Sequoia sempervirens Anhang = Albino “Ghost” Redwood

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The Homeopathic Trituration Proving of Albino “Ghost” Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens)

[Sonya McLeod]

Introduction by Judy Schriebman

We were shown this tree while camping one year about 6 years ago. We’ve been back to visit it every year since. It looks like a thick clump of dead shoots, except for the few that are still alive, nearly 6 feet tall coming off the mother tree at the base. The ghost tree shoots can only grow so far and then cannot sustain themselves and die but new ones continue to come up.

The Mother tree grows in a grove of many other redwood trees, near a creek which regularly floods in the winter.

The shoots look ghostly, ghastly white; translucent. When I first saw it, I wondered what it might be good for homeopathically. I had read Kate Birch’s proving of redwood many years ago and wondered if this would just present as redwood or if the lack of chlorophyll would show us a different signature. The idea of leukemia came to me.

All white and no green; like too many white cells and not enough red. The proving will bear this out or not.

Another homeopath has written of redwood trees being useful for dealing with radioactivity; we’ll see if this subject comes up also during the trituration.

Proving Locations:

Vancouver, BC, Canada (main location)

England (Prover #11 and #12)

Traditional Use

It is said that the First Nations people traditionally used the albino redwood for the purpose of good luck, spiritual cleansing, and burial rituals.

Albino Redwood Mythology:

Monacca and the Albino Redwood

Retold by Bernyce Barlow

About 400 years ago, along the coast of Big Sur, California, lived a young Indian maiden whose name was Monacca. Monacca's family belonged to the Esselen tribe, who considered the coast of Big Sur their homeland. During the day, members of Monacca's tribe would hunt sea otter for food and fur along the rocky shoreline. At night,

they returned to the mighty Redwood forests where they lived.

The Redwood trees were majestic. Their massive cinnamon-brown trunks and verdant green needles dominated the forest. Only the luckiest of sun rays could reach the

forest floor because the groves were so dense. Monacca's grandmother told her the Redwoods were very wise and had seen many things during their long lives.

Near Monacca's home grew a very special redwood tree. Its branches and needles were pure white instead of green. The leaders of the tribe said the tree was special because

it was different, and treated this Redwood with great respect. They also said that on a moonlit night, the glow of the albino redwood could be seen from the heavens.

One late summer afternoon, Monacca was picking sweet berries for her mother. many of the berries had already been harvested throughout the summer. Because there were so few berries along the creek, Monacca decided to go deeper into the forest.

Monacca's family had often warned her about wandering too far from home, that the forest could be too much of a challenge for a lost girl. But Monacca carefully looked at her surroundings, Memorizing certain rocks and trees as landmarks, just in case she lost her way. She even made some trail markers pointing toward home. Confident she had taken every precaution, Monacca set out to fill her basket with spring berries.

The redwood groves were like giant umbrellas keeping the heat of late summer out. It was difficult to know what time of day it was in the forest because the sun was always blocked out by the taller trees. By the time Monacca reached the spring berries it was later than she thought. She knew there was no time to waste because it would soon be

to dark to see her markers. She quickly filled her basket to the rim and started down the trail, but she was too late. The forest was almost pitch black.

Monacca shivered when she thought about the forest animals that ate the berries and hoped they did not care for little girls. Monacca could hear twigs snapping and night critters prowling about, Owls hooting and leaves rustling, but she could not see a thing. she wished she had taken her family's warning about wandering off more seriously.

As the hours passed, Monacca thought about her mother and father an how much she missed them. She remembered the stories the elders would tell around the night fires.

She filled her mind with These stories so she would not think about the scary sound all around her. As Monacca thought about the legends, a full harvest moon was rising above the valley floor. It illuminated a nearby ridge that stood high over the forest. The moonglow reminded Monacca of the story of the albino redwood and how it could

be seen from the tallest of mountains, even from the heavens on a moonlit night.

This gave Monacca an idea. If the sacred tree could be seen from the heavens, surely it could be seen from the ridge, and the tree was right by her home. Monacca quickly hiked toward the ridge.

The moon was so bright once she got above the treeline that she could see reasonably well. With hope in her heart, she climbed to the top. When Monacca reached the summit of the ridge and looked down on the valley floor she saw one of the most beautiful sights she had ever seen. In the distance, a shimmering tower of silver seemed to be dancing with the moonbeams. It was the albino redwood, piercing the darkness of the forest like a dagger of light, illuminating the way home. Monacca smiled for the first time that night. Soon she would be with her family.

By following the top of the ridge and using the white redwood as a landmark, Monacca finally found herself above the night fires of her community. All she had to do now was follow the sparks and flicker through the forest, and she would finally be safe at home.

When Monacca's family saw her, they cried tears of joy. They knew the dangers of the forest and had feared the worst. Monacca told everyone how she became lost and how the albino redwood guided her back to safety. She also said how sorry she was for worrying her family.

Monacca's adventure had made her very tired. There were only a few hours until the sun came up. So she lay down on her bed and fell asleep quickly. In her dreams she knew and sang melodies that belonged to the windsongs that whistled through the branches of the mighty white redwood. From that night on, Monacca understood the specialness of the albino redwood and treated the tree with the respect it deserved.

Difficult Transitions: Crossing the Boundary Between Life and Death

Remedy Nucleus

Difficult life & death transitions: miscarriage, abortion, dying process & mourning

Weak emasculated men who lack courage and give all responsibility to the female

Inherited genetic disease or genetic interference (e.g. clones)

In limbo: people stuck in a negative space

Helps people face their shadow side so they get on with their lives and start to live again

Strong polarities & boundaries: black & white, good & bad, inside & outside, etc.

Summary:

Physical Affinities

Hands/Feet/Skin/Eyes

Throat & Neck/Back (lower & cervical)

Heart

Chakra Affinities

Base

Brow

Throat

Heart

Desires: Food and Water/Care and Nurturing/Sleep;

Aversion: Responsibility/strong smells/walking (during foot pain);

<: Overheating/chill/first movement/death of a loved one/no male father figure;

>: Cooling down (after overheating)/after continued movement;

Miasm: Cancer

Tree Themes

1. A feeling of loneliness and isolation are symptoms found in this proving that are also symptoms that are common to all tree remedies. People needing tree remedies will often feel cut off and find it difficult to connect with others. There was also a desire to be alone, for quiet and isolation.

2. Weak Vital Force: Lack of Incarnation

3. A feeling of fragility and brittleness is another common theme of tree remedies, but in this remedy, the feeling of fragility is very pronounced. The person who needs

this remedy has a weakened vital force; s/he may look deathly and pale like a ghost. One has the feeling that this person just barely exists. This remedy is for a person

who lacks courage, who would rather run and hide from situations instead of facing them head-on. There was an increased need for sleep and rest; this remedy may be

useful in cases of chronic fatigue. Fatigue and weakness were also sometimes + dizziness.

Difficult Life & Death Transitions

“Transitions” is a major keyword and theme of this remedy. Think of this remedy in situations where there is difficulty with life’s major transitions, such as birth and death. This remedy could be given to a woman who has a tendency to miscarry in order to strengthen the fetus and give it enough strength to incarnate fully. Babies born with a genetic defect or prematurely could also benefit. Also helps with a dying soul’s transition to the spirit world (halfway between life and death) such as in a coma, or they are close to death but insist on holding onto life, refusing to accept the dying process.

This may be for unnatural transitions (death of a child). Could be helpful when someone seems stuck and feels blocked in their life so that they cannot move forward as an intercurrent remedy.

Looking for a Father: Emasculated Men Who Cannot Pass on the Mantle

This is a constitutional remedy for weak males who may be impotent (sterile) who are not able to pass on their line. These men have lost their courage and masculinity; most likely they had no male figure in their lives to show them how to be a man. This condition may also result from a genetic ancestral disease (e.g. a genetic disease passed down the ancestral line). They are completely dependent upon a (usually female) caregiver who must “be the man” for them and take the responsibility. They cannot earn a living and/or cannot be a real father to their children.

Boys who are drawn to gangs as a way to develop an identity within a clear male structure. Boys living without a clear father figure, who cannot make the transition to full manhood. Lack of ceremony for this transition in Western culture and poor or absent role models for what a fully developed man should be.

Many children are being raised in single parent, usually female, homes and the dominant culture emphasizes violent male images.

Being in Limbo: Stuck in a Negative Space

A depressed person, stuck in their negative space, being able to see only black and white, and having

next to no energy. An autistic child, locked in their very own world, unable to have any communication with those outside that world.

A person so stuck in the old familiar interpretations of life, that the transition into something different seems alien – literally as if from a different planet. Saying something cannot be done allows one to remain in the old story – gaining no chlorophyll means I only have to grow up so tall and then I can disappear – I need not have any impact; definitely I will not carry any mantles. This person takes the easiest way out, and can complain, feel victimized, may even have some mild addictions, probably

would not ever stop smoking, drinks a bit too much, but not all the time, dabbles a bit with pot smoking.

Always choosing the weaker option precisely because of the lack of chlorophyll (courage, energy, strength). This type of situation is often seen in CFIDS sufferers.

Themes of Death & Foreboding

This was a big theme during the proving: many symbols of death and the afterlife came up. Some examples: owls, vultures, angels, gangsters, poison, toxic, crosses, bones, black flag, ghosts. Many

provers had a sense of foreboding, leading some to conclude that perhaps they should not even be participating in the proving and one woman adamantly backing out. This remedy could be used as an

intercurrent remedy to help a person to face their fears about death or other “ghosts” in their lives, the shadow side that they do not want to face or deal with so that they can move forward with their life.

Such a person might be stuck in an in between state, like a ghost who cannot really participate fully in the world of the living nor cross over into the next world. A state of limbo. This sense of foreboding also speaks to this remedy’s need for protection because the person needing it is so weak and fragile they may rightly perceive their environment as threatening.

Crossing the Boundaries: Genetic Interference

Albino redwoods are a result of genetic mutation, debatably they are something that should not even exist. Whether or not the albino redwood, or this remedy, should exist begs the question because it does indeed exist. This could be a constitutionally useful remedy for babies with a genetic defect, or people who have a disease that has been passed on genetically. It may also be a useful remedy of the future for clones or people who have been subjected to genetic alteration.

Clear Boundaries: Polarities/Opposites/Contradictions/Split

Of course this can be found in any remedy, but in this remedy, the theme was quite pronounced and

very characteristic of this remedy. Everything in this remedy was seen as a split or polarity rather than as a whole. Because the split was so defined in this remedy, there were also issues with crossing

boundaries, especially in dreams (e.g. of strange people coming into one’s house or room). Some

examples of polarities in this remedy: Good/bad – slow/fast – jagged/smooth – black/white – confident/overconfident – relaxed/tense – serious/funny – light/heavy

Fastidiousness & Getting it Right

There is an exactitude about this remedy, a fastidiousness and a desire to get it right. Provers wanted to organize and control things.

Difficult Communication/Expression

Provers found it difficult to express themselves correctly, verbally as well as written (e.g. I kept transcribing letters while transcribing this proving). Because this remedy has the desire to be alone, and run and hide, they may find it difficult to communicate with others. As an acute remedy, this remedy could foster easier communication with a dying loved one. It may also allow someone in mourning to express their grief instead of suppressing it. The first four rounds were done in almost complete silence, despite encouragement to speak about what was coming up.

Dreams & Other Imagery

Other imagery which showed up in dreams and during the trituration include snow, ice, strange people coming one’s house or room (boundaries), and the ocean/water.

Sensitivity to Environment: Temperatures, Smells, Dryness, Thirst & Water Loss

All plant remedies have sensitivity to their environment but with this remedy, this sensitivity is very pronounced. The albino redwood is much more environmentally delicate than the parent tree.

Temperatures were an aspect of sensitivity: overheating was quite unpleasant and resulted in copious perspiration, ameliorated by cooling off (e.g. a cool shower). Getting chilled was also an issue: ideally the tree thrives in a temperate environment. Water loss was also an issue. There was a sensation of dryness in the throat leading to cough, ameliorated by drinking water. Mucus secretions (e.g. from

nostrils) also tended to be thick rather than watery. Also, there was increased thirst as well as increased urination. Provers also had an increased sensitivity to smells.

Skin symptoms have an affinity for the extremities: arms and feet. Eruptions are itching, and look like blisters or bug bites, sometimes oozing and breaking open. If there is itching there can be an urge to scratch until it bleeds. Provers also experienced peeling of the skin.

GI Symptoms

Many provers became very hungry, with a craving for a great volume of food. Some provers also experienced nausea (especially when feeling fatigued) and there was abdominal cramping that seemed unrelated to eating.

Pain Themes

Joint pains were arthritic with typical Rhus-t. modalities (< first movement, > getting going). Joint pains were mostly centred in the small joints of the hands and feet.

Headaches centred around the eye and/or temple region. There were a lot of eye symptoms: sensitivity and pain, sometimes burning or aching. There was also lower back pain +/o. pain in the cervical region. Abdominal cramping was also experienced by a number of provers, especially on the left side. Some provers also experienced some heart pain.

Main Remedy Sensations

*Heaviness

Paralyzed

Cramping

Fragile

Swelling

Stinging

Sharp/Stitching

Poking

Remedy Nucleus

Difficult life & death transitions: miscarriage, abortion, dying process & mourning

Weak emasculated men who lack courage and give all responsibility to the female

Inherited genetic disease or genetic interference (e.g. clones)

In limbo: people stuck in a negative space

Helps people face their shadow side so they get on with their lives and start to live again

Strong polarities & boundaries: black & white, good & bad, inside & outside, etc.

Redwood Etymology

The word albino is from the Latin word albus, meaning white. Redwood literally means “wood that has a red hue” referring specifically to California Redwood, Sequoia sempervirens.

Spirit Tree is another name for this tree. The word spirit is from the French “espirit” which means “the animating principle in man and animals,” and from the Latin “spiritus” meaning “soul, courage, vigor,

breath,” related to spirare “to breathe,” and the Indo European word (s)peis “to blow.”

Some also refer to this tree as the Ghost Tree. Ghost originates from the old English word “gast” meaning “soul, spirit, life, breath; good or bad spirit, angel, demon,” and

from the Indo European word “gheis” meaning “to be excited, amazed, frightened.”

What is an Albino Redwood?

Albinism is always the result of a genetic defect. In plants, albinism is characterized by the absence of chlorophyll, the vital substance that makes plants green. Chlorophyll collects light energy to be used by green plants to manufacture food in the process of photosynthesis. Lacking chlorophyll, the albino redwood has to obtain nutrients by some other means than photosynthesis if it is to survive. By sharing a common root system with regular redwoods or by attachment to a parent tree, albino redwoods tap the food supply of normal redwoods to sustain life and growth. Albino redwoods are parasitic.

Because the coast redwood is among the most genetically complex of plants, it is not surprising that genetic mutations (albino redwoods) exist.

Genetically, the coast redwood is what's called a hexaploid.

That means that each of its cells contains six sets of chromosomes, for 66 chromosomes total. In contrast, humans are merely diploid, with 23 chromosomes.

Thus, the tree has a large capacity for genetic experimentation.

Physical Properties and Description

Normal coast redwoods are massive trees, growing up to 200 - 300 feet tall. In contrast, albino redwoods consist of small sprout groups or modest shrubs under five feet tall, found at the base of the parent (normal) redwood.

They are most often found in the darkest parts of old - growth forest regions.

Their leaves are an ivory shade of white, and feel waxy to the touch.

Unlike regular coast redwoods, the wood isn't strong and lacks critical chemicals. Their internal vessels are narrow. And their growth rings are very close together, suggesting slow growth. When times get tough, the parent tree withdraws all support and the seedlings perish, turning brown.

In times of abundant rain, they sprout again, flourishing.

"They come and go, like ghosts," says Cowell Park CA docent Dave Kuty, "They starve to death and shrink back. Then they reappear."

Those who are lucky enough to have seen an albino redwood describe its appearance as very striking and beautiful.

Vorwort/Suchen Zeichen/Abkürzungen Impressum