Where Two or Three Are Gathered

Originally published 2025-11-02. By Lloyd Nelson, Stewart Kahn Lundy, JPI Biodynamics, Max Leyf.

exploring trines

Biodynamic Digest #15

With your friends, Lloyd Nelson and Stewart lundy

The Liturgy of the Year translated by

THIRTIETH WEEK OF THE YEAR

30. Es sprießen mir im Seelensonnenlicht
Des Denkens reife Früchte,
In Selbstbewußtseins Sicherheit
Verwandelt alles Fühlen sich.
Empfinden kann ich freudevoll
Des Herbstes Geisterwachen:
Der Winter wird in mir
Den Seelensommer wecken.

∇∆

A-SPRINGING from the sunlit soul
the ripened fruits of thinking’s light:
self-consciousness in feeling—
behold! all things in transformation!
I sally forth in full elation
through the watches of the Autumn night
for Winter’s touch shall soon awaken
a Summertime within the soul
Take the best and leave the rest!

This precautionary statement should be added as a disclaimer to all readers of our posts. What works for some does not for others, and even the calendar is relative to particular situations. In moon-dominated humid regions at low altitude and near the ocean, the effects of the outer planets are muted or even delayed, while in arid regions at higher altitudes, the outer planets and sun are quite “loud” and the moon’s effect is more scattered in the thin atmosphere.

Through trials and tribulations, we have found times to make biodynamics more effective.

We share extraordinary astronomical alignments that can be used biodynamically to help boost overall health in our gardens, farms, vineyards, and orchards and beyond.

Humanity’s relationship to the stars is more complex in an astrological sense than its relationship to plants and soil. Lucky for us, plants can be worked with in a much simpler, common, and ordinary way.

Steiner reminds us, “plants are simpler than animals or humans, healing can take place on a more general level.” He even goes so far as to say we only have to reach as far as the Moon to influence plants. Can we reach further? Of course. But need we? Not usually. This is why, for making pest peppers, we only need to go as far as the Moon to make an effective pepper, but for insects we must consider the Sun’s placement, and for mammals even consider the placement of Venus. But for ordinary operations, much of what we do continues day by day – as it does in Nature all the time already.

What is the best time to use Biodynamic preparations?

When asked about the right timing for making the pest peppers. Steiner replies, “The principles of an anthroposophical calendar, such as was planned at the time, should be carried out more fully. Then you could follow such a calendar precisely.”1

Maria Thun (1922-2012) took Steiner’s words seriously and made her life’s work researching the relationship with the moon, plants, and planets, in relation to zodiacal focus. The

“The original biodynamic sowing and planting calendar, based on decades of research by Maria Thun, has been trusted by generations of farmers and gardeners.”2

“When two planets are 120°∆ apart (viewed from the Earth) they form a trine. In most cases we find that related forces are involved. The planets do not appear to have their own characteristic influences on plant growth and weather formation, but what can be observed is an enhanced effect of the constellations behind them.”3

Maria Thun found this to be a consistent rule, but as with anything, the exception proves the rule. She decided to grow different grains on an apparently beneficial opposition on Good Friday 1984 followed by a Warmth Trine on Easter Sunday. But the results were so negative that she developed the recognition of the “blackout” period from Good Friday to Sunday – the annual remembrance of Christ buried in the tomb. Now, not everyone has replicated her results during this lenten “blackout” period and it is Stewart’s contention that as an observant anthroposophist, whether or not this is “objectively” happening on the world, any attentiveness of a biodynamic practitioner to the passion and crucifixion events on holy week will necessarily have an effect on plant growth. For an agnostic or atheist gardener, such an influence might be mostly absent (or unnoticed).

What Maria Thun’s research showed is how specific aspects of plant development can be enhanced. 501 Horn Silica (Kiesel) is applied on specific days. When horn silica is applied on a Leaf Day (LK), unsurprisingly, the leaf nature predominates. But the two in this set that are closest are EK∆W and LK. Even when horn silica is applied on an Earth Day (EK∆W, Left), the Water trine influence predominates on that application. By contrast, just to the right, lacking the ∆W effect, the root nature dominates when horn silica is applied on an Earth Day. When horn silica is applied on an Air Day, there is still vegetative growth, but thin, yellow, and even tending towards flower.

“Another characteristic angle between the positions of the planets which also play a strong part in weather formation, is the trines that arise when two or more planets stand 120°∆ apart. Its effect is always positive on the element of the zodiacal constellation which forms their background. These positions almost always fall into the same realm of forces — that is, they are subject either to a warmth impulse or a watery one, an influence of light, or an earthly one, and the day in question will show the corresponding tendency in the weather.”4

“When they come into a trine with 120°∆ between the planets (when viewed from the Earth), they form intermediate situations in which higher zodiacal forces can reveal themselves. These influences almost bear an imprint of the Trinity as was experienced in original Christianity. One is then reminded of passages in Genesis when it says, “The spirit of God hovered over the waters.”5

The One is independent and complete in itself, but as soon as there are Two, there is the relationship of the One to the Second and there we have an emergent Third. Lest we get bogged down in theological disputes, the Trinity is phenomenological. Every being we encounter has a dark invisible center, which we can never access fully, but from which manifest appearance emerges. A plant grows out of the dark inner workings of the soil, and its growth is an expression of what is contained within the earth. And then, from that dark center, through the phenomenon, something spiritual is communicated to the world that opens up the possibility of unity across differences: Love. The hidden root gives rise to the leaf, which gives rise to the nectar of the flower. And yet each of us is all three: I am the child I was, the man I am, the old man I will be. And the three taken together give you a sense of my totality, who I am.

November 3rd PLANETARY TRINE:

We can look at the planetary trines occurring in November as a possible time for interaction with the heavens to benefit life on Earth. These require further investigation, and we can identify the more spectacular planetary trines for potential times to deploy our preparations.

Not all Trines are Created Equal

According to the Celestial planting calendar, November has no fewer than 26 planetary 120 degree “trines” occuring, but only a select number where three planets form an equilateral triangle from within the same element — these are the “trines” of special interest to us in biodynamics.

How many of those trines are highlighted as especially good in the Thun Biodynamic Almanac? Only four! Only four of the 26 planetary trines are highlighted as especially good, and these are always the ones we recommend based on Maria Thun’s research. We take note of the celestial happenings and look even beyond the planetary trine toward the zodiacal alignments.

“Always note which constellation of the zodiac is prevalent when working the soil, spraying, etc., and carefully note the effects on the soil and the plants. These observations and notes allow you to take stock at the end of the season and can be useful in subsequent years.”6

Of the many opportunities for using Biodynamic preps, we’re only gonna focus on four.

These are the four main windows, while others we might consider secondary in significance.

Highlighted Trines

Something interesting to note when perusing the biodynamic planting calendar is finding the highlighted trines.

We recommend using Biodynamic preparations during this time, particularly to enhance leafy growth.

“In agriculture, the cosmic and earthly forces I have spoken to you about have to work through the substances of the Earth. Before we can start turning to various practical points, we must spend some time today exploring and more detailed the questions of how these forces work, this will require that we investigate nature’s activity in a very broad sense.”7

We can use the biodynamic preparations to support plant growth during these trines to unite the Earthly and Cosmic forces in a harmonious way.

Even planetary trines that are with more tricky planets like Neptune can become more harmonious when we look towards the mighty zodiacal beings standing behind them.

To gentle the forces of Neptune we can use the Biodynamic preparations at a harmonious time. Consider this: if the planets lose their “character” during a planetary trine, and instead express an enhanced quality of Fire, Water, Air, or Earth (depending on what kind of trine it is), then we should consider that the biodynamic preparations, each with an organ system corresponding to one of the seven planets themselves are overridden and behave according to the trine’s element and the enhancement of that particular expression. Would you want to spray your onions on a Leaf Trine, probably not! But you might for chives. What works for some will not work for the others so, we encourage you to try if you can.

Full Moon Fungus

A concern will be fungus at the full moon and how to encourage or discourage it. We know the water forces are working strongly at the full moon, with high tides and all. At Stewart’s farm, 32ft above sea level, situated 16 miles west of the Atlantic Ocean and 20 miles east of the Chesapeake Bay, and a winter water table of rising up to 8ft below the topsoil, water dynamics are abundant. Humidity often peaks at the Full Moon, with flushes of mushrooms appearing and fogs so thick that only colorless dark shapes can be seen – much like what Steiner says about Atlantis!

The image above makes it fairly clear why Podolinsky said that if Maria Thun had developed her calendar somewhere near the ocean, like in Holland, she would have noticed primarily the influences of the Moon. Stewart Lundy and Natalie McGill and Perennial Roots Farm used the calendar religiously while establishing much of the farm, though as they moved into a production CSA and markets, when you’re transplanting every single day, the calendar is considerably less relevant. But when you live, eat, and grow in one place for 15+ years, you change. Your etheric body corresponds to the rhythms that your garden experiences and you need less to flourish. These days, they don’t look at the calendar to know when to plant corn. Natalie usually has a dream of planting corn, and it is invariably time to plant corn – and if they look to the calendar, often enough it’s an especially good time to do so. As with any craft, Alan Chadwick said it is technique, technique, technique until the technique becomes invisible. Eventually things can become so conscious that our Higher Self takes the reins. But one thing they do like to do is implement Equisetum on the days leading up to the Full Moon to mitigate some of this watery excess, and to good effect.

Maria Thun shares:

“Fungal activity is also strongly affected by the time of harvesting as far as subsequent sowings are concerned. We found, for example, that if harvest had taken place on a Leaf Day, at Perigee, at a Water Trine, or on the day of a node or eclipse, corn sown the next year tended to be very susceptible to fungal attack.”8

This is a good reason to use biodynamic preparations ahead of the full moon. We can establish certain safeguards to help prevent or arrest plant disease. What prophylactic measures can we take in biodynamics?

Using preps proactively instead of reactively is a simple start. By using the Barrel Compound preparation, much is done to help mitigate future disease issues in the garden. Barrel Compound contains Oak Bark preparation in it, which Steiner indicates as a universal remedy for plant disease. Therefore, by using BC, you are already preparing the way for fewer dis-ease issues in the future,

One of the safeguards in biodynamic is using Equisetum, horsetail, which helps prevent plant disease and fungal attacks. By using Equisetum this autumn, you will have less detrimental fungus next year.

These reflections are born out of carrying on the practical indications given by Hugh Courtney and their application in the field. He founded the Josephine Porter Institute for Applied Biodynamics, Inc. “So the earth may be healed” and food be restored to real spiritual nutritional value. Real nutrition is born from plants that have available the whole symphony of the dynamic preparations, the full symphony of harmonious, planetary, and zodiac interactions right here on Earth, right here and in the soil.

Pondering the spiritual thoughts of the biodynamic preparations and the work of the planets is a powerful exercise. We can become part of the land medicine. Lucky for us, things are much simpler with humans working with plants than humans working with humans!

A Panacea

The reason that we can find a one-size-fits-all remedy for plant ailments is that they do not have the planetary bodies fully internalized (organ-ized) as organs. They are almost naked and dependent on weather and climate to keep warm, whereas mammals can eat to warm up or move themselves to a warmer spot. Animals can only do this because they have “swallowed up” the solar system. As Dr. Karl Koenig says, “These organs are not part of ourselves, insofar as we know ourselves in our day-existence and day-consciousness. What they belong to is much more general, in no way personal or individual. It is still part of the gods as if the gods had their sensory organs within us and in our body.”9 Human beings go even further than animals and have gulped down the zodiac itself, which is why we can understand so many concepts and have a kind of self-awareness completely unlike what animals have – a blessing and a curse. Egotism is the dark seed that, rightly directed, allows us to participate in the self-consciousness of Divinity.

But what this means is that the “organs” of plants are outside them almost entirely in the dynamics of water and soluble nutrients, warmth and air, sunlight, etc. And these are influenced significantly by the movements of the planetary bodies. Since all weather is the transition of high-pressure zones to low-pressure zones, a good astrosopher should be able to predict weather more accurately than any modern meteorologist! This is a science still waiting to be developed reliably, but the principles are there. “When opposition and conjunction occur close together, then areas of high and low pressure are often very close together.” 10 The planets in the sky are old remnants which still have an influence on plants because they do not have their own version of the planets fully internalized.

The chief source of plant disease is excess vitality. In a desert this might sound improbable, but if you go to a wet area, excessive “moon forces” – water, soluble nutrients, manure, stagnation – are precisely the key problems. If there is adequate water, nutrient availability, well-composted manure, and good air circulation, relatively few plant diseases occur. So what do we need to deal with excessive water, nutrients, “coarse juices” in manure? We need something astringent and even a little bit greedy to “mop up” that surplus. We find this in a plant that exemplifies this quality: Oak.

“Now, it can happen that plant diseases may appear on our farms…. in order to heal, you must understand the broad interrelationships.

That is how it is in the plant world too. And since plants are simpler than animals or humans, healing can take place on a more general level. With plants you can use a kind of universal remedy. If this weren’t the case, we would be in a difficult position, much as we often already are when we treat animals, which is something we still need to speak about…. For this purpose we collect the oak bark that can be easily obtained; we do not need a great deal. Then we chop it up until it is of crumb-like consistency. When this material is added to your (compost pile) manure pile, it will truly provide the forces to prevent or arrest harmful plant diseases.”11

Think of oak bark’s traditional use in tanning leather. The word “tannin” comes from a word that means oak. Tannins help “tan” hides that would otherwise rot due to excessive wateriness. It is exactly that astringent quality that we bring into play, but together with calcium acetate – the best plant-available form of calcium – in the form of oak that has aged in water and acidic leafy matter over winter. When you see blossom end rot on early tomatoes, that is often because of a calcium uptake problem: oak bark helps solve this issue. In early spring, there is often more water than the plants really need, and they grow too fast but have too little calcium to hold themselves together. Oak bark helps kill back excessive vitality so the plant can mature beautifully.

“Were the etheric body to work, then the plant would unfold endlessly leaf by leaf; this is brought to a conclusion by the astral body. The etheric body is muted by the astral.”12

In oak bark the astral has taken hold strongly, and while it has 77% (ash content) calcium, most barks have more than 55% calcium in their bark. Steiner himself recommends oak bark or willow (Salix spp.) interchangeably as potential remedies for asthma. What is asthma? It is when there is too much vitality in a muscle and it “vegetates” – no longer obeying one’s conscious will. As Steiner repeatedly says during his lectures, substitutes can easily be found for each of these herbs. The sole exception, of course, being nettle – but the exception is that it is not easy to find such a substitute, though there are many viable candidates in the Urtica family. Steiner tells us Nettles should be growing around our heart, and that means close to home. Home is where the Heart is. The Heart of Biodynamic agri-culture is the nine Biodynamic preparations.

Continued explorations into planetary and zodiacal realms are an evolutionary practice that requires much fine-tuning.

Earth, lunar, planetary, zodiac, alignments and timings can be used with biodynamic preparations to influence plant growth. We can open a gateway to new ways of working and interacting with the world around us. Creativity and enthusiasm lead to opportunities to further the best of the best practices we have gleaned from those who have come before us. We hope that generations will be able to use biodynamics long into the future.

Go Biodynamic!

For LIFE!