DARK HOLLOW FIELD GUIDE
Three Kings Biodynamic Preparation
The Three Kings Preparation comes from the work of German biodynamic farmer Hugo Erbe (1885–1965). It is a special preparation of gold, frankincense, and myrrh traditionally stirred and applied around Epiphany as a gesture toward the land and the elemental world.
The three substances
The preparation takes its name from the gifts of the Magi: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Within the tradition surrounding Erbe’s work, these substances are understood not simply as materials but as bearers of spiritual significance.
The Dark Hollow preparation
Our version follows Erbe’s preparation in spirit, with modest adaptations for region and available materials. The mixture contains gold in homeopathic preparation, frankincense resin, and myrrh resin. The substances are finely worked together and made into a paste for stirring.
Preparing it for use
- Traditionally, prepare and apply it around Three Kings Day, January 6.
- Use a clean non-metallic vessel holding a little more than two gallons of comfortably warm water.
- Dissolve approximately 1 teaspoon of the preparation in a small amount of warm water, then add it to the larger vessel.
- Stir for one hour, repeatedly creating a strong vortex in one direction, breaking it into turbulence, and forming a vortex in the opposite direction.
Stirring as a communal gesture
The Three Kings preparation lends itself especially well to group stirring. Those present can take turns while holding the intention of the work, the land, and the beings of the place in mind. The contemplative quality of the hour is part of the practice.
Application
Apply the preparation after stirring, traditionally in the later part of the day. It can be cast outward with a brush, evergreen branch, or bundle of straw-like material. One traditional approach is to work along the boundary of the property; another is to move outward from a central point in a widening spiral.
This is a spiritual and biodynamic agricultural practice, not a conventional fertilizer application. Its meaning belongs to the larger biodynamic understanding of a farm as a living organism embedded in earthly and cosmic relationships.