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Moon Calendar Mar-Apr 2025

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Cosmic planting calendar

By Monique Macfarlane

The more I spend time with the land, the deeper I sink into a form of authenticity with it. For the majority of my life before being introduced to biodynamics, I lived in the cycle of the Gregorian calendar. It’s fascinating that we use this tool worldwide, yet I find it needs awareness of its disconnect in the southern hemisphere.

The autumn equinox calls for a celebration. We reach equal lengths of day and night, the turning point as we descend down into the winter solstice in June (the longest night). It’s a cumulative period, where great summer harvests draw to a close, abundance is everywhere, and there starts to be a drawing in for the winter. I love to mark this with time spent in community, and celebrating the fruits of nature with the creation of mandalas.

Samhain, a Celtic tradition involving costumes, masks, bonfires and feasts, marks a point after the autumn equinox when the nights are becoming noticeably longer. While still celebrating the autumn harvest, winter preparations are also underway. The division between this world and the otherworld is at its thinnest, allowing spirits to pass through. In the northern hermisphere, it’s celebrated at the end of October, and in more recent times called Halloween. But in the southern hemisphere it’s im-portant to witness that the end of April is its natural place.

Closer to home, embedded in our landscape, is the kūmara harvest. In the Maramataka (local environmental calendars) the harvest can be marked by many different tohu (signs) such as the rising of the star Whānui (Vega), or when the pīpīwharauroa (shining cuckoo) and koekoeā (long-tailed cuckoo) depart Aotearoa. Typically, these tohu appear in Poutūterangi (although some draw parallels with the month of March, in the Maramataka each month starts with the new moon).

Through the signals forever present in our environment, I treasure the journey to discover the natural timing of festivals. Contemplating these moments, and witnessing the shifts in the landscape and within me, has breathed into me a deeper connection and reverence for the wisdom of the natural world. Slow down, and see what nature is saying to you.

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Monique Macfarlane is a holistic food systems facilitator, teaching biodynamics, planting by the moon, no-dig food growing and self-sufficiency. See www.natural-wisdom.net 

Monique co-creates with organic, biodynamic, regenerative, no-till, and natural principles on eight hectares in Waihi that includes a small market garden, orchard, pastoral grazing, chickens and agroforestry.

Images: Arina-Ulyasheva, VeraPetruk

Moon Calendar Jan-Feb 2025

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Cosmic planting calendar

By Monique Macfarlane

This coming January, we have a unique opportunity to experiment, and see the impact a particular aspect of the calendar can have on our environment. With the node coming up at 3pm on Sunday 19 January, we can sow radish seed hourly from 9am to 9pm, to see how the negative influence can arrive, and subside.

Negative influence can be perceived as stunted or unusual growth, pest and disease occurrence, slow growing, and lack of yield. Some practitioners avoid garden work for the whole day due to the negative influence, some avoid two hours either side; in the calendar here we suggest avoiding six hours before, and three hours after.

For this, I suggest sourcing a large tray, good quality seed raising mix, and new seed. Radishes do prefer cooler temperatures, so ensure the tray is not in full sun or a very hot seedling house. It is also important to clearly label by the hour, as in weeks to come these are very important data points! Each hour, on the hour sow a line of radish seed in the tray and water in gently. I would also suggest sowing one more row of radish seed the next day on Monday 20 January in the morning, as a control.

Radishes are great for this experiment, as they germinate quickly. It could be a great little school holiday project for the kids! In the coming days you will see life emerge, and the opportunity to witness. Photographs are a great tool in this, to create a catalogue of the changes through the growth period in the coming weeks.

This particular node also falls during an ascending period, on a root day, which is when we typically would sow radishes in the garden. You are welcome to repeat this experiment multiple times, but also consider the constellation and placement in the sky of the moon where the node is present, as it most likely will differ next time from a root day during an ascending period.

If you would like to share your results, please contact me here.

The following content is only available to logged-in members – log in here. Not a member? Join us to gain access to a wide range of content.

Monique Macfarlane is a holistic food systems facilitator, teaching biodynamics, planting by the moon, no-dig food growing and self-sufficiency. See www.natural-wisdom.net 

Monique co-creates with organic, biodynamic, regenerative, no-till, and natural principles on eight hectares in Waihi that includes a small market garden, orchard, pastoral grazing, chickens and agroforestry.

Images: Arina-Ulyasheva, VeraPetruk

Monique Macfarlane

Moon Calendar Nov-Dec 2024

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Cosmic planting calendar

By Monique Macfarlane

As the weather warms, the garden fills with the beginnings of summer abundance. I am such a fan of fruiting crops such as tomatoes, beans, eggplants, chillies, as they just keep on giving. It is important to ensure you are planting out healthy, well established seedlings, as this will help with transition into the garden, and assist in everything flourishing with ease.

When I first started growing food, I had a very structured approach to all the tasks that needed doing – setting up beds, sowing seeds, growing seedlings, transplanting, plant care, nutrition sprays, mulching, harvesting. The more years I have been with the garden, the more that a new approach has arisen: one that flows with the garden.

Instead of writing a never-ending to-do list, once I arrive in the garden, I focus first on the suggested daily task in the calendar, as the cosmic power is in alignment with it, and then I leave the rest of the time open, to tend to what needs doing as I witness it.

Timeliness is always key. When we do the job that needs doing as soon as we see it, or have an internal prompt to check in on it, I find it is far more efficient. As soon as I notice that the tomato laterals need to be pinched, it’s a quick and easy job, whereas if I add it to the to-do list – they are a forest by the time I get back to it!

Changing the approach to being with the garden in this way, following the cues of the entire ecosystem, allows us greater connection to ourselves, as well as everything that surrounds us.

A worthy gift this season, and beyond.

The following content is only available to logged-in members – log in here. Not a member? Join us to gain access to a wide range of content.

Monique Macfarlane is a holistic food systems facilitator, teaching biodynamics, planting by the moon, no-dig food growing and self-sufficiency. See www.natural-wisdom.net 

Monique co-creates with organic, biodynamic, regenerative, no-till, and natural principles on eight hectares in Waihi that includes a small market garden, orchard, pastoral grazing, chickens and agroforestry.

Moon Calendar October 2024

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Cosmic planting calendar

By Monique Macfarlane

As the weather warms, days get longer, the garden flourishes in new ways – as do we. In many warmer parts of the country, Labour weekend is traditionally when we get summer crop seedlings such as tomatoes, zucchini and cucumbers
into the garden.

Timing is everything. I urge you to witness. Spend more time in your garden, watching, waiting, connecting this month. Sit with your environment: it is speaking to you.

Although we have these ‘days’ such as Labour weekend, or what is suggested in the calendar with the moon and planetary placements earlier in the month this year… It will be the tohu, or signs in your garden, which are the best teachers and informants on when to plant.

It is a skill to learn this, to know this. If you are new to the journey, that is OK. It will unfold over time with your commitment, enthusiasm, and inquiry. Although I have been playing with this for many seasons, I too am still learning to listen to the deeper aspects.

While you are waiting to get new crops into the garden, ensure you acclimatise them to where they are going. Whether you have purchased them as seedlings, swapped with friends, or grown from seed, slowly expose them to different weather conditions to ensure a smooth transition into the garden. Seaweed tonics, worm juice and fish emulsion help with the nutrition too through this stage.

Enjoy the excitement – enjoy the process. It is one of the most beautiful gifts to garden, to nourish the soil, ourselves and our communities.

The following content is only available to logged-in members – log in here. Not a member? Join us to gain access to a wide range of content.

Monique Macfarlane is a holistic food systems facilitator, teaching biodynamics, planting by the moon, no-dig food growing and self-sufficiency. See www.natural-wisdom.net 

Monique co-creates with organic, biodynamic, regenerative, no-till, and natural principles on eight hectares in Waihi that includes a small market garden, orchard, pastoral grazing, chickens and agroforestry.

Monique Macfarlane

Moon Calendar September 2024

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Cosmic planting calendar

By Monique Macfarlane

There are many different reference points for starting or continuing your journey with the relationship of your garden or farm within the cosmos. Here, we utilise aspects of the Biodynamic Farming & Gardening Calendar 2024-2025, to assist us when knowing when the most favourable times are for our endeavours.

This particular calendar divides crops into four categories – root, leaf, flower and fruit – based on the part of the plant you are wishing to cultivate for the most part. So if you are planning on sowing root crops – carrots, beetroot, radish – then you look for a root day in the calendar, weather and soil conditions permitting.

We also utilise the ascending and descending periods – this is the path of the moon across the sky (as opposed to waxing and waning which is the illumination of the moon). Typically, in ascending periods (when the moon’s path is a higher arc) we sow seeds, and in descending periods (a lower arc) we transplant seedlings, do soil work, as well as make compost.

The suggested seasonal tasks on the following page are a wonderful starting point for investigation, as each farm, property or garden is a unique organism. Take notes, pay attention to the entirety of the ecosystem. Notice when certain birds are arriving, when trees are flowering, when the winds blow from a certain direction. Nature is always speaking to us, listen to her wisdom. Begin to craft your own journey with the cosmos through the process of these pages, and your own unique observations.

The following content is only available to logged-in members – log in here. Not a member? Join us to gain access to a wide range of content.

Monique Macfarlane is a holistic food systems facilitator, teaching biodynamics, planting by the moon, no-dig food growing and self-sufficiency. See www.natural-wisdom.net 

Monique co-creates with organic, biodynamic, regenerative, no-till, and natural principles on eight hectares in Waihi that includes a small market garden, orchard, pastoral grazing, chickens and agroforestry.