Maintaining a balanced, positive state of health is a challenge we all face as we age. And, dealing with illness when it arises can be daunting. However, if we look for meaning in dis-eases, we come to understand that illness is merely a state of imbalance and is present in order to give us the opportunity to acquire the information we need, but are missing at the time. The experience of illness, therefore, becomes a more positive journey.
Illnesses are always bearers of information indicating to us that we have strayed from our true path, from a certain state of order. We have been side-tracked and need to find our way back to a balanced reality. It is time to pay attention to our bodies, our emotions and, most importantly, to our spirit.
In order to heal, we need to explore the information contained in our illnesses. Why have they arisen? What was the catalyst? What is it in the way that has precipitated a state of dis-ease? Illnesses are not the enemy; they do not have to be battled; they are not simply a malfunctioning of the body as the practitioners of modern medicine would have us believe. If we are to truly heal, we need to explore that the state of dis-ease, or illness, loses its role as the bearer of information.
We must harmonise ourselves with the state of dis-ease. As the legendary writer-poet Kahlil Gibran said, “Pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding,” and if we approach our illnesses as a learning and growing process, we will be transformed. If we resist, the illness will persist.
Dis-eases manifest themselves through symptoms, which are signs, or guidelines, that show us how we can heal. For this reason, it is essential that we never suppress, or ignore symptoms, but that we listen to our illness manifesting through these signs. If we suppress symptoms, we avoid confronting the problem and the illness is forced to manifest itself in another manner.
Homeopathic Healing
The science that best understands the process of dis-ease and healing is homeopathy, as it is based on true universal healing principles.
Homeopathy understands that symptoms are merely a language designed to inform us that we have strayed from our path; and, that these signals are the way to regain a state of balance. The path back to health is clearly outlined. We need only to follow the symptom picture which provides the information. The more we understand this picture on a physical, emotional, mental and spiritual level, the closer we will get to ‘healing’ the illness.
In its most profound sense, homeopathy expounds the belief that we are divine, energetic beings who have ‘fallen’ into a state of illness and that dis-eases are merely indications that we are ‘off’ the balanced path. We become ill, not because of bacteria, toxins, viruses, etc., but because of an imbalance in the energetic [primal] principle. Healing must take place on a level beyond the material, on the level of what Dr Samuel Hahnemann, MD, the founder of homeopathy, called the vital force, the energy that lies behind all things. In order to reach and influence this plane, an energetic vehicle is required. This energy is the homeopathic remedy determined by the total symptom-picture and essence of the problem.
Homeopathy affirms that there are substances in the universe that have the capacity — when converted to their energetic or primal, divine forms [potentised] — to heal an individual’s suffering. Homeopathic remedies can be found everywhere, and everything in the universe has the potential of becoming a homeopathic remedy.
When a homeopathic remedy which resonates with [matches] the essence of the energetic disruption is given, it acts as a stimulus, or catalyst, causing the vital force to correct its energetic imbalance. Once balanced, the void or illness is satisfied and the patient not only returns to health, but also experiences some degree of spiritual transformation. The patient re-balances at the deepest level. Homeopathy returns the individual who is ill step-by-step to their primal state as it carves away the mundane, material residues which manifest themselves as diseases, plaguing one’s existence and preventing them from experiencing their god-like essence.
Homeopathy is an archangel sitting on the shoulder of the universe, ready to take action whenever necessary.
Be Still & Listen
I remember vividly a case that illustrates the brilliance of homeopathy as it manifests the process of true healing. This case of sore throat illustrated the strong connection between our emotional and physical levels of health and how emotions speak to us through pain. The case is a good example of how we need to listen to the symptom-picture that inevitably will lead us to explore the way we have fallen off the path.
The case was of a female patient, aged 50, who was generally in good health, but developed a right-sided sore throat that remained unresolved after four days. The woman was not prone to sore throats, or to ‘strep,’ and could not understand why she could not get over it.
The physical symptoms observed were:
- Pain started on right side
- Pain moved to left and then centre
- Pain, better with hot drinks
- Submaxillary glands marginally swollen
- Throat slightly red
- Tonsils not affected.
The mental/emotional symptoms observed were:
- Is easily annoyed
- Is irritated at not being able to get over the problem.
Upon further exploration, the patient remembered that just previous to the sore throat she was invited to speak about her work with ‘Spiritual Response Therapy.’ At that time, she was a little nervous about the talk and somewhat worried about whether it would go well. She is normally a confident person, but believed that her confidence was a bit shaken because her sister was also asked to speak at the same workshop.
Her sister was rather new to the field but an excellent self-promoter and very much a ‘star.’ She received a more elaborate introduction which negatively impacted the patient. The patient described her own introduction as ‘adequate’ and admitted to being offended, angry and a bit jealous. There had been some on-going rivalry between the patient and her sister. As a result, the patient was more nervous than she would have usually been. However, once she started the talk, she was fine and her lecture was very well received.
Our patient had been somewhat side-lined by the incident and lost her footing, and a symptom-picture developed in order to make this disruption, or problem known. Interestingly, the symptoms developed in the throat, the seat of verbal expression, indicating that something which needed to be expressed was not coming through.
When we are still and listen to what is being told, we are led to the precise homeopathic remedy that resonates with the disruption in order to effect a cure. The following are the Repertory [homeopathic index] rubrics [symptoms] that led me to the chosen remedy, Lycopodium clavatum.
Repertory rubrics [physical]:
- Throat, sore pain, right side
- Throat, sore pain, right extending to left
- Throat pain, warm drinks relieve
- Neck: Submaxillary glands, swelling of.
Repertory rubrics [mental/emotional]:
- Mind, fear, phobias, public, appearing in, of
- Mind, fear, destination, of being unable to reach
- Mind, confidence, lacking, no self-esteem, anxiety performance.
Lycopodium is well-known as a remedy where symptoms begin on the right side and then move to the left, as in this case of a sore throat. It is better by hot drinks and has swollen submaxillary glands.
Lycopodium characteristically does “not like the podium,” but rallies well once it gets going. There is a fear of not being successful in undertaking the endeavour at hand, or “of not reaching the destination.” Given that the sore throat started after an emotional conflict surrounding the public speaking engagement, Lycopodium was well- indicated.
Lycopodium was once one of the largest plants on Earth, but through the ages has diminished in size to its present, shrunken state. The energetic memory of its greatness, however, remains. It is a wonderful remedy to prescribe when the essence of a problem revolves around lack of, or shaken confidence as its feeling of greatness remains embedded on a primal level. In my experience Lycopodium has taken many patients to a new and more fulfilling level of existence.
In the case cited, the usual confidence of the patient was shaken and her purpose side-tracked. The symptom-picture appropriate to the disruption developed in order to provide the information needed to restore her to her given purpose.
Lycopodium was prescribed and the patient reported an almost immediate change in the severity of the sore throat as the pain was substantially diminished. By the third day, after starting the remedy, the discomfort was gone and she felt well again. She was slowly weaned from the remedy and has remained in good health.
Her speaking career has flourished and she has so far never again “feared the podium.” The relationship with her sister has improved as she has reported being able to discuss the matter with her.
The inference is simple — it is only by listening to the clues provided by the language of my patient’s vital force, the homeopathic remedy that resonated with the disruption was prescribed and my patient was able to take a positive step in her evolution.
So, my dear fellow homeopaths, be still and ‘listen’ to your patients’ symptoms. Always.
