Cosmic Journal #027

Happy New Moon!

NEW-received, in mystery,
thinking weaves a history,
of what the senses first surmised,
my soul then inwardized*
and placed in memory’s bower:
let me then fortify this power,
and fashion in myself a mirror
that the soul may finally peer,
upon her very self.

Liturgy of the Year, Week 19, translation by Max Leyf

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Greetings friends and fellow farmers, 

Today is Monday, August 5th and we gather together again to explore the celestial conditions for the fist half of the month as it relates to our relationship with plants and our work in the garden.  Looking up to the Moon, our closest neighbor in space, just a sliver of sunlight is now reflected back onto Earth, representing not only the physical relationship of the Sun, Moon, and Earth but also a personal opportunity for each of us to continue to reawaken and grow through each monthly, Lunar cycle.   

For most of us in North America, our passion for plants is seeded each year in the Winter and Spring, transforming into abundant Life that is now coming into maturity the deeper into Summer, and closer to Fall, we go.  As we care for our fields and plants this month, we can allow ourselves to fully enjoy the fruits of our labor, immersing our senses into each unqiue flower, fruit and friend we have the gift of meeting this season.  

As we continue to nuture these relationships between ourselves and the worlds beyond what we can physically see or touch, we can tune into the natural rhythms of Life each day. The use of a Biodynamic calendar serves as a simple tool that can help us in aligning our actions with the cosmos, providing us with an outline of the Moon’s transitions through the Zodiac (in the present moment) as well as plantetary conjunctions, oppositions and other astral influences that might have positive or negative impacts on plant growth.  

Looking at our calendars, we can see that the Moon is currently descending in the sky, a period that is perfect for transplanting and soil cultivation since Life forces are now being drawn downwards into the Earth.  The Moon will continue to descend until August 15th when it reaches the constellation of Sagittarius. 

Beyond this, the Moon is currently backed by the constellation of Leo today as well as tomorrow, Tuesday, August 6th which has an affinity to Fire and fruiting plants.  Let creativity freely flow in the garden, giving your attention to the Summer berries and fruits that continue to ripen along the forest edges and up high in the trellises.  

Continue to harvest and tend to fruiting plants on Wednesday, August 7th while the Moon remains in the Fire sign of Leo until it then transitions into the Earth sign of Virgo in the afternoon at 4pm.  

As we shift into Virgo, we bring our attention back down to the soil Life that exisists beneath our feet and the ancient Kingdoms on which our current world is built upon.  Virgo is one of the largest constellations in our sky, creating a long window of opportunity this week for us to offer our Biodynamic soil sprays out to our gardens.  

In the late afternoon on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday or Saturday, stir and spray BD 500 Horn Manure, the Pfeiffer Field Spray or Barrel Compost in an effort to further enliven the Life our gardens.  Beyond what we can measure, which is a lot, our Biodynamic soil sprays help us find our own unique Spiritual practices, creating opportunties for Mind/Body unity and greater connection to the pure impulse of Love which created, and continues to create, all. 

From Wednesday afternoon through Saturday evening, care for root vegetables, transplant out all types of crops, tend to compost piles and barrel compost pits, seed out beds, and prepare space in the garden that soon will be filled with Fall crops.  

There is a Descending Node occuring at 9pm and Lunar Apogee at 10pm on Thursday, August 8th which doesnt have much effect on our daytime field work but is worth noting.  Overall, this week and weekend would be a great time to enjoy time in the garden with your hands in the dirt.   

As the weekend comes to an end on Sunday, August 11th we too finish up soil cultivation and root plant care in the morning and early afternoon while the Moon is in Virgo. At 3pm, the Moon transitions into Libra bringing forth the influence of Light and Air.   This afternoon, we check in on the Flower Kingdom, as its represented individually in each of our gardens.  Take time to enjoy the yellow sunshine that still shines high in the sky, sense the bouquet of flowers growing around you which you had a hand in creating, and allow your own inner Light to radiate upon your gardens.  While each day all four elemenets, ethers and influences are present and effecting plant life, our detailed attunement to each day’s specific focus helps us to rebuild our connections to the rest of the world that lies in front of us.  

Early in the morning, before sunrise, on Monday, August 12th we can continue to celebrate the power of the Scales by offering BD 501 Horn Silica as a prayer for continued plant health and full maturity as we gradually begin to seasonally shift over the next month.  We ask for the air to freely flow between our crops, bringing with it the Light needed to help the plants protect themselves against pests and diseases.  

We might also add BD 508 Equisetum tea to our water and Silica mix, adding additional support against mold, mildew and other plant diseases.  Depending on your local weather and climate conditions these forces may be out of balance this time of year and through the use of Biodynamic preps we can take a greater responsibility in our stewardship of plants and animals incorporating the alchemical forces of Earth (Life), Water (Tone), Air (Light) and Fire (Warmth) into our daily work. 

Alchemical Ether / Element chart from Dennis Klocek’s Sacred Agriculture (2013) 

While we ceremonially stir, spray out our preps and continue through into our daily garden and flower specific responsibilites, we can mediate on the importance of Light throughout our cosmic evolotion as well as each of our own personal lives as we continue to learn more about our Selves and our relations with those around us.   

On Tuesday, August 13th the Moon moves into the Water sign of Scorpio and will remain here through tomorrow, Wednesday, August 14th.  Spend time working with leafy vegetables, harvest that which is ready and transplant starts into new beds as garden space opens up. 

We also invite you to join us on Wednesday evening at 7:30pm EST as we continue to explore and celebrate Rudolf Steiner’s original Ag lectures, given to us 100 years ago!  The Spiritual Foundations for the Renewal of Agriculture webinar will cover Lecture 6.  The Zoom link, further information and FREE access to past recordings are available at Spikenardfarm.org 

Midday on Thursday, August 15th the Moon moves from Scorpio into the Fire sign of Sagittarius and the Ascending Moon also begins at 4pm.  Complete transplanting this morning and begin to shift focus to fruiting plants as the Moon reaches its lowest point this afternoon. As the Moon moves into Sagittarius, we are invited to step back again to celebrate our accomplishments, enjoying the abundance of Love and creation that is alive in every being throughout the garden this Summer.

Our celebrations continue on Friday, August 16th with the Moon in Sagittarius as it now begins to again climb in the sky relative to the Southern horizon.  Tend to fruit trees and brambles, saying hello to the apples and other fruits that continue to hang while enjoying many others that now are both physically and Spiritually ripe.   Sense the Warmth that exists in each moment and feel the upwards pull of energy beginning to rise up within plants as the Moon ascends.  

On Saturday, August 17th we contine to work with fruiting plants while the Moon is in Sagittarius until 4pm when it then moves into the Earth sign of Capricorn.  In the afternoon today, or anytime tomorrow, stir and spray any of the Biodynamic soil sprays, acknowledging our cyclical return to the Sea-Goat, one of our most ancient memories, as we give our gratitiude to all soil Life and the Mineral Kingdoms for the Life that they give to us as Humans.   

On Sunday, August 18th we continue to cultivate the soil as needed, remembering that the Moon’s ascension will have potentially releasing or upward effects on your work, moisture and other living forces. As always in our work, ask for permission, listen, experiment, measure and take notes, making decisions each day that are responsibly grounded in your own Will power and directly connected to the evolution of the unique farm or garden you steward.  As we work this weekend and prepare for the next week ahead, the Moon now almost fully illuminates our work and we again are given opportunities to build relationships with those around us, and most importantly, the relationship with our Selves. 

Until we gather again, I sincerely wish you all an awesome August and THANK YOU for supporting our work here at the Josephine Porter Institute for Applied Biodynamics.  To follow along in more depth, The Maria Thun 2024 Biodynamic Almanac and the Stella Natura Biodynamic Calendar are both currently in stock online at JPIBiodynamics.org and are excellent guides along this cosmic journey.  

May we find Love and Light each day - Russell