25 10 30 WLU BDGC Post Halloween, All Saints, Samhain, retreating of Nature’s Life Forces
Halloween, All Saints, Samhain, retreating of Nature’s Life Forces
Weather
The changeable and at times unsettled weather is likely to continue through early November, with low pressure dominating the British Isles. All parts could see some heavy rain, but it is likely that western areas will be wettest. Strong winds are likely at times, with gales or severe gales a possibility, especially in the west.
Equally there should also be some, at least brief, drier or clearer interludes mostly in the eastern regions. Temperatures will be above average, with a reduced incidence of overnight frost and fog, compared to normal, especially at first.
You might have noticed that the days are getting shorter very fast – in fact right now we are losing close to 4 minutes of light every day.
This feeling of entering the dark time of the year was even more accentuated by changing from “daylight savings time” or BST “British Summer Time” to the real “Sun” time.
So, we supposedly gained an hour and lost it seems, 1 hour of sunlight in the afternoon to find the extra hour of sunlight in the morning waking us up earlier.
The fact that the days get shorter this fast at this time of the year can be seen in nature as trees are rapidly losing their leaves. With lower temperatures, strong winds, grey skies, showers and drizzle prevail. Life is withdrawing into the earth.
In our human lives we notice that we can feel low energy or even a bit more depressed and particularly in Scandinavia the suicide rates go up at this time of year.
It’s as if a “compound effect” happens with the lessening of these life-giving qualities as we are losing our green cover of the earth. Particularly in cities the CO2 content increases vs the O2 content of the air and pollutants are not filtered by the leaves anymore.
In older cultures this time was recognized in the British Isles as Samhain, the festival of lighting fires to bring light into the darkness.
The Pagan cultures had three harvest festivals:
Lammas, harvest of the corn, on 1 August; the one of fruit and vegetables at autumn equinox, 21 September; and Halloween, the third.
At this time animals that couldn’t survive winter were culled, to ensure the other animals’ survival.
Also, it is noted that there was a lot of death around this time, and people knew there would be deaths in their villages during the harsh winter months coming.
Other countries, notably Mexico, celebrate “The Day of the Dead” from the
1.- 6. November to honour the deceased.
In Basel, Switzerland, they celebrate on the 11. November at 11:11 am the beginning of the Carnaval/Fastnacht (Carne=Meat) possibly knowing they could feast on the autumn harvest of fruit, vegetables and culled animals to then enter the time of natural fasting through the lack of availability of food in nature around them.
Last but not least, here in the UK and in most countries, Remembrance Day is observed on 11 November to recall the end of First World War hostilities. Hostilities ended “at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month” of 1918.
You might ask is this all a coincidence or are humans just aware of greater cosmic and earthly rhythms, which affect all living beings?
It is possibly a time to celebrate life even more and realise how precious life is as we become aware of everything and everyone goes through death to be reborn.
It might be time to build our security on our inner values and virtues, rather than relying on outer deceptive allures.
This is reflected possibly in nature by building humus at this time more than any other time of the year.
So, if you feel a bit down, sluggish or disenchanted at his time take it as an opportunity to dig deep into your soul and like in the old traditions of “Samhain”, “Carnaval” and the ‘The day of the Dead” parades, discover the masks we carry of our Shadow and traumas, which the old traditions were recognising at this time of the year.
Reach high into your being spirit truth and see how you could apply your divine will to shine light into the hidden realms of your soul to release old fetters and thoughtforms to generate warmth in yourself.
Bring light to the soil by cultivating your garden and get it ready for the long expected winter frosts.
This will help to sanitize the soil from slug and snail eggs, from soil born pests and let the new formative forces of the hexagonal ice structure of the healing forces of the waters of life work deeply into your soil.
It’s a good time to work in all the crop residues and green manures and lime the soil to alleviate the increasing tendency over winter for acidification of soils.
Apply your will to collecting prunings, leaves and all the dead plants to building beautiful, living sculptures of abundant life in your garden, called compost heaps.
Make sure you remember to go to your biodynamic farmer, you might have helped to make the field and compost preparations for the next year to share with you their preparations to apply them liberally in your home or community garden.
Of course, if you don’t have access to a farm, you can always purchase them from the shop in the Biodynamic Association.
As we give homage to all those who have gone before us, let’s remember something that R. Steiner mentioned in the Agriculture Lectures.
All the work we did in life for others selflessly, the sacrifices we made to become more valuable to society at large and live our greater virtues are becoming the true fertilizers for the plants, when we lay our bodies into “Mother Earth”.
A couple of practical tips:
This week: Order your bareroot transplants for hedging, ornamentals, fruit trees and soft fruit to be planted after the 8. November.
Order last of green manure seeds to sow them this week avoiding Wednesday after 10 am until Thursday 10 am with Moon in Perigee
2.-4. Nov.: tend to your leaf crops weeding them and maybe give them topdressing
5. Nov. before 10 am: Sow Broadbeans and Peas
6. Nov.after 11 am until sat. 8. Nov 1 pm: Plant Garlic and lift Potatoes, Carrots, Parsnips, Black Radish and Beetroot for storage.
Happy times of Samhain, All Souls and Remembrance of all who have gone before us.
Hans-Günther
To learn more about planning your garden, join us on the 18th November in our 2. Online Masterclass. Free for BDA members using code: WHLU
For information and bookings go to www.whlu.org
