Honoring Rudolf Steiner and the Spiritual Foundations of Biodynamic Gardening
“The plant world is a reflection of the spiritual forces working from the cosmos into the Earth.”
—Rudolf Steiner
At Woodshed Gardens, we understand the garden as a sacred space where cosmic and earthly forces meet. Few thinkers expressed this more fully than Rudolf Steiner, whose life’s work wove together science, spirit, agriculture, and healing in ways that continue to ripple through regenerative movements today.
Rudolf Steiner (1861–1925) was an Austrian philosopher, scientist, and mystic. He founded Anthroposophy, a spiritual philosophy that sought to unite modern science with ancient wisdom. His contributions reached into many fields:
Education: Founder of the Waldorf School model
Spiritual Science: Creator of anthroposophy and its meditative path
Architecture: Designer of the Goetheanum
Medicine: Co-founder of anthroposophical medicine with Dr. Ita Wegman
Arts: Originator of eurythmy, a movement practice
Agriculture: Founder of biodynamic farming
Steiner saw no separation between the material and the spiritual. Every act of teaching, healing, and tending the land was part of a greater whole.
In 1924, toward the end of his life, Steiner offered a series of lectures to farmers concerned about soil fertility. These talks, later collected as the Agriculture Course, laid the foundation for biodynamic agriculture.
Key concepts included:
The farm or garden as a living organism
Planting and harvesting in rhythm with lunar and planetary cycles
Compost and soil “preparations” made with herbs, minerals, and animal materials
Stirring compost teas with rhythm and intention to enliven their etheric force
Seeing the farmer or gardener as a co-creator in the web of life
For Steiner, agriculture was both practical and moral. It was a path for human beings to participate in Earth healing while growing spiritually.
At Woodshed Gardens, we honor Steiner’s vision by tending the garden as a whole being. Our planting, composting, and seasonal practices are shaped by rhythms of light, dark, growth, and rest. We teach that gardening is not only technique, but also listening, reverence, and care.
Through biodynamic principles, our students learn that soil is alive, plants are in relationship with cosmic forces, and every act of tending carries both ecological and spiritual weight.
We are grateful for Rudolf Steiner, whose teachings continue to remind us that gardening is a sacred dialogue between Earth and cosmos. His work inspires us to plant with intention, to listen deeply, and to see the garden as both a teacher and a temple.
Resources & Further Reading
Biodynamic Association: biodynamics.com
Goetheanum: goetheanum.org
