Photo © Julian Winston
|
COLLINS MODERN ENGLISH DICTIONARY, 1987, defines "to forsake" as the action of abandoning, giving up something valued or enjoyed. Consequently, someone who feels forsaken feels abandoned, given up by people who previously used to value him or her. We may get a better feeling for the rubric Forsaken if we examine all the cross-references given in F. Schroyens, Synthesis, Fifth Edition (all page numbers refer to Schroyens, unless otherwise noted):
We see a person who previously enjoyed the love of friends, and later lost it and feels alone, deserted, like a castaway. Therefore we may conclude that the key ingredient to feeling forsaken is an intense alone-ness. Secondary to that is the conviction of having lost in value. How, then, can we understand the presence of Aurum and Pulsatilla in this rubric, what are the qualities of the forsaken-ness of gold versus the forsaken-ness in the meadow anemone? The Doctrine of Signatures says that the medicinal qualities of a remedy can be deduced from its appearance. Whether this is a general principle I do not know. Many times, however, outwardly visible properties of the remedy source provide a convenient mnemonic to its inner homeopathic character. The discussion of each remedy below is therefore prefaced with a brief reminder of its source. Pulsatilla The flower Pulsatilla vulgaris is a small annual plant with large blossoms. It grows in dry places in meadows and comes up early in spring. The flexible stem as well as the petals are covered with fine hair to protect it against the cold of the night. One frequently finds Pulsatilla growing in patches, rarely alone. The plant has a strong excoriating and irritating effect on the skin and internal mucosa, a property, by the way, which is shared with other members of its family (e.g. Clematis, Ranunculus). Pulsatilla is known as the weepy, irresolute, and affectionate female [Affectionate (page 3), Weeping (page 205)]. A major portion of Pulsatilla's symptoms has to do with seeking or eliciting support from other people:
She gives the impression that she always needs someone around to tell her what to do, console her, and support her. Pulsatilla's many fears express a deep-rooted foreboding anxiety [Fear of crossing a bridge, of the dark, death, disaster, impending disease, dogs, ghosts, misfortune, suffocation, (pages 98 ff), Avarice (page 21)]. The symbolism inherent in the act of crossing a bridge and of being in the dark conveys the feeling of some unknown danger lying ahead. Something might happen to her at any time, right out of the blue. Her reaction to that fear is to constantly seek support from other people. Her indecisiveness and constant asking for guidance paint the picture of somebody who has no opinion or goal. This can be deceptive, however, since Pulsatilla's constant looking for advice rarely inclines her to follow it (c.f. the symptom "sometimes he wants to do one thing, sometimes another, and when given something to do, he will not do it." (Hahnemann, quoted in C. Coulter Portraits of Homeopathic Medicines, Volume 1, page 220). Hidden behind Pulsatilla's yielding appearance is a firm center, which can even give rise to fixed ideas and monomania. In light of this description it is understandable that Pulsatilla is easily disposed to feeling forsaken. Someone who depends on other people for support always lives in the danger of losing it; and without it, a feeling of being alone, deserted, abandoned - forsaken - fills the soul. Another rubric showing this state of mind is Deception causes grief and mortification (listed in H.L. Chitkara, Materia Medica of the Mind, page 544). To be let down means not to be able to trust one's friends and allies any more. Therefore, deception to Pulsatilla means to become vulnerable, something Pulsatilla cannot stand. On the basis of what has been said so far, one may be inclined to overlook the fact that Pulsatilla is listed not only under Desire for company (page 30), but equally strong under Aversion to company (page 29), twice in the second degree. In an attempt to understand the totality of Pulsatilla, we need to show how the well-marked aggravation from warmth fits in. Wouldn't we naively expect someone who desires to be carried also to have a desire for warmth, somewhat like Calcarea? Does not "cold" stand for unfriendly and alone?Pulsatilla also has fear of crowds and shuns a room filled with people, particularly if it is hot and stuffy. If we take a step back and look at the image we have before us, we recognize its main elements as: (1) Need for support and protection, (2) a fear that something bad may suddenly happen, and (3) aggravation from too many people and heat. The meaning of Pulsatilla's aversion to hot, stuffy, overcrowded rooms may lie in the realization that a threat may come from other people:
She is in a situation where she needs to find allies to protect her against enemies who may be hidden in the anonymous crowd. Any action which may be interpreted as a lack of support or being let down will evoke a strong feeling of being forsaken in Pulsatilla. Aurum Gold is arguably the substance with the strongest symbolic value in our Materia Medica. Many ancient thinkers and alchemists have independently realized the triangular relationship of Sun-Heart-Gold. Almost all cultures attribute high moral value to all these elements and have discovered their symbolic correspondence. The Aztec ritual of tearing out the victim's heart and offering it to the sun god is another expression of this. The person needing the homeopathic gold, Aurum, must therefore share in the symbolism of Gold. First and foremost we find him to be a very duty-bound personality. He is conscientious, careful, as if he were the keeper of some extremely valuable treasure who has to answer to a higher authority. He sees himself as very important because he has been selected to guard the treasure (Haughty). He exercises the authority given to him [Contradiction, intolerant of (page 37)] and answers only to this higher power [Religious (page 161)]. When this side acquires pathological dimensions, we can easily understand the presenting symptoms in the light of the Aurum plight. Responsibility can wear a man thin. After all, he lives in the constant fear that someone may come and rob the treasure which he has the duty to guard [Anxiety (page 12); Cares, full of worries (page 25); Fear from noise at door (page 106)]. In a sense he acts like the Minister of Finances who answers to the President and is responsible for keeping the wealth of all people. Let's not make the mistake of thinking that Aurum is greedy; it is not listed in this rubric. No, it is out of duty and a higher sense of responsibility that he guards the treasure. One day he comes to work and finds that all the gold has been stolen. This is the point where the Aurum pathology begins. In keeping with this idea, Aurum develops Anxiety of conscience as if guilty of a crime (page 15). He feels as if he has let down both the people and the President [Religious despair of salvation (page 84)]. This emotion is so deep that Aurum sees no way out- he has utterly failed [Sadness with suicidal disposition (page 173)]. Aurum's single symptom Cheerful while thinking about death (page 27) is a beautiful summary of the broken down state: Death is the way out, the only way to purge the soul of the sin.
In Aurum's reality, he is only accepted in society and able to live in harmony when he is capable of keeping up with his duty. Therefore Aurum is predisposed to feeling forsaken, he is prone to feel lonesome with this responsibility. It is hard for him to share in the more cheerful parts of life and to socialize. However, this feeling of being alone and deserted becomes infinitely stronger when he can't keep up with his duty anymore. Then he feels that he has lost his moral right to be a member of society and becomes an outcast. He has fallen in disgrace with God and the World. In this we have the root cause for Aurum's forsaken feeling.
|
Mail to Web Mistress |
 |
 |
