Cosmic Jounal #032

Michaelic Time of Year

THE self-irradiance of thought:
a spark enkindling inner light
to read the book of self-experience,
and draw new draughts of insight from the spirit’s font:
what Summer has bestowed
in Autumn has been sowed:
abiding warmth in Winter’s cold.

Liturgy of the Seasons, Week 29, translation by Max Leyf

---

Hello Friends and fellow land stewards, 

We meet again to explore the celestial conditions over the last two weeks of October, deeping our understandings as to how the ever-changing alignment of the Moon, constellations and planets affect our work as Biodynamic farmers and gardeners.  

Utilizing a Biodynamic calendar (links below), we can tune into these natural rhythms which are oftentimes unseen, then applying what is happening around us to our intimate, daily-relationships with plants, animals and the Life within the soil. 

Through this devotional work, we intend to increase the Spiritual nourishment found within the foods we eat (and those we grow for our livestock) as we continue to evolve as Humans finding creative ways to re-connect to the ancient Wisdom of the Stars, the elementals that create life through our gardens and our Inner Souls that patientiely wait for us to return to a Life based on Love.  

Our week begins on Monday, October 14th with the Moon backed by the Air sign of Aquarius, as it continues to ascend for a few days bringing water, sap and Life forces upwards into aerial plant parts.  Spend time harvesting flowers for medicine making or natural dying, dry floral bouquets to capture the memories of the Season and put intention into each moment, inviting in the pure Spiritual Light of Archangel Michael into our lives and garden spaces as we approach darker days of Autumn.  

Flower Kingdom member, Mexican Sunflower (Tithonia) reaching for the Stars

The Moon moves into the Water sign of Pisces at 4am on Tuesday, October 15th, where it will remain until Thursday the 17th.  With the Great Fishes shining on the Earth from afar, we focus on the element of Water and the ether of Tone, taking time as we work to feel into the changing season and the inbreath of the Earth that deepens a little more each day as we care for and harvest leafy plants.  

On Wednesday, October 16th the Moon remains in Pisces although the Lunar Ascending Node occuring at 3am and later on, the Lunar Perigee at 9pm, may affect your work today. Based on the 20th Century Biodynamic research of Maria Thun (and others since), we generally try to avoid nodes when possible (the Moon’s crossing point along the Sun’s ecliptic) as well as the period of time when the Moon comes into close proximity with the Earth since these moments of strong Lunar influence can interrupt root establishment.  As with all of our recommendations, please take into consideration the needs of your unqiue farm and garden, consulting the Earth and local Elemental Beings that guide your farm. 

Returning to field work on Thursday, October 17th, the Moon reaches Full illumination at 7am while we work with Leafy plants and the element of Water through the day until 4pm, when then the Moon transitions into the Fire sign of Aries.  Tonight, and into the weekend, we celebrate the friendships and relationships that exisit in our lives, taking note of the Warmth that is created dynamically within each community we are a part of.  

On Friday, October 18th we harvest and care for our apple and fruit tree orchards which are becoming thinner and thinner as the crops are harvested.  Enjoy the simple moments of watching leaves begin to fall blanketing the Earth around you, taking in the complex scents and flavors of each bite of ripe fruit picked at peak potency while the Moon is in the constellation of Aries.  

Today, and through the weekend, friends will be gathered in Accomac, VA to celebrate the 100 Year Anniversary of Biodynamics, hosted in partnership with the Jospephine Porter Institute and Perennial Roots Farm.  This is an AWESOME opportunity to learn more about the Biodynamic Preparations, connect with farmers and community members, and to take part in contributing your own intentions into this shared process of medicine making.  Click the link above for more information and we hope to see you in Virginia!  

At 7am on Saturday, October 19th the Moon moves into Taurus shifting our attention to root crops and soil building until Monday evening.  As we bury our BD 500 Horn Manure and create Barrel Compound pits this weekend, we can also offer these preparations out to our farms and gardens as a continued effort to aid in good humus formation, mineral organization and increased soil Life.  

BD500 Cow Horns ready to be buried

All day Saturday, Sunday, October 20th as well as Monday, October 21st, feel into the last days of upward Lunar pull in this cycle, as well as the grounded, deeply rooted cosmic energies brought forth by the Great Bull, Taurus - the origin of cosmic Nitrogen, the carrier of Spirit which gives rise to our abilities to feel and imagine.  Recognizing these greater relations which are also brought into light by both Rudolf Steiner and Rudolf Hauschka, we might also pray for our plants’ increased ability to access the abundance of Nitrogen (which freely exisits in the air) in the next year ahead, as we work alongside friends this weekend to make medicine for the Earth.  

At 7pm on Monday, the Moon transitions into the constellation of Gemini, and then soon after reaches its highest positon in the sky, beninning to then descend, a process that will last roughly two weeks.  With this shift of energies, the Biodyanmic Transplanting Time begins marking a period when healthy root establishment is increased and Life Forces are drawn back inwards into the soil and roots. 

Sunrise from our Biodynamic Farm in Sedona, AZ

As the sky begins to glow on Tuesday, October 22nd, we celebrate the return of Gemini with the offering of Horn Silica BD 501.  Today we shift our prayers inward to summon Archangel Michael, the guardian force for our current phase of Human and Earth evolution that can support us in finding the courage to continue in our work through these troubled times.  It is beyond evident that the powers of Ahriman are ever present in our current Western culture, making it that much more important for each of us to strenghten our own inner abilities to confront internal fears, attachment to materialism, and moral corruption.    

As we stir and spray Horn Silica BD 501 on this day guided by the Twins, the constellation affiliated with Sulfur, we spread Spiritual Light throughout our gardens with this preparation made from transformed Silica crystals, creating harmony between the Astral and Etheric plant worlds as we head towards Winter.  Harvest fresh blooms for increased fragrance, direct seed native flowers around the wild areas of your farm and meditate inwards to find faith in Archangel Michael and the lessons he teaches us realted to letting go of attachment, finding connection to Deeper Intellegence and finding the freedom to let Love guide us through our Lives.  

The Moon continues to shine upon us through the day on Wednesday, October 23rd in the constellation of Gemini, encouraging us to deadhead our gardens, transplant out new seedlings and save what we can of the seeds we collect.  Continue to feel into the atmospheric effects created by the Horn Silica BD 501, carrying forward your inward Light into the months ahead.  At 10pm on Wednesday the Moon moves into the constellation of Cancer.  

Fresh October greens, grown in northern Arizona 

Throughout the day on Thursday, October 24th as well as the morning and early afternoon on Friday, October 25th we work again with Leafy crops, checking in with the seeds that were planted last week, harvesting greens as needed and transplanting out new crops while the Moon is in the mercurial Water sign of Cancer.   

At 2pm on Friday, October 25th, the Moon moves into the Fire sign of Leo, bringing us back into reflection with our commitments in Life, both in our relationships with others and ourselves.  As we prepare our gardens for Winter and their eventual resurrection in the Spring, we work this month and into November to aid in this process of letting go of the physical while surrendering into the Spiritual, knowing that rebirth will follow.  

Throughout Friday afternoon, Saturday, October 26th as well as Sunday, October 27th, care for fruiting plants while the Moon shines on us from the constellation of Leo, bringing forth the Universal impulses of Warmth and Love which connects us all.  

Continuing into the week ahead, we will prepare for All Souls Day, the upcoming crossquarter point between the Fall Equinox and Winter Solstice, a time for the rememberance of loved ones, Saints and maryrs who now take up a new consciousness.  As we tend to our orchards, pastures and gardens, connect to the Holiness of the land that surrounds you, giving gratitiude to all of the lessons learned so far in this lifetime, fully sensing into what it means to be alive now in this place and time.  

If you haven’t already offered Hugo Erbe’s #9 Harmonizing Preparation this Fall, this weekend might serve as a good opportunity to give this special gift of gratitude to the Elemental Beings who give Life to each of our farms and gardens.  HE#9 is intended to be offered to fields that have already been given the other 9 Biodynamic preps and is a companion spray to the Three Kings Preparation HE #8, which will be offered at Epiphany (January 6th).   If these additional sprays are of interest, please check out the detailed information available at JPIBiodynamics.org and, as always, ask your garden for permission before spraying, allowing her response be your guide.   

To learn more about Biodynamics and to follow along with us as we continue to explore the celestial rhythms, check out the NEW 2025 versions of the Stella Natura Biodynamic Calendar and the Maria Thun 2025 Biodynamic Almanac that are NOW IN STOCK.  

May Our Collective Light Continue to Shine - Russell