Lyc. Graduates

I’m going to stray from my usual description of remedies and have some fun with animating them as people at a party. Homeopaths often affectionately think of remedies as people—the nature and thus curative power of remedies are known, after all, by their effects on healthy people (“provings”). The symptoms accumulated about each remedy in homeopathic literature are so vast that, if I described a well-proven remedy to you, it would seem like I was describing a person. My remedy “person” would have physical, mental, emotional and spiritual characteristics—the same as any other person.

I’ve decided to take you to a party scene of homeopathic remedy “people.” (Part 2 will follow next month.) Don’t be surprised if you recognize someone you know—or even yourself! In the story that follows, I will continue to round out the remedy pictures from my previous articles so homeopathy buffs will want to pay close attention.

After years of studying, Mr. Lycopodium finally felt like he was “someone.” He would be able to hide his low self-esteem behind his degree. No one knew the truth about how insecure he was, as his common exaggeration of the truth made him appear powerful to people. And how Mr. Lycopodium loved power! (Miss Pulsatilla remembered that Mr. Lycopodium was the school bully when growing up. He always picked on the children in the lower grades, but never anyone his own age or older. Unfortunately, being his younger sister, Miss Pulsatilla was among those upon whom he picked.)

Before guests arrived, Mr. Lycopodium checked the food. Due to his digestive complaints, he made sure that there were no cabbage, onion or bean dishes for the party. It would be embarrassing to be flatulent today! Most of all, he made sure that plenty of sweets were available. He couldn’t imagine a meal without sweets. Even when Mr. Lycopodium rushed out the door each morning with a piece of toast for breakfast, he made sure that it was slathered with a sweet jam.

The party was being held out of doors, as Mr. Lycopodium didn’t like enclosed spaces or crowds. This would ensure there would be plenty of space for his guests, without making Mr. Lycopodium feel claustrophobic. He couldn’t tolerate being in a stuffy atmosphere, so having the party indoors had been out of the question. And, knowing he always felt worse at 4:00 in the afternoon, he scheduled the party so that his guests would all be gone by 3:30 p.m.

Miss Pulsatilla, who was helping with the party, noticed how tall her brother had grown and how sallow his skin appeared. The vertical frown lines above his nose had gotten quite deep over the years, and his gray hair, which started prematurely, was quite noticeable in the sunlight. Even Mr. Lycopodium’s dog had premature graying around its muzzle.

In turn Mr. Lycopodium was viewing his sister, but with a critical eye, and he noticed how she was a bit plump. Her hair was as fair as ever, and her eyes as blue, but she always had a flushed face. Miss Pulsatilla was unable to tolerate the heat for long, but she could just as easily turn red from emotions. Mr. Lycopodium would often tease her about how easily she blushed.

As Miss Pulsatilla eyed the refreshment tables, she passed the drinks (for she was seldom thirsty) and headed for the area that contained the cakes, pastries, chocolate and ice cream. She knew she had to be careful, for eating ice cream in hot weather could trigger stomach upsets and sometimes and earache. As she surveyed the sweets, she caught a glimpse of Mr. Sulphur.

After heartily congratulating Mr. Lycopodium, Mr. Sulphur headed directly for the sweets and fatty foods. He then filled a second plate with spicy foods, added some dill pickles, chose a cold beer to drink, and passed the table with eggs and milk. Mr. Sulphur sat down in a shaded area, for he was so very warm-blooded. Mr. Lycopodium knew that Mr. Sulphur avoided the seated balcony area due to his fear of heights. While none of the other guests had taken food yet, he knew Mr. Sulphur always got hungry about an hour before lunch. Mr. Lycopodium checked his watch, and, sure enough, it was 11:00 a.m. While Mr. Sulphur was known to be open-hearted and generous, Mr. Lycopodium was aware of a belligerent, critical side of his guest. And why couldn’t he take the time to dress properly for this one occasion! Mr. Sulphur always had something amiss in his attire. Mr. Lycopodium thought he was a slob, but because he felt intimated by Mr. Sulphur, he would never tell Mr. Sulphur to his face.

For once Miss Calcarea was relieved that she was on time. She felt self-conscious at her excessive weight (for she had a hearty appetite), especially when standing near tall and lean Miss Phosphorus. After Miss Calcarea filled her plate with soft-boiled eggs (salted, of course!), cookies and starchy foods, she headed for a table in the sunshine. Like Mr. Sulphur, she avoided balcony seating. To her embarrassment, no matter how slowly she walked, she always perspired heavily. In addition, walking up the sloped area of the lawn made her breathless. When she finally arrived at her table, Miss Calcarea removed her shoes, because the soles of her feet felt burning hot. Observing other guests, she was relieved that Mr. Sulphur had also removed his shoes, because she didn’t feel like she stood out as much.

Old Mr. Arnica had had a recent shock and sat far away from the others, afraid that someone would approach him. Mr. Apis sat at a table near Miss Pulsatilla’s table in the shade, and despite feeling warm, neither of them were thirsty. Miss Phosphorus, on the other hand, was still at a refreshment table trying to choose between several flavors of cold drinks. She had already filled her glass with plenty of ice.

Miss Tarentula and Miss Lachesis arrived together, both dressed in vibrant colors. Miss Lachesis headed for the shade, and Miss Tarentula walked over to the music area, where she joined Mrs. Sepia. Both waited for the music to begin. They would be the first ones on and the last ones off the dance floor. It always amazed Miss Tarentula how Mrs. Sepia “came alive” when she danced, for Mrs. Sepia looked so tired all the time.

After greeting Mr. Lycopodium, young Miss Belladonna headed straight for the lemonade. (She was very careful to avoid Mr. Lycopodium’s dog.) Miss Pulsatilla noticed how red Miss Belladonna’s face was, and her eyes were glassy. She looked like she felt quite ill, and that she might even be running a high fever. Unlike Miss Calcarea and Mr. Sulphur, however, Miss Belladonna’s feet were bundled in very warm socks and shoes.

Surprisingly, Ms. Ignatia was at the party. She was still grieving her late husband, Mr. Natrum muriaticum. Ms. Ignatia went to the area of the party farthest away from Mr. Staphysagria because he was smoking. She got herself a cup of coffee but didn’t know whether or not she should drink it, because sometimes coffee made her feel better and sometimes it made her feel worse. Miss Phosphorus saw Ms. Ignatia and went over to say hello. Miss Phosphorus, who was so sympathetic that she often touched people as she talked with them, intuited that Ms. Ignatia would not welcome being touched or stroked, and so avoided any physical contact. Ms. Ignatia was blinking a lot and sighing, and Miss Phosphorus thought that it must have been very difficult for Ms. Ignatia to attend today.

Mr. Aurum was the last guest to arrive on time, and he thanked Mr. Lycopodium for being so thoughtful as to invite him. (Everyone knew that Mr. Aurum had been very depressed this past year, but felt better as soon as his business started showing profits again.) In response to Mr. Aurum’s gratitude, Mr. Lycopodium shed a few tears; being thanked was the one thing that could make Mr. Lycopodium cry every time.

To be continued