Comparison of Insect and Spider Remedy Themes
by Carolyn Burdet
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Animal-kingdom themes |
Insect themes |
Spider themes |
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Competitive behaviour
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Ambitious, industrious, working for the community, striving. Desire to achieve goals for validation and material gain. |
Ambition to be someone great or to do something great. Ambition to grow bigger. Desire for attention. |
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Competitive behaviour – |
Ambition to get ahead, to improve, to advance, to make something of their life. |
Competition-oriented power struggle. Wants to stand above someone else. |
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Power struggle – Me versus you |
Dominant, submissive, enslaved, inferiority complex, oppressed, wants to be seen as an individual but feels like nothing. |
Forces one’s will on others. Overwhelming someone, or wants to overcome an oppressor. Head belongs to someone else – personality is sublimated into another’s identity. |
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Bigger than me / smaller than me |
Feel small, belittled, humiliated, as if people demean them and treat them like dirt. |
Does not tolerate disrespect. Wants to be bigger to defend against a larger oppressor. |
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The animal kingdom has hierarchy problems. |
Insects form colonies. They have the feeling that they work within a controlled structure that abuses them. |
No fear, not intimidated, or feels manipulated and overwhelmed by someone. Large power imbalance in the partnership (she is stronger). |
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Central themes: |
Change, transition, transformation are key themes of insect remedies. |
Vindictiveness, possessiveness, unwillingness to let go, manipulative relationship, female vengeance. |
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Tubercular miasm |
Trapped, suffocated, wanting to fly away, restless activity. |
Entangled, stuck, cannot escape a situation. |
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Attack / defence is a question of survival |
Violent impulses: ruthless, sudden attack, fear of sudden death, burning anger, feels harassed, strikes back. |
Violent outbursts: pounces suddenly on someone, deliberate revenge. Spiders wait for prey to be trapped in the web. |
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Activity |
Team sport, running about, a team wins, e.g. football. |
Likes brutal sport, sadistic, brutal: boxing, kickboxing. |
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Ruthlessness |
Can be callous, lack of empathy for others’ feelings, can exploit others ruthlessly. |
Cruelty, sadism, deceit, lying, con artists, trespass, “take everything he has”. |
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Teasing, taunting |
Cutting, stinging remarks, gossip, unfeeling, curt. |
Jokes, tricks, pranks, taunt, mock, needle, provoke, clever. |
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Irritation |
Irritates, harasses, feels bullied (malaria miasm). |
Angry, trapped, blocked, under someone’s power. |
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Sensitive to their environment |
Oversensitive, irritable, buzzing, humming, tense. |
Sensitive to noise, vibration, rhythm, pulsation, sounds. |
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Restless |
Internally / physically restless – suffocated, restricted, tubercular miasm. |
Inner restlessness, physical restlessness and nervousness, jerky movements. |
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Impatience |
Impatient, hurried, rushing, quick, restless, hectic or fruitless activity. |
Impatient to have something, wants it now, cannot bear to wait, demanding. |
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Energetic, active |
High energy level, restless, fidgety, energetic buzzing in their bodies, cannot relax. |
Highly tense nervous energy – noise / vibrations resonate through the whole body. |
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Sexual desire |
Strong sexual drive, desire for sex, urgent need, passionless, fickle, occasional affairs. Apis is an exception – sexual drive is suppressed. |
Passionate, strong sexual energy, one partner has the upper hand, can be deceitful. |
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Lively movement |
Running, hopping, fidgety, ADHD, itching, scratching, insect stings cause itching, restlessness. |
Jumps on someone, spring-trap, climbing, ropes, swinging, spin, trapeze, dangerous. |
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Productivity |
Must be busy, structured, organised, productive work to reach goals, or fruitless activity. |
Creativity, knitting, handiwork, art, textiles, crafts, or desire to lie down. |
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Energy |
High energy, tension, unpredictable, constantly in motion, inexhaustible energy or tired. Always busy even when ill. |
Rhythm, drumming, dance, tiredness, desire to lie down. Feels vibrations in the body, noise makes them nervous. |
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The animal kingdom is social, questions of interaction with others |
Social. Conform to society, follow orders. Insect-remedy children feel overlooked, ignored. |
Nonconformists, individualistic, committed to their family and children, spider parents care for their young. |
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Delusions |
Insect delusions: feels used + abused, exploited, tormented, bullied, humiliated, small. |
Spider delusions: being caught in a web, cannot leave a bad relationship, overwhelmed. |
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Sensations |
Crushed, squashed, annoyed, humiliated, dirty, trampled, despised, oppressed, small. |
Crushed, smashed, trampled, pulverised, tortured, distortion of size, enlargement of body parts. |
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Jealousy |
Apis is jealous; there is a saying “jealous as lice”. |
Can be vindictive, revengeful, lays deceptive webs. |
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Attractive appearance |
Materialistic, consumerist, good-looking, fashion trends, brands, shiny colours, nail care. |
Prefers the colours black, red and green, individual style. |
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Consumption, use |
Takes stimulants, drugs, caffeine to stay awake. |
Desire to smoke tobacco or cannabis to relax. |
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Species in relation to humanity |
Insects are trodden on, humiliated, crushed, exterminated, they are dirty and treated as vermin (fleas, flies, lice, mosquitoes). |
Spiders make people jump, cause fear + phobias, spider remedies treat panic, heart rhythm disturbances + palpitations. |
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Overcompensations
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An insect remedy feels small, treated like dirt, dirty; when overcompensating, it is clean + tidy, washing compulsion. |
Spider remedies want to appear bigger and stronger to overcome their oppressors; they provoke this to gain the upper hand. |
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Symptoms + sensations |
Burning, itching, stabbing pains, swelling, allergic reaction. |
Tiredness, enlargement, vibration, nervous conditions. |
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Temperature |
Hot, red, burning. |
Cold, chilly to the bone. |
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Modalities |
Hot, itchy, worse from warmth, better from cold applications (Apis). |
Palpitations, better from warm showers (Latrodectus mactans). |
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Similarity / disease symptoms |
Urinary tract infections, rash, allergic reactions, sore throat with swelling and constriction. |
Palpitations, angina, tiredness, hysteria, nerves, jerky movements, injuries, platelets. |
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Appetite / craving |
Large appetite, constant hunger, feels famished, craving for sugar. |
Juice, liquid food. Can go long without food, digestive disturbances. |
INSECTS
Common themes of insect remedies
Bustling, active, restless, industrious, organised.
Ambition to be better, greedy, materialistic, showy, wealth and status.
Change, improvement, development, wants to make something of themselves.
Feel small, powerless, helpless, offended, humiliated, belittled, used, exploited.
Crushed, pulverised, trampled, squashed, stamped on, oppressed.
Dirty, ugly, repulsive, disgusting, not good, worthless, low, degraded.
Longing for a better, less humble life, dreaming of escape.
Common symptoms in insect remedies
Feelings of suffocation, constriction, restriction, pressure in the throat or on the chest.
Itching, crawling, tingling of the skin.
Buzzing, vibration in the body.
Urinary tract infections, irritation of the genitals.
Burning, stinging, stabbing pains.
Hoarseness, aversion to liquids.
Appetite, hunger.
Worse from warmth, better in fresh air, better from cold applications.
Insect classifications
Coleoptera - beetles
Dictyoptera - cockroaches, mantises
Diptera - houseflies, mosquitoes
Hymenoptera - ants, bees, wasps
Lepidoptera – butterflies, moths
Orthoptera - locusts, crickets
Pterygota Phthiraptera anoplura - lice, bloodsuckers, wingless parasites
Siphonaptera - fleas
Zygoptera Odonata - dragonflies, damselflies
Characteristics of insect groups
Hymenoptera (Hymenoptera) - highly organised social structures
Ants, bees, wasps: bustling, active, home, family, social duties, bossy, organised
Vespa: domestic life is unstable, fragile; sarcasm, repeated stinging
Apis: organised, industrious, bossy, home-loving, demanding, inflammation better from cold water
Ants: industrious, tireless activity, unemotional, dreams of aliens, robots
Diptera - houseflies, mosquitoes
Musca domestica: dirty, low, worthless, ‘rubbish’, degraded, confusion, perversions, pornography
Mosquitoes: annoying, malaria miasm
Coleoptera
Cantharis: frenzy, activity, overreaction, mania, stabbing pain, burning pain, cystitis, burns
Beetles: hard shell, fragile inside, feels vulnerable, bullied, feels used, feels guilty, stability
Doryphora (Colorado beetle, feeds on solanaceae): allergy, addiction, talkativeness, bloating, red
Dictyoptera
Cockroaches: numb, indifferent, crushed, ambition for status, wants to be polished, successful
Praying mantis: brutality, swearing, anger, thinks others bully them, makes them the victim
Hemiptera
Lice, fleas: parasites, greedy, needy, clingy, come too close, talk about themselves
Lepidoptera
Butterflies, moths: restless, darting, lack of concentration, confusion, flighty, change to survive
Orthoptera
Locusts, crickets: irritability, ambition to be the best, hunger, emptiness, cold, fear of attack
Zygoptera Odonata
Dragonflies, damselflies: hovering, meditative, attack, responsibility vs. irresponsibility
SPIDERS
Common themes in spider remedies
- Nervous weakness, sensitivity to noise, tones, vibrations are felt in the body, noise
- Dancing, music, beat, rhythm, drumming
- Restlessness, activity, restless legs, busy hands
- Joking, playing tricks, teasing, making fun, trickery, flattery, risk-taking, defiant, outspoken
- Jumping, hiding, springing out, pouncing on someone, climbing, abseiling
- Tubercular miasm - hurried, looking for new and interesting things
- Deceit, cunning, crafty, plotting, treacherous
- Withdrawn, loners (not as social as insects, but spiders care for their young)
- Power struggle, jealousy, revenge, feeling small, powerless, female dominance
- Fear of spiders or fascination with spiders
- Theme of being trapped, paralysis
- Palpitations, cramping pains, breathlessness, feels cold to the bone
- Fear of illness, death, hypochondria, psychosomatic complaints, depression following illness
- Inflammation, swelling of wounds, oedema, abdominal pain, delirium
- Jerky movements, chorea, cannot sit still, dizziness
- Nervous exhaustion, tiredness, weakness, wants to lie down, exhaustion
- Attractiveness, sexuality, jewellery, ornamentation
- Dyslexia, poor memory
Arachnida[1]-remedies
Aranomorpha: e.g. Aranea
Spins webs in the air.
Mygalomorpha: e.g. Atrax, Mygale, Tarentula cubensis.
Lives in a funnel-shaped hole in the ground. Camouflages the entrance with a twig or a leaf like a trapdoor.
Aranea diadema – the garden cross spider - (spins a new web every day and lives in it, so to speak, suspended in the air)
Aranea ixobola - the cross spider, bridge cross spider (larger than diadema)
Aranea scinencia - horror spider
Atrax robustus - funnel-web spider (lives in a funnel-shaped hole in the ground)
Latrodectus hasselti – redback spider (globe spider), family Theridiidae
Latrodectus katipo – red katipo, New Zealand web spider, family Theridiidae
Latrodectus mactans - black widow (has a messy funnel-shaped web)
Loxosceles reclusa - brown recluse spider (isolation, sudden attack)
Mygale - tarantula, black Cuban spider (strong sexual desire)
Tarentula cubensis - Cuban tarantula (known as a remedy for boils)
Tarentula hispanica - tarantula (leader among the spiders)
Tegenaria domestica – house spider, cellar spider
Tela aranea - spider’s web
Theridion – orange spider, West Indian fire spider (keywords: hands always busy, knitting, craving for oranges, bananas, noise sensitivity)
Scorpion remedies: Androctonos and Buthus australis are also arachnids, but they have different characteristics and modalities. Therefore scorpion remedies were not included in this comparison or in the general summary of spider symptoms. Instead of spider teasing and joking there is isolation and cold-blooded violence; they are the “lone fighters in the desert.”
[1] Arachnids
Symptoms in specific spider remedies
Sensitive to music, noises, shocks, light Aranea diadema, Tarantula, Theridion Lat-m
Teasing, taunting, making jokes Aranea Ixobola, Tarantula
Cunning, sly, deceitful, treacherous Tarantula, Latrodectus mactans,
Aranea, Ixobola, Loxosceles reclusa
Restless, active, must move Aranea diadema, Mygale, Tarantula,
Theridion
Restless but worse from the slightest movement Latrodectus mactans
Nervous Theridion
Feeling of danger and threat Latrodectus mactans, Mygale
Worry about the family’s health Aranea Ixobola
Wants to fight, box Aranea Ixobola, Tarantula
Twitching, jerking Mygale, Tarantula
Cramping pains Aranea Ixobola, Latrodectus mactans
Tightness, constriction, angina Latrodectus mactans
Abdominal pain, back pain Latrodectus mactans, Loxosceles reclusa
Cardiovascular disorders, palpitations Aranea Ixobola, Latrodectus mact, Mygale
Inflammation, lymph, cellulitis, oedema Latrodectus katipo
Nerve pain Aranea diadema, Aranea Ixobola
Feeling of swelling and enlargement Aranea diadema
Violent (annoying), sexual passion Mygale, Latrodectus hasselti
Craving for coffee, tobacco, smoking Aranea diadema, Aranea ixobola
Ice-cold hands + feet, chills Aranea diadema, Aranea Ixobola,
Mygale, Tarantula, Theridion
Burning pains Latrodectus hasselti
Chilly but has hot flushes Latrodectus mactans
Head belongs to another Theridion, Latrodectus mactans
Flying, hovering in the air, dizziness Latrodectus hasselti
Weeping in adult men Latrodectus mactans
Better in fresh air Aranea diadema, Aranea Ixobola,
Tarantula
Worse: cold, damp Aranea diadema, Latrodectus mactans,
Tarantula
Better from warm bathing Latrodectus mactans
Periodicity Aranea diadema, Mygale, Tarantula
Feels empty and hollow Loxosceles reclusa
Books and further literature
Frans Vermeulen - Synoptic Materia Medica Vol. 1 - (Apis, Aranea Diadema, Tarantula, Theridion)
Frans Vermeulen - Synoptic Materia Medica Vol.2 - (Aranea Ixobola, Mygale, Androctonus (scorpion), Buthus Australis (scorpion))
Frans Vermeulen - Prisma - (Apis, Aranea Diadema, Latrodectus mactans, Tarantula, Theridion)
Peter Fraser - Insects - Flight from the Earth
Massimo Mangialavori - Milk and Bugs
Roger Morrison - Desktop Guide
Patricia Le Roux - Butterflies
Alize Timmerman - The Family Factor in the Treatment of Children - the book is available at her seminars, and an article on the family factor in the treatment of children was published in Homeopathic LINKS 2010 vol 23:30-35.
Farokh Master - Spider Remedies
Jenni Tree - Owning the Earth - article in Homeopathic Links Vol 23, 4/10
Misha Norland and Peter Fraser - Provings of Schistocerca gregaria
Jeremy Sherr - Proving of the damselfly Calopteryx splendens
Louis Klein – Proving of Loxosceles reclusa
http://www.homeopathycourses.com/pdf/Loxosceles_Reclusa_Complete.pdf
Jonathan Hardy – Masterclass and seminar notes
David Mundy - seminar notes
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This article was published on www.interhomeopathy.org
Photos: Libelle gezuckert - Narayana Verlag - Photos
iStock - Many Bees, One Flying - Pajo_Marjanovic
shutterstock - Shamrock Spider - Araneus trifolium - Ron Rowan Photography
Keywords: insect themes, comparison of spider themes
