 We were a bit late to the airport this morning — Balloon Fiesta is underway, after all. (Beautiful to see, that’s for sure!) The sign at the parking ramp said there were 47 spaces left and we weren’t the only car looking for a spot — the hunt was on! A near empty(!) TSA line looked promising and then I saw my suitcase on the conveyer belt, poised to get kicked for further inspection. I knew what caused the extra attention to my bag but I still had to wait while 4 (5? 6?) agents watched the other agent go through a bag that tested positive for some powder. Exciting times at the airport this morning! Finally someone asked these other agents to please take care of the bags that were beginning to pile up. When it was my turn, I offered: “it’s a box of homeopathic remedies.” She reached in my bag, dug out the box and then gave it a shake and put it back. Then she gave me a smile and sent me on my way. Homeopathic remedies fit beautifully in ammunition boxes. I think that must be what gets the TSA agents’ attention. My favorite tube size, 1/2 dram tubes, fit nicely in a 9mm ammo box. The 2 dram tubes fit in a .30 cal or .50 cal box, depending on the pharmacy. (I’m not at home to check the bottom of my other ammo boxes, but this is what Grok has told me is the correct ammo size.) Some of the larger vials (4 dram) fit in the shotgun shell boxes. (The shotgun boxes get a little unwieldy for my liking but at least those remedies have a home in the cupboard.) I believe the ammo boxes are absolutely appropriate to hold my homeopathic soldiers. These strong, sturdy and dependable little troopers help me guard against (among others…):
Some people worry about the airport X-ray machines and what effect they may have on their remedies. I used to skip the x-ray machine and have my remedies hand checked. I don’t do that any longer, but it is definitely an option if you’re worried about it. Today’s exact ammo box has traveled with me in my carry-on luggage for more than a decade (and most of the same remedies, too!) — many dozens of trips. The remedies are always fine and dandy and they always perform exactly as expected, despite the repetitive x-rays. Traveling with my remedies means I carry peace of mind in my piece of luggage. Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits Grok made these little homeopathic soldiers for me.
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 I set the baking trays on the two cool pots on the back burners not being used. I have done this for decades — every time I make cookies. I wasn’t making cookies. This time I was making some egg/cheese/sausage breakfast-on-the-go muffins which needed to be removed from the hot pan rather than hanging out for a while. I had an oven glove on, but that didn’t stop me from burning my forearm not once, but twice, in quick succession. I went back for more! 😫
Needless to say, it hurt like the dickens*. I immediately sprayed a product which is sadly no longer for sale, Similasan’s Burn Recovery. Why it’s no longer for sale, I have no idea, but it was a marvelous product.** This spray gave a certain amount of immediate relief, but it wasn’t lasting. I then took a dose of Cantharis 30x which was sitting in the kitchen cupboard. Nothing. I sprayed the spray again, to the same effect (immediate non-lasting relief). I then took Cantharis 200c and by the time I ate dinner a couple of hours later, I barely felt it. By the time I went to bed, I no longer felt any pain. I didn’t need to repeat the spray or the pellets. The top burn, as you can see in the photo, bubbled and raised immediately. It felt sticky. When I woke up in the morning, it was smooth and completely painless. What to make of all this? Well, I’m a big fan of having multiple potencies of important remedies in close proximity to where accidents can happen. My kitchen cupboard has a number of items to treat burns and bites and cuts, etc., and over the years various potencies of the same remedies have gathered together here. It works for me. Sometimes potency matters. Having said that, if I hadn’t had a 200c handy, I would have put the 30x into some water and repeated it more frequently. I’m going to go out on a limb and say that it probably would have taken a little longer to get where it got, but I think it most likely would have done the trick eventually. But, the one single dose of 200c kicked in very quickly. Baking season is going to be here any day — make sure you pay attention to how far your oven mitts actually extend up your arm and have some Cantharis handy! Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits *I suddenly thought, what the heck are “dickens”, anyway? Writing Explained says it’s a substitute word for devil. Shakespeare used in Merry Wives of Windsor, 1600. **Fortunately for us, we can make our own topical burn relief: the ingredients are:
 As I opened my new book, I made a very conscious decision to put myself in the mind of someone who had zero experience with homeopathy, and it appears that was the exact right thing to do with this book. Dr. Ethan Holbrook tells us right away (on page 3) what this book is all about: This book is a practical guide to using homeopathy for common pet ailments. It is written for pet owners — people who love their animals and want to be active, informed participants in their health — not for veterinary professionals or homeopathic practitioners. Like all homeopathy books for “newbies,” Dr. Holbrook then includes a few short pages explaining “Like Cures Like” and “The Minimum Dose” and how to choose the correct potency.
Chapter 3 explains how to observe the pet in order to learn what to really look for. Yes, your pet is not his usual self, but as with all things homeopathy, there is more to it than just “limping, scratching, vomiting, or hiding.” There are clues which can help lead you to the best remedy for your pet’s discomfort. He then gets into the technicalities of homeopathic remedies: what to buy, where to buy them and how to administer them. He then jumps right into the nitty gritty: Skin & Coat Issues; Digestive Troubles; Respiratory and Ear Issues; Behavioral & Emotional Health; Joint & Mobility; Minor Injuries & First Aid; Eye & Dental Health. Each chapter has a nice chart to sum up common remedies for each condition as well as the all-important “When to Call Your Vet” guidelines. I paid particular attention to the “Joint & Mobility” section because this is where my beloved Rufus suffered most. In fact, I just learned Rufus wasn’t alone and “that over 80% of dogs over the age of eight show radiographic signs of osteoarthritis, even if they are not yet showing symptoms.” The book then guides your attention to pertinent questions about the onset and history, the location and the homeopathic-relevant “Pain Characteristics.” Dr. Holbrook spends a few pages breaking down the major remedies and what to look for. In the joint & mobility case, Rhus tox, Bryonia and Arnica are listed first, followed by a little chart differentiating Rhus tox and Bryonia. He then continues to break down further remedies: 9 in total for this chapter. Following the materia medica, he describes specific conditions: Arthritis (Chronic Osteoarthritis); Hip Dysplasia; Cruciate Ligament Injury; Elbow Dysplasia; Spondylosis and Tendon and Ligament Injuries. The end of each chapter describes how to build a support plan or maintenance routine. In the Joint & Mobility section, there are common sense suggestions, like providing orthopedic bedding and exercise as well as a list of supplements to consider, followed by how best to use the homeopathic remedies. Chapter 11 returns to more guidance on the prescribing process and how to monitor the remedy response as well as when to switch and when to escalate. Next is a walk-through of an example case with a page dedicated to keeping simple records — a piece of the puzzle we so frequently forget to do (but is so very important!) Case studies are then followed by a chapter on Safety, Ethics & Limits, including good guidelines of what homeopathy can do and what homeopathy is not able to do; what constitutes an emergency and how to work with your veterinarian. Honestly, this is a very thorough book and I would absolutely suggest this to any pet owner interested in helping their pets naturally. I only scratched the surface of what is included in these 200+ easy to read and follow pages. Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits *I have no affiliation with this book or the author — I stumbled upon it and it impressed me enough that I thought I needed to bring it to your attention!  Twice this week I have watched Calendula tea do some lovely things.
The first person had a literal scratch on their throat which was very painful. The second person had a very sore throat due to days of coughing. Both of these people drank some Calendula tea and both of them were very pleased they did. As I mentioned in A Calendula Quickie… for inner bits… (and, bites!), I have used Calendula when I have had a sore in my mouth but I had never tried it for a sore throat. Dr. Robin Murphy mentions it in his complaints following throat surgery rubrics and when there is a “lacerating” sensation to the throat. Knerr shows it in a few throat rubrics beyond injuries: swallowing painful, and, bitter mucus (a one remedy rubric); Luke Norland’s Synoptic Guide shows Calendula has an affinity to the mouth and throat (along with 366 other remedies). Schroyens mentions it as one of 117 remedies for a “tickling” cough, but it also shows up in 52 other throat rubrics. I now get it. It now makes sense to me why I hadn’t considered it until just the other day for a sore throat — one person had an actual injury to their throat; a couple days later, another person had sort of an injury to their throat — it was “injured” and sore from coughing. Those two cases back-to-back enabled me to make this a-ha connection. Here are a few links of how to use Calendula tea: a nice list*; Get Well Soon book* mentions using it in tincture form mixed into a gargle concoction for sore throats; this place offers a recipe for an herbal tea recipe* and this tea company* has a nice write up on the herb itself; and, this site* tells you how to make your own Calendula tea from the marigolds in your garden. So, ahem — (clearing my throat a little bit to cover my slight embarrassment for not making this connection earlier), if a sore throat comes your way, try either a little herbal calendula tea or some homeopathic Calendula, either in it’s pellet form directly, or a few pellets or as a tincture dropped into some water or into your own tea of choice. Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits *I have no affiliation with this or any other company — I’m just sharing interesting information as I find it.  Fall must be approaching. It doesn’t feel like it here in the desert southwest; we are still seemingly in the throes of straight summer with temperatures remaining 10+ degrees above average. In fact, it almost feels like we have hit the breaks on moving toward fall and reversed into actual summer. You see, we had a relatively humid summer. (See "12 Angry Homeopathic Remedies” if you care to know a bit more about our summer this year.) And, today, September 10th, 2026 (and 11th, I didn’t quite get everything finished yesterday), we finally have our normal sky — cloudless and bright blue. Boy, have I missed seeing that! A New Mexico 9% humidity sky. 😍 Even though we have been humid (for New Mexico), we have had no rain worth mentioning. Our trees are dying 😫. Rivers are just beds of stones. The monsoons never developed this year. Despite this lingering heat, autumnal bugs are beginning their march into town. The internet tells me October is the month where things really get going. However, this morning I saw in my email that Stanford University-run WastewaterSCAN program indicates that SARS-CoV-2 is currently “high” nationwide, with a significant upward trend in the last 3 weeks. I checked the WastewaterSCAN Dashboard and New Mexico doesn’t appear. However, a Today show article claims it is increasing nationwide. Cold, Flu, Covid, the Crud, the Suds** — whatever seasonal ailment is getting you, homeopathy is a good place to start. It’s important to remember that homeopathy doesn’t care the name of what ails you — homeopathy is (for the most part) only interested in your symptoms. With that, let’s look at a few remedies to have handy. As Benjamin Franklin taught us, an ounce of prevention is definitely worth a pound of cure! All of these homeopathic remedies work really well when taken at the first sign of any symptoms. Repeat every few hours, or, follow the manufacturer’s direction.
So far this month, I’m seeing a bunch of throat stuff and huge fatigue, in addition to milder cold-like symptoms and one person with some stomach issues thrown in for good measure. For what it’s worth, Gelsemium has been helpful for a couple of people I have encountered. Why Gelsemium? Gelsemium symptoms (keynotes from Morrison are bolded):
When the stomach plays a larger role, consider Arsenicum album. A quick comparison between Gelsemium and Arsenicum for cold/flu symptoms:  These early days of flu/cold-like symptoms mark the beginning of what could be a long season of yuckiness. Homeopathy may just be able to set things right before they are able to take hold.
Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits *I have no affiliation with this or any other company — I just like their stuff! **Spongebob Squarepants gets the suds — Good stuff!  Tallying up the Pain Remedies
An esoteric look at some remedies and how they relate to various types of pain. Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits https://homeopathy.substack.com/p/tallying-up-the-pain-remedies?r=1ls62c&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true  OHM is an excellent homeopathic pharmacy located in Texas. They make a nice little kit aimed at pain management. Unfortunately, OHM doesn’t sell to the general public; but, that doesn’t stop you from creating your own little kit based on their suggested remedies.
Let’s see why these 11 remedies are included in this select little kit and why you may want to consider having some handy. Note: this is a quick list to get you started — it is far from complete. Aconite 200c
Arnica 30 & 200
Bryonia 30c
Calc phos 6c
Calendula 30c
Chamomila 30c
Hypericum 30c
Phosphorus 30c
Rhus tox 30c
Ruta 30c
Symphytum 30c
This kit suggests using the appropriate remedy every 15 minutes in acute situations. Reduce frequency repetition upon improvement. I have a number of longer homeopathic pain remedy articles still in the works. Sit tight! Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits  My last article ("12 Angry Homeopathic Remedies") left me looking for a little more information, so here is a link to little meander through the liver and anger and heat.
Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits https://homeopathy.substack.com/p/digging-deeper-anger-remedies?r=1ls62c&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true  We are definitely in the dog days of summer here in the desert southwest. It is monsoon season but the rain is not landing on us. We do have a couple of rooms in the house that have a little air conditioner, the rest of the house is cooled with a swamp cooler. For the most part, I definitely prefer the swamp over refrigerated air — the windows need to be open for them to work properly (we still hear the birds and the the little fountain!) and we’re not hermetically sealed inside and they add some much needed moisture into our desert house. For those unfamiliar, a swamp cooler is an evaporative cooler, meaning it only works during low humidity. How high does the humidity need to be for the swamp cooler to turn the house swampy? Not very — once we go above 30% humidity, it starts to feel fruitless. See here for more information. As I write this, the swamp has cooled our porch down to 80 (from the 99 outside), but with 56% humidity I have the unusual (for us) experience of a water glass covered in condensation. These hot and (relatively) humid days, remind me of the movie 12 Angry Men. Have you seen it? The original film with Henry Fonda (1957)? Fantastic movie. If you haven’t seen it, put it on the list — again, the original black and white movie. (You’ll get over it not being in color soon enough. You can do it.) 12 Angry Men is about the 12 jurors stuck in a jury room where one juror holds out against the others — and, of course they have to confront their own biases and demons while enduring a hot, sweaty environment. There’s so much to say about this movie — swimming against the current… doing what is right even though you’re alone and it’s difficult… bias, prejudice and yes, anger. I’m not the only homeopath who watches a movie and wonders what homeopathic remedy may benefit each character. (See also, Fictional Wounds for a previous take.) I wish I had taken notes during the movie to flesh out the characters and their anger. In hindsight, it was really only 11 angry men and 1 who was determined, rather than angry. With these memories of this movie popping into my head with these hot and sweaty days, I thought I would take a look at different kinds of anger. Well, sort of — more of how anger is expressed or what sets it off. Let’s now look at our 12 angry men. It has been a couple of years since I last watched it and I didn’t take notes, so I did ask Grok for a review of the characters to refresh my memory (turns out I did pretty well without any notes — the movie must have made a bigger impression on me than I realized!)
Let’s ruminate on some anger remedies (and, rubrics)! Are there other rubrics? Absolutely! It’s a movie, I went very surface level, here! Note: I used Murphy (via RadarOpus) unless otherwise noted and I kept it to just two possible remedies for each man — just enough to get a broad overview of the anger aspect of each remedy. For the man who had to be right (#1) I would consider Platinum metallicum or Lycopodium.
#2, the man who was angry about missing a ball game, Ignatia or Gelsemium.
Man #4 is an angry bigot. The top 2 remedies are Causticum and Lycopodium.
Our 5th man is timid and doesn’t take kindly to being talked over. Here comes Lycopodium again, as well as Staphysagria.
Juror #6 is the man who is angry about being looked down upon due to his upbringing. Once again, we are comparing between Staphysagria and Lycopodium.
Angry man #7 is the one who would get angry when he felt the older jurors were not being shown the respect he thought they deserved. Colocynthis and Causticum.
#8 (should probably be #1 since he was the foreman) is frustrated by the lack of order — he worked hard to keep thing running properly. Aurum metallicum and Calcarea carbonica are two remedies which take their responsibilities seriously.
The 9th man was indignant about how he perceived others’ prejudices clouding their judgement. The two remedies I would think about for this man are Nux vomica and Ignatia.
Juror #10 is the man who was righteously angry that others were not showing the proper respect to the justice system. This was a harder one to figure out, but I came down to Kali carb and Cuprum metallicum.
#11 is a man who was irritated at having to be inconvenienced. This one, too, has so many underlying possibilities, it’s hard to get a handle on it, but I am going to make a couple of assumptions in my rubric choices. The main remedy that comes up is Nux vomica but further down the way were two rubrics that led me to an interesting choice of remedy that I would not have thought about: Ipecac.
12 Angry Men nicely illustrates the individualization of homeopathy — there is not one remedy that would address the various expressions of anger in all these men. Their past experiences and the way their anger shows up and what they do with that anger — these are all very important considerations in finding a suitable homeopathic remedy. This article has been rolling around in my head since I last saw this movie a couple of years ago and I now know why it took so long to see the light of day — it’s actually a really big topic. (Look for the Digging Deeper into Angry Remedies soon.) It turns out, though, that I was more than happy to while away some of these really hot days sitting in front of my fan, listening to my little fountain outside the open window and finally putting some possible homeopathic remedies to these characters. Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits Reference listArndt, H. E., 1904. First Lessons in the Symptomatology of Leading Homoeopathic Remedies. accessed through Radar Opus software.
Buck, H., 1895. The Outlines of Materia Medica & Clinical Dictionary. accessed through Radar Opus software. B. Jain Publishers. Clarke, J. H., 1902. A Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica. accessed through Radar Opus software. Cowperthwaite, A. C., 1909. A Text-book of Materia Medica and Therapeutics, Characteristic, Analytical and Comparative. accessed through Radar Opus software. Farrington, H., 1935. Homeopathy and homeopathic prescribing : A study course for graduate physician. Master, F., 2017. Clinical observations of children’s remedies. New Delhi, India: B. Jain Publishers (P) Ltd. Master, F. J., 2003. Suppressed staphysagria. B. Jain Publishers. Murphy, R., 2003. Homeopathic medical repertory : a modern alphabetical repertory. Blacksburg, Va.: H.A.N.A. Press. New England Journal of Homeopathy, 1995, 4 (2). accessed via Radar Opus software New England Journal of Homeopathy, 1996, 5 (2). accessed via Radar Opus software Shore, J., 1990. Seminar Glasgow [Scotland]. Presented at the Seminar Glasgow. Accessed through Radar Opus software Vermeulen, F., 2004. Prisma : the arcana of materia medica illuminated : similars and parallels between substance and remedy. accessed through Radar Opus software. Haarlem, Netherlands: Emryss.  As I write this on my laptop, the image of the cover is actually bigger than the book itself. It appears this book is part of a series of little hardcovers (Sirius Hidden Knowledge*). Emma Van Hinsbergh** (2024) wrote this very pleasing little book. It’s like those lovely little books that are on display in the bookstores around Mother’s Day or Christmas. A perfect little gift.
All the pages are illustrated with a gentle shade of green. The introduction says, “By using this book as a handy tool to delve more deeply into this fascinating healing system, you can learn how to improve your mind, body and soul. From getting a better night’s sleep to boosting your immune system, homeopathy can set you on the road to a healthier, happier life.” Chapter 1: A Gentle Healing Tradition, explains the history and principles of homeopathy. Chapter 2: Why Choose Homeopathy? The author explains how “homeopathy is often sought for chronic conditions, where conventional medicine might not help in providing long-term relief. It aims to stimulate the body’s natural healing abilities, addressing the root cause of the imbalance and promoting overall well-being.” She lists a couple of pages of the benefits of using homeopathy (gentle, individualized, safe) and gives a little case study showing how homeopathy was “absolutely life changing” for one teenager. Chapter 3: Your Health explains how homeopathic remedies are made, what to expect during a homeopathic consultation and ten helpful questions to ask a potential homeopath. Chapter 4: Daily Healing begins by explaining how to use homeopathy at home, followed by materia medica of few remedies and remedies one might want to include in a homeopathic home kit and then a few remedies for some mental/emotional symptoms and rounds out the chapter with a very quick description of the top 50 homeopathic remedies. Chapter 5: Be Your Own Homeopath tells you how to do just that — how to match the symptoms and choose the best remedy and potency. This is the bulk of the book — a mini (and pretty) homeopathic handbook. This chapter ends with a very short list of common conditions and possible remedies. The acknowledgements page thanks the team at Homeopathy UK (“the UK’s leading charity for the promotion of homeopathy”) and lists a few websites to get you on your way to your next step in using homeopathy. In short, this little book is an excellent gift for the homeocurious person in your life. The idea of homeopathy can be a hard sell for a lot of people. This book is a non-threatening (welcoming even!) introduction for homeopathy newbies. Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits *ABOUT THE SERIES: Sirius Hidden Knowledge Series explores some of the most fascinating subjects in modern alternative thought and practice. Written by experts and renowned practitioners in their respective fields, this series brings the latest in developments in everything from spiritual development to alternative health. These delightful hardback editions are presented with gold embossed cover designs and gilded page edges.” **Emma Van Hinsbergh is not a homeopath, according to the page cited above. She is a reporter/editor, specializing in health and wellbeing. Not that it matters, I’m just dotting is and crossing ts. In fact, this might be a selling point of the book - it is truly written for the absolute homeopathic greenhorn. |
Julia Coyte, CHomI am passionate about homeopathy and I love sharing this passion. Having a working knowledge of homeopathy shouldn't be kept a secret. If people have the ability to help themselves, their children and their friends when they have minor ailments, life just gets better for everyone. That is the purpose behind Ruminating on Remedies. Archives
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