Editorial: a Wondrous Order

In many non-English speaking countries, very beautiful and clever cases are written in their native language, making it unavailable to others. In this issue, we have chosen to introduce cases translated from the bulletin of the Israeli Association for classical homeopathy.

After some thought, I have decided to introduce the work we are doing on the Table of Plants "Wondrous Order", using cases that centre on the 4th column of the table - the column that deals with the feminine, nourishing element, and the unbalanced states that are shaped around it. Cases will not centre on one family, but rather describe the common themes to this column and different themes that arise along it, perceived by different approaches to case taking.

First is a short introduction to the "Table of Plants" system and its origin: as a former botanist and a present homeopath, I have been studying the idea of order in the plant kingdom ever since hearing Jan Scholten talked about the order that can be found in the mineral kingdom remedies. For over twenty years, I have woven together Materia Medica information, evidence from cases, and psychological, philosophical and mythological supportive data, which has slowly coalesced in a truly wondrous order. The basic finding was that the botanical systematics describing the evolutional developmental progress of plants, can just as well describe evolution and development of man’s consciousness.

The wonder of it, is that human development can be read from plant evolution with the aid of homeopathy. When the entire Materia Medica and proving of plant remedies is arranged according to botanic evolutionary order, then – like a book whose scattered pages are arranged and read in order – it becomes an elaborate, continuous record that describes the development of the human spirit and psyche. It can then be used as an indicator of crossroads in life, where development is halted, deficient, excessive, deformed or otherwise imbalanced; in short, where disease is.

In a nutshell, the table is constructed so that its columns (structured according to the botanical Subclasses of the Angiosperms) portray the Ego construction and individuation process. Every column phase is experience in different degrees or stages of readiness and maturity. The stages of maturity along the column are represented along the rows of the table. Extended information can be found in the article "Notes on the table of plants; a Wondrous Order".

Knowledge of this wondrous order is a powerful tool in the hand of the homeopath, as one comes to interpret the case in front of him and decide on the remedy. Analysis in reference to the stages of development of the table and its theme allows a deeper insight into the case, irrespective of the system and reportorial method used.

Coming back to the cases we present in this issue, each demonstrates another stage of maturity relevant to the 4th column of nurturing, with its main issue: how to give and receive in a balanced way. The diverse approaches to case taking only emphasize the presence of the table themes, and the way those themes can explain the case or make its choice of remedy more explicable, and even help in deciding on the remedy.

Vega Rosenberg from the US presents a short case of a girl with a history of atopic dermatitis and eye infections, who loves to pretend she is an animal and has a tremendous fear of spiders. The mother has no time for her, and appears self-centred; again a mother/child issue.

Nily Maytal from Israel describes the case of a women suffering from sleep problems, stress, digestive and numerous psychological issues. Too responsible and unable to express anger, she presents an outwardly false façade.

Elia Onne from Israel presents a beautifully analysed case of a woman complaining of irregular and problematic menses, sleepiness, and hypoglycaemia (a metabolic disorder). She feels numb and "not connected to herself and her own needs," with a history of distant and "icy cold" relations in the family. Her journey of healing leads not only to restore the hormonal balance but includes opening up her ability for relationship, as her relationship with her mother resolved.

Hili Zilbershtein from Israel tells the story of a woman with overeating problems; chocolate craving and weight gain increased after an accident, as a means of nourishing the body so it can be "robust and resilient, not fragile". Stuck at the end of a situation – as she wants to change – but cannot (the last row), she cannot perform the required change needed regarding eating (food issue of this column); this situation was resolved by a remedy from the Salicales at the end of the column.

The case of a young suspicious, mistrustful, and lonely girl, by Brit Levi and myself, boarding in a juvenile delinquant home, shows how her situation is linked to a deep scar created by her mother's abandonment and her journey to reconciliation with her family, along with the improvement of her digestive problem.

Though not from the 4th column, even animal cases can be more fully understood by the themes of the table. Ronit Abutbul tells us the story of Damca, a dog who, with the help of a little flower, enjoyed a full and happy life.

Vivian Nov concludes this issue by describing, from a Sankaran point of view, the sensations of a case needing a remedy from the Capparales – an order placed at the very end of the 4th column process. The sensations of "stuck, not moving, clogged, hindered motion, and its opposite of moving ahead" describe the pathology of the end of the 4th column, with its aspiration to move to the next level of development- the 5th column.

We hope you will enjoy this issue.