Recommendations for Working with

Crops, Sequential Spraying, and Ashing

July through December 2010
 in the Biodynamic Farm or Garden
(Recommendations for U.S.A. - Eastern Daylight Time
 until November 7 then Standard Time)
By Hugh J. Courtney


    The times indicated are those thought to be the first choice periods for working the soil, applying the biodynamic preparations, sowing seed, or working with plants in general. Since not everyone will have an opportunity to take advantage of these periods, or will need to be working in the garden at other times, for daily indications please refer to Stella Natura 2010 or to The North American Biodynamic Sowing and Planting Calendar 2010. The sequential spray technique is described in Applied Biodynamics, Issues #6 and #25 (available from JPI for $7.50 each). For greater details on the ashing technique, consult Gardening for Life by Maria Thun (available from JPI at $30.00 plus P & H) or Issues #27 & #28 of Applied Biodynamics (available from JPI at $7.50 per issue). We now have calendars for 2011, including Stella Natura 2011 at $14.95, and The North American Biodynamic Sowing and Planting Calendar 2011 by Maria & Matthias Thun at $13.95. Another calendar option is 2011 Northern Hemisphere Astro Calendar by Keats & Mager at $12.95. All calendar/book orders should include $7.00 postage and handling (per order, not per title).

Eclipse/occultation events for the period:

Best ROOT Periods: “ FRUIT “ : “ LEAF “ : “FLOWER “ :

Other helpful planetary support for the grower:

    Moon/Saturn oppositions occur on July 3 at 7:17 AM; on July 30 at 6:16 PM; on August 27 at 6:09 AM; on September 23 at 6:31 PM; on October 21 @ 7:46; on November17 at 8:30 PM; and on December 15 at 9:44 AM during periods when the Moon is in the constellation of Pisces/Fishes and Saturn is in the constellation Virgo/Virgin. Biodynamic practitioners in New Zealand regard the Moon Saturn opposition as one of the most favorable aspects for seed germination and application of the biodynamic sprays. (Aspects can be regarded as having an effect at least 12 hours prior to the event until at least 6 hours after. The closer to the actual time of a Moon/Saturn opposition the more effective is one’s action likely to be)

     Since the Moon/Saturn oppositions occur during Ascending Moon periods, the Northern Hemisphere grower may be well advised to take greater notice of Moon/Jupiter oppositions which are now taking place during Descending Moon periods, which are specified as Northern Transplanting Time by Maria Thun as her 50 years of plant research has established. Accordingly, the Moon/Jupiter oppositions are listed as follows: on July 16 at 3:58 PM; on August 12 at 11:06 PM: on September 9 at 4:59 AM; on October 6 at 10:12 AM; on November 2 at 3:24 PM; on November 29 at 8:41 PM; and on December 27 @ 5:49 AM.

Best SEQUENTIAL SPRAY Periods:

    If moisture lacking – In addition to the periods listed above under Leaf, the following may also be suitable:

    Please Note: Other times may require an “abbreviated sequence.” An abbreviated sequence involves a spray combining BC plus BD #500, stirred together for one hour, and applied near sunset on day one. On day two, BD #501 and #508 are stirred together for one hour and sprayed near sunrise. All sprays must be applied during a time when the moon is in a Leaf/Water constellation in order to achieve an influence on moisture conditions. {Instead of BD #500 and #501, #(X)500 and #501(5x) may be used in the appropriate combination with BC and BD #508 respectively with a resultant stirring time for each combination spray of only 20 minutes.}

    If moisture excessive – In addition to the periods listed above under Fruit, the following may also be suitable:

     Although the same preparations are used in cases where there is either too much or too little moisture, BD #501 and BD #508 occupy a different place in the sequence according to whether one is trying to stimulate moisture or attempting to achieve a drying effect. In the case of lack of moisture, BD #501 is second in the sequence and one finishes with BD #508 giving a final impulse with the preparation in the sequence that appears to relate most strongly to the watery forces. For maximum encouragement for moisture, all sprays should be applied when the Moon is in a Water(Leaf) constellation. When moisture is excessive, BD #508 takes the second place in the sequence and the last spray is BD #501, thus using a preparation that relates very strongly to a drying impulse as the final signal in the sequence. For maximum drying effect, all sprays need to be applied during the period when the Moon is in a Fire(Fruit) constellation.

    This technique should not be approached from the viewpoint of “manipulating” the weather, but rather as a means to restore conditions of harmony and balance when drought or deluge conditions would clearly suggest that there is a decided lack of harmony or balance within the earth in a given location.

For ASHING—

OF INSECT PESTS:

Moths

Cabbage butterflies, flies, white fly, mosquitoes, etc.

Colorado potato beetle, cabbage root fly, varroa mites, chitinous insects (i.e., grasshoppers, etc.)

Cutworms and mole crickets

Shield bugs, slugs and snails

Aphids

Weevils

Mites, non-chitinous insects     

    If you are experiencing serious pest problems when conditions are not the most favorable for ashing, it is suggested that you continue to collect the desired 50-60 (more when possible) specimens and preserve them in alcohol (i.e., vodka) until a favorable time occurs. In any case, the grower should harvest a maximum of troublesome pests whenever the chance exists so as to be prepared at a future time to complete the ashing. As a last resort, ashing of insect pests can be attempted under certain other aspects than a “most favorable” one, but anyone attempting to do so should be advised that a wrong choice in this regard can actually stimulate an increase in the pest concerned rather than the desired decrease or elimination.

    OF ANIMAL PESTS – with respect to vertebrate animals, Steiner specified that the skin of the animal must be burned when the planet Venus is “in the Scorpion.” The resultant pepper is then scattered over the area to be protected from the particular animal. In the case of deer, mice, voles, gophers, groundhogs (woodchucks), coyotes and the like, one should use as much of the skin/hide as possible, but probably should omit from the ashing process the feet or other parts containing flesh or bone. For crows, pigeons, or other bird pests, skin as well as feathers are probably desired, again omitting flesh and bone from the ashing process. Given the fact that there are times when Venus is in Scorpio/Scorpion when some animals would be in hibernation and thus not as readily “harvestable,” one can probably gather the skin of the “pest” at other times during the year rather than only when “Venus is in the Scorpion.” The next period for a transit of Venus through Scorpio/Scorpion will not take place until early 2011. (Check the JPI website at <www.jpibiodynamics.org> for the ashing dates for animal pests., which we will post as soon as confirmed.) There is a great deal of research to be carried out on the question of “pest peppers.” We would like to encourage as many people as possible to conduct ashing experiments and especially encourage them to share their results – good, bad, or indifferent – with us, so that we may further share it through the JPI Newsletter Applied Biodynamics.

    OF WEED SEEDS – This is a complicated issue, since it appears each particular weed has a relationship to a particular constellation, and can best be countered or ashed when the Moon is in that constellation. Maria Thun in her research has repeatedly observed that germination of all weeds is greatest when the Moon is in the constellation Leo/Lion and the least germination takes place when the Moon is in Capricorn/Goat. Therefore in soil preparation, one would be well served to cultivate when the Moon is in Leo/Lion, to stimulate the greatest weed germination, and follow with a final seed bed cultivation when the Moon is in Capricorn/Goat. If able to consistently follow this pattern, weed problems would be greatly diminished.

     Until one can identify the particular constellation associated with the weed to be controlled, the following approach is suggested. Gather seeds of the weed in question, and ash them at the beginning of the Moon’s passage through a FIRE constellation (with Leo/Lion being first choice), preferably just before a New Moon or just before a Full Moon. The most propitious time for ashing of weed seeds (as well as application of the resultant ash) is likely when both Sun and Moon are in Leo/Lion, which in 2010 occurs Tuesday, August 10 at 2 AM through Thursday August 12 at 10 AM, and again Monday, September 6 at 1 PM through Wednesday, September 8 at 9 PM. (Moon at Perigee during both of these times may bring unhelpful energies to the process, so one may wish to avoid twelve hours before and after the time of perigee.) Thereafter, scatter the ashes (preferably after they have at least been “dynamized” – that is ground in mortar with pestle for one hour) over the area in which you wish to reduce or eliminate the weed in question. Ideally, the ash should be applied in the form of a D-8 potency (see Issue # 28 of Applied Biodynamics for details on the potentizing process).

    Application of the products of the ashing process, whether seed or pest, should probably be done just before New or Full Moon as well. For most effective results the application should be done four consecutive times in a row, and for even greater effectiveness, this four consecutive times application could be repeated within two to four weeks. One is well advised to keep careful records of one’s experiments including both ashing and applications.