Wednesday 5th June 2024

Wednesday 5th June 2024
Today, the moon rises in the constellation of Taurus as it continues its path of waning towards the new moon. It is an unfavorable day for gardening work; instead, use this time to deepen your understanding of the garden. In June 1924, Rudolf Steiner gave eight lectures on agriculture, which formed the basis of biodynamic agriculture. It is important to understand these lectures as we move into the next 100 years of biodynamics. Biodynamics, along with other methods of regenerative agriculture, provides answers to many ecological and cultural issues that we face today.

Tuesday 4th June 2024

Tuesday 4th June 2024
The waning moon rises in Aries, bringing warmth. Honey bees will be foraging to bring back pollen, which will be stored in their wax cells and then fed to the larvae as bee bread by the nurse bees. When observing honey bees returning to the hive entrance, you will notice the pollen on the back of their legs in their pollen baskets. The color of the pollen will indicate which flowers they are foraging from. Many newly born bees will be flying in lemniscates close to the entrance as they orientate themselves to the location of their hive in relation to the sun.

Monday 3rd June 2024

Monday 3rd June 2024
Today, the moon transitions from the constellation of Pisces to Aries, making it a beneficial time to tend to fruit plants such as tomatoes, beans, cucumbers, and zucchini. Observe these plants; their leaves will indicate deficiencies, but if the soil is rich and full of vitality, they should be flourishing. Ensure the soil is moist, and hoe any encroaching weeds. The warmth radiating from Aries will give these vegetables a boost and also bring an impulse of energy into your day.

Sunday 2nd June 2024

Sunday 2nd June 2024
The moon continues to wane, creating a beautiful crescent moon in the night sky. Today, the moon is at its closest point to Earth in its elliptical orbit, known as perigee. In biodynamics, this is considered an unfavorable time for gardening, as the moon's influence is too strong. Ancient cultures were known for their strong relationship with the moon, and great efforts were made by astronomers to record and understand its rhythms. Perigee would have been significant to them as a time when the moon passes closest, greeting the Earth and enhancing intuition.

Saturday 1st June 2024

Saturday 1st June 2024
The moon continues its journey through Pisces, opening the door to greater levels of intuition throughout the day. Your intuition should never be underestimated; insights gained from it often materialize when we least expect them. In the garden, it's an ideal time to tend to our leafy plants. We could also collect herbs such as sage, thyme, rosemary, and oregano. These herbs are always best to cook with fresh, but we can also dry some to have aromatic herbs available for cooking throughout the year.

Friday 31st May 2024

Friday 31st May 2024
Today, the moon moves from Aquarius to Pisces, transitioning from a flower sign to a water sign. There are two biodynamic sprays, known as biodynamic field preparations 500 and 501. Both of these preparations are buried in the ground in cow horns. Preparation 500 is cow manure buried over the winter months, while preparation 501 is silica buried over the spring months. These preparations are stirred for one hour, creating a vortex before the practitioner changes direction to create chaos. The practitioner dances the water through these polarities before applying the preparations to the land.

Thursday 30th May 2024

Thursday 30th May 2024
The Moon rises in Aquarius and has now waned to a half-moon, offering a moment for reflection. The presence of this Flower sign makes it a favorable time to cut hay and harvest any flowers, which are likely to keep their vitality for longer. Pick some flowers from your garden to capture the beauty that is present today, and bring them inside to create a focal point of nature. Alternatively, give a consciously selected bunch to a loved one or whoever comes to mind as you read this. Flowers are an outward reflection of the plant. During winter, many plants are inwardly alive in the soil, and spring allows them to reflect outwardly, reaching the pinnacle of their being through the metamorphosis of the flower.

Wednesday 29th May 2024

Wednesday 29th May 2024
The Moon transitions from Capricorn into Aquarius during the day, bringing a flowering quality. Biodynamic beekeepers also follow the rhythm of the cosmos when working with honey bees. Flowers have evolved their elegant, colorful, and mesmerizing forms to attract bees. It can be said that honey bees and humans find the same things beautiful. There is a wisdom and spiritual quality to honey bees and the hive that is still out of reach of human capacities in this period of evolution, but much can be learned. During the next month, beekeepers will be looking out for swarms clustered together, ready to be collected.

Tuesday 28th May 2024

Tuesday 28th May 2024
Today, the Moon continues its transit deeper into the ambitious sign of Capricorn. It's an opportune time to work with soil, as the cosmic forces radiate down to nourish the soil and the roots of plants. Most plant roots, with the exception of the Brassica family, have evolved with mycelium to develop mycorrhizal networks. Through a symbiotic relationship, these fungal networks bring nutrients to the plants from deep within the earth. As more is being learned about our soils, many gardeners, including biodynamic gardeners, are exploring their practices in relation to the phenomenon of mycelium networks.

Monday 27th May 2024

Monday 27th May 2024
Today, the moon transits from the fire sign of Sagittarius to the discipline-oriented earth sign of Capricorn. This is a good time to tend to the root vegetables growing in our garden. Perhaps we can hoe around them to remove weeds and slightly loosen the soil. The best time to weed is before you can see the weeds. By gently passing over the soil surface with a hoe, you can prevent weeds from growing before they germinate.

Sunday 26th May 2024

Sunday 26th May 2024
The moon rises in the constellation of Sagittarius, also known as the Archer. This fire sign symbolizes expansion and exploration toward a goal. Today, let's fill our hearts with optimism and identify our desires; it’s a great time to try something new. In the garden, consider spraying the biodynamic horn silica preparation in the early morning. This preparation helps crystallize plants, aiding in the ripening process and enhancing their vitality.

Saturday 25th May 2024

Saturday 25th May 2024
Today, the moon reaches its lowest point on the horizon in its sidereal rhythm. This is a key rhythm in biodynamic agriculture. It means that the next two weeks will be less favorable for transplanting vegetables, as root development will be slower. In a horticultural setting, it can be difficult to follow this rhythm, especially during the peak of the growing season when transplanting needs to be carried out. With the ascending moon, the upper part of the plant gains more vitality than the lower part, making it beneficial for harvesting flowers and vegetables.

Friday 24th May 2024

Friday 24th May 2024
The moon descends into Scorpio as it begins to wax, having reached its full illumination yesterday. This presents an ideal time for tending to leafy plants, which can include cutting the grass and trimming hedges. In biodynamics, gardeners and farmers aim to produce as much fertility as they can from within the boundaries of their farms. Composting hedge cuttings, grass, wood shavings, and weeds such as comfrey and nettles can help supplement your compost piles. Capture weeds when they are fresh and vital, and incorporate them deep within your compost.

Thursday 23rd May 2024

Thursday 23rd May 2024
Today is a momentous day in the cosmos, as Uranus enters the earthly sign of Taurus from Aries. To put this in perspective, Uranus takes 84 years to orbit the Sun, which means it spends about 7 years in each constellation. Uranus's last transit through Taurus was from 1935 to 1942, a period of significant change on the world stage that included the Great Depression and the Second World War. The world is very fluid at the moment, with new technologies on the horizon that will confront us all with new questions. We must remain grounded and respond authentically from within.

Wednesday 22nd May 2024

Wednesday 22nd May 2024
Today, the moon rises in Libra, bringing a flowering quality. However, during the day, this is overruled by a planetary trine: Pluto, in the early constellation of Capricorn, moves into a 120-degree aspect with Venus, which resides in Taurus. This trine brings a predominantly earthy quality to the day, making it an ideal time to sow carrots and radishes and to work with the soil.

Tuesday 21st May 2024

Tuesday 21st May 2024 
As the waxing moon deepens into the constellation of Virgo, it feels like we have arrived at the moment when the richness of spring reaches its peak. Inspiration from nature is found at every turn. The bees are swarming, and the flowers are blooming. I recommend visiting gardens, exploring new approaches, learning, and delving into the practice of biodynamic gardening if it calls to you.

Monday 20th May 2024

Monday 20th May 2024
As we continue to immerse ourselves in the constellation of Virgo, we embrace its earthly qualities, perhaps feeling a stronger connection to gravity. In this state of groundedness, it's an excellent time to make decisions, as clarity and practicality come naturally. In the garden, we can focus on tending to our root vegetables, weeding around them, and checking their development. During this period of transplanting, as the moon descends in Virgo, it's ideal for sowing radishes and carrots.

Sunday 19th May 2024

Sunday 19th May 2024
Today, Christians worldwide commemorate Pentecost, marking the culmination of the Easter period, precisely 50 days after Easter Sunday. Additionally, the moon is currently in the astrological sign of Virgo. On this day, it intersects the elliptical path of the sun, causing a temporary disruption in the natural harmony between the plant world and the cosmos. Consequently, due to this day of celebration and the descending node, today is considered unfavorable for gardening activities. Instead, it's an opportune time for personal introspection and future planning. Use this day to ground yourself, reflect on your journey, and strategize for the path ahead.

Saturday 18th May 2024

Saturday 18th May 2024
Today, the moon transitions into the constellation of Virgo, marking an auspicious time to prepare vegetable beds for planting. A core principle of biodynamics emphasizes the significance of revitalizing our gardens and farms. Composting stands out as one of the most effective methods for converting decaying matter into life. It truly is a miraculous process. With the moon in Virgo, today is an ideal day to turn a compost pile, or to start one. The length of the composting process varies according to climate conditions, but it's essential to ensure that the compost is neither too wet nor too dry, as either extreme can impede the breakdown process.

Friday 17th May 2024

Friday 17th May 2024
Today that moon reaches its furthest position from the earth, this is known as Apogee, this distance creates an intensification if light, as a smaller moon projects the suns light to earth. This create a short period in the day, where the warmth qualities of Leo, are superseded by light forces where tending to flowers is most favourable. For most of the day warmth forces predominate, and we can use this time to prune sideshoots from our tomatoes to help send the plants energies towards fruit development rather than producing more leaves.