As you may have noticed, I'm following the alphabet in my blog about the different homeopathic remedies...
We began with Arnica, the healer of bruises and trauma, then learned about Belladonna, "beautiful lady" which can help with a sudden fever. Now we come to C. And this is one that I feel everyone should have on hand, in creme form, especially as summer begins...

CALENDULA, or Marigold, is a homeopathic creme used for treatment of wounds, abrasions and incisions. Calendula works topically to prevent serious infection. It can also control bleeding from wounds of any sort, i.e. cuts and incisions.  It may also sooth pains in the wounds as well. Calendula can even help with dental extractions. For dental extractions, it makes sense to use a tea bag, rather than the cream.  In any skin condition which requires some soothing agent, creams with Calendula will often help in avoiding topical cortisone. However, the Calendula lotions which contain alcohol bases should not be used in eczema or other dry skin conditions because the alcohol irritates or causes excessive drying. For the summer months coming up, it is always helpful to have a tube of Calendula cream on hand for any kinds of scrapes and cuts, and especially those skinned knees of summer!

This blog is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnose illness, or in any way an attempt to practice medicine. It is not intended to replace personal medical care from a licensed health care practitioner. Please consult your health care practitioner for any condition.

​The plant on the left is beautiful, but that is not the reason it is called "Beautiful Lady." The name, Belladonna, which means beautiful lady, "alludes to medieval Italian ladies who dropped Atropa (Belladonna) sap into their eyes to produce a glassy stare and dilated pupils, which was believed to enhance their beauty."*

The plant is also known as Atropa Belladonna and is from the solanaceae family.

So, if one follows Samuel Hahnemman's words, "Like cures Like," what would this remedy help? You're right, dilated pupils, or glassy eyes! Some of the other common ailments that Belladonna may help are a fever that comes on suddenly, ear infection, headache, teething problem, sore throat, or sunstroke. The main characteristic symptoms are that any of the above illnesses come on suddenly and are violent in nature, lots of heat, throbbing and redness, dryness, desire for lemons or lemonade and/or delirium. Sometimes if the onset of the illness is at around 3 pm, that would be a reason to try Belladonna. And if it is a child and they come down with a fever and start striking or biting or kicking, this may be the remedy for them.

Aconitum napellus is a second remedy for a sudden fever, that occurs from exposure to cold, dry air. The child or adult has great thirst and is restless, anxious and fearful, rather than irritable with delirium. Aconitum napellus is also referred to as monkshood or wolf's bane, and comes from the Ranunculaceae family.

The third main fever remedy is Ferrum phosphoricum, which is for a fever that doesn't happen suddenly, and is worse at night (4-6 am). There are no other distinguishing characteristics, although the cheeks may be flushed and the person may feel worse moving around or from noise. Ferrum phosphoricum is also known as Ferrosoferric phosphate, a mixture of hydrated ferrous phosphate and ferric phosphate. 

Since fever is our body's way of healing by creating an internal fire, balancing general health is the most important goal in bringing a person back to health. The homeopathic remedy may not prevent the illness that the fever is "fighting," but it may make the recovery faster and more mild. So, whatever that fever is there to heal, remember that the "beautiful lady," Belladonna, Aconitum napellus or Ferrum phosphoricum can help!

As always, this blog is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnose illness, or in any way an attempt to practice medicine. It is not intended to replace personal medical care from a licensed health care practitioner. Please consult your health care practitioner for any condition.

*From Prisma-The Arcana of Materia Medica Illuminated, Frans Vermeulen, Emryss Publishers, Haarlem, The Netherlands, 2002.

Yes, I'm going to repeat what many have said before me. In some ways it is more profound when a person repeats what others have already said. It gives what I say some extra weight. No, I'm not saying that one of my tips for the new year is to add extra weight!

First, get enough sleep! Many of our health issues, mental, emotional and physical come from lack of sleep. If you're not getting enough, find a way to do it. Here is a comprehensive guide on... How to Sleep Better 
I know it isn't easy when you have a 2 year old waking you up in the early morning saying, I'm hungry. Or if you commute to work and have to wake up at 5:30 am every day. Make up that sleep. It is worth it! 

Second, exercise! The women in the photo below are riding around Paris on the final day of the Tour de France 2014. You don't have to do that. Walking is great exercise. Figure something out that you know you'll do. And do it on a regular basis. Again if you have the 2 year old or multiple children or you get up at 5:30 am, this might be difficult. Try to walk at work, walk with the kids in a stroller or stand up when you work on your computer. It has been said before, I'm just repeating it--lots of health benefits to exercise...

Third, eat well! There are so many different ways to eat, and so many books written on how to eat healthfully. I would say, listen to your body...your body will tell you what is good for you as an individual, and what is not so good. If you find yourself getting lots of colds, it is your body speaking. Saying to you, something is up, we're not getting enough sleep or not exercising: see the first and second tips! Or see the next tip...

Fourth, less stress! This one we all know. And this one is the hardest to incorporate...I have an idea: write down all the stress-full things that you do in your life. Eliminate one of them. Say no! Stop doing it! I know it isn't easy, but it will make life a little easier, and it will have an effect on your health.

Fifth, invest in homeopathy! And I really mean invest. With the right homeopathic remedy, the above four will be much easier to incorporate. That's the homeopathic wisdom. No guarantee, but there is also no guarantee that the stock market will always go up, it is conventional wisdom, but there's no guarantee. That's what an investment in the stock market is all about, taking a risk, but an educated risk. 

Take a risk! and meet with me for 20 minutes to determine whether you want to try homeopathy. And that meeting is complimentary. Click here for the Contact Form.

We in the United States are not used to seeing such signs as you see in the photo on the left. In Europe, it is a much more prevalent word in the medical world, Homeopathy. Almost every pharmacy in Paris that we saw had the word, homeopathie in big letters on the window.

How do I know this? Well, I was very fortunate this summer to attend a homeopathic conference in Paris, "Homeopathy on the Move," at the Palais de Congres. I was able to speak to homeopaths from all over the world including a French homeopath from the south of France who was working on ways to help his patients who contracted Lyme disease. Walking around the Paris streets, we saw many pharmacies, and veterinary clinics as well, which advertised homeopathie in bold letters on their doors. We stopped in Ireland on the way home and I met with homeopaths there as well. (see above photo)

People all over the world suffer the same things, and the conference sessions reflected this. Sessions on allergies, depression, pregnancy issues, lyme disease and cancer were all presented. There was a special focus on Samuel Hahnemann, the father of homeopathy, because he lived his final years in Paris, with his wife Melanie. Two groups of about 40 homeopaths met at the Cimetiere du Pere Lachaise in Paris, to pay respects to Samuel and Melanie Hahnemann. The President of the 69th Liga Medicorum Homeopathica Internationalis, Philippe Servais, welcomed us in French and English to the final resting place of the father of homeopathy.

Melanie was an example of someone who came to homeopathy because the Italian doctor who brought homeopathy to France, did so because his wife was cured of a long-standing illness in Italy. "Dr. Des Guidi (the Italian doctor) had studied in Germany with Hahnemann and brought homeopathy back to France and began to practice it. As a result of the growing interest in the new medicine some of its literature was even now being turned into French. Melanie managed to get hold of a translation of the 1829 fourth edition of the Organon..." (A Homeopathic Love Story: The Story of Samuel and Melanie Hahnemann) And the rest is history. 

Being in Paris, walking the streets where Hahnemann walked, and to be in the company of homeopaths from all over the world, was an inspiring and uplifting experience. My journey continues, and I have my own homeopath and homeopathic remedy which I began taking so many years ago, to thank for that. I hope that you are satisfied with where you are in your journey, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually... but if not, then...

Did you ever wonder why, when you get an allergic reaction to something like medicine, the path of the rash goes from one part of your body to the other? One of the most famous homeopaths, Constantine Hering, observed that in many of his patients, there were a number of experiences they had that pointed to what he called, or what others may have called after him, the "law of cure."

Constantine Hering (1800-1880) was the Father of American Homeopathy and first president of the AIH (American Institute of Homeopathy). In 1835, with a number of other homeopaths, he established the Hahnemann Medical College in Philadelphia. Hering's rule of cure states that "During homeopathic treatment of a disease, symptoms disappear in an orderly manner. That is, symptoms improve from above downwards, from vital to less vital organs, from the most recent to earliest symptoms and the symptoms disappear in reverse order to their appearance."

(Homeopathic Dictionary, Jay Yasgur, 2004)

See if you notice this kind of thing happening in you or those around you. Some people call it a law, but there are exceptions, and so the word rule is more apt.

For further information and a comprehensive article see Herig's Law: Law, Rule or Dogma by Andre Saine, D.C., N.D. F.C.A.H. 

It is official! The four years I spent going to the New York School of Homeopathy and attending various seminars, the four years participating in Homeopathy "Boot Camp," passing the exams, and providing supervised cases as well as my own cases to the Council for Homeopathic Certification, have brought me to the next step in my journey!

I am fortunate to be blessed with two wonderful parents who have given me support all my life, my fantastic husband and partner through thick and thin, my three children and their partners, and my brothers and their families, who all give me support in all my endeavors, no matter how unusual the pursuit.

And, to my homeopath, my colleagues, my teachers, my supervisors, my clients, my friends and all of you who have been there for me when I've needed that little extra push to keep going when I was feeling discouraged. Thank you. And thank you to the CHC for the rigorous process and high standards to which you hold each homeopath that you certify. It has all been worth the effort to become a Certified Classical Homeopath through the eyes of the Council for Homeopathic Certification, and now, the journey continues...

I'm starting a blog. I'm sure a lot of people have started their blogs with that same sentiment. How is this one different? Well, each of us is different, so we will each have something different to say. Most of what I will share will be how I look at the world through the lens of homeopathy. I will share some of homeopathy's history, what's going on now, and how homeopathy works. I would be happy to hear questions or comments. I know that the topic is somewhat controversial, but mostly I think that there is little knowledge of what homeopathy is. So, I view this blog as educational as well. So, here we go!