Cosmic Journal #008

Happy Michaelmas!

“NATURE! thy maternal kind
I bear within, as substance of my will—
my will, that’s true like fire bright
shall sear away all frailties of my mind
and, with resolve like tempered steel,
I will bear myself aright.”

• From Rudolf Steiner’s The Calendar of the Soul, twenty-sixth week [Michaelmas], trans. Max Leyf

Greetings fellow farmers, gardeners, Earth stewards, and caretakers of the Cosmos!

Image: cows and rainbow at the JPI farm

Crisp air welcomes the advent of Fall. The following astrological observations offer suggestions that may be helpful for planning activities with the land during this time. While these suggestions can serve as general guidance, be sure to consider your own climate and weather patterns first and foremost, and adapt according to local conditions.

* Happy Michaelmas! Today (Friday, September 29) we celebrate the changing seasons and the bounty of the harvest with special appreciation for Archangel Michael who represents courage, resolve, and triumph of the Good. Celebrate the day with feasting and festivity as an opportunity to come together in community and express our gratitude for Earth and the Spiritual Hierarchies with whom we serve. 

* Today we will also experience the fourth and final Super Full Moon of 2023. This auspicious occasion marks the conclusion of an extraordinary series of powerful astrological configurations that have emboldened the transformative power of this transitional year. All the more reason to celebrate the day with aplomb!  

* According to the sidereal zodiac, the Sun is in Virgo, where it will remain until it transitions into Libra on November 3.

* The Moon is currently in Pisces, where it will remain until around 11 AM tomorrow, September 30. If you are working with the land, this Water sign makes for a good opportunity to plant and tend leafy crops and herbs. 

* Tomorrow (September 30) we will then experience the Moon’s descending node from around 11 AM until 5 PM, during which time it is recommended to refrain from working the land.

* The Moon then ushers in October with a transition into Aries tomorrow evening, where it will remain until around noon on Monday October 2. Plant and tend fruiting crops while the Moon is in this Fire sign.

* Then, the Moon moves into Taurus at around 3 PM on October 2, where it will remain until around 7 AM on Thursday October 5. Plant and tend root crops during this Earth sign. Moreover, these Earth days provide great opportunities for the first Fall application of BD 500 Horn Manure. It is recommended to stir BD 500 Horn Manure in the evening hours and apply it to the soil alongside the setting sun.

* On Thursday October 5, the Moon also transitions from ascending to descending in the northern hemisphere. The descending Moon, in general, helps plants take root after transplanting. For those in the northern hemisphere, best to focus on sowing and harvesting until October 5, and then switch to transplanting. If you are in the southern hemisphere, where the Moon will transition from descending to ascending, best to finish transplanting before October 5, and then prioritize sowing and harvesting.

* Thereafter, the Moon transitions into Gemini at around 10 AM on Thursday October 5, where it will remain until around 1 PM on Saturday October 7. Plant and tend flowering crops and herbs during this Air sign. Moreover, these Air days provide great opportunities for the first Fall application of BD 501 Horn Silica – indeed, particularly well if applied right after BD 500 Horn Manure during the preceding Earth days. It is recommended to stir BD 501 Horn Silica along with the rising sun and apply it as a foliar spray during the morning hours.

* On Saturday October 7, the Moon then transitions from Gemini into Cancer, where it will remain until around 8 AM on Monday October 9. Plant and tend leafy crops and herbs during this Water sign.

* Then, the Moon transitions into Leo at around 11 AM on Monday October 9, where it will remain until around 7 AM on Thursday October 12. Plant and tend fruiting crops and herbs during this Fire sign.

* If you have been experiencing particularly dry conditions, it may be worth considering to apply a Biodynamic Sequential Spray to your land during the Water window on October 7, 8, and 9. Conversely, if you have been experiencing particularly wet conditions, it may be helpful to apply a Biodynamic Sequential Spray during the Fire window on October 9, 10, 11, and 12. Conscientiously using the biodynamic preparations in alignment with opportune astrological configurations as a Sequential Spray can help bring moisture balance back to the local environment. It is strongly recommended that the land has already been treated with biodynamic preparations before conducting a Sequential Spray. 

* The Moon then transitions into Virgo at around 10 AM on Thursday October 12, where it will remain until about midnight on Sunday October 15. Plant and tend root crops during this Earth sign. 

* However, we will experience the Annual Solar Eclipse on Saturday October 14. As such, it is recommended to refrain from working the land on this day.

October 6th - October 8th: 

Join us at the Josephine Porter Institute for a hands-on practical experience learning some of the subtle aspects of making biodynamic preparations at our Fall Biodynamic Workshop! 

One of the most transformative effects of the biodynamic preparations is not just on the soil, but on the imaginations of those who practice making the preparations. New possibilities open up when you practice creating, with your own hands, the fruits of a remarkable intuition.

Thank you for your care and support as we work together to heal the Earth in conscious cooperation with the cosmos.  🥳