On The Farm
There are some early signs that fall is approaching. The occasional red leaf is showing, and it’s not even Labor Day and stores are pushing Halloween. Too soon for me. With all the rain we’ve had, I’m enjoying the extended time with fireflies, who are usually gone by this time in August. They love the moist warmth.
I love my habitat. It is a community of trees that I sing and talk to (and they sing and talk back), a family of rabbits that greet me each day, the beautiful garter snake that lives in the garden, the deer that eat the apples, my own animal companions, the rocks, and last, but not least, the spirit of the land I live on. We are all connected. I am a part of them and they are a part of me.
Awareness of that community has required that I slow down and become spacious in the way I approach things. If I’m stressed, I can’t hear the trees—their singing requires deep stillness. If I’m hurried or preoccupied, thinking of the future or the past, I can’t see the rainbows in every dewdrop or feel the embrace of my vine house. I have to be present to be part of my community. That goes for the people in my life as well.
What is your “community”? Make a time to be with the nature of it, the sense of it. If you feel constrained and restricted by stress, thoughts, feelings, go to your nature community and spend time to make some spaciousness in yourself. Go slowly.
Gifts from our Animal Friends
Classy, my quarter horse companion, taught me everything I know about horses and much of what I know about people. She was amazing. We spent 29 years together as soulmates. What I appreciated most about her was her sense of humor, her courage, her joy, her gentleness, her patience and willingness to accept the present moment, and her sense of adventure.
When I was developing my capstone project for chaplaincy graduation, I worked with my spirit guide, Ariel, to create an exercise for restoring a person’s balance spiritually. Watch the video of my own process, and then play with it to see if it helps you to balance daily by taking the gifts of strength from your soul animal friend (alive or dead) and transforming them into embodied intentions for yourself. It’s how they would have wanted you to live.
Wildfire disaster in Maui
The recent wildfire disaster in Maui has caused significant destruction, impacting thousands of pets and people alike. The Maui Humane Society is asking for donations to help cover the massive surge in injuries and displaced pets due to the disaster. The MHS is working to provide relief and rehabilitation to the animals affected by the fires. Every donation, no matter how big or small, will bring comfort and aid to these animals. To donate or to learn more, please visit their official website:
https://www.mauihumanesociety.org/
Thank you for your compassion, kindness and generosity.
Did you know……..?
For the month of August, the HolisticActions.com webinars is addressing Reactive Pets. I got so much information from the first one, from trainer and author Sarah Hodgson. I was surprised to learn that the number one reason for reactivity in pets is not getting enough sleep! I know that is certainly true for me! Here are some of the gems I’d like to share with you.
Cats and dogs are crepuscular, which means they are most active at dawn and dusk. Domesticated animals usually follow our lifestyle and rhythms, which means they get most of their rest during the night. However, depending on the energy of the household, they may get more stimulated than their bodies are used to. Young puppies and kittens should sleep 18-20 hours per day, while adult dogs need 14-16 hours of sleep, and cats need 17. Is your pet getting enough sleep?
Dr. Jeff Feinman, host of the webinar, said that animals’ bodies use sleep like we do to revitalize the immune system, detox, process our day, and recharge/repair from the activities of the day. A well-rested pet is an energy-balanced pet, which means they will be less reactive to stimulus and in a better mood.
Here are practical tips from the webinar for you to try if your animal companion is reactive:
*Teach dogs that when you are home, you may be present but not available. They will learn not to expect interaction from you and can rest even if you are home.
*Create a sleep routine, especially if your pet sleeps with you. Following the same steps in the same order at the same time every night helps signal our bodies to relax for bedtime. Your pet will get these cues if you are consistent.
*Optimize the sleep environment. If your pet doesn’t have a crate, make sure they have a cozy space where they can feel safe and relaxed during the day.
*Train them to relax. Track how many hours of sleep your pets get. If it is not optimal, see if you can increase it by training them to be less reactive to household noises so they can rest.
*Cuddle with them. Pets can disturb us with their own noises and movements, but a Mayo Clinic study found that most pet parents perceived their pets as beneficial to sleep.
If you join the community at HolisticActions.com, you will have access to this webinar series and to each month’s special focus topic, as well as to the archives, which are a wealth of information for you and your animal friends. SWEET DREAMS!
The Bookshelf
ACTIVE HOPE; How to face the mess we’re in without going crazy, by JoAnna Macy and Chris Johnstone
Recent events in the world - fires in Maui, extreme heat in the South and in Europe, ongoing war in Ukraine, floods in unexpected areas - drew me to this book. I’ve long been a fan of JoAnna Macy and her intelligence, and this book does not disappoint. At a time when the projections of experts are happening much sooner than anyone expected, this book offers a practice that helps us to change ourselves so we can fully contribute to shifting the direction the world is going.
According to Macy and Johnstone, the word hope has two different meanings. The first involves hopefulness, believing our preferred outcome is reasonably likely to happen. If we require this kind of hope before we commit ourselves to an action, our response gets blocked in areas where we don’t rate our chances too high.
The second meaning is about desire — knowing what we hope for and what we’d like, or love, to take place. It is what we do with this hope that really makes the difference. Passive hope is about waiting for external agencies to bring about what we desire. Active Hope is about becoming active participants in bringing about what we hope for.
Active Hope is a practice. Like tai chi or gardening, it is something we do rather than have. It is a process we can apply to any situation, and it involves three key steps. First, we take in a clear view of reality; second, we identify what we hope for in terms of the direction we’d like things to move in or the values we’d like to see expressed; and third, we take steps to move ourselves or our situation in that direction.
Since Active Hope doesn’t require our optimism, we can apply it even in areas where we feel hopeless. The guiding impetus is intention; we choose what we aim to bring about, act for, or express. Rather than weighing our chances and proceeding only when we feel hopeful, we focus on our intention and let it be our guide.
Upcoming classes and workshops
Find full descriptions and costs of the classes and events on the website. Registrations are on the website except for Journey Circle. Once registered, a Zoom invitation will be sent to register to receive the meeting i.d. and passcode. If you have difficulty with a registration, please contact Judy at info@judyramsey.net. All classes and journey circles are recorded for your convenience.
September 5 - October 17 2023 (No class September 26)
Shamanic Animal Communication
Explore the differences between telepathic and shamanic communication with animals of all species, and those who have passed. Find deep connection with all their relations and the richness that shamanic connection gives to communication.
Prerequisite: Basic Journeying.
7pm-9pm
Cost is $240 per person, $100 for repeating students
Zoom
September 7 & 21, 2023
Journeying Circle
If you know how to do shamanic journeying, you know that it is a path of direct revelation. Come join us as we explore different aspects of our life’s path, doing healing for ourselves as well as for the world. Zoom registration required—contact Judy at info@JudyRamsey.net
7pm-8:30pm EDT
Cost is $25 per session or $40 per month to attend
Zoom
September 16 - 17, 2023
Extraction: A Shamanic View of Illness
Deepen your understanding of illness and how one’s spirit can help the physical body thrive or not. From a shamanic perspective, there are three causes of illness: loss of power, loss of soul essence, and intrusions. 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 Shamanic Journeying, Medicine For the Earth/Healing With Spiritual Light. Suggested Reading: Walking In Light by Sandra Ingerman. Class will be taught via ZOOM with careful monitoring of techniques and practice.
9am-5pm each day
Cost is $220 per person, $100 for repeating students
Zoom
October 5 & 19, 2023
Journeying Circle
If you know how to do shamanic journeying, you know that it is a path of direct revelation. Come join us as we explore different aspects of our life’s path, doing healing for ourselves as well as for the world. Zoom registration required—contact Judy at info@JudyRamsey.net
7pm-8:30pm EDT
Cost is $25 per session or $40 per month to attend
Zoom
October 29, 2023 ongoing for six months
Interspecies Counseling
If you are being called to serve animals and their people as a communicator and healer, this training will prepare you to become a professional service provider. Through 8 hours of group work in mediation, conflict resolution and interspecies counseling techniques, you will gain the skills necessary to problem solve, support, and help human/non-human relationships flourish with better understanding and empowerment. In addition, you will receive 6 hours of personal mentoring on any related topic that you want to dive deeper into to strengthen your skills to do the work or to set up your business in this field. All students receive a reading packet of articles picked by Penelope Smith from 20 years of the Interspecies Journal. Pre-requisites: basic telepathic animal communication and shamanic animal communication courses, Penelope Smith’s book WHEN ANIMALS SPEAK, and a written essay about your goals for this work, including 5 case studies of your own communication with clients and their animals.
10am-3pm EDT on the group training days
Time and date of personal mentoring sessions to be determined by student with completion within 6 months
Cost is $880 per person. Payment plan available.
Zoom with in-person options for mentoring
November 2 & 16, 2023
Journeying Circle
If you know how to do shamanic journeying, you know that it is a path of direct revelation. Come join us as we explore different aspects of our life’s path, doing healing for ourselves as well as for the world. Zoom registration required—contact Judy at info@JudyRamsey.net
7pm-8:30pm EDT
Cost is $25 per session or $40 per month to attend
Zoom
November 18-19, 2023
Basic Shamanic Journeying
The shamanic journey is an easy and powerful tool used to access spiritual information. 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. The techniques will 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.
9am-3pm EDT
Cost is $160, $75 for repeating students.
Zoom