 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.
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 When one is a homeopath, one sees a lot of [ahem] coincidences.
One evening someone slips and falls and can barely move and they are expecting to need x-rays the following morning and they take a dose of Arnica and coincidentally, they wake up pretty much back to their old self. A nasty burn on the forearm, and they say — “that’s going to be there for a while.” They take Cantharis and when you see them the next day, they are absolutely amazed that the burn no longer hurts. Someone ate something off — the resulting gas and tummy pain is bad. They take some Arsenicum album and all those bad things vanished. A young person scheduled for a tonsillectomy and they take some Silica and they shortly thereafter spit tonsil stones out of their mouth by the spoonful. Surgery cancelled and years later they still have their tonsils. A young person with frequent, gushing nosebleeds and each time they take the Ferrum phos, the nosebleeds stop (sometimes almost instantly). In fact, not only do they stop when taking the Ferr phos, the following nosebleeds become a little lighter and they show up a little less often. Surgery is completed and a full schedule of pain meds has been provided (including the big guns, you know what I’m talking about!), and, after taking the first dose of the indicated homeopathic remedies, not one single pain killer has been used. The dog that is pacing and panting and totally not behaving like his normal self and a few minutes after a dose of Ignatia, he is sleeping peacefully. All these situations could absolutely be chalked up to coincidence… UNTIL, you see them happen over and over and over again. That’s exactly what you see when you use homeopathy… things that seem too good to be true; things that seem totally coincidental, happening over and over again. Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits  I don’t know many people or animals who like things that go boom in the night but some of us 2 and 4 legged creatures get a little out of sorts when they happen.
Where I live, the night time booming started a few days ago — pre 4th of July excitement, I guess. If you or your pet are troubled by the fireworks, here are a couple of ideas to try.
What else can help? Back when we still had our dog, Rufus, I would put him in an air conditioned room with all the doors and windows closed, with a nice playlist on at a pretty decent volume to help drown out the booms. I added both Bach Rescue Remedy and Ignatia in his water dish. I chose Ignatia because this poor fellow came to us in a pretty traumatized and fearful state. I hope you have a safe, exciting, fun and joyous 4th Of July weekend and are able to enjoy the booms! Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits  The point of life is balance, not perfection. This sentiment keeps popping up everywhere I turn. I’m taking it as a direct communication from the universe to me. You see, I’m not very good at balance — I’ve always been a kind of an all or nothing sort of gal. Physically, I’m pretty decent with balance. In a former life, I was a recreational figure skater and I could do my spirals and my spins and I could land my basic jumps on one blade. I used to slalom water ski as well as snow ski and those take balance. When we had to do gymnastics in PE, I was horrible at every single part of it, except the balance beam. Mentally, that’s another story. I used to think I was good at balance but only because I was juggling lots of things at once — which, in fact is not a demonstration of balance at all, just an act of mental acrobatics. I start making jewelry and that’s all I think about for the next couple of years. I decide to try my hand at art and I am almost paralyzed by the need for it to feel “perfect” and then I’m unable to do anything at all. I discover homeopathy and I drop everything else and decide there simply aren’t enough hours in the day to study this fascinating system of medicine. So, having this mentality, I have perfected the art of giving stuff up, that’s for sure. (Remember, "all or nothing" was my motto.) I'm pretty good at embracing an all-encompassing deep dive on things, often at the expense of other things. Even writing these articles -- recently taking a step back from writing weekly weighs on my mind heavily. It's a struggle to remember that "about weekly" (as I stated in the "about" section of Ruminating on Remedies) is not the same thing as weekly. However, it's never too late to start a good habit and I have finally come to the realization that it’s time to accept the idea of Wabi Sabi. I’ve heard of this concept before, but I am new to putting it into practice, but I like it, and I’m thinking this might be a good answer for me. Wabi Sabi is a traditional Japanese aesthetic that celebrates the beauty of imperfection and impermanence. Perhaps embracing this philosophy is the way out of my all or nothing mentality. Perfection, or the pursuit thereof, is an admirable goal, I suppose. But, it’s really not a very healthy way to live a life. I always tell my clients when using homeopathy that we are NOT looking for perfection, we’re looking for improvement. (See: What Now and Perfect is the Enemy of the Good.) What is it we are looking for? As a reminder, we are looking for the symptoms to pop up a little less often and when they do, to be a little less intense and hopefully we see an improvement in mood and/or energy. If one struggles with the idea of needing to be perfect, there are some excellent homeopathic remedies to consider. Ignatia is the first remedy that comes to mind for perfection. Ailments from disappointments. Unhappy love. Idealistic. Nervous. High goals, high ambitions, high ideals and high expectations and a burning desire to fulfill them (Master 2009). Intolerant of contradiction. Expectation of others to be perfect. Strong sense of inner duty. Nux vomica for overstudy; "close application to business, with its cares and anxieties" (Vermeulen 2015). These mental strains may lead to the use of stimulants, possibly in excess. Keeping late hours and displaying an irritable temper. Everything makes too strong an impression on this overloaded nervous system. See also: Overwhelmed for further discussion comparing Ignatia and Nux vomica. Arsenicum album for the fastidious person who wants everything neat and clean and tidy and just right. Even when feeling poorly, the person who may benefit from Arsenicum alb may direct someone to tidy up the sick room a bit. This is a person who, in the words of George Vithoulkas, takes "order and cleanliness to the point of expending inordinate energy constantly cleaning and straightening" (Vithoulkas 2015). Natrum muriaticum for one who is responsible and perfectionistic. They may "be compulsively fastidious, trying to control the environment". They may display a "type of hypochondria… expressed as an anxious desire to find the cause of every blemish or pimple" (Morrison 1993). Nat mur cell salt also plays an important role in balancing fluids in the body… if there is excessive dryness or excessive mucus production (for example), Nat mur may be of help. As American poet Henry Van Dyke very eloquently states, “Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best.” Life is too short. Drop the idea of perfection. Let it go. Sing the song, regardless of talent. Paint the picture. Write the story. Live a good life and enjoy yourself while you're at it. Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits Reference list: all books accessed through RadarOpus software
Master, F. J., 2009. Clinical Observations of Children Remedies B. Jain Publishing. Morrison, R., 1993. Desktop guide to keynotes and confirmatory symptoms. Nevada City, Calif.: Hahnemann Clinic Pub. Vermeulen, F., 2015. Concordant reference : complete classic materia medica : 1284 remedies. Glasgow: Saltire Books. Vithoulkas, G., 2015. Essence of materia medica. Usa: B. Jain Publishers (P) Ltd.  As seen many, many months ago in my news feed. I have no idea where it comes from, but I like it. Anybody out there getting stressed out watching the news?
I suppose this post could have been written at any point in history, but 2024 seems to be gearing up for a new level of stressful watching/listening/reading. If you find yourself getting upset by the news, have a think about a few of these homeopathic remedies: Ignatia is a good place to start. (SEE: Homeopathy Can Make a Heavy World a Little Lighter) Homeopathic Ignatia can be found in the following rubrics:
Now, a short list of a few other remedies which may be applicable (as found in a quick look of Robin Murphy's Repertory): Obsessive compulsive disorder (as may be acutely exhibited through an irrepressible need to keep checking the updated news feeds): Nux vomica or Argentum nitricum Trembling with anger: Staphysagria or Gelsemium Trembling from anxiety: Gelsemium or Argentum nitricum Trembling as if frightened: start with Gelsemium but also Aconite, Coffea, Ignatia Headaches following depressing or sad news: Gelsemium or Ignatia Shock from hearing bad news: Gelsemium, Ignatia or Calc carb Vertigo from bad news: Calc carb Obsessed with justice: Causticum If all these thoughts are creating anxiety: Argentum nitricum If all of these stories and images and thoughts keep you from sleeping: Coffea If all these thoughts are keeping you from concentrating: Nux vomica If your mind is preoccupied with thoughts of the future: Argentum nitricum. Persistent thoughts: Argentum nitricum is the place to start, but also: Calc carb or Nat mur. Witnessing traumatic events: Aconite Rapid thoughts: Coffea Repetition of thoughts: Argentum nitricum Shock from bad news: Calc carb, Gelsemium and Ignatia One more thing to do, as seen on many on-line posts… unclench your jaw. soften your forehead. relax your shoulders. breathe. Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits  Though my first few experiences with homeopathy were through using single remedies suggested by classical homeopaths, the big wowee moment about homeopathy for me came when I was first treated with the Banerji Protocols. That is when very big changes happened very quickly for me. Those changes were so impressive and occurred in such a short amount of time that I stopped everything I was doing and started studying homeopathy. Those first classes that followed were all about the Banerji Protocols and I was absolutely hooked on the wonders of homeopathy. Banerji Protocols remain near and dear to my heart and I use them every single day. (If you are interested in classes on Banerji Protocols, Joette Calabrese* is the way to go.)
I then went to Homeopathy School International* because at that time, I just wanted to learn more about homeopathy. I had no idea that I actually wanted to become an actual homeopath. Because the only way I could get more knowledge was to take the tests, I did just that and then without any real intention to become one, I was a CHom, a certified homeopath. When that finished, I was still hungry for more knowledge and I lucked in to a Bachelor of Science (BSc) program that was going to be offered one last time through Centre for Homeopathic Education* (a.k.a. CHE) in conjunction with Middlesex University in the UK. At this time, I still didn’t think I wanted to be a practicing homeopath, but if I thought I was hooked before — now I was really hooked and just a couple months into this one, I finally knew what I wanted to be when I grew up! This program focused on the science of homeopathy, learning advanced materia medica, anatomy and physiology as it relates to homeopathy and diving into the research of homeopathy. Don’t let anyone tell you that good research does not exist for the efficacy of homeopathy, because it does! I still can’t get enough homeopathic knowledge. I am constantly enrolled in deep dives into many different topics; some because they interest me and some because I have clients with specific issues and I do whatever I can to learn how to further help them. Last year I embarked on some classes looking into the Narayani Remedies. (If you are interested, Caroline Gaskin* does a good class.) On one hand, the Narayani remedies seem simple and straightforward, yet on the other hand, it’s like learning a whole new dialect of a previously familiar language. Like the Banerji Protocols (BPs), Narayani Remedies are combination homeopathic remedies but unlike the BPs, the Narayani combinations frequently intermingle. Often, many different Narayani combinations are used at one time resulting in a mind-boggling amount of many different remedies being given/taken all at once. Fully classical homeopaths must balk at these combos (all combos, really), but… I’m going to say that they shouldn’t knock ‘em before they try them! “The Narayani Remedies were created by Swami Narayani and Swami Ananda in 1968 to simplify their practice treating large numbers of patients in India and South Africa. These homeopathic remedies have been used around the world for over 50 years with great success. The combination remedies are used to manage people with a variety of conditions… a truly wonderful set of combinations” (Narayani Remedies*). Let me tell you about a particular favorite of mine: a delightful little combination called Narayani Calming Pills Mix 6. I have many clients who have referred to this combination as “a life saver” and I have found it to be very helpful for both clients and caregivers of clients with difficult conditions. From Davidson’s book, “The name speaks for itself. The pills do just that — they calm the entire system, mentally and physically. There are times when, after taking the first few doses, people want to sleep and sleep. This proves that the nervous system needs to rest — needs to stop for a while. For busy parents with naughty children. Tense business people. After a visit to the dentist. Any grieving family. Any condition of stress or apprehension.” What’s in it? Again, from Davidson (2005): Avena sativa for nervous exhaustion and tremors Coffea for nervous agitation and restlessness Humulus (Lupulus) for unstrung nervous conditions with nausea Ignatia for sobbing, sighing, depressed conditions Kali phos — a great nerve tonic Passiflora has a quietening effect on the nervous system Sumbul for hysterical and nervous symptoms Valeriana for hysterical, over-sensitive nervous affections When I first looked into these combination remedies, I thought — “but, my client isn’t ‘hysterical’ and isn’t nauseous — this is just too much stuff in here and is not applicable.” I was wrong. Not every remedy listed in a Narayani combination remedy needs to be “a good fit.” You see, the body is just amazingly intelligent and knows what it needs. And, when it comes to homeopathy, the body is somehow able to sort through what it needs and discards what it doesn’t; this seems particularly true when it comes to using homeopathic combination remedies. What prompted this article today was an ad in my inbox that got me a little excited… TapRoots* has announced their new Top 50 Narayani Remedies Kit 1. (That #1 gets me excited that there will be more to follow!) From the email: PRE-ORDER NOW & SAVE $30! This kit will begin shipping May 20, 2024. The Narayani Remedies are an incredibly powerful set of combination remedies that were put together by "classical homeopath", Swami Narayani, in 1968. These homeopathic remedies have been used around the world for over 50 years with great success and are now being used in 80 countries! SAVE $30 when you pre-order by April 30, 2024! No coupon needed! Should you decide to go ahead and make this purchase, I highly recommend purchasing a book to help you navigate your way through these simple but sometimes confusingly named remedies. Robert Davidson’s book (mentioned above) or, Nimisha Parekh’s Narayani Remedies, A Condensed Guide, or, (even better!) Helios Pharmacy has done an updated and revised handbook (2023) which is even a little clearer. As an example, “Calming Pills” is pretty straightforwardly named; CB 8 Mix 69, not so much. CB 8 Mix 69 is “akin to” a combination of “Calming” and “Shock” (another Narayani combo) but it is different — It is, however, for the nervous and emotional system. (I did mention this was a little like learning a different language!) “A single remedy is like a solo artist, unique and individual. The combination remedy is like a choir. Each has to be in harmony with all the others, working for a single outcome. Truly harmonious, effective combinations are quite rare and Narayani remedies — they just sweetly sing” (Davidson 2005). If you would like to learn more about how single or combination homeopathic remedies could help you, click here to book a free 30-minute consultation. Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits * I have no affiliation with this company (or any other, actually) — I just like their products!  Quitting coffee can cause one heck of a nasty headache. I remember hearing years ago that the nasty headache that people encounter following surgery was due, in part, from caffeine withdrawal. One familiar with homeopathic remedies might be forgiven if one were to assume that the homeopathic remedy Coffea cruda would be the remedy to turn to for help with this pain. And, to be fair, it may help in this situation. Keep reading… However, using Coffea for caffeine withdrawal would be more akin to isopathy, or, “same cures same.” See: Buzz on Apis and Hom, not home. This is not to say that Coffea doesn’t have a place in helping headaches, it does. Particularly if:
Might there be a better homeopathic remedy to help if you are suffering headaches from caffeine withdrawal? Generally speaking, were I to be suffering from this hellish experience again today, I would start with Chamomilla. But, to be fair, Coffea cruda is also indicated in a number of these symptoms — It’s a matter of degree. From Roger Morrison’s Desktop Guide: “Chamomile is characterized by an unsurpassed hypersensitivity to pain and an angry, almost accusatory response to that pain. Often the patient seems to complain of more discomfort than could possibly be felt from the existing condition. Furthermore the complaining is usually hostile and vehement. There is always irritability…” Yep. That sounds like someone going through caffeine withdrawal. Caffeine withdrawal symptoms, as noted ffrom Encyclopedia of Food Sciences and Nutrition:
Chamomilla also has a keynote of being aggravated from coffee, ailments from coffee and headaches from NOT drinking coffee. Once again, Coffea cruda is in some of these rubrics, but not to the degree that is indicated in Chamomilla. Heck, Chamomilla even has an aggravation at nine AM — just about the stereotypical time the caffeine would have been consumed and had “kicked in!” Other remedies to consider if you are dealing with this type of headache: Nux vomica and Ignatia. (See Overwhelmed for a bit more information comparing those two remedies.) It is not at all uncommon for people to use coffee first thing in the morning to get their bowels moving. So, if you are considering ditching the coffee habit, know this is a possible “side effect.” Chamomilla can help with this, but so, too, can Nux vomica. (See The Eagle has Landed). Is there a reason to quit coffee? Lots of homeopaths recommend to not drink coffee when taking homeopathic remedies. (I don’t agree with this. See HERE for more thoughts on this.) Sarah Ballantyne*, (I first learned about her when she was known as The Paleo Mom), has now written a book (being published in May) called Nutrivore. Her new system is based on nutrient density. “The Nutrivore Score is an objective measurement of the total amount of nutrients a food contains per calorie. There are 33 nutrients that go into the calculation.” Well, guess what the number one food item is according to this system? That's right… Coffee. Hmmmm. Having said all that, from someone who has been there, done that — drinking many, many cups of coffee all day, everyday -- I don’t think you’ll regret kicking the coffee habit if you choose that route. It may take a little time, but I bet you’ll be waking more refreshed and feeling much better at being able to function without relying on the coffee crutch. Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits * I have no affiliation with Sarah Ballantyne, I am just intrigued by her new dietary system. Works Cited
Ballantyne, Sarah. “Brewed Coffee Nutrients.” Nutrivore. Morrison, Roger. Desktop Guide to Keynotes and Confirmatory Symptoms. Nevada City, Calif., Hahnemann Clinic Pub, 1993. Watson, J. “CAFFEINE.” ScienceDirect, Academic Press, 1 Jan. 2003. Weber, Joseph G., et al. “Prophylactic Intravenous Administration of Caffeine and Recovery after Ambulatory Surgical Procedures.” Mayo Clinic Proceedings, vol. 72, no. 7, July 1997, pp. 621–626, .  “All is Calm?” Really? At this time of year? Holidays and stress seem to go hand in hand. Was this always the plan? I’m thinking not. Can we decouple Christmas from stress? Jo Robinson and Bill McKibben seem to think it is possible. Full disclosure, I haven’t read their books (Unplug the Christmas Machine: A Complete Guide to Putting Love and Joy Back into the Season & Hundred Dollar Holiday: The Case For a More Joyful Christmas), but I certainly like the premise. For the first time ever I am currently on a pre-holiday vacation with my family and as lovely as it is I find myself stressing out when I walk into the beautifully decorated restaurant. You see, I left our house naked — undecorated — prior to shlepping off to the early morning flight. The day before we left, I did haul out a couple boxes of jolly things, so, at least I would not have to do that part the day after stepping back off a plane, but… really? Do I really need to stress myself out to get the “right vibe” going in the few short days before Christmas proper? I suppose it all comes down to choice. I am choosing to work a few hectic hours to make a festive and fun environment for our Christmas. You know what? That helped. That little mind set switch relieved a lot of the stress I was putting on myself. What else can help with holiday stress? Well, on a practical note, a few years ago I invested in fabric bags*. No more buying wrapping paper and tape and ribbons and spending hours making things look just right under the tree with miles of wrapping paper, tape and ribbon … and, no more big garbage bags filled with that identical pretty wrapping paper and tape and ribbons that no longer serve any purpose. This has been an enormous time saver/stress reducer, I can tell you that. What really helps, though, is homeopathy, of course! Really, any homeopathic remedy that matches the symptoms of what a person is experiencing may be the best stress-reliever for that person, but generically speaking, there are a few homeopathic remedies that I have readily used in the past. Ignatia and Nux vomica are two that come quickly to mind. In fact, check out Overwhelmed for an overview of how those two remedies differ and might help. Boiron’s Stress Calm** has been known to live in my purse during stressful times. Like all homeopathic remedies, Stress Calm is sedative free and not habit forming. And, like all homeopathic combinations, you may prefer to choose one remedy out of the lineup that suits your situation best, but this is a very helpful little grouping of 6c remedies. From the Stress Calm package: Aconite for restlessness and agitation Belladonna for hypersensitivity to stress Calendula for nervous fatigue and hypersensitivity to noise Chelidonium for digestive symptoms caused by stress Jequirity to relieve uneasiness (This remedy is also known as Abrus precatorius and is known to be helpful for headaches and malaise.) Viburnum relieves nervousness and restless sleep. The directions say to dissolve 2 tablets under the tongue three times a day until symptoms are relieved. We have a few more days of family vacation, then we climb back on the plane for the dreaded flight home… Do some laundry, refill the fridge, send some Charlie Brown Christmas through the speakers, trim the tree and a little corner of the house, too… plop the already wrapped prezzies under the tree and enjoy the decorated days with my boys.
Share some of your holiday stress busters in the comments! Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits * Fabric wrap: you can purchase premade bags online, though they can be pretty expensive. I found a bunch of fun fabric and then I found a person handier than I with a sewing machine who made them into bags of various sizes, attached with bright ribbons. After a few years of happily using these bags, I now look forward to them just as much as pulling out my favorite ornaments for the tree. (I liked these bags so much I did the same thing for birthdays! I highly recommend it!)  I have also found some great old silk scarves on eBay. They may have a hole or 2 and they may no longer be fashionable around your neck but they’re great for a little fancier version of fabric wrapping!
** I have no financial affiliation with this company, I just like their products.  On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, 1918, fighting officially stopped after Germany signed an armistice agreement with Allies earlier in the day. In the US, Armistice Day was first commemorated one year later and was re-dedicated as Veteran’s Day in 1954.
Also known as Poppy Day or Remembrance Day… Whatever you want to call it, it is a day to remember and thank those who have served their country. Many who have served in the military carry heavy burdens. Homeopathy can help lift that emotional weight. Homeopathic Ignatia along with Coffea cruda is the Banerji first line protocol for mental shock, both immediate and in the past. Ignatia for:
Coffea for:
Take both Ignatia 200c & Coffea 200c twice daily. These remedies can be used to good effect for the soldier as well as their loved ones who help to carry these heavy burdens. A deep heart felt thank you from me to you. Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits  Cooler weather must be coming. We have a mouse in the house - or, more accurately, a few mouses. I don’t do well with rodents… a classic Calc carb trait, actually.
Calc carb is a grade 3 remedy listed in the rubric for Fear of Mice. Once upon a time, there was a dead mouse in the back room where I worked. I was so freaked out by this that I had to go out the back door and walk all the way around the mall to get back in the building because I was mentally unable to step over the dead mouse to get back out the door I had just entered. That’s a pretty hefty fear of something that can do me no harm. (I know Hanta Virus is a thing, but… suffice it to say that this poor, little, dead creature was not going to harm me at that moment.) I have taken Calc carb in the past and my fear of mice has been tempered considerably. I still don’t like them and I really don’t like the idea of them being in my house. The fact there was one in my bedroom (!) disturbs me. (I won’t even go into how freaked out I was when a squirrel was once in my bedroom!! My boys still think my impression of the maid from "Tom & Jerry" was pretty funny - me, standing up on my bed afraid to step back on the floor.) But, I am happy to say that paralyzing fear is gone. I have made such great advances in this area that I was even about to rid the remains of one by myself the other day but my teenage son came to my rescue. It is safe to say that a few years ago there was not a chance of me ever even considering doing that job. Even looking for an image to put on this blog… I had to go for an illustration because the photos of mice cause a visceral reaction. Perhaps I need to reconsider another dose of Calc carb! So, the long and the short of this article is mouse rubrics, because fear of mice is not the only one the homeopathic literature addresses. If your nervous system is suffering after being frightened by a mouse (the rubric is actually “frightened; sudden and severe, after being, by a mouse running up arm” (which is quite frankly too much for me to even think about!) try some Ignatia. If it just feels like a mouse is running up your arm, then try Calc carb. If you have a sensation as if a mouse is running up your back: Sulphur. If you are hallucinating that you see a mouse running from under a chair… try some Cimicifuga. (Or, better yet, check and see if you really did see that and then try a dose of Cimicifuga if there is no evidence of said being!) Dreaming of mice? Or, sleep disturbed due to your fear of mice? Calc carb. If you hear noises in your ear that sound like a squeaking mouse: Rhus tox. Even though I am coping better, I prefer to live in a house where not a creature was stirring, other than the 2-legged kind. Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits |
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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