Perennial Roots Farm

biodynamic farm & garden

cohabation

Earth Alchemy 101

AlchemyStewart Lundy

Earth Alchemy is a microcosm of the Earth’s relationship to the cosmos, a terrarium where new energy can be folded into a small space, facilitating accelerated development. In alchemy, entropy decreases.

A living farm organism isn’t just a metaphor. It is that the farm is a microcosm of the Earth itself. The earth in relation to the sun receives ever-new influx of energy, which is its very life-potential. There’s nothing particularly revolutionary about this idea. But to realize that rain is distillation and condensation on a massive scale shifts one’s perspective. The process of distillation and condensation can be enclosed, alchemically, within what is known as a “closed alembic.” This can be as simple as two mason jars conjoined in such a way that one is exposed to the light of the Sun and the other is shaded. The constant reflux stimulates evolution — it’s really almost a terrarium. The sustainability of terrariums, like the Earth or the garden itself, is based on this new influx of energy every day. But how do we make plants more receptive to light? This is a tricky question, one that is not as simple as planting them in full sun. Many plants placed in the sun will wither and die if they are lacking the necessary vitality to transform the light.

This is something you can learn to do yourself, making remedies out of the worst weeds on your farm. This is what we offer gardeners, farmers, and businesses: practical tools to generate value from your own limited resources. Once enough experience accumulates in one spot, it can become, so to speak, an etheric star. We offer tools to save more money than we cost as consultants, which should be the task of anyone offering advice.