June 23-24 Weekend, 2012, 9am-5pm
at Little Mountain Homeopathy
351 E. 39th Ave in Vancouver
The stinging nettle has been used medicinally for hundreds of years, yet there are no homeopathic provings of this plant to be found in our materia medicas.
If you would like to be part of the exploration and creation of the common stinging nettle as a homeopathic remedy, please Contact me to reserve your spot.
The Poverty-Stricken, Struggling, Starving Artist
Remedy Nucleus
Loquacious, Bold, Self-Assured & Obstinate
Poverty Consciousness: Likes to Hoard, Never Enough
Inflammation of the Skin, Joints, Mucus Membranes
Itching Eruptions, especially the Scalp, with Formication
Insomnia & Fatigue; Burping & Flatulence
Read the Full Text:
Homeopathic Trituration Proving of Corvus Caurinus
Neurological Transformation: Cleansing the Brain of Emotional & Physical Trauma
Remedy Nucleus
Polycrest for neurological disorders: autism, ADHD, multiple sclerosis, schizophrenia, migraines, etc.
Cleanses the brain from toxins, injury or past trauma/abuse
Rebirth: brings subconscious issues to the surface, calms & aids in personal transformation
Overactive nervous system (agitation, nerve pain, vertigo with nausea, incoordination)
Tubercular miasm (scattered & restless)
Read Full Text: The Homeopathic Trituration Proving of Musqueam Creek Water
There is a lot of crow energy here in Vancouver: All one has to do is explore the local art and walk the streets of Vancouver to discover this. For example, the logo of the Eastside Culture Crawl, a very popular local event, is a crow. When I walk down Main Street, in the Little Mountain area, I also notice artistic images of crow – for example, at the 
local craft store Bead Freaks and the bike store Kissing Crows Cyclery. Off Commercial Drive is a 2-block-long mural called River of Crows. What is it about the crow that captures the imagination of the community of the Vancouver eastside?
We will answer this question, and discover more about the inner nature of the crow, at the homeopathic trituration proving of crow. In many ways, the crow seems to be a symbol of this city, so I think we will also be learning more about Vancouver and about ourselves in this process.
This proving will take place on the weekend of January 28-29, 2012; from 9am-5pm. Contact me to reserve your spot.
1. Following in Hahnemann’s Footsteps
I have always been a great admirer of Samuel Hahnemann’s work. In fact, if he were alive today, I have the feeling we would have been great friends. Sometimes when I read his writing I feel like it’s something that I could’ve written (especially the long rants about allopaths).
Here is a bit of interesting trivia: Dr. Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843) published approximately 100 homeopathic provings. Friends, family and colleagues participated in the provings, and Hahnemann himself also participated as a prover in many of his provings.
Hahnemann’s provings were the backbone of early homeopathy; many of his remedies are still considered “homeopathic polycrests,” indispensable remedies to the modern homeopath and every naturally-minded household.
Without homeopathic provings, we would have no materia medica, and homeopathy would not exist.
By doing homeopathic provings, we can follow in Hahnemann’s footsteps and carry on his legacy. Without expanding our materia medica, homeopathy becomes a dead craft.
2. They’re Fun
Don’t underestimate this reason because it’s very important motivator. Say it with me: “Homeopathic provings are fun.” By now I may have lost some, if not all, of you. Most people in the homeopathic community think that provings are a pain in the you-know-what. Many homeopaths believe that a proving is like a trial or a punishment that one must suffer or slave through.
Often, when I tell a colleague or friend that I’m starting, in the middle of, or finishing off a homeopathic proving, I get that “are you crazy?!” look. I tell them about all the symptoms that I’m experiencing from proving the remedy, and they are absolutely horrified.
Needless to say, I don’t get a lot of volunteers for my provings, but boy are all these naysayers losing out. Homeopathic provings have enriched my life in a way that nothing else has. Provings have given me a deep understanding of many aspects of nature, because we “become” the remedy when we do a proving. Because I love nature, this is exciting for me to get to know it so intimately.
Provings also have a way of changing the course of your life, because when you “become the remedy” while you prove it, your energetic frequency changes temporarily. Thus, you energetically start attracting different experiences that you would never normally have experienced. It’s almost like you’re living other people’s lives for a little while. It’s like taking a little holiday from yourself. And we all know that holidays are fun, so therefore, provings are fun.
3. Gaining Wisdom and Getting to Know Yourself Better
You could see this as an aspect of fun as well, if you consider working on yourself as a person to be fun.
The process of proving a remedy not only gives you valuable insight into aspects of nature, it also provides a deeper understanding of yourself and your life path. This is partially because, when proving a remedy, we have to analyze our symptoms very closely, so we get better at observing ourselves. The other reason is because when we prove remedies we gain wisdom directly from the substance that we are proving. Some of the proving substances that I have dealt with are very old and wise, and have taught me a lot. I continue to learn more from each remedy that I prove.
4. Watching Your Spouse or Roommate Squirm
This is also an offshoot of the “fun” category.
Usually, when we prove remedies, the energy from the remedy can affect others in close proximity to us. More often than not, a spouse or a roommate will also feel the effects of a remedy proving. And because they did not sign up for it, it can be a little amusing to see them get affected by the remedy and either a) be in denial about it, or b) be utterly confused about why they are getting a strange burning sensation in their nose, why their voice is suddenly hoarse for no apparent reason or why they have an odd sensation of poking in the back of their neck.
Hilarious! Another added bonus is that these guinea pigs…err..I mean, friends or family, can give us the purest symptoms because of their complete lack of awareness that they are proving the remedy.
5. A Greater Understanding of Remedies
What better way to understand remedies, and what remedy a person needs, then by proving that remedy. Once one has experienced a remedy state, it becomes easier to prescribe that remedy to a client. Thus, our prescribing becomes more accurate.
6. Modern Times Call for Modern Remedies
Again, I have come upon a bit of a controversial topic. I hope George Vithoulkas doesn’t strike me down with a thunderbolt for writing this!
Remedies come into and out of fashion depending upon the society and time we live in. Many homeopaths have remarked that sulphur does not work as well today as it used to in the past (e.g. in Hahnemann’s day). I believe the reason for this is because diseases are much more complex than they were 200 years ago. Modern day people use a lot more allopathic drugs (including vaccines), are exposed to a lot more pollution, and experience a lot more stress than their ancestors. Our technology has created some very complex disease states, which often can only be matched by using new homeopathic remedies.
7. The Possibility of Finding Our Simillimum
People who are involved in creating new remedies may accidentally find their simillimum. This point especially applies to homeopaths who are choosing the proving substance. The remedy that you are drawn to is often the very remedy that you need.
8. Local Remedies Work Best
Again, a debatable point, but it makes sense that people would often resonate with remedies from their local environment. When we make new, local remedies, those remedies will have a greater possibility of resonating with clients vs. remedies from halfway across the world.
9. Being an Active Participant in Healing
The usual routine is to sit there, take the client’s case, then prescribe a remedy which we obtain from a homeopathic pharmacy. Provings take healing to a new level because they inspire direct engagement with the substance instead of just reading about the remedy in a textbook. Trituration provings are even more active than regular provings because one is actually involved with making the remedy, instead of ordering it from the pharmacy.
Sounds Awesome, Doesn’t It?!
If I have piqued your interest in the very least, I would love to hear from you. Please do feel free to Contact Me with any questions or concerns regarding provings.
The rain had let up for a bit, and I saw the sun peek out, which is a very rare occurrence in Vancouver in November. I decided to take this rare, fair weather opportunity to take a journey to Musqueam creek.
I entered Musqueam Park via a trail on the west side of the park, commonly used by horseback riders. As I looked to my right, I saw the creek, flowing from the Golf Course into Musqueam Park. I followed the trail a bit more, then saw a side trail diverging to the southeast. I took the side trail, and soon came upon another steep muddy trail, leading to the creek. There was a rope tied to the tree, useful for adventurers such as myself.
At the creek’s edge, I noticed a rather stagnant pool on my left hand side, with water flowing through various openings in the rocks, towards my right hand side.
As I looked into the water I suddenly felt very warm and peaceful. I dipped my glass bottle into the icy cold water and gathered a small amount of the water, while admiring the beauty and serenity of the creek.
Difficult Transitions: Crossing the Boundary Between Life and Death
Remedy Nucleus
Difficult life & death transitions: miscarriage, abortion, dying process & mourning
Weak emasculated men who lack courage and give all responsibility to the female
Inherited genetic disease or genetic interference (e.g. clones)
In limbo: people stuck in a negative space
Helps people face their shadow side so they get on with their lives and start to live again
Strong polarities & boundaries: black & white, good & bad, inside & outside, etc.
Read the Full Text: Homeopathic Trituration Proving of Albino “Ghost” Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens)
On November 12 and 13th, 2011, The Coast Salish Trituration Provers will once again come together to do another homeopathic trituration proving.
Musqueam Creek is Vancouver’s last wild salmon stream.
At one time there were an estimated 100,000 salmon and sea-run trout spawning in the more than 50 creeks and streams that spread across the wilderness that today is Vancouver.
As the city grew they were buried beneath pavement and landfill, or were crowded out by development so that salmon could no longer spawn within them. One by one our streams were lost. The one and only exception is Musqueam Creek.
To learn more about Musqueam Creek, visit the webpage of the Musqueam Ecosystem Conservation Society
Fighting for Justice: Tipping the Scales to Balance the Yin and Yang Energy
Giant Panda Remedy Nucleus
Fighting for equality; demanding justice
Typical mammal indications (feeling victimized, dirty, hormonal complaints, babies, etc).
Hoarse voice/Doesn’t feel heard/hard of hearing
Gas, burping, bloating, flatulence & acid reflux
Lazy, playful, clumsy & forgetful
Left sided head & face pains, ENT congestion
Read the Full Text: Giant Panda Trituration Proving
Shifting Towards a Self Sustainable Tribal Culture
Little Mountain Basalt Remedy Nucleus
Simple, confident types who work with their hands; big, strong powerful people
Physical strain or injury leads to structural pain, fatigue, depression & brain fag
Hot, fiery, passionate people, inclined towards irritation and anger
Allergies & low immunity
Itching, burning skin complaints
Read the Full Text: Homeopathic Trituration Proving of Little Mountain Basalt
What if the remedies we need most are right under our noses? I decided to explore this idea by taking a short stroll to Little Mountain, in search of our next trituration proving material.
It’s May, so it’s no surprise that I come across lots of these:
Taraxacum Officinale (Dandelion). In the Compositae family. There have been several provings done on this remedy, both old and modern. This known is known for its healing ability on the liver. I am so in love with this plant, I wrote a blog post about it: Spring Detox with Fresh Dandelions
This plant is so plentiful here in Vancouver that it may be worthwhile to do a trituration of it at some point. We know it has profound herbal healing abilities, so I would guess that its energetic healing abilities could be profound as well. I have not heard of many Taraxacum cases, perhaps because homeopaths don’t yet understand and recognize its true healing potential as a homeopathic remedy.
Syringa Vulgaris (Common Lilac). This deciduous tree is also common in many Vancouver gardens. I love walking by these trees because they give off such a beautiful smell.
There is no homeopathic information about this remedy. It is a member of the Oleaceae family which is new territory in homeopathy. Other members of the Oleaceae family include the Olive (Olea europaea) and Ash (Fraxinus). A meditative proving has been done of Fraxinus Excelsior. Olive is a Bach Flower Remedy. A look at the flower remedy and meditative proving may yield some findings of the common sensations of the Oleaceae family.
Bellis Perennis (Daisy) This is a first aid polycrest remedy for blows to the soft tissues. It’s common to our environment so it makes sense that it’s a polycrest. Like Taraxacum, this remedy is in the Compositae family.
Rubus Spectabilis (Salmonberry) This is a common native shrub in the Vancouver area. I found this one growing by a stream. It is in the Rosaceae family of plants which is a huge family. Within the Rubus genus of the Rosaceae family there are a few varieties commonly found in Vancouver such as Blackberry and Raspberry. It would be interesting to do provings of the Berry remedies to see what is common to the Rubus genus. So far there have been no proper provings done of any of the Rubus remedies. Raspberry has historically been used for menstrual difficulties. Blackberry has historically been used to treat diarrhea. Salmonberry has historically been a big part of the staple diet of local First Nations people.
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I took pictures of many trees that are not native species to BC. I have decided not to post them at this time. I have a lot to learn when it comes to identifying native plant species but I’m learning fast, thanks to the UBC Botanical Garden forums and Evergreen Native Plant database.
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Athyrium Filix-Femina (Lady Fern) A very common native fern seen everywhere in BC. They are in the Dryopteridaceae family of ferns. I have not heard anything about fern remedies so this seems like uncharted territory for homeopathy. Ferns were historically used as a food source for First Nations people. I would very much like to do a trituration proving of this plant in the future.
Prunus x Ydoensis (Yoshino Cherry) Cherry blossom trees are native to Japan, not Vancouver, but they are a huge part of the Vancouver landscape. Every year there is a Cherry Blossom festival that takes place in March and April. Next year I would like to take part in the festival, then do a trituration of Cherry Blossom tree. I have not decided what species to triturate yet, this may become clear after attending the festival. There are numerous species present here in BC (and to think, before researching all this I thought there was only one type of cherry blossom tree lol). I think attending the festival would be a fun field trip for our group.
Meconopsis cambrica (Welsh Poppy) As the name implies, this plant is originally from Europe, but now grows like a weed here in Vancouver. When I look out my window these days I see many growing in my garden. Opium, one of our polycrest remedies, is made from poppies. Besides Opium, we don’t have any substantial proving information from the Papavaraceae family. It would be interesting to do a trituration proving of this plant to see how similar it is to Opium. If it is similar, maybe we could substitute this remedy for Opium if the authorities decide to crack down on it (even though it’s homeopathic opium and not material dose, not that they would educate themselves to understand the difference).
Now we come across the reason I am on this walk, the substance for our next trituration proving! I started feeling the energies emanating from an area, and lo and behold, this is what I saw:
Before it became Queen Elizabeth Park, Little Mountain was a basalt quarry. Basalt is a common type of volcanic rock. Prospect Point is also made from basalt rock. The basalt rocks at Little Mountain are 35-17 million years old which is considered “young.”
The type of basalt found at Little Mountain is augite-olivine basalt. It is composed of 50% 
plagioclase (feldspar), with abundant small grains of augite. Secondary minerals include epidote, magnetite and purite.
There has been a recent homeopathic proving of homeopathic basaltic lava from Flagstaff, Arizona. The composition of the basalt used from the Sunset Crater in Flagstaff is similar but is composed slightly different minerals. Although both the Little Mountain and Flagstaff basalt is olivine and composed of mostly plagioclase feldspar with traces of magnetite, the Flagstaff lava differs because it is also largely compose of basaltic glass as well as trace amounts of ca-pyroxine, chromite, and ortho-pyroxine. I would therefore expect these provings to look quite different from one another.
What an adventure! I can’t wait to get started on the trituration proving of Little Mountain Basalt.
References
Characterization Summary of JSC-1A Bulk Lunar Mare Regolith Simulant Orbitec
Clowes, R.M and D.A Sketchley. A Gravity Survey of the Igneous Body at Little Mountain, Vancouver BC.
Geomap Vancouver Geological Survey of Canada
Smack in the middle of Vancouver is an old basalt quarry, converted in the mid 1900′s into a park. It has always intrigued me that Queen Elizabeth Park is made from volcanic rock. Now it’s finally the time to explore the healing powers of Little Mountain Basalt. On July 15 and 18, 2011, the Coast Salish Trituration Provers will once again come together to make a new homeopathic remedy. Interesting to think that this basalt, which is tens of millions of years old, is the perfect remedy for our modern times.
In anticipation of the Albino Coast Redwood C4 Trituration with Anneke Hogeland and Judy Schriebman, there will be a homeopathic field trip tomorrow, August 19 at 11am, at Redwood Park in Surrey. Here is a link to the location map.
The Coast Redwood is native to California. However, we do have some local examples of this beautiful and majestic tree in Surrey, BC.
The Surrey Parks brochure explains:
The Brown brothers (twins) were each given 40 acres of land by their father in 1893, on their 21st birthday. The land, which had been logged, was ready for cultivation as a fruit and nut orchard when the brothers started the redwood grove from seedlings obtained on a visit to California. They continued to collect and plant evergreen and other seeds, which they ordered from Austria, Russia, Japan, France and Italy. Groves of native and non-native trees were interspersed with flowers and vegetables. The twins, who were deaf from birth, lived an isolated existence on the land. After several homes burned down, they built a two-story tree house, nicknamed “The Hotel.”
Other trees besides Coast Redwood that can be found in the park include Western Redcedar, Kataura, Dawn Redwood, Paper Birch, European Ash, Douglas Fir, Silver Maple, Giant Sequoia, European Beech, Chinese Chestnut, Lawson Cypress, Monkey Puzzle Tree, Grand Fir, Pacific Yew, English Oak, Hiba Arborvitae, Incense Cedar, Cedar of Lebanon, Wych Elm, English Walnut, Big Leaf Maple, and Black Walnut.
What fun! We will try to spot them all as we walk the trails of the park on this field trip.
Last Friday a few homeopaths took a field trip to Redwood Park in Surrey, BC.
The location of the park is somewhat mysterious. Few people seem to be aware of the existence of the park. Indeed, it is in a rather remote area of South Surrey. Upon entering the park, one drives down a gravel road, adding to the feeling of remoteness.
One of the first things we saw as we walked the park trails was a children’s playground. It was a hot summer day yet very few children seemed to be playing in the park. Indeed, considering the size of the park, there were very few people at all to be seen.
We then arrived at the Redwood Grove. It seemed very dark, quiet and peaceful in the grove. We noticed that the bark was very soft and spongy, in contrast to the hard rough bark of some of our native trees in BC such as Douglas Fir and Western Redcedar. The bark was so soft that one of our party felt like it was a bed, and tried to lean against it to take a nap.
Directly in front of the Redwood Grove is a plaque with a poem on it titled “Prayer of the Woods.” It reads:
“I am the heat of your hearth on the cold winter nights, the friendly shade screening you from the summer sun, and my fruits are refreshing draughts quenching your thirst as you journey on. I am the beam that holds your house, the board of your table, the bed on which you lie, and the timber that builds your boat. I am the handle of your hoe, the door of your homestead, the wood of your cradle, and the shell of your coffin. I am the bread of kindness and the flower of beauty. ‘Ye who pass by, listen to my prayer: Harm me not.”
I did a bit of research on this poem. The author is unknown and it is of Portuguese origin. Nobody really knows how old the poem is. One sees it posted in many parks in North America. However, I had never come across it before.
The Brown twins planted the forest which has now become Redwood Park approximately 100 years ago. A replica of their tree house stands beside the Redwood Grove. Society 100 years ago was a lot less tolerant of differences than it is now. The twins were tormented and looked down upon by their neighbours for being deaf recluses, and for planting a forest instead of a fruit orchard as their father wanted them to. They were different from the rest and society wanted to punish them for it.
The twins built the original tree house after 3 of their past houses burnt to the ground: “The brothers became convinced that malevolent forces were conspiring against them.” Rows of barbed wire circled the house, which had become a target for vandals and thieves. A few pranksters in the neighbourhood liked to play tricks on the deaf twins, sometimes stealing from them as well. In an effort to defend themselves, the twins fashioned a crow’s nest atop a Douglas Fir tree, and would fire at all intruders with a shotgun blast of rock salt.
Interesting to observe that the site of the twins’ old tree house is smack in the middle of their former property. This speaks to their desire for quiet and peace and (understandable) distrust of people in their community.
Reference
