicators to be a resource for you. All of those listed are mentoring with me to be interspecies counselors, and have reached a level of skill in communication where I consider them to be colleagues, not students. This particular group are all advanced shamanic practitioners as well. They have received training from me, so I am familiar with their skill level—you can absolutely trust them to care for you and your animal friends.
LeeAnne Clarbour elementalconnections2014@gmail.com
Denise Egrin dmariellc@gmail.com
Kara Gillies karagillies@rogers.com
Tom Hornyak thomashornyak@gmail.com
Wendy Krauss wendy_krauss@yahoo.com
Amberly Livengood hearingnaturesvoice@gmail.com
Providing for your Beloved Animals
Recently, I had the honor of speaking to a group of death doulas, beautiful people who attend a person in hospice to assist with care and transition with grace and ease. I spoke about interspecies hospice situations and resources. Many of them had experienced something in their practice that I also encounter more frequently than I would hope.
The situation is as follows. A person becomes very ill (this happened a lot during the initial Covid-19 epidemic) and is hospitalized, is in hospice at home, or is taken to a facility. Their beloved animal(s) are one moment in their familiar, loving environment, and the next moment, they find themselves in a shelter, sanctuary or unfamiliar place, anxious and scared, because caregivers and family members either forgot about them or did not know what to do with them. Some of these animal companions are euthanized when the person dies, because no provision was made for ongoing care.
In this video, I provide resource information for you and your family, so that the animal members of a family can continue to have a good quality of life during illness, during hospice or after the death of a loved one. I encourage you to share the information with anyone you think could benefit from it.
The Bookshelf
HEART TO HEART: A Conversation on Love and Hope for Our Precious Planet by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, illustrated by Patrick McDonnell
“May I become at all times, both now and forever,
A protector for those without protection
A guide for those who have lost their way
A ship for those with oceans to cross
A bridge for those with rivers to cross
A sanctuary for those in danger
A lamp for those without light
A place of refuge for those who lack shelter
And a servant to all in need.”
This little book is a conversation between the Dalai Lama and a panda who has found its way to the Dalai Lama’s home. The story is beautiful, reflecting Buddhist values and perspectives of nature, life and relationship. Not all of the story is told in words. McDonnell’s thoughtful illustrations (he used to do the comic strip MUTT) bring out the wise, profound and sometimes funny aspects of the Dalai Lama’s story of his life and his teachings. The illustrations and the words are woven together in a way that truly conveys the Dalai Lama’s serene energy and his humor. In very simple, down-to-earth terms, we are given a profound teaching to care for the Earth and its inhabitants in a way that both children and adults can treasure. The format lends itself to slow, meditative reading and consideration. Try it on your next snow day.
The 2024 classes are listed now on the website, so take a look. We will begin the shamanic practitioner year-long training in April, including setting sacred space and protection for yourself, working with your ancestors, and shamanic gardening to help you manifest your best life. FUN!
Find full descriptions and costs of the classes and events on the website - www.JudyRamsey.net. Registrations are on the website. Once registered, a Zoom invitation will be sent to register to receive the meeting i.d. and passcode. If you want to attend a journey circle, please contact Judy at info@judyramsey.net. All classes and journey circles are recorded for your convenience.
January 27 & 28 2024
Basic Animal Communication
Learn how to communicate telepathically the way that animals communicate to each other. In this basic class, you will open your intuitive senses through exercises designed to take you gently step-by-step into telepathic communication. In a fun, nurturing class environment, you will open your intuitive senses through the first day. By the second day, you will be ready to explore communication with animal guests who have offered to teach you how to understand what they want to say. Come join us!
9am-5pm EDT
Cost is $180, $90 for repeating students.
Zoom
March 19-April 23, 2024
Shamanic Animal Communication
Learn the difference between telepathic and shamanic animal communication and how to apply the best of both in an integrated way. Join us for this deeply spiritual exploration of communication. Knowledge of telepathic communication not required. Optional mentoring sessions are offered with this class on Mondays following—like getting two classes for the price of one. The mentoring really deepens the content and gives students prime individual instruction. The class will be taught online via ZOOM.
Six weekly sessions on Tuesdays, 7pm-9pm EST. Ends April 23
$260 per person/ $130 for repeat students
April 3-May 8, 2024
Medicine For the Earth/Healing With Spiritual Light— 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 required. All levels and traditions are welcome. The class will be taught online via ZOOM.
Six weekly sessions on Wednesdays, 7pm-9pm EST. Ends May 8
$390 per person/$175 for repeat students
April 13, 2024
Shamanic Personal Safety: Creating Sacred Protected Space—Learn techniques for energy hygiene when doing shamanic work and why it is so important. Be able to set protected space for yourself in practice.
$80 per person. 9am-4pm EST