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In alchemical thinking polarities that reciprocate are the basis for forming models of how things change. Polarities occur in the four elements, the four temperaments and the three processes. Together these sets of polarities are the most useful problem solving ideas in the alchemical method of analogy. The image is an alchemical mandala that can…
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The alchemists understood that when dealing with living systems it is better to let the mysteries gradually be revealed in their own way to the mind. In science today the driving force is to solve mysteries by innovation. Innovation is the clever manipulation of what is already known. As an effective research method for solving…
Read MoreBy transplanting and separating seedlings based on their vigor, you can benefit from nature’s own strategy of staggering growth among seeds to give you a harvest all season long from one sowing.
Read MoreA tonic drink called swizzle is a fruit vinegar and a bit of honey in water that is thirst quenching and good for the digestion
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See our video series on Temperaments and Health here. In alchemy the levity/ gravity polarity is known as the sun and moon. The levity side of an alchemical mandala is linked to the force of the sun. The solar force is Avicenna’s principle of innate heat. It is also the principle behind Rudolf Steiner connecting…
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See our video series on Temperaments and Health here. Moist chemically complex phlegm transforms to blood through temperamental heat. This heart action changes phlegm into living interactive tissue. “Cold” blood is available for limited applications. “Warm” heart blood is accepted by all parts of the body, at all levels. Science recognizes oxygenated arterial blood from…
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See our video series on Temperaments and Health here. In the diagram E (earth), W (water), A (air) and F (fire) represent the four elements. The earth element in the form of dry, cold salts moves towards a moist tempering creating the humor, phlegm. The sequence is element (earth) to temperament (cold) to humor (phlegm)…
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Traditional medicine makes use of the principle of tempering. Tempering is the incremental application of small changes that gradually establish order through proportional balance. This is achieved by repeated actions applied in small incremental steps. Among plant medicines, potent herbs known as adaptogens (spikenard, ginseng, eleuthero, rhodiola) are valued for their tempering forces. In music,…
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For even the most ardent supporters of Biodynamic agriculture understanding the BD preps is challenging. For instance, it is difficult for a business owner to explain to a client why cow manure put in a cow horn is a soil amendment. That is one side. On the other side, practitioners themselves express difficulty seeing the…
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Artisanal agriculture is based on small scale methods. The illusory power over nature that drives large scale agriculture can be seen in a five hundred horsepower John Deere tractor. To duplicate that power with five hundred actual horses would require setting up teams and harnesses for a double column a quarter of a mile long.…
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