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Dear Readers of Stella Natura,

Once again the charts of this calendar offer advice for when to sow seeds
and cultivate garden and farm crops to enhance their roots (carrots, beets,
etc.), flowers (chamomile, zinnias, etc.), leaves (lettuce, spinach, or fruits

(squash, beans, tomatoes, ...). This is based on the Moon’s passage through the
constellations of the zodiac. Unfavorable times for sowing are also indicated, to
help avoid those inexplicable crop failures.
In addition to this way of linking our agricultural endeavors with cosmic
rhythms, articles by twelve different authors address such topics as the intimate
relation of farmers to the animals they care for; the travesty of modern mining
practices for the sake of what is touted as green energy; a spiritual view of
nutrition; the question of vegetarianism; working with fire to control its
destructive effects; the inherent musical and spatial relations among the planets;
and new ideas about economics and agriculture.
I would especially encourage you to read the article in the front pages by
Manfred Klett about “The Unknown World of the Etheric. This contribution
to the Calendar from twenty years ago is just as relevant now, as it explores the
realm of life that is so often overlooked when the universe and nature are viewed
as a mere mechanism.

Also in those front pages, please look for my note about the future of
Stella Natura, and an attempt to help in navigating the increasing number of
biodynamic planting calendars on the market.
It would be easy to miss page 12, which gives a monthly account of the visibility
of the planets in 2023, and the star chart on pages 38 and 39, but I consider them
essential to the Calendar. Only when we take the time to look up and follow the
movements of the Moon and planets among the stars at night will the beauty and
wonder of our heavenly surroundings come alive in us.
In these challenging times, I hope this calendar will support you in bringing
vitality to the food you grow and health to your inner life.

Wishing you a fruitful year,

Sherry Wlldfeuer, Editor

 t II tura
Biodynamic Planting calendar
Working with Cosmic Rhythm5
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2023

inspiration and Practical Advice for

Gardeners and Professional Growers

Published by Comphill Village Kimberton Hills. All rights reserved

 Contents
How To Use This Calendar
SI7t7•7• %ilgift’iit’i
.

A Brief Outline of Basic Astronomy for the Calendar

R7-hard ?vfocschl and Shcrry B7ildfcuer . .5

Where Do the Constellations Begin and End?

11ii1ij (i—aiiaiii . .
. . .
6

More and More Calendars on the Market What’s the Difference?

11 . . . .
. .
• •
8

What About the Future of the Stella Natura

S . . . . .
. .
8

The Unknown World of the Etheric

1’1an_j’cd F(lett. .
. . . . . . . . * . .
9

7.

visibility of the Planets in 2023

E4117lj’ileLi by 1ô1le, 1’uchl1’1a,i . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . * .12

TheDifferenceBetweentheConstellationsandtheSigns
1(e)T fr Reading t1ie II.)nt11_1y (harts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Beekeeping as a Spiritual Path
4_ lex 1•uht,zan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Ja.iiUa1.3i
Mining the Sacred
4a ron 1rentii and .1(atie Singei. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . .
. . . Febri.iar—’
Vegetarianism
.Ezra SuIIii,ar, . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . I%’Iarch

A Personal Journey to Farming

)essica .Brobst . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . .

Earthly and Cosmic Nutrition

Branko Furst. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . .

Earthly and Cosmic Nutrition

Branko Furst. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Living and Farming with Fire

Thea Maria Carison. . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . .

The Musical Origin of the Seven-Day Week

Sara de Rose. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Musical Origin of the Seven-Day Week

Sara de Rose . . . . . . . . . . . . Septenber

About the Astronomical Relation of the Earth to the Planets

. . .
October

Creating Health in Our Social Organism November

.i oug’ .

Farm as Sanctuary .December

LauraRiccardiLyvers
4DIiart of tile Stars...... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . •,.. . . . . •. . •. . . . . . •.....•• . . . . . . .38&39
.
1.4te .slout EaI, ,f the :Dont ribut.rs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4.o

4C1I14%TJecIgI1)efltS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
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How to Use This Calendar
By Sherry Wildfeuer
Rudolf Steiner lectured on agriculture in 1924 at the
request of a group of farmers who already appreciated
his contribution to the understanding of human nature,
education, medicine, science, art, religion and more. The
insights and practices from his course on agriculture are
known as biodynamics and have been taken up by farmers
and gardeners worldwide.
Steiner pointed to the cosmic influences from the Sun,
Moon, planets and stars as important factors to work with in
agriculture. Then he challenged his listeners to develop a new
science of timing for seed sowing to replace the old proverbs.
Considerable research has been done, notably by Maria Thun
in Germany since the early 1950S, and the Stella Natura charts
largely reflect her observations and conclusions.
I WaS introduced to Maria Thun’s work while replicating one
of her experinen in Switzerland in 1970. The results in the
garden made such an impression on me that when I returned
to America I began making a calendar for myself which I
Shared informally with family and friends. In 1978 this grew
to be a more formal publication. More recent modest scale
experiments have confirmed my original experience. I realize
that this is a science that is both ancient and in its infancy, with
many questions still to be explored experimentally.
Whereas about half of the biodynamic practitioners in
America and abroad guide the timing of their work with
the Use of such a calendar, others prefer to focus more Ofl
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the phases of the moon. Biodynamics itself is a much more
complex and encompassing approach to agriculture. What
this calendar presents is only one small part. I call this
a biodynamic calendar because many of the articles are
inspired by the foundational concepts of biodynamics and
anthroposophy, and because I want to encourage people to
extend their awareness to the influences of lunar rhythms in
agriculture and strive to develop the new science that Rudolf
Steiner was calling for.
This calendar is meant to be used with common sense
and an eye to the weather. The charts can assist you in
choosing optimum times to sow seeds of annual crops.
transplant, cultivate, and harvest them for storage. If you
are not in the habit of allowing other people to dictate
your actions, please don’t let this calendar be an exception.
As editor, I am trusting you, the reader, to think through
what is presented here and integrate it into your particular
situation in freedom. It would run completely contrary
to the antlwoposophical world view which inspires this
calendar to put forth a set of dogmatic rules that you might
feel obligated to abide by.
The astronomical information offered in the charts is, like
the weather, part of the nexus of environmental factors which
affect the plants in your care. If you wish to support their
growth by creating optimal conditions, you will want to pay
attention to this information — and to the weather!
 \ /,
I Times that are favorable for sowing are also good for Cultivating the
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A beets) tend to develop rot, and seed crops tend to be attacked by fungi,
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,- —
%7n are the astronomical constellations used in this Calendar
dfferent from the tropical signs used in most popular astrology?
Mana Thuth experiments with plants have consistently shown
the effect of the constellations rather than the signs. The difference
between them is explained on pages 6 and 7 and on page 13.
Why do some days say 9?oot,” others “Leaff etc.?
Of plants have all parts in the course of their reproductive
cycle, but vegetable gardeners are aiming for radish roots rather
than flowers, or lettuce leaves rather than seeds. And vigorous, bushy
tomato plants with very little fruit can be a great disappointment.
For thousandsdys, each of the twelve constellations of the zodiac,
through which the Sun, Moon and planets pass as they circle the earth,
has been associated with one of the four elements. Over fifty years ago,
Maria Thun, a German biodynamic farmer, discovered that plants sown
when the Moon is passing in front of a constellation bearing the qualities
of the earth element have enhanced root growth. Results were consistently
similar with leaf growth and the element of water; enhanced flowering
and the element of air; and fuller development of ripe fnnt when seeds
were sown with the Moon in relation to the element of fire.
Bernaid Hack, an older biodynamic farmer who I respected highly,
described the Moon as a kind of “lens” to focus the forces of the
constellations, rather like a magnifying glass focuses the rays of the
Sun when one tries to ignite a fire with its heat. The Earth is, in this
case, at the “burning point” distance from the moon as a lens.
In pmcfinil terms, this means that it makes sense to try to choose a
toot-enhancing time when sowing carrots, radishes and potatoes. When
sowmg 1eai’ crops, which include lettuce, cabbage, grass, etc., it is best to
choose a leaf tune or, second-best, a root time, but to avoid flower and fruit
so as not to encourage bolting. On the other hand, annual flowers can be
sown to advantage on flower days. Tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, grains
and other fruit crops can be sown on fruit or, second-best, on flower days.
This aspect of the charts refers to the Moon’s passage through the zodiac
and applies primarily to sowing and cultivation of annual crops. The
KEY to the symbols and theelements is found on page ‘3.
What about those crops that are hard to categorize?
With most crops the desired focus is obvious, but there are some
that are not so clearly related to a particular element. Maria Thun’s
persevering research is invaluable in these cases.
Cauliflower and kohirabi develop best when sown on leaf days.
Broccoli, on the other hand, shows that flower days produce large,
firm heads, whereas those sown on leaf days are mostly leaves, and
on fruit days there are lots of little buds. Potatoes, leeks and onions,
while not technically roots, develop best when planted on root days,
when the earth (below-ground) influence predominates. (See www.
stellanatura.com for a more comprehensive list.)
4
What about cultivation and harvesting?
same crops. Whenever we cultivate or hoe the soil, even shallowiy We
open the ground and stimulate current cosmic forces to become active.
1-larvesting for immediate Consumption is obviously done for
freshness and convenience. However, it is important to take special
care when harvesting large amounts for storage, sale, or seed. Leaf days
should be avoided because storage crops (such as cabbage, carrots or
due to the predominant watery influence. Therefore it is best to harvest
roots on root days. fruit on fruit days (especially during the tWOweek
time when the moon is running high), and for leaf crops, either root
or fruit days are good, or a flower day for crops in the cabbage family.
What do the bracketed areas signqy?
There are two reasons why you will see some periods of time
highlighted by brackets, indicating the same or a different part of the
plant from the constellational influence related to the Moon.
i. If two planets are at a izo° angle from one another (known asa trifle)
and they are both in the same element, this elemental influence will
either strengthen the Moon’s constellational influence if it is the
same element, or override it if it is different.
2. Apogee is the time when in its elliptical orbit the Moon is fanhest
from the earth. The pull of the lunar forces away from the earth can
cause plants sown at this time to send up a flower stalk earlier than
usual. This is not a problem when sowing flowering or fruiting
crops, but when apogee occurs during a root or leaf time, the time
is indicated as [Flower].
Why are some times grayed out?
1. The boundaries between constellations are challenging to define
The times of the Moon’s passing from one to the next are rounded
out to the nearest hour. The changeover is mdicated by two hours on
either side with gray. There is ongoing discussion as to whether the
unequal astronomical constellations, which we seem the sky, or the
geometrically equal 30° divisions of the zodiac are most relevant for
plant growth Therefore it makes sense to sow seeds more towards
the middle of any given time period, because this is the time they
have in common, rather than towards the very beginning or end.
2. Maria Thun discovered that the times when the orbital planes of
the Moon, Mercury and Venus cross the orbital path of the Sun
(known as nodes — see page 6) are unfavorable for sowing seeds.
Therefore two hours before and two after moon nodes and twelve
hours before and after Mercury and Venus nodes and lunar and
solar eclipses are indicated with gray, as times to avoid seed sowing
3. Perigee is the time in the Moon’s elliptical orbit when ins nearest
to the earth. Seeds sown at this time, especially in a moist climate
or wet season, have been shown to be more prone to attack by
fungus and pests. Therefore each month the calendar indicates
with gray the twelve hours before and after Perigee.
My own experience is that avoiding these times for seed sowing has
eliminated the occasional inexplicable crop failures that used to
mystify me under otherwise outwardly favorable conditions.
What about the phases of the Moon?
Here I would like to quote from Rudolf Steiner’s first lectire on
agriculture: “Something stupendous takes place on the earth as a result
of the full moon’s forces. These forces shoot into all the vegetative
growth; but only if the full moon was preceded by some rainy days:’
Water brings “about a distribution of the lunar forces within the earth.”
These statements have been confirmed by scientific studies showing
that plant metabolism, growth rate and water absorption tend to peak
around full moon. Ancient Roman traditions advised against felltng
trees for timber or harvesting crops to be stored for winter at this time
because they would contain too much moisture.
 The full moon enhances germ I nan On lii US, ii OU ale paiti til Fly !mti cl titi S Of peOple wc rldwiclc to hi rt her the flCW SCICflCC referred to
concerned with the g ol some sccds, ‘ou might take atc earlier Picace lcd free ID share your experiences with me.
to sow them just two or three da s before 11w I Ui I 1110011 I 0 I e cive its
opt ima1 drawing OWt’ hai iii an i maR. 1(10. ma’ bet ‘i1ie mc s1 ic itil c wi,17, iin happrti if! rant cow at the optimal time?
at this tIrnC of the mont h Out cndca UI shot, lii lie In bet Unit’ an MV oI I ife ;iIl goon Ibis is where the c m mon sense comes in It seems
these things lfl a 1KW a’ I hai Family giihcrings, gra(lIla ‘‘‘ thunderstorms and doctors’
The gardefliTig tradition that I teat iied 4tni Ajati liltiwit k a’ an Ilft?1R in iiot .iI ways (oor(IinatecI with the planting calendar
apprCI1tI ad’ ised I fl Of C gi DLI nd 10Ps thi img I lit’ % a \ I Si I is liii nliil I 1 Sec FMI hest lime F ir example R not and j .eaf
to take advantage of he SLIT ge ot gi OW t h It ad I seti son ing (4111 SI ibst liii e for one an’ il her, and likewise I lower for Fruit Afterwards,
ot root crops as the moon wa iw’. to gi C Ilk’ t1nt It C to ccl abli sh (lilt’ Iii (0111 sate by (onsiste n Ily cultivating in the correct element
hciorC the mu moon di ‘‘ t’ TI life I ft II fli stan C CS ((Inst rue t hat inc (an fl( t SUWI ng <luring
an utilavorahie time, it is hetler to he conscnis nI this and try to take
Runfl’n.C Web and Runninç I ow?
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special are of the crop by spraying the Kindynamic Preparations

Maria ibtin has isidt’I aIIOIi ascending and anti Liltival ing at the right U mcs Attending to the lunar rhythms
deccCfldhTW arc ol the moon 11cr e\pci iencc has shown that coils should refine and enhance one’s practices, never paralyze or unduly
which have been treated vnh the Biodvnamic Preparations for ‘ears postpone ones work by waiting for only the most perfect time.
arc thcrch’ ccflSItl7Cd the finer Cosmic influences. ITI such soils, the
turgor ot thc sap is inrcased in the roots of ic 1i1fl1S (lut ing the two Why are the planetary movements included?
weeks om the running high In the lowest arc. She calls this PILITItIng lhcrc is a special column showing the Sun’s movement through the
(traflspbTltffl& time, and a’so encourages that rooting of cuttings be zodiac, and the passage of the planets through the constellations of
done at this the zodiac is noted at the top left of the monthly charts The events of
their conjunction, opposition and trifles are in the charts, and page 2
How can vms work with all of these rhythms at the same time? is devoted to the visibility of the planets in the night sky on a monthly
You can’t Some of them go together nicely some months, and other basis. All this is to give the real context of the lunar rhythms we are
timcsvou simply have to make an informed choice As you make your working with. I would consider it tragic if this calendar were to be
choices and obsen’e the results, you may find that you have more of used merely as a utilitarian tool to improve one’s crops. I hope it will
an affinity to working with some of the lunar rhythms than others inspire a sense of wonder and gratitude towards the powers of the
In using this calendar, through your observations You Join with universe which surround us and make our life possible.

•- .4 -

A Brief Outline of Basic Astronomy for the Calendar

By Richard Moeschl and Sherry Wildfeuer
When we look out into the heavens, be it day or night, there is its northerly and southerly movement, the Sun seems to stand still
movement and change. The Sun rises m the east and sets m the west each before moving back to the celestial equator for the equinoxes. These
day The stars likewise follow in this daily arc and change in terms oftheir moments occur around June 2.1 and December 21. Because the Sun
visibility over the course of the year. Far slower is the gradual west to east appears to stand still on these days, each of these days is c11ed the
rmgration of the “traveling stars:’ the planets. To help us understand solstice (SoI=Sun, stsce=make stand). At the summer solstice, the day
these movements better, we can imagine, as our ancestors did, that the is longer than the night In winter, the day is short and the mght long.
globe of our Earth is nested inside a celestial sphere or globe upon which As the Sun moves across the sky, it travels through the 12 traditional
are etched the stars, and around which the planets travel. This heavenly zodiacal constellations. A constellation is a grouping of stars usually
sphere has a north and south pole as well as an equator, taking their identified with a being or attribute recognized by our ancestors. They didn’t
positions from the same locations on the Earth, projected out into space. “connect the dots” to form pictures, as we do, but experienced the presence
The celestial sphere appears to make one complete rotation on its of the being standing behind the stars. ihe stars sere viewed as markers
polar axis every 24 hours, carrying with it all the stars, the Sun, Moon, to indicate that place where Orion or Hercules, etc ,dwelt. Twelve of these
and planets, giving us night and day. As the Sun moves across this dwelling places are spread out along the ecliptic and form the zodiac — the
sphere, it rises minutes Jater than the stars which accompanied it the circle of amnuls (since most of the constellations represent anma1s.)
previous day. The Sun, Moon, and planets have their own independent The arcs of the constellations of the zodiac appear in the heavens at
movement from west to east The path of the Sun around the celestial different heights from the southern horizon of the Earth For those of
sphere is called the ecliptic (because on it, eclipses can occur) The us living in the Northern Hemisphere. the highest art. is reached by the
Moon and all the planets closely follow this path. The poini where the constellation laUrUs (in the last detades this gradually shitted from the
Sun rises moves north of east in the summer and south of east n the precinct of Gemini) At the middle ol its Crossing at the meridian, it is
Winter When the Sun reaches that part of the ecliptic that crosses the high in the south Sawpio makes the lowest arc \\‘hen the Sun passes in
celestial equator, sunrise is due east and sunset due west, and day and front of the constellation of iaurus in June, the Sun is high in the south,
night are of equal length This takes place twice a year. about Ivlarch shining almost directl’ down on us, giving us the warmth DI summer.
Ii and September 21 Because of the equal night all over the world, when the Sun passes in tront ot Sagittarius in December, the Sun appears
this event is called equinox. In between these dates, the Sun moves low C) the honeon, shining With slanted rays, giving us the cold olwinter.
above the celestial equator, giving the Northern Hemisphere summer, AccordlngI) ilwe see the Moon high in the sk we say that it is running
then back to the equinox In autumn and below the celestial equator high lithe Moon appears to skim across the horizon, say it is running
giving the Northern Hemisphere winter. At the furthest extremes of low i s then jfl Sagittarius, imitating the Sun’s winter activn ( )
S
 The time it takes the Sun, Moon and planets to make one complete
circuit around the celestial sphere as seen from ihe Earth diticrc for
each. This is its geocentric sidereal period, since it ic iiwacurcd from
the time it takes to conic back to the same stat (sidrt) in the 7OdiflC
where it began. It takes the Sun i ear to make tic full circuit I lie came
journey takes the Moon 271/3 dan. Mercury 88 days, \‘cnus 225 days, nearer to Earth at come times and farther away at others. This can be
Mars i years, Jupiter ii.g years, Saturn 29.1 years, Uranus 84.01 years,
Neptune 164.79 years. and Pluto 24769 years
Another period is marked when the planet returns to the same
relationship it had with the Sun, e g., full Moon to 11111 Moon. This is
called the svnodic period (syn=with) The Moon runs ahead of the
Sun around the zodiac, spending about 2.5 days in each constellation,
while the Sun spends about one month in each. Our perception of
the Moon changes as its relation to the Sun changes. When it is new,
the Moon stands in front of the Sun, whose brightness conceals the
Moon from our view. A few days later, the Moon has moved ahead
of the Sun along the zodiac. As the Sun sets, a thin sliver of the Moon
appears in the west, then slips out of view as night approaches. One
week after the new moon, the Moon has moved to its next phase. It is
growing larger, waxing, and now half of its disk is illuminated. This
first quarter moon rises about midday and sets about midnight. One
week later, the Moon stands opposite the Sun, having gone about
half-way around the zodiac. Its disk fully lit, the full moon rises when
the Sun sets and sets when the Sun rises — the kingdom of the full 120’ apart this is called a trine (là ), even when no planet occupies the
moon is the night sky. After another week, the Moon loses some of
its light, waning as it approaches the Sun. It is in its last quarter, and
riscs around midnight to set around midday. Its illumined side always
points to the Sun. In another week, the Moon meets the Sun and is
again lost to view as a new moon after its 29 5 day synodic journey.
Ihe Moon’s orbit around the Earth is elliptical, causing it to be
compared with the Suns apparent passage around the Earth, drawing
nearer in winter and farther away in summer. When the Moon reaches
its nearest point, it is perigee (peri=near,geo=earth) Likewise, when
the Moon is most distant, it is apogee (ap=away from).
The path of the Moon and each of the planets around the celestial
sphere intersects the path of the Sun at different points These points are
called nodes, and there are two nodes for each orbit The point at which
(he planet’s orbit crosses the ecliptic and moves northward is called its
ascending node ( Q ), and the crossing point heading southward is
called its descending node (1.9). When the Sun meets the Moon at one
of the Moon’s nodes, an eclipse can occur. Similarly, other planets or
stars can have all or part of their light covered by the Moon or another
planet. This is called an occultation (occu!t=hidden). When two or more
planets occupy the same degree along the ecliptic (e.g., the Sun and the
new moon) they are in conjunction (6) (con=with, junctio=join).
When two planets are i8o apart from each other in the zodiac (e.g., the
Sun and the fill moon) it is called an opposition ( When they are
third point of the equilateral triangle.

Where Do the Constellations Begin and End?

By Philip Graham
When you look at this calendar’s charts, you will see that the Sun and of arbitrariness in determining the boundaries.
Moon appear to be in constellations different from the tropical signs Some astrologers developed an equal 30-degree constellation
familiar from popular astrology and some almanacs. Understanding system based on the current vernal point. This is generally referred to
why and how the systems differ is essential for someone wishing to as the sidereal zodiac.
use this calendaxt During the zoth century, other groups and individuals, notably
The mner cirde in the accompanymg chart indicates the so-called the International Astronomical Union and the makers of the

tropical zodiac. ft dates back to Ptolemy of Alexandria (second century
4w), who produced a star catilogue from collected star wisdom mherited
from the ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia and Egypt and texts written
by Greek astronomers and astrologers a few hundred years before his time.
This is the basis for most subsequent “definitions” of the constellations in
European civilization during the Middle Ages and the modem era. There
is a problem, however. While o°Aries was the point on the ecliptic before
which the sun rose at the spring equinox in Ptolemy’s time, it is no longer
astronomically correct in ours. Due to the precession of the equinoxes, the
first clr.y of spring is no longer anywhere near the beginning stars of the
constellation of the Rain. Moving at the rate of i° in 72 years, the Sun on the
first day of spnng now rises m the first stars of the preceding constellation,
Pisces. It has moved 25° “backward” in the i8oo years since Ptolemy’s time.
In another 360 years or so, the first day of spring will occur in front of the
last stars of the preceding constellation, Aquarius.
Ptolemy’s names for the constellations of the Sun’s course through
the year have remained in common use in the tropical signs, which is not
an astronomical zodiac but a calendar starting from the spring equinox.
We have labeled the inner circle of the chart with the Latin names; the
symbols for the 30° divisions in the middle; and used the English names
of the constellations to indicate the actual groups of stars and the degrees
in the outer cirde. (Whether or not the tropical signs have any other
reality, which many astrologers still work with, is another question that
goes beyond the scope of this article.)
The question faced by astronomers, astrologers, calendar makers,
and celestial mapmakers, is: where do the starry constellations actually
begin and end? Different answers to this question have resulted in
several slightly different zodiacal systems involving a certain amount
6
Sternkalendar, published from Dornach, Switzerland. each developed
a zodiac based on the ecliptic constellations of unequal length. These
very similar zodiacal divisions were conceived in accord with the
traditional pictures of the constellations from classical Greece and
Rome. In these systems, the arbitrariness comes in decidmg where one
picture ends and another begins, and also in choosing among variant
historical forms as to how to picture the constellation in our time.
An example of this is the representation of the Virgin as a figure
lying lengthwise on the ecliptic in contrast to an ancient variant that
depicts her standing upright. This choice extends the length of the
constellation to 46° ofecliptic longitude and has the effect of shortening
the Scales to i8°. These definitions as to unequal constellation length
have ramifications when the traditional elemental growth forces are
factored in, as they are in Maria Thun’s groundbreaking studies of
plant growth, because the Sun, Moon. and planets will spend longer
in one element than in another. For some people these considerations
have become bones of contention, which can ultimately be resolved,
it would seem, only by more and more carefully observed studies of
plant growth in relation to the positions of the Moon, Sun, and planets.
There are other idiosyncrasies of the unequal division of zodiac. If
you look at the chart, you can see overlapping of the pictures at several
boundary points. The first stars of the Fishes, for example, stretch into
the region marked by the last stars of the Waterman! The last stars of
the ‘l’wins reach over into the Crab. The top of Virgin’s head is under
the Lion’s tail, and there are similar situations On the borders of the
Scorpion and the Archer, as well as the Sea-Goat and the Waterman.
perhaps it is becoming clear that we cannot make statements like
“Venus is now in the Fishes until she has cleared the border region! It
will also be clear that the slower-moving outer planets take longer to
move across one or two degrees at the entry Poi1ils of the coiistellatjoiic:
in the case of Ju1iter and Saturn these border crossings can hc measured
in hours and days, while tin Uranus, Neptune and Pluto it takes weeks
or months to move even one degree. For this t•CSOfl, the entry times
indicated in hours of particular days in this calendar become more
problematic the farther away the planet is from Earth. This is not to say
that the information in the calendar is Inaccurate It is accurate to the
dosest hour of the Sun’s, Moons or planets’ entry into the whole (not
fractional) degree oithe agreed-upon constellation boundary.
It might be of interest to say a few words about the history of the
constellation boundanes used by Dr. Elisabeth Vreede. In response to
a request from farmers and gardeners with whom she had attended the
agt-icu1turaI Course given by Rudolf Steiner, she had already started
to work on a formal delineation of the unequal constellations before
Rudolf Steiner passed away Ifl 1925. She continued this work and started
publishing the Ste, ,tkakndar on a yearly basis in 1928. In this same year, the
269°
ii
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International Astronomical Union met to decide upon the constellation
boundaries for the world scientific community. In fact, Dr. Vreede’s
description of the ecliptic constellations was very close to the IAU’S
consensus, never disagreeing with their boundaries by more than a degree
or two. ‘Ihe IAU, however, did add a i3th ecliptic constellation, Ophiucus,
the Serpent-Bearer, in between the Scorpion and the Archet So much for
the millennia-old perception of the Sun’s yearly passage as twelve-fold!
We who work on the Earth hut look up to the starry heavens to
orient ourselves and our activity in Time and Space must go forward
as best we may, trusting the common sense with which we were born.
ft may well be that we decide to be cautious in our planting and wait
until the Moon is close to the middle of the constellations, that is, well
away from any possible ambiguity of disputed border regions. Or,
it is also possible that by developing new faculties of perception we
might come to realizations in the future as to where the constellations
actually do begin and end. Time will tell.

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divisions of the sidereal zodiac are The “clock” of tropical signs marks months
.06
marked in degrees of longitude (rounded to the measured from the spring equinox. It is no longer
nearest whole degree) from the spring equinox point. Entry an astronomical zodiac, but, rather, a zodiac of Time,
a calendar.
time of the Sun, Moon and planets in Stella Natura charts are
calculated to these boundary points.

7
 More and More Calendars on the Market What’s the Difference?
By Sherry Wildfeuer
Several readers have contacted me with questions about the various
biodynamic planting calendars available in print and online. They do
not give the same information regarding planting dates, which is, of
course, confusing. have not made a study ofeach of the oilier calendars,
but I sill do my best to explain the origin and contimiing basis oiSteIla
Natura in such a way that you can find your own orientation.
In 1970. when I was in my early zos, I went to the Goetheanurn in
Swftzerland, the center of the worldwide Anthroposophical Society,
to work in the garden and learn biodynarnics. One of my jobs was
to replicate an expenment originally done by Maria Thun, a German
biodvnamic farmer. She had created a planting calendar based on
her on-farm research to follow up on Rudolf Steiner’s call for further
work on the timing of seed sowing according to cosmic rhythms.
Many farmers and gardeners found positive results from using her
recommendations. My experience at the end of the season was that
the plants in the experiment showed quite convincingly the effective
influence of the Moon’s passage through the constellations of the
zodiac (as described on page four of this calendar). This motivated
me to create my own planting calendar for myself and a few friends
in the following years after I returned to America. It was my husband
who suggested that I publish it, which I did Ifl 1978, dedicating the first
edition to Mana Than.
I was able to meet Maria Thun several times on subsequent visits
to the Goetheanum for biodynamic conferences, and even hosted her
for a conference in my community, taking in what she made public
about her work. There were a few things that I didn’t understand
about her recommendations, and when I asked her about them, she
said she didn’t tell all that she knew. I, however, felt that there should
be complete transparency and congruence between the astronomical
part of the charts and the recommendations, so the practitioner who
reads the introductory pages will always understand why the charts
advise what they do. Nevertheless, the Maria Thun calendar (carried
on by her son after her death) and Stella Natura are virtually the same,
with two slight differences.
Both calendars work with the uneven astronomical star pictures
of the zodiac, which, through years of research, Maria Thun found
correlated with the elemental influences on plant growth. On page
six of this calendar you will find a clarifying article by Philip Graham,
describmg the three main ways people have divided the 360 degree
What About the Future of the Stdlla Natura?
By Sherry Wildfeuer
Creating and then editing Stella Natura for the last 46 years has been
a real ‘calling’ for me, a way of serving the biodynamic movement.
But of course, I cannot continue to do it forever. It is a great gift of
destiny that my younger friend and colleague, Alex Tuchman, is not
only willing, but eminentiy capable of taking on the task of editing the
Calendar. (He will even continue to do the final copies of the charts by
hand so you will hardly be able to tell the difference!)
You will find articles by Alex in this Calendar and in the previous
8
circle of the zodiac: t) the uneven astronomical constellations, which
correspond to the clar pictures you see when you look up into the
night sky; 2) (he so-called sidereal zodiac, which is a 30 degree division
of the zodiac that corresponds to the astronomical constellations but cuts
through the pictorial images in favor of geometry; and 3) the so-called
tropical zodiac, which is another 30 degree division that is one whole
constellation off from the current astronomical reality because it begins
with o degrees of Aries at the spring equinox, which was the astronomical
reality when Ptolemy first recorded the ancient star wisdom.
It appears that the different calendars that purport to be
biodynamic planting calendars have chosen different divisions of the
zodiac to work with. If you have questions, I recommend that you
inquire with the producers of those other calendars what they base
their calculations on. You can see the exact degrees Stella Natura
works with in the KEY on page 13, and you can read in Philip Graham’s
article why those degrees have been chosen instead of the very similar
division recommended by the International Astronomical Union.
I did make one change from Maria Thun’s recommendations,
which was to shorten the time to be avoided for seed sowing around
the time of the Moon nodes from 24 hours to 4 hours. My expenence
was that the time around this event, which occurs twice every month,
was not as harmful as the time around Perigee and eclipses, and it
made it more challenging to work with the calendar to avoid those
times. I would welcome other people’s experiences with this.
The Thun calendar focuses more on agricultural issues, whereas
Stella Natura has had a spiritual and cultural impulse from its
inception. The articles from various authors include topics that range
more widely to include issues that pertain to a woridview that can
support a healthy agriculture for the future.
While the advent of a multitude of calendars may be confusing
at first, it is also an opportunity to look into the basis of each one,
come to greater clarity regarding the different divisions of the zodiac
circle, and, if you are truly curious, to make some small experunents
to compare the effects of working with one or the other.
I have always resisted requests to separate the Stella Natura charts
from the explanatory material and thoughtful articles because I believe
that reverence and insight are the right approach to the stars, rather
than mere utilitarianism and convenience. Each person will of course
have to decide which calendar they choose to live and work with.
three editions. He is the director of Spikenard Honeybee Sanctuary in
Floyd, Virginia. He helped me with this year’s Calendar, and for the
2024 edition he will take on more responsibility. The following year,
Alex will take the lead with the whole operation shifting to Spikenard,
and I will support him.
I feel it to be a profound blessing both for me and for you, the
readers who I have grown to care for and with to serve, even though I
cannot know you all, that such a harmonious transition will be possible.
 The Unknown World of the Etheric
By Manfred Kid!
jj’hen we seek to kno, natun’ dccplv. iic cIwou,IIt’r (lie ‘flystet bus rrcilm
of life. Rudoll Stettici c pioneering spii TEIWI scrr,,ti(u research in the eat ly
twentieth century laul a (‘marl founlat,o,i Iv, 1w 111(1 study (if the living
world. Indeed, the results arc n’t’pv bit as nnnplc., astascitiating, and as
frwttid as the scicntifW nzi’Cstrgatioi of flu’ natc ml world. Biodynatnic
agriculturc arosc ifl this contcvl
Sterncr could perceive and dcscribc in detail a rcaltn of file forces
which per ,,watcs the universe. F-Ic callcd flits the etherre world. In our
time, science has begun to document the effects of this world without
having the conceptual framcwork with in winch to place the facts. The so-
called nufrmnos” whose effects are being measured deep in the earth, the
healing power of prayer, and the effects on plants of thoughts and even
the music of thosc who Ca rc for them, are examples of such facts.
Within this Calendar, there are many explicit and implicit references
to the ethnic. Therefore, I asked Manfred Klett to write an overview of
this enonnous subject. Such an overview cannot enter deeply into any
particular aspect. However, I hope it will stimulate the desire forfurt her
study and help the reader to better understand the references to the
etheric in other articles in this Calendar. Editor
According to the world conception prevalent today, everything in the
universe is thought to consist of dust particles arranged according to
physical laws. From this prevailing astronomical point of view, the
miracles of our natural environment are seen as mere accidental
congregations of particles of this universal dust, devoid of meaning:
a nothingness which is simply there to be used (or exploited). This
seernmg reality is commonly accepted. Through it we have lost our
connection to the divine world which we once worshipped.
Has anything been gained? In contrast to the experience of outer
nothingness, we have achieved sufficient intellectual objectivity to
CL.
turn inward and explore our own inner life?’ The way we first meet an
object in our surroundings is through the impressions given to us by
our senses. Then an inner force becomes active which adds the concept
that relates to the object. Under normal circumstances, this inner force
of thinking activity (as distinct from the content of our thoughts) remains
unconscious. It originates as an aspect of our constitution which spiritual
science calls the ether body or the life body. It is not visible to the physical
senses, but can be experienced in its physical effects through all the life
processes in our organism, such as metabolism, growth, reproduction, etc.
The ether body mediates between the physical body and the conscious
life of the soul, where it is especially involved in the activity of thinking.
Health and thinking find their common source in the human ether body.
It is called a body because in its self-containedness it comprises a finite
organization of etheric forces.
Each plant or animal species has its specifically formed ether body
to direct its life processes. The body of a lily is quite different from that
of a rose. They are all composed of the same kind of etheric substance
as the world ether. When these ether forces are raised to consciousness
within us, they reveal their actual being as creative thoughts. Thus, in
thinking, we are dealing with the same forces that are physiologically
active within us and the natural world. in order to explore the
inner nature of thinking, the first step is to take thinking itself as a
phenomenon for observation and contemplation. When we do this,
thinking reveals to us what is normally hidden—the generating force fragments of higher spiritual beings, as soul beings who take on as
which brings forth the thought content relating to all the other objects
that we perceive.*
Rudolf Steiner became a scientisL of the invisible by using the
ability to study the formative forces of life through thinking. With this
deed, he opened the path for our present consciousness into the true
reality of the Cosmos. What follows in this essay merely touches upon
a number of aspects of his spiritual research of the etheric.
Ihe formative cthcric forces are omnipresent and infinite in their
multitude Ihey work from the cosmic periphery as the lowest level
of tinivercal forccc In contrast to thcsc are the central forces, such as
gravity, which are of an earthly nature ‘logether, they constitute the
polarity of Earth and Cosmos Thus, we can look upon the ether body
of any kind of being on Earth as a specific condensation within the
ether ocean of the Cosmos
‘[he human ether body is formed immediately before bwth as we
descend from the spiritual world in which we have lived since our
previous incarnation. In this prenatal sphere. the thinking capacity is
alive. After birth, the ether body becomes the architect of the physical
body and is completely involved in building it. The more the body of
the child becomes developed in form and function, the more the life
forces are released and become free to serve the developing thlnkLng
capacity Our normal brain-bound thinking is but a dead reflection of
what was alive and real in the prenatal sphere. The spiritual researcher
must become able to disconnect his thinking from the physical organ
of the brain, and thereby enter into the world of cosmic thinking while
maintaining wakeful consciousness. [We are accustomed to the idea
of our brain doing the thinking for us. It is also possible to conceive of
thinking as a self-directed etheric activity which requires the brain for
earthly consciousness and leaves its imprint in the brain like footprints on
wet sand. Rudolf Steiner outlined a self-motivated path of development
which can enable our thinking to become progressively independent of the
determining influences of the physical brain. This possibility also makes
understandable such out-of-the-body experiences as are documented by
numerous survivors of near-death events. Editor]
Do the etheric forces come together randomlyc or are they ordered
according to some higher principles of meaning and inherent beauty’ If
the latter is true, what is the source of this encompassing wisdom? In his
book Occult Science, an Outline, Rudolf Steiner describes the development
of humanity and the Earth in four great stages of evolution. At each stage,
different levels of spiritual beings contributed to the ongoing creation of
the Earth. Thus, the foundations were laid for four different qualities of
etheric “substance:’ which correspond to the elements of fire, air (light),
water, and earth. The four types of ether, which permeate all the kingdoms
of nature and humanity, are called warmth ether, light ether, chemical (or
tone) ether, and life ether.
All of evolution, every single deed of any being, is recorded as a
memory in the etheric realm. In ancient times, this was known as
the Akasha Chronicle, which could be “read” by those who had the
requisite spiritual capacities. Having this in mind, the indication by
Rudolf Steiner becomes clearer, that the formative forces of the etheric
are an outflow of the thoughts and deeds of divine spiritual beings,
an expression of the essence of different states of their consciousness.
This is the reason why the etheric has such a multitude of creative
possibilities. The world ether consists of world thoughts. What we
think with our normal intellectual thinking is but a dead reflection of
what is alive in the Cosmos.
The spiritual beings that created the world are no longer directly
involved in forming the life of the kingdoms of nature. They have
emissaries, whose task it is to transform the invisible life into visible
form. Rudolf Steiner describes these elemental beings as cut off
their body the different ethers. They are, therefore, invisible, and have
been known by various names in all cultures since olden times. For
example, the gnomes live in and direct the life ether in solid earth, the
undines are water sprites working out of the chemical ether, the sylphs
are air spirits working with the light ether, the salamanders are fire
spirits that work with the warmth ether. They build the material world
according to etheric patterns.
9
 The elemental beings cannot direct themselves; they lack morality.
Therefore, they depend upon the morality which is inherent in the
cosmic ethers flowing towards them, or which conies to them from the
attitudes of human beings. It is by no means a matter of indifference
howwe think about nature and what purpose motivates our work. 11w
materialistic view of the so-called ‘life-sciences’ and thc technology
deriving from it (for example. the arbitrary interference with the
cosmic pattern of the genomc by gene manipulation) are wreaking
havoc with the etheric world order. ibis kind of thinking is incapable
of introducing wholesome morality into our work It misleads the
elemental beings into the service of seltish human intentions
The most urgent challenge tin mankind in our time is to become
conscious of and actively enliven our thinking, to experience the
moral essence in it. Through the lack of creativity in education, the
unrelenting influence of the media, entertainment, and advertising,
poor nutrition, and the stress of the hectic pace of life, independent
original thinking is under attack People are being lulled into dreamy
passintv or frustrated negativity. This is reflected in the accelerating
destruction of the Earth. As we suffer the consequences of this
destruction, the impulse may arise in us to strive to regain the precious
abilit to think for ourselves. The doorway to transformation is self-
knowledge. Spiritual science opens the door and shows us the path of
knowledge It points our gaze towards the vast field of the etheric, and
conveys the results of spiritual research. Thus, our thinking can be
connected once again with its origin.
Experience and understanding of the etheric can be achieved
along two distinct paths of practice. One leads to the outside world,
into nature, and the other is a more inner path of study. With our
everyday consciousness we cannot directly perceive the etheric in
action in nature. We only become conscious of its effects, the results
&eiaNcE OF DUTTL2LUP LEAWS
to
of the work of the elemental beings, whether this be in the form of an
oak leaf or a thought that appears in our mind. The forms are rigid
and complete, the thoughts are abstract. But it is possible for us to
compare, for example, one form ofa buttercup leaf to the next one, and
to follow the sequence right tip into the flowering stage. They are all
leavcs olihe same plant, and yet their shape alters in a lawful manner.
There is an obvious relation between one leaf and the next, which is
diflcrcnly shaped, hut the transition rcmains in the dark. Having the
one form in mint! anti equally the following, we can now practice with
inner activity to let one form come out of the other, to produce the
transition in ourselves. lollowingour buttercup example, we discover
the process of metamorphosis, a lawful connection of forms which
reveal themselves in the course of time, as time is a revelation of the
etheric. We can gradually become aware of a lively context for these
stages of metamorphosis: the eIementa beings are active everywhere
in nature in the interplay of warmth and cold, light and dark, wet and
dry, life and death.
The plant, with its different organs and functions in root, leaf, stem,
flower and seed, is the most exact revelation of the formative forces
of the four ethers. However, we can also take note of and experience
these contextual relationships on a larger scale on our farms For
example, they arise over time in every crop rotation, in the factors
which bring about soil fertility, in the relation of the fields to the
pastures, meadows, ponds, hedges, forested areas, etc. In all of these
relationships we touch, as it were, the invisible sphere of the etheric.
The second way of approaching the etheric is to study the results
of spiritual science, also known as Anthroposophy, and to realize
how all the ideas are related to one another. When we experience
the inner logic which links ideas of spiritual origin, only a thin veil
is left to separate us from the etheric. This veil can become more and
more transparent through meditation. In fact, meditation gains an
entirely new significance when practiced with the contents of spiritual
research. In meditation, the life which is inherent in anthroposophical
ideas can be released. These ideas no longer sit like dead stones in the
soul, relating to the finished forms of the material worlcL As a seed
germinates in the soil, the ideas from spiritual research germinate in
the soul and pour their life, their etheric thought-power, into the will.
The thinking consciousness then begins to enter the into the realm of
morality and inspire our work.
Biodynamic farming provides a vital new source of inspiration for
agricultural work. This can be experienced especially through working
with the biodynamic preparations. They are inventions from spiritual
research. With them we begin to practice a “technology of the ethenc”
and provide moral guidance for the elemental beings. The two spray
preparations, horn manure and horn silica, applied in homeopathic
doses, both affect the “in between” processes of transition. Below
the earth, the horn manure enhances the connection between the
plant roots and the mineral environment (the activity of the life
ether directed by the gnomes). Above the earth, in the context of the
leaves and sunlight, the horn silica enhances and directs the work of
the sylphs. There are six other preparations that are added in minute
amounts to the decaying organic matter in the compost. It as their task
to vitalize the solid earth itself, to stimulate the life forces to such an
extent that the physical state of matter can be lifted into the sphere of
life, from space into time. Time originates in the interrelations an the
Cosmos and Earth, and manifests in rhythms. Rhythms are the carrier
of life. It is one of the most inspiring experiences in biodynamic
farming that by applying the preparations throughout the seasons
of the year, we structure time processes. We individualize rhythms
according to the needs of the crops we cultivate. In guiding and
quickening the life processes, we individualize the etheric by building
an ether body for the organism of our farm. This becomes a body of
cosmic thoughts which carries health-endowing forces. Such forces
need a foundation in nature.
Certainly, the task of biodynamic farming is to produce healthy food
 for human beings here and now. However, our greatest Priority must le life body of the Earth as a whole. With biodynamic farming we hold a
to take responsibility for the future evolutioii of the Earth. The etiwrjc key in our hands to a healthy future for the Eanh. With it we can strive to
is not limited to the law of direct cause and effect vliicIi npphcs to the
material world. It is subject to siniukaneity. ll1cft), W1WICVCr WC work harmonj7e tbc creative power of our enlivened thinking with the creative
biodnarnically in a true
sense, it has SIflfl)Jt)g11ç COhlscqttcnces for (he power of thc divine cpirktial beings which manifest in the etheric.
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 Visibility of the Planets in 2023
(;o’ipik’1 byAlex luchinan
GENERAL ORIENTATION:
As we face south, the stars. Sun. Moon and planets all nmvc clockwise,
rising in the cast and setting in the ‘‘est every day. But simultaneously,
the Sun, Moon and planets are gradually moving counterclockwise,
from ivest to east against the background of the stars in the
constellations of the zodiac, except when retrograde, when for a time
they move clockwise. See page 6 in this calendar for the planets’
different speeds of orbit.
JANUARY
After sunset at the beginning of the year, Venus and Saturn can be
seen in the southwest as they come together in conjunction on January
12’. Mars is visible overhead at sundown in the constellation Taurus,
1%ith Jupiter a little further west in Pisces. Iook for the Quadrantid
Meteor Shower when it peaks on the evening of the . The Moon will
be nearly hill, but you still may be able to catch a few good meteors
radiating from the constellation Bootes after midnight. The best time
for newing Mercury is just before sunrise in the east at the end of the
month, when it reaches its greatest western elongation on the 30th
FEBRUARY
Venus is visible at dusk in the west at the beginning of the month in
the constellation Aquarius, with Jupiter just above in the constellation
Pisces. By the middle of the month Venus and Jupiter set together in
the west before iopm and will be joined by the crescent Moon on the
if’ and z2. Mars is still visible overhead in the evening in Taurus,
setting m the west by z AM.
MARCH
At the start of the month, Jupiter and Venus come into conjunction in
the west as the Sun is setting, and they will be joined above the horizon
by Mercury at the end of the month. Mars will be directly overhead at
sundown and set at around 2am. Mercury and Saturn will be too close
to the Sun for observation at the start of the month, but by the middle
of the month, Saturn becomes visible in the east at dawn and will be
very close to the crescent Moon as it passes on the 19th•
APRIL
At the start of the month, Mercury will be visible low in the western
sky just after sunset, with best viewing during the greatest eastern
elongation on April 11th• Venus and Mars remain visible in the west at
sunset until midnight. The Lyrid Meteor Shower, radiating from the
constellation Lyra, peaks the night of the 22nd The thin crescent moon
will set early in the evening, leaving dark skws for what should be an
excellent show. Saturn is visible in the southeast at dawn.
MAY
For all of May, Venus is just below Mars in the west at sundown, both
setting just after midnight. Saturn rises just before 3 AM and is visible at
dawn in the east all month. Jupiter joins Saturn in the east at dawn by
the second week of May, and Mercury joins them and maybe visible
by the end of the month, with best possibility for viewing during its
greatest western elongation on the 29U
JUNE
Venus and Mars are still visible in the western sky at sundown, with
Venus shining its brightest during its greatest eastern elongation on
June 4h• First Saturn and then Jupiter rise in the eabi after midnight
and are visible until dawn.
JULY
The full moon on the 3rd is the first of four Supermoons in 2023 when
11
the full TflOOIl is close to perigee and therefore appears larger and
brighter than usual. Venus and Mars are still visible setting in the west
at sundown. Saturn rises in the east at io pm, with Jupiter following at
2AM and being visible unhi dawn.
AUGUST
The August i” full moon is the second of four Supermoons The
Perseid Meteor Shower, with meteors radiating from the constellation
Perseus, peaks on the 12th, producing up to 6o meteors per hour. The
crescent moon should make visibility good, with best viewing after
midnight. Mars may be seen briefly in the west at sundown, setting
just after 9PM. Saturn is visible all night and will shine brightest on its
date of opposition on the 27th• Another full moon on the 31” is the third
of four Supermoons in 2023, and also a Blue Moon, which refers to the
second full moon in the same month.
SEPTEMBER
Mars is visible briefly in the west at sundown as Saturn is rising in the
east. Jupiter rises in the east in Aries at to pm. Venus is visiblejust before
sunrise, ‘rising above the horizon at about 5 AM. The full moon on the
29(h is the last of four Supermoons in 2023, shining big and bnght.
OCTOBER
Jupiter rises in Aries in the eastern sky at 8 PM and will travel through
the sky all night. Saturn can be seen in the southeast in Aquarius at
sundown, setting in the west at 3 AM. Mercury and Mars will be too
close to the Sun to see. The Draconid Meteor Shower peaks on October
7ih with meteors radiating from the constellation Draco. The Moon
will be in the last quarter, allowing for dark skies in the early evening,
which is the best time for viewing this meteor shower, On the New
Moon on the 14th, there will be an Annular Solar Eclipse, which occurs
when the Mcon in too far away from Earth to completely cover the
Sun. This partial solar eclipse will be visible throughout much of North
and South America. The Orionid Meteor Shower peaks on October zi.
Best viewing from a dark location after the first quarter moon sets
shortly after midnight. Meteors radiate from the constellation Orion
at about 20 meteors per hour. Venus can be seen rising at 3 AM, shining
brightly in the eastern sky until sunrise.
NOVEMBER
Looking directly south at sundown, Saturn will be visible in Aquarius,
setting in the west at midnight. Jupiter will be visible all night, rising in
the east at sundown and setting in the west at sunrise, being brightest
on its date of opposition on the 3td The Taurid Meteor Shower peaks
on the 411 with best viewing after midnight. The Leoizid Meteor Shower
peaks on the 7th with up to 15 meteors per hour. Venus is visible in the
eastern sky at dawn.
DECEMBER
Mercury is visible in the western sky just after sunset at the beginning
of the month, with its greatest eastern elongation on the 4th, Saturn
will be due south at sundown and sets before midnight. Jupiter will be
rising in the east at sundown, setting in the svest at 4AM. The Gerninid
Meteor Shower peaks on December 13, and is known as the best
shower in the heavens with tao multi-colored meteors per hour. The
Gemmids should he excellent this year with the Moon being nearly
new. Venus is visible in the eastern sky at dawn and wilt start the
month right next to Spica, the brightest star in the constellation Virgo.
 The Differcuce Between 11w Constellations and the Signs
The astronomical Constellations of the Zodiat arc I lie star pk hires cit ii ncqia I length t hat we see in the sky, through which the Sun, Moon,
and planets I ravel as thc irclc the 1 at tli hew ate used iii this ( aIcIl(Iar T hey ite d is! TIC t from the Signs of the Zodiac used in most popular
astro1Og) which arc 30° divisions ot the ci liptit u.iri )‘ing the same names. Iwgi ui iig wit Ii o’ Aries at the point where the Sun rises at the Spring
Equinox Due to the rlwthm known as the Precession of the Equinox, this point moves hack i’1 in rcLit on to the fi xcd starry background every
seventy-IWO ‘tars The two ,odiacs coincided at the t line when Ptolemy wac first mapping the sta rs, hut now the con stellat ion Pisces stands
behind the Sun at the Spring Fquino, and by 2375 it viIl hc Aquatius Maria Ihunc rcccarch with plants hac consistently shown the effects of the
constelIations rather than the Signs
Key for Reading the Monthly Charts
Zodiacal Constellations Sun, Moon The Course of Planetary Events
SYMBOL LATIN ENGlISH ELEMENT and Planets the Moon
REGION
0,,0 Opposition
Aries Ram 29° 27.6’ F ire 0 Sun New Moon ci” Conjunction
Taurus Bull Earth Moon C First Quarter 0cc Occultation
530 36.6’ ci
Trine
Gemini Twins 90014.4 Air Earth Q Full Moon
Cancer Crab 1200 24’ Water Mercury Last Quarter I Sun Eclipse
Moon Eclipse
Ieo Lion 138° 54’ Fire
9 Venus Pg Perigee

‘9? Virgo Virgin 174° 30’ Earth Mars Ag Apogee R Begins retrograde motion
___ Libra Scales 2200 Air 24.. Jupiter Highest Point D Resumes direct motion

7fl, Scorpio Scorpion 241° 15.6’ Water Saturn Lowest Point a Ascending Node
se1 Sagittarius Archer 269° 13.2 Fire
It4 Uranus 15 Descending Node
Note: In the Southern
Z Capricorn Goat 300° 46.8’ Earth Neptune
Hemisphere, fl and
Aquarius Waterman 327° 16.2’ Air Pluto are reversed.

Pisces Fishes 3470 51.6’ Water

A Note About Time

Eastern Standard Time (- hours from Greenwich Mean Time) is used consistently throughout this Calendar. We have already compensated for
Daylight Saving Time (- hours) from March12 to November 5, so within the Eastern Time Zone no adjustments should be made. Outside U.S A.
AM I PM

adjust for local Daylight Saving Time. ID ‘I IL I 1 3

S 4. 7

tgi6i4iaxjzxtx
If you live west of this zone, subtract the appropriate number of hours, I I I I I I I I I
e.g.. for Pacific Standard Time: AM PM
Il ‘2- I 14 ic j’ i if i
if you live cast of this zone, add the appropriate number of hours, S -YfKg,4’j4r 3 4 5
I I I
e.g.. for England: I I I I I I

The small numbers also refer to time, e.g., Pull Moon at 3:00 AM is indicated as Q3. These times are on a scale of twenty-four hours. An
adjustment according to time zones will also need to be made in these cases.

Practical Use of the Calendar

When Root, Leaf Flower or Fruit appear under the noon hour, then the whole day is influenced by the Moon’s presence in a consteUation
beneficial to that part of the plant. When the Moon moves into a new constellation, this is also shown.
C ) indicates the even stronger influence of a planetary Trine, when the planets are in constellations which enhance the same part of the
plant. This may be different from the influence of the constellation through which the Moon is passing. Flower] is indicated when the Moon’s
Apogee occurs in a Root or Leaf time.
indicates a suggestion to avoid these hours for seed sowing whenever possible. These times are figured two hours before and after the
Moon’s Ascending and Descending Nodes, twelve hours before and after Perigee, Eclipses, and the Nodes of Mercury and Venus. A four hour
transition time when the Moon moves into a new constellation is also avoided. For those who are interested in tollowing the course of the planets
through the zodiac, their date of entry into a new constellation is shown. e.g., 9 Z as veIl as retrograde and direct motion. e.g.) R
Calendar of the Soul Verses
At the top right of the monthly charts, Calendar of the Soul verse numbers refer to a series of fifty-two short verses by Rudolf Steiner, which link
the passage of the year with various moods and capacities of the soul. These verses begin with number one at Easter each year and generally
progress with a new verse on each following Sunday, except in the weeks before and after Easter when it falls particularly early or late. The verse
numbers for the month are offered at the top of the charts to assist those who follow the Calendar of the Soul.

II

That which we experience within ourselves only at a time when
our hearts develop love is actually the very same thing that is
present as a substance in the entire beehive. The whole beehive is
penneated with l(fe based on love.
Rudolf Sterner
What animals do you connect to most strongly? Are you a dog-
person? A cow-person? A horse-person? A bee-person? Are
these just empty phrases, or is there something more to our
connection with animals?
My teacher and mentor, Gunther Hauk, humorously draws
attention to the gestures of animals that we embody sometimes
we are slow as a sloth, timid as a mouse, eat like a pig, or act bullheaded.
Anthroposophy recognizes that animals do not only live
and reproduce but that they also have a soul. The word animal
itself is denved from the latin anima, which translates to soul
and psyche. As Gunther points out, we have qualities of soul that
are exemplified by the life, instincts, and wisdom of the animals.
In the quote above, Rudolf Steiner gets pretty specific
he shares that as human hearts develop love, we are inwardly
experiencing what pervades the atmosphere of the entire
beehive. Rudolf Steiner often directs our attention towards those
processes in nature that are reflected in the human being. He
offers this deeper truth in a mantra
If you would know wur own being
Look round you on all sides in the world;
If you would truly see and understand the world
Contemplate the depths of your own soul.
All around us. processes and phenomena are occurring
that also have their reflection within us. Minerals, plants.
animals, stars, wind, water, fire...all these processes in nature
are also inside the human being. Another example of the link
between humans and honeybees may continue to illuminate this
connection between what is outside us and what is inside us.
Many experiences in life pass us by without ever being
taken in. Many are fleetmg. seemingly common, and easily
overlooked. The power of directed attention, interest, and being
present with all of the senses can help us drink up the fullness of
an experience. But even being actively engaged in the moment
does not yet save and preserve this experience as nourishment
for our soul. In order to transform a transitory experience into
knowledge, we must build up the experience again within us.
Reflecting upon, inwardly picturing, and re-living an experience
as intensely as possible is a way to transform an experience that
could otherwise be fleeting and make no Impression on us. The
more energetically we work inwardly with an experience, the
llcckccping as a Spiritual Path — By Alex !uchman
P
;b4
.
2 and truth-seeking striving to understand the bees. I also learn
I
deeper and more lasting the fruits of that experience can be. We
can take something that was otherwise fleeting and make it alive
and lasting within us.
The bees carry out a strikingly similar process in making
honey. Honey is the only food on earth that does tint spoil and
can last for thousands of years. But this incredible substance
is made by the bees from nectar, a transient substance that
vaporizes quickly into thin air. ‘1 he volatile organic compounds
of nectar are part of the initial sensory experience which draws
the bee towards the flower When the bee lands on the tIOWCL and
hringc nectar infr her body, the process of transformation begins.
Ihe nectar first goes into the crop, or ‘honey stomach,” where it
getc mixed and enriched with yeasts, bacteria, and acids, which
kick-start the fermentation process as the foraging honeybee
hums from flower to flower Once her crop is full, she flies back
to the hive, where she pacces the enriched nectar from her crop
to another bee who ic waiting to receive this precious substance
Once received, thic bee brings the enriched nectar up into the
warm alchemy chamber cells where she continues to work on
the nectar with the sourdough” starter that she has in her crop.
taking the nectar in and out of her body several times before
placing it in the wax cell to ferment and ripen Ac the process
of transformation comes towards its completion, the bees slow
down and halt the ripening process by standing over the honey
and fanning their wings, helping to evaporate the water until the
honey reaches about 17% moisture and stops fermenting. Then.
they cap the cell with fresh wax, and the honey can be stored
there for as long as is needed.
The image of the bees making honey can bnng true sweetness
to our souls when we see how human bcngs can do the very
same thing! This is summed up beautifully by the words of the
poet Rainer Maria Thlke, who wrote:
“It is our task to imprint this temponnc perishable earth
into ourselves so deeply, so painfully and passionately, that
its essence can rise again ‘invisibIv, inside us. We are the
bees of the invisible. We wildly collect the honey of the
visible, to store it in the great golden hive of the invisible.”
The key of spintual science has opened many doors for me
in this exploration, allowing the honeybees to become one of my
great teachers. They inspire me by their life in so main’ ways: to
develop love for others tn my heart, to make honey out of my daily
experiences, to offer the fruits of my work selflessly to others.
In this way, I have become a bee-person. In my earnest
to understand myself. And in rn truth-seeking striving to
understand myself. I also learn to understand the bees. I ask the
bees: who are you? What do vim need? 1-low can I serve you?
And to truly answer these questions I am brought back to the
central task in my own spiritual striving: HUMAN BEING,
KNOW L’HYSELF. M the same time of asking “Who are your
I am also asking, ‘Who am l?’ lhrough anthroposophy, I have
totLild a pracLLcal way to transtorm beekeepLng into a spiritual
path In other words, I am a human being whose spiritual path
is inextricably linked to the honeybees and the whole world of
nature, a pathway where the wisdom of the world can become the
wisdoni ot the human being
MERCURY VENUS MARS JUPITER Virtue of the Month
a ‘—3 Al ts
ca
anuary 2023 COURAGE BECOMFS THE POWER TO REDEEM
CR a—IS) Its Oppocite TIMIDITY, ANXIETY
.V#-31 =
SATURN URANUS NEPTUNE PLUTO Calendar of the Soul Verses 40—44
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 Mining thc Sacrcd — fly Aaron French (111(1 Katie Singer
In order to produce and preserve food, delivci clectricitv. rs. .-a.
manufacture and operate computers, access networks and data r

centers, manufacture and operate “renewable” solar and wind I

ni,
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systems. motorized vehicles (including tractors and electric Fir $

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vehicles) and so much more, our society depends on extractcd 4

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ores and fossil fuels. t

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Manufactunng one smartphonc requires hundreds of

4’
substances, including coppers gold, silver, cerium, cobalt, coltan,
lithium, quartz. petroleum coke and tin.’ We consumers rarely
see the impacts of industrial-scale, corporate extraction and
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smelting—the energy and water consumed, the greenhouse gases IL •‘‘

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and toxins emitted, the worker hazards or wildlife habitat losses. N’

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And yet. the impacts arc steep. For every single ton of metal ‘I’
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extracted, 426 tons of waste arise.2 More people have been 4

murdered over mining for caftan than any other single event 4—

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since World War II.’ (Refined to a powder, coltan holds charge tb’ e
S,b 4: Ltt_ ‘t-w —
.1%..

in mobile devices.) Producing one ton of lithium (also used in t St..

batteries for mobile devices and e-vehides) uses 500,000 gallons 4

of water, often taken from farmers.

In ancient times, many people believed that spirits ruled the
underground. a sacred realm. They saw the Earth as feminine
and called her 4Mother Earth” or Terra Mater. They believed
that metals, stones, elements and even tools were “conceived” by
polarized male and female energetic flows. Ores grew deep in
the Earth over time, like fetuses. Miners entered mineshafis
birth canals and sacred wombs with reverence. They believed
that without reverence, engaging the underworld would be
dangerous and blasphemous.
Discovering and extracting ores meant “meddling with the
natural order of things ruled by some higher law, and intervening in
a secret and sacred process2 Indeed, while earlier people recognized
the benefits of mining, smelting. tool-making and commerce, they
also perceived that extracting and transforming ores into usable
metals and gems amused eviL’ They believed that technology
bmught about as much destruction as cultural progress.
Sacred Union with the Earth
In earlier eras, in places like Malaysia and Africa, local priests
oversaw the digging of new mines. These tribal leaders
recognized the Earth as a living being whose minerals and metals
revealed themselves only with proper blessings. Before digging.
miners prayed and evoked the mine’s ancestors.8 Before entering
a mine, to protect themselves from the underground’s dangers,
miners needed inner purity. They fasted, meditated and prayed.
Before smelting burning a furnace to reduce a metal from
ore workers observed strict sexual abstinence They considered
smelting a sacred sexual marriage of 4male’ and 4female’ ores. ‘Ic)
ensure the magical union’s success, workmen needed to reserve
their sexual energy.9
Today, in Peru, traditional, small-scale miners give offerings
to patron statues to appease Supay, Lord of the Underworld, and
a race of demons.° Bolivian tin miners make offerings to a devil-
like creature they call Ho, whom they believe owns the minerals
and metals.”
In Obuasi, a Ghanaian gold-mining town, many believe that
gold possesses spiritual energy; and that it serves as a conduit for
higher spiritual beings. To revere the mine’s deities and riches,
tribe members carry out complex ceremonies. They believe that
deities manifest gold only in response to proper, unselfish rituals.
Forcing the Earth to Surrender
Aristotle claimed that the Earth formed minerals and metals
by its inhalations and exhalations. Early modern scientists self-
declared “priests of nature” like Francis Bacon inverted Aristotle’s
paradigm. They redefined Mother Earth as a secretive woman who
hid her knowledge and wealth. Bacon, a shareholder in a European
mining company, helped patent new mining techniques.h1 He
advocated for “contained controlled” methods that force the Earth
to reveal her mysteries and surrender her sacred resources
Carolyn Merchant called this inversion “the death of nature.”
wherein modern science and technology turn the Earth into a
warehouse of dead, exploitable commodities. ‘Ibis change made
nature, ores and fossil fuels into raw materials to be dominated,
dismantled and rnastered. It freed people to extract ores without
consi raiflis.
Others might call industnal-scale extractions for instant
communication and access to international data.. a Faustian
bargain.
Mining for Profit
Conflicts over traditional, small-scale, sacred mming and large-
scale operations conducted by transnational corporations have
grown increasingly violent.” As Lauren Covie Rosen explains,
“lower forms of spirits.. .may respond with gold to unethical
rituals performed by those seeking wealth. Any such gains tend
to dissipate in short order, however, as they are derived through
injustice and falsehood.”bo
Urgently, we need education about what our digital activities
ask of the Earth and ourselves, and to reconsider our thinking
and regulations around mining We need forums to learn how to
reduce our consumption olores, energy and s ncr—to reduce our
impacts on ecological svsems and tndigenous communities. Ve
need to strengthen traditional skills in grossing and preserving
food and teaching aid learning without an electronic interface.
To begin to restore balance to our relationshtp with the Earth.
a sentient being on hose sacred both our lives depend, we
invite computer users to trace the suppL chain of one substance
in their coinpuer and to share their research with neighbors,
classmates and coworkers Cultural change happens in groups of
seven For a list of one sniariphones woo-plus substances, visit
www.OurVeh.tech/campaign.
[See iiwtde back cover tin references.]
 Virtue of the Month:
MERCURY VENUS MARS JUPITER
1—12 x d
February 2023 DISCRFJTfON BECOMES MEDITATIVE STRENGTH
10—28 1tsOpposite:COMMENTCRITIC1SM
91-28
Calendar of the Soul: Versec 44—48
SATURN URANUS NEPTUNE PLUTO
-r >4
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The intention of this piece is to examine the question of the
consumption of meat and harvest of animals for human
consumption. What light can anthroposophy, “the path for
human beings to find their humanity.” offer?
On the one hand, Rudolf Steiner frequently touted the
spintual benefits ofvegetananism and on the other, he instigated
a new approach to agriculture, now called Biodynamics,
which involves the slaughter of animals. Why have many
anthroposophists chosen a vegetarian diet? And, why have most
biodynamic frmers chosen to eat, raise, and market meat?
In Lecture 8 of Steiner’s Agriculture Course, we find a key
example of the parador “The real advantage of the vegetarian mode
of life is that it makes us stronger because we draw {brth from the
organism fbrces which would otherwise be lying Miow there... If
we only eat plant fried, these ftwces are called into activity to lift the
plant up to human nature. If, on the other hand, we eat animal ftod
from the outset these ftntes are left latent in the organism... Now
let us come to the quesbon. how should we fatten animals?... Oh,
the pigs, the fat pigs and sows what heavenly creatures they are!”
Here Rudolf Steiner espouses the advantage ofavegetarian mode of
lifeand in thenextparagraph goeson to explainhowto fatten a pig!
How are we to respond? lest we overlook. Steiner actually
begins the whole statement with: “Thus there are two sides to
every question, and we must realize how all these things are
individualized. We cannot give hard and fast prthciples”
Karl Känig elaborates on Steiner’s statement above: “If we
eat plant food, we have to carry out the transformation from the
vegetable to the animal, and then from the animal to the human;
we go through a double sequence of stages, and in so doing we
employ forces which otherwise remain dormant” Are Kbnig and
Steiner pointing to some easy access to spiritual development?
Hardly. Rudolf Steiner once told a friend: “ff1 put on a magician’s
doak and asked people to perform the craziest exercise, like
running up some mountain at midnight to do something
nonsensical, believe me, they would all do it! Everyone would be
chasing after me. But to spend years of effort to overcome and set
aside perhaps just one character weakness or bad habit that’s
just not interesting, is it? People simply don’t believe that a single
change in their own character such as a vain person admitting
his vanity and becoming ashamed of it could possibly have more
impact on their spiritual progress than listening to hundreds of
lectures or committing all of my lecture cycles to memory 1...] .“
Konig continues, “It would, however, be misguided to eat
only plants just because this utilizes more forces. There should
be no sectarianism in nutrition, no single valid point of view.
We need to cultivate insight so that we gradually learn to discern
Vegetarianism — By Ezra Sullivan
r
I anthropocophic farm brings human, animal, plant, and mineral
‘1:, e ;,?
4 span Is completed. Natural life? If your elderly goat had anything
t
S
‘U
S
‘-I
-I,
I..
t Humane meat prod uction, in the end, is rooted in the betrayal
N
‘4 ..
whether we have sufficient forces available to be able to take in
plant nourishment and to digest it consistently, or whether we
are so tired and weakened that we don’t have the necessary forces
at our disposal to digest vegetable food:’
This discernment must be honored as an individually held
choice. As an aid to our discernment, we must face the fact of the
degeneration of humanity since leaving traditional diets behind.
Industrialized consciousness has created broken soils, de-cultured
plants, and suffering animals. Weston A. Price and Sally Faflon
Morell have documented the consequences of leaving traditional
diets behind. Every healthy traditional culture Weston A. Price
encountered consumed animal foods, and those who didn’t regularly
have access to them showed the effects of decay and degeneration.
Yet anthroposophy indicates that traditional wisdom is in
a process of decline, and will not serve as the path forward for
human society. Traditional diets can help serve as a model to
start with, but the task is to attune the diet for the individual.
Ultimately, there are as many ideal diets as there are human
beings on the earth. For a choice to be taken freely it must
emanate from the inner depths rather than from an outside
influence, including the teachings of Rudolf Steiner!
Now to the question of the morality of harvesting animals.
Steiner never conceptualized a healthy farm without the
harvesting of animals. The preparations to be added to the
compost, which are central to the biodynarnic work, involve the
harvesting of the animals to use various parts as sheaths. the
realms into dynamic relationship Life and death are one of the
most important dynamics to work with in the present age
Here I will explicitly cite and respond to some of the specific
points that have been raised from vegetarians
The livestock’s natural lift is cut short long before its normal Qfe
close to a “natural life” it would be torn apart by coyotes. When
livestock are domesticated, the human takes on the role as overseer
of the natural order. In nature, the vast maonty of animals die
young. The farm follows the came natural order of population
control by harvesting young and/or lesser animals for consumption.
In animal husbandry every bull calf that is lesser than the supreizie
bull is harvested, and when a heifer starts lookrng better than a cow,
the cow is replaced. Farmers see the potential in the herd and pull it
out into manifestation through observation and action.
of a trusting and vulnerable friend. As a farmer, I only eat my
friends. From birth through slaughter and consumption. good
farmers love their animals, and hold them as sacred What is
consumption but an opportunity for communion? Orland Bishop
has said that sacrifice means to make sacred. The act of harvest,
when done in a sacred manner. is an act consecrated in love. It is
an act that speaks so intimately to the role of the human being on
this earth as steward. Remorse over the killing of an animal is more
a result of a fractured culture that is afraid of death. Placing death-
phobia within a spiritual movement that refers to those that have
crossed the threshold as. “the so-called dead,” is a head-scratcher.
The dead are in Iiict with us. They have never left Lives appear to
be taken from a viewpoint centered only on what physical sensory
perception between birth and death can behold.
It is feasible that the animals can be retained flit their necasazy
manure and permitted to live out the entirety of their lives on the
farm. Who conducted that feasibility study? Where do all the excess
animals go? Eventually. gwen the size of the land holding, and
assuming animals are bred back irequent1 the land will become
quickly overcrowded. In this picture. there c-an no longer be birth
because of the inability to Face death. Without death there is no life.
Abstraction is certainly at the heart of this issue of vegetarianism
and the sacred tenthngof the munals. Farmers tend their animals for
generations. through birth and death. The tütuxe impulses of sacred
tendmg of anunals will not come from an armchair, but instead from
those most intunate with the animals themselves, the farmers.
‘ Adeiheid Petersen. Re,,,i,IIsce?IceS of Rudolf Steiner.
Konig, NLstrst,unfrv??I Earth a,t1 Cosmos. Floris Books (2015)
 Virtue of the Month:
MERCURY
i-Il Z
VENUS

I—li)( i-26d
MARS JUPITER
March 2023 MAGNANIMJTY BECOMES LOVE
Z6-3I )1. Its Opposite: PETTINESS. NARROWNESS

SATURN URANUS NEPTUNE PLUTO Calendar of the Soul: Verses 48—51

0 C eAgfl C CONJUNaIONS,
DATE AM PM WORK NOTES
IN ZODIAC Pg 13 PHASE OPPOSITIONS, & EVENTS 123456789101112123456789101112
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 a

A Pcrsonal Journey to Farming — fly Jessica Iirob5t

“Christ is the Spirit of the Earth, and the Earth is His Body
Everything that rows upon the earth is Christ. He lives in every
seed, in every tree, all that grows upon the carth.”—RudoIf Steiner
I have been farming for seven years. mostly at Hawthorne ‘allcy
Farm as the dairy herd managcr. My work here has challenged
almost every aspect of my being aspects I didn’t even know
existed—and I have become aware that it is inextricably linked
to my own spintual development. My life feels guided by my
destiny, and I have learned deep lessons from my studies in
anthroposophy and my experiences of farming with animals and
people. I feel a light has been flipped on in my consciousness,
allowing me to move and function in the world in ways that were
completely hidden to me before I came to this place.
I grew up in a Christian home with a strong-willed father
who emphasized the importance of biblical law and the
sovereignty of God in a fashion perhaps more appropriate to
the Old Testament than the New. He was certainly capable of
demonstrating love to me, my family and the constant stream
back on a quiet country road, growing food in healthy ways
and acking the applicant if they want to work somewhere doing
something that matters and allows one to find connection. To
work hard and find purpose I felt like I had been hand delivered
an answer to my inner quest.
I
My awe and the connections I felt at that first farm carried me
I forward, ultimately to Hawthorne Valley Farm, where, as I stated in my
opening paragraph, my life has been forever illuminated and ignited.
But how to explain this within the confines of a one-page article?
Perhaps the best way is to simply lay it nut I fell in love with Hawthorne
Valley and its mission before I even stepped on its soiL Something
within it spoke to comethingwithin me, like a lover whispcnng dreams
a
and possibilities into the ear of the beloved I continued to believe
that I could learn about “God” first hand, and my first forays Lnto
4
anthroposophy through dasses, mentorships and personal study not
only corroborated this, but declared it to be the only method to actually
do so. Working in community and with animals ignited much internal
chaos and external conflict but in efforts to get to the bottom of it rather
C

than blaming others (my first instinct), showed me how everythmg I

of animals in our care, but to preach a gospel of Love and
Forgiveness was less in his personal arsenal than judgement and
the ned for repentance.
An adoration ftr my father, despite his uncompromising
ways, coupled with my own personal experiences in prayer, had
me longing to spend a life devoted to the threefold God I felt
I knew. Yet I began to face many questions and challenges as I
grew older. What transpired m my late teens and early twenties
can only be described as a painful separation from the trust,
familiar love, faith and guidance of my family, and a thrust into
personal independence. Ties were broken and experiences were
had, and whether! knew it then or not. I could never be the same
person again or view Christianity in the same innocent way.
As a young person on the shyer side, you would easily find
me holed up with the resident dog or cat at any gathering, rather
than making conversation with my peers. This love of animals
propelled me in my search for employment, and one of my first
jobs was for a bustling kennel and grooming facility in my home
town. Many similar jobs carried me through my young adult life,
with their comforting rhythms and expectations, and helped to
teach me the priceless gift of hard work
But my heart cried out for something that my mind
couldn’t articulate. Modern Christianity left too many holes
in my thought process to be covered up by faith alone. I could
accept that there was something greater almost every culture
recognizes this, and I could recognize it too but Christianity
seemed so specific, so limited, and seemed to leave too many
people out in the cold for all its declarations of Love. A
C
breakthrough finally dawned—I thought about the apostles
and the writers of the New Testament. If these people could
experience God through some inner vision of spirit, then
perhaps I could too. Verses 20 and 21 in the first chapter of the
book of Romans became a powerful point of focus for me. They
say there is no excuse for not knowing God) because creation
teaches and reveals the spiritual attributes of the divine clearly
since the beginning of time. How could I shape and define my
life to allow the spiritual reality of God to make itself known?
In hindsight, I think (his quest to reunite with something
greater than myself set me on a path. It wasn’t long after
this that I made my way to farming. When I came aCrOSS an
advertisement from an organic vegetable farm, I remember
being awestruck with the description. A beautiful farni set
meet has the capacity to reflect something back to me of my own life
and inner state of being. I felt raw and exposed and nxlnerable and so,
so incredibly guilty When I came face to face with the true existence,
the true reality of the love, forgiveness and connection I have available
to me thmugji the sacrifice of the divme the sacrifice of the Chnst I was
literally brought to ILly knees.
How did this embodied understanding of Love grace my
being? It feels so woven into me at this point, how can I peel back
the layers of time to remember the specifics of that enlightened
period, that Damascus moment, as I like to think of it, that
turned me from the person I was, to the person I am on the
road to becoming. All I can state with certainty, is that it caine
from a heartfelt and brutally honest declaration to the stars that
I wanted to know who they are and what they want from me.
I want to know God and I want to live a life of devotion. Who
would have thought that the resultmg answer would pierce my
soul and show me how much the universe wants to know me as
well; how much my path is sculpted with my exact individuality
in mind?
I am a farmer, but I am a human first. Some days this feels
like the same truth. A steward of growing things. a learner of
wisdom, and a participant in this grand dance of relationships
that is life and existence. I grow food, but I too am growing. I
seek better systems and healing for the animals in my care; so
too do I want these things for myself. I believe we can change
the world f we all would come into relationship with the world.
Vish me blessings on my lourney to do this, and I will do the
same for you
 MERCURY VENUS MARS JUPITER
I-s ),(
‘t-3° -r
i-5t XE 3’ April 2023 Virtue of the Month:
DEWOTION BECOMES THE FORCE OF SACRIFICE
CR 2t-30) Its Oppocite: NO CONCERN, SPRING FEVER
SATURN URANUS NEPTUNE PLUTO
-r Calendar of the SouL Verses 51—4

0 ( e Ag fl
DATE CONJUNCTIONS, AM
IN ZODIAC ki Pg U PHASE OPPOSm0NS, & EVENTS 123456 7891011121
I
PM
WORK NOTES
234 SE 789101112
1SAT
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 MARS Virtue of the Month:
MERCURY
‘V
VENUS
i-7d
JUPITER
May 2023 INNER BALANCE BECOMES PROGRESS
CR 1-1*) 7-31X i-2iX
21-31S 20-31 7’
Its Opposite: EXTERNALS TAKE OVER, TOO BUSY

SATURN URANUS NEPTUNE PLUTO Calendar of the Soul: Verses 4—8

-r

e ( eAgfl( CONJUNCTiONS,
DATE AM PM
OPPOSITIONS, & EVENTS WORK NOTES
IN ZODIAC 6 Pg ti PHASE 1 2 3 4 567891011121 23456789101112
I’ 0
1 MON ‘V C) U it C

2ThE51’I’IS 0 do
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 Earthly and Cosmic Nutrition, Part 2 — By !Jranko Furst, MD
It is not the bread alone that feeds us, what nourishes in bread is V So, what happens to an ingested earthly nutnent? After being
God’s eternal Word, is Spirit, and is Lfc. moistened by the sal Wa and broken down by chewing, the foodstuffs
—Angelus Silesius (1624—1677) •1’W
are swallowed and propelled down the esophagus to reach the
stomach, where they undergo a preliminary digestion and are subject
The earth should be viewed as a living beings a gitat mother who giws ‘I, c

to the action of pepsin and hydrochloric acid. The contents of the

birth to a rich diwisityoflik It too receives nutzition in the fürm of high
energy particles, solar wind, and cosmic dust. What distinguishes
Earth from other cosmic bodies is the physical life in its myriad
manifestations. Howevet the Earth, as one of the planets in our solar
system. is onlyapartofalargercosmicbethgthatfindsitsmicmcosmic
ewression in humans. Its creators and sustainers ait spiiitual beings,
the heaveniy hieraidues whose visible manifestation are zodiacal
t —-- S
stomach are thoroughly mixed by rhythmic contractions and expelled
through the pyloric sphincter into the duodenum. It is here that the
I
main digestive processes take place. Proteins. carbohydrates, and
fats are broken down to their building blocks by the correspondmg
S
enzymes (peptidases, amylases, and lipases) secreted in abundance
by intestinal glands and the pancreas. The bile, manufactured by the
liver from the senescent red blood cells, emulsifies fats and renders

cons*ellation& The sun is its heart and the planets are its otgans. them accessible to enzymatic breakdown. fntntinal absorption
It may sound paradoxical, but the inception of human beings can begins only after the fbodstuffs have been reduced to a whitish, liquid
be traced to the distant Saturn’s condinon of warmth, which already state, the thyme. Having been stripped of traces of animality (in case
contained hit germs’ of the nascent humanity. As the being of the of ingested animal products) and of life (in case of fresh vegetables
world grew in complexity while passing through the subsequent and fruits), the nutrients are now reduced to a mineralized state. They
evolutionaiy stages the gmup-souls of animals sepanted off etc., offer us a direct experience of the outer and inner environment. can now be absorbed by the intestinal viM and transported to the
during the ancient Sun, and plants during the ancient Moon They can be seen as a kind of ethereal nourishment that enter liver by the portal venous system. The liver Ls the for metabohc
evolution. Finafly the crystallization of solid earth out of the wateryour soul and spirit directly through the portals of the senses. In organ where the substances are again ‘enlivenee and transformed
moon condition made it possible fir humans to become sepante anthioposophical physiology, this refined process that nourishes us into hwnan protein, fats. and sugaa While a vast mority of ingested
indMdualized beings This came to pass during the current Earth fctua11y and culturally, is called “breathing of the senses.” Substances nutrients serve as a souice ofmetaboilc fuel used fbi the maintenance
period of evolutionary development. In other words, we possess in homeopathic dilutions and beyond the threshold of sense ofvitai functions, constant body temperature and energy for inner
our humanity on account of the other kingdoms of nature having perception stream through the senses as formative forces that sculpt and outer movement, i.e.. physical work, only a fraction of them is
pncipitated out from the original unified sb’eam of evolution. In view build, and provide building materials for the inner organs. used as building blocks ofthe brain and the system of nerv
of this, a great redprodty exists between humans and outer nature. A Air respiration is a familiar type of rhythmic exchange with In summary, we have shown that in place ofseeing the human
detailed knowledge of the mutual evolution of earth and humanity our environment In addition to life-giving oxygen, water vapor being at the top of the food chain as abstractly pnsented by
is accessible by way of anthroposophic cosmo1og It is at the core of and nitrogen, the inhaled air likewise contains light, warmth and a conventional science, an outline ofhuman nutntion is offered in its
anthroposophic medicine as well as biodynamic agiiailtuzz and it myriad of substances and forces which are taken up by the blood in micmcosmic-macrocosmic dimension. We discovered that such an
gives a rational basis for substance potentization. the lung and transported to tissues and organs throughout the body. expanded view includes not only the evolution of sulsances from
The elements earth. waLe, air, and rmth continue to be active Air, a physical-material expression of the world’s soul, is inhaled and their nascent condition ofwarmth through au water and earth but
in us in their primal, active stala Such a comprehensive view of the transformed within the lung to become our own, individualized also encompasses the combined evolution of humans animils and
elements gives us the key bar understanding the peculiar nature of soul. Rather than a transcendental or hypothetical entity touted by plants. This came to pass during the eons ofprevous conditions of the
nerv. muscles and inner organs. which are so diffeitnt fern anything conventional psychology the human soul consists of the sum-total Earth evolution. Indeed, the evolution ofsubstances towards the spiiit
we meet in outer naturt In keeping with the evolutionary stages, the of airy substances swirling and streaming through our organism. continues only in human metabolic pmcesses We ftixther mentioned
bodily organs can be grouped into the following three categories: Finally, we come to the physical body, which came into being that various nuthents belonging to earth. water and air are inthcately
• the brain and system of nerves and senses a bequest of the during the present, Earth evolution. The upright human form, bound wflh their respective ether counterparts. The ftmction of
Saturn evolution thinking, seilconsciousness and speech are traits that distinguish the human metabolic system is to transtbrm the substantial part of
• the breathing system. the heart and circulation—a gift of the humans from the animals. These qualities came about on account nutrients so that they can become a sowce ofenergy to sustain bodily
Sun evolution of the individualized human spirit, which acts as the agent of ftmct’ons and fbi human activity Ofcoume. the more vitality the food
• the movement-metabolic system a legacy of the Moon transformation of our internalized animal, plant and mineral natures. has, the more energy can be deriwd from it, and this depends upon
evolution It permeates and regulates all bodily functions. the quality of the soil where it was grown. The human spirit, on the
Of note is the fact that each of these groups of organs calls for Unlike the plants, which can assimilate earthly substances other hand. is nounshed by theethers which art ‘inhaled’ through the
their own kind of nutrition. and water directly through the system of roots, humans and selbes. Fan.4 the human soul is nourished by air, which, in addition
The brain, with its system of nerves and senses, connects us with animals can absorb earthly flLItrIeflts only indirectly by way of the to vapors and substances in a gaseous state also contains warmth, light,
the outer world and mediates the self-conscious, thmking human gastrointestinal tract, which delivers them to the metabolic system. and life. ihus is borne out the wsdorn ofAngelus Siksius who
spirit Sense impressions such as light, colors, tones, smells, touch, which, as we have seen, was acquired diii iiig (lit’ Mooji evolut ion. sats’ in hunger a yearmng for the Spirit.
 Virtue of the Month’
MERCURY
1-71’
VENUS
I-&x
MARS JUPITER
P
June 2023 PERSEVERANcE BECOMES FAITHFULNESS
22-3o Its Opposite: LOSS OF GRIP, GIVING UP
27-SaX 2s-30ç
SATURN URANUS NEPTUNE PLUTO Calendar of the Souj Verses 8—13
Øt’1-3D) p )( ( 3°) x’tCi)

SC eAgfl( coNjuNaIoNs, AM PM
DATE WORK NOTES
IN ZODIAC z1 PgZtPNASE OPPOSITIONS, & EVENTS 123456 78 910111212 3 4 5 678 9101112

1 THUR tJ - 7, (O4Z ot(oc4&

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22 THUR eQ’ Af
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25 SUN tI --
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26 MON 24
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2YTUES C
28 WED
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29 THUR
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30 FRI
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 living and Farming with Fire By (bra j’farin (,ar!con
Fire is as intrinsic to the earth as life itselt. In my Iwo decades of
corking with hiodynamics and interacting with many IlmIlltIlt’Iit
teachers and practitioners around the world, fire 11fl% been
talked about often as onc of the lout elements, which arc core
foundational concepts within the biod narnic undcrstanding 01
life and earth
Gardeners and farmers who use biodynarnic planting
calendars recognize that the passage of the moon through fire
signs in the zodiac supports the fruit and seed aspects of plants. We
also talk about how the horn silica hiodynamic preparation relates
to the air and fire elements, whereas the horn manure biodynarnic
preparation is connected to the earth and water elements, and thc
two preparations can be used to help balance the four elements
within our farms and gardens.
In recent wars, we who tend land in the Western part of
Turtle Island (and many other places around the world) have
been reckoning with fire in a completely different way as massive
and intense wildfires blow through our landscapes. year after
year. Fire does not just relate to ripening fruit or the dryness of
our summer pastures it is a specter of large-scale devastation
that haunts us from spnng through fall every year. and has
dramatically changed many of our lives.
Srnce 2015, 1 have lived at Monan’s Rill, an intergenerational
intentional community within the traditional homelands of the
inthgenous Wappo people, in what iS now known as Sonoma
Count); California For more than four decades, this community
has been home to around 30 people who have co-stewarded
414 acres of land encompassing diverse forests, oak savannas,
chaparral. creeks and ponds, pasture. a large vegetable garden,
and an orcharcL In the fall ofzozo, all but a few acres of this land
were severely burned in a wildfire kilhng many of the plants
and animals with whom we shared the land, and destroying our
community homes, barn, greenhouse, and other infrastructure.
After fearing and expecting that a wildfire would devastate
our community for several years before it happened. the actual
event deeply shifted my perspective. Running away from fire
no longer felt like an option, so 1 turned to face and embrace it
instea& I invited fire to become my teacher
I walked all over the charred and denuded land, feelmg the
crunch of bare black earth beneath my feet I laid inside the vast
holes left by burned tree roots, and held my hand against blackened
trunks, listening for lessens. I have watched with wonder the
explosions of vibrant wildflowers, the resilient resproutiilg of oak
and madrone trees, the return of humrningbirds and ;ackrabbits
before! could even identify anything that they might be able tu Cdl.
In witnessing the juxtaposition of devastalion dfld
a
I
t
• 1/
I ‘a’
t
t
‘C,4
J
4 — Stephen J Pvne. twin F’rr 3rd hicKory
regeneration in nature after wildfire, and reading and listening
to the voices of indigenous Californian wisdom keepers and
fire ecologists, it is so clear that these landscapes and the
indigenous people who have tended them for tens of thousands
of years co-evolved with fire, and need fire to be healthy
Fire is one of the elements that we were to use to take care
of the land and the plants and animals that livei here, nut
only physically but spiritually as well. And so to this day
we hold this responsibility to the creation around us to take
care of it physically and spiritually with fire. For thousasids
of yea rs we used fire from the highest n.uuntaias duwti to
the ocean to keep balance on the lu,id.
—I%1srgo Robbins, Yurok tubal member and Fxe utise Duettor
oi the (uliural Fire Managesiient CymK ii, an a iøu oillnw
presentation language of the laittI lrajjaLnuI lst tit I-Lie
I he way that V.’cslrrn i-ole .n,aI fc ‘minant culriirc has vilihed
lire, criininiliinl I ndigrnni is’ ilti irai h’ i rn ing. ci ippressed ignitions.
arid pccliufrnl ,iII tire from iandccapes .;n, r ihe early rrsc has been
the primary facior railing rr. nw PxpIflcurn nf A) many mega-Firt’c
in rcccnt years [be ffecic ‘bf these misguided •ind (ferply harmful
ntinigement strategies havø been Further “twerh.itecl by the
increaced heat. (Irnught. md Higl-i Wi ndc :atised lw . limare change
the Inteftonnecrinu between planet Farth, pI.tnt hic human
life, and lire ic immencelv (Jeep ‘He nerd ‘n rqmemher ‘his depth
as we navigate our Ititure relationchip with tire
Flint was a time when the Fart!, did ‘mt burn. n4,en xygni
ciii not 50(1k its atmnpherr. when plants did not encrust its
(antis. Hut frr more than on million ytan the planet has
burned. In some places and Hines. fire has trmmwd and
pruned flora: in others. it has hewn whoLe Inotas For
almost all the span of terrestrial fife. fire ha, continued, to
varying tiegnes. as an en vtrOmWTIAJI pttstnce. an ecoIicai
pmcess and an evolutionary force.. Fire’s Sorv is a ‘tory
qf the Earth awL ss myths entphaticaliy insist, a ctory of
ourselves. For fin we art the keystone species.
A few months alter the wildtire. I u’mpk’ted ‘aSI sildland
hrehghter training and tertiti*.ation v that I AnAl in to :ztt
intentional hrcs to care br and tend he and nut wilv the Ia-I
a.res where I live. hut land .artr..’. Cahuirnra snd ‘nond) ‘hih
desperatels’ needs tire to restore 1%dante t’ 1% ctt,smtcnt’.. ! hL.
training involved learning about evvrvthmg trurn ‘he cademhip
strutture ol the nata,nal Intident t onirnand Sntern. thc UN flalflka
othre behavior, to how dtttcrenc dLHJd toinlilions relate Cu ne-adier. to
the proper use ot pvtit1t breflghttng tools. kiter a runds-on ndd day
and arduous physital titnes. test, 1 was q’ •‘flcu to L) t*1t On OUtfls.
Eath presribcd Lire is an Lmtncr%L% e learning JppvrtUflifl lam
gratetul to have the menwr.Jiip ol some arnanng flre pratittonerc
and tue eLolugists as L develop in uiider$anding and kilk. \% hcn
1 in carrYing 3 drip tocth and puLting nre on the ground. t thitt
into a %taLe ot being miilar to ½hcn 1 open a bcehic ompkteiv
preenL in the moment. partnering with a Itie torte dut ts beautitul,
delicaw, and dangerous all at on.x, n.ise that an auions are a
key Lactur LII what happen. next. et I m neet tuIl in t)ntroL
%Vorktng wLth tire requires &iuiuIt ncou ourage. uiifldence. and
humility, 3. ½e11 a a oniniitnwiit to Liking tessoim troin even
iiigle eq’irleiKe
%hai colt does flit pIa% iii sour tifeand on the land .ou Lend?
% hat %.tuld it i:wui br ou o emhrae and partner with tire in
* 11’% 44
 Virtue of the Month:
MERCURY
I—Il 33: 0
VENUS MARS JUPITER
July 2023 SELFI.ESSNESS LEADS TO CATHARSIS
11-210 CR 22-Si) Its Opposite: SELF-ABSORPTION, WILLFULNESS
11-31 Q
SATURN URANUS NEPTUNE PLUTO
Calendar of the SouI Verses 13—18
)4 CR)

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 The Musical Origin of the Seven-Day Week — By Sara de Rose
I first saw Stella Natura thirty years ago, when a member of my to the naked eye—but why, I wondered, are the days arranged in this -

small, island community off the west coast Canada gave me his I high” (A) and “running
particular order? I woke up in the night and Imagined giving each low” (), nsaIiwfy When
previous year’s copy. I was intrigued: here was a map of the sky, of these “seven ancient planets” a number, depending on its apparent (3 emini
running higi, the mcxr is in
showing the placements of the sun, the moon, and the planets in speed. Miraculously, I came out with the sequence I,5,z6,3,7. Gemini; when running Iaiç it
the zodiac. Up until then, I hadn’t understood the zodiac to be How was this possible? Was there some connection between the
an astronomical tool—only something referred to by astrologers. major scale and the week? I had to find out. Because the sequence
(Taurus ancerJ tsinSttanusfktentje
two e,ctremes, it climbs up
With this new-found knowledge became deeply motivated to 4,1,5,2,6,3,7 selects the notes in the major scale from the circle of fifths, or & thrrx4 ilt zxxla
understand the cycles of the heavenly bodies. I decided to explore the origin of the circle of fifths. I soon learned __— Leo
constellations, ascending or
Ten years later, what I had learned about the movements of that musical intervals are heard by shortening a string to specific descending what we can
these bodies played an essential role in starting me on my Iifes lengths: to hear the octave, you play ½ of the string; to hear a fifth, pisces v
imagine as a seven-runged
work the re-claiming of the long-forgotten fact that the days you play % of the string. I then learned that you can play the fifth of ladder. The same pattern
of the week are ordered using a sequence found in music a the fifth, by plucking 3% of 3S of the string, and that you can do this Lsmadebythesunandthe
Lb
sequence known to the Mesopotamians (see next month’s repeatedly and that this is the origin of the circle of fifths: it is a planets. each in their own
artide). To explain, please let me tell you my story... circle of twelve notes, each one being the fifth (and therefore having thyihm.
Ma teenager, Ipicked up the guitar and tried to make sense of ¾ of the string length) of the note before it. Ca corn ‘0
In both astronomy and
music theory In looking for patterns, I made a list of the keys with I then read that Pythagoras is said to have created a scale music a circle of twelve
o, 1, z, eta, ... sharps (C. C, D. etc.,), coming out with what I later using only the intervals of the octave and the fifth (although we Se KtSrIUS becomes a ladder of seven.

learned is called the cirde of fifths. Looking for more patterns, I
selected the notes in the scak of C major from the circle of fifths
coming out with the sequence 4,1,5,2,6,3,7. Immediately, I saw that
this sequence can be rotated on the circle to select the notes in
any major scale. Over the next ten years,I used these patterns to
create a tool to teach myself music theory what! came to call the
“Musicircl&’ (https:!/musicirdanet/)
One evening in my mid-thirties, I lay in bed working out a theory
question with the Musickde. When I was done, I put it beside my bed
and my mind went on to other things—one of which was wondering
at the oixler of the days of the week. I had recently learned that the
days are named after the sun, the moon, and the five planets visible
32.
C
c C
.0 4 the zodiac, their elevations change. For example, in this calendar, the
4
now know that the Mesopotamians did this over a thousand
years earlier). So, taking a strip of paper the length of my guitar
string, I folded it using the fractions ½ and ¾ to create “notes,”
represented by the fold lines. After creating twelve folds (or
notes), in the circle of fifths order, I had duplicated the pattern
of the frets on the guitar fret board. Most amazingly, this paper-
folding exercise generates the sequence 4,1,5,2,6,3,7. (To learn
more, see the educational material on mywebsite.)
My folded paper fret board was a linear modeL but I was used to
working with the Musicirde a circular modeL So I converted my
paper fret board into a circular model, coming out with a seven-pointed
star, with points numbered ito 7. When this star is mtated on the circle
of fifths, it gives the string lengths of the notes in a twelve-tone scale
Now I jump ahead in my story fifteen years, to 2016 and the
moment when I first saw a photo of Mesopotamian tablet CBS 1766
(see next month’s article). On this 3000-year-old tablet is drawn a
seven-pointed star, virtually identical to the one I drew in zow. In
a table drawn on the tablet are written inversions of the sequence
4,1,5,2,6,3,7. At the points of the star are written the names of the
strings of the lyre. After seeing the photo, I wrote a description
of how the star and the sequence 4,1,5,2,6,3,7 can both be derived
from the simple mathematics of music. I sent this description to
a scholar working in the field of Mesopotamian music and have
since become active, myself, in the field of music archaeology.
In music, a circle of twelve (the circle of fifths) generates a linear
sequence of seven (4,1,5,2,6,3,7). Amazingly, we can perceive a similar
pattern in astronomy. For as the sun, the moon, and the planets civic
It is fascinating, therefore,
that the root of the musical
term ‘scaW is the Latin word ‘scala: meaning ‘ladder while the
Greek word for laddet ‘klima, is related to the word ‘climate.
Moreover, a ‘dlimacteric’ is defined as a critical period ma person’s
life a tradition that dates back to the ancient world, where it was
associated with cycles of seven years.
The days of the week are named after the seven classical
planets, and ordered using a musical sequence known to the
Mesopotamians, but what is the origin of the zodiac? Clay
tablets indicate that the zodiac of twelve constellations we
know today was in use in Babylon by the fifth century BC,
but that documentation of a few of the constellations (for
example: Capricorn. the goat-fish) dates back to zioo BC.
The Mesopotamian god associated with Capncorn was La.
Interestingly, Eas name (but no other god’s name) is also written
on tablet CBS 1766: at point number of the star is written
“fourth string, created by Ea.” Here, once again, we see a link
between music and astronomy. Could it be that the twelve-part
division of the ecliptic, which evolved over a thousand years after
the Mesopotamians had knowledge of the circle of fifths, might
have had a musical inspiration?
*
It isa great honor to tell my story here, in Stella Natura—to bring
it full circle. I would like to express my deep gratitude to Sherry
WiIdt’euer. who, so many years ago gave me this wonderful tool
to study the mysteries of the heavens: it has been an essential

highest and lowest elevations of the moon •iie marked as “rtinhiiflg foothold on the kidder of my life’s journey
 Virtue of the Month
MERCURY
4,
VENUS
I_Ice?
MARS JUPITER
August 2023 (A)MPASSION JEtADS JO fRI-kDOM
Its Opposite flEA WFJJtSSNESS, JNSENSITIVITY
(P23-si) Iq—3I T’
CR)
SATURN URANUS NEPTUNE PWTO (aIendarof the Soul Versfs 8 22

_ (R) ). CR)
i—ct 29-3’)
o ( i Ag fl CONJUNCTIONS, AM I
PM WORK NOTES
DATE
IN ZODIAC l Pg ?3 PHASE OPPOSITIONS, & EVENTS 12345678910111212345678 9101112

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 The Musical Origin oithc Scvcn-I)ay Week — By Sara (IC Roce
Calendars, old and new, are based on astrnnornical cwk’s the yearly (xIsticsaw whn, is we
earlier, dectribed
cyde of the sun; the monthlycyde of the moon. But there is onc unit of
time that doesn\ adhere to any celestial rhythm the seven -day week
.
the week -day order
as based on ‘mucical
Celsus, a second century Greek philosopher, wrote that the
r e a so n c w a
week-day order is based on “musical reasons ...quoted by the
Persian thee ogv. documenting a ritual of
Persia (Iran) was the neighbor of Mesopotamia (Iraq). tbeMithraicMyslericcin
which initiates dimbed
Archaeological artifacts suggest that the two cultures shared the
same musical system, and cuneithrm tablets from Mesopotamia a ladder (Latin ‘scaI the
have allowed arthaeoiogists to re-construct this system. The root of the musical term
consensus is that, from at least i8oo BC, the Mesopotamians ‘scald) of seven nings
where each mng was
.

used a seven-note scale that is the ancestor of our modem major

scale and the structure of this scale was understood to associatedwithaclassicai
related to the sequence 4,1.5,2,6.3.7. planet in the Order Scale of C Major and the Circle of Fifths
4,1,5,2,6,3,7. According
Tablet CBS 1766 gives a visual representation of this system.
On this tablet is drawn a seven -pointed star, with points to Celsus, this ladder represented of the journey of the soul through
Ptolemaic universe
numbered ito 7and labelled with the names of the strings of the the planetary spheres.
Mesopotantan lyre. By following the diagonals of the star, the The moon appears to move most quickly through the Two hundred ycarsafterCeisus. Church FatherGrcryofNyssa
sequence 4,1,5.1.6.3,7 IS generated. In the table drawn below the constellations, while Saturn appears to move most slowfr And described the week as having a spiritual function: to provide a means
star are written inversions of this sequence. although we know, today, that the earth circles the sun, what we for the soul to ascend toward God. And not only did Nyssa believe
actually experience and what the Mesopotamians saw is the that the indMduai undergoes this passage. he saw the entire history
fflusion that the earth is stationary and that the sun moves through of the human race as a progression toward the divine a process that
the constellations at the relative speed of the earth: slower than Venus he called “akolouthia.” a Greek term that translates as ‘sequencC
(and Mercury and the moon) but faster than Mars (and Jupiter and Gregory may have known about the musical ongin of the
Saturn). Arranging these bodies from fastest to slowest in orbits or week, for he wrote “we accept the law concerning the octave
“spheres” nestled around a central earth creates the model shown here. which cleanses and circumcises because once time represented
Notice that the days of the week are not arranged according to the by the number seven comes to a dose, the octave succeeds it.
speeds of the seven classical planets, as given by the ancient model of This day is called the eighth because it follows the seventh ... and
the universe Instead, listing the sphere numbers of these bodies in their is no longer subject to numerical successiciC
week-day order give& Sundac i Monday, 1; Tuesday, 5; Wednesday. The law of the octave became a central tenet of the Christian
z Thursday, 6; Friday, and Saturday, 7 the musical sequence faith and gave rise to a deftnition of the word octave still found
Belöze CBS 1766 was understood to relate to music in 20o7, it W2S 4,1,5,2,6,3,7. Cassius Dio a Roman contemporary of Celsus, confirmed in most dictionaries: “a period of eight days beginning with the
thought by ardaeologists to be “an astrdoejcal sdwme to relate the them isicaloriginoftheweelc”youwfflfindallthedaystobethakind day of a Church fesüvaL” Yet not only is the week defined as an
seven anrient planets to the sevai days oldie weejc” and, in &t, the of musical connection with the arrangement of the heavens:’ ‘octave, the word ‘week’ itself can be traced to the German word
sequence 4,1,5,2,6,3,7 explains the we&-dayonlet ‘Lb s this, we must Now let’s look at how the sequence 4,1,5,2,6,3.7 is related ‘woche which comes from a base meaning “sequence. series:’
firstunderstandhowourancestorspictuied&univuse—becausethe to the major scale. To do this, we must introduce the “circle of Each weekwe live through the musical sequence 4.I.5.26,3,7.
daysofthewedcarenamedafterthesun,themoon.andthefivepbnets fifths”—a circular arrangement of twelve notes that was known a sequence that has been known to the human race for 4000
visible to the naked eye. Sundayis named afta the sun Monday, after to the Mesopotamians, and is still used today to teach music. if years. Over time, this sequence came to symbolize the ascent
the moon; Tuesday (French, Mardi), afterMars Wednesday (French, we select the notes in a major scale from the circle of fifths, we of the soul m widely different traditions: tu Zoroastnanism, in
Mercredi),afterMercuryThursday(Frcnch.Jeudi)1aftnjupiterfnday generate the sequence 4,1,5,2,6,3,7. For example, the i” note in the Mtthraism, tn ChrLsLaanItv. and even tn alchemical Lnitiatlon.
(French.Vendredi),afterVcnusandSaturdayafterSaturn. scale ofC Major is C; the 2iid j D; the 3,d, E; the 4th F; the 5th, G;
To an observer on earth, these seven bodies all appear to *
the 6th, A; and the 7th II. To find the notes in other major scales,
travel through the constellations of the zodiac, which provide a we simply rotate the sequence 4,1,5,2,6,3,7 Ofl the circle. ihis LS a shated cultural heritage of inimense proportions, with
backdrop against which their movements can be tracked. What To sunmiarjze, the days of the week are named after the seven the power ti’ LWtEe people of all traditions for it comes down to
the observer notices is that the sun, the moon, and the planets all classical planets and ordered using the musical seqLLelItc 4, L,S.2S’,3,7 AS III ,LII Jilt icut and tiiii Crsal language the language of music.
appear to move at different speeds. Rut what is the deeper piiilosopliiial teastu) I)eIIIII&I (Ills?
 Virtue of the Mont!,
MERCURY
6? i-.zq
VENUS MARS JUPITER September 2023 (O(JR F LW BRJ)Mf,S IACTFULNESS OF HEART

CR i—is) CR ‘-3) (g ti-SO) Its Opposite INCONSIDERA’FENESS, INSENSITIVITY

SATURN URANUS NEPTUNE PLUTO (,alendar of the Soul Verses zz- a6

1cR) 3< ()

0 ( e fig fl C CONJUNCTiONS, AM PM WORK NOTES

DATE
IN ZODIAC pg 93 PHASE OPPOSITIONS, & EVENTS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Q 11 12

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 About the Astronomical Relation of the Fartli to the Planets fly I’VnI[gany I !eI,I
There is no doubt that the Farib is unique in the solai svstt’Iu,
because only on our planet do we have the conditinim tot life
Although indications of the possible presence ot atci are tound — ______

on Mars and on Jupiter’s moon. litan, theft’ arc T1O lit’c forms
except on Earth Is there a conncdion between the Farth and the çcq .9

other planets? Do the have an intlucncc on the Would

it make any difference if there weren’t other planets? is their
placement by chance or by design?
Especially this last question troubled Jehannes Kepler, the
famous astronomer of the seventeenth century. He theorized 95
‘I

that there must be a relation between the different sizes of the .4-
I -

planetary orbits and the live platonic solids. Kepler postulated *038—,.
that the solar system is created by God, so there must be a hiddcn
7—
a wisdom which governs the exact distances of the planets /
from the Sun- He thought that there should exist a particular
sequence of these five platonic forms which would describe the Sun 0.3$ 1

layout, the alignment of the orbits. There are 120 possibilities Mercury
to place these forms m a sequence, so it took a great deal of Earth 4
caicuiarion to find the best configuration to demonstrate the
Saturn
orbits exactly enough for his scientific mind. Finally, he had
to realize that this approach wasn’t successful, although it was J
p.

I.,’—
—.4

a resourceflil guess. I would like to follow the idea of Johannes ‘ .,

Kepler in a simpler way.

A—
If we compare the diameter of the Earth with the diameter of
Mercury the result is that Mercury is 38% as big as the Earth. (4878
kin: 12756 km = 0.382...) This is special because it is the proportion
/ I-
of the Golden Section, whereby a length is divided in such a way -, .. —
7’’ ..•.; ,j.

that the relation between the longer part and the shorter one is the
same as the relanon of the whole length to the longer part. The
Golden Section appears in virtually every shape of life.
Another example of this proportion in the solar system is the
average distance from the Earth to the Sun as compared with the
distance Mercury to the Sun. This ratio is 57.9 mfflion kim 149.6
km = 0.387. The result is again nearly 38%! So Mercury is in the
same proportional relation to the Earth in both size and distance
from the Sun. This means that if we were looking from the Sun,
Mercury and the Earth would have the same apparent diameter.
There is a third planet that has the same apparent diameter:
Saturn. This planet is 9.5 times larger than the Earth, and also
9.5 further away from the Sun that the Earth. Therefore, two of
the visible planets, the one closest to the Sun and the one farthest
from the Sun, have the same proportional relation in distance and
size to the Earth. ft is like a cosmic frame for the karth. Because of
the same relation in size and distance, from a solar point of view,
Mercury, Earth and Saturn appear in the same angle ‘Ihat
that these planets aU seem to have the same sitc
So cat. WC have looked at these plancs spatially Now wai,L I.,
look at the relation between Mercury and Earth from a temporal
point of view. Is there any connection in time?
To answer this question, it is useful to list the three rhythms
of Mercury. First, the sidereal rhythm, the time it takes to return
to any star in its revolution around the Sun. Then, the synodic
rhythm, which means the time from one meeting of the Earth to
the next. And third, the rotation of Mercury on its own axis. The
period of Mercury’s rotation was observed quite late because,
except for some dark spots, there aren’t any prominent structures
on its surface which could be observed telescopically. In 1963.
when the radar telescope in Arecibo, Puerto Rico was built, it
became possible lo discover the rotation period of Mert ury by
using the I )opplcr- effect I he St lent I sts seni radiation to N icit tar v
with this radar Liuhl, and (he pidlici zeila Iett tile LatIi.I(IoiI iii .1
dIItcrcJ)t way “ii 11w appichIt lung side Iicnii (lie side tiiai ‘cte’Ic
Ilic result Wils Vt., y iiilcicslliig iLIt Lii y .ikcs sH O toi iI
I’)tdhIiI S.tItiiiizgiii %yIIInhaL
NIittii
rotates nearly two times. There is a lawfulness which governs
the speed of the planets’ orbital revolutions around the Sun,
gradually increasing with their nearness to the Sun. However,
the speed of the rotation on their axes does not follow any such
law. Rotation is something like a private matter for each planet,
representing its autonomY in time. That is why it is not possible
to calculate the rotation. i must be observed. It’ we keep in mind
that the synodic period means the movement of the planet in
connection to the Earth, the fact arises that Mercury’s rotation
is atso strongly oriented to the Earth Mercury sacrifices its
.ni Eozioius in tavor ot E he con 11CC E ion to the Earth.
I hee phetwiiiena. as eaniples. may show tli,i t the planets in
the ‘laz %4 ski ii h.i e moz e to do n I th the F .uih than we usually
t hi’ k I he phi ict’ ate oii net led ni Ui the F.irth. they’ are, In a
‘11 t t,t flit la’ch I ‘cz ‘. tiiuiL that hJ5 .i relation U) the Earth
11.1% i Eat on .iIo to the j’I.IIIt% n h,di ,‘rc,v. •indIntofl i/ic tnt!,
 MERCURY VENUS MARS JUPITER
‘Y CR)
October 2023 Virtue of the Month:
CONThNTMENT BECOMES EQUANIMITY
27-3g - ftc Opposite. COMPLAINT, DISSATISFACTION

SATURN URANUS NEPTUNE PLUTO

Calendar of the Soul: Verses 27—31
c) PCR) ‘frg j-io)
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DArE AM PM
IN ZODIAC 1 Pg U PHASE OPPOSITIONS, & EVENTS WORK NOTES
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 The evolution of human cultural Ilk is deiwntient upon 11w
Creating Health in Our Social Organ kin — fly ihniglac IIWylie
education of our children. After Years of experiencing the
positive results of my children’s Waldorf education in Thronto,
Canada, I asked how one could better ftrnd such an education.
Simultaneously, I was pursuing my personal education in
biodynamic agriculture, which contributes positively towards
nutrition for health and ecology. A friend had responded to my
question about tianding education by saying that the economic
ideas needed were offered by the same guy that initiated Waldorf
Education and Biodynamic Agriculture! Rudolf Steiner, in the
introduction to his agricultural lectures of 1924, stated the need
ftw a truer, more practical basis of economics for brining. He had
also given lectures on economics in 1921.
The study of these ideas rook me on a path in 2002 to create with
others an active research project, the Can-yule Community Garden
on the Toronto Waldorf School land. Some of Steiner’s insights
were applied within our community garden/f rm. These are mostly
misunderstood and ignored due to the complexity of the subject,
whereas they came to life by simply applying them. This artide
outlines examples of the application of the complex insights.
In particulai they included working as individuals in
association. Our way of exchange in the community garden was
a simple time chart on the wail of the shed. It was based upon the
individual labor we applied towards nature to produce the food.
As Sterner pointed out m the ign lectures, this work on nature is
the basis of our current currenqc even though we don’t realize it.
In the garden, we were all individual entrepreneurs, associating
together and working in a social way with the ‘currency’ as a
conscious basis for our social interactions, including exchange
for vegetables. The currency was in the background, much like
our blood, which is essential for our life, but not the focus of
attention or want. Organizing the labor was also seen as part
of this economic organism, and the exchange among us was
mutuality realized on the same basis of the nature-labor currency.
Other aspects in the garden towards a truer economics included
the use of personal loaned money (i.e.. capital) so that the farm
tools and equipment could be purchased and then repaid from
members’ contributions in future years. The host of the garden
was the Toronto Waldorf School, and one of its conditions was
that there should be no personal profiteering. The land was
provided essentially free of rent or mortgage. The members’
yearly contribution gave them the right to garden in the socially-
oriented way (i.e., not a purchase of the produce or an individual
garden plot).The contribution amount was arrived at during what
we cafled a “true-price” meeting where a mutually agreed upon
budget includedjor instance, the gardeningsupplws)organiiing
our labor, repayment of capital, and teaching of gardeiiing
‘I
F
I u.n ‘gii r,itr the prolec I A ml the th RI is gift money, whereby We
gener,tr,I sli pport for F he Waldorf Sc ho,I through our combined
effort ft became r,hvioiis to the participants that the problem of
lund ng cdticai on was not the fault nI the i nclependent schools,
‘ : I htit rather of the cc,nm ir syrem that fails to create a means to
I
‘‘ \,h.Ie, 0
Iii nd them in a right wiy I felt that fan understanding of these
principles could he scaled to the world, it would result in the
I • .4 healing of many SOC al and ecological 111%
11* Another principle of economics Steiner recommended was
that money should have a limited life span It should be dated
a when it goes into circulation and lose value over a period 0125
years or so. This would encourage active circulation of money
I
U’
I and effectively prevent hoarding. In its later phases, the money
would only have value as gift money to cultural and educational
institutions, which depend upon public support
I I
ti The community farm proyect quickly grew to 65 members
and ended after io years. when the land was sold A current
II
I I
continuation and expanded version is beginning in California,
where I now live. It aims towards a good Future for many
‘‘C. ‘I generations to come. We plan to continue the research-rn-
IA
-
i action, as a practice of life, by connecting wflh other like- minded
activities. Whereas on the Toronto community faz ía we just
did it, the current approach is to do it. in conscious association
:1
among individuals and wnh other organizations. The simple
currency in the garden provided a way for members to adopt the
I
I
principles without having an extensive economic training. The
p
‘‘7 1
I
I
present project indudes the use of current computer and Internet
p
I
I
technologies that provide for a world-wide and at the same time
/ local, currency This new living economic activity is starting
with real-life farming, distribution, and education around Santa
Cruz, California. but it is being designed and will be offered for
-
replication, connection, and upscaling.
-
a
-
The currency wifi age, that is.. be date-stamped, to disappear
after a specific time. It will have as its true value a basis in the
economic process, namely, the nature-labor of mdividual farmers
education. In this way, the needs of the organizers and teacher to meet their needs and those of their dependents. Steiner called
were transparently met by the “consumer-members.” Teaching this basis “x-wheat.” All other acbvitws can be valued on this basis.
workshops were also offered to the public under additional The aged capital can go to cukurai mstitutions an the form
donations to the teacher. It was agreed in the yearly members’ of gift money for the life of educaton. Steiner suggested that the
contracts that any profits would go as a gift to our host) and after natural accumulation of excess capital created by the economic
a few years, when the organizing aspect was mostly in place) with process, once the needs of all the workers and entrepreneurs have
some capital accumulated, this money was given as a gift to our been iiiet. .hoWd serve to support cultural institutions, upon
host school. This project was intended as small demonstrator; which the en1i cuing. creative tnipulses for the tisture depend.
it confirmed what Steiner had said, among other things. •ihout lhe econonut pictures brought by Rudolf Steiner appear
the need to differentiate the three fLinctiolis of money Ihe tirst I atlK a) at tint, hue once thc are understood aid experienced to
is as a tat ilit ation br cx. hange lii’s WdS Ott r tin CII) he U LIC. it bet oil w.’ ..pparcsit that the. help to unihid and lice our
thai I ‘I he set. oiict I, tnr Ignitis I has w.i. tIcIiic 14) j)LII ti.tt I(L)Ia (j) 1IL,III.LII j’L,IlLJ.Lij’.flcIIti.iI
MERCURY

I—Il .i’-.
VENUS MARS JUPITER
P(R)
November 2023 Virtue of the Month:
PATIENCE BECOMES INSIGHT
II-3o7fl 3-3o7) 2-3c’ •fl1, Its Opposite: HURRY, LOSS OF TEMPER
SATURN URANUS NEPTUNE PLUTO
I-c)
Calendar of the Soul Verses 31—34
) xcg)

0 C e Ag fl. ( CONJUNCTIONS,
DATE AM PH
IN ZODIAC bd Pg ?3 PHASE OPPOSITiONS, & EVENTS WOPANOTEE
1234367551511131 23456189101112
1WED 0 LA
2 ThUR -.?2 t 0 ía
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4 SAT
tit Do -F
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30 THUR ‘Mo 0 0 It Ni

How do the words, “Farm as Sanctuary” resonate in your soul?
Those of you who tend the Earth, the plant, the animal. who
daily tend the place OU have helped to weave around you. striving
towards and with something more than the physical realm alonc
What is your lived experience of the words “Farm as Sanctuary”?
I wish you would paint a picture of it! Or compose a piece of
music, wnte a poem, an essay or a love letter about it 1-low can
we bring this knowing ftirthcr ante the world, so that farming
with an eye to the spirit ma)’ be seen and celebrated as the path
of devotion and healing it is? Our collective humanity needs
once again to learn to support the healers in our midst, knowing
that what is offered as ftod from such firms carries a different
potential within us when we eat it from food grown only with an
eye for profit. We need such food to recognize our way forward.
It is dear there is not enough financial support for the farmer
to be a sacred steward simply through consumers purchasing
the food produced. In light of farmers and gardeners as priests
and healers, what does it mean to invest in their guardianship?
Could the arnterest paid” on agrarian investments be in the form
of healthy watersheds and dean air for our communities? How
many different expressions are there for what it means to tend the
sacred within our lives as gardeners, farmers and land stewards?
These are the open questions I am helping to hold within the
larger imagination of what it means to “protect the sacred and
reimagine money” as part of a collective of activists, wealth
holders, wisdom keepers and entrepreneurs called Jubilee Gift.
The “gift” part of Jubilee Gift refers to the spirit of gift that is
possible in all of our financial interactions when we recognize
the reciprocity inherent in relationships. Co-creation is possible
when each of us is able to give our gifts.
When our destiny paths lead us to the tending of gardens
and fields, forests and place. our work becomes gifts given to
nourish others. If this is done out of a spiritual striving, then our
work becomes an offering, even a sacrament. This nourishment
can feed our future selves. Rudolf Steiner speaks of our potential
to develop a quality of thinking that does not merely remain in
our heads but is warmed by the forces of our hearts so that it
becomes a brotherlylsisterly love, which will cause us eventually
to feel others so deeply in our own being that their suffering is
our suffering and their joy is our joy.
Could those tending the Earth through the many expressions
of what it means to be a sanctuary farmer help to carry us through
the intense period of destruction, darkness and materialism we
meet in every realm of life today?
Since the beginning of my pursuit within biodynamics,
have he’d this potcntaI as my greatest hope for life on ltarth
o con’nue cm as sprual CoUttfl1ary pall. I()4)d with
Farm As Sanctuary — fly 1,aura Rut ardi
iyvcrc
It ,r I th rrn gb on r hi’ man I rum? on and sacrIfices (ft. make sac red) It
I ncli ;des, hi tic not rk tied by NFI.It I k n ,w f’s hi, dynam ws
S
I )on Shaffer, my Irirnd •fl(j rfl r rc’atr,r ‘nitI-un Jubilee C ,ilt and
.4], I
Farm as Sanctuary (http //ubilce gjltj ays he sees this netw,,rk
nf spiritual agric tilt.iralists •rving hi man life tcniay as a current
impulse cimilar to the .Mcdiev,iI monastic j mmtInhtIes ‘nhice 24/7
4- contemplative spirit Was a selfless nffèring for ‘be 4rrater cr,mmunjt
4
Ac anyone living a life with the Lind flows it tn iiv IS 4 2417
i4ii devotion I experience this devotion in my OWn life, tending
gardens and our small-scale dairy cow herd, md as ntness i)
V
flI• & V1 my husband’s large-scale hog and gniin farm I have con-ic to
A! understand this devotion as the foundation toy a :eremonial
space, the “living altar” by which we pray in the paces woten
‘4*
between our human thinking, feeling and willing md the herds
S.
we tend or the fields we sow, there are forces created In rur
$‘
C
daily round, through the rhythm of our farm chores, we create
I
‘I this altar space. In my experience, it is especailv in the times of
reflection when I can pray into a becoming, when I can kneel at
this living altar and ask for the animal whose life will he taken
for our nourishment, that she or he beheld without fear, without
suffering. That they take with them, back to the group soul.
.t.
prayer of “1-low can we do this better? How can we do all of this
better to honor the spirit of the animal?” It is in this ret1ectie
•1
6
space. a space filled with creative forces generated between
9.
human and animal, where I imagine and expenence this prayer
r
4
received. Something is given back to me through the insights and
\• [Q
ideas that guide my future co-creation with the herd It is similar.
4 how my husband Philip connects with his hog hen There is an
asking and a receiving — a long conversation - through the work,
- v.
study and prayer.
1. SQ I am seeing now how this kind of living altar space is fertile
“I ground for our world prayers, how we may connect into the
1 .
4,’ 1_s El
world ether that unites us at all Levels of creation and potentialit
:• 4v
.• I
(
— I? — ‘t’
, v. t?t, , 4 This is a ceremonial space for our highest human striving to
v’ ,
.•
t. ‘,. meet beyond the realm of what exists as already iirnshed’ in
I
..
A.,
the world.
Is this what Steiner meant by ‘Farmers as priests (and
priestesses) of the tiawre°? If so. we need to completely reimagine
forces that nourish our ability to think spiritually and not just how farmers are supported. Perhaps we thould begin to think of
materialistically. The more food grown without what! think of as farms as places of worship and of service.
“deadened” fertility (synthetic nitrogen fertilizers) and instead, I do trnagane a tucure ts herd’v nanzing the spiritual element
grown with the enlivened fertility of animal manure anti plant an our work. expresizlg in dnerse 4Jbs hat u s.jcred about this
matter treated with the akhemical preparations given to us late otdevotioii. and in reatiiig 3Jcrasnental tn ellt5 011 OUT tjrrns.
through what we call biodynainics. the more hunanity will he g.trdcns •tiid s ithin our bet J’. “C b-an help uher In a future vi
able B) move out of the dead materialistic systezIls that out lot I l1t)l dl LJ a!.,,’’ c tot out lit es till i-as-tb is, a’-. L)rdance n ith our
and oppress our I, iglior h :iiian poteii I hi! ow z o ‘ cat i spit .L highcs p.’tciai.iI. .iiil in ,cLiti’s..hip sib the j’srzr at the barth
Iii .iiy wink 1,tlay. I hold It.c v.tIcst It iiot litnv st.’ii olIc II iItiI 011 11% •‘4 II itflhl *k’flu’ ,...t/ ii’ b4t ilIIsflL rh I’I.s,u I •)f I ‘,(•
 Virtue of the Month:
MERCURY
1—23 A’
VENUSMARS JUPITER
‘t’ -V CR fr3)
‘—‘3‘Pig
December 2023 CONTROL OF SPEECH BECOMES FEELING FOR TRUTH
23-31 tflt i3—3o - Its Opposite TALKATIVENESS, GOSSIP
CR ‘3—3’) 3’ 7,l
SATURN URANUS NEPTUNE PLUTO Calendar of the Soul: Verses
‘r CR) IC (R i-’)

C) C A Ag fl Ct CONjUNCTIONS, CM PM WORK NOTES

IN ZODIAC Pg ii PHASE OPPOSITiONS, & EVENTS 12145 678 910111212 3 4 76 38 91011 12

1 FRI 2

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 A Note About Each of the Contributors
IESSICA BROBST joined liawthoTllc VaIlc’ Farm ,is a whole farm
apprentice in 2016 beton.’ moving up the ranks to herd manager in 2018.
Jess crr up on a tarm in \‘cct Virginia and COTIW% S,tI lot ol c’q’ericilce
working with animals She has an e1ra ordinan cnrk ethic and has an
amazing way with the avs \\lwn she isn’t with the dair herd she is at
hornc making beautihil art work. ctiidniig VaIdoi1 ‘edagogv tI1rOUgIl
FTVX.c Alkion prografli. (‘T walking ‘ith bet dngc Nina and Jo%lc.
THEA MARIA CARl SON is a Fat-met. earth steward, facilitator,
cornrnunit weaver, speaker. isTiter, and co-creator. Thea lives and
tends land at Monans RiD. within the ancestral territory of the Wappo
people Thea i’ on the leadership circle of Celebrating Wornxn’s
leadership in Food. co-creating and facilitating spaces fbr leaders to
build tnzct and create community to shift paradigms of power and
meaningMl’ address ecological cnses and social inequity. Thea works
,th Agranan Trust as co-facilitator, leader, and developer of the
Commons Alliance, and is a trustee of Dirt: the Foundation for the
Regeneration of Earth
AARON FRENCH, PHD., isa lecturer in Religious Studies. His research
explores the intersection of science, religion and technology. He lives in
Gei ii.anv. where he creates sacred spaces.
BRANKO FURST, MD, is a graduate of the University of Ljubljana School
of Medicine, Sovema and completed residency in London, where
he obtained board certificanon in anesthesiology He then joined the
Department of Anesthesiology at Texas Tech University Medical School.
Thiss followed bva nearly three-decade appointment at AlbanyMedical
College in Alban Nt where he holds a professorship in anesthesiology
His research indu& cardiovascular physiology, sleeps consciousness,
and mechanisms of genemi anesthesia, and how they relate to the
anthroposophica] understanding of the human being. His monograph
The Heart and Ciwulatkm An Integrative Mod4 is currently in its and
edmoa Dr. Furst recently retired from dinical practice and is an active
member of the Taconic-Berkshire anthmposophic community
WOLFGANG HELD, 56, father of three daughters, studied Waldorf-
Education (mathematics). He worked in the Mathematical-
Astronomical Section at the Goetheanum in Switzerland, is the editor
of the Stern kalender, a star calendar published by the Goetheanum.
He is responsible for Communication at the Goetheanum and is chief-
editor of the journal Das Goetheanum.
EMILY JONES was homeschooled on a farm in Pennsylvania, which
iliowed her to spend ample time outside. She received a degree in Art
Education and Fine Arts from Kutztown University. where a professor
directed her towards Waldorf education. She graduated from the High
School Teacher Training in Art at The Center for Anthroposophy and
teaches art at Kiinberton Waldorf High School. She is currently living
at Camphill Village Kunberton Hills and loves the community.
DR. MANFRED KLETT was born in 1933, studied agriculture and did
research on fertilinngm relation to food quality. In ig6shetookona farm
in Germany with four other families and founded a biodynamic farming
community, which later developed a farm school. He trained many
young apprentices and continued firming for nearly zo years. Between
1987 and zoci he led the Agricultural Department at the Goetheanum in
Switzerland. He is the author of several excellent books on biodynamics.
LAURA RICCARDI LYVERS lives on her husband’s family farm in
Central Kentucky. She tends gardens, pasture, a small dairy herd and
40
their iiiilk, and is grateful to have to buy so little. After zo-plus years
focused rather exclusively on biodynamics and making the biodynamic
preparations, Laura has now shifted towards more collaborative work
with Jubilee Gift and Farm as Sanctuary, a non-profit organization with a
mission to protect thc sacred and reimagine money (http:f/jubiIee.ft).
Shortly after she turned o, SARA DE ROSE became a writer/academic!
music archaeologist by chance (read her story, in the article for the
months of August & September). For this reason, she feels more at
home with children, gardens, goats, horses and house building than at
conferences or universities. Nevertheless, she is happy to be involved
in such exciting work. Sara lives on two remote islands off the west
coast of Canada, and travels by electric bike and sailboat.
KATIE SINGER presented her concerns about the Internet’s footprint at
the United Nations’ 2018 Forum on Science, Technology & Innovation
Steinerliooks published Our Web of Inconvenient Truths: The Internet,
Energy Use, Toxic Waste & Climate Change in 2019. Singer’s other
books include An Electronic Silent Spring (about e-tech’s health and
environmental impacts), Honoring Our Cycles: A Natural Family
Planning Workbook, and The Wholeness of a Broken Heart: A Novel. A
consultant with the EMR Policy Institute, she speaks internationally.
Visit electronicsllentspring.com and ourwebofinconvenienttruths.COm.
EZRA SULLIVAN began farming in 2010, at the age of iS, in South
America. After three years he returned to the West Coast of the U.S.,
and Biodynamics quickly spoke to him as an approach to agriculture
akin to the ways inculcated in him during his time in South America In
2014, Ezra began immersing himself in self-guided Anthroposophical
studies. He is currently the farm director of Sunfield Farm. a nonprofit
Biodynamic Farm and Waldorf School on the northeast corner
of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State. Ezra seeks to learn the
art of relationship by revisiting the wisdom of the past, and opening a
door for the birth of future impulses.
ALEX TUCHMAN is the Director of Spikenard Farm Honeybee
Sanctuary, founded by Gunther Hauk and Vivian Struve-Hauk. and
carries a wide variety of responsibilities with the bees, in the dassroom.
and in administration. He is an active member of the Agriculture
Section of the Anthroposophical Society, and the Council of
Biodynamic Organizations. Alex’s book, A Lively Hive, was published
in 2021, outlining the basic biodynamic beekeeping methods that are
practiced and taught at Spikenard Farm.
SHERRY WILDFEUER gardened biodynamically in New York.
Switzerland, England, California and Pennsylvania. Since ‘973 she has
been a coworker in Camphill Village Kimberton Hills. and since 1978 she
has been editing this Calendar. She teaches anthroposophy and is an active
member of the Anthroposophical Society and its Agriculture Section.
DOUGLAS WYLIE was trained as a Holistic Health practitioner
and this Led to interest in Biodynamic agriculture. He served on the
Board of the Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Society in Ontario
Canada in the late 1990s. After that he served as Treasurer of the
Anthroposophical Society in Canada. He currently serves on the Social
Sciences Section collegium and is active in the Santa Cruz Branch of
the Anthroposophical Society in California. He is completrng a 40
year professional engineering and management career in the industrial
economy, having worked for various multinational corporations.
Editor
3) Eichstadt, Peter, Consuming the Congo: War and Conflict Mineraj,s
Sherry Wildfeuer tn the World’s Deadliest Place, Lawrence Hill Books, 2011.
4) Katwala, Ami, “The spiraling environmental cost of our lithium
Layout, production and distribution battery addiction,” Wired, 8.5.18.
Bruce Bumbarger s) Eliade, Mircea, Ike Forge and the Crucible, U. of Chicago Press,
1978.
Illustrations
6) Fliade, p. 6.
Emily Jones
Cover and text lUhisti-Mions, except jiage 4 fliRt 7) McI)ermott, Emily, “1he Metal Face of the Age; Hesiod, Virgil, and
August and September the Iron Age on Coki Mountain,” int’L I of the Classical Tradition
Sara de Rose August and Scplembcr 17, flI) 2(2010).
Thomasma Webb Page 4 8) Itlia(Ic, p 54-56.
Derrick Cullen . ....Front cover text layout 9) Eliade, p 6o
io) (:arren, (;uillermo S “Mining and the Living Materiality of
Acknowlcdpnents Mountains in Andean Socielies,”J. of Material Culture 22, flO. 2
The charts were prepared by Sherry Wildfeuer and Alex i’uchrnan (2017). See also Marisol de Ia (,adena, Earth Beings: Ecologies of
from information provided by Darlo Andcrle, who has designed an Practice Across Andean Worlds, [)uke U. Press, 2015.
astronomical program specifically for this calendar. Dario Anderle has ii) Nash, June, We Eat the Mines and the Mines Eat Us Dependency
been working with the biodynarnic farmers in his region of Italy for and Exploitation in Bolivian Tin Mines, Columbia U Press. 1979
many ;‘ears. We are most grateful to him for his assistance. “Visibility Taussig, Michael, The Devil and Commodity Fetishism in So.
of the Planets” was compiled with the help of www.stellarium.com. America, U. of N. Carolina Press, 1980.
iz) Pastorino, Cesare, “The Mine and the Furnace Francis Bacon,
Errors
Thomas Russell, and Early Stuart Mining Culture,’ Early Science
Despite our best efforts, errors do occasionally occur. If we find any and Medicine 14, no.5,2009.
mistakes, we will post an update to the calendar website at www. 13) Merchant, Carolyn, “Mining the Earth’s Womb,” in MacJima Lx Dea:
stellanatura.com/corrections.
Feminist Perspectives on Technology, ed. Joan Rothschild. Pergamon
Press, 1983. Merchant, Carolyn, The Death of Nature: Women,
References for article by Katie Singer and Aaron French Ecology, and the Scientific Revolution, Harper & Row, 1980.
i) Needhidasan, S., et al., “Electronic waste--an emerging threat to 14. ibid.
the environment of urban India’ I. Env. Health Sd. Eng., 2014. 15. Coyle Rosen, Lauren, Fires of Gold: Law, Spirit, and Sacrificial Labor
a) Keeling, Am, “Mineral Waste’ Sage Encyd. of Consumption and in Ghana, U. of Calif. Press, zozo.
Waste, eds. C. Zimring and W. Rathje, 2012. i6. ibid.

Further Resources
General information on biodynatnic agriculture: For information about and to purchase biodynansic seeds:
The Biodynamic Demeter Alliance Turtle Tree Biodynamic Seed Initiative
do O’Leary and Anick Associates 10 White Birch Road

“933 W Burleigh St #ioo Camphill Village

Wauwatosa, WI 53222 Copake, NY 12516
(262) 649-9212; biodynamicdemeteralliance.org (518) 329-3037; www.turtletreeseed.org; turtle@turiletreeseed.org

Information on farmer training opportunities: Rudolf Steiner and Anthroposophy:

The Biodynamic Demeter Alliance offers a Biodynamic Farmer The Anthroposophical Society
Foundation Year and a Biodynamic Farmer Development Year. For more 1923 Geddes
information about these programs, or to applyto become an apprentice or Ann Arbor, Ml 48104
a mentor farmer, contact Anthony Mecca at anthony@biodynamics.com (‘I) 662-9355; www.anthroposophy.org
or (262) 649-9212, CXt. 9.
Anthroposophi cat Literature:
For information about the biodynamic preparations: Steiner Books
The Josephine Porter Jnstitute for Applied Biodynamics, Inc. P0 Box 960
652 Thompson Road SE Herndon, VA 20172
Floyd, VA 24091 (800) 856-8664; www.steinerbooks.org.
(540) 745-7030; www.jpibiodynamics.org

STELLA NATURA is published by Camphill Village Khnberton HiUs

To place an order, contact any of the tbllowing:
Stella Natura. P0 Box 783, Kimberton, PA 19442; (610)469-9686
info@stellanatura.com . http://www.steilanatura.com
 $16.95! ISBN 978-1-7350515-2-9

• IS GUM M IT’FEI) IC) sustainable bu iklingpractices and

m i vile? gy ((inservat Ion

• PRACtICES 311(1 MODElS good water stcwardshap through

implementing riparian buffering, stream fencing. water conser

1 e vation, mRI nfl-lot ScptIc SolutiOns

• PRESERVES larmiand and open space with agricultural

casements and agreements with %Vest Vincent Township.

Kimberto designating 80% of its 432 acres to those uses

• INVITES young volunteers to join the Kimberton Fulls

Hills
• IS CELEBRATING ITS 50TH ANNIVERSARy!
• IS AN AGRICULTURM COMMUNITY with about 120
people. stnvmg to meet the needs and aspirations of its members,
especially those with mentally handicapping conditions.
• ADVANCES the art of including and caring for elders.
• PRODUCES biodvnarnic milk, cheese, vegetables, fruit,
herbs and honey
SERVES its neighbors biodynamically grown vegetables
through a mo-share CSA.
• BAKES and sells cookies and organic, naturally leavened
bread (from a wood-fired oven) in partnership with • IS AN ACTIVE MEMBER of the Camphill Association of
Sweetwater Bakery.
TEACHES and practices handcrafting: fiber arts, mosaic,
pottery, weaing, and woodwork
community for one-year residencec, for student intern-
ships, and for other community service opportunities
Volunteers experience biodynamic methods first-hand.
build meaningful relationships and learn new skills while
living in our vibrant community. For more information or
to apply, visit us online at www.camphillkimberton org.
• SHARES Rose Hall with the surrounding community as
a venue for meetings, lectures, concerts, plays. dances,
workshops, retreats, etc.
• HAS RECENTLY WON AWARDS for its 8.3kw photosustainably
voltaic array, its built new buildings and
its organic/biodynamic dairy, and won Pennsylvania
Environmental Council’s 2008 Philadelphia People’s Choice
Sustainabzhty Award, and the Philadelphia Inquirer’s People’s
Choice Best Live Music Venue in Chester County, and has
been given a 4 (out of 4)-star rating from Charity Navigator.
North Anerica and worldwide Camphill Movement, workmg
with other Camphil endeavors, which also base their work
on the insights of Rudolf Steiner and Karl Konig, MD.
WELCOMES your interest!
Camphill Village Kimberton Hills
P0 Box 1045, Kimberton, PA 19442
information@camphillkimberton.org
www.camphiflkimberton.org
610-935-0300

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Celebrating the apple harvest at the Village!

Ordering information for the calendar can be found on the inside back cover
I95