Wednesday 7 May 2008

Biodynamic Gardening

What an amazing subject this is!

I have done a bit of googling and will be heading out to the library this afternoon to see if I can find a book called "grab the thistle", as well as any books I can find by Steiner.

I will be honest and say that most of my knowledge of Steiner comes from my Theosophical Bookstore rummagings in the late 80's.

The Spirit/body/nature/garden connection has always called out to me very strongly. Do I believe in garden spirits? Yes! The Magic of Findhorn has been one of my favourite books for many many years. I ask my plants where they would like to be planted, I reiki my seeds before I scatter them, I ask permission and give thanks to the plants which grow in my garden.

I will digress for a little bit here and let you know how saddened I have been recently. A forum I post on has had many threads asking basically "what's in it for me". This concern about 'self' above all else is what saddens me. If an individual can't see their place and responsibilities within the fabric of society, how will they ever see their connections and place in nature?

Me, mine and ownership attitudes will destroy us all unless we learn how to share as well as receive society's, as well as Nature's bounty.

Going to go and sit under my mulberry tree (She's 1.5 metres tall but I am short) and be a Human Be-ing.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Lara, it is a sad fact that todays society now more than ever wants to know "whats in it for them", that is until they get it and something goes wrong, then its "who can they blame"!

I cannot even begin to explain my frustration & sadness at what I see around me. Where did we get lost as a species, where have all the gentle aspects, the things that make us human go?

We have lost our compassion, our sense of truth, justice, our partnership with mother earth, our morals and values.

I have no idea where it all will end, I believe there are 2 posssible outcomes:

1 We fail to learn...goodbye human species

2 We will return to the more spiritual side, the side that cares for everything and everyone on the planet. Life returns to a more natural in sync with the planet pace.

Being the eternal optimist, I choose 2, but this will only come at a very high price, many will die, starvation, famine, disease etc will play their parts before we once aggain settle as a species.....until next time, we never learn from history!

The biodynamic gardening sounds like more of a challenge than my permaculture one LOL. The town I nursed in some years ago now had quite a few farmers who were using those princples, they were ridiculed then, now they are out teaching the same ppl that laughed, having developed very sucessful farms. Hope you have a blast with it!

Blessings:)

Anonymous said...

I think your point is valid but I wondered at the places you found the sentiment. I expected that amongst gardeners there would be very little of that. I was thinking today about beauty in general. The things some people consider beautiful and the things gardeners value as beautiful - rainbows, trees, flowers, streams etc - and when you look at it, the whole thing about gardening is that you create beauty by 'undoing' the things man has done. By replanting where land was run with livestock, by revegetating waterways overgrown with weeds, by growing our own food instead of partaking in the industrial food markets. Made me think there could be whole new way to look at the word 'garden'. Perhaps it should be spelt 'guardin' - guardin' a space from man!

By the way thanks for your comment on my blog - I can't seem to work out what my password should be and so couldn't respond there!

Nat

The Crone at Wits End said...

Natalie, it's a Parenting Forum. Here in Australia we have just had our latest Federal Budget handed down, hence all the "what's in it for me comments" in the last few weeks.

Which blog are you from again? I can't access your address from here :)