“All is Calm?” Really? At this time of year?

Yes! I am happy to say that this year, so far, all is pretty calm and it’s a nice change.

There was no pre-holiday vacation this year, so I haven’t been rushed. There was a lot of travel for me the last few months and I am over-the-moon happy to just be at home. The house is decorated and the little stress I had was really limited to giving myself an arbitrary timeline to get it done, primarily because I didn’t want the storage boxes sitting around my living room any longer than necessary. Is it perfect? Nope. Is there more to be done? Yup. Yet, I am maintaining my zen. Phew!

We have an enormous tree this year, thanks to our son and his friend trekking into the mountains to find us their version of the perfect tree. However, this is the prickliest tree ever. It is so prickly that we all kind of gave up early hanging more ornaments on the tree cuz it was painful! (I don’t think my New Year’s tree is going to work this year!) And, you know what? I like the lesser dressed tree. Thinking about it, it kind of sums up this pleasant Christmas season… the big, prickly tree wasn’t fun to decorate, so we didn’t keep going. The stressful Christmases past were actually sort of like big, prickly trees and all the hoopla and rigamarole sucked some of the fun out of it for me, too.

My fabric bags are still bringing me joy and making my life easier. 😍

Our first annual gingerbread house decorating competition was fantastically fun even though my team lost because our gingerbread house failed the Richter scale test 🤣.

The board games are stacked up under the table waiting to be cracked open. One roll of my favorite cookie dough (see: Tis the Season for… Burns?! for the recipe) is out of the freezer, ready to be baked. Maybe I’ll make some other cookies … maybe I won’t. (But Santa Hat Brownies* have been on my mind, so, I think I’m leaning that way if I happen to stumble upon some gorgeous strawberries.) Regardless, I am not stressing over it and that makes me very happy.

How does all this relate to homeopathy? I believe fully that there have been a couple of beautiful homeopathic remedies I have taken during this past year that have helped me move to a new level of calm. Could I tell you which remedy made the biggest difference? I know which two remedies I think are directly responsible but I am not going to say what they are. Why? Because these two remedies were chosen specifically for me and the way in which they resonated in my body has resulted in this new state of being.

That’s where homeopathy really shines: it is truly individualized medicine. It is quite an amazing healing modality. There is nothing else like it… the entire person is taken into account to find a matching remedy. How cool is that?!

If you notice, I mentioned taking two particularly impressive remedies this past year that I believe have greatly contributed to my calm. So, not strictly classical homeopathy in this case. Strictly classical homeopathy would be one single remedy. Period. Then wait and see what changes take place.

I didn’t do that in this case. I take my own advice and I do work with a professional homeopath — one who is classically trained — but their methods are not strictly classical. When I work with clients, occasionally, we go strictly classical; sometimes we use a schedule of multiple homeopathic remedies; sometimes we use one basic remedy (some may call this a "constitutional" remedy) and support that with some cell salts or some organ support remedies and sometimes we use various combinations of multiple modalities. My way of practicing homeopathy is completely individualized to the person I am working with.

So, if all goes according to plan, the well-chosen homeopathic remedy(ies) is/(are) taken, and, after a little time, the most amazing subtle shifts begin to take place and then one day a few months later (as in my recent case), you realize the benefits are here to stay.

Is it only classical homeopathy that does this?

Absolutely not! Homeopathy has this deep-reaching effect whether the remedy is chosen classically or practically. You see, in my never-to-be-humble-opinion there is not one single correct homeopathic remedy for each person. There are thousands of homeopathic remedies out there (8,661 according to Aurum Project 2020), many of which have overlapping symptoms. For example, the homeopathic remedy we know of as Hepar sulph contains elements of Sulphur and Calc carb (See also: Say Cheese.) Depending on what symptoms are being addressed, theoretically speaking, Hepar sulph, Sulphur or Calc carb may have been well suited to the situation. If you want to address something in particular, for instance conjunctivitis, our trusty Murphy Repertory lists 164 remedies. (Note: using this "clinical" rubric is only one (modern) way to look at the situation. A more in-depth, classical way would be to repertorize each of the symptoms being experienced in the said conjunctivitis and discern the appropriate remedy from there, but I digress.) One of these 164 remedies may be exactly right for a specific individual on a complete-being basis, but many of these remedies may get the job done in terms of addressing the conjunctivitis.

"So, if I were to be treated through classical homeopathy, I just need to have one remedy and my life will be changed?"

Tricky question. It is certainly a distinct possibility. If we could go back in time, I would say the possibility of that outcome would have been even greater. In today's world, where we are treated with (generally speaking, allopathic) medical interventions from birth (heck, even in utero, actually), those chances lessen, in my opinion. There is so much more to us than just us. As Shrek says (and homeopath Dr. Francisco Eizayaga, too!), we're like onions -- we are full of layers. In some cases, even our layers have layers and I believe it is a big ask for one little remedy (which technically has nothing in it) to do all the work of undoing all we have done to ourselves through our everyday living.

Homeopathy, whether classically or practically applied, can help to peel back those layers. What lies under each layer remains to be seen. Sometimes it's a one and done -- a simple matter of cleaning something up, perhaps. Most often, however, peeling back a layer brings us to a fresh (or, actually, an old) layer. Old illnesses have left their mark. Ancient emotional upsets which are still wreaking havoc in their own way. Physical traumas from injuries or surgical intervention which have upset the apple cart. We all have them and with time and patience and some well-chosen homeopathic remedies, these layers can be shifted and lifted.

This new year, do yourself a favor and book an appointment with a professional homeopath and see how it may help you.


Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath

#wellnessawaits

​Whoo!

The 12 Days of Cell Salts contain a lot of information. They call cell salts the easy homeopathy. They are indeed easy in that there are only 12 of them, as compared to the thousands of homeopathic remedies, but they can be a little tricky to get a handle on them.

Cell salts are actually really big little remedies! Each of these cell salts are involved in so many bodily systems that it is hard to boil them down to the basics.

In short, know that cell salts are:

• inorganic mineral substances from the natural world
• helpful for both serious and negligible physiological troubles
• able to benefit all conditions or diseases

Now, let’s take a look at cell salts from a couple of different angles…

An overly simplified quick look at which cells need which salts*:

• Brain and nerve cells
  • Kali phos
  • Mag phos
  • Nat phos
  • Ferr phos
• Muscle cells
  • Kali mur
• Connective and lining cells
  • Silicea
• Elastic tissue (cartilage/muscle cells)
  • Calc fluor
• Mucous membrane cells
  • Nat mur
• Bone tissue
  • Calc fluor
  • Calc phos
  • Mag phos
• Skin and hair cells
  • Kali sulph
  • Silicea
  • Calc sulph
• Internals (specifically the liver, pancreas and intestines)
  • Nat sulph — a constituent of the intercellular fluids
• Ferr phos is needed by every cell of the body.

                                                                
Uses of cell salts, by category of salt**:

• Calciums (Calcs):
  • bones
  • elastic fibers and skin
  • digestion (assimilation)
• Iron (Ferr phos):
  • oxygenating the blood
  • hemoglobin
  • artery and vein strength
• Potassium (Kalis):
  • nerve and brain function
  • mucous problems
  • skin problems
• Magnesium:
  • all types of pain, especially neuralgia
  • muscle spasms
• Sodium (Natrums):
  • digestion
  • body water balance
  • high body-acidity
• Silicea
  • bones
  • hair
  • skin
  • connective tissue

That’s all well and good but how do you put the cell salts to use?

The most important thing to do here is to purchase a book. Most conditions will respond best to cell salts being used in combination and having a handy dandy little book will be worth the trouble of finding the right book for you. At the bottom of each article on the individual cell salts, I included a reference list of the books I used for this series.

My two cents for which of these books are the most useful for home use are:

• Skye Weintraub’s Natural Healing with Cell Salts
• Lisa Strbac’s Schuessler’s Tissue Salts Rediscovered
• David Card’s 12 Essential Minerals for Cellular Health
• The Biochemic Handbook is a spiral bound, photocopied book (which I believe I purchased from Helios. No author or ISBN to be found.)

A few on-line sources:

• Homeopath Miranda Castro has a nice article, Gentle Little Souls which can be downloaded free of charge.
• Schuessler Tissue Salts Au
• Schuessler Cell Salts lists the “new” additional cell salts.

Purchasing a kit*** of the 12 cell salts is certainly more wallet-friendly than trying to put together a nice kit of homeopathic remedies and here are a few suggestions (most of which are on sale right now! All prices are accurate at time of writing):

• BeeHealthy Homeopathic  $259.99. All 12 cell salts available in 3x, 6x and 12x. 
  • (Please note these are big bottles with 900 tablets per bottle!)
• Homeopathystore.com $169.99.
• Hyland’s $132.00 
• Jackson’s Naturals $160. They also have a Buy 5 get a 6th free at the moment (using FREE2024 code at checkout). 
• Miranda Castro Shop $129 
• Olloïs offers a really nice little kit in a soft sided case for $99.99. 

What a marvelous Christmas present this would make for someone!

I hope this little diversion into the land of cell salts inspires you to give these powerful little gems a try. I think you will be pleasantly surprised at what they may do for you and your family.


Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath


#wellnessawaits


* Extracted from Esther Chapman’s How to Use the 12 Tissue Salts
** Extracted from David Card’s 12 Essential Minerals for Cellular Health
*** I have no affiliation with any of these authors or companies. I have used some and others I have just stumbled upon.

​On the 12th day of cell salts, Dr. Schüssler gave to us… Silicea.

Silicea, aka Silica, is part of all connective tissue cells in the body — the hair, the nails, the skin.

Silicea is a building block and it provides strength and stability to every part of the body. “Silicea has the power to have an impact upon virtually all aspects of the human system, especially upon bones, joints, skin, mucous membranes, and glands” (McCabe 2009).

Conditions which may benefit from Silicea:

• Ailments that create pus formation
• Respiratory
  • sinusitis, especially chronic
  • colds, chronic
  • nasal catarrh with foul smelling discharge
  • nasal obstruction
• Perspiration
  • body odor
  • sweat on head and feet
    • especially smelly
• Bunions
• Exhaustion
  • chronic fatigue
• Tooth decay
• Gastro-intestinal
  • constipation, especially chronic
    • where stools recede
  • anal fissures
  • diarrhea, chronic
• Foreign objects in the body
  • splinters
  • shrapnel
• Head
  • hair loss
  • scalp sensitive and sore to touch
  • profuse sweating, especially in children
  • headaches
    • chronic
    • with vertigo
    • hunger headache
    • from over exertion
• Vertigo
• Eyes
  • styes
  • helps to remove foreign objects in eye
• Ear infections
  • glue ear
  • sensitive to noises
  • swelling of Eustachian tubes
• Injuries
• Skin
  • keloids/scar tissue
  • acne
    • scars from acne
  • carbuncles
  • abscesses
    • especially those filled with pus
  • boils
    • especially those filled with pus
  • cysts
  • ulcers
  • slow healing skin
• Musculo-skeletal
  • rheumatism, especially chronic
  • strains and sprains
  • fractures, especially those slow to heal
  • joint pain
    • hips
    • knees
  • connective tissue support

Mentally and emotionally, those who may benefit from Silicea may be shy; startles easily and a little peevish.


Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath


#wellnessawaits

​On the 11th day of cell salts, Dr. Schüssler gave to us… Natrum sulphuricum.

Nat sulph “is one of our oldest homeopathic remedies, perhaps one of the oldest medicines on earth” (McCabe 2009).

Nat sulph is to be considered for those whose illness are caused by damp, wet environments — think mold. Nat sulph, like Nat mur, helps to regulate fluids. Though Nat mur attracts fluid for the body to use, Nat phos attracts fluid for the body to lose, thus Nat sulph is a good kidney support remedy.

Conditions which may benefit from Nat sulph:

• Respiratory
  • asthma 
    • which is worse in damp weather
  • flu
  • cough
    • with thick, ropy, greenish expectoration
  • bronchitis, chronic
• Edema
• Uro-genital
  • supports kidney function
  • urine, profuse
  • kidney stones
• Conjunctivits, chronic
• Head
  • headaches
    • with giddiness
  • head injuries
    • ailments from head injuries
• Gastro-intestinal
  • vomiting of bile
  • nausea
  • gallstones
  • indigestion
  • heartburn
  • diarrhea, chronic
  • flatulent colic
• sciatica
  • when getting up from sitting or turning bed

​
Mentally and emotionally, melancholy and/or an inner restlessness; those who suffer from SAD (seasonal affective disorder). Additionally, Nat sulph can be helpful for any mental conditions arising from a head injury. 


Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath


#wellnessawaits

Reference list
Carey, G. W., 1996. The Biochemic System of Medicine. Health Research Books.

Chapman, E., 1960. How to Use the Twelve Tissue Salts. Nutri Books.

Dewey, W. A. and Boericke, W., 2022. The Twelve Tissue Remedies of Schüssler: Comprising the Theory, Therapeutic Application, Materia Medica, and a Complete Repertory of These Remedies. H. Legare Street Press.

Hyland's, 2024. Cell Salt #1 Calc Fluor [online]. Hyland’s.

McCabe, V., 2009. The Healing Echo. ReadHowYouWant.com.

Schuesslertissuessalts.com.au, n.d. Schuessler Tissue Salts - 150 Years Of Natural Medicine In Australia [online]. Schuessler Tissue Salts. 

Schüssler, W. H., 2003. Schüssler’s twelve tissue remedies : comprising the theory, therapeutic applications, materia medica and a complete repertory of tissue remedies. Sittingbourne, Kent: Homæopathic Book Service.

Strbac, L., 2024. Schuessler’s Tissue Salts Rediscovered.

Weintraub, S., 1999. Natural healing with cell salts. Pleasant Grove, Ut: Woodland Pub.​

On the 10th day of cell salts, Dr. Schüssler gave to us… Natrum phosphoricum.

Nat phos is the balancer of acid. “Alkalinity is health, and over-acid conditions allow for disease” (Card 2014).

Nat phos is the cell salt for whenever a condition arises due to too much acid in the body (acidosis), neutralizing the acid. Primarily, Nat phos if for those who suffer from chronic digestive disorders and/or arthritis.

Conditions which may benefit from Nat phos:

• Acidosis
• Sour smelling
  • body odor
  • discharges
    • Burning discharges, including urine
• Gastrointestinal
  • indigestion (Nat phos “can replace any over-the-counter antacid, especially for those who have to chew antacids every day of their lives” (McCabe 2009)). 
    • chronic
  • heartburn 
  • sour belching
  • morning sickness
  • vomiting of sour fluids
  • upset stomach
  • nausea accompanied by a sick headache
  • constipation, chronic
• Candida/yeast infections
• Headache
  
  • accompanied by gastric troubles
  • on the top of the head or forehead
• Mouth/Teeth
  • thrush
  • grinding teeth
• Skin
  • greasy skin
  • cradle cap
• Musculo-skeletal
  • arthritis
  • rheumatism
  • gout
  • joint pains
  • body aches
  • pains that are worse from movement and better sitting still
• Respiratory
  • post nasal drip, chronic

Mentally and emotionally, Nat phos may be indicated through anxiety, fearfulness and sleeplessness.


Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath


#wellnessawaits

Reference list
Card, D., 2014. 12 Essential Minerals for Cellular Health. Hohm Press.

Carey, G. W., 1996. The Biochemic System of Medicine. Health Research Books.

Chapman, E., 1960. How to Use the Twelve Tissue Salts. Nutri Books.

Dewey, W. A. and Boericke, W., 2022. The Twelve Tissue Remedies of Schüssler: Comprising the Theory, Therapeutic Application, Materia Medica, and a Complete Repertory of These Remedies. H. Legare Street Press.

Hyland's, 2024. Cell Salt #1 Calc Fluor [online]. Hyland’s. 

McCabe, V., 2009. The Healing Echo. ReadHowYouWant.com.

Schuesslertissuessalts.com.au, n.d. Schuessler Tissue Salts - 150 Years Of Natural Medicine In Australia [online]. Schuessler Tissue Salts. 

Schüssler, W. H., 2003. Schüssler’s twelve tissue remedies : comprising the theory, therapeutic applications, materia medica and a complete repertory of tissue remedies. Sittingbourne, Kent: Homæopathic Book Service.

Strbac, L., 2024. Schuessler’s Tissue Salts Rediscovered.
​
Weintraub, S., 1999. Natural healing with cell salts. Pleasant Grove, Ut: Woodland Pub.

There are just a few shopping days left and I have some ideas for you that should make it in time for Christmas if you act quickly!

Homeopathic Kits & Books for Everybody on Your List*! (Remember, homeopathic remedies last a very long time. Homeopathic remedies from more than a hundred years ago have been found to work just fine and dandy.)

As a lover of homeopathy, I can think of very few things under the tree more exciting than a homeopathy kit or a book full of homeopathic goodness. (Prices accurate at time of writing.)

I'm a big fan of Taproots kits. (All kits listed are from Taproots unless otherwise noted.)

For the homeopathically willing person in your life (but they don't want to have to learn the individual remedies): Narayani Top 50 Remedies Kit 1: $329. Add the book for $30 more.

​The news tells us that measles is on the rise. Better to be well prepared than not. Measles Kit & booklet: $74.99.

The news also tells us that the flu season is off to a slow start so it's not too late to grab this kit before it's needed… Top 50 Cold, Cough & Flu Kit with booklet: $244.99.

Do you have someone in your life who experiences miserable UTIs or yeast infections? Urinary Tract Infection Kit & booklet or Yeast Infection Kit & booklet, $74.99 each.

A loved one in your life expecting a baby? Helios Childbirth kit (price from Taproots): $54.99.

Somebody planning some fun travels? Boiron's HomeoTravel kit: $109.99.

Americans for Homeopathy Choice offers a 12 remedy kit from OHM Pharmacy in an altoid-sized tin case for $60.

Somebody trying to kick the habit? Boiron's Quit Smoking Symptom Relief Kit: $16.98

Bach Flower mini kits, $28 each from Directly from Nature:

• Get it Done Motivation Kit
• Emotional Ups & Downs Mental Energy Kit
• Hope & Joy Comfort Kit

Olloïs has a bunch of new kits since last I looked, each in a soft-sided zip case:

• Cell salts: $124.99
• Allergies: $37.45
• Cold & Flu: $37.45
• Digestion: $37.45
• Essentials: $74.90
• First Aid: $37.45
• Home kit: $149.80
• Womens kit: $37.45

Washington Homeopathy is offering nice prices on their lovely 50 remedy kits: 30c = $152.99 and 200c = $188.99.

Hahnemann Labs -- I don't see any sale pricing at the moment but their kits are terrific. They do make note that most of their kits are available in additional potencies and sizes.

• First Aid, 15 remedies: $89.95
• Home, 35 remedies in 30c: $209.95
• Expanded Home, 50 remedies: $299.95

Looking for something smaller?
A few stocking stuffers to consider…

• Rural Hill Creations on Etsy sell some very nice EMF shielding RFID blocking homeopathy pouches. Are they necessary? Not in my opinion, but they are very cute and nicely sized and I use them all the time. Prices appear to begin at $20.
• Like Cures Like stickers: $1.50
• Good Things Come in Small Doses Mug: $14.99
• Cute Good Mood T-Shirt: $17.99
• Hahnemann Tote Bag: $26.99
• Acute care refrigerator magnet: $5.99
• Calendula cream: $11.44

Somebody on your list already has a bunch of remedies but those remedies need a place to live?
Homeopathic Storage Ideas: (See also: Wrangling Remedies.)

• Solid birch storage for either cabinets or Drawers: $27.99
• A pretty soft-sided holder: $97.46
• A folding book-like holder: $35.44
• A small, but lovely leather 5-remedy holder: $34.33
• My favorite remedy holder, Bisley 5-drawer cabinet: $119.99

A few books that deserve a home on your homeopathy fan's shelves:

• Lisa Strbac has 3 excellent offerings for newbies:
  • The Homeopath in Your Hand: $31.49
  • The Trailblazer's Insight into Homeopathy: 88 Remedies for the 21st Century Including Miasms, Sarcodes, Nosodes, Isopathic Remedies & the Bowel Nosodes is her next step book for those who want a little more basic information: $35.99
  • Schuessler's Tissue Salts Rediscovered: The 21st Century Guide to Self-Healing: $14.99
• A really nice hardcover resource to have is The Banerji Protocols: A New Method of Treatment with Homeopathic Medicine by Prasanta Banerji: $52.99
• If they already have that one, how about Nimisha Parekh's Additional Banerji Protocols from the Clinic? It's essentially a $48 spiral bound list.
• The Narayani Remedies book (there are a couple of versions out there and the information within is pretty much the same in all) is a great way to not only learn the Narayani combinations but it's also a great way to learn about the individual remedies as you read through the various combinations to see which remedies are included and why. Taproots sells a version for $49.99 but my favorite version is from Helios for £9.95: The Narayani Combination Remedies - updated and revised 2023.
• If you have an aspiring homeopath on your list, Robin Murphy's Nature's Materia Medica, 4th ed. and his MetaRepertory, 4th ed are absolute must-haves: $89 each.

This concludes my quick look at some amazing gifts for the homeopath in your life.

I wish you all a very happy Christmas!

Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath

#wellnessawaits


* I have no affiliation with any of the companies or authors listed -- I just like them!

On the 8th day of cell salts, Dr. Schüssler gave to us… Magnesium phosphoricum.

Like Kali phos, Mag phos helps with nerve issues but dealing with muscular nerves and fibers. Mag phos is an anti-spasmodic and anti-neuralgic — a relaxant for nerves and muscles as well as a nerve stabilizer. Mag phos is the nutritional remedy of the nerves.

Mag phos is an excellent pain remedy: pains that shoot from place to place; spasmodic pains; sharp pains; cramping pains; pains that come and go suddenly — conditions like PMS. For pains that run along nerves like sciatica.

Conditions which may benefit from Mag phos:

• Mouth/Teeth
  • teething
  • sensitive teeth
  • mouth pain
• Neuralgias/Nerve pains
  • sciatica
  • facial
    • trigeminal neuralgia
• Spasms
• Stammering
• Headaches and migraines
  • accompanied by shooting pains
• Respiratory
  • spasmodic cough
  • whooping cough
  • asthma
• Female
  • menstrual colic
  • PMS/PMT
• Digestion
  • colic/flatulent colic
    • forcing the person to bend double for relief
    • infants & children
  • rumbling and gurgling in the abdomen
  • hiccups
  • diarrhea with cramping
  • gallstones
  • constipation
    • of infants
• Kidney stones
• Musculo-skeletal
  • cramps
    • writer’s cramp/player’s cramp
  • muscle stiffness
  • arthritis
  • sciatica
  • hand tremor

Mentally and emotionally, Mag phos may be irritable, angry, sleepless — their pain is taking center stage.

Mag phos is a little different than all the other cells salts in that it “acts especially well, given in hot water” (Boericke 1916). “For speedy symptomatic relief of spasmodic ailments, dissolve 1-2 tablets under the tongue. Then dissolve 2-3 tablets in some hot water, taken in sips. Hold the liquid under the tongue for a minute each time. The 6x potency is usually sufficient” (Weintraub 1999).


Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath


#wellnessawaits

On the 7th day of cell salts… Kali sulphuricum.

Kali sulph is the cell salt for the skin, helping to build new skin cells. It also works in conjunction with Ferr phos to help blood carry oxygen to all the cells.

Think of Kali sulph for active inflammatory conditions. Inflammation of the mucous membranes: bronchitis and whooping cough, for example, where discharges are thick, stringy, ropy and tough. Inflammatory skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis and dandruff.

Conditions which may benefit from Kali sulph:

• Respiratory
  • allergies
  • sinusitis
  • colds
  • coughs
  • flu
  • mucus/catarrh
    • Mucus/congestion build up
      • which may cause problems with smell and taste
  • bronchitis
• Conjunctivitis
  • with yellow or greenish discharge from the eyes
• Head
  • dandruff
  • falling of hair
  • cradle cap
• Mouth
  • dryness and flaking of the lower lip
  • bad taste in the mouth
  • painful gums
• Skin — any skin issues, really
  • eczema
    • crusty
    • yellow/green discharge
  • psoriasis
  • poison ivy
  • nettle rash
  • ring worm
  • dry skin
• Constipation, chronic

Mentally and emotionally, those who may benefit from Kali sulph may be irritable and unpredictable moods.


Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath


#wellnessawaits