On The Farm
September brings a taste of fall, my favorite season. I love the smells and the energy of fall and I get excited about fresh apple cider with those lovely, greasy, crunchy cinnamon sugar donuts. Once I’ve had my first donut (the only one of the year) and a cup of cider, I know it’s officially fall.
I just returned from a magical trip to Scotland. This year, I went with a shamanic group to visit the faery places. The land in Scotland is very special. Huge vistas of mountains, streams, waterfalls, rainbows and meadows. It is a small country where the landscape allows full expansion of a person’s spirit.
Magical moments included visiting the Isle of Skye to hike the Quairaing, a wild expanse in the north of the island. We visited the Callanish standing stones on Isle of Lewis at night with only stars in attendance, where Jaime Meyer, our leader, did a beautiful shamanic ceremony with the stones. The trip ended with a visit to a reindeer preserve. What beautiful animals! So sweet and generous to us. It rained, but I could have spent the whole wet day with them. These gems were interspersed with beautiful experiences, meeting group members that I know will be lifelong friends, and deep shifts as I did my own ceremonies and offerings along the way. I felt deeply supported by the stones underlying all of Scotland, especially on Lewis.
I think it’s so important to identify the magic in our lives and to experience the unique energy that comes to us when we open to nature. What magic is coming in for you? It might be as simple as a rainbow, a gentle wind when you need it, or an unexpected meeting with a beautiful animal or tree. Notice how it makes your spirit feel. Capture the magical moments.
Many animals are preparing for the winter.
If you see a wild animal who needs help, go to ANIMALHELPNOW to find a wildlife rehab center near you.
BOOKSHELF
On the Brink of Everything - by Parker Palmer
I was first introduced to Parker Palmer in the animal chaplain training program with his book, Let Your Life Speak. Recently, a friend gave me a copy of On the Brink of Everything as a reference for the new class I’m developing on aging shamanically. When I read it, I felt it was too good to use as a reference only, so I’m sharing it with you.
As I approach my 80’s, I’m curious about how to age from here. I think most believe that if you make it this far, you know how to do it. Not true. At eighty years old, Parker Palmer continues his long writing/teaching career by exploring “old” age. I do like Palmer’s perspective, which aligns with my own, of embracing life at any stage.
That being said, the book is not just for elders. It encourages adults of all ages to explore the way their lives are unfolding. The themes are experiential and dynamic. Parker totally aligns with a shamanic perspective of helping people die a good death by helping them live a good life. This is a very balanced book that has humor as well as seriousness, and also includes three downloadable songs from Carrie Newcomer, written in response to the book’s themes.
I hope you enjoy this gem and that it brings some hidden, joyful parts of your life to light.
TRAINING DISABLED PETS
I rarely encounter disabled pets in my practice, although I have had dog, horse, and cat companions who were blind and/or deaf. So when I read a blog from Walkin’ Pets, https://walkinpets.com, with tips on how to train and accommodate disabled pets, I was curious how that might differ from training fully able animals.
I was surprised and pleased to learn about the progress made in equipment to assist disabled animals. The website carries some of the tools and equipment, and has many articles and blogs to inform about a wide variety of conditions and to support the animal’s people in their caregiving process.
The basic strategies for training disabled pets are the same as for everyone: positive reinforcement and avoiding punishment that could be detrimental to progress and confidence. Training disabled pets requires patience, understanding, and positive reinforcement. Focus on building a strong bond, using clear communication and adapting training methods to suit the pet’s specific needs and limitations. Mental stimulation is also crucial, using puzzle toys and trick training to keep minds active.
Training methods have to be adapted to the animal’s condition. The tips below are for dogs, but consultation with a veterinarian or a trainer who works with disabled animals can help you make adaptations for other species.
ADAPT TRAINING METHODS
For blind dogs, use clicker training and focus on scent and touch to guide them. Mark the start and end of commands with the clicker and use verbal cues and physical touch to guide them.
For deaf dogs, employ hand signals and sign language alongside verbal commands. A vibrating collar can also be used to get their attention.
For mobility impaired dogs, adjust the intensity and duration of training session. Focus on mental stimulation through puzzle toys and trick training. Ensure exercises are low-impact and avoid overexertion.
BUILD A ROUTINE
Establishing a predictable daily routine can help reduce stress and anxiety in disabled pets, promoting a sense of security.
MENTAL STIMULATION
Engage their minds with puzzle toys, food-dispensing toys, and trick training. Theses activities help keep them mentally sharp and active.
DENSENSITIZE TO MOBILITY AIDS
If using wheelchairs, halo or other assistive devices, introduce them gradually and positively, allowing the animal to adjust without fear.
PATIENCE AND CONSISTENCY
Be patient and understanding throughout the training process. Consistency in your approach will help the animal learn and adapt more effectively.
CONSULT WITH PROFESSIONALS
Work with a veterinarian or certified dog trainer specializing in working with disabled animals. They can provide tailored advice and support.
Don’t forget that you know an experienced animal communicator who can help you inform your beloved animal companion about how you would like to support them. You can get their point of view and likely easier cooperation if the animal understands what is happening.
RESPECT THEIR LIMITATIONS
Be mindful of your pet’s physical and mental limitations. Avoid pushing them beyond their capabilities.
Being mindful of your home environment is important to support your companion. Slick floors that are difficult to navigate, rugs that prevent easy movement of wheelchair, or moving the furniture—a blind dog memorizes the paths and when they change, it disrupts their safety.
FOCUS ON ENJOYMENT
Make training a fun and positive experience for both you and your pet. Celebrate small victories and focus on building a strong bond.
PRIORITIZE MENTAL STIMULATION
Keep their minds active with puzzles, training, and interactive play.
I wish for you a fulfilling and enriching life for you and your disabled animal companion, fostering a strong bond and helping them thrive. If your current animal companion is fully abled, you might get some good ideas for closer bonding from these tips as well. For more information, go to Walkin' Pets.
SAVE THE OCTUPUSES
I have always loved octopuses (and yes, that’s the correct plural). If you haven’t seen MY OCTOPUS TEACHER, please make a date to do that. It is a beautiful documentary that really brings into focus what special creatures these animals are.
I recently learned of octopus farming, which, just as with fish farms, is a risk not only to the animal, but also to the ecosystem as a breeding place for pathogens and diseases which affect other animals as well as humans. As a species, octopuses are highly intelligent, and in captivity, become depressed and bored if not mentally stimulated. They are also solitary creatures and territorial, so close confinement with other octopuses causes stress, aggression and high mortality. Common slaughter practices for octopuses are unusually cruel, including freezing or clubbing them to death.
The Animal Legal Defense Fund is sponsoring a petition, which you can sign electronically to help ban octopus farming. In addition, the World Animal Protection’s OCTOPUS Act has been developed to ban octopus farming. You can support this act and also stay informed here.
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.
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.
$180 per person, $90 for repeating students
9am-3pm each day (consideration may be made for west coast students with starting time at 10am-4pm)
OCTOBER 18-19, NOVEMBER 22-23, DECEMBER 20-21, 2025
Soul Retrieval— This is an advanced class limited to 6 persons. When a person experiences trauma, there is a loss of soul essence. The person’s spirit is fragmented, causing disease, mental illness, or personality and behavioral shifts. In this training, deepen your connection to your helping spirits and learn to work with them to restore a soul’s essence. Expand your ‘tool chest’ of ways to help a client integrate a soul retrieval session, and experience as well, soul retrieval of body parts and of places in nature/landscape. Initiation and ceremony will anchor your learning. Prerequisites: Medicine For the Earth/Healing With Spiritual Light and Extraction. Suggested reading: Soul Retrieval and Welcome Home by Sandra Ingerman.
The class will be taught online via ZOOM.
$600 per person, $350 for repeating students
9am-4pm each day (consideration may be made for west coast students with starting time at
10am-5pm)
Attendance at all sessions is required. Optional mentoring sessions will be held November 17
and December 1, 2024, at 7pm eastern time.