The Evolution of Biodynamics Symposium
A New Century of Research & Practice
24-26 Jan 2025
Hosted by The School of Soil, Soul and Spirit
What is the Symposium?
The symposium is a 3 day online event celebrating everything in biodynamics that has built upon what Rudolf Steiner brought to the world in the Spiritual Foundations for the Renewal of Agriculture course in 1924.
The specific focus of the symposium will be research and practical innovations from real farmers and gardeners, the cultivation of the inner life necessary to work with biodynamics and an exploration of spiritual scientific research in the agricultural and horticultural realms.
This symposium will champion those individuals who are breaking new ground, challenging biodynamic orthodoxy to evolve the biodynamic method and carrying the work forward into a second century.
This symposium is a platform for real innovators in biodynamics and spiritual scientists working in the agricultural and horticultural realms and not a venue for mysticism without grounding in science.
Day 1 SOIL
Grassroots biodynamics - research & practice from the farm and garden
Day 2 SOUL
The inner landscape - cultivating a fertile soul life for biodynamics
Day 3 SPIRIT
The spirit of biodynamics - spiritual science in farming and gardening
Presentation themes & length
These themes are not fixed and we’re open to things evolving organically in new directions as we receive feedback from potential speakers.
Each speaking session running for around 45-60 minutes maximum.
Day 1 SOIL: Grassroots biodynamics - research & practice from the farm and garden
The first day of the symposium is an opportunity for practicing farmers and gardeners to share their own on-farm research and observations from the field. This day will celebrate new research and real innovations from the farmers and gardeners evolving the biodynamic method beyond Rudolf Steiner's original recommendations.
Day 2 SOUL: The inner landscape - cultivating a fertile soul life for research
The second day will explore the cultivation of the inner landscape of thinking, feeling and willing necessary to fully engage with and develop the biodynamic impulse. Speakers will be invited to contribute on their personal practices for maintaining a healthy soul life and developing new organs of perceptions for working with plants and animals.
Day 3 SPIRIT: The spirit of biodynamics - spiritual scientific research in farming and gardening
The final day will be an exploration of spiritual scientific research applied to our work with biodynamics and with plants and animals more generally. Historically, there has been division in the biodynamic movement between the mystical and the scientific. The speakers on this day are invited to redeem this fracture and unite once again the spirit of the biodynamic impulse with the practical work of farming and gardening.
Live vs pre-recorded presentations
There will be the opportunity for both pre-recorded video presentations and live presentations given on the day.
Live sessions
We would like some sessions to be streamed live in front of an online audience with a live chat feed and with the opportunity for some of the speakers to return later in the day for a live Q&A session addressing some of the questions from the audience that come-up during their live presentation
Pre-recorded sessions
We recognise that some of the sessions will need to be recorded in advance and aired on the symposium weekend. We would approach this by scheduling a time for you to meet online with one of our presenters and then conduct a short intro/welcome section (like a podcast) before you give your presentation and then ending with an outro section.
How the symposium will be structured
The basic outline for each day will run something like this:
- Opening keynote from Dennis (Friday)
- 2 morning speaking sessions (45-60 mins)
- Break for lunch
- 2 afternoon speaking sessions (45-60 mins each)
- A live Q&A with either a group panel or with an individual speaker (60-90 mins)
Marketing and remuneration
We’re doing everything in our power to make speaking at the symposium as attractive a proposition as possible.
The benefits to you as a speaker are as a follows:
- A speaking reward of $200 regardless of numbers of attendees to the event
- Opportunity for self-promotion of your projects/organization to a large aligned audience (we have an existing list of 3000+ and with the combined strength of all speakers marketing to their lists this could easily be many times greater)
- A speaker bio, CTA (call-to-action) and link to your website from the symposium landing page
- A speaker bio, CTA and link to your website to the symposium email list (3000+) in the pre-session reminder email
- A speaker bio, CTA and link to your website to the symposium email list (3000+) as part of the post-symposium email sequence
We feel this makes the symposium an attractive proposition despite our modest means and is respectful of our speakers' time and contributions.
Next steps: moving forward
If you would like to participate in the symposium please provide the required information and answer the following questions:
1. Please provide a short written paragraph outlining your proposed presentation. This will allow us to assess whether you are a fit for this symposium, if we should modify the theme of the symposium or it would be better to collaborate with you in some other form…
2. Are you open to giving your presentation live on either the 24th, 25th or 26th of January in front of a live online audience or would you prefer to record the presentation in advance?
3. Are you open to speaking in a live Q&A session as part of a Q&A panel of other speakers?
4. Would you like to nominate a speaker for this symposium from your network? If you know someone who would be a perfect fit to speak in this symposium please feel free to share their name and contact details.
Speaker theme suggestions
This is a list of potential topics for the symposium we brainstormed here at Soil, Soul and Spirit. Take a look to get an idea of what our vision is for the event (this is not an exhaustive list, feel free to suggest alternative topics).
Themes for Day 1: Grassroots biodynamics - research & practice from the farm and garden
Suggested main sessions:
- Tropical biodynamics
- Northern biodynamics
- New biodynamic preparations
- New methods for preparing the classic preparations (organ sheaths, minerals and manures)
- Compost innovations
- Sensitive crystallization / vital force assaying
- Preps for preventing going to seed, pest management, environmental resilience (heat, drought, wind, cold etc.)
Themes for Day 2: The inner landscape - cultivating a fertile soul life for research
Suggested main sessions:
- Meditative practices for the farmer and gardener
- Indigenous wisdom practices & soul life
- Artistic practices & soul life
- The farmer as priest
- Developing new organs of perception
Themes for Day 3: The spirit of biodynamics - spiritual scientific research in farming and gardening
Suggested main sessions:
- Spiritual scientific research in agriculture
- Biodynamics as initiation science
- Sophianic wisdom and biodynamics
- Spiritual beings behind the mineral, plant and animal realms
Promotional Materials
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Praise for Soil, Soul and Spirit
Thank you so much for making this presentation available. All I can say is WOW. I’m so inspired and I must admit, a little intimidated by the volume of information. With much gratitude
It was such an amazing and deeply moving experience for me. First…the scholarly content and professional attention to detail and multiple points of view are enlightening, and to be trusted. Secondly, I love the way you weave metaphysical into the scientific.
Holy moly, The question and answer session blew me away. Dennis is so far ahead of the game. He has the knack of putting Rudolf Steiner’s work and ideas in a language I can understand. I am forever grateful.
Thanks