I celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year—I’m Chinese, but also it gives me more time to tie up loose ends from the past year, and to set my intentions for the energy I want in my life in the coming year. In Chinese culture, the animals of the horoscope are endowed with wonderful powers that can guide us, support problem solving, and teach us important lessons.
February 10 marks the beginning of the Year of the Wood Dragon with a new moon. The Wood element softens the dragon’s fire and brings powerful creative energy into our lives. It’s a great time to purge old energy in our lives, old things in our home environment to make room for new energy and a fresh start. What loose ends need to be wrapped up in your life so you can begin anew? What could you purge that would lighten your load or clear the path to move forward?
As I contemplated my intentions for the coming year, I looked at my quality of life. I want more play time, time with friends. I want time to create. One of my greatest joys is teaching the communication and shamanic classes, so there may be some new classes to develop on the horizon. I also want more time with my animals and with the nature of the farm. What will you give yourself this year—how will you open to what is possible?
Some time ago, Carla Meeske did a healing journey for me that presented me with a dragon’s egg. The dragon’s egg contains infinite possibilities. Here is a guided shamanic journey to a dragon’s egg. If you don't know how to journey, you can use it as a guided visualization or meditation and it will be just as powerful for you. Enjoy - and HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Coming soon!
REGISTRATION FOR THE ANIMAL MINDFULNESS TRAINING OPENS FEBRUARY 20, 2024 on the Omega website at this link
https://www.eomega.org/learn-person-online/learn-person/campus-workshops.
From June 23-28, 2024, the Omega Institute for Holistic Studies will be hosting a 5-day immersive retreat on animal mindfulness that I will be teaching with Rev. Sarah Bowen, and animal chaplain, Amanda Ree. The three of us are presenting an in-depth program of interspecies spirituality and connection through experiences that will bring your awareness into the natural, spiritual lives of animals, combined with healing practices like ayurveda, meditation, and shamanic journeying. We will connect to animal wisdom and its practical application to our lives and well-being. We will also be guided through grief and compassion fatigue by the gifts that experiences with our own animals have given us.
The Omega Institute is located in Rhinebeck, NY, in the beautiful postcard-worthy countryside. Omega offers a lot of extras when you take a class on campus. There are many hiking trails, a beautiful gift shop, free morning classes in tai chi, yoga, meditation at the sanctuary—a beautiful secluded place on the hill, or just silent time at the lake to begin your day. There are also terrific baked goods, coffee and beverages at the coffee shop, where you can take breaks. One of my favorite campuses.
Housing for students at Omega ranges from small cabins that accommodate up to 8 persons, to single rooms. If you would like to attend with a friend or group, you can provide their names at registration. The staff at Omega are very helpful in getting you what you need.
I hope you will join us for this ground-breaking retreat! It’s going to be profound FUN to be together. Also, I will get to meet some of you in person—always a treat!
Quality of Life for you and your Animal Companion
I was inspired by the Holistic Actions newsletter that Dr. Jeff Feinman sends out monthly, and wanted to share some of his tips with you. He says, “Quality of life measures the enjoyment in each day, not just the number of days.” The quality of our life and that of our animals is connected and intertwined, and is different for everyone, depending on their circumstances. Here are some universal aspects of our lives that we can look at to improve our quality of living and that of our animals.
Be Grateful. Looking for the blessings, miracles and amazements helps with healing as well as with a positive outlook. Look at where things come together, not where they come apart. Animals provide such good examples of not hanging onto negativity.
Stay Inspired. I subscribe to StoryPeople.com for a daily mini-story to inspire me. My Cloud-A-Day subscription with the Cloud Appreciation Society gives me a beautiful cloud every day in my email, that presents awe and wonder in about 20 seconds.
Laugh Frequently. Find what makes you laugh. Stitch, my dog, is so happy and can get me to laugh at his antics. Charlie, the cat begins each day with a loud purr that he maintains until breakfast. If you don’t have a Charlie, go to https://Purrli.com to choose your personal purr.
Eat Well. Nourish yourself and your animal with good food that will build a good body and mind. Hydrate your brain. Treat yourself to beautiful and unusual food. Try dragonfruit—it’s beautiful and sweet.
Move Daily. Keep moving in whatever way appeals to you. The motion is good for your body, calms the adrenaline from stress, and keeps your spirit lively, especially if you move in nature with your dog or horse. Movement keeps you in the present moment.
Socialize. Relationships are key to good health. Call a friend or write a letter—I give “a letter a month” to family members or friends as a birthday or holiday gift and actually enjoy handwritten notes. Just make a contact. Volunteering to help a friend or a cause like an animal shelter keeps us in the present moment.
Play. Play with our animal friends helps us both. Make a play date for yourself. More on play in this newsletter.
Challenge yourself. Besides my daily Wordle, I love learning new things through webinars, YouTube, books or my local library. HolisticActions.com has a huge library of information for you and your pet.
WHAT ACTION WILL YOU CHOOSE TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF YOUR LIFE WITH YOUR ANIMAL FRIEND?
Free Interview Series on Conscious Grief
One of my mentors in animal communication, Teresa Whalen, has been guiding people through their animal losses for many years. I don’t know anyone who is more compassionate in holding grief than Teresa. Through the courses she has developed over years that address grief of all kinds, she also has trained many therapists, communicators, and support persons, including myself, to assist with end-of-life issues related to animals.
Teresa will be one of 25 interviewees in a series by conscious grief guide and spiritual psychologist, Tara Nash, Conscious Grief: Transforming Pain Into Evolution and Growth. The online event will be held February 17-25, 2024, and is free of charge. Register by going to https://www.consciousgriefseries.com. Teresa will be speaking on February 23. You will receive the interview times of each speaker when you register.
See you there!
The Bookshelf
WALKING THROUGH DARKNESS, by Sandra Ingerman and Llyn Roberts
In their first collaboration, Speaking With Nature, these two renown shamanic practitioners offered lessons and perspectives from nature—animals, trees, and earth—as a guide to opening awareness to the creative power of everything around us. In this second collaboration, they lead us through what shamans call the ‘dark night of the soul’, those times of loss and pain when we don’t know what to do, where to go next. Sandra lives in the desert of New Mexico and Llyn lives in the rich rainforest of the Northwest. Their two perspectives continue to provide a unique combination of wisdom and creativity.
In ancient times, elders of the village guided people through life’s initiations and challenges so they could transform and grow from the experiences that we all have to go through. Using metaphorical stories from nature, these two authors provide the teachings from the land, sea, sky and the spiritual world that carry the wisdom they have gathered from their own experiences, as well as from other healers world-wide.
Like their first creation, you don’t have to read this book sequentially, but can pick and choose chapters that seem most relevant at the time of reading. May you find inspiration and support in this unique work.
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.
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