Applied Biodynamics — Issue 027 (Fall 1999)
Comhroinn
Applied Biodynamics Issue 027 is explicitly framed as a response to external threat and internal discipline. The issue combines an editorial and financial analysis of pressure facing biodynamic institutions with a technically specific article on ashing (BD “peppering”), positioning methodical practice as the appropriate response to challenge.
The lead editorial, “Biodynamics Under Attack? Entering the Deep Part of the Fiscal Ocean,” addresses mounting financial strain, regulatory scrutiny, and cultural skepticism confronting biodynamic organizations at the end of the 1990s. The article does not present biodynamics as embattled mysticism but as a resource-intensive practice vulnerable to misunderstanding, legal pressure, and funding instability. The editorial frames fiscal transparency, institutional resilience, and practitioner competence as necessities rather than ideals, warning that imprecision—financial or methodological—creates vulnerability.
The technical core of the issue is Hugh Courtney’s article, “Ashing or BD ‘Peppering’ – A Function of Lunar Forces.” This article provides a procedural explanation of ashing as a biodynamic corrective method rather than a symbolic rite. Courtney distinguishes BD peppering from pest control in the conventional sense, describing it instead as a boundary-setting practice aimed at reducing the recurrence or dominance of specific organisms.
The article specifies materials (dried, combusted pest or weed material reduced to ash), handling (complete incineration, fine grinding), and timing relative to lunar conditions, particularly descending moon phases. Courtney emphasizes that ashing is not a first-line intervention but a last-resort measure used only when other agronomic and biodynamic methods have failed. The article explicitly warns against indiscriminate or habitual use, noting that misuse reflects misunderstanding rather than rigor.
Courtney further explains that the effectiveness of ashing is evaluated not by immediate extermination but by observed changes in recurrence patterns across seasons. The article insists that without careful observation, repetition under comparable conditions, and restraint in application, the practice devolves into superstition—an outcome the author explicitly rejects.
Together, the editorial and technical article argue that biodynamics withstands attack not through rhetoric or belief, but through disciplined practice, fiscal accountability, and methodological clarity.
Articles
- Fall 1999, Issue No. 27 Biodynamics Under Attack? Entering the Deep Part of the Fiscal Ocean
- Ashing or BD “Peppering” – A Function of Lunar Forces (H. Courtney)
Key Topics Covered
- Financial and regulatory pressure on biodynamic institutions
- Risk of imprecision under external scrutiny
- BD “peppering” (ashing) as a corrective, not routine, practice
- Materials and preparation of ash from pest or weed organisms
- Lunar timing criteria for ashing applications
- Warnings against indiscriminate or symbolic use
- Evaluation of outcomes through long-term recurrence observation
Citation
Source: Applied Biodynamics, Issue 027, Josephine Porter Institute, Fall 1999.