Publisher: Narayana Verlag
First English edition 2017, full color, 384 pages, hardbound
ISBN 978-3-95582-120-3
Let us briefly meditate on the obvious. The earth itself and the life-forms that exist here are composed of minerals in various physical states – solids, liquids and gases, and various forms, namely metals, non-metals, pure elements and their salts. We can conveniently conclude that a life-form is in fact a life-force, enshrined in a castle made from the minerals. Once a life-force exits, the material body, the castle made up of minerals, collapses upon itself making the biblical proclamation, ‘from dust to dust’, come true. Minerals are thus the unsung heroes, the very foundation of the entire Nature and of all creation that we are able to perceive.
Medicinal use of minerals for treatment of disease conditions goes way back to Ayurveda, and in recent times, homeopathy has come up with a unique way of unlocking the healing potential of minerals.
In this book, Psyche and structure – Crystals and Minerals in Homeopathy, Peter Tumminello shines light on crystals as a source of remedies and he explores these fascinating objects with the keen and sharp eye of a gemologist and the scholarly mind of a homeopath. He has successfully brought the best of both these diverse worlds into his book.
Gemology and mineralogy are a serious discipline of study and chemists spend a lifetime mastering these subjects. Peter has dug deep into this specialty and he has come up with easy to understand descriptions of the physics and nature of crystal systems. He is personally convinced of the vast, silent and powerful instinctive intelligence at work behind these natural wonders (crystals) and as an author, he is able to convince his readers too.
Peter’s inquiry is distilled into eight chapters that educate us about cubic, tetragonal, hexagonal, trigonal, orthorhombic, monoclinic, triclinic and amorphous crystal systems. Peter connects these systems and structures to the various aspects of human psyche we routinely encounter in our clients. He mentions that Michael Gienger, a mineralogist and crystal healer, had proposed that each of the eight classic crystal structures have affinity to specific lifestyles and unique aspects of the human psyche. Because of this affinity, it is possible to experience the practical application of this book. Once we understand and assimilate this affinity, it would be quite easy for us to listen to the life narrative of our clients, understand their symptoms and how they resonate with any particular crystal structure. Each of these eight chapters contains a description of psyche, supplementary and positive themes, spiritual dimensions, diseases at mental– physical – emotional levels, local symptoms and generalities, and also case studies. The end result is that the healing powers of the crystal – based remedies are now available to us.
I found the chapter devoted to differential diagnosis of crystal systems very useful. It is quite likely that in our practice, we will encounter an overlap between various aspects of psyche and the crystal system they resonate with.
A full chapter is devoted to assessment of structure in daily practice and Peter gives a list of questions we could ask during case-taking to get a clear idea about the structure our clients represent. An appendix gives a list of remedies made from the eight groups of crystal structures.
Since over 40% of homeopathic remedies are made from the mineral kingdom, this intelligent, comprehensive, well thought out, deep and beautiful book is a timely gift in our hands. With a committed study, we will be able to do better in choosing a prescription for our clients who are calling out for remedies from the mineral kingdom.
This full color, hardbound, 384 page book from Narayana Verlag is something you do not want to miss.
