From the Journal Entries archive
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Slugs and Snails And Pokeberry Jails
From the spring 1996 Applied Biodynamics archive, Hugh Courtney revisits early grower experiences with pokeberry juice and a pine-seed preparation for slug and snail damage. The article combines practical reports, historical references, and close observation of pokeweed’s distinctive form and qualities.
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From Hand to Heart to Head
Biodynamic learning begins in the hands and gradually deepens through feeling into understanding. Stewart Lundy reflects on preparation making, mentorship, and regular practice as an education of the farmer’s inner life, showing how practical work can become a source of insight and generosity.
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Beyond Biodynamics: Renewing the Doctrine of Signatures
The qualities of thriving wild plants can become a guide to caring for the garden. Stewart Lundy renews the doctrine of signatures through close observation of how plants grow, meeting local challenges with a biodynamic imagination attentive to roots, leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds.
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Cosmic Journal
Transplanting, nursery care, and the gathering of dandelion blossoms fill this late-April 2024 Cosmic Journal. Lunar rhythms guide a practical sequence of crop care and preparation offerings, while the journal invites growers to notice light, warmth, water, and the changing life of their own gardens....
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Offerings for the Spring Table
First published in Applied Biodynamics in spring 1995, Betsy Cashen’s seasonal essay brings nettle and dandelion from the preparation garden to the table. It pairs biodynamic plant portraits with ideas for cooked greens, soups, sauces, teas, and the pleasure of noticing spring’s edible abundance.
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The Reality of the Zodiac
What can grazing animals and their manure reveal about a farm’s inner relationships? Stewart Lundy begins with observations of sheep, cows, and wild roses, then explores planetary qualities, plant affinities, and the transformation of distinct manures into balanced, mature compost.
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Cosmic Journal
April’s growing momentum asks for both purposeful work and patience with the land. This 2024 Cosmic Journal follows sowing, cultivation, preparation sprays, and the April solar eclipse, encouraging growers to combine calendar awareness with observation of their own soil, weather, and plants.
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Invite your friends to read Josephine Porter Institute - Applied Biodynamics
This March 2024 invitation encouraged readers to share Applied Biodynamics with friends and help widen the circle of biodynamic learning. The post explained the publication’s Substack referral program and thanked the community whose enthusiasm and support made its continuing work possible.
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Holy Week
The anointing imagery of Holy Week opens a meditation on valerian, gypsum, and the renewal of spring growth. Stewart Lundy brings Christian symbolism into conversation with biodynamic preparation work, exploring aromatic offerings to the soil and the relationship between earthly substance and upward striving.
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Happy Equinox!
An equinox stir becomes a way to contemplate the breathing of the year. Stewart Lundy shares his farm’s use of barrel compound in seed mixes, cultivation, and transplanting, then explores valerian’s place in helping plants begin life with a strong connection between earth and light....
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Cosmic Journal
The spring equinox and Easter frame this March 2024 Cosmic Journal’s reflections on balance, renewal, and land care. Its calendar connects orchard work, root crops, soil cultivation, and preparation offerings with attention to the farm’s changing needs and the inner meaning of the season.
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Equisetum and Fungus: Good and Bad
Horsetail invites a richer picture of fungal balance in biodynamic soil care. Stewart Lundy connects Equisetum with mineral and plant development, exploring how active fungal life in the soil can support healthy plants and help transform the accumulated richness of organic matter.
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