Applied Biodynamics — Issue 002 (Winter 1992)

The article “Christmas” by Candace Coffin frames the winter season as a turning point marked by the reversal of declining daylight. Drawing on Rudolf Steiner’s 1904 lecture The Birth of the Light, the article presents Christmas as a spiritual-historical threshold rather than a purely cultural holiday. Three epochs of human development are described: an original unity, a duality marked by division and the entrance of evil, and a third epoch initiated by the incarnation of Christ. The article emphasizes that harmony is not passively restored but must be consciously re-established through human will. Biodynamic agriculture is presented as a practical means of participating in this task by bringing earth and cosmos into renewed harmony, similar to how biodynamic preparations are used to enhance soil vitality. The farmer and gardener are explicitly addressed as active agents in this work, linking seasonal consciousness to agricultural responsibility.

The article “About Nutrition” by Betsy Cashen establishes nutrition as a core interpretive lens for biodynamics. Rather than focusing on chemical composition or caloric value, the article argues that nutrition must be understood in terms of forces acting within living organisms. Drawing from Steiner’s assertion that food supplies forces for willing, the article critiques mechanistic nutrition science for applying tools developed for non-living systems to living beings. Cashen proposes that nutritional evaluation must include the life cycle of plants and animals, seasonal rhythms, and supersensible formative forces. For those interested in the spiritual and practical aspects of biodynamic cultivation, biodynamic preparations are essential tools to support these forces. The article explicitly rejects reductionist analysis as sufficient, while also cautioning that spiritual perspectives must remain grounded through disciplined observation and scientific method. Nutrition is positioned as bridging agriculture, human physiology, and moral development.

The extended article “Biodynamic Preparations” by Hugh Courtney provides the most technically detailed content in the issue. Adapted from a 1991 ACRES USA lecture, the article directly addresses common misconceptions surrounding biodynamics. Courtney explicitly rejects the notion that biodynamics is based on folk herbalism, emphasizing instead Rudolf Steiner’s systematic spiritual-scientific method. The article outlines the Threefold Social Order as conceptual context before moving into detailed descriptions of the preparations themselves. Specific preparation methods are described for BD #500 (horn manure), BD #501 (horn silica), BD #502–507 (compost preparations), and BD #508 (horsetail tea). Quantities, burial timing, stirring durations, and application modes are specified where applicable. Courtney emphasizes that preparations are not to be understood as substances but as carriers of forces, much like how biodynamic preparations are used to enhance soil vitality. He provides comparative details such as acreage coverage and functional distinctions between soil-applied and foliar preparations. Barrel Compost (Thun recipe) is presented as a practical alternative when finished biodynamic compost is unavailable.

The article “The Gardens at JPI” by Gisela Franceschelli grounds the issue in observational practice. The article documents the specific environmental conditions of the JPI site in Woolwine, Virginia, including climate variability, soil types, topography, and local agricultural context. Franceschelli details fall garden activities with procedural clarity, including valerian seed soaks with stirring duration, improvised seed-starting methods, cold-frame construction, transplanting techniques, compost handling, spraying of BD #500, and cover crop selection. The integration of livestock into preparation making is described, including manure sourcing, controlled grazing, and the role of cattle in BD #500 and barrel compost production. For detailed insights into composting techniques, consider biodynamic compost preparations. The article emphasizes adaptive management, site-specific observation, and ongoing soil differentiation across garden beds.

Collectively, Issue 002 deepens the newsletter’s methodological seriousness. It demonstrates how seasonal consciousness, nutrition theory, preparation technique, and daily garden practice are intended to operate together as an integrated biodynamic system grounded in observation, repetition, and responsibility.

Articles

• Christmas (C. Coffin)  
• About Nutrition (B. Cashen)  
• Biodynamic Preparations (H. Courtney)
• The Gardens at JPI (G.  Franceschelli)  

Key Topics Covered

• Christmas as a seasonal threshold in biodynamics
• Human participation in restoring harmony through agriculture
• Nutrition understood as force-based rather than substance-based
• Critique of reductionist nutrition science
• Threefold Social Order as context for biodynamic agriculture
• Step-by-step descriptions of BD preparations 500–508
• Stirring times and acreage coverage for preparations
• Barrel Compost as an alternative application method
• Fall garden practices at JPI with procedural detail
• Integration of livestock into preparation making

Citation

Applied Bio-Dynamics, Issue 002, Josephine Porter Institute for Applied Bio-Dynamics, Winter 1992.