Cosmic Journal #035
Thanks Giving and the beginning of Advent
CAN I that presence recognize
that in knowing is also known,
couched within the striving soul
and her creative drive?
enthused, I feel, made stronger, more alive
by a power in me more than mine:
the All-in-All works through my hands.
Liturgy of the Seasons, Week 35, translation by Max Leyf
Please remember to buy your 2025 biodynamic planting calendars. While you’re at it, have you used Hugo Erbe’s Three Kings Preparation (3K) on your property as a gift to the elemental world. Order soon to get it in time. Inventory is limited, so act now!
Greetings friends,
We gather together at a transitional point within the Season of Threshold, continuing to experience the Death forces of Autumn in the fields, farms and gardens around us here in the Northern Hemisphere. Outside, we can feel, hear and sense the Earth as it deepens its inbreath settling us into Winter. We have witnessed deciduous trees release their leaves, annual plants have cast their seeds out to the world in faith of Spring rebirth and the Elemental Beings of our world have descended back into the ground below us to complete their own inner work.
Internally, and individually over the last 2 months since Michaelmas, we have fostered a living connection to Love and Light within our hearts, minds and Souls, learning to find center in each action we willfully take. Through the Courage of Archangel Michael, we face Ahriman, the totality of materialism and fear that fills our lives each day, as we prepare ourselves too for our own Winter rebirth.
As we end the month of November and enter into December, Archangel Michael will continue to support us in this process of Spiritual preparation as we then begin the Season of Advent on Sunday, December 1.
Following the weeks of Advent, we will celebrate the Winter Solstice, the birth of Jesus (Christmas), the Holy Nights and Epiphany on January 6th - the important moment when the Divine Spirit first entered into the Earth sphere, during the baptism in the Jordan, when the Christ Forces descended to Jesus.1
While we will get into this all in more depth in December, the words of Rudolf Steiner may serve as a guide as we prepare for the Season ahead. In his 1923 lecture, The Cycle of the Year as Breathing-Process of the Earth, he shares:
“At Christmastime the earth has absorbed its soul forces into itself. It has, in the great annual breathing process, absorbed its soul organism into itself. The Christ impulse is then born in the earth’s inbreathed soul forces, in the interior of the earth. Before [this]… the earth must be cleansed from the dragon… cleansed from ahrimanic forces, by spiritual forces.”
Steiner continues to note that the power of Michael “must unite with this instreaming breath [of the earth] in preparation for the Christmas festival… so that the birth of the Christ impulse can be accomplished.”
As we explore these teachings from Rudolf Steiner, we are encouraged to feel into the inner thoughts and emotions that surface because of these words. With this, we are invited by the Spirit to begin to participate in our own process of spiritual enlivenment, taking the weeks ahead of us as an opportunity to cleanse our own Soul in order to evolve. Through self reflection and inner meditation, aligned with the inbreathing of the Earth, we can find the Freedom to give birth to unconditional Love, the inner force of Christ that lives within each of our individual Souls which is most alive during the Winter Season.
Turning to this week, as we celebrate Thanksgiving with our friends and families, we bring St. Martin back into our collective memory, connecting deeply with the Human compassion that we feel through his simple actions of giving. As we carry this Warmth within our own hearts this week, we too can share our Love with those around us as relationships are deepened both inside our homes and outside in the gardens. With these actions, we put our inner work into practice, continuing to find center within ourselves as we connect Soul to Soul with those around us this week in the marketplace, at work and at home, finding harmony amongst the noise that fills our Western society.
As we enter into the weeks of Advent, we will continue to find this place of center, sending immense gratitude out to the world from our Hearts and hands. Our Biodynamic offerings will be very intentional this Season, focusing our prayers to the Mineral, Plant and Animal Kingdoms which have all contributed to our own Human evolution, which itself is the focus of the fourth Sunday of December.
Waldorf-inspired verses from our Biodynamic farming friend Suzanna Ballah (@ Ursa Farmstead) are included for additional personal meditation and more will be included in our December 9th Journal.
Turning our attention to the Biodynamic calendar and to the guidance we find in the movements of the Moon, planets and stars, it seems very appropriate that we begin the week on Monday, November 25th with the Moon backed by the Earth constellation of Virgo. The grounded, feminine energy of the Virgin can be felt this week, as we too might spend time connecting to Mary, the mother of Jesus - as well as the thoughts and feelings attached to her that may need illumination. As we work today with root crops, we transplant, and harvest as needed, knowing that we too have the support of Mary in our lives as we do our Spiritual work this Winter.
In Living a Spiritual Year by Adrian Anderson, he describes, “Steiner taught that the mission of the earth is the development of love in humanity - that is, the development of the ego and therewith the potential to rise above egotism to selfless love.”2 This selfless Love radiates from Mother Mary, as well as Mary of Magdalene, through the life process of Jesus as he evolves through birth, death and resurrection. Today and through the week while the Moon is in Virgo, we not only absorb this Love but are reminded that it requires our active participation in order to rise above fear and desire, choosing to take daily action grounded in compassion, the honesty of our word and our clear intention.
The effect of the Earth’s inbreath, supported by the forces of Mary, is further felt this week as the Moon continues to descend along the horizon, bringing Life energies downwards into the Earth for the next week.
At 5pm EST on Monday, the Moon crosses the Sun’s ecliptic. You may choose to refrain from afternoon work allowing these effects to subside, taking this as a moment to slow down, finding moments of silence to read, write and do your own important inner work..
All day on Tuesday, November 26th, Wednesday, November 27th and through most of Thursday, November 28th the Moon will pass in front of the large constellation of Virgo. In the afternoon or anytime while working with the soil outside in the gardens or in greenhouses, offer BD 500 Horn Manure, the Pfeiffer Field Spray or Barrel Compound. As we stir these preparations, we invite the Wisdom of Mary, Compassion of St. Martin and the selfless Love of Christ into the present moment as we immerse ourselves into the living world we are part of. Then as we spray, we give this Biodynamic gift out freely to the elemental, Mineral and Plant Kingdoms without expectations placing trust in the Beings that create the Life of our farms.
As the week continues, the Moon transitions into the Air sign of Libra on Thursday, November 27th at 3pm, bringing forth increased Spiritual Light into our lives and gardens. For most of us in the Northern Hemisphere, there are very few flowers outside in bloom so we are invited to bring our own gifts of Light inside as we gather together with our families for Thanks-giving. Today, we give gratitude for being alive in this moment, for our access to nutritious food and clean water, and for being able to have the opportunity to experience, learn and evolve here on Earth.
Today, “Thanksgiving”, we as Biodynamic farmers in North America also give immense gratitude to the lands we currently steward, recognizing all who have cared for these magical places before us. We acknowledge the atrocities that have and continue to occur that forcibly disconnected traditional peoples from their lands and their connection to Spirit. We acknowledge the privileges of our Western societies, as well as the packaged comfort that has resulted from colonialism, capitalism, white supremacy and patriarchy, which all continue in today’s modern world.
These systems of oppression have evolved rapidly over the last 500 years, and even more so in the last century since Rudolf Steiner's initial warning of the forces of Ahriman, Lucifer and the Asuras. Now, beyond all borders and fearful disconnections that keep us apart, we gather today from all across the world, in extreme gratitude for each breath we are blessed with, each moment we spend with our hands in the soil and each relationship we have the opportunity to create a new future through.
In the early morning on Friday, November 29th the Moon remains in Libra and we gather together to offer Horn Silica BD 501. We do this to help harmonize the dark energies of materialism that will certainly be alive today as our Western Culture rushes to the check out line during ‘Black Friday’. Looking at the great scales for guidance today, we can feel a sense of tightness in the astral worlds as we teeter between fear and desire in our own lives, seeing a clear contrast in the physical world today as we replace compassion and Love with commercialism/consumerism, complacency and competitiveness.
Doing our best to keep center within, we invite the purity of the Sun into our gardens, relationships and our inner Souls as we sprinkle the powdered Horn Silica into our crock, beginning to incorporate our own Love and Light into the water as we stir. You might also consider adding Frankincense and Myrrh, either in resin form or drops of distilled oil, alongside the GOLD Potentized Horn Silica BD 501G in order to strengthen the astral-harmonizing and purifying abilities of today’s ceremony which are needed to lighten the densification of our minds, bodies and Souls.
As we spray the Horn Silica out to our plants and cover crops, we connect again to Archangel Michael as we take steps through the labyrinth of life, finding a moment of peace in our garden where we are one with all that lies within ourselves. As we walk, we feel the eastern horizon begin to glow, surrendering ourselves to the cosmic energies of justice, honesty and mental soundness brought forth by the Great Scales that shine on us today.
Carrying our Light into Saturday, November 30th the Moon enters the constellation of the Scorpion at 3am. This mercurial sign brings forth the element of Water and the ether of Tone, serving as a reminder of our earlier evolutionary existence when the Moon separated from Earth, creating an opportunity in our history for Human sexuality to develop (for deeper information on Human Evolution check out Rudolf Steiner’s September 1908 lectures on the Egyptian Myths and Mysteries as well as the many other anthroposophical resources available online).
Throughout the day on Saturday, work with the leafy plants in your greenhouses and those living under row cover, cleaning up garden areas so water and air can freely flow. Harvest, transplant, direct seed and work with the soil as needed today as well as Sunday, December 1st while the Moon is in Scorpio.
Entering into Sunday, we celebrate the First Sunday of Advent and are blessed with these words of Waldorf wisdom:
The first light of advent is the light of the stones.
The light that shines in crystals, in seashells and in bones.
As we let these simple words set in, we are invited to feel into the cosmic flow that occurs between the most distant Stars and the deepest Mineral world below us. Today, we give never ending gratitude to the Mineral Kingdom, for providing us with the foundation for our life here on Earth, remembering that our own physical Human bodies contain this same densified Cosmic Light.
This morning we might again choose to offer Horn Silica BD 501G or Hugo Erbe’s HE#9 Harmonizing Preparation as a clear intentional offering to the Mineral Kingdom. These gifts help to restore and harmonize the severed relationships that have occurred throughout history between the Mineral and Human Kingdoms, serving as our re-commitment to these Beings as we move forward in this moment. Today in this work, we are further blessed by a New Moon occurring at 1am, along with the Sun also in Scorpio, further potentizing the potential of our actions as we enter into the final month of the year.
Depending on your own unique circumstances, you may choose to refrain from garden work today as well as next Sunday to invite in the opportunity to receive the fullest powers of Advent.
On Monday, December 2nd we continue our work with leafy plants through the early afternoon, tending to the cozy greenhouses and other growing areas that keep our plants warm and protected. At 2pm, the Moon transitions into the Fire sign of Sagittarius, carrying our intentions and commitments outwards into space and then at 5pm, the Moon reaches its lowest point in the sky marking the end of Biodynamic Transplanting Time. Now, for the next two weeks until December 15th, the Moon will ascend along the southern horizon, further bringing our prayers and intentions up into the Higher Worlds.
On Tuesday, December 3rd as well as Wednesday, December 4th the Moon moves through the Fire sign of the Archer, the great Centaur which connects us even deeper to our original Love and Light that has been lost through our densification. Today, we are encouraged to play, enjoying the seasonal citrus fruits that begin to arrive as gifts from the southern orchards, taking in the Spiritual nourishment needed as we continue towards Winter.
Returning back to Earth along our Cosmic cycle, the Moon enters into the constellation of Capricorn on Thursday, December 5th and will pass through the Goat on Friday, December 6th. Recognizing that the Earth and soil forces are most alive now and into the New Year, we again offer BD 500 Horn Manure, the Pfeiffer Field Spray or Barrel Compound out to our farms in order to bring an impulse of organization to this inner work.
Examining the preparations with our senses, we can see and feel how colloidal the substance is as we press the now-transformed cow manure between our fingers, dissolving it into the water as we stir. Within each of these preps, we find a balance of unity and complex diversity, each containing the Cosmic patterns needed to help organize the forces of our farms. This is needed now more than ever as we see increasing numbers of depleted, over-tilled, clear cut and Spiritually void lands here in North America.
On Saturday, December 7th the Moon moves into the Air sign of Aquarius and we continue to ground ourselves in the teachings of Biodynamics, aiming to live a life of compassionate giving in all relations. Before sunrise, we gather to offer Horn Silica BD 501 once again, calling upon Michael and the powers of Christ within us. As we ceremonially kneel and stir our preparation, we reach out in our imaginations to the edge of our Universe, feeling the Light stream down in and through your body as you stir, becoming a living bridge between the Earth and the Spirit worlds.
Then as we spray, I meditate on my conversation with Suzanna at Ursa Farmstead about the four-foldness of Advent, Spiral labyrinths and the Waldorf verses she shares with us this Season. She reminds us that the experience of this living process is what is most important in our Spiritual development and that each day is an opportunity to explore the labyrinth that lies within. Whether we choose to experience this development at a candlelit Waldorf celebration, during the 4 weeks of Advent or in the larger cycle of the 4 Seasons, we once again are given chances to find reconnection with the Spirit within.
Entering into the morning on Sunday, December 7th we celebrate the Second Sunday of Advent, choosing to offer Horn Silica BD 501G or Hugo Erbe’s HE#9 Harmonizing Preparation out to your farm or gardens.
As we kneel before the rising Sun, these words fill our Soul:
The second light of advent is the light of the plants,
The light of plants reaching up to the sun and in the breezes dance.
Today in our work, we give reverence to the Plant Kingdom who share with us the ether of Tone, providing us the Living Life force that gives us the ability to move. We too reach up, like our plant relatives, towards the Sun and Stars, as we dance in rhythm with the Cosmos as the Moon graces us backed by the Great Waterbearer.
Transitioning into the evening on Sunday, the Moon moves into Pisces, and we close out our Journal reflection with a reminder of what lies ahead.
Shared originally on November 22, 1907, Rudolf Steiner describes:
“The Christ being has, since the resurrection, united his ‘soul’ with that of the earth; his astral body is in continuous union with that of the earth; he has become the planetary spirit of the earth; the earth is his body; he leads earth evolution” GA 100
Through these words, we can continue to develop even a deeper relationship to the world, as we now as Humans are given the capacity to rise above our own personal egos, evolving into an existence of Love where Christ is in union with everything Earthly. Through our inner meditations and self reflections, we work to align our Soul with the planetary Spirit of Earth, that which itself is ensouled by the forces of Christ. Each day as we live our lives as farmers, gardeners and land stewards, we carry this Love, sharing it with others in every moment possible.
In our next Journal, we will continue to explore the process of inner development, exploring the importance of keeping Christ alive within us through living thoughts.
Thank you all for your continued support, involvement and interest in our Biodynamic work at JPI as we continue to apply and expand on Rudolf Steiner’s practical and Spiritual life teachings.
If needed, the Stella Natura Biodynamic Calendar and the Maria Thun 2025 Biodynamic Almanac are currently IN STOCK at JPIBiodynamics.org and serve as important guides in our work as we dance in rhythm with the land, Moon, planets and stars.
I feel very blessed to share my interpretations of this work with you all here on Substack and in our newsletter, recognizing the extreme importance of these messages as well as the rich lineages we carry forward in our writings.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
May Life continue to live in the Minerals and flow in the Plants.
May Life continue to shine in the Animals and radiate in Love from the inner depths of our Human hearts.
As we live together on Earth, each day ever evolving in the Light
- Russell
Anderson, pg 252
Anderson, pg 224
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So rich and nourishing! Thank you again!