Cosmic Journal
#019 Biodynamic Calendar
ADDRESSED to the world expanse
in forgetfulness of self
like an echo from the origin
so speaketh the evolving human I:
“from my conceits, you set me free,
conceits of whom I seem to be,
till the final shackle is released,
and I discover who I am.”
From Rudolf Steiner’s The Calendar of the Soul, Week Three, translated by Max Leyf
Happy Springtime my friends,
Today we will be exploring the celestial landscape over the last two weeks of April and how to use a Biodynamic calendar to benefit our farms and gardens. Our discussion is framed for those living in the Northern Hemisphere, notes are based on the sideral zodiac (current celestial conditions) and times given are in Eastern Standard Time. Please make any adjustments and changes needed to fit your local growing conditions and I hope your season is off to a great start!
Grab a calendar to follow along and thank you for checking out our work here on the Josephine Porter Institute’s Substack page!
Looking at our calendar, we can see that the Moon recently reached its highest point in the sky along its path two days ago on Saturday. This marked the beginning of what we call the Transplanting Time, as the Moon now descends in the sky until the end of April. As Biodynamic farmers we take the next two weeks to deeply tune into these cosmic forces that rain down upon our farms and gardens, and again we are given an opportunity to work closely in celebration, reverence and devotion with the land we tend to.
Photo Credit
Now in the Transplanting period, and with Spring fully here for some of us, we will be transplanting out crops into the field, tending to springtime plant duties and working with all the elements of nature deeper everyday as the weather begins to warm and days grow longer.
Today is Monday, April 15th and the Moon is in the Air sign of Gemini, transitioning into the Water sign of Cancer at 6pm. Using a calendar as our guide to the stars, we can focus our attention in the garden to flowering plants. We might begin to harvest our early bulb flowers, collect dandelion flowers, or spray BD 507 Valerian in the late afternoon to help protect tender plants against light frosts. As we work, we can meditate on the Gift of Light alongside our Plant Kingdom relatives, reflecting on the relationship of time and space in all of our lives. We can feel the radiance of the Sun’s yellow light as it warms our faces while simultaneously, the Soil Life under our feet absorbs every moment of cosmic energy, reawakening to life more each day.
On Tuesday, April 16th the Moon is in Cancer and we shift our work towards leafy crops and the element of Water. In Springtime, a majority of our days will be very busy with nursery care, the processes of transplanting and hardening off starts, and then almost neverending field care for our little fruit and veggie starts. On Water sign days, we spend time weeding, harvesting and caring for leafy greens, and oftentimes are monitoring our irritation systems as the weather fluctuates. Take time to also watch and listen today, tuning into the small details and endless fluid movements of life that often go overlooked during our busy lives.
The Sun will also leave Gemini on Tuesday, and will enter into the Great Ram constellation of Aries on Friday, April 19th.
On Wednesday, April 17th the Moon moves into the Fire sign of Leo at 11am and we complete our work this week with leafy greens through the morning. Into the afternoon and through tomorrow, Thursday, April 18th we work with fruit trees, berry vines and summer annual crops like melons, squash, beans and peas. Fire signs remind us of the infinite Love that created, and continues to create, all that exists and we are encouraged to connect to the ether of Warmth, as well as to our own personal force of Will. We give thanks to the Mineral Kingdom for giving us their warmth in this life and we commit to giving back this gift through our own inner warmth which radiates from us through our acts of Love. Through farming, working directly in contact with the soil, we infuse our gardens with this intention making sure our future decisions are also to the benefit of creating harmony on Earth, balance within all of the Kingdoms of Life.
The Sun moves into the Fire sign Aries on Friday, April 19th while the Moon remains in Leo, increasing the warmth and abundance of Love in our lives. Please note that at 10pm tonight the Moon will reach its farthest point away from us, called Apogee, which in general has a negative effect on plant growth and transplanting success. This recommendation is based on the Biodynamic agriculture research done by Maria Thun and we refrain from work all day today and for most of tomorrow until 3pm.
On Saturday, April 20th the Moon transitions into the Earth sign of Virgo at 10am bringing us back into connection with the soil. After the effects of Apogee subside, we can see that the next couple days ahead might make for ideal days to cultivate our gardens, tend to compost piles and do other earth work projects that might be planned this season. With the Moon descending and days becoming longer, our offering of BD 500 Horn Manure, the Pfeiffer Field Spray or Barrel Compost to our farms and gardens will greatly help support soil life.
From Sunday, April 21st to Tuesday April, 23rd the Moon will remain in Virgo and beyond the 7am descending node on Monday there is ample time this week to work in our gardens, getting everything we can ready to go for the season. With BD 500 applied to the soil, usually done before in the late afternoon, we turn over the Earth and prepare garden beds, allowing Air (Light) and Warmth (Love) to also flow deep into each of our growing spaces.
At 8pm on Tuesday, April 23rd the Moon will reach full illumination as we take a step back to celebrate and reflect on all the amazing farm and garden work we’ve done so far this year.
After a few days in Virgo, the Moon moves into the Air sign of Libra on Wednesday, April 24th. To bring balance to our farms, we can offer BD 501 Horn Silica in the early morning today to support plant health and to aid in the formation of quality crops.
Much like our use of BD 507 Valerian this Spring, we might also add BD 508 Equisetum tea to any of our stirs this week to aid against mold, mildew and other plant diseases which can oftentimes be out of balance this time of year. More information on these sprays can be found at jpibiobynamics.org or add a comment to our Substack article for more clarification.
During the day on Thursday, April 25th, we continue to work with flowering plants as the Moon remains in Libra. Each flower day this Spring, when the Moon is backed by a constellation with the affinity to Air, we can collect and begin to dry our dandelion flower heads, beginning to gather what will later be needed in the Fall to make our own BD 506 prep.
On Friday, April 26th as well as on Saturday, April 27th the Moon is in the Water sign of Scorpio and we place our focus again onto leafy crops as well as the ether of tone. As you work, feel into the seasonal and subtle changes occurring throughout the garden, sensing the fluidity and abundance of Life that exists all around.
At 3am on Sunday, April 28th the Moon moves into the Fire sign of Leo where it will remain in until Tuesday, April 30th. At 10am on Sunday, the Moon reaches its lowest point in its cycle, marking the end of Transplanting Time. For the next two weeks as the Moon ascends, we will most likely need to continue to transplant and we will try our best in each moment to communicate our intentions with the plants and soil life as we continue to plant out and prepare our gardens for the season ahead.
Biodynamic calendars can aid us in this effort providing us with a simple, straightforward framework to bring our decision making into more alignment with the celestial world. The Stella Natura Biodynamic Calendar and Maria Thun 2024 Biodynamic Almanac are both currently in stock at JPIBiodynamics.org
May your days be filled with Joy - Russell
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