Aquilegia vulgaris Anhang

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[Barbara Seideneck]

The Proving of Aquilegia Vulgaris, the Common Columbine

During July, Aquilegia caerulea thrives in the Colorado Rocky Mountains and covers the alpine meadows and moutain slopes with its brilliant blue color. The breath-taking beauty of Columbine,

Colorado’s state flower, inspired me to explore the proving of this plant.

Over the centuries, common or garden Columbine has developed many names and descriptive associations. Many relate to its appearance (e.g., birds and bird’s feet):

• Aquilegia, Latin for eagle, the flower’s spurs resemble an eagle’s talon.

• Aqua, Latin for water and lego to collect, referring to the nectar holding spurs.

• Culverwort from the Saxon culfre meaning pigeon and wyrt for plant, the petals resembling a gathering of pigeons.

• Columba, the Latin word for dove, relating the flower petals to a circle of doves (in some cultures associated with love).

• Other names include: Meeting Houses, Venus Plant, Jack-In-Trousers, Mary’s Bells, Granny’s Bonnet, and European Crowfoot.

• German common names of the plant can be translated into Fairy’s Glove, Venus Carriage, Women’s Little Shoe, and Love Plant.

Botanical Description

Columbines belong to the family Ranunculaceae (buttercup family) that includes Aconitum, Cimicifuga, Clematis, Delphinium, Helleborus, Hydrastis, Pulsatilla, and Ranunculus. German botanists

named this family Hahnenfuss-Gewaechse, rooster foot plants, a description related to the flower’s likeness to a bird’s foot. Columbines also compose the genus Aquilegia that contains about

8000 species of perennials.

The common Columbine grows 30 to 60 cm (1 to 2 feet) high and about 45 cm (1½ feet) wide. The flower is usually of an intense blue color; variations of pink, white or blue flowers with a white rim

are also common. The blossom is arranged into two concentric circles; the inner five sepals assembled around gold-colored multiple stamens, the outer five petals tapering into narrowing trailing spurs.

The rolled spurs at the back of the flower reach upward, resembling an eagle’s talons. A bluish-green color is characteristic of the plant’s leaves. The leaves grow on long stems and are divided into three parts, each forming a scalloped three-petal leaf with a slight resemblance to cloverleaves.

Habitat

Originally a hardy common plant growing in moderately dry sunny spots and in rock piles on the edges of forests and forest clearings in Europe, North Asia, North-West Africa, and North America,

Aquilegia vulgaris is loosing its habitat of calcium-rich soil. Increased traffic in wilderness areas as well as increased ranching and agricultural land-use threaten the plant’s habitat. Its vivid coloring has

also made it a desirable and over-picked flower. In 1985, to draw attention to its endangered status, Aquilegia vulgaris was declared Flower of the Year in Germany. It has been added to the Red List

of endangered plants in Switzerland. Many garden varieties are now cultivated worldwide.

“Nothing is daintier or more beautiful than the color effect of this graceful blossom among the gray rocks of a hillside pasture.” F. Schuyler Mathews

The Columbine’s susceptibility to extinction is increased by its limited ability to be pollinated. Only bumblebees with appropriately long tongues can reach deep down into the bottom of the spurs to

pollinate the flower. Short-tongued bees and scavenger wasps bite holes into the spur at the back of the flower to get the nectar, not pollinating it. The plants vulnerability is increased by the fact that

bumblebees are also a threatened species in a number of countries.

Chemical Composition

New chemical compounds of Aquilegia vulgaris are still being discovered. It contains cyanogenic glycoside, flavonoid c-glycoside malonate, isocystososide (antioxidant and antimicrobial activity,

hepato-protective effect), flavonoid emulsin, tannin, aquilegine, vitamin C, an uncharacterized alkaloid, and sphingolipid desaturase.

Despite the fact that the wild or common Columbine has been ingested as tea and in salads, it is considered a poisonous plant. The consumption of approximately 20 grams of leaves has caused

poisoning symptoms of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, breathing difficulties, heart pains, absentmindedness, stupefaction, and confusion. Its toxins, however, are destroyed by heat and drying.

Modern medicinal use of the plant has not been established. Little is known about cyanogenic glycoside, which is contained in the plant and may have cancer-causing properties.

“The [plant’s] anti-microbial activity was tested by the method of series dilutions against different Gram-positive, Gram-negative bacteria and also fungi. The results show that the extracts, sub-extracts,

and isocytisoside inhibit growth of all studied micro-organisms, revealing Gram-positive the greatest activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Staph. epidermis, and the mould Aspergillus niger.”

History

Held in high esteem by Northern European populations, Aquilegia vulgaris (German: Akelei, Swedish: Akileija) was dedicated to the Norse goddess of love and fertility, Freya. According to mythology,

Freya lived in a beautiful palace where love songs constantly played. Among her magical possessions was a coat of bird feathers that gave her the power to change into a falcon.

“In this dream I was building a palace and then resting in it. I was so relaxed it was amazing.”

Dreams: Prover #805

Aquilegia vulgaris at Grand Lodge gardens, Grand Lake, CO

Neuw Kreuterbuch (new herb book) published in 1588 that applying the pulverized seeds to a groom’s palms would instantly arouse the bride. He also recommended drinking tea made from the roots and

seeds to break the evil spell of impotence. The plant itself was mixed into straw-mattresses to cure infertility.

The earliest reference to the wild or common Columbine as a garden plant (1410) is made in the painting, Paradiesgaertlein (Little Paradise Garden), painted by an unknown medieval master. Among

the first botanical books, the Hortus Eystettensis recorded 12 cultivated varieties of the common Columbine in 1613. Around 1800 the North American Columbine became increasingly popular in Europe’s gardens. By 1900, the common Columbine was considered old fashioned and lost its place in fancy gardens. However, Aquilegia vulgaris can still be found in European gardens as often as the hybrid plants of North American varieties.

Symbolism

Originally, the Columbine was dedicated to the goddess Freya, the patron goddess of crops and birth. She was the symbol of sensuality and was called upon in matters of love. She loved music, spring,

flowers, and elves and was the most gracious and beautiful of all the goddesses. Old symbolism relating the plant to love and fertility has been preserved in paintings exhibiting sexual imagery, secret

love and seduction, inconsistency and fickleness, desertion, and folly. For example, in the 17th century it was considered a faux pas to give a young woman a bouquet with Aquilegia because of its sexual

symbolism. Another example includes, Ophelia in Shakespeare’s Hamlet giving a bouquet containing Columbines to King Claudius for his ingratitude and infidelity.

“An older lawyer was having an affair with a younger woman. The woman asked to be provided with an apartment, he asked for 24-7 access.”

Dreams: Prover #1005 “Masturbating in the restroom of a grocery store, boyfriend was shopping, another woman laughing,

because she knew I was masturbating in the next stall.”

Dreams: Prover #205 Over time, Christianity adopted the symbolic associations of Aquilegia with the goddess Freya and love. Elements of the plant’s original mythical symbolism were transferred to the Virgin Mary. For example, a 16^th century painting depicting the flight to Egypt includes a Columbine growing at the feet of Mary’s donkey. Later Christian symbolism relates the plant’s seven blossoming flowers to the seven cardinal virtues of Christianity: faith, hope, charity, justice, temperance, prudence and fortitude. The plants perfect geometrical composition (according to the Golden Mean) and its number of flowers and petals (3, 5, 7) relate it to divinity in paintings of Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

Healing and Herbal Applications

By 1606, over 270 medicinal applications for Columbine were described. They include:

• Astringent juice to heal wounds

• Various plant parts to heal gum loss and jaundice

• Crushed seeds to facilitate childbirth and to alleviate labor and menstrual pain

• Crushed leaves to cure cancer

• Spring shoots prepared like asparagus to prevent cancer

• Entire plants used to protect young couples from bad magic (impotence and infertility)

• Triturated juice of the leaves to heal skin rashes

Traditional folk medicine has used the common Columbine as an astringent, depurative, diaphoretic, diuretic, narcotic, and parasiticide. It has been used to treat:

• Inflammations of the pharynx and the throat

• Liver (obstructions of openings, jaundice), spleen and gallbladder diseases

• Diarrhea

• Stomach complaints

• Kidney stones

• Dropsy

• Measles and small pox

• Nervousness

• Easily angered people (sedative qualities)

• Pain during menses and childbirth

• Uterine bleeding

• Eye diseases

• Rheumatic aches and pains

• Head lice (repellant)

• Ulcers (used in a poultice); sores of mouth and throat

Modern flower essences containing Aquilegia vulgaris are said to provide insight into one’s true identity and highest purpose. It has also been used to assist the uncertain or those who are bewildered

by life’s choices.

Discoveries of the Proving

Many proving symptoms coincide with historically recorded symptoms of poisoning with Aquilegia vulgaris. Poisoning reports and the current proving data both include mental symptoms consisting

of difficult concentration, slowness, confusion, difficulty in decision-making, and deep calmness.

It is interesting to note that early folk medicine used the plant to calm easily angered people and provers experienced states of unusual calm and/or agitation. Consequently, the remedy may assist in

treating overly reactive states.

Physical symptoms experienced by a majority of provers clearly point to the use of the remedy to treat nausea (especially in the morning), loss of appetite, stomach problems (especially at 10 h.), frequent

and profuse diarrhea, headaches (r. and around 10 h.), restlessness, waking at night (especially around 3 AM), and menstrual problems. The proving also yielded throat pains, the lump sensation included

in Clarke’s Materia Medica, and rash-like skin conditions.

Dreams of provers reflect some mythological aspects of the goddess Freya: dreams about helping and saving children and infants; sexual dreams; and dreams about flowers, gardens, and mystical

landscapes. Some dreams included environments similar to the habitat of the wild plant and some may have related to the structure of the plant (“meeting houses”). Strangely enough, there were many

dreams about cars and car accidents. These dreams had colors of cars matching the colors of Aquilegia.

DD.: Aquilegia vulgaris with Helleborus, Pulsatilla, Sepia, Ignatia, and Natrum muriaticum.

Columbine may be helpful in the treatment of pregnancy-related nausea, menstrual conditions, a variety of headaches, and constrictive respiratory problems. The plants historical use for preventing and treating cancer as well as its content of cyanogenic glycoside may associate it with the cancer miasm.

Mental Themes

Disconnectedness

Indifference to other’s feelings

Mind-chatter; internal dialogue; intolerable inner thoughts

Mind separated from body; as if possessed by a second personality

Like a witness; spectator to events

Sense of distance; isolation

Desire to be alone; > alone

Irritability (like PMS/irritable over small things/impatient with people)

Easy to anger (driving, throwing things, short fuse)

Alternating States

Exuberant - sluggish

Irritability - good mood

Mind-chatter - serenity

Alert - lack of concentration

Positive States

Exuberant; elated

Energy up; feeling high

Centered; very present

Relaxed; serene; peaceful

Hypersensitivity

Emotionally over-reactive; weeping easily

To odors, heat, music, touch, taste, and noise

Visual acuity

Restlessness (but too weak to move/at night)

Driven to get things done; need to clean

Mental Clarity/Alert; awake; clear/Aware; focused/Creative; expansive

Difficulty Concentrating

Foggy, groggy, and fuzzy thinking

Slow reading; slow thinking

Absentminded; forgetful

Difficulty making decisions

Spacey; empty headed

Disoriented; no sense of time

Lethargy - Slowness

Sluggish; need to move slowly, slow in responding

As if in slow motion, heavy like lead

“Will vomit if I move fast”

Averse to doing anything; unmotivated

Extreme tiredness, tiredness after rising

Themes in Dreams:

Magical Dreams

Nature, landscapes, beautiful herbs and flowers; coves and caves; magical monsters; an unworldly

garden “like paradise”; and a peaceful palace.

Sexual Dreams

Masturbating in a public bathroom; sexually hyperactive and glamorous; having sex with a stranger;

having a lot of sex; necking in a parking lot; mother sexually abusing brother; lawyer having an affair;

threat of sexual abuse; naked in public; sex and donuts.

Beauty and Grace:

Costumes; make-up for wedding; beautiful dresses; fashion show; people in horse costumes (“striving for grace”).

Gatherings and Groups

Gatherings with friends and family in restaurants; social gatherings; weddings; conferences; groups of

workmen, a group of energy beings with overlapping bodies; organizing events.

Meeting Places

Restaurants (mostly Italian); hotels; large houses; parking lots; classrooms; apartments; a camp; skilodge; amphitheatre; concert hall; atrium, movie theatre, cruise ship, bus.

Steep Areas

Cliffs; house on a hill; hiking to steep hills with lots of small buildings; hiking through a steep area to get to new building.

Violence to Women

Rape; women being roasted alive like turkeys; women disappear; physically abusive affair; fleeing from being set on fire.

Violence

Being murdered; being shot; being held hostage; being choked; gun-shot wounds; blood and bleeding; copious amounts of blood; machine guns..

Animals:

Bears, dogs, wild animals, snakes, frogs, horses, earthworms, mosquitoes; protecting people from desert animals; pursued by animals.

Cars and Car Accidents:

Red Corvette; convertible car; blue van; blue striped Semi-truck; white car; blue Camaro; blue

Corvette, truck loosing control; eight-car crash with Semi-truck; car switching lanes causes accident;

hot-air balloon smashed against a cliff.

Cleanliness and Cleaning

Dirty apartment; nasty bathroom; old food (chicken); clean city; cob-webs; particles falling from ceiling; carwash; neatly arranged house; cleaning out purse; cleaning windows;

Goldie Locks cleaning up and leaving.

Other themes identified include: Cooperation/coordination, helping others and rescuing,

Open spaces (openness also reported as a physical sensation), forces of nature,

Parts of buildings (including corroding materials), pregnancy, racing, trusting others/ being trustworthy/loyalty, watching myself, water.

Symptoms

Mind: Some provers experienced contrasting symptoms over a few days' time. For example, mind chatter would # quiet and calm; tiredness with lots of energy; inability to focus with unusual alertness.

Emotionally oversensitive, temperamental 105, 205, 405, 1003, 3054

Sad, weepy, crying, sobbing 205, 405, 1003

Anxious, without reason 305, 404, 603, 605

Impatient with people, short fuse 204, 305, 405, 705, 1403

Irritated, agitated, cranky 805, 204, 305, 1104, 1005, 1103, 1104, 1403

Mentally tired 105, 405, 1005, 1104

Exhausted, sleepy 104, 304, 803, 1003, 1104, 1303

Lethargic, move in slow motion, sluggish 205, 405, 503, 705, 1005,1303

Brain foggy/fuzzy/dopey 204, 603, 705, 1005

Slow processing/thinking/responding 105, 304, 403

Hard to focus, difficulty concentrating 104, 304, 705, 1005, 503, 603

Want to be left alone, quiet 305, 405,1104

Averse to talking to people 305, 405, 805, 503

Indifferent to other's feelings 405, 603, 803

Restless 205, 305, 1104, 503, 603

Strong desire to clean, obsessive cleaning 205, 603 (throughout the proving), 1104

Alert/awake/clear/thinking clearly 503, 603, 1104

More optimistic, patient, positive (more) 603

Exuberant/high energy 305, 503,1303

Hypersensitive to odors 603, 705

Spacey, empty headed 105, 405, 403, 1103

Chatter in head, can't stand inner thoughts 305, 503

Second personality taking over 805 (throughout the proving)

Sleep:

Restless, tossing and turning 205, 305, 1104, 503, 603

Woke from physical discomfort or pain 205, 503, 904

Woke from thirst 104, 503, 1003

Woke from beautiful dream 1103

Sensation watching myself in my sleep 805 (dreams)

Generals:

Sleepy, could not stay awake 204, 1103, 1303

Body feels heavy 105, 805

Body tingles, buzzes (like on speed) 1005, 403, 503

Shakiness (body/hands) 705, 1104

Feverish, raised temperature, warm 205, 603, 605, 805, 1204

Cold, chilly and chills 205, 403, 404, 603, 805

Dryness 805, 603

CC6: Thirstless with cotton mouth 305

Modalities:

> eating 305

Concomitants

> cold and fresh air 1104, 705

Chilled > warm clothing 603, 404

Head:

Sensation

Pressure, pressing as from a cap 103, 205, 503, 803

Dull pain 1403, 405, 705, 504, 403, 603

Stabbing pain 603, 103, 601, 603, 705

Electric shock 504

Pulsing 103, 104, 503, 1303

Tingling 503, 704

“As if suctioned” 1303

Light-headed/empty-headed 104, 904, 1103

Head opened/expanded 503, 803

Hot, warm, flush of heat 504, 1104, 1204, 503, 603

Tingling temples 503

CC: HA + flatulence 1303

Location

Parietal 105, 803

Top of head 705, 1403

Headache – R./moved L to R/moved to center/in forehead/ over left eye 305, 103, 1403

Modalities: < bending over; > hot bath;

Rapid onset and demise 105, 705, 1005, 504, 103

Vertigo: Sensation

Dizzy 405, 704, 503

Off balance to left 705

Circles spinning in head 204

Dizzy with pressure on crown of head 503

CC: Dizziness, tingling in upper head 704

Modalities

< movement 204

Eyes: Sensation

Dry 305, 805

Gluey 1403

Eye strain, R eye 405

Pressing pain on eyeball 305

Twitching left lid 305, 404

Eyes don't focus 305

Must press to close eyes 805

CC: Dry eyes and mouth and L stiff neck 305

Ear: Sensation

Loud noises hurt ears 203

L. ear dull pain 603

R. ear plugged 603, 605

Itching/alternate itching in both ears 203, 603

Pulse in ears racing 603

Location

Left 203, 603

Moving R to L 203

Mouth: Sensation

Thirstless, cottonmouth 305

Chapped lips 204, 603, 1003, 1403

Lips dry, parched 403, 404, 603, 1403

Metallic taste 803, 904, 503, 1303

Tingling sensations 503, 803

CC: Metallic taste with heartburn/burping 904

Throat: Sensation

Sore 205, 305, 603, 1104, 403, 803, 1003, 1205

Burning, raw 305, 603, 1204

Dryness 705, 603, 1104

Tickling 304, 403

Scratchy 1104, 403

Lump 403, 603

Tonsils feel enlarged 1104, 1003

CC:

Swollen glands L, tingling chin/forehead 503

Location

Back of 305, 603, 705, 1204

Right 605, 1204

Left 304, 503

Upper 403, 603

Modalities

> sipping cold water 304, 1204

Stomach: Appetite decreased 205, 605, 504, 403, 805

Hungry, empty feeling 1003, 404, 705, 1003

Thirsty 605, 503, 603, 904,1403

Heartburn 103, 904, 1003, 1005

Nauseated 104, 103, 403, 603,605, 503

Vomited 3 to 4 times 403

Stomach gurgling 403, 1003

Burping with metallic taste 904

Hiccup 404, 1103

Painful hiccup, as if stabbed 1104

Burping 904, 1003, 1103

CC: Heartburn, metallic taste/intense thirst 904

Modalities:

Nausea > after lunch 104

Gurgling gas, burping, leaning forward, agg. 1003

Chest: Heaviness, difficult breathing 205, 503

Pressing sensation with shortness of breath 703, 603

Constriction/tightness 603, 703, 705

L breast tender as if before menses 705

Swollen breasts as if before menses 1005

Lymph glands L breast/armpit feel tender 503

Stabbing chest pain, 1" above sternum 103, 205

Modalities: < motion, deep breathing, > pressure 1003

Neck: Tingling neck to head, radiated to cheeks 704

Buzzing in neck moving to head 704

Zigzag jolt left side neck 705

Stiff, left side 305

Nerve pain L neck shooting to occiput 603

Deep chill back of neck 704

Modalities

Stiff neck > after eating 305

Female organs: Sex drive increased 205, 504 (14 days), 503, 603

Menses one week early 205, 305, 403

Uterine cramping without menses 104, 603

Menses light, not as painful 403

Menses, no pain, discomfort 503

Cycle was shorter, less blood 603

Modalities

Cramps as if menses, > rubbing, rest 104

Two months after taking the first dose of this remedy, Prover #1303 experienced a return of female symptomatology experienced during 1995 to 1998, including intense vaginal burning, suppuration of

vaginal skin, and spotting during ovulation.

Back: All provers with back symptoms indicated that symptoms lasted/recurred for two or more days.

Lower back achy/weak (as before period) 305

Ache moving to lower back 705

Pain, hot, vibrating in spine, radiating to R 1303

Lower back sore, as if menses 104

Stool: No bowel movement 3-4 days 205, 603

Pellets, like deer droppings 605

During the proving women experienced back pain similar to pains experienced during menses, without having or expecting a menses.

Increase of BM’s/day 705, 1204

Urgent 705, 1204

Loose 705, 204,1204

Profuse 705, 204

Sulphur odor 1204

CC: Diarrhea with pain perineum 705

Selected Rubrics 8

Mind: Delusion is an island, enjoying tranquility

Delusion, possessed, that he or she is

Delusion, identity, errors of personal identity

Fastidious

Irritability, husband, toward

Senses, acute

Spaced-out feeling

Head

Pain, 10 h.

Dull, morning

Dull, temples, right

Dull forehead

Heat, flushes of

Taste

Metallic

Throat

Pain, sore

Lump sensation

Chest

Pressed in, as if

Constriction, morning, 10 h.

Stomach

Appetite, diminished

Nausea, eating after

Female

Sexual desire, increased

Menses, frequent, too early, seven days

Sleep: Restless

Waking, 3 h.

Generals: Shocks, electric-like

> Open air

Morning < 10 h.

Vorwort/Suchen. Zeichen/Abkürzungen. Impressum.