The journey to an independent life: a case of Aristolochia clematitis – 622.72.05

Klara’s mother was only 19 when she became pregnant with her; the father was 22 and still studying. His mother – although strictly Catholic – wanted Klara’s mother to have an abortion. Klara’s mother resisted this and consequently had to hide her pregnancy. In her mother‑in‑law’s view she had brought shame on the “sacred” institution of the family in her small home community.

Consequently Klara did not really want to come into this world. The birth was long and difficult, but afterwards Klara proved to be an easy child for her parents. Her mother had child after child, six siblings in total. Each child was a new disappointment for the grandmother, who felt sorry for her “poor” son. For Klara’s mother, however, each birth was a great satisfaction.

I asked Klara what it was like growing up in that family. She reported that she felt more or less lost and confused about herself, her place in the family and her significance within it. Her parents were overwhelmed by family life; there was neither time nor space to meet the needs of the six siblings. Klara had to take on many tasks and look after her siblings. She was easygoing and agreeable until she finished school and moved out of the family home with her younger brother.

In her new independent world her problems began, because she was not used to having anything of her own. She could not concentrate, every little thing confused her and she struggled with her new daily life. She increasingly withdrew into her own little world, stayed at home most of the time and avoided contact with friends. She began smoking marijuana to escape from a life that still felt very alien to her.

She fell in love with a young man who did not really reciprocate her feelings. For ten years she yearned for him and his love.

Klara grew older and her parents had no understanding for her inability to finish her studies. Because of her “strange” behaviour she became an outsider in the family. All her siblings had achieved something; only she lived withdrawn in her own world. When her brother moved in with his girlfriend, she lost her flat and afterwards worked as a childminder for a family.

It was during this phase of life that I met Klara. She owned nothing except a bag with a few personal belongings. She appeared confused and expressed the wish to leave this world. It was not a suicidal intention, more an incomprehension about why she had to be here at all. She spoke about her ideals; she wanted to improve the world and the people in it. Her eyes shone with clarity, but her moods could plunge from the highest heights into the depths of hell.

She so much wanted to be herself but had no idea how to manage it. It seemed as if a wall stood between her and her life.

Klara’s mother is a devout Catholic and anything but approachable. She began to vent her pent‑up anger on her daughter. She accused her of not wanting to work and earn money, of not being down‑to‑earth or reliable. She dismissed Klara’s spirituality as esoteric nonsense: “If you’re so spiritual, why do you have to smoke hashish and waste your time instead of helping others?”

Klara’s father has a rather weak personality; he neither sided with his wife nor supported his daughter.

The parents consulted a psychologist about their daughter, who predicted that Klara would never grow up and would remain dependent on her parents for the rest of her life. Financial independence was not to be expected.

By then Klara’s maternal grandmother had developed guilty feelings about her daughter’s pregnancy. She offered Klara a room in her house, in the basement, but with a nice view of the garden, which Klara loved. Klara lived there in a chaotic state until her grandmother could no longer bear the situation. Klara moved back to her parents’ house but had to live in a tiny cellar room that had previously housed the pets. There was no other room available. No one could imagine that this situation would ever change.

I repeatedly tried to encourage Klara and support her wish to lead an independent life and thus free herself from her parents. Of course I gave her many different remedies, each of which repeatedly brought changes in her life situation: Curare (initially completely emotionless, with heightened ideals), Iodum (fleeing from this brutal world), Lanthanum chloratum (what can I do with this mother?), Neodymium chloratum (having to prove oneself to the mother), Cereus bonplandii (longing for love yet shrinking back), Hydrogenium (incarnation), Natrium chloratum (disappointed by the mother), Magnesium carbonicum (abandoned by the father, yet longing for his stability).

With the help of these remedies she became more independent; it became clear to her that she wanted to free herself from this prison, but that she still needed time. I could very well understand this feeling myself; I also needed time to reflect!

Physical complaints: headaches, dysmenorrhoea, recurrent tonsillitis.

Since I had studied Jan Scholten’s theory of the plant classes, I took the time to analyse the case again from that perspective:

Klara was reflective, she had undergone psychotherapy and made great efforts to understand herself and her situation. One could therefore think of the 665 series:

-6: the properties of the lanthanides; self‑reflective, wanting to be free.

-5: spiritual, special.

I had already given her a lanthanide and as a consequence she gained deeper insight into her personality and became more independent of her parents. Her real problem, however, was the small, confused inner child that could not cope in this world.

That led me to 622: the carbon series, birth, ego, father.

Phase 7: she had always been afraid of losing her life, her parents, her home (like the Chlorata and Ioda).

Subphase 2: she had been abandoned from the beginning (like Magnesium).

The result was the wonderful Aristolochiales – 622.72.

Phase 7: being cast out.

Subphase 2: wanting to belong again.

Prescription: Aristolochia clematitis 1M.

Follow ups

Within a few months Klara found a new job and this time she also stayed. Initially she fell ill every few weeks due to the unfamiliar strain, but she remained grounded and did not run away.

Over time she gained strength and self‑confidence. She could feel the appreciation of her colleagues and the children she cared for in a day‑nursery.

She left her parents’ cellar to share a flat with a friend. I regarded this as a major step and had my doubts whether Klara was up to it. But apart from a few highs and lows she managed very well. She reduced her cannabis use to weekend joints.

She reconnected with the man she had loved ten years earlier and found that he was not capable of a stable relationship. Her menstrual cycle became regular and pain‑free, she had noticeably more energy and the tonsillitis did not recur.

I am full of hope for Klara and her new independent life.

Discussion

Aristolochia belongs to the Magnoliidae, which are numbered 622 in Scholten’s plant theory.

The carbon series (2) deals with the themes of birth, child, ego, self‑worth, father.

The two‑digit ‘2’ of the Magnoliidae strongly points to the carbon series with the themes: birth; child; feeling foreign; feeling confused, lost; not knowing how to cope in this world; the parents are weak or absent; unsure whether they can be themselves.

The Aristolochiales are in Phase 7, which fits the unpleasant odour of these plants and the way they attract and trap insects. The hairs in the clustered inflorescences hold insects until they have pollinated the plant: being trapped, cast out, expelled, revenge, the mother theme (halogens), unfulfilled love.

The Aristolochiaceae (climbing plants) are in Subphase 2: insecure, abandoned, not in the family, trying to belong, similar to Magnesium, longing for a relationship.

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Photo: Shutterstock
Young woman in depression; Lolly
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Aristolochia clematitis; H.Zell; CC BY‑SA 3.0

Category: Cases

Keywords: hidden pregnancy, abortion, confusion, outside, cast out, dependent.

Remedy: Aristolochia clematitis

Original article: Interhomeopathy.org