Winter 2018 · Preps-manager: Ernst & Rosie Gegenhuber Education & Workshops: Rosie & Ernst...

Journal of

Australia Biodynamics-Victoria Inc

Winter 2018

Issue # 30

ABV COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Phone

President: Ernst Gegenhuber 5962 9349

Vice President: Ken Lang 0418 522 156

Treasurer: Bruce Holland 9438 1420

Secretary &

Membership: Rosie Gegenhuber 5962 9349

Editor & Website: Ernst Gegenhuber 5962 9349

Preps-manager: Ernst & Rosie Gegenhuber

Education &

Workshops: Rosie & Ernst Gegenhuber 5962 9349

Anne Goedemans 9756 6598

General Committee: Andrea Hamer 0414 499 990

Jane Daniels 0409 001 530

Gley Coronel 9725 5912

Greg Noy 0450 933 669

A warm welcome to all our new members!

Australia Biodynamics-Victoria Inc. 1907 Healesville-Kinglake Rd. Toolangi Vic 3777

Tel: 03-5962 9349, 0417 537 705

Website:www.biodynamicsvictoria.org

Email: [email protected]

[email protected]

‘The Four Seasons’, by Australia Biodynamics-Victoria Issue 30-‘Winter 2018’ 02

mailto:[email protected]


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page 2: Committee Members

: Table of Contents

Page 4: Combined Editors & Presidents Report

Page 9: Tree Pasting

Page 11: Summer-Sun and Winter

Page 13: The Biodynamic Preparations

Page 16: Diatomaceous Earth

Page 17: Why Cow Horns

Page 18: Rhythms of the Earth

Page 20: Queen of the Sun

Page 22: Cosmos, Earth and Nutrition

Page 23: The Karma of Untruthfulness

Page 25: Spiced Twice-Roasted Duck

Page 26: Indian Spiced Lentils

Page 27: A ‘Grinding’ Halt

Page 28: Fruit Tree Pruning in Winter

Page 30: Spray Nozzles

Page 31: Preparations Order Form

Page 32: The Back Page

Disclaimer: While every effort is made to publish accurate information, Australia

Biodynamics-Victoria Inc., accepts no responsibility for expressed statements &

opinions, nor for any results (stated or perceived), published in this newsletter.

Furthermore, Australia Biodynamics-Victoria Inc., does not necessarily endorse

the products or services being offered within advertisements in this newsletter.


News & Events from the Editor and President (Coordinator)

Realising that I normally start this column with complaints about

the weather, I won’t do it this time, since all of you experienced a

non-existing autumn in March and April.

All the usual activities at this time of the biodynamic year had to be

postponed until we had some rain to moisten the soil, which finally

happened in May.

The only compost prep I could make was 505 since the 3 deer-sculls

– again kindly donated by Ken from Yarra Valley Game Meats – could

be filled with ground oak bark and submerged in the drum behind the

goat shelter; topping up the water by hose instead of the downpipe

from the roof.

3rd April, an Earth-Day, was chosen to dig the pit for burying the cow

horns, planned to be done at another earth day later in the month or

early May. This idea was dragging on for a few more weeks since the

soil was still dry for another month.

At least the bees seemed to enjoy the weather

and, unlike other areas, there was plenty of

nectar in our area and I was able to collect 5

frames from our biggest hive and a filled-up roof

from another (these bees seemed to have run out

of space and kept going up as far as they could). All hives were

checked and should have enough reserves to go through winter.

Since I don’t use any wires in my frames I press the honey in a

stainless steel cider press, lined with muslin, which was the only way

to get the honey out of the combs in the built-up roof.

The whole process takes place in our sauna, heated up to 35 degrees

to make the honey flow better than the frames coming out of the

cool room where I kept them away from bees and ants.


7th May: After irrigating

one of our paddocks for a

few weeks, we had some

green grass to get manure

from our 4 cows, each with

calf, which was not too

fibrous from eating just

hay.

8 buckets of the fresh

sloppy brown gold were

topped up with stirred 500

to get the consistency

right for horn-filling.

Bruce and Gley spent the

whole day with us and the

2 sausage fillers were

cranked along flat out to

fill around 700 horns.

These nifty hand-operated

machines makes the job a lot easier – we still had to tap the manure

down a bit and top some horns up with manure, but it was all done

that day in a very social and relaxed atmosphere.

They all went straight

into the ground which

was moist but not too

wet.

Another 100 horns

were spared to be filled

by the students of our

8 weeks BD-Course a

week later.


26th April: The 8-weeks BD-Course in Toolangi started with 2 weeks

of lectures about Steiner and Biodynamics and it was decided, that

the practical field day should not be too late before the winter

weather sets in.

10th May: The weather can be miserable all over Victoria, but

whenever we hold a field day we don’t get affected – seems to be the

protective aura of Biodynamics.

Anyway, the students enjoyed the day, making compost, learning

about all the compost preps and making them:

504: Stinging nettle, which we dried during the year was moistened

and pressed into clay pipes.

503: Chamomile flowers were filled into cow intestine to look like

sausages ready for the barbeque.

506: We wrapped dandelion flowers in cow’s mesentery and tied it

up into a nice parcel

Again, the concrete mixer was used to mix all the ingredients for

Cow Pat Pit for 1 hour and then poured into the dedicated pit in the

ground with all the compost preps added.

With all the activity and discussions we realised after 4pm, that

there won’t be enough time to fill the remaining 100 horns.

Rosie and I had the pleasure to do it the next day.

Spraying BD500: On 5th and 8th May I was finally able to squeeze in

my spray action at home.

12th May: On this day we explored the world of Goethe.

One of our members, Hendrik Dierich, a scientist who studied

Goethean Science in Dornach, Switzerland and at the moment is

working on his PhD, held the most amazing presentation.

From getting to know Goethe, the human being, some hands-on

practice with light and colour – observing phenomena - what is gentle

empiricism and Goethean observing? – to ‘Plant Metamorphosis’.

There was just not enough time to take it all in and we hope Hendrik

will hold another presentation explaining Goethe’s philosophical view:


It was acknowledged that in his activity of knowing, the human being

comes up against limits through which he cannot penetrate into the

realm of true reality. For me there stood the fact — inwardly

experienced, and known in the experiencing — that man with his

thinking, if he deepens it sufficiently, does live in the midst of world

reality as within a spiritual reality.

Thanks again Hendrik, we all really enjoyed the day!

Also, please read the article on page 12

After the presentation we had a short committee meeting with the

focus on 2 separate 1-day courses:

1) Visual Soil Assessment with Gerhard Grasser: includes practical

soil tests and then microbial tests under the microscope

2) Basic compound microscope day course: Microscope

construction and function, using a basic compound microscope,

identifying soil and compost/compost tea/BD prep organisms

We are looking for your expression of interest on any of these 2

courses. They will be $120.00/day including catered lunch.

Please reply by 30th June, so we can organise the courses, but keep

in mind, places are limited!

ABV is in the process of purchasing a suitable microscope to carry

out tasks demonstrated in the two courses mentioned above. This

can be done at a small fee for members during special workshops

throughout the year.

Spray dates:

Since it was too dry for most of autumn to spray the preparations –

only in May we had enough rain to get started – there is still a

chance in June since we hardly had any frosts so far.

Go for it from 2nd to 15th June if there are no night-frosts

forecast.

I fulfilled our spaying regime (BD500 on 6th and 9th May) and trials

with potentised (homeopathic) preps on 26th and 27th May.


To compare the results between the traditional stirred 500 and the

homeopathic version will be very interesting and also important

considering he increasing problem getting new cow horns. It will take

a while to be able to see the difference – if there is any – and make a

‘scientific’ statement. In any case, I will keep you posted.

From mid-June it will be too cold for applying 500 for quite a while,

the next listing of spray-dates will be in the ‘Spring Newsletter’.

We will keep all the preparations safe and vital till then!

Don’t relax too early and go into winter hibernation: The follow up of

your summer pruning is still on the agenda and don’t forget to give

your orchard the spa-treatment it deserves by applying tree-paste

to trunks and thicker branches.

If you can’t find it in earlier issues of ‘The Four Seasons’, the recipe

is on page 9.

Talking

about

orchard,

the only

fruit still

hanging

on are the persimmons. Can they smell the sunny days?

My sincere THANK YOU goes to the people who wrote an article for

this newsletter. They represent the real life with Biodynamics.

Luckily, there will be a more quiet time ahead, so now we can have a

bit of a time off from practicing biodynamics over winter.

Winter is a very important time for nature. The earth is inhaling; all

the forces are drawn underground into the soil to enable new life in

spring. Plants submerge their energy into their roots; movement

slackens as matter and energy concentrate.

For us winter is a time of quietness, reading and planning ahead.

Enjoy reading this newsletter, Ernst


Tree Pasting According to Peter Proctor

One important Bio-Dynamic manuring practice is carried out in

winter, not on the soil, but on the trees themselves. This

strange sounding idea can perhaps be better understood when

we consider how, in the words of Rudolf Steiner, “the trunk of

a tree can be linked to an elongated mound of earth, upon

which plants (leaves) grow.” Thus a paste applied to a trunk and

branches carries out a similar function to that of compost

spread on the ground. It also nourishes and protects the bark

and cambium of trees and vines, and has the effect of sealing

over crevices in which pests may over-winter.

Apply in June, July or August to fruit trees and vines after

pruning. It effectively seals and heals wounds created by

pruning


The original Formula for

Biodynamic Tree Paste

4 parts cow manure

2 parts silica sand or diatomaceous earth

3 parts potting clay or bentonite

The proportions need not to be exact. Sand may be

substituted for the diatomaceous earth if it is unobtainable.

The cow dung should

be fresh.

The ingredients are stirred into a sloppy paste with either

stirred BD 500, diluted equisetum or casuarina tea, very

diluted liquid manure or simply rainwater. It can be kept

for a month or so as you work you way around the orchard.

Loose bark, lichen, moss etc. Should be removed from the

trunk before applying the paste with a large paintbrush. Use

a whitewash brush to paint the trees up as high as you can

practically reach.

For commercial orchards, olives and vineyards: Make the paste thin enough to be sprayed. Strain to remove

any obstructions that could block pump or nozzle. The nozzle

should be course, and a centrifugal pump is preferable to a

diaphragm pump, which could be damaged by the materials.

Some have developed a Venturi spray system using an old

vacuum machine and canister off the PTO. For spraying use

the finer diatomaceous earth rather than the coarser silica

sand.


THE SUMMER

SUN

AND WHERE IT

GOES IN

WINTER

By Steven Kapolice

In the book “Agriculture of Tomorrow” written by Eugene and

Lily Kolisko they tell the following tale of an experiment they

carried out after one of those ‘off the cuff’ remarks made by

Rudolf Steiner. He suggested that if one dug a hole they would

find the winter sun.

And so the Koliskos dug a hole. They dug a shaft 16 metres

deep, lined with timber, at every metre they dug a horizontal

shaft. Then over 4 years they carried out an experiment, over

those 16 levels, they tested the germinal capacity of seeds.

Over 4 years and 16 levels they daily checked how quickly

seeds germinated.

As one would expect peak germination in summer was at ground

level but as the seasons changed this peak germinating point

moved down the shaft until we reach mid-winter when peak

germination was at the 16 metre level.

What an amazing insight. We are looking not at the Sun’s

radiant heat but the subtle, fecund energy of the Sun moving

above and below the soil as the seasons change. Steiner

challenges us to remain in the living realm when working with

nature and picture of the sun is truly a living experience.


WINTER ACTIVITIES As we have discussed the sun is now working below the

surface of the soil which now is at its most living in mid-winter.

Winter is when the soil becomes alive, and with our biodynamic

activities we want to assist in this vitalising process.

Autumn and winter is the time to be applying the preparations.

Prep 500 can be applied at least once or twice depending on

your soil conditions to your backyard or broad acre situation.

Compost also applied to back yard or broad-acre or to fruit

trees and any other plants that need feeding. If you are

buying in compost for a broad-acre farm still add the compost

preps, they will help improve the compost. Tree paste is

commercially available, or one can make their own, if one feels

their trees need rejuvenating, the paste will strengthen the

bark/cambium of the tree and help smother any overwintering

insect pests. Again winter is when the soil is most alive and in

our activities we are addressing the health of the soil which

will then feed the plant.

Turn to the Astro calendar for optimum times for your

activities, but remember, the calendar is a guide not a panacea

for activities. Keep in mind that one is really preparing for

summer. Every activity is in preparation for the re-emergence

of the Sun from its below ground activity to spring when the

Sun is spreading its influence on the earth’s surface, when we

see this huge profusion of new growth, and we watch the Sun’s

path as it rises higher in the sky as summer progresses until

its influence is as much above ground at the summer solstice as

it was below ground at the winter solstice.


THE BIODYNAMIC PREPARATIONS

Dr. Rudolf Steiner &

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Ever wondered where the bio-dynamic preparations come from? Well, they come from Ernst and Rosie’s farm – they send it via the post, or I can pick it up from them, whenever I need some.

And where do they get it from? Ah, they produce the preparations right there on the farm, together with other helpers.

So how do Ernst and Rosie and others know how to produce these preparations, who concocted the recipes? Dr. Rudolf Steiner gave these indications in his Agricultural Course, delivered in 1924 in Silesia (then Germany, now Poland) at the 7,500 ha Koberwitz Farm of the Count and Countess Keyserlink.

And how did Rudolf Steiner know – after all he was a philosopher and lecturer who focused more on social, historical and occult consciousness and not agricultural matters? Rudolf Steiner spent eight years, as a young man in his 20’s, editing the entire legacy of Goethe’s scientific writings, for inclusion in the premier edition of Goethe’s Complete Works at that time.

Now we can follow these ‘literary footsteps’ in an illuminating book “Nature’s Open Secret” by Rudolf Steiner. Goethe’s literary genius was universally acknowledged, but it was Steiner’s task to understand and comment on Goethe’s scientific achievements. Steiner recognised the significance of Goethe’s work with nature and his epistemology.


Steiner’s introductions to Goethe’s works re-visions the meaning of knowledge and how we attain it. Goethe had discovered how thinking could be applied to organic nature and this experience requires not only rational concepts but a whole new way of perceiving. With a fundamental declaration of the interpenetration of our consciousness and the world around us, Steiner shows how Goethe’s approach points the way to a more compassionate and intimate involvement with nature.

Neither Steiner nor Goethe would have been content with readers remaining a passive doer and follower of what they, each in their own writings, were calling on people to do, to become. This is all about an activity-based path, where we do and learn and grow and become. Think of our consciousness like a search light – we can shine it around us and check out the surroundings, or we can use it to guide us on a path, moving forwards to go where we were previously unable to venture because we were ‘in the dark’.

Back to the original question – where do the BD preparations come from? When we study Goethe’s scientific writings, as edited and presented through Steiner’s input, we can awaken to a living and dynamic experience of nature, in our full waking consciousness. This is not a mystical experience but one of our enhanced day consciousness. In Goethe’s own words, he was fundamentally interested in the transformation of the scientist, the experimenter, the observer – that’s you and me, rather than gaining knowledge or developing new theories. For Goethe, the experience in the perception is the theory, there is no need to go further or seek anything more fundamental.

Steiner could develop the biodynamic preparations because he was an astute scientist and keen observer of nature. He had followed every twist and turn of Goethe’s methodology and learned to observe the living and sentient realms through his many years of ‘training’ editing the scientific writings of Goethe.


And we can do the same. We too can learn this language of nature, or I should say, rediscover this language of nature, as it is in each one of us all the time. Has always been! So we too can learn to ‘read nature’ and in time, develop new preparations to assist the health of the land and animal well-being. Bob Williams # is one who has already done this. Bob trialled the use of kangaroo bladders for 501 preparation and Casuarina to be used instead of Equisetum for the ‘508’ spray. Australian nature standing in for the European. So it can be done …

On Saturday 12th May some of us spent time at a seminar in Toolangi on Goethean Science where I tried to bring some elements of this living seeing of nature to those present. Although the weather was a bit dour (it is now autumn!) the experience was, from the feedback received, a bit more illuminating. That makes me realise that this is a way into nature that is suitable for the everyday woman, the common man, the citizen scientist. This is not highly specialised technical stuff rather it’s very accessible for every person with an open mind and prepared to set aside their preconceptions.

So, next newsletter I will talk about what this living perceiving of nature looks like. For those who attended it will be a summary, those who were not there, an introduction. Either way the important thing is to do this, practice it, have a go, forget all hang-ups about not being a good enough scientist of artist or writer. This is your journey, to yourself and the world.

Hendrik Dierich # Bob Williams was a former General Secretary of the Anthroposophical Society in Australia and a keen nature lover. He also presided over the early biodynamic agriculture impulse in Australia.


Diatomaceous Earth (DE)

Diatomaceous Earth (DE) is a form of silica that can kill insects by desiccation, by absorbing their waxy, oily, outer layer. When this thin, waterproof layer is damaged, the insect or insect egg loses water and dies. DE also has microscopically razor sharp edges, which works as an abrasive sandpaper to kill the insects. This killing action is a mechanical not a chemical one. If kept dry, DE has an indefinite shelf life and remains effective for as long as it is present. DE, also called 'sharp sand', or 'fossil dust' is sourced from the fossilised remains of freshwater single-celled plants.

Uses: Internationally, DE has a wide range of uses in organic agriculture and household pest control. It is included in products which are registered, marketed and certified for the control of cockroaches, silverfish, ants, fleas, flies, ticks, lice, earwigs, aphids, white fly, beetles, loopers, mites, snails, slugs, leaf hoppers, and head lice. It is also used as an ingredient in biodynamic tree paste and in products for the control of internal parasites of stock: poultry, goats and sheep. It is also used to protect stored vegetable seed organically.

New Insecticides Innovation Probably the most effective naturally occurring protective powder is diatomaceous earth. Diatomaceous earth will control the pests as long as the powder remains. In this respect diatomaceous earth is an ideal pesticide; it is residual but non-toxic.

Extracted from Diatomaceous Earth: A Non Toxic Pesticide Macdonald J. 47(2): 14, 42 (May 1986)

‘The Four Seasons’, by Australia Biodynamics-Victoria Issue 30- ‘Winter 2018’ 16

Why Cow Horns?

The value of cow horns, according to Steiner, comes from their ability to hold and ray back continually that animal nature, or astrality into the digestive system.

This obviously continues to enliven the digestion and resultant dung to a high degree. When the horns are removed from the cow, they still retain their holding and raying back capacity. This gives the horns the ability to absorb the life energies that are in the soil in the winter months during the decomposition of the dung in the horn. Something of the soil life activity is then contained and concentrated in the manure.

For an indication that there are strong growth forces in the earth during the winter time, Just look at the way new white rootlets form and grow on newly planted trees and shrubs. There is no leaf growth during the wintertime, but there is plenty of root growth.

When preparation 500 is made it takes on the characteristics of the soil in which it is made. So if the horns are buried in peat soil, the 500 looks black and peaty, in sandy and volcanic soil it is lighter, and in heavy clay soil, the 500 has a heavy texture. However, even though it looks different, the 500 brings about the same beneficial change to whatever it is applied to.

Ideally, the 500 should be made in an area where it will be used. 500 is particularly effective if it is made from locally produced dung on the farm where it will be used, As the forces of the districts are slightly different. In New Zealand most farmers use 500 that has been made in Hawke’s Bay or Northland. However I have taken some Hawke’s Bay's 500 to India and it has worked well there, too, in respect to soil structure improvement. Excerpt from “Grasping the Nettle” By Peter Proctor p.36/37


Rhythms of the Earth WINTER

By Rosie Gegenhuber

The beautiful coloured leaves of the maples

in front of the house have fallen, but the

crepe myrtles are still ablaze with colour. In

the transition from autumn to winter, gravity

takes hold. The plants delighting us with

colour, form and scent late summer are now

wilting and decomposition sets in.

With our students we have built a compost

heap, inserted the compost preparations to

vitalize the soil and provide our plants with

living energy in the following season. It will

enable the plants to grow to their full

potential, right through to fruiting, ripening

and seed formation.

The cow horns have been buried and compost preparations were made

for next year’s supply. As every year, the field days are a time to get to

know each other, to learn in a relaxed environment and practice Rudolf

Steiner’s teachings on farm.


Winter is a very important time for the soil; in this period the soil is

most active, preparing for the next

growing season. Steiner of course in

his lectures talks about the northern

hemisphere. Northern hemisphere

dates for mid-winter (15th January –

15th February) can be transposed to

the southern hemisphere (15th July –

15th August)

As Autumn is a time of contracting

and decaying and the condensation

we experience as fog and mist

changes in winter to crystallisation.

The vapours in the air condense even

more and the water droplets become

solid crystal forms of frost and

snow. The peak time for this crystallisation process is in mid-winter and

gets stronger the deeper down in the Earth we go. During this period

the mineral world becomes most receptive to incoming cosmic forces of

Mars, Jupiter and Saturn.

Before and after this crystallisation, just on the point of passing over

into the crystalline form, the mineral world rays out forces that are

very important for plant growth.

During winter there is not much

growth, we could say the plants

are hibernating, living off what

they have stored in their roots.

The cow horns we buried in

autumn give the manure the time

to be prepared by the soil

biology over winter for the

transformation into BD 500.


“QUEEN OF THE SUN” – The Movie http://www.queenofthesun.com/

In 1923, Rudolf Steiner, a scientist, philosopher & social

innovator, predicted that in 80 to 100 years honeybees would

collapse. His prediction has come true with Colony Collapse

Disorder, were bees are disappearing in mass numbers from their

hives with no clear single explanation.

In an alarming inquiry into the insights behind Steiner’s prediction

QUEEN OF THE SUN: What Are the Bees Telling Us? examines

the dire global bee

crisis through the

eyes of biodynamic

beekeepers,

scientists, farmers

and philosophers. On

a pilgrimage around

the world, the film

unveils 10.000 years

of beekeeping,

highlighting how our historic and sacred relationship with bees

has been lost due to highly mechanized industrial practices.

Featuring Michael Pollan, Vandana Shiva, Gunther Hauk and

beekeepers from around the world, this engaging, alarming and

ultimately uplifting film weaves together a dramatic story that

uncovers the problems and solutions in renewing a culture in

balance with nature.

The Queen of The Sun: What are the Bees Telling Us? is an in-

depth investigation to discover the causes and solutions behind

Colony Collapse Disorder; a phenomenon where honeybees vanish

from their hives, never return.


http://www.queenofthesun.com/

The Queen of The Sun follows the voices and visions of

underrepresented beekeepers, philosophers and scientists around

the world, all struggling for the survival of the bees. While other

bee films focus exclusively on commercial beekeepers, this film

emphasizes the biodynamic and organic communities who have

differing opinions from many commercial beekeepers and are

overlooked in other films.

Queen of The Sun follows colourful, alternative and inspiring

beekeepers from all around the globe as they keep the bees in

natural and holistic ways. From Gunter Hauk in the United States

to Massimo Carpinteri in Italy, each has unique philosophical and

spiritual insights into their bees and is striving to keep their bees

safe from pesticides, and the other causes behind Colony Collapse

Disorder.


Book Review: COSMOS, EARTH AND NUTRITION

The biodynamic Approach to Agriculture

by Richard Thornton Smith - Publisher: Sophia Books ISBN978-1-85584-227-4

If you are finding the Lectures on Agriculture by Rudolf Steiner challenging, then this might be the book for you!

If you want to acquaint yourself with all the aspects which at times feel "far out" incomprehensible and too complex, don't give up, get this book and begin to enjoy Life. Not that you'll ever be giving up reading the original Agriculture lectures, on the contrary, Thornton Smith takes you on a very gentle ride on our living earth. Throughout, he builds on Steiner’s lectures whilst adding data, photographs, charts and references with up to date information to explain those often abstract statements. His journey begins by looking to the Cosmos, then to the farm organism with its natural processes in line with the astronomical rhythms. He covers our vital resources of water and seed nurturing and even our health through nutrition in a cautionary manner yet providing us with good solutions whilst remaining in the realm of life. Incorporated are extracts from leading thinkers associated with Steiner such as Hauschka, Kolisko, Pfeiffer and a chapter on 'Healing Outer and Inner Landscapes' by Margaret Colquhuon. This is a thoroughly comprehensive researched document wherein the Past is incorporated into our Future. Complete with 'roadmap' This book could be considered as recommended reading for all those people who approach a life on the land.

If you want to get all the original Steiner Literature, try this website: http://www.rsarchive.org/Lectures/index.php


The Karma of Untruthfulness:

A series of lectures by Rudolf Steiner

Although these lectures were given in 1916, they have much to teach us about today's political spin, media distortions, propaganda and downright lies--all delivered by the media on a daily basis.

wn.rsarchive.org/Lectures/GA173/English/RSP1988/KarUn1_index.html www.goodreads.com/book/show/3144924-the-karma-of-untruthfulness

He wrote:

‘In order to find a view of the world fitting for today, we need wider horizons than those available to mankind in this materialistic age. This applies especially in connection with spiritual science, and I have already referred to this necessity repeatedly in the preceding lectures. By wider horizons I mean that to comprehend today’s world, and in particular human events, we shall have to have recourse to concepts which originate in spiritual science. The fact that the greater part of humanity has so far rejected such wider conceptual horizons in relation to all fields of life and knowledge is connected with the karma of the present time.

With these wider concepts in the background we can characterise one aspect of our life by saying that, objectively, evolution has out-distanced mankind in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Today’s events most thoroughly demonstrate this situation. One of the most prominent events of the age of materialism is material progress, that is, progress involving all things that can be accomplished in the world by material means. This material progress is served by the science of the age of materialism. And it is especially typical of these sciences that they are growing ever less and less interested in the spiritual world; they strive more and more to become a mere summation of concepts and ideas which can be applied to external material phenomena.


https://wn.rsarchive.org/Lectures/GA173/English/RSP1988/KarUn1_index.html

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3144924-the-karma-of-untruthfulness

Over the years, during our lectures on spiritual science, we have often said, in connection with one aspect or another, that there is a body on earth, a body which is spread over the whole earth. This body needs a soul, and this soul should be equally international. Spiritual science was claimed to be this soul, for it comprises knowledge which is not bound up with any particular individual or group on the earth but can be understood by every single person, wherever he may be, just as physical things in external, material culture – such as a railway or locomotive – can be understood. We have often stressed that a blessing and salvation for human evolution can only come about if the development in the bodily realm is accompanied by a development in the realm of soul and spirit. For this to take place it would be necessary for people to make just as much effort to understand spiritual matters – they would far rather be forced than use their freedom – as external circumstances force them to make to understand the demands of material progress. So far this has not happened, but it will obviously have to come about as human evolution proceeds. However long it is delayed, it must happen in the end. However much disastrous karma is conjured up because human beings do not want to make the effort, it will happen in the end, for what is to happen will indeed happen.’

Rudolf Steiner's calm, methodological approach penetrates the smokescreen of accusations and counterclaims, illusions and lies, surrounding World War I. From behind this fog and under the guise of outer events, the true spiritual struggle is revealed. Steiner's words give the reader a deeper understanding of the politics and world conflicts that confront us today through the filter of popular media. Amid the turmoil of World War I, Steiner spoke out courageously against the hate, lies, and propaganda of the time. His detailed research into the spiritual impulses of human evolution allowed him to reveal the dominant role that secret brotherhoods played in events that culminated in that cataclysmic war. He warned that the retarding forces of nationalism must be overcome before Europe can find its true destiny. He also emphasized the urgent need for new social structures in order to avoid such future catastrophes. Political and social changes around the world are moving at a breathless pace, hurtling us all toward an uncertain future. These lectures illuminate much of what lies behind today's turbulent events and the scenes played out on the nightly news. Even just reading this summary immediately raises the question ’What has changed over the last 100 years??’ Summarised by Ernst


Spiced Twice-Roasted Duck [Serves 2]

Discovered and cooked by Ernst Gegenhuber

Ingredients: 1 red onion, peeled and quartered

2 star anise

¼ cup Hoisin sauce

¼ cup Light Soy sauce

2 Duck marylands

¼ teaspoon Szechuan peppercorns, toasted and ground

(if you can't find szechuan peppercorns they can be omitted)

½ teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder

freshly ground salt

Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F.

In a deep sided oven-proof dish place the duck marylands skin

side down.

Scatter the onion quarters and star anise.

Mix the hoisin and light soy sauce in a bowl along with 1 cup water

- stir to combine and then pour over the duck.

Top up with more water until the legs are half covered in liquid.

Cook for 45 minutes.

Remove the marylands from the stock and place them on a low-

sided oven dish. Sprinkle over with the ground Szechuan

peppercorn and Chinese Five spice powder, then rub them into the

skin. Grind over with a little salt and return to the oven for

around 30 minutes or until the skin is crisp.

Reduce stock and add juices from baking dish.

Let the duck rest 5 minutes before serving.


http://www.flickr.com/photos/haalo/299317899/

Indian spiced lentils with

roast pumpkin and yoghurt

Discovered and cooked by Ernst Gegenhuber

Canned lentils are a great, mid-week time saver and this quick cook dhal can be pulled together from mostly pantry staples in less time than it takes for delivery to arrive. -Of course you can use fresh ingredients-

Ingredients (Serves 4 )

500 g pumpkin, unpeeled, cut into 3 cm-thick slices 2 tbsp vegetable oil 1½ tsp garam masala (see Note), salt and pepper 1 small onion, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1½ tbsp finely chopped ginger 1 tbsp hot or medium curry powder 1 x 400 g tin chopped tomatoes 2 x 400 g tins brown lentils, rinsed and drained ¼ cup chopped coriander leaves, plus extra to serve ¼ cup natural yoghurt, plus extra to serve

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200ºC (conventional, fan-forced: 180 ºC). Arrange the pumpkin slices on an oven tray lined with baking paper. Drizzle with 2 teaspoons of oil, sprinkle over ½ a teaspoon garam masala and season to taste. Transfer to the oven and roast for 25 minutes until tender and golden. Heat 1½ tablespoons of oil a medium-sized saucepan over high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring regularly, for 7–8 minutes until golden. Reduce the heat to medium, add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the curry powder and cook for 1 minute until aromatic. Add the tomatoes, stir to combine and simmer for 3 minutes. Add the lentils, 1 teaspoon of garam masala and season to taste. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2–3 minutes until the lentils are heated through. Remove from the heat and stir through the yoghurt and coriander. If you prefer a wetter dhal just add a couple of tablespoons of water. Spoon the lentils into wide bowls and place the pumpkin on top. Top with extra coriander leaves and drizzle with extra yoghurt.


A ‘GRINDING’ Halt

By Ernst Gegenhuber

Rosie was just getting ready to grind

the flour for the weekly batch of

home-made sour dough bread, when

our Schnitzer-Vario flower mill and

grain-roller stopped after working for

a few seconds.

Emptying and cleaning the stone mill

only gave another few seconds of

operation before it stopped again. A

bit of a strange smell indicated a

problem deep inside the unit.

Dismantling the mill was a bit of a

challenge, since it is so well engineered

to fit everything into the small

interior space.

It did not take long to identify the cause

of the breakdown: the capacitor for the

motor spat some of its interior goodies

through the side wall and was not up to

full ‘capacity’ any more.

That’s when the internet comes handy

again, and a week later, the replacement

part arrived. I don’t want to mention the

words I used when trying to assemble the

whole thing again, but in the end – after

realising that it had to be completely

assembled to trigger the micro-switch at

the back – it was buzzing away like new!

Bread and rolled oats ready to go.


Fruit Tree Pruning in Winter

By Ernst Gegenhuber

We had quite a few inquiries lately about when and how to prune fruit

trees. To bring all the hints and tips would fill the next 10 newsletters,

but these are some of the basics:

I personally prune ALL fruit trees back after fruiting, since stone

fruit don’t heal as well when pruned in winter and also, citrus

trees and other ‘evergreen’ fruit trees tend to sprout when

pruned in winter and the new shoots get hit by frost.

The final back-to-shape-pruning of deciduous trees in winter

really depends on the age and shape of the tree.

There are good books, like this

one, considering the Australian

climate zones and also not

telling the confusing seasons of

northern hemisphere books.

You also get a lot of information

by typing ‘fruit tree pruning’ in

your web-browser.

It is also important to know,

which trees fruit on ‘old’ wood

and which ones on ‘new’ shoots,

so you don’t chop off the

branches which will be fruiting

next season.

With older, neglected trees you might have to apply ‘chainsaw-

pruning, especially to get them back to manageable height. I did

this with some of our trees when we bought the property, bit in

hindsight, I should have removed them and planted new ones


It is so hard to keep old re-shaped trees at the size you want

them, because the ratio between the root system of the big old

tree to the reduced shape of the pruned one tends to keep the

bugger growing like mad (especially in our good soil) and hard to

control and give you fruit in relation to the size of the tree.

The basics of pruning an apple

tree is shown on this picture

and gives you an idea about

the different types of growth

on a tree and what should be

removed.

Always keep in mind, that

light and air flow penetrating

your fruit trees are essential

to the health of your orchard.

Fungal diseases in a humid and

warm spring/early summer

condition can be easily

tackled by spraying 501

(after fruit have developed to

about thumbnail size) and/or

by applying casuarina tea once

or twice a week during this

critical period.

Also important in winter is

the application of biodynamic

tree paste –see page 9.

Also get ready to spray

against curly leaf before bud

burst on peach and nectarine

trees early spring (we use

lime-sulfur).


Spray Nozzles available from ABV Prices exclude P&p

“A” Typical nozzle for BD500 & CPP, facing “backwards” 2 sizes: for Driving Speed 10km/h: $25.00

or 15km/h: $28.00

½” BSP male thread connection

“B” Typical nozzle for BD501, facing “upwards” Driving Speed of approx. 12km/h

$88.00

1/2” BSP male thread connection

“C” Typical nozzle for Fish Hydrolysate (& CPP), facing “upwards” 2 sizes: for Driving Speed of approx. 12km/h

or approx. 18km/h

each at $37.00 with 3/8” BSP male thread connection

“D” 3/8”to 1/2” BSP male adapter bush $3.00

You can find Fish Hydrolysate on our ‘Preparations Order Form 2015/16’

Links to suppliers for ‘Fish Emulsion’ and ‘Liquid Kelp’: www.vitec.com.au/ www.fairdinkumfertilizers.com


http://www.vitec.com.au/

http://www.fairdinkumfertilizers.com/

Australia Biodynamics-Victoria Inc ABN 44 712 924 066

PREPARATIONS ORDER FORM 2017/18

All prices are valid until 30th June 2018

Name: …………………………………………………….……... Date: ……./.……/2018

Postal address: …………………………………………………………………………………..

...................................... P/Code: ………....Phone: ( ) ……....................

Mobile: …………………………………..........

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Horn Manure 500 35g (1 acre) @ $ 4.00 $.............

1 kg @ $ 80.00 $.............

Horn Silica 501 1g (1 acre) @ $ 4.00 $.............

Winter/Summer Horn Clay 4g (1 acre) @ $ 2.00 $.............

Set of Compost Preps (502-506 balls + 507) $ 30.00 $.............

Barrel Compost (Cow Pat Pit) 60g (1 acre) @ $ 4.00 $.............

1 kg @ $ 40.00 $............

Fish Hydrolysate 25l drum (ex warehouse) $125.00 $............

Total $............

BD500, 501-Spray Nozzles & Filter Socks are also available (please call)

Payment details: p&p added to above items, invoice will be sent after posting

Please make cheques/money orders payable to: Australia Biodynamics-Victoria Inc

Internet Banking: BSB: 063 856, Account-No: 1010 3525

Post this form to: Australia Biodynamics-Victoria 1907 Healesville-Kinglake Rd., Toolangi VIC 3777 Tel: (03) 5962 9349 or 0417 537 705

Email: [email protected] or [email protected]

For credit card payments please provide your details with the order




Cracks

“There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in.” Leonard Cohen (1934)

Passing through

“We are all visitors to this time, this place. We are just passing through.

Our purpose here is to observe, to learn, to grow, to love…and then we

return home.”

Australian Aboriginal Proverb

Sun and shadows

“Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you.”

Maori Proverb

Power of love

“It is my firm faith that we can conquer the whole world by truth and love.” Mahatma Gandhi

The best cure

“The best cure for the body is a quiet mind.” Napoleon Bonaparte

Turning around

“No matter how far

wrong you've gone, you

can always turn around.”

Positive mind

“A positive mind looks

for ways it can be done;

a negative mind looks for

ways it can't be done.”


Winter 2018 · Preps-manager: Ernst & Rosie Gegenhuber Education & Workshops: Rosie & Ernst...

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Transcript of Winter 2018 · Preps-manager: Ernst & Rosie Gegenhuber Education & Workshops: Rosie & Ernst...