A proving of Saussurea obvallata

Botany
The plant occurs throughout a wide range, extending from elevations of 3000-4500 m. It is found on alpine, grassy slopes with rocky bases and near streams, in the Himalayas. Saussurea obvallata grows up to a height of 30 cm. It is a perennial and striking herb with large, pale yellow, boat-shaped, papery bracts surrounding the dense cluster of flower heads. This surrounding gives the plant the opportunity to flower in this height, as a protection and as isolation against the cold. The flower heads are several, in a dense umbel-like cluster, each 1.5-2.5 cm long and with involucral bracts with black margins and nearly hairless tips. Several encircling, ovate, bristly-margined, translucent and conspicuously veined bracts overlap the flowers. The leaves are oblong-lanceolate, blunt, toothed, lower stalked, upper half-clasping with the blade continuing in a stout stem 15-45 cm long. The taste of the plant is bitter.

See also: http://www.himalayanvoices.org/sites/default/files/Saussurea%20obvallata_0.pdf

Hinduism
Kamal means ‘lotus flower’ in Sanskrit. Lotus is the symbol of the holy flower, a metaphor for beauty, shaped expression of holiness. Brahma is personified as an old man, as a giver of laws and ways of destiny, personified as a ruler of the world. His wife is Saravati (Ganga). He is seen as creator, as an embodiment of great variety in oneness. He  always changes his form to create different living creatures and is therefore present in all. He is the God of a Thousand Faces.

Proving: trituration proving, 20.10.2011, C30 proving, 02.12.2011

Provers: 8

Family: Asteraceae

Subfamily: Cardueae

Tribe: Cynareae

Other names: Brahma Kamal, Himalya Lotus, Tibetan: Sah-du Goh-ghoo

Use: Tibetan medicine, paralysis of limbs, cerebral ischemia, wounds, cuts, bruises, liver, bone-ache, intestinal and urinal problems, cough. Promotes heat. The entire plant is used.

Culture: Temples, offerings to Lord Brahma; the lotus (kamal) of  the creator (Brahma)

Source: Dried plant, flower, petal and stem

Background: The dry plant was given as a gift by friends, a Brahmin and a Kshhatriya (Warrior) in Gangotri, near the source of the Ganga in Uttarkashi District, Uttaramchal, India. For further proving information to Aqua Ganga see also:  www.c1000.de/info/

Music: Monster Magnet: “Dopes to Infinity”

Movies: “Dark desire” by David Cronenberg, “Inglourious Bastards” by Quentin Tarantino

DD: Lanthanides, Asterideae, Cardueae, Gadolinium, stage 10, Neodymiums, Uranium series (ancient feeling)

Pharmacy: Pharmacist Walter Schmid www.enzian-apotheke.de; Helios: www.helios.co.uk

Introduction

The situation of this remedy is of somebody who thinks he is really free, he is on the top, and he does not have to do anything for it, only to be it. They can be teachers, like a guru, someone who has knowledge. They can have an ancient feeling, like a hermit with wisdom. But when you look deeper you realise there are still some unresolved issues. The person is not really free, and the solution is to realise this and accept to be unfree; this is the way to freedom. It is not a fight for freedom – acceptation is freedom. Life is not a problem, it is an experience.

Stage 10
This remedy is probably at stage 10. The obvious quality of “being free” points to it. The flower is used to worship Lord Brahma. All key-words of stage 10 are quite prominent in the proving.
Two-sided, or an inside and an outside which protects the inside.

My space, my freedom
They do not like it if people come too close in their communication; it is as if they feel flooded with words and they feel oppressed by it. If they are tired, it is like a cocoon (DD: Cerium) around them; impressions and communication do not reach them. They want to have the opposite of narrowness in their life. They can feel clear, sovereign and self-confident, and have a resolute and fighting quality for their freedom. In stage 10, you do not have to fight anymore because you are already at the top; that is probably the reason why fighting for freedom, for ‘my space’ is not so strongly expressed, but the quality is there nonetheless.

Protection, protective cover
When you are busy with protection, with fighting for or protecting (= maintaining, stage 10) your freedom, you are not able to realise what really goes on inside. The inner feelings can even be suppressed or unconscious; this is probably strongest in this remedy because it is in stage 10. They can also feel unprotected, put out in the cold and naked. They probably had to fight for their protection, for their space; freedom is a way of protection. They can be fighters.

Recognition, acknowledgement
They have a need for admiration, they want to be “somebody” (DD: Asteraceae, Carbon series). In this remedy, they already have admiration, but there is still a longing for it. This can sometimes come across as boasting and arrogance (stage 10). They like to show themselves in the best possible light.

Clarity, straight, overview
They can be quite straight forward and clear in what they want; they can be leaders and know where to go. They can be confrontational, perhaps because of competiveness and in order to gain recognition.

Two sided, outside and inside
They have a shiny outside, which is also a protection; it keeps one warm and cosy. But it has a darker inside, a part that needs to be looked at in order to go further in life. The outside can be rational and intellectual, whereas the inside has to do with instincts.

Sensation
Narrowness, closed in, closed out, abandoned, left behind, oppressed, tightness, pressure, protected  versus freedom, spaced, wide open, free, clarity, refreshed; tired, heaviness, lethargic, vulnerable; ancient feeling

Mind
Abandoned, left behind

An old lady, frail, light transparent. I feel so OLD, OLD, OLD... but not really in a negative way, just in a frail old way! Also a sense of wisdom.

Heart-broken, left, grief of some sort

Paralysed

Serenity and surrender

Defenseless

Dispute, conflict, quarrels

Faces passing by (Lord Brahma the god of 1000 faces)

Clear, sovereign, without doubts

Cocoon feeling, feeling talked to all the time ( DD: Cerium, cocoon)

Running in synchronicity with the world

Living in a regime

Fighting

Fits of anger, with a feeling of strength, strength in the body

As though on Speed

“Fighting back” verbally

Blackouts in conversation versus clarity in speech

Dreams
Many vivid dreams with a theme emerging around toxic waste and its safe disposal.

General
Heat, body feels hot, hands not cold even in snow-rain on my bike

Hot head, red cheeks, red, random spots in the face

Desired nothing but green chilly, mango and chili chutney, the hotter the better

Spicy, hot food ameliorates

Tingling, movements, pulsating in the upper chest, as if opening up, freeing

Bitterness

Accidents

Stretching ameliorates

Yawning ameliorates

Hard pressure ameliorates

Body
Shattered

Radiating heat from skin

Heaviness

Strength of the ligaments and muscles

Detoxification

Head: apoplexie, stroke  – clear and fresh in the head again, heavy tired feeling in both temples, headache, crossways over the forehead, 3 – 4 am, desire to lie on the floor, desire for hard pressure to lie on, but no >, desire stretching but no >. Clumsy and awkward, dropping things, walking into furniture, etc.

Face: feeling as if there is no face when washing it, 4.15 am, especially, I don´t feel the forehead on the left side, as if a stroke, in the morning the heat from yesterday is gone, more cold now (has taken an Aspirin), need a winter blanket (20 degrees in the room).

Mouth: taste bitter (taste of the plant is also bitter – liver connection)

Heart: strong and quick heartbeat

Stomach: bloated with gas, thirsty, hiccough in the morning; longing for spicy food, green, chili

Abdomen: flatulence, pressure in the liver region

Kidneys: dull pain right kidney, feels like an old, wet sack, like a heavy weight in the back, hard pressure, warmth amel. Better sitting with the right hand pressed in the back, stretching forward amel, lying on a hot water bottle with the pressure directly on the    kidney amel.

Bladder: urination nighttime increased, in general more frequent urination

Limbs: pain left wrist, left ankle, left shoulder no strenth in it, injuries of muscles, ligaments, bruises, tearing pain in right knee, like a rupture of the meniscus

Skin: red hot face, hectic, red spots in the face, skin radiates heat, bruises, cuts, injuries

Sleep: disturbed by many vivid dreams

Time: 3 – 5 pm

Colour: white?

Jan Scholten has given us the information that the Cardueae, a subfamily of the Asteraceae, have the theme of “Liberator, liberation” or in other words “fight for freedom”.

I think this proving is a good confirmation of this theme. As I have written above, we can have the impression that fighting is not a real topic in this proving, but I think this has probably to do with the stage 10. Stage 10 is the top, and when you are on top, you have no need to fight anymore.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Hindu-Brahma; freethoughtpedia