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In the first class, Ralph Raaths presents Steiner’s research, including the cosmosophy of nature and a video by herbalist, Peter von Maltitz. On the next day’s session, Angus McIntosh, a biodynamic farmer on a large scale, speaks about the practical implementation of this sacred agriculture.
Course Outcomes: Students learn…
About the mysterious connections of nature to cosmic events, making ancient knowledge approachable to our understanding.
Better understand nature and how to co-operate with Mother Nature to work together with the elemental kingdoms.
Click on the book cover to order the book.
Secrets of the Soil: New Solutions for Restoring Our Planet by Peter Tompkins and Christopher Bird
Paperback 422 pages
A compendium on the science and metaphysics of soil, agriculture, and the environment. Going beyond the rudiments of biology, the authors demonstrate that the inherent life force woven through all plants, stones, soil, water, and air is central to our survival, and our relationship to the soil is of vital importance to our future. You will not find this kind of valuable information in a textbook. It will change your life.
Quote: A single microbe reaching maturity and dividing within less than half an hour, can, in the course of a single day, grow into 300 million more, and in another day to more than the number of human beings than have ever lived.
Agriculture: A Course of Lectures Held at Koberwitz, Silesia, June 7 to June 16, 1924 by Rudolf Steiner
In this remarkable series of lectures, delivered in 1924, Rudolf Steiner first laid down the principles of biodynamic agriculture. Each lecture contains fascinating insights into farming, the plant and animal world, the nature of organic chemistry and the influences of the heavenly bodies. The discussions which followed are also recorded, in which Steiner answered questions and engaged in debate with the audience. This edition comes with full editorial notes and appendices, and includes Steiner's own handwritten notes to the series.
Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World by Paul Stamets
A manual for the mycological rescue of the planet. That’s right: growing more mushrooms may be the best thing we can do to save the environment, and in this groundbreaking text from mushroom expert Paul Stamets, you’ll find out how.
The basic science goes like this: Microscopic cells called “mycelium”--the fruit of which are mushrooms--recycle carbon, nitrogen, and other essential elements as they break down plant and animal debris in the creation of rich new soil. What Stamets has discovered is that we can capitalize on mycelium’s digestive power and target it to decompose toxic wastes and pollutants (mycoremediation), catch and reduce silt from streambeds and pathogens from agricultural watersheds (mycofiltration), control insect populations (mycopesticides), and generally enhance the health of our forests and gardens (mycoforestry and myco-gardening).
Sea Energy Agriculture by Maynard Murray
Maynard Murray was a medical doctor who researched the crucial importance of minerals - especially trace elements - to plants and animals. Beginning in 1938 and continuing through the 1950s, Dr. Murray used sea solids - mineral salts remaining after water is evaporated from ocean water - as fertilizer on a variety of vegetables, fruits and grains. His extensive experiments demonstrated repeatedly and conclusively that plants fertilized with sea solids and animals fed sea-solid-fertilized feeds grow stronger and more resistant to disease.
Sea Energy Agriculture recounts Murray's experiments and presents his astounding conclusions. The work of this eco-pioneer was largely ignored during his lifetime, and his book became a lost classic - out-of-print for more than 25 years. Now this rare volume is once again available, with a new foreward and afterword by the founder of Acres U.S.A., Charles Walters.
A Biodynamic Farm, For Growing Wholesome Food by Hugh Lovel
The inventory of knowledge that is generally warehoused under the classification of biodynamic is rich and timeless, and yet very few farmers have even a nodding acquaintance with the subject. This book performs a rescue operation. A practical, how-to guide to making all of the biodynamic preparations, this book will provide what you need to put these proven techniques to work in your fields. Perhaps the best of the many biodynamic titles currently available. Further explains how to achieve success through CSA-style market garden marketing. A Biodynamic Farm brings the sometimes confusing subject of biodynamics within the grasp of all farmers.
Angus McIntosh's website (http://www.farmerangus.co.za/)
Biodynamics and Gardening Association: https://www.biodynamics.com/
Maria Thun, was a leading authority on “biodynamics”, an approach to agriculture and horticulture which uses the waxing and waning of the moon and the position of the planets and constellations to determine when to sow and harvest; her annual Biodynamic Sowing and Planting Calendar was regarded as a vital land practice tool.
In memory of Maria Thun 1922-2012: Marking the passing of our lunar-growing guru.
In the early 1920's, Lilly Kolisko working upon a suggestion made by Rudolf Steiner, the founder of Anthroposophy, devised a method for experimentally investigating the workings of the etheric forces in material substance. She called this technique 'Capillary Dynamolysis' used to evaluate vitality. Following Dr. Ehrenfreid Pfeiffer, her method is also called the sensitive crystallization or biocrystallizationmethod.
Angus recomended the book: The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan.
Ralph Raaths interviews Peter von Maltitz on Biodynamic Farming of Herbs
David Christopher Lewis is a gifted clairaudient, an Aquarian spiritual author and talented musical composer. He is co-founder of The Hearts Center Community and Meru University. His mission is to share the ascended masters’ teachings and their practical, sometimes startling, progressive revelations for personal awakening and Self-Realization.
Born in the Chicago area, David was the sixth of ten children. At the age of 14, he embraced the concepts of karma and reincarnation after reading Edgar Cayce’s The Sleeping Prophet. He has studied the world’s major religions for four decades and lived and worked in an intentional spiritual community for 22 years. In the spring of 2004, David experienced a mystical awakening and began receiving regular telepathic communications from angels and enlightened spiritual beings, known as ascended masters.
David has now received and delivered more than 5,000 messages from angels, masters and divine beings. He calls these messages “HeartStreams”–progressive revelations for today on diverse topics, including divine science, advanced alchemy, cosmic solar awareness, the New Blue Wave, abundance and healing.
David’s publications include Light on the Path: Inspiration for Each Day of the Year (2017), Living a Soulful Life : Afra’s New Teaching On Love, Brotherhood, and Freedom (2015), Saint Germain on Advanced Alchemy(2015), Advanced Studies of the Human Aura (2013); Now, Zen and Always (2008), a feast of spiritual wisdom, coined in succinct quips; Mother Mary’s Missions—Messages from the Divine Mother (2010), a compilation of teachings received during The Hearts Center’s eight-day whirlwind tour to the 21 California Catholic Missions; and a collection of more than 200 devotional prayers, songs and mantras. Sweet Heart of Jesus is David’s eleventh and newest music CD of inspirational new age songs.
In addition to teaching for Meru University online, David leads prayer vigils and seminars and hosts conferences in person and online. He also conducts annual pilgrimages to sacred sites worldwide. David lives with his wife Mona near Livingston, Montana.
Ralph Douwe Raaths was born in Lusaka, Zambia. The son of a farmer and rancher, he helped herd cattle and sheep and tended several acres of maize. After graduation from university, Ralph entered the industrial instruments process and control trade. From an early age, Ralph took an interest in evolution and related subjects. This led to an earnest quest for answers to the mysteries of life. He embarked on in-depth studies of eurythmy,* drama, astronomy, astrology, mythology, metaphysics, history, freemasonry, African traditions, mental health and storytelling.
It was Rudolf Steiner's methodology of spiritual-scientific thinking that captivated his attention most. After the completion of a four-year training, Ralph received a eurythmy diploma in Teaching and Artistic Performance at the Cape Town School of Eurythmy. He also had postgraduate training at the London School of Eurythmy.
Ralph is an accomplished lecturer, speaking on various aspects of cosmology. In 2003, he co-founded and was the program director of Viva Youth College, whose mission was the upliftment of young people diagnosed with schizophrenia, bipolar and other biochemically related mental disorders. He has done extensive work with adolescent, drug and dysfunction-related problems, all based on Dr. Rudolf Steiner's work.
He has studied ascended master teachings for more than twenty years and is currently the president of the International Council of The Hearts Center.
*Eurythmy, developed by Dr. Rudolf Steiner, is the art of making speech and music visible through gesture and movement. The training is mainly artistic by nature—poetry, painting, speech and music being emphasized—but firmly founded within the philosophical, psychological and therapeutic subject matter of Dr. Steiner and the Waldorf School curriculum.
Angus McIntosh, currently a biodynamic farmer in Stellenbosch, South Africa, was born in Kwa-Zulu Natal where he grew up on his family’s farm. He studied management accounting at Stellenbosch University and then took a position with Goldman Sachs in London as a stockbroker.
Five years later, he was able to return to his beloved South Africa and the land. Through his friendship with an architect who had an avid interest in ecology, Angus embarked on agricultural practices—green building, permaculture, and, most significantly, biodynamic agriculture—that transformed the way he looked at his relationship with nature and with all of life.
Angus lives with his family in an earth house he built himself. His three children attend the local Steiner/Waldorf School, which has exposed him to the work of Rudolf Steiner, the greatest discovery of his life so far.
With David Lewis and Ralph Douwe Raaths, co-instructors of An Approach to Rudolf Steiner's Biodynamics—The Rejuvenation of Damaged Soil, Angus will share his well-won expertise and experience with the land.