Salsola o. Kali tragus = Tumbling weed/= Russian thistle/= saltwort/= Russian cactus/= buckbush/= roly-poly/= Wind Witch
The remedy Tumbleweed was chosen because of its distinctive qualities.
This is the first proving of a peregrinating plant. In addition, Tumbleweed is
an icon of desert regions and a prime representative of desert plants and we
have been conducting ongoing research in desert medicines. Little is known of
the Chenopodiaceae plant family from a homeopathic perspective and it
was our hope that this remedy would provide a window into this family.
Lastly, Tumbleweed is known for its healing properties, including regulating
the blood pressure, vasoconstrictive
effects on the uterus, treatment of cancer, cathartic, diuretic,
emmenagogue, vermifuge, treatment of dropsy and excrescences, treatment of
influenza and smallpox, intestinal obstructions, hardness
of the liver and spleen and expelling a dead child.
The core sensation of the proving had to do with
connection/disconnection. The plant must disconnect from its stem to begin the
process of rolling and spreading its seeds, or it dies.
This sensation was most clearly expressed in prover #1:
Made a decision to move; it feels like my partner, daughter and family
are tying me down with rope, karmic and psychic strings; I am beginning to lose
patience; people are telling me not to go;
I am going and have decided that I have a right to be happy right now;
feeling is that I will break off and move on without these people; I would like
to do it with their blessing, but I am going; Feeling free and not bogged down;
like a break of some kind; Detachment; who am I attached to and why; like
detachment/attachment; it is OK to detach in life and that is the way it is
supposed to go; it is OK to move and be detached and go; feeling of rolling on
down(1)
There was a significant tension in the proving between searching for
ones roots and wanting to connect to one’s family, friends, old acquantainces
vs. wanting to detach, break free, disconnect
and move along.
The connection is associated with feelings and sensations of being
stifled, constrained, rooted, grounded, connected to all life, attached and
feeling safe warm and protected. One prover described this as a feeling of
being packed in cotton. It is also associated with codependency where
individual give up themselves for the other.
The disconnection is associated with feelings and sensations of freedom,
separateness from life, dividedness, detached, joy, separation between inner ,
and outer self, sadness, euphoric and powerful, feeling of losing a parent or a
child-something very close and a separate entity that nothing can touch. Many
of the provers felt empowered and able to let go of codependency traits.
Some experienced this as a selfishness. Many of the provers also
described a feeling of disconnection from their proving supervisors, an
experience which has not been seen in previous provings.
The disconnection was experienced by some provers as a death. This was
felt as a natural dying process and not one that was a fearful experience. One
prover described it as follows:
Felt like the energy of the remedy was gone by today; felt like it
slowly died and was gone, drifting across a desert; I feel like I am dying; It
feels as though . . . it is a dying; it feels as though
being thirsty but not drinking; even if I eat or drink (rolling hand
gesture) it is not doing anything; not being assimilated; the dying is like the
detaching; one part dies but it goes on (rolling hand gesture); that kind of
thing; it feels like my joints and hands and arms even are dying like they are
dried up like they are brittle and like I am cracking all over the place and I
need to take some glucosamine; it felt very natural the dying process; it was
not fearful at all.
However, two provers described dreams of suddenly losing children and
waking with a profound sense of grief. The plant has been strongly associated
with the American Cowboy, a symbol of restless wandering movements over the
desert landscape.
The cycle is one of connection, disconnection and ultimately
reconnection. The reconnection was symbolized by the recurring dreams of
reunions. The feelings of connection and disconnection
were profound for many of the provers and bordered on spiritual
experiences.
This plant would be limited to a very limited area if it were not for
man. Because of agriculture and clearing out large tracts of land, this plant
has been able to extend its range extraordinarily rapidly into 49/50 of the
Other important sensations in the proving included electrical
sensations, cramping/constricting, heaviness, needle like sensations and cotton
sensation.
The core movement of the proving related to Rolling. The Tumbleweed is
well known for its rolling motion and its rolling motion is what makes it so
effective in propagating its seeds.
The plant is so effective, that its design was copied for the Mars
Rovers to explore the Martian Landscape.
The rolling movement was experienced as a physical sensation:
Sensation in right upper stomach as if baby kicked; rolling sensation.
Sensation in left hand, palm near thumb felt as if a rolling sensation;
as if someone were kneading it or ripples; sort of a rolling electrical wave,
not painful but irritating.
On the second day had the feeling of more movement; feeling of being
able to take my oxygen into my system; I could inhale more deeply and the
oxygen was going to all the cells in my body;
feeling of being buoyancy; think of a buoy bobbing up and down.
It was also experienced as an emotional/mental experience and in the
hand gestures of many of the provers:
Wandering, Detachment; who am I attached to and why; like
detachment/attachment; it is OK to detach in life and that is the way it is
supposed to go; it is OK to move and be detached and go; feeling of rolling on
down.
This motion can also be seen to some extent in the embryo. James A.
Young (Scientific American, March 1991) explains, "The Russian thistle
does not undergo germination in the normal sense, whereby cell division results
in the growth....Rather the embryo uncoils....If, after uncoiling, the radicle
(seed root) finds sufficient moisture...it quickly spreads cotyledons, or seed
leaves and begins growing...."
Plant/Chenopodiaceae Themes
A plant like sensitivity was a prominent theme during the proving. This included sensitivity to light, noise and odors, and the sound of others talking. The reaction was predominantly one of irritability related to this. What was most unusual was that three of the provers described an increased sensitivity to caffeine (coffee, tea and chocolate). They were unable to use any caffeine, whereas this had not been a problem previously. It could be postulated that this relates to an increased sensitivity of the sympathetic nervous system. One prover also noted a cured feeling.
She had struggled much of her life with oversensitivity prior to the
proving:
Overall I am less sensitive; don’t feel as much; able to step back and
not get caught up in drama so much.
It is difficult to compare this remedy to other Chenopodiaceae plant
remedies since these have been so poorly studied. One unusual symptom from this
proving was the tendency in three of the provers to wake up in the morning with
a song repeating in their head. This is similar to the tendency in Chenopodium
anthelminica to repeat things:
Mind: GESTURES,
ACTIONS, REPEATED.
Repeats same things.
Tends towards dropsy and gastrointestinal symptoms-qualities that were
born out by this proving.
Peregrinating Plant
Desert Themes
Many typical desert themes were noted in the proving analysis. These
included water, connection/disconnection, codependency, circular motions,
wandering, violence, large/small, swelling/contracting, old/ancient, dryness,
drug sensations, religion, foreign and downward motions. The strongest desert
theme had to do with connection/disconnection.
Salsola tragus is relatively associated with the desert, although it is
found outside of desert regions. As a symbol and in imagery, it is strongly
associated with desert regions.
Miasm
Strongest association was to the Sycotic Miasm. The issues of hiding,
concealment, covering up, outer façade were relatively strong. The tendency
towards sties, warts, rheumatic pains and
copious discharges is typical of the sycotic miasm. The strong tendency
in this proving for the provers to not want to connect or talk to their
supervisors is also indicative of the sycotic miasm.
Also, many of the provers denied having symptoms, when they clearly were
having a profound effect of the remedy.
General Characteristics
Mild tendency towards chilliness = typical for a desert remedy. < in
the morning/on waking. Predominantly r. sided. General tendency towards
swelling and edema. Food cravings not prominent and several of the provers
experience a lack of appetite throughout the proving.
Dryness was another central characteristic. This was seen in the lips,
face, mouth, cough, nose, throat and skin. Associated with a feeling of
dirtiness in one prover (a Theme of the proving):
Apartment is dry and smelly; it smells like an old motel room in a hot
desert that has been smoked in for 50 years; smell of dust; Could not stand the
musty smell; musty, dusty old motel six that has been there for a million years
and all this time; dusty, dirty (rolling hand gesture) pig pen; like Pig Pen in
Charlie Brown.
The dry skin in some provers was quite marked. Dryness is a critical
part of the plants disconnecting from its stem and wandering the desert
landscape. The dryness makes the plant more mobile
and capable of dropping its seeds.
Water was also a prominent theme in the proving, which is typical of
desert remedies. This was reflected most strongly in the dreams. The plant
produces plant material with a high energy
content while using very little water.
There was a strong feeling of urging throughout the proving. This
accompanied the GI symptoms but also was a mental/emotional characteristic.
Physical Characteristics
The strongest physical areas effected were the sinuses, musculoskeletal
and gastrointestinal tract. Salsola tragus is a prominent allergen here in the
Southwest (up to 5% of the pollen load) and
it is no surprise that allergic symptoms were characteristic in the
proving. These mostly consisted in post nasal drip, sinus pressure and
heaviness and sneezing.
The GI symptoms were marked. Most characteristic were nausea and
vomiting. The nausea was mostly experienced during the morning and several
provers described this as reminiscent of
morning sickness. The vomiting was mostly experienced at night.
Phytology: useful for liver and spleen problems. Crampy abdominal pains were
quite strong and often accompanied
by diarrhea. The diarrhea was explosive and accompanied by much urging.
Heartburn and indigestion were other GI symptoms. The GI symptoms may
correspond to the high content of Oxalic acidum found in this plant.
Acne was very strong in the proving and seen in seven of the seventeen
provers. In addition, one prover developed a stye and another had a cured
symptom of a wart falling off.
Used in the treatment of tuberculosis and asthma. Several of the provers
noted shortness of breath during the proving.
Back pains and extremity pains were relatively prominent. This was
primarily in the upper back, scapula and shoulder. The pains were primarily
tingling, electrical, stitching and shooting and travelling into the neck and
occiput. Several provers experienced awkwardness and clumsiness. This also
relates to injuring toes and fingers because the provers were hurrying.
One prover broke a toe because of this during the proving.
Emotional and Mental Characteristics
Irritability was one of the strongest emotional characteristics during
the proving. In several provers this bordered on anger and hatred, relating to
their oversensitivity.
Concentration problems, dullness, slowness and incapacity to talk to
other people were relative strong and seen in four of the provers. This was
described as a torpor by one prover, a theme common to desert remedies.
Drug themes were relatively prominent and took the form of clairvoyance,
euphoria, feelings of intoxication, isolation, tranquility, calmness, visionary
dreams and excitement.
Sexuality
Sexuality kept arising as a theme throughout the proving. This took the
form of an increased sex drive and amorous dreams. One prover described this as
follows:
Lots of sex dreams; 3 - 4 sex dreams this night; very high libido in
dreams; most intense sexual dreams I have ever had; very intense like a dog in
heat.
Several provers described the increased sexual attention they were
receiving in their dreams as unwanted.
Blond
Several provers noted that they kept dreaming about blond’s during the
proving. They described this as a distinct departure from their normal dream
patterns. No explanation for this symptom.
Losing Things/Theft
Many of the provers lost things during the proving. This was associated
with clumsiness in part. For example one prover had the following experience:
I went to my parents house for Thanksgiving and lost my cat; in the past
I usually go ballistic; not one tear, not one worry.
This may relate to the theme of disconnection. In addition, there were
many dreams of searching for lost things.
Directions
The theme of direction recurring. The plant is dependent on which
direction the wind is blowing for propagation and movement. In the proving,
much of this related to struggling to determine
which direction to take in life:
Not sure about my life right now or what direction to go in(16)
Dirt/Dirty
Many of the provers described feeling, dry, dusty and dirty. For
example, one prover described it as follows:
I keep getting this image of an old west movie-an old motel in the
distance, wind blowing and gusting, stuffy flying around, dust devils,
tumbleweeds and dirt(1)
The dreams were also filled with images of dirt.
Preparation of the Remedy
A video was made of the preparation of this remedy. The theory is that
people who prepare the remedy also briefly participate in the energy of the
remedy. Although we did not include this information in the selection of
proving themes and rubrics, it was interesting to note that several of the
themes were reflected in the making of the remedy. These included
codependency/care taking of others, difficult concentration, weariness, feeling
of intoxication, headache, cheerfulness, speed, vertigo and communication.
Negativ: ;
Repertory: [Todd Rowe]
Mind: Anger
Anxiety
Desires to remain in bed
Buoyancy/cheerful/gay/happy/vivacious
Codependent
Concentration difficult (with headache)
Confused (to own identity/about location about)
Feels connected
Delusion - is brittle/is cracking/is dirty/everything is dirty/is
dying/floats in air/is larger/is smaller/is separated (from his life/from the
world)/everything is uneal
Detached
Dull/torpor
Euphoria/excited in general/high spirited/feeling of lightness
Hatred
Hurried/impatient/urgent
Indolence
Industrious
Irritable (morning/> after eating/at talk of others)
Laughing
Cannot say no
Offended easily/starting
Patient/slow
Religious affections in general
Sadness
Sensitive to light/to odors
Sympathetic, compassionate
Taciturn, indisposed to talk/aversed to thinking
Thoughts clearness/persistent about a song/rushing
Tranquility
Wander - desires it
Vertigo: in general
Morning
< motion of head
Head: Hair - brittle/falling out
Constriction of occiput
„As if packed in cotton“
Heaviness
Pain [< light/< noise/< odors/migraine/> pressure/in
forehead (and occiput)/in temple (cutting)/in 2 spots/dull]
Pressure in general
Eye: Heaviness
Itching
Lachrymation in general
Opening difficult
Pain „As from needles“
Sties in general
Swolleng in general (lids)
Vision: Acute
Ear: Catarrh in eustachian Tube
Itching
Hearing: Impaired („As if stopped by cotton“)
Nose: Catarrh in general in posterior nares
Internal coldness on inspiration
Sinuses - congested/full/internal
Discharge (clear/glutinous/profuse/thick/yellow/green)
Dry
Obstructed in general (r./morning)
Odors - dusty/musty/tobacco
Pain -aching
Sneezing in general (in morning on and after waking/frequent)
Face: Chapped lips
Clenched jaw
Bluish around eyes
Dryness objective
Eruptions, Acne (on nose/cold sores on lips)
Itching around mouth
Numb lips
Pain (jaw/stitching in morning/stitching in chin)
Tension in jaw
Mouth: Dry
Pain - sore, bruised in soft palate
Throat: Dry (on waking)
Irritated
Mucus in general
Pain (l./r./morning/lancinating/raw/after swallowing)
External neck: Stiff sides
Swelling in cervical lymphatic tissue
Stomach: Appetite - increased/wanting (in morning/with nausea with)/thirst
(drinks without desire)
Eructations
Hard sensation over stomach
Heartburn
Indigestio
Nausea (in morning/after eating/in pregnancy/< after stool/on waking)
Pain (in morning/cramping/smaller, shrinking sensation)
Vomiting (at night/> lying)
Abdomen: Distension (morning/after eating)
Movements „As if from foetus“
Pain - on waking/< pressure/cramping (morning/at night)/dull
„As if rolling)
Rectum: Diarrhea [morning (waking with urging)/at night]
Flatus
Pain - burning
Urging, Desire (in diarrhea/not > stool)
Stool: Forcible, sudden, gushing
Odor offensive
Bladder: Urination frequent (at night)
Pain - burning (in morning)
Urine: Bloody
Female organs: Itching
Leucorrhea (offensive)
Menses frequent (too early, too soon/profuse)
Pain - burning in vagina
Sex drive decreased
Tumor - cyst on ovary
Voice: Rough
Larynx and trachea:
Pain during coughing
Rough
Respiration: Deep
Difficult (at night)
Cough: in morning/at night
< cold air
Dry
Rasping
Tickling
Chest: Pain - aching in mammae/“As from needles“
Mammae - swollen mammae/tingling, prickling/“As if cold water“
underneath
Tension
Heart - fluttering sensation/pain - sore/bruised
Pulse rapid, tachycardia
Back: Icy cold
Acne
„As if rolling“
Pain [> pressure/aching (in cervical/lumbar/dorsal region/rheumatic)/stitching,
shooting ext head/in dorsal region (in morning on waking/drawing)/in lumbar
region (at night/> lying/> warmth/during motion)/sacroiliac region]
Cervical region - stiff/tingling, prickling
Extremities: Awkward
Cold hands and feet/arm
Constriction in shoulders
Cracking in joints of hands
Cramping in calves on waking
Dry feet
„As if electric current“ in hands
Heaviness of upper limbs
Injuries on fingers/toes
Itching - in forearm/in knee/in foot
Pain - in shoulder in morning on waking/aching (in shoulders/in arm)/burning in toes/in knee (< walking)/in hip/in legs/sciatica/rheumatic
Perspiration clammy in hands/feet
Restless feet
„As if rolling“ in hands
Swollen lower Extremities (leg)
Tension in shoulders
Tingling, prickling in upper limbs (soles of feet)
Wart on finger
Sleep: Deep/prolonged
Restless
Sleepless
Waking - 3 h./frequent/with song in head
Yawning (morning/constant)
Dream: „As if in a dream“/amorous/clairvoyant/death/left, right, up, down/dirt(y)/losing things/mountains/music/nausea/influential people/people not seen for years/reunions/restless/stealing, theft/visionary/water
Chill: Evening
Perspiration: after midnight
Skin: Dry
Echymoses
Eruptions
Itching
Generalities: r./morning
„As if air“ passing through all cells/„As if dust coating over external
parts“/„As if dry“
Cracking in joints
Faintness (< stooping)
Food and drinks: Desires: Chicken/Fat/Orangejuice/Salt; <:
Caffeine/Chocolate;
Heat - lack of vital heat/flushes of heat/“As if heated on waking“
Heaviness
Injury, Fractures of bones
Before menses
Pain - „As if needles“/wandering
„As if pricked“/„As if rippling“/„As if rolling“
Swelling in general (edematous)
Tension in muscles
Weary (< afternoon)
Vergleich: Enthält: N + Ox-ac;
Compare: Salsola + Ox-ac. (5%) + Uran-n. (absorbed by
Salsola).
DD.: Chenopodiaceae
Ox-ac. (5% by weight of the plant),
Uran-n. (strong affinity)
Desert Remedies
Feeling of disconnection
associated with a brittleness, lonesomeness, death and a feeling of a wandering
moving on.
Siehe: Caryophyalles + Wüste
Papin. (vasoconstriction/effect on the smooth muscles
of blood vessels) ó Salsola tragus ó
Hydr. (bleeding/effect on the smooth muscles of the uterus).
Wirkung: allergen/poisonous/sycotic
Allerlei: Burned to make soap/used in making glass bbnn
It travels long distances/wanders
Phytologie: Salsolin regulates blood pressure/resembles
papaverine in its effect on vasoconstriction/resembles hydrastine in its effect
on the smooth muscles of the uterus.
Cancerous condition termed superfluous flesh
Cathartic/diuretic/emmenagogue
Dropsy and excrescences/obstructions and hardness of
the liver and spleen and for expelling a dead child.
Navaho’s: decoction of the ashes internally and
externally for influenza and smallpox.
Vorwort/Suchen Zeichen/Abkürzungen Impressum