The Morning After Summer Solstice 2023

Silica Offering

Summer Solstice 2023 - BD501 Offering

Waking up with Solstice intentions fresh on my mind from last night’s spray, this morning I offer a special Biodynamic prep called BD501 to the gardens.  Made from ground Quartz crystal which has been prepared and buried underground in a female cow horn for a season, I offer BD501 to help strengthen and stimulate photosynthesis, regulate leaf growth and to promote increased flavors in the harvests that will soon nourish our bodies.  With the Sun still tucked under the Eastern horizon, I gather my simple supplies for this morning’s ritual, a stainless steel pot filled with well water, my vial of BD501, a blanket, a crock and my sprayer. 

Image: a vial of quartz silica flour that has been buried for a full summer in the ground, inside a cow horn. This helps plants photosynthesize (increasing Brix levels in fruits and improving carbon sequestration in cover crops)

Outside, I heat up the water on a propane burner so that it is about as warm as the water was yesterday after sitting outside in the Sun for hours.  I stir the water as I wait, continuing to set intentions for today as I listen to the morning dialogue between the birds and watch as the morning fog begins to lift away from the Earth leaving behind dew clinging to the leaves of every plant.  When the water is warm, I pour it into the crock that sits ready for me on the blanket set up overlooking the gardens.  I kneel down, preparing myself for the hour stir ahead of me.

Much like yesterday’s offerings, I enter this small temple space with respect for the elements of Earth, Air, Water and Fire - the building blocks of not only our daily lives but of all of Universal existence.  In my hand I hold a small glass vial filled with activated, white crushed Quartz and when ready I pour some into my hand and begin to introduce it into my crock of water.  Quartz is a form of Silica and in my work this mineral represents strength, purification, rebalancing, and the channeling of Universal Love. To me, yesterday’s BD500 was intended to support plant growth, soil activity and overall garden balance whereas today I offer BD501 to balance out these cool Yin energies with the warmer Yang forces of maturity, plant strength and ultimate fruition.  

As I stir, I take the same approach as last night, circling my cupped hand through the water to create an active vortex within the crock, changing directions when called to do so.  I also recommend dowsing for insight on how much of the BD501 to use and for how long to stir (in general an hour is recommended to allow ourselves to enter into a meditative state).  Knelt over the water, I envision astral travel as I did during last night’s stir, asking for my garden to receive all the necessary support it needs this season.  I pray for abundance in my life, for unrestricted flow and for the warmth of love to be infused into every cell of everything.  For me living in northern Minnesota, I pray for good airflow to help with mildew and slugs, warm sunny days to help the fruits mature and strength within the plant structures so that they may have support as they grow. 

Image: water warming in the embrace of the sun

As my prayer continues, I feel the warmth of the Sun across my face as beams of light begin to shine through the aspens along the Eastern forest edge. The thin fog layer that blanketed the Earth continues to disappear as daylight appears and the daily exhale slowly continues.  As the Sun rises, I give thanks for this beautiful day and give my acknowledgement to all of my ancestors who walked (and farmed) before us, witnessing each new day as a gift.  Through my meditation, I connect to what has once existed, that which is my current reality (the plants, animals, people, and more that I interact and am dependent on) and to my deepest inner Self. 

I allow the reflection of my own process to pass through my mind and body while I stir, grounding my  intention into not becoming attached to any one specific thought that may arise during my practice.  I allow myself to let go, guided by the vortex that my hand and arm continues to create.  I stare deep into the space above and just like the spinning water below me in the crock, there is a sense of endlessness, vastness and mystery in everything.  

My stir begins to conclude as the Sun now hovers along the tops of the trees. I slowly let the vortex settle, again seeing both myself and the astral world above in the mirrored surface that I gaze down into. I carefully move the water into my sprayer and load it onto my back.  As I walk through the garden, I continue to infuse my intentions and love into every bead of water that is sprayed into the air.  The Sun highlights the sparkles of the water and glimmers of gold rain down onto the plants as I continue to walk.  Nearing the end of my offering, I return to the blanket to soak up the sunshine that now is fully touching every bit of my skin and the soil beneath me.  I wash my tools, gathering up my simple supplies and I feel the sense of cosmic balance that has been invited into the garden today.  Like everything in life, Yin & Yang is present in the soil life, within each plant spirit, in the air we breathe and embodied within every cell of myself.  I am thankful today to be able to give this prayer and to continue to develop an intimate relationship with the world around me.  Blessings & love to all. Happy Summer Solstice 2023.