“Planting by the Moon” is quite well known but biodynamics is far more than the phases of the moon. In BD we see the moon as a lens that focuses the energies of each of the twelve constellations (of stars) onto the Earth as she passes in front of them during her 28 day period each month.
Maria Thun (followed now by her son, Mathias) is the pioneer of the Star Calendar. Her approach is entirely practical and based on over fifty years of experiment and scientific observation. In the 1950s she began the research that built the calendar by carrying out experiments to attempt to establish a connection between the growth of plants and the movements of the stars. Her first experiment was to sow a plot of radishes every day for an entire growing season and observe the performance of each sowing. She discovered four very noticeable differences in the plots.
Some produced larger roots; this happened when the seeds were sown when the moon was focusing the Earth constellations, bull, virgin and goat. Those sown in Water constellations, fishes, crab and scorpion had larger leaves. Those sown in Air constellations, waterman, twins and scales produced more flowers. And the fourth group went more quickly to seed, having been sown in Fire constellations, ram, lion and archer.
Thun deduced that sowing the seeds in the four separate categories of constellation – earth, water, air and fire – had a direct effect on which part of the plant grew best. And she saw that each category of constellation had a particular effect on one part of the plant.
Further work showed Thun that it made a difference which half of the month things were sown in as well. This made her realise that the moon did different things depending on whether she is on a rising arc – rising higher in the sky each night – or on a descending arc – rising lower in the sky each night. From this, Thun remembered the old farmers’ almanacs that talked about “moon riding high” and “moon riding low” and realised the old folk knew a thing or two about this cycle. The results of this research are what we call the Breathing Cycles.
This research was the beginning of the star calendar. Thun and her son did a massive amount of scientific research into biodynamic growing and updates the calendar each year with the latest findings.
This is why we call it the star calendar – because the moon focuses the energy of the stars. Without the star calendar we wouldn’t know when to apply the preparations.
Thun’s calendar is set in GMT, Greenwich Mean Time, on which all other time is based. Biodynamic associations in other countries produce their own calendars which give the times as they are in those countries. This makes them easier to use than translating GMT into local time.
The primary function of the star calendar is to show you when to apply the preparations.
Its secondary function shows the most advantageous times for:
- sowing – all seeds you start in pots, and/or soak in water as well as those you sow directly into the ground
- planting – including planting out annual and herbaceous plants either bought in from garden centres or grown on by you from seed or plugs; planting shrubs and trees, bareroot and potted, grown by you or from a nursery or plant centre; and planting out your vegetables after germinating them in pots
- cultivation – weeding, thinning, pruning, feeding, mulching
- harvest – cutting flowers, picking fruit and vegetables
The star calendar may appear confusing at first but once you’ve worked with it for a month it gets much easier.
Gardening with the Moon & Stars by Elen Sentier
Gardening with the Moon & Stars brings biodynamics to the ordinary gardener. Elen Sentier is passionate about biodynamics. She feels it’s vital to make organics and biodynamics available to as many people as possible if we are to help our earth cope with the increasing demands we humans place upon her. Biodynamics is easy, simple, cheap and super-effective; it's seriously good horticulture too, and it works in whatever size of garden you have, from a window box to several acres. This book is written in plain down-to-earth language with lots of tips and hints to help you learn how easy it is to use the preparations and work with the star calendar.
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