Biodynamics and the Cosmos

The need / desire for cosmic connection has been a perennial feature of human life... The fact that the loss of one channel seems to open another bespeaks a continuing, perennial need or aspiration.
– Charles Taylor, Cosmic Connections, pg. 596.

The Heavens in the Furrow

Long before tractors and spreadsheets, farmers looked to the stars. They sowed by moonlight, watched the flight of birds, read the weather in wind and sky. In biodynamics, this ancient wisdom is not discarded but transformed. We are asked to look again — not merely at the soil, but into it — and to see the living cosmos reflected in the rhythms of earth.

As long as the farmer thinks only in terms of chemical atoms, he will never find the spirit in his soil.
– Rudolf Steiner, Agriculture Course, Lecture 3, GA 327.

The earth is not an isolated rock. It is a vessel within cosmic rhythms. Planetary movements pulse through the etheric body of the farm. The moon's rise and fall stir root pressure; Saturn’s distant majesty speaks through the deep-timbered evergreens. Venus and Scorpio whisper to rose and pepper seed.

The Etheric Field: Life’s Subtle Matrix

Elisabeth Vreede, the first leader of the Mathematical-Astronomical Section at the Goetheanum, emphasized that spiritual science must embrace astronomy, not merely for celestial curiosity but for the earth’s regeneration.

The planetary movements are not just external patterns; they bear inner forces that shape life. The farmer who knows this becomes a co-worker in the symphony of the spheres.
– Elisabeth Vreede, Astronomy and Spiritual Science (GA 323)

Modern biology speaks of genes and nutrients, but in biodynamics, life itself is shaped by a higher order: etheric forces. These are formative energies — carriers of life, growth, and renewal. The etheric is the reason a tree grows upward, not downward; it is the sculptor behind the leaf, the gesture of the flower, the pulse of ripening.

The etheric body is the body of formative forces. Without it, there is no life.
– Rudolf Steiner, Esoteric Science, GA 13.

Etheric rhythms arise from the interactions between Earth and cosmos—especially the moon, the sun, and the planets. Biodynamic work seeks to align with these rhythms.

Reading the Sky: Rhythms of Time and Growth

Biodynamic farmers use calendars—not only to track weather, but to align activity with cosmic movements. The most renowned of these is Maria Thun’s Sowing and Planting Calendar, first published in 1963. Maria Thun was consistent in remarking that this is not “astrology” but rather deals with the visible constellations and their measurable effects on plants without inherited superstitions. 

Every plant expresses fourfold gestures: root, leaf, flower, and fruit — each responding to Earth, Water, Air, and Fire. These are echoed in the constellations through which the Moon passes.
– Maria Thun, The Biodynamic Sowing and Planting Calendar (1963).

Cosmic Timing Chart

Not only the seed, but the moment of sowing carries destiny.
– Lili Kolisko, Agriculture of Tomorrow (1945), 88.

Planetary Signatures in the Plant World

Steiner gave many clues for working with planetary influences in the life of the farm. The seven classical planets relate to seven metals, seven plant types, seven gestures in growth. These correlations are not symbolic—they are operative laws of life.

The Calendar in Action: Practical Rhythms

As Maria Thun and others have shown, biodynamics works best when timing is aligned with the sky. But not all indications come from stars — some are learned through experience, observation, and reverence.

There are days when it is better not to touch the soil at all. And days when it sings in your hands.
– Maria Thun, Sowing Calendar Notes, 1971.

Cosmic Practice Table

The Plum Tree Experiment

In 1952, Maria Thun conducted one of the most influential experiments in biodynamics: the grafting of six genetically identical plum trees under different lunar and zodiacal conditions. The results were startling and have since become a cornerstone of biodynamic demonstration.

The trees grafted on fruit days blossomed and bore fruit normally. Those grafted on leaf days produced profuse leaves but few or no blossoms. And those grafted on root days remained stunted or died.
– Maria Thun, The Biodynamic Sowing and Planting Calendar (1963)

All six trees were planted side by side, received the same care, and were exposed to the same environment. Yet only the time of grafting—correlated to the moon's position in the zodiac—was different. The photographic record shows three vigorous, fruit-bearing trees and three distorted or non-productive ones. This remains one of the clearest visual proofs of cosmic timing’s effect on plant development.

Rhythm is not superstition. It is the breath of life.
– Maria Thun, Calendar Notes, 1967

When Not to Work the Earth

Cosmic rhythms are not always favorable. Just as there are days for sowing, there are days for rest—or restraint. Maria Thun, Lili Kolisko, and Elisabeth Vreede all cautioned against working the soil during certain disruptive configurations. Some of the following may be considered, but for the practical gardener or farmer, harvesting and sowing must continue in many situations:

• Moon node days: points where the moon crosses the sun’s apparent path. These can disturb root forces and germination.
• Eclipses: solar and lunar eclipses unbalance the etheric body and should be avoided.
• Void of course moon: when the moon makes no planetary aspect before switching signs, indicating a lack of cosmic impulse.
• Retrograde Mercury or Mars: traditionally associated with miscommunication and inflammation in subtle processes.

A farmer must know when to act — but also when to step back. To force life is to break it.
– Lili Kolisko, Agriculture of Tomorrow (1945)

Toward a Cosmic Agriculture

Biodynamics is not merely technique — it is an ethical path. It asks us to become artists of time and servants of life. By attuning ourselves to rhythms greater than our own, we participate in the healing of the earth.

The stars once spoke to man. It is world destiny that they are silent now. To become aware of this silence can be pain for earthly humanity. But in the deepening silence, there grows and ripens what man speaks to the stars.
– Rudolf Steiner, The Calendar of the Soul (GA 40).

Every sprout is a syllable. Every orchard is a poem. The cosmos has not forgotten Earth. It is waiting for us to remember.

Tools for Tracking Cosmic Conditions and Almanacs

To work consciously with cosmic rhythms, farmers and gardeners today have many resources at their fingertips:

• Maria Thun’s Biodynamic Calendar – Clearly marks favorable and unfavorable days, moon node periods, and zodiac influences.
• Stella Natura Calendar – U.S.-based biodynamic calendar inspired by Thun’s work, adapted for North America.
• Astrosophy resources – Sites such as astrosophy.org offer insights rooted in Steiner’s astronomical worldview.
• Planetary ephemerides & apps – Tools like PlanetWatchers, Astro-Seek, and Stellarium help track eclipses, moon nodes, and planetary retrogrades.
• Biodynamic newsletters and workshop handouts – Provided by JPI, the Biodynamic Association, and the Goetheanum Section for Agriculture.
• Eden’s Almanac – A modern biodynamic calendar and seasonal guide integrating planetary cycles, weather patterns, and regenerative practices.
• Celestial Planting Calendar – Based on traditional astrological principles and lunar gardening methods. Offers timing guidance for planting, pruning, and harvesting.

These tools help farmers plan wisely, align work with natural forces, and avoid disruption.

Want to Go Deeper?

If the cosmic life of the Earth has spoken to you, the journey does not end here. The next canvas will lead into the esoteric dimensions of biodynamics — exploring self-development, inner vision, the spiritual beings of the farm, and the initiation path of the conscious grower.

➡️ Continue to: Biodynamics and Inner Development

➡️ Go to Biodynamic Books

➡️ Go to Biodynamic Preparations

Suggested Further Study

• Maria Thun, Results from the Biodynamic Sowing and Planting Calendar soil and health library link
• Lili Kolisko, Agriculture of Tomorrow (1945)
• Ehrenfried Pfeiffer, Soil Fertility: Renewal and Preservation (1938)
• Rudolf Steiner, Agriculture Course, GA 327
• Elisabeth Vreede, Astronomy and Spiritual Science (GA 323)