Planetary Influences upon Plants

Planetary Influences upon Plants: A Cosmological Botany

“The comprehension of nature’s rhythms…will become true natural science.” —Rudolf Steiner

One of the fundamental concepts of biodynamic agriculture is how the sun, moon and planets work through calcium and silica in the growth of plants. Ernst Michael Kranich’s book describes the growth patterns, leaf placements, and flower forms of different plant families and how they are clearly connected to the same rhythmical activity of specific planets. With this study, readers can enlarge their perceptions of nature.

Many examples and drawings are included, illustrating the connections between the orbital paths of planets and the shapes found in particular plants.

C O N T E N T S:

Formulating the Question

The Method

The Archetypal Plant and Its Cosmic Archetypal Image
1. The Center Shoot: Earthly Image of the Sun
2. Rhythmical Order in the Planetary System
3. The Gesture of Foliation
4. The Formation of the Perianth
5. Pistils – Stamens – Pollination
6. A Look at the Far Planets and the Planetary System
7. Fruit and Seed: The Liberation of the Plant from Vegetative Life
8. Germination and the Root: The Plant’s Connection with the Earth
9. Summary: The Plant as an Organism

Polarity in Plant growth through Predominant Moon/Mercury and Venus Character
– Monocotyledons and Dicotyledons

The Differentiation of the Flowering Plant into Various Gowth Patterns
1. Annual Herbaceous Plant
2. Biennial Herbaceous Plants
3. Perennial Herbaceous Plants
4. The Deciduous Trees
5. The Coniferous Trees
6. The Shrubs
7. The Dwarf Shrubs
8. Summary

Plant Families as Expressions of Dominating Planetary Influences
1. Grasses
2. The Bindweed Family
3. The Umbellifers
4. The Water Lillies
5. The Buttercups
6. The Rose Family
7. Sympetalous Blossom Development and the Compositae

Retrospect and Summary
Epilogue: The Educational Purpose
Index

About the Author

Ernst Michael Kranich (1929-2007) was born in Stuttgart. He studied biology and chemistry, which he taught at the Waldorf school in Rendsburg. He also became involved in Waldorf teacher training, including the first Moscow seminar in the 1990s.