There’s a whole world of vocab that you have to know to actually read and understand anything homeopathy related. It can be very overwhelming and believe me, I’ve been there! I know that at first, I didn’t even know how to pronounce the noun Homeopathy [hoh-mee-op-uh-thee] or the adjective Homeopathic [hoh-mee-uh-path-ik]!
And when you can barely pronounce things, how are you supposed to feel like you can actually learn about it? I know what it feels like to be reading about a particular remedy or topic on homeopathy and run into a word like proving, Materia medica, or repertory and feel totally lost!
I’m grateful to not only be on the other side of that learning curve, but to have worked with so many different homeopaths from around the world who have given me their various perspectives. I’ve taken their key points and made them more streamlined for me and those I teach. Knowing the facts and vocabulary at just the right level has helped me in my role as a mother, a lover of these remedies, and a teacher.
Getting the Right Definitions
Before diving in, it’s important to remember words have power and where you get your definitions MATTERS!
Did you know that dictionaries can be quite political, and a reflection of the beliefs of the time? It really bothers me that definitions change based on fads or popular opinion. I’m the type of person that believes there are ultimate truths about things, and those truths shouldn’t change. Of course perception changes, and interpretations may grow or adapt, but the fundamental truth is constant.
In today’s information age, I think a lot of truth gets politicized and adapted to benefit one group. Truth gets twisted to fit people’s conveniences. The definition of words is being changed from their centuries-long meanings into some modern interpretation. To avoid this, I used Webster’s 1828 Dictionary as much as possible while writing my curriculum. In some cases, the words weren’t there or some of the definitions didn’t apply, so then I was forced to use modern day dictionaries. If you’re ever curious about seeing the 1828 dictionary, you can visit: http://www.webstersdictionary1828.com/
When it comes to homeopathy-related words, I use Yasgur’s Homeopathic Dictionary. Jay Yasgur is still alive today, and he updates his dictionary every few years. I will tell you something hilarious: I’m president of Americans for Homeopathy Choice, and I guess he puts people’s names in his dictionary, because he randomly emailed me once, and asked me for my bio for his newest dictionary edition. I’m kinda scared to see it, so I haven’t bought it, so you’ll have to let me know if you get his new version and tell me if I made the cut or not!
Key Vocabulary to Get Started
Okay, without further ado, let’s get our definitions. There are 6 key homeopathic terms that you should know in order to jump into this world of homeopathy. This review is going to help you get the key terms sorted in your brain and help you keep up when you’re listening to new homeopathic information.
Most of these definitions came from Yasgur’s book, but I have a bonus word at the end from Webster’s Dictionary. I’ve organized the following 7 words based on when we cover them in my Storybook Evie and the Secret of Small Things:
Unit 1
Vital force: According to Yasgur, it is the energy which maintains life in the individual. It is unique from person to person, each being endowed with his or her own quality of it. The vital force is a unique principle distinct from chemical or physical phenomenon. When I think about this word, the image of Michelangelo’s Fresco painting, “The Creation of Adam” comes to mind. I was lucky enough to see this beautiful mural in person in the Sistine Chapel, in the Vatican. It’s the painting where God is touching Adam’s finger.
Vital force is like the breath of life. Some people, especially young ones, are full of this spark. Older people may not have as much of it. It drives our ability to heal. The more vital force we have, the more it allows us to heal. Homeopaths (especially for a chronic condition) need to take into account a person’s vital force when recommending a remedy or when selecting a potency. I think it’s beautiful that homeopathy takes into account a person’s vital force as part of its system of medicine. Homeopathy really takes into account EVERYTHING about a person, and it is not just shoving chemicals at a person, forcing the body to do this and that.
Unit 2
Side effect: OK, to define the next word, proving, we first need to think about the term side effect. This is a definition I had to get from the Merriam-Webster dictionary from 2022. What does that fact tell us about society? This word was not in the 1828 dictionary but it was in the modern day one. They certainly had drugs with side effects back in 1828, but it is interesting that our modern plight is one rife with side effects. Side effect is a noun, and it refers to a secondary and usually adverse effect of a drug (Merriam-Webster, 2020).
Proving: In homeopathy, we don’t have side effects, but I suppose the closest thing we have is a proving. The word is a noun and it comes from German Prüfung meaning assessment or examination. According to Yasgur’s dictionary, a proving is the process of determining the medicinal/curative properties of a substance.
There are two kinds of provings. The first kind is an intentional one. An intentional proving is when a healthy person takes a homeopathic remedy with the purpose of developing symptoms associated to that remedy. The goal is to understand the healing properties of that remedy. The person experiencing the symptoms is carefully observed by others, and the prover’s symptoms are recorded.
Since you’re not in homeopathy school, you’re not going to be doing an intentional proving. And honestly, I have no interest in experiencing that myself. But an accidental proving is probably going to happen. We all do it soon or later. You shouldn’t be afraid of a proving because the symptoms are transient in nature. This is where you take a remedy too often and you produce symptoms associated with that remedy. Proving a remedy can happen whether or not you’re on the right remedy for the illness.
Unit 3
Modality: Also a noun, a modality is a condition that makes an ill person, or a particular symptom, better or worse. So for example, some people with allergies feel better outside in the open air. The modality is better in open air. Or others who have joint pain feel worse when they are laying still, and better when they are in motion. So in this case, the modality is worse from being still, better from motion. Knowing the modalities of a person’s illness helps you pick the right remedy that has the same modalities.
Unit 4
Polycrest: This is a noun meaning a homeopathic remedy whose provings and clinical applications show that it has many widespread uses, covering a wide variety of mental, emotional, and physical symptomatology (Yasgur, 2004). An easy way to remember this definition is to remember that POLY means many.
Let me give you an example with one of the great polycrests: Arsenicum album. Arsenicum is a single remedy that can cover a huge span of conditions and symptoms. The types of symptoms that Arsenicum album can help address range from food poisoning to anxiety to the flu and even violent itching. There are many remedies that are polycrests.
Materia medica: This is like a dictionary that lists homeopathic remedies in order by name, while also listing the symptoms associated with each remedy. Each remedy entry is highly organized, and groups symptoms by body part. So under Arsenicum album, it will have a section for the general symptoms, symptoms relating to the head/face, the mental symptoms, and it will list symptoms associated with the skin, or stomach, or even the reproductive system. Everything is generally grouped by body part. The provings I mentioned earlier play a big role in providing information for each remedy in the materia medica.
Repertory: Finally, we have the repertory which is like a Materia medica backwards. Here the symptoms are listed alphabetically and the remedies that help address those symptoms are listed next to each symptom entry.
Bonus round: Finally, to finish off, I’m going to add that bonus word. Earlier, I mentioned Webster’s 1828 dictionary and how it compares to our modern one. A lot of the homeopathy related words were not in either of these dictionaries, which is why Yasgur’s is so important. But as you read my storybook, Evie and the Secret of Small Things, you will see that I footnoted the definition of a lot of larger vocab words for kids and parents to reference quickly. You’ll enjoy seeing the various 1828 definitions that I was able to include. So here is a word that was in both the old dictionary and the modern day one. I want you to pay attention to the subtle difference between the definitions of the word ‘skeptic.’
1828: Skeptic n. one who doubts the truth and reality of any principle or system of principles or doctrines (Webster’s Dictionary, 1828).
In the first 1828 definition, it’s clear that absolute truth exists and that a skeptic is “One who doubts [that absolute] the truth”…
Now let’s look at the modern definition. It reads:
A Skeptic n. a person who questions the validity or authenticity of something purporting to be factual.
I find it interesting that in the modern definition, there is no mention of absolute truth and it has broadened the umbrella of what a skeptic is from someone who doubts truth to someone who doubts what is purporting to be factual. The modern definition doesn’t even use the word truth.
Food for thought: What does this tell us about our society today? What does that tell you about modern day skeptics? I think the idea is fascinating and helps us re-examine the world around us and think critically about how things are portrayed.
I’ll say it again. Words have power, and where we get our definitions matter.
Now you understand some of the key terms around homeopathic medicine. I want you to feel confident to at least approach these topics and know just a little bit more about the basics to forge ahead on your learning journey. Homeopathy has some wonderful gifts to give you, and if you just get some of the basic lingo down, you will be able to unlock your journey into this wonderful healing world!
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Read My Storybook Evie and the Secret of Small Things: https://paolabrown.com/product/storybook-evie-and-the-secret-of-small-things/