Tag Archive for: Advent

Journey into Advent – Week 4 

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As we enter the fourth week of Advent, we here at BDNZ, wanted to a share a simple reflection grounded in Rudolf Steiner’s insights and the spirit of our biodynamic work.  

Rudolf Steiner often described Advent as a gentle descent inward; a time when we move from the outer world of activity toward the warm inner light that shines in each of us. By the fourth week, this light is ready to be kindled fully, and as the focus turns to the human and angelic realms,  we begin to sense the approach of the love, peace and renewal that Christmas brings. 

Just as our farms, properties and gardens depend on the inner attitude we bring to them, the focus of week four invites us to cultivate inner warmth, gratitude and conscious presence.  It is in this focus that our hearts become the vessel for light, helping us to recognise the spark of the divine within ourselves and within everyone we meet.

Here are a few ideas you can bring into your home or farm this week:

  • Light a candle with earth-connection:
    When you light your evening candle, take a moment to feel Papatūānuku in her high-summer fullness. You might like to hold in your mind the ripening fields, the humming compost, the buzzing life in soil and fields and the vibrant, expansive forces at work above and below the surface.
  • Create a seasonal nature table:
    Add a simple natural item each day this week: a smooth stone, a handful of soil from the garden, a sprig of flowers, or a seed. These small offerings help us to feel the link between inner light and the life of the Earth.
  • Carry out an act of care:
    Steiner reminded us that outer deeds support inner development. This week you might like to choose to carry out a small gesture of kindness each day.  Some ideas include: sweeping a threshold, tending animals with extra mindfulness, blessing your compost, or offering warm appreciation to someone working alongside you.
  • Attune to the rhythms of summer:
    Step outside for a quiet moment and sense the fullness of the season, notice the long light, the hum of insects, the warmth radiating from soil and leaf. Appreciate how the land breathes in a different way during summer: expansive, energetic and full of life. Let this remind you that Advent is not only an inner journey, but one lived in harmony with the natural world’s own rhythms.
  • Soften and Soothe the Summer Evenings
    Even in this bright, lively and often busy season, summer evenings can offer us the opportunity to slow down. As the light lengthens and softens, try creating a simple evening ritual.  You might like to string up some fairy lights, sing or listen to calming songs, or read a favourite story. Activities such as these, helps to cultivate a sense of peace and anticipation within the household.

As we move toward Christmas and the turning of the year, may this fourth week fill your home, land and community with warmth, quiet strength and renewed connection to the living earth.  

We hope that you have enjoyed moving through these weeks of Advent with us and we wish you a peaceful and joyful Christmas.

Journey into Advent – week 3

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As we enter the third week of Advent, the BDNZ council wanted to share a small reflection inspired by Rudolf Steiner’s picture of this sacred season. In the anthroposophical tradition, each week of Advent helps us turn our attention to a different layer of creation.

After our quiet contemplation of the mineral world in week one and our connection with plant life in week two, this third week invites us to awaken our hearts to the animal realm.

In biodynamics, we recognise animals as essential partners in the farm organism (or on a smaller scale, the home and garden). Their presence brings vitality, rhythm and an enlivening, soul-bearing quality to the land. This week offers us a chance not only to appreciate their contribution outwardly, but also to cultivate inwardly the qualities they mirror for us: attentiveness, courage, trust, and warmth of heart.

Here are a few gentle ways to bring this week’s theme into daily life:

  • Light the third Advent candle with gratitude for the animal realm:
    As the flame is kindled, hold in mind the animals who support the health of our farms and gardens; those who enrich our soil, those who offer nourishment, and those who simply grace our surroundings with their presence.
  • Offer mindful care to animals nearby:
    This might mean an extra-attentive moment with your own animals, preparing something special for them, or simply observing their gestures and movements. If you don’t tend animals yourself, consider feeding wild birds or acknowledging the unseen creatures who share your land.
  • Add animal figures to your seasonal table or Advent garden:
    Handmade wool animals, carved figures, or even simple stones placed in animal shapes can express the warmth of this week. This is especially meaningful if you include animals connected to biodynamic farms: cows, bees, chickens, goats, or working horses.
  • Bring the farm organism into meditation:
    Take a few minutes to picture the harmony of the farm as a living whole, with each animal playing its part. You might reflect on what qualities you feel these animals embody and how you can cultivate those qualities within yourself.
  • Enjoy a story or moment of stillness that honours animals:
    A quiet reading or even time spent observing the night sky in silence can help anchor the mood of this week. Advent reminds us that inner stillness nurtures outward service.

If you would like to dive deeper into the ideas of Advent, please check out this link to The Josephine Porter Institute over on Substack.

May this week bring warmth to your heart, renewal to your home, and a deeper appreciation for the animals who help weave life and vitality into our world,

Journey into Advent – Week Two

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Greetings to all our wonderful Biodynamic Community!

This year the BDNZ council wanted to share a little about the Steiner-inspired view of  utilising the four weeks Advent as a gentle inner journey –  and really, who doesn’t need a bit of gentle mindfulness at this time of the year when we all tend to get a little frazzled?.

Each week of Advent is connected with one of the natural kingdoms:

  • The mineral kingdom – The first light of advent is the light of stones, Stones that live in crystals in seashells and in bones.
  • The plant kingdom – The second light of advent is the light of plants, Plants that reach up to the sun, and in the breezes, dance.
  • The animal kingdom – The third light of advent is the light of beasts, The light of hope that we may see in greatest and in least.
  • And lastly, the human kingdom – The fourth light of advent is the light of man, The light of love, the light of thought, to give and to understand

This weekly focus is ideal for helping us slow down and awaken to the quiet growth happening both around us and within us.  Unfortunately, with all the busyness surrounding council, we missed the first week of advent, so we will be diving straight into the second week of Advent and an email will be sent out each Saturday to correspond with week three and week four.

The second week of Advent is linked with the plant kingdom and the element of water. It’s an invitation to honour and feel gratitude for the earth’s plants and water, which make our existence possible.  A time for nurturing calmness, emotional clarity, and a sense of quiet growth; just like how plants silently reach toward the light.

Here are a few simple activity ideas that fit the theme of this week:

Create a little “green” corner:
Gather a few sprigs of greenery, a houseplant, or even some pine branches and place them on a small table. Add a candle to symbolise the growing light.

Water meditation for children or adults:
Fill a clear bowl with water and let everyone drop in small leaves or petals. Watch how they float and move as a gentle way to reflect on calm feelings and letting emotions flow.

Planting seeds:
If you have some quick-sprouting seeds (like wheatgrass or beans), plant them in a small pot. Watching them grow through Advent is a beautiful reminder of quiet inner growth.

Create an Advent wreath:

Weave a simple wreath out of wisteria, ivy, willow, or similar plant material and place this on your table or bench.  Each week you can add something to the wreath that corresponds to the appropriate kingdom, as well as adding candles that can be safely burned.

These simple practices bring a peaceful rhythm into the week and help connect with the spirit of this season.

If you would like to dive more deeply into Advent, you might like to check out this substack post from JPBiodynamics.

Wishing you a gentle and green second week of Advent.