During my time in homeopathy school, while trying my best to remember Latin names of different remedies, our class was introduced to the use of mineral salts. Grounded in the indications learned through provings and clinical experience, we saw how a mineral compound of two elements could be further understood through the synergism of the individual elements. In other words, if a history seemed to fit a common  compound such as natrum muriaticum, we’d explore the patient’s history to see if certain nuances fit more closely with natrum phos, natrum carb, natrum sulph, etc. Similarly, if a calcarea carbonica theme was evident throughout the history, and yet other facets of the history pointed to sulphur, phosphorus or silica, then the salts of calcarea (eg., calcarea sulph, calcarea phos, etc.) could be considered. At the time this approach was thought to be stretching the bounds of classical practice, yet our results were improved by ‘fine-tuning’ remedy choices in this manner. Michael Quinn at Hahnemann Labs in California remarked that another consequence was an immediate scramble in the homeopathic pharmacies to keep up with the new demands!

Jan Scholten’s book “Homeopathy and Minerals” is often considered to be the first exploration of these mineral salts, yet these same ideas were debated over a century ago (see: http://hpathy.com/papersold/lorbacher-synthetic-remedies.asp)
  In Scholten’s book he outlines themes of well-known elements, and is able to describe some potential dynamics when two elements are combined. For instance, if natrum tendencies include reserve and closed grief, and phosphorus themes include sociability, the dynamic theme might fall along the lines of “To what extent shall I interact with others and to what extent shall I retreat?”  My experience has been that Scholten’s themes for each mineral compound are just a starting point, as there are many potential facets of interaction between any two elements. But the attempt to further understand how two elements interact should not result in poorly conceived prescriptions, so how can one learn to accurately recognize these salts?

Many homeopaths have noted a particular language of structure and performance found in the histories of those needing remedies from the mineral kingdom.  Order, sequence, logic, goal-setting, and “refined performance” are all representative of what can be found in a “mineral history”. After it’s clear that a client is using mineral “language”, one “side” of the mineral salt (eg., cation or anion) usually reveals itself more easily, and a more subtle presentation of the other element (anion or cation) eventually makes itself known. For example, a client could give a history which includes fears of dark, ghosts, disease, insanity, and others seeing witnessing their lack of competence or confusion, and it sounds very much like calcarea carbonica. Yet as the client continues, they may gradually reveal fears of doing something wrong (or being perceived as doing something wrong), being accused, blamed, persecuted and punished. In this case, one could consider prescribing Calcarea bromatum.

Below are selected examples of basic themes of the more commonly known elements:

Left side of table (eg., cations):

Natrum = reserve, closed, private; holding on to unprocessed hurt or grief; averse to consolation; holding on to relationship vs. broken relationship; desires strong 1:1 relationship or otherwise needs time alone.

Magnesium = averse to conflict including conflict between others, when it occurs in the immediate environment — prompting mediation and peacemaking; forsaken feeling and fear of abandonment; search for identity: ‘I please others but in the process lose myself and a sense of my needs and boundaries’.

Kali = relationship to rules, order, family, community, right and wrong, “black and white” (concrete and somewhat inflexible) beliefs and solutions to life’s challenges.

Calcarea =  fear of vulnerability; horrible stories affect profoundly; protection within a structure; fear of being observed or others seeing their confusion.

Right side of table (eg., anions):

Sulphur = desire to be acknowledged and appreciated; tendency to run warm; tendency towards disorder; censorious; theorizing

Phosphorus = fear of thunderstorms, ghosts, darkness; vivid imagination which may also include imaginary fears; lack of boundaries: social, intuitive, clairvoyant; sympathetic, affectionate; bleeding problems; love for animals.

Nitrogen = desire for freedom vs. fear of losing control; fear of narrow places vs. one’s impulses; fear of heights, running late; may like or dislike surprises; themes of crisis, urgency, sudden, emergency, out of control; obstinate (dislike of control by others)

Carbon = issues of self-worth and value; energy and “value” increasing and decreasing; productivity (eg., work, metabolism) with associated expenditure and depletion.”

Because our instructors had employed mineral compounds for many years in practice, it wasn’t difficult for us to accept that they were valid and useful.  However, Scholten’s ideas took an even bigger step when he described the possibility of themes of life running across and down the periodic table.  For example, in the 4^th, 5^th and 6^th horizontal rows of the periodic table–which include copper, silver and gold, respectively–each of these rows or series was described in terms of specific performance themes: “task” in the 4^th row (copper series), “creative expression” in the 5^th row (silver series), and “heavy responsibility and influence” in the 6^th row (gold series).  Similarly, the vertical columns from the left towards the middle of the table were progressive states of aspiring to peak performance (peak performance represented by the elements nickel and copper in the 4^th, palladium and silver in the 5^th, and platinum and gold in the 6^th) followed by progressively declining performance represented by remedies towards the right side of the table.

These concepts were outlined in Scholten’s book “Homeopathy and the Elements”, and each element was characterized in a metaphorical sort of way.  In spite of the good results I’d had with the use of mineral salts, I wasn’t comfortable implementing Scholten’s newer ideas in practice, as the descriptions were more general and still evolving. But after attending seminars by Lou Klein and Jayesh Shah, and witnessing before and after videos demonstrating clearly positive results with these remedies, I felt confident enough to attempt using these remedies in practice. More recently, other books have been published which further describe these themes, including Sankaran’s “Structure”.

Because the stages of beginning, aspiring, peaking, declining and starting over again are themes experienced throughout our lives, when do these stages become pathological? My experience has been that it’s not the desire for a good performance itself, but rather when there’s some conflict related to a particular stage in life, as for example when a person applies further meaning or significance to his performance. In other words, the performance may be linked with self-worth, security, being noticed or appreciated, avoiding persecution, etc. In such cases high performance standards are no longer freely expressed, but rather they reflect limiting beliefs, eg., ‘In order to feel appreciated, I need to do well in my performance’; ‘In order to feel valued, I need to perform perfectly’; ‘In order to feel nurtured, I need  to be recognized for my good performance’.

The presenting physical complaint often “speaks the language” of the greater state of distress: ‘When my headaches increase, they interfere with my ability to work’. If the person doesn’t expand on this, a further question might be, ‘And how does the inability to work affect you?’ ‘Well, I’d love to do my art, and to maybe someday make a living that way, but every time I get a headache I feel like I’m starting over. Then I start feeling worthless, like this dream will never happen for me.’

Once I had recognized a structured, mineral “personality” speaking throughout the history, then the second consideration was whether or not the mineral theme was related to performance. In other words, if the person also says, “I can’t stand disorder because then I can’t think, and if I can’t think then I’m not effective in my work”, then I may be seeing the emergence of a performance theme. If in fact performance is the main emphasis of the person’s distress, then the next step is to understand the theme of the performance. Is the performance a largely task-oriented type of work (copper series)? Does the performance include creative elements—new ideas, reflecting well, shining in the eyes of others (silver series)? Or might the performance be related to heavy responsibility, influence, and power (gold series)?”

Expanding on the above themes, the copper series relates to more mundane tasks, and being competent and responsible in the completion of one’s task. Cuprum feels the delusion they’re “selling green vegetables”. The silver series relates to creative performance, with concern about others’ approval of the performance. “Silver tongue, silver pen, and silver screen” refer to the gift of speech, the gift of writing, and creative expression in general. Finally, the gold series relates to a “gold standard, golden girl, golden boy, good as gold, golden rule”—in other words, perfection, influence and power affecting others’ lives. The person who benefits from a gold series remedy isn’t fully satisfied with others’ positive feedback—they ultimately decide whether their performance has met the gold standard.

It’s also important to consider the physical complaints. A general rule, although certainly not rigid, is ‘lighter problems with lighter elements, heavier problems with heavier elements’.  So where we may note a tendency towards musculoskeletal problems in the copper row, we’ll see more neurological complaints in the silver row, and more syphilitic complaints in the gold row.

To summarize up to this point, “mineral histories” tend to be more structured. After recognizing a structured history, I patiently wait to see if the theme of the history is one of performance. If so, then I need to determine the theme of the described performance. I’ve learned (the hard way!) that there’s a temptation to quickly “figure out” what mineral remedy a person might need, but the distinctions between the copper, silver and gold series remedies are subtle and will usually emerge of their own accord without a lot of probing. After determining the series—copper, silver or gold—then comes the next challenge—where does the person perceive their performance in relation to “peak”?

Subtle distinctions exist between personal perceptions of performance, and correspondingly, how those same gradations exist in the progressive columns of remedies in the periodic table. Because many of the remedies in the first two columns are well known, we’ll start by focusing on the remedies in the 3^rd through 11^th columns in the copper, silver and gold series.

3^rd column: Scandium (task row) Yttrium (creative expression) and Lanthanum (gold standard)

The 3^rd column represents a shift from behavior largely influenced by external structure and relationships (in the 1^st and 2^nd columns) to that of self-direction. Understandably, if one’s locus of direction has shifted from external to internal barometers, then judgment is more independent, and one is likely to experience irresolution and confusion.  ‘Which way do I go?  How do I start?  Do I try this, this or this?  I can’t rely on external structure to help answer these questions—I have to figure this out for myself.  It’s so confusing!’

(Note: These feelings are similar to alumina, which in some periodic charts is located above scandium).

The 4^th column: titanium, zirconium, hafnium

In the 4^th column, one begins to sense a direction on the mental plane, but it’s not sustained. ‘Okay, I’ve chosen to head in this particular direction. This seems to be a good route for me to go. Yes, in fact, I’ve pretty much decided this is the route I’m going to take. Hmmm . . . it’s a little daunting to have decided on this one direction—maybe it’s wrong? Just to be sure, I’ll check my decision against the other choices to be sure I’ve chosen correctly’.

(Note: The 4^th column remedies can be understood through their position between the 3^rd and 5^th columns.)

The 5^th column: vanadium, niobium, tantalum

The 5^th column reflects initial progress and attainment of preliminary goals, but there’s a feeling that one needs to be so much more. Because of a lack of confidence, the sense of one’s attainment is that it’s very incomplete and one needs to continue striving. Yet the frustration with this stage is that any further progress never feels stable or steady, and one experiences a sort of “two steps forward, two steps back”. Unfortunately, the never-ending sense of effort is undermined by circumstance, or the person’s own lack of confidence–or both!

Vanadium: Dreams: unsuccessful efforts to: do various things.

The 6^th column: chromium, molybdenum, tungsten

In the 6^th column, one experiences repeated circumstances of being thrust into circumstances without having complete preparation.’I had no choice but to perform, even though I wasn’t fully trained or experienced’.  Naturally, a person is not feeling very confident if they’re feeling incompletely prepared. However, an interesting point of distinction between this column and the previous one is that if challenged, the 5^th column person will likely acquiesce and feel “they’re probably right, I can’t do it”, whereas the 6^th column says (at least to themselves) “Oh yeah?  I’ll show you!”

Tungsten:  Audacity; Delusion he is taller; Doubtful; Dreams of banquet; Dreams of battles; Dreams of climbing; Dreams he would be crushed; Dreams: people, of influential persons to whom he occupies position of servant or subordinate; Dreams of threats; Fight, wants to; Haughty, clothing, likes to wear his best; Obstinate, headstrong.

The 7^th column: manganum, technetium, rhenium

The 7^th column individual is on the brink of exerting his or her own power, but there’s just enough sense of inexperience or incapacity that they rely on what others have said or written, particularly experts in the field. They’ll also turn to peers or even team members in a subordinate position to get ideas about what is best. The 7^th column individuals have been characterized as control freaks, but it’s important to note their need to control is the over-compensation of less-than confident individuals to avert potential failure.

Manganum: Anxiety as if something bad is going to happen; Dreams of misfortune; Fear of misfortune; Cautious; Dreams bad luck

The 8^th column: ferrum, ruthenium, osmium

The 8^th column is the first full exertion of one’s power—’I'll take on the challenge to test my fiber, to see what I’m capable of. I’ll take on the challenge to see what I can learn’. They’re aware of the potential for failure, but ‘it’s more important to have tried and failed rather than to never have tried at all’.

Ferrum: Disposition to contradict; Quarrelsome; Dictatorial; Disputatious; Dogmatic; Dreams war; Obstinate; Pertinacity; Positiveness

Osmium: Dreams of important events – Continued next page