Joette’s introduction to Homeopathy got so many responses and questions, I asked her to do a follow up post sharing some of her answers to your questions. I am very thankful that she agreed! Visit Joette at her website. And stay tuned for a recipe for Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream!
Wow! How awesome to see so many great responses!! I’d be happy to clear up any misunderstandings and answer what questions I can.
1. On homeopathy’s scientific basis:
The idea that homeopathy is spiritual is completely erroneous. Homeopathy is a scientifically proven medicine and has been effectively used for over 200 years in hospitals, clinics, and in practices throughout Europe and was medicine of choice in the U.S. until the advent of antibiotics and psychotropic drugs.
There are some medical fundamentalists (those who deem that we need antibiotics and such for every ill) who don’t like homeopathy because it flies in the face of the pharmaceutical industry. They prey on those who have sturdy religious beliefs and twist it just enough to make homeopathy sound new age, magical or sacrilegious.
‘Interesting maneuver. But oddly enough, I find that many of the folks I work with are large-familied Christians, conservative Catholics, Hasidic Jews and Amish.
For what it’s worth, I’m a practicing Roman Catholic, but it really doesn’t matter because nothing in what I do professionally has to do with my faith.
However, if someone insists that homeopathy has a spiritual basis, I can proudly report that Mother Teresa and her order used it in treating the poor of Calcutta.
Of this, I am proud to be even remotely associated.
If you’re interested in learning more about the science behind homeopathy, follow this link (Go to the “Free Downloads and Articles” Box on the right and click on “Links for Science”.) You can access great documents and journal articles about homeopathy’s safety and proven effectiveness.
These are just a few veritable sources on the scientific foundations of homeopathy. I am currently writing an article on this very subject. If you follow my site and blog, you’ll be sure to see it once it’s posted!
2. Homeopathy and spirituality:
Homeopathy is not based on any spirituality, but on science. When a substance is diluted and succussed (shaken) according to incredibly precise mathematical measurements, the substance’s toxicity is removed and the curative elements are brought to the fore. This happens regardless of the technician’s religious beliefs and irrespective of the homeopath or client’s faith. It is true that Hahnemann’s religious belief may not be in line with many of ours, but the medicine which he formulated is scientifically sound and not spiritually driven. By the way, the good doctor was a Swedenborgian, a Christian group in Northern Europe in the 1700’s.
We use light bulbs every day, but how often do we question Edison’s faith? Similarly, have you ever questioned Bill Gates’ religious beliefs on booting up? We drive cars but don’t think twice about Henry Ford. How about Drs. Salk and Sabin? Is it their faith that we question when we agree to vaccinate or not?
3. Homeopathy and symptoms:
Homeopathy doesn’t cover up or suppress symptoms like antibiotics and steroids do. Instead, it looks at the totality of symptoms that are present in the individual and finds the correct remed(y)/(ies) to address all the symptoms.
Symptoms are understood as signs which the body exhibits to let us know that something is wrong. Homeopaths watch for and listen to symptoms and then by using the remedy that is a perfect match, the body can heal itself. Once healed, the body no longer has to show us that it needs help by broadcasting symptoms. If someone had improved greatly after homeopathic medicines, but then slips back into ill health, it could be simply a matter of poor nutrition or that the body still requires aid from homeopathic remedies.
Often when treating someone, it is very important that the homeopath know the milestones within someone’s life, because there is often a correlation between what is happening in the emotional and psychological realm as well as in the physical.
What is important to remember, is that homeopathy takes into consideration the individual as a whole and not a disjointed person who has depression here, and ulcers there.
Lastly, homeopathy has a reputation for addressing illnesses such as giardia by taking into consideration the symptoms that are present in the individual and finding the best remedy to address the illness in that person’s case of giardia.
4. Homeopathy and Immunizations:
Very briefly, here are just a few differences between the two: The theory behind immunizations is to use an immunogen to hopefully offer immunity against a given disease before the body is exposed to it. There is no illness present when the vaccine is injected. More importantly, for many, the use of a pathological animal protein injected directly into the blood stream might be a cause for pause.
What homeopathy does is much different. Homeopathy does not use a gross substance and then inject it into the body, but rather gives the body a very gentle stimulus (remember, it’s been highly diluted, far beyond a vaccine) which allows the body to recognize the stimulus. It then can begin healing itself, on its own!
Not just for a specific illness, but for the entirety of problems from which the person suffers. The well-chosen remedy gives the body a gentle nudge in the right direction. That’s why I call it the polite medicine.
I say “well-chosen remedy” because the most difficult aspect of homeopathy is in identifying the remedy which is best suited to the person. It is not chosen as per the illness, i.e. fevers get Belladonna; but for the person who experiences the illness. That’s because each person presents illness in their own, unique way. Hence, they ought to receive a remedy that represents that.
This is not McMedicine; but medicine that is tailored to the individual.
5. Homeopathy and home remedies:
There is a lot of confusion between what homeopathy is and what home remedies are. Some of the misunderstanding comes from the word. Because of the prefix “home” many assume that the meaning must be home remedies, hence vitamins, botanicals, supplements, etc.
However, Homeopathy is built with two Greek roots: homo, meaning “similar” and pathos, meaning “suffering”. Therefore, homeopathy means “similar suffering/pathology” and uses the “Law of Similars” to treat the individual. Feel free to check out my blog post on what homeopathy is for more information.
Therefore, turmeric is not a homeopathic remedy. Rather, it is a spice that we ingest in its gross form. Hypothetically speaking, if we were to take turmeric homeopathically, it would first need to be diluted and sucussed according to the rigorous measurements adhered to by the Homeopathica Pharmacopia International.
The subject of homeopathy is a complex medical paradigm. And yet, its use for moms in daily family care is one of the most exciting aspects of this medicine. I started using it for my children over 23 years ago and the ability to have health autonomy is what spurred me on, not only as a mom, but later to go to school, so as to teach other moms how to use it, too.
Again, I’m delighted to see so many great responses and questions. Feel free to visit my website and blog for more information on the basics of homeopathy and how you can treat yourself and family with this gentle, polite and effective remedies.
Let’s stay in touch!
Warmly, Joette Calabrese
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Great post – thanks for the information and clarification!
I run into this too, and have been giving quotes by Hahnemann talking about the spirit of the remedy or the spirit of the patient. I looked up “spirit” in my 1828 dictionary and saw that in those days the word could mean many more things than it does today. In the early 1800s people didn’t have electricity yet, so the vocabulary for concepts that involve the energy signature of an element or compound was quite different than it is now.
oops, meant to say “have been given…”
Question: If homeopathy triggers the body to heal itself, (how) can it work on a nutritionally depleted person? I ask this because I have relatives who love homeopathy and swear by certain remedies…one of the reasons they love them so much is that they don’t feel they have to change their diet with them, even though they eat the standard American diet and suffer many other ailments besides the ones they were cured of by the remedies. This seems a bit like the remedy might be masking the problems to me, but I’d love to hear your explanation!
I can only share my experience, but our naturopath is treating my son, who has nutritional deficiencies from health issues, with homeopathy and building up our whole foods diet with specific foods that will give his body what he needs. I don’t think she would do one without the other.
This was excellent. So glad for the follow up post! This should be published in major magazines and newspapers as well.
this is a wonderful follow-up. Kimi, thanks SO much for pursuing it. Joette, thanks for your time. will look at your blog!
Glad to read such a reasoned and thorough explanation of the value of homeopathy. As a strong proponent of homeopathy’s merits, I truly get excited to see it being spoken about and its use encouraged. Thanks for these great posts!
Hi
I first tried a homeopathy remedy for my son a couple years ago. He had a wart that didn’t go away w/ otc medicines that also made him cry from the pain of “freezing” off the wart. I got rid of the otc meds and he took the remedies for 4-5 weeks and the wart was gone! That is what made me a believer in homepathy. My family does not have any major illnesses, but I like to keep remedies on hand for such things as fevers, stomach aches, coughs, scraps and bangs etc.
People fear the unknown, and from your last post about this it sounds like many people do not know about homeopathy.
Thanks
“nothing in what I do professionally has to do with my faith”? Too bad. Her comments would hold much more weight with me if I believed that she had an integrity in her life about what she promotes. How can she say homeopathy treats the whole person, yet she separates her own “professional life” from her “spiritual life”? There is scientific evidence to support almost any type of treatment, medical or otherwise. We do need to weigh the scientific, and spiritual of course, but they are not separate. Light bulbs and computers are not something that I am ingesting into my body or looking to for healing.
Charlotte,
I think you are taking Joette’s comments the wrong way. Of course, Joette’s faith effects her professional life. The point is that homeopathy is not limited to one type of religion or spiritual viewpoint, i.e. not just Roman Catholics will find homeopathy effective.
Joette, this was great! I also read your first homeopathy post here. I am required to study a full year of homeopathy in my program to be a naturopathic doctor (at Bastyr University).
My family have had considerable success with homeopathic remedies! I wouldn’t be without my burns cream, it is amazing! My daughter has been cured of a few ailments that couldn’t be cured by traditional medicine, a work colleague has been cured of acid reflux and I have embarked on a course of treatment! It works, period!
Great article. Just curious if anyone has used homeopathic meds for flu. If so which ones are good for preventative and which one for the onset of flu.
I’ve used Influenzinum 9c to prevent the flu for 12 years. So far I haven’t had so much as an inkling of a flu symptom. My 95-year-old mother has used it for 6 years. She hasn’t gotten the flu yet either. Before using Influ. I would be in bed for a week every time I got the flu. My mother did not get as sick as I did. Neither of us have gotten swine flu. I believe Influ. also comes in the 30c potency, but we use 9c. I understand that Arsencium alb. is also used as a preventative.
If you use Oscillococcinum (a Boiron product) at the very first signs of flu, it will most likely reduce the intensity of the symptoms. Studies show it gets rid of the flu completely for many people within 48 hours.
If you don’t take Oscillo soon enough or if it doesn’t solve the problem, there are specific remedies you could use. A few of the common remedies used are Arsenicum alb., Eupotorium per. and Gelsemium You would need to use a guidebook discussing the remedies and choose a remedy based on your symptoms or consult with a homeopath.
Christy,
I am interested in taking Influenzenum 9c to prevent flu like you talked about. Do you just take this once as flu season nears? Daily? When you feel something coming on? I’d love to know more!
Thanks,
Anna
I’m a firm believer in Homeopathy! I keep a sleep aid on hand, as well as other things. I went to see a Homeopath back in 1982, because I wanted to know how many vitamins etc. to take. He did a blood panel, and told me that I had a severe liver problem, and I should see my M.D. I had yearly exams and blood tests, and I thought if I had a problem my family doctor would do something. How wrong I was. We moved to another town 3 years later and I found out I had PBC, short for Primary Biliary Cirrhosis. It’s an autoimmune disease of unknown origin, and your body attacks the small bile ducts in the liver. I am now in Stage 4. I should have listened to the Homeopath!!
Donna, do not give up!! Go to this site, EarthClinic.com, and read, read, read about several natural remedies that have reversed very serious liver problems and cirrhosis. Here is a link: http://www.earthclinic.com/CURES/liver_damage.html . Even Stage 4 can be reversed!! I wish this blog had a thread subscription alert so you would know about this reply….I’m just going to pray that you find it. God bless you and lead you in the right direction to overcome this scary time in your life, Donna.
Many, many blessings,
Molly G
Is there a beginner’s or easy reference homeopathic book with symptoms and corresponding remedies that you recommend?
Truly no matter if someone doesn’t know after that its up to other people that they will help, so here it occurs.
A masterpiece in homoeopathic exposition–a tour de force! I’ve 61 years of flight hours so far w/homoeopathy as sole, primary care–a record for an American, I do believe! Did not Hahnemann say, “Anything that is curable is curable by homeopathy?” Two ancedotes, if I may. Mom (d. 1993) was a Mexican national. She was a top-flight legal + executive secretary in Mexico City which is how the present writer was, as a child, introduced to homoeopathy. We were lucky enough to premiere into homoeopathy w/the 2 best homoeopaths in North America in 1952-54. The one was known as the “Wizard of Mixcoac” for his absolutely mind-boggling cures homoeopathic. Because the former didn’t encompass the constitutional sphere of homoeopathy, @ the insistence of Mom’s lawyer boss, we transitioned to Dr. Leonardo Jaramillo Morales (d. 1967). Dad, blinded by allopathy, got a Leader Dog who developed rear-hip dysplasia; his highly regarded veterinarian wrote Dad’s dog off (a German Shepherd); but at my insistence, Mom consented to take King to Jaramillo. Jaramillo gave the dog the prescribed globules from his own dispensary. Within 4 days, King regained the full use of his hitherto paralyzed rear legs & never again was bedeviled by rear-hip displasia. The other in-the-trenches anecdote involved Mom’s step-father–a veteran of the Mexican Revolution who absolutely despised homoeopathy. One day, his company (allopathic) doctors advised Jacinto that he had pyloric cancer: “Navarrete, if you survive the exploratory operation, we’ll take you out in the major operation [meaning surgery]. we’ll get you medical leave. Let us know when you wish to have your surgery done.” The medics gave him a set of x-rays that showed where the cancer was. Mom once again, upon being informed by Jacinto of his situation, made to offer to resort to Dr. Jaramillo. This time, her step-father accepted and our homoeopath took on his case. Within 2 weeks, w/homoeopathic remedies from Jaramillo’s dispensary alone, Jacinto was completely cured of his cancer & showed up anew @ his workplace “prematurely.” His company doctors were stunned, asking how come. Jacinto answered, “Because I’m totally whole again.” The medics put him through another battery of x-rays–no cancer at all. They were knocked off their pins! “Navarrete, what did you do?” He answered, “I consulted the homoeopath Leonardo Jaramillo.” Jacinto lived for another 15-20 years w/o any relapse; his eldes daughter drove him into an early grave but that’s another plot line. . . .
Joette, I continue to forage through all of the information online that you have so kindly given to all of us as a gift. Thank you so much. I find these little gems all over the internet! Wonderful!