Cosmic Journal #031

Welcoming Autumn

IN stations of my being unremembered
long-lost intimations stir to second life,
faintly, at first only an ember,
then a shower of sparks:
a self-encounter in the dark—
for Summer’s dying Sun shall still abide
as inner Warmth, retained through Autumn-tide,
as Life sustained, as germinal power.

Liturgy of the Year, Week 27, translation by Max Leyf

---

Greetings everyone, 

We gather together again on the cusp of October as we continue to work to prepare our fields and gardens for cooler temperatures and the first frosts of the season that will soon arrive. Each day as we spend time in our fields, the pull of the Autumn-tides can be felt a little more as the morning dew becomes heavier as the sunlit days grow shorter and the Earth’s inbreath increasingly deepens towards Winter.  

BD500 Horn Manure Spiral of Incarnation  

Yesterday, September 29th, we celebrated Michaelmas and Humanity’s task of evolutionary survival by offering our gardens Hugo Erbe’s #9 Harmonizing Preparation, a special gift of gratitude to the Elemental Worlds who are the architects and builders that give Life to our farms and gardens in this current material world. The importance of this Human-Elemental relationship is stressed in Enzo Nastate’s work Understanding and Dealing with Pests, described in the following passage:

“If we regard a plant with thoughts of gratitude for the beings who have sacrificed themselves into it, when the plant dies these beings are released and support further life. If, looking at a plant, we only have thoughts of greed and personal profit, the associated elemental beings become hostile on their liberation. Chthonic entities then have the opportunity to approach these hostile elemental beings and channel disturbing influences through them in the construction of the etheric bodies of the plants, and this makes homes for pests and diseases.” (2006, Pages 8-9)

As we prepare our plants and soils for our own continued survival and increased Spiritual nourishment, it is clear that we would want to continue to support Life itself, taking great care in our daily actions to not create opportunities for anti-Life disturbances to occur.  Becoming in sync with a Biodynamic calendar, expanding our imaginations, committing to Life giving agricultural practices and becoming more in contact with our inner selves are all steps along this path as we practice each day to live in alignment with the world that surrounds us, repairing the damage in these relationships that has already been made by our society and decades of disconnected farming.  

If you haven’t sprayed the The Harmonizing Preparation HE#9 yet, there is still plenty of time this Fall to make this offering and we encourage you to tune into Archangel Michael and the forces he presents to us to find an ideal day to create this sacred space.  HE#9 is intended to be offered to fields that have already been given the other 9 Biodynamic preps and is also a companion spray to the Three Kings Preparation HE #8, which will be offered at Epiphany (January 6th) as a protective measure against adversarial forces.   If these additional sprays are of interest, please check out the information about the Hugo Erbe preparations at JPIBiodynamics.org.   

While we remain in reverence to the unseen worlds around us, our Festival of Michael this weekend also is a reminder of how we must manifest our own initiative for Spiritual development in a free and courageous manner.  Beautifully described in depth by Cynthia Hoven in her latest video Michaelmas: An Introductory Talk about the Great Archangel, Humans are still in their infancy of learning and it is our task today to become more receptive to the Spiritual forces that stand in front of us.  Along this path of learning and finding deeper connection to the Cosmic Intelligence that lies beyond all borders, we develop our understanding of what it truly means to be Human. With the guidance of Higher Beings, Archangel Michael brings us the strength to slay our internal manifestation of Dragon forces, both the Arhamanic and Luciferic forces that try to harden and/or dissipate this Cosmic Intelligence and our Individual Freedoms during this Epoch.  

Complimentary to this Introduction, Hazel Archer Ginsberg’s summary  presented during the recent Mysteria Mystica Americana Autumnal Equinox / Michaelmas Festival helps to deepen our understanding of Michael, Cosmic Intelligence and the esoteric ritual orders that carry this impulse forward into the future as guided by Rudolf Steiner and many others.  Hazel encourages us that “it is the good Gods who resolve to work with Humanity, of which Michael, holding the countenance of Christ is the leader and they are beckoning us forward into a future that Wills to imbue Humanity with the Wisdom of the Sophia, the Courage of Michael and the Love of Christ” (~16:00)

As our week begins on Monday, September 30th, the Moon remains in the Fire sign of Leo throughout the day, infusing each moment with Love, Courage and Wisdom.  As we look towards the stars for guidance, we can create opportunities to apply and amplify these aspects of the Divine, spending time today to connect with fruiting plants which are the physical densification of these forces themselves.  

On Tuesday, October 1st the Moon enters into the Earth sign of Virgo, one of the largest constellations in our sky, bringing us an opportunity to ground and build relations with the Gnomes who caretake and manage our soils.  The Moon will remain here until Friday, presenting us with time this week to work alongside the Life of the Soil, the Mineral Kingdom and root crops.  Along with this, the Moon will also continue to descend for the next week, making this an ideal time to transplant out seedlings and direct seed Fall crops.  

Looking closely at our Biodynamic calendars, we can see that on Wednesday, October 2nd there is a great deal of astral activity that in general will have a negative effect on plant growth. At 8am the Moon crosses through the Sun’s ecliptic, then entering into occultation with the Sun at 3pm when it reaches its New Moon position. This annual occurrence, referred to as the Annual Solar Eclipse is caused by the Moon passing in front of the Sun, casting a strong shadow of influence onto Earth. In order to avoid unnecessary implications that our own farm work may cause, it is recommended to refrain from major plant and soil work today.  

The Moon will also reach Apogee at 4pm on Wednesday, its farthest point away from Earth.  This occurrence by itself usually doesn’t have a strong negative effect on our work with plants whereas disruption during Perigee, Lunar Nodes and points of occultation have been recorded.  See Maria Thun’s Results from the Biodynamic Planting and Sowing Calendar (2003) for in depth review of this key research. 

Allowing the effects of yesterday's celestial events to settle, we return to work in our gardens on Thursday, October 3rd focusing on root crops and soil building while the Moon remains in Virgo. 

In the late afternoon or before cultivating soil on Tuesday, Thursday or Friday this week, we can offer BD 500 Horn Manure, the Pfeiffer Field Spray or Barrel Compound to our farms and gardens as we continue to promote Life throughout our gardens and farms while preparing for next year's season. This week and into October, we will continue to clean out our Summer garden beds, plant cover crops and direct seed crops that will continue to nourish us into Fall.   

Ceremonial Burial of BD 505 Oak Bark at Sustainable Settings (CO), Skulls blessed by a fresh wreath of Autumn flowers. 

Waking up to a new day on Friday, October 4th, the impulse of an additional Flower Trine enters our world, on top of the Earthly effects of Virgo which continue through the day.   This morning with Venus (in Libra) trine Saturn (in Aquarius), we gather before sunrise to offer Horn Silica BD 501, bringing Spiritual Light into our gardens while strengthening each plant’s internal structure that is vital to daily chemical exchanges.     

At 4am on Saturday, October 5th the Moon moves into the constellation of Libra and will influence our world for about 36 hours.  As you look up towards the sky, note that Libra is much smaller than Virgo, therefore calling our attention to flowering plants, the classical element of Air and the ether of Light.  

This morning, in recognition of the Great Scales and the balance it brings, we again offer Horn Silica BD 501 with the intention of creating harmony between the Astral and Etheric worlds (those where plant pests and diseases originate as noted above).  Horn Silica aids in plant photosynthesis, enhances fragrances and flavors, and increases the storage quality of our crops while balancing the more Earthly effects of Horn Manure BD 500.  

We can continue to work alongside our Flower Kingdom relatives through the morning on Sunday, October 6th soaking up the yellow light that radiates down upon us from our closest Sun.  Give yourself the Freedom to Feel into the flow of Air, the element of Calcium, and the Spiritual purity of Light as you pass through the garden, where late summer blooms hold steadfast as we deepen into October. At 4pm the Moon transitions into the Water sign of Scorpio and we close the weekend under the influence of Water and the mercurial impulses it brings. 

This weekend, the Southeast Biodynamic Conference will also be hosted by our friends at Long Hungry Creek Farm in Tennessee, October 4-6.  This 100 year anniversary celebration will feature many amazing speakers including Mark Shepard, Jeff Poppen, Luke Frey and Shabari Bird along with hands-on preparation making workshops and communal festivities in recognition of Rudolf Steiner’s Spiritual Foundations for the Renewal of Agriculture lectures given in 1924.  

As we work on Monday, October 7th, the constellation of Scorpio guides us to work with leafy plants, continuing to transplant out what we can into prepared rows, under light blankets of protection.  Today we meditate on the importance of Water in our lives connecting to the subtle tonal qualities of your farm or garden organism to which you create a unique relationship with.     

In addition to our work with leafy crops on Tuesday, October 8th we are blessed by both a Flower and Root Trine today. With the Moon in the mercurial Water sign of Scorpio, we witness and experience Venus (in Libra) trine Mars (in Gemini) at 6am along with Mercury (in Virgo) trine Jupiter (in Taurus) at 8am, bringing forth impulses of Light & Life into the morning hours.  Today serves as an excellent day for both a pre-sunrise spray of Horn Silica BD 501 followed by BD 500 Horn Manure, the Pfeiffer Field Spray or Barrel Compound as the Sun begins to warm the Earth.  As we enter back into the reproductive forces of the Moon (in Scorpio) in the late morning, we shift our intentions to our livestock, compost piles, earthworm bins and other places on our farms where we can interact with both the Earth & Heavens as stewards. 

As we enter into the early morning on Wednesday, October 9th, the Moon moves into the constellation of Sagittarius at 4am, bringing forth an increase of Spiritual Warmth and Universal Love, feelings of completion, success and goodwill.  Today, we tend to the fruits that remain hanging, absorbing as much of the pure Spiritual Light as needed to become fully ripe.  While we work in our orchards and fields, we invite the sacred element of Fire into our inner Selves, fanning the embers of Spirituality that remain waiting for discovery within each of us.  

This morning as we begin our work, the Moon also reaches its lowest position, a sign of completion within itself that marks the end of the Biodynamic Transplanting Time.  After 8am, the Moon begins to again rise along the horizon, slowly shifting against the gravitational (Sal) energies that have been active over the last two weeks.  Now for the next two weeks, during the Ascending Moon, sap, water and other fluid energies will be shifted upwards into plant limbs, flowers and fruits making this a good time to harvest and care for late season tomatoes, beans and squash still in the field. 

In the evening on Wednesday, October 9th we invite you to join us again for our Spiritual Foundations for the Renewal of Agriculture: Life Based on Love heartfelt discussion at 7:30pm EST.  This ongoing series, hosted in partnership with the Spikenard Honeybee Sanctuary, explores Rudolf Steiner’s 1924 Agriculture lectures, an impulse that has since influenced the contemporary environmental and organic-agricultural movements as well as other Spiritual, educational, medical and artistic aspects of our lives.   Please visit Spikenardfarm.org to access past recordings and for the Zoom link to this week’s presentation.  

Continue to work with fruiting plants, allowing Warmth & Love to infuse your work on Thursday, October 10th while the Moon is in Sagittarius.  

Midday on Friday, October 11th the Moon transitions into the Earth sign of Capricorn at 11am presenting us with a good opportunity to offer BD 500 Horn Manure, the Pfeiffer Field Spray or Barrel Compound out to our farms and gardens as we work with Soil Life.  Remembering that there is now an upward pull of forces caused by our closest astral neighbor, we can better tune into how cultivation (no matter what level) and other farming practices affect Soil Life.  The Great Ram, that now backs the Moon, is also the home of Aluminum - a key component of clay, the Cosmic conduit for plants and Soil Life, one of the many lessons found in the Agriculture Lectures.  

For deeper study on how living elements connect to the constellations I strongly encourage everyone to read Rudolf Hauschka’s The Nature of Substance, the amazing work of Glen Atkinson and Hugh Lovel’s Quantum Agriculture.  Writing in 2014, Hugh shares with us that “In the autumn and winter the denser ‘earthly’ forces of chemistry and life - reflected from the Sun via Mercury, Venus, and the Moon - predominate… warmth and light are drawn back into the earth… digesting and incorporating them into soil as stable clay/humus complexes… Winter is when the earth wakes up to its inner life.” (pg 69).  

Today, tomorrow, Saturday, October 12th as well as the morning of Sunday, October 13th we bring Hugh’s awareness into our consciousness, as he continues, “Horn Manure [500] acts as a catalyst for organizing the lime polarity processes at work between the sun and the earth.  These processes are related to… Mercury, Venus and the Moon,” and that Horn Manure helps with healthy humus formation, mineral retention, increased soil microbes and greater soil life, improved retention of water, and improved nutrient uptake in plants (Quantum Agriculture, pg 80).   Check in with your land and its needs today as we work under the great Goat that backs the Moon today, applying BD 500 as a preparation (and supportive guide) in the formation of clay/humus complexes and greater Life within our gardens. 

Transformed BD500 Horn Manure 

In the morning on Sunday, October 13th we continue to work with root crops, direct seeding what we can to make sure no soils remain bare this Fall and Winter.  The Moon transitions into Aquarius in the late morning at 11am, bringing a stronger influence of Cosmic Light in our lives.  Today we can tune back into the powers of Michael that dance atop each flower head, casting shimmers of Light like the blade of an iron sword across our fields.  Continue to tune into the Wisdom that lies within, taking courage each day in your work as we move forward into the season ahead, finding creative ways to reorder our daily priorities in order to follow a path of Love that exists within the “middle” of our worlds.    

As we continue to prepare for the seasonal shifts ahead into the later part of October, we take each day as an opportunity to learn how to better relate to the vast world around us.  To aid in this effort, we are happy to share that the 2025 versions of the Stella Natura Biodynamic Calendar and the Maria Thun 2025 Biodynamic Almanac are NOW IN STOCK.  

Beyond our online offerings, we also invite you to come learn more about Biodynamics during our upcoming Biodynamic Celebration and prep making workshop held in partnership with JPI and Perennial Roots Farm in Accomac, VA on October 18-20th.  Hope to see you there!  

Blessings of Wisdom, Courage & Love to you all - Russell