Cosmic Journal #013

Biodynamic Calendar planting recommendations

The soul’s poetic power abounding
pulsing up and outward from its ground
resounding from the heart’s foundation 
where force divine, enthusing human life
in throbs, our selves will sculpt 
through deeds of love

From Rudolf Steiner’s The Calendar of the Soul, 

Week Forty One, translated by Max Leyf

Cosmic Journal #013

Hello friends - we find ourselves in the deep pocket of winter this month and I send warm wishes to you all.  This time of year is the coldest for most of us here in the Northern Hemisphere and the anticipation of the upcoming growing season is at our doorstep.  I am soaking up every moment of afternoon warmth and sunshine, grateful for each and every day, even if it’s icy and frigid. 

Looking ahead, January and February are great months to organize seeds, begin starting plants that require lots of time to mature and we continue to work on planning out the garden spaces and successions for the year ahead.  Incorporating a Biodynamic calendar into our daily planning, we can tune into the larger cosmic rhythms that have direct influences on plants and we can focus our intentions onto doing all we can to benefit plant growth, ecological health and our own spiritual evolution. 

While it might be somewhat difficult to “tend to and harvest” Fruit on a Fire day this month since it's freezing for most, I invite you to feel into each day’s elemental and etherical influence - in the case of a Fire/Fruit day you might bring the ideas of warmth, great abundance and Divine Love into the forefront of your consciousness, allowing yourself to explore the depth that lies there. Likewise with each day that is related to the elements and ethers of Earth (Root/Life), Air (Flowers/Light), and Water (Leaves/Tone) we bring more awareness and care to each day, creating space to learn more about ourselves while opening up possibilities to become more connected to the world we live in.

As we turn the doorknob to the possibilities, we know that today is Friday, January 19th and it is 9am Eastern Standard Time. 

Following the astral positions of the Sidereal Zodiac, how the stars, planets, and other astral bodies appear above us, we witness the Sun’s transition into Capricorn today while the Moon shines on us backed by the constellation of Aries.  As discussed above, today brings forth the influence of Fire which we as Biodynamic stewards relate to Fruit crops, the essence of Warmth and the power of Divine, Universal Love that connects all.  If you’re working outside today, you might spend time pruning fruit trees, cutting back vines and hedges or tending to other fruiting plants around your garden.  Bring awareness to the space in which you live, noticing how warmth moves about and settles in, and how these aspects are alive even during the coldest days of the year.

At 9pm, the Moon moves into the Earth constellation of Taurus and we bring our focus onto the soil and root crops this weekend. 

On Saturday, January 20th and Sunday the 21st care to root crops and work on preparing your gardens, as applicable to your growing region.  This weekend is a great time to stir and spray BD500 Horn Manure, the Pfeiffer Field Spray or Barrel Compost to support the health of soil life - aiding in the deep descent of astral forces into the Earth. This descent of force continues until February 1st and there are more opportunities coming up to offer your preps.  More about the decent of forces and this cycle can be found in Cosmic Journal #011 and below in this text.

On Monday, January 22nd the Moon transitions into the Air sign of Gemini at 4pm and will also reach its highest point in its cycle today marking what we often call as the beginning of the Transplanting Period.  For the next two weeks as the Moon descends, it will be the ideal time to transplant seedlings since life forces are being drawn into the earth, supporting the growth and establishment of roots.  In contrast, during the last 2 weeks when the Moon was ascending, life forces are drawn upwards and we witness the rise of sap, growth of branches, wildly aromatic blooms and so much more. 

Because the Moon will reach its highest point at 11pm on Monday, we refrain from soil and plant work today as well as tomorrow, Tuesday, January 23rd. 

On Wednesday, January 24th the Moon remains in Gemini until 10pm and we begin our work with flowering plants. We pay attention to aspects of Light on our farms as well as Air flow as we continue through these cold days of Winter. At 10pm, the Moon moves into the Water sign of Cancer and all day on Thursday, January 25th we transplant, care for and harvest Leaf crops. 

From Thursday until Friday, January 26th at 3pm, we bring awareness to the Tone, the form, and energetic fluidity of the farm tuning into the Moon and Cancer’s watery influences.  Watch how your farm or garden flows and be personally open to connecting to the living body of where you live. 

In the afternoon on Friday, the Moon moves into Leo, bringing the Lunar cycle back into Fire.  Throughout the weekend all the way until Monday at 2pm, we have another great opportunity to prune our fruit trees and care for other fruiting crops. 

This weekend is extra powerful as well in terms of the influence of Fire/Warmth energies with two trines occurring on Sunday and one late on Monday evening. Trines occur when planets are 120 degrees from one another and they are especially strong when the planets share an elemental affinity (Fire/Fire relationship).  Please refer to the notes found within your Biodynamic calendar for complete details on these planetary relationships.

Beyond the farm, Biodynamic practitioners will participate this weekend in the Fellowship of Preparation Makers Annual Gathering in Northern California, exploring the powers of Valerian (BD 507) and Yarrow (BD 502). Speakers include Luke Frey, Lloyd Nelson, Dawn Rains, Harald & Cynthia Hoven and many many more amazing prep makers - check out the schedule and more on the BDA website :  www.biodynamics.com/content/fellowship-preparation-makers

Virtually, folks can also check out the Alchemical Revival Symposium which is also this weekend, January 26th through the 28th. Speakers include Dennis Klocek, Matias Baker, JPI’s Creative Director Stewart Lundy and more fantastic people who will be exploring the intersections of alchemy and natural science.  More about this virtual event can be found on Dennis’ website at www.dennisklocek.com/alchemical-revival/

After the busy weekend, the Moon transitions into Virgo in the early afternoon on Monday, January 29th andthen at 3pm it will reach its farthest point away from Earth in its orbit, which we refer to as Apogee. 

On Tuesday, January 30th we can continue to work with the soil as the Moon remains in Virgo. 

The Moon’s path in the sky crosses the Sun’s path (called the ecliptic) on Wednesday, January 31st which has a negative effect on plant growth.  This crossing point is referred to as a node and every two weeks the Moon passes up or down through the Sun’s ecliptic.

We refrain from heavy plant and soil work this afternoon due to the descending node that occurs around 3pm.  

Going into Thursday, February 1st, the Moon continues to shine in Virgo and we work with the soil and root crops.  As discussed in previous journal entries, there have been a series of 13 day cycles taking place through December and January (involving Christmas and Epiphany) and today, Candelmas, marks the end of the descending, archetypal yearly cycle for plants and minerals.  Candlemas is described as the “true centre of the circulation of life on Earth” and today we can set aside time to reflect back on the past month and the downward influence of energies that have been felt by your farm (Source: Nastate, Influence of the 13 Holy Nights). 

Today, in celebration of this energetic phenomenon, we might again offer BD500 Horn Manure, the Pfeiffer Field Spray or Barrel Compost while contemplating and surrendering to the final descent of these cosmic forces.

As the Sun then rises on Friday, February 2nd, we can spray BD 501 Horn Silica in the early morning to balance the impulses created by yesterday’s afternoon soil spray. The Moon then transitions from Virgo into Libra around 11am perfect for the 501 to settle in.  Since today begins a new cycle of ascending forces, ushering us into Spring, our offering of the Horn Silica serves as our intentional support of plant health in the process of our farm’s evolution. 

Like Yin & Yang, dark & light, Summer & Winter, yesterday and today we find balance in paradox by placing our faith into our relationship with the land, plants and animals.  Using BD 500 & BD501, we can become more fluent participants in the world while setting aside devoted time to allow the door to the world around us to remain open.  We tend to and steward as best we can,  interactacting with what we can see and all that which remain hidden. 

Through the day on Friday and into Saturday, February 3rd the influence of Libra reminds us to care for our flowering plants.  We are invited to once again meditate on the aspects of Air and Light, allowing ourselves the opportunity to connect to these both.  At 9pm the Moon will then move into the Water sign of Scorpio.

On Sunday, February 4th we tend to leafy crops with the influence of Scorpio shining upon us.

Monday, February 5th is the Last Day of Transplanting Period as the Moon moves into the constellation of Sagittarius tomorrow at 5am. With the Moon in Scorpio, we continue our work with the element of water, tone ether, and leafy plants.

To follow along each day as we continue into February in the next Cosmic Journal, be sure to grab an updated 2024 Biodynamic calendar. This resource will help you understand the influences of the Moon and stars, and the calendar itself serves as a great way to organize your field notes.

JPI currently has in stock two unique versions – the Maria Thun Biodynamic Almanac and the Stella Natura Biodynamic Calendar - both are awesome & summarize all the important information that we are coving here.

Many Thanks & Blessings to You All - Russell