Since I started to learn about flower essences I’ve been wondering about how the effects of essences relate to homeopathic remedies, and how the effects of these two relate to using the same herb as a classical herbal medicine.
Essences and homeopathic remedies are similar as they both contain minuscule amounts (if any) of the original medicinal material used and are thus seen as energetic remedies. With essences, the energy of the original material is imprinted onto water, that is then mixed with alcohol and diluted a couple of times. In homeopathy, a tincture of the original medicinal material is created, this tincture is then diluted many times and vigorously shaken (succussed) between dilutions. Within homeopathy, the amount of dilutions is considered very important. With essences, this is not a big deal.
In order to investigate how these 3 modalities differ, I’ve chosen to look at the plant Monkshood (aka. Wolfsbane or Aconitum Napellus) as both the effects of the essence and using it as a “herbal medicine” are very notable. (Spoiler: it’s deadly poisonous, please don’t eat the flowers).
Lets start by looking at the effects of eating or touching the actual plant. Monskhood contains (among other things) alkaloids Aconitine, Mesacontine, Pseudaconitine and Hypaconitine. These alkaloids all affect how the electric signalling system, used for transmitting information throughout the nerves in the body, works.
To briefly summarize how these alkaloids act: In the body, electric nerve signals travel through being passed through something called sodium-ion channels, situated in the cell membranes. Normally, when a nerve signal comes, the channels open very briefly to receive the signal, then close rapidly again. The alkaloids in Monskhood make the channels stay open longer than necessary. This results in the cells getting flooded with random garbage “information” that’s just white noise coming in through the open channels. At first the cells will be overexcited as they try to react to the perceived increased amount of information coming in, after a while they’ll get tired and in the end the signalling will break down, out of fatigue.
As there are nerves throughout all of the body, Monskhood-poisoning will affect a person all over. Due to the massively increased garbage nerve signalling the symptoms occurring will be all over the place. One can experience everything from tingling, tremors, numbness, dizziness, restlessness to burning sensations. In the digestive system there might be nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. What makes this really dangerous is that the electrical signalling of the heart will be affected, there might be arrythmia, tachycardia and even cardiac arrest. An alternate cause of death is respiratory paralysis.
In homeopathy there is this idea that a certain substance, in very small doses (the homeopathic remedies), will cure the symptoms it causes in larger doses. This does not mean a person must have actual Monkshood poisoning in order for the remedy to work, showing some of the symptoms are enough. There is also this idea that the homeopath looks at a persons overall status and tries to match a status to a remedy’s overall effects.
The homeopathic remedy made from Monkshood carries the plants latin name, Aconitum Napellus.
When Aconitum Napellus is called for (according to homeopaths), usually something very dramatic and socking has happened to a person. This is a remedy considered for acute situations. The body has entered “crisis mode”, the adrenals are working at max capacity and the resulting panic is felt throughout the body.
Common physical symptoms of this state are: tingling, burning, numbness, pain, restlessness, stomach issues, laboured breathing, pressure over the chest, tachycardia and palpitations. (Notice how these symptoms have a strong overlap with Monkshood-poisoning) Usually the symptoms can be somewhat relieved by fresh air, while cold and draught make them worse.
Mentally, these people are in a state of great fear and anxiety. There might be forebodings, intense fear of the future, fear of death even vomiting out of fear. They’re panicking and sure that “something terrible is coming”. There is a heightened general sensitivity, they don’t like to be touched, music is unbearable, there is lots of worrying and complaining.
The “thing that has happened” can be something very shocking but also things like hypothermia or a disease that’s about to get hold (like influenza). Aconitum Napellus is often recommended on the acute onset of a disease, especially when there is inflammation and fever without sweating.
What is supposed to happen when a person with the Aconitum Napellus symptomatic picture takes the remedy is that the bothersome symptoms go away, the person feels calm, safe and grounded.
Lets look at the flower essence. As I’ve been taking Aconitum essence myself, I can attest to this being a very powerful essence. The felt effect is very well described in the name Monkshood. It feels like someone puts an energetic insulating bonnet on your head, shielding off all garbage noise. There is an insulated feeling, like you’re wrapped in a thick blanket of peace and quiet. Somehow the body feels a little bit shorter than usual. There is a gentle but distinct grounding feeling, like someone is pushing you down, not in a heavy way, more just to ensure you’re always in touch the ground. It’s great for mental focusing and very calming.
Thinking about the effects of the essence in the light of the effect of the physical actual plant is very interesting. What the plant does is disrupting the electrical control system of the nerves, which leads to overloading the body with garbage signalling. There is so much contradictory noise that the body eventually dies from the chaos. What the essence does is insulating and relieving you from unnecessary noise.
Lets think about how our world today looks. It’s hard to leave the house (or even opening your eyes) without being exposed to lots of scary, shocking garbage information we’d, honestly, be much better without. There’s so much aggressive competing for our attention, staying focused and truly in touch with oneself is really hard. I think Aconite essence is a great essence for counterbalancing the stressful information load were constantly exposed to. Also, the fact that homeopaths use it at early onset of influenza, when someone has had a real shock or is stuck in “fight or flight mode” points to it might be worth trying the Aconite essence for these situations as well.
