Author:
Jan Scholten
Book:
Homeopathy and the Elements
Type:
Remedy
Chapter:
2.16
2.16 Oxygenium
Oxygen is an interesting remedy and we don’t know much about it, apart from the fact that it is present in many compound remedies. Remedies such as the Carbonicums, Nitricums, Silicatums, Phosphoricums and Sulphuricums all contain Oxygen, although one couldn’t guess from the names alone and it isn’t easy to detect a specific oxygen theme in these remedies. Alumina, Silica and Arsenicum album also contain oxygen, in fact they are pure oxides, although their name once again doesn’t indicate this fact.
When we analyse the remedy pictures of Alumina, Silica and Arsenicum album we see a common theme emerging, based on words like ’avarice, selfish, greed, egotism, fear of robbers, dreams of robbers and envy’. These words, as we shall see, all play a large part in the general theme of oxygen. And although the picture may initially seem to a bit negative, we know from experience that the more we get to know a remedy, the more this initial negative impression gets balanced in a broader overall picture.
Signature
The name Oxygen means acid, ‘oxy’, forming, ‘genesis’. The oxidisation of metals creates oxides, which are little used in homeopathy except in remedies such as Arsen alb. Some oxides dissolve in water to form acids. One example of such a compound is Nitric acid, which is created out of nitro-dioxide and water. Another example is carbon dioxide which dissolves in water and becomes a light acid.
Other oxides dissolve in water to become alkaline (also called causticum in homoeopathic literature). Oxides formed of metals in the left half of the periodic table, like Natrium, Kali and Calcium, dissolve in water and become alkaline.
Oxides from metals in the right half of the periodic table, like sulphur and nitrogen, usually turn into acids when dissolved in water.
The theme of water and fire is very much a part Oxygen. Oxidation means a reaction with the oxygen in the air, which produces fire and heat. This burning process frees the energy which was stored up in the original substance. But oxygen and hydrogen form the substance that quenches the fire, i.e. water. The theme of water and fire is often used symbolically to denote the theme of giving and taking, or male and female.
Oxidation is a key process in all forms of life. It is a slow internal process: there is no actual fire to be seen. It is a necessary process for remaining alive and at the same time it means the end of something, a sort of death. It is the theme of eating and being eaten, and here we see the connection with the theme of aggression.
Oxidation contains the essence of change and transformation. The exchange is a necessary prerequisite for change and therefore experience. Note also the importance of free radicals and anti-oxidants in this respect.
16% of the air we breathe consists of oxygen gas. It is the most common element on earth: 50 % of all matter consists of oxygen.
It is a gas and therefore very elusive, in contrast to the fact that you can’t do without it!
Concepts
Stage 16 Carbon series
Lost Individual Person I
Gone by Value Meaning Self-worth
Expecting Ethical: Good and Bad
Luring Body Life Lust
Intensifying Hero
Remembering Possessions
Imagining I-weakness
Pacifying Magic Myths
Eating up Child
Neglecting Lazy
Using up Rotting
Provoking
Analysis
Using up resources: selfishness.
Indifferent to possessions.
Living on past glory and resources of the body
Living on past feelings of self-worth: attention seeking.
Wanting more than is necessary: begging, demanding to have their own way.
Loss of self-worth: indignant.
Used up as a person: abuse.
Fantasising about loss of self-worth: victim.
Lazy person.
Expecting to get values and norms from others.
Luring with property: corruption.
Neglecting the body: tramp.
Trying to lure others to give: begging.
Expecting to receive possessions: begging.
Rotting of body: worms and maggots.
Picture of Oxygen
Essence: living on property and possessions: selfishness.
Living on possessions: selfishness
Possessions are a problem to the Oxygens, in the sense that they have difficulty finding a balance between giving and taking. They are afraid of losing their possessions and they tend to hold on to them in a rather selfish way. They may even become quite mean and avaricious. They are also very afraid of thieves and robbers. ‘An eye for an eye’ is an expression that fits into their line of thinking.
Indifferent to possessions
The other side of this theme is a complete indifference to possessions. They are so afraid of being selfish that they don’t dare to keep anything for themselves. Once again the balance between giving and taking has been lost. These people tend to withdraw from life and keep themselves to themselves. The would rather hang on to their inner qualities and not bother with the dramas of the outside world. In a positive sense they are very good at abstaining.
Living on the feeling of self-worth: attention seeking.
They expect others to see what they are worth and to act accordingly. They feel quite proud of themselves and their behaviour shows this too: they can be very demanding. Deep inside they feel they haven’t been given their due and they are determined to get it. So they complain and whine, they even become aggressive in their demands. In actual fact they know that they have already had more than their share, but in order not to have to admit this they keep complaining.
As a child they already show this tendency of wanting to have everything right now. They can’t wait and they won’t stop asking.
We may also see the opposite, where they can’t stand people who complain. They don’t want to hear anything that even vaguely sounds like a complaint. They will not allow themselves to utter a single complaint either. ’There is nothing to complain about, you have got everything you could possibly need’.
Loss of self-worth: indignant
When they don’t get what they want they can be most indignant, even if they have already got more than everybody else. Their demanding behaviour may give rise to irritation in other people. Doctors who do their best for them get exasperated when it still isn’t good enough. When a doctor or a therapist finally loses his temper with them they feel very hard done by and swear never to go and see that doctor again.
Used as a person: abuse
One step further along this line leads to feelings of being abused. They feel that other people have taken away everything that was of value. It is always the other person’s fault. Even if they themselves have made no effort to earn respect or to earn a living, they still feel used and abused by others.
Fantasising about loss of self-worth: victim
In extreme cases they turn into real victim types. They always complain of being hard done by. Even the most minor incidents get blown up into ‘justifiable’ reasons for a serious complaint, which may express itself in their physical bodies too. These physical complaints are then all the more reason to feel victimised and are a good excuse to give up trying altogether.
They can’t come to terms with the fact that life isn’t always fair and that it is a good idea to make the best of it.
The positive side of Oxygen would be the courage to have a go, to get involved in life and to keep your heart pure at the same time.
Lazy person
They get more and more lazy as they feel it is all a lost cause anyway. They either expect the world to put itself right or they feel that others should take care to do so. Their passive attitude is both a cause and an effect of all that is wrong in their life. They become nonchalant and indifferent, they lose their grip on life. If they don’t get what they want, they’ll try somewhere else.
Luring with possessions: corruption
Corruption is another important theme in this remedy. In the initial stages they abhor the thought of corruption. They can’t even accept small favours and little presents, because they feel it to be the beginning of the end. It is a sign of their fear to be polluted by corruption.
In later stages we may see the opposite where they actually do get corrupted themselves: ‘The whole of society has gone to ruin, so why not join them?’ Once again the balance between giving and taking has been lost.
Neglecting the body: tramps
In later stages they may also start to neglect themselves, their house or their business. They will lead the life of a tramp, dressed in rags and muttering to themselves about the injustice of it all. They like to shock others with their appearance and the things they say.
Trying to seduce others into giving: begging
Begging like a beggar eventually becomes their only source of income. They like to play on the emotions, to hit a soft spot in others to give them something of their riches. They ask other people to look deep into their hearts to find that love that will make them give gladly. These gifts are usually received without any signs of gratitude, because they feel it was their right to get back what had been taken away by others in the first place.
They hope to get more by playing the victim or by shocking people with the sorry state of their sick or handicapped body.
Hero
In the Oxygen state the hero is well on his way to reaching his goal, but he is prey to traps of desire and seduction. It is the stage of Ulysses being seduced by the Sirens. Of course the challenge is to withstand these temptations and to fulfil his task. He has to be involved in the world and remain pure at the same time.
Expressions
Fears: vague (2!), unknown (!), life, strangers, thieves (3!), criminals, poverty (3), future, travelling, flying, crowds, streets, failure, disease, operations, needles, knives, contagion (!), pollution, worms, cancer, death; acute panic attacks.
Dreams: thieves, worms, storm, shame.
Irritability: critical, aggressive, angry, wild, panicky.
Mood: lively, daredevil, timid, uncertain, indecisive, -> support, listless, meaningless, easily offended, stubborn, gloomy, suicidal.
Mental: confused, slow, problems with orientation, lack of concentration, forgetful, dementia.
Contacts: -> company, <- discontented people, <- consolation.
Religion: magic, obsessive.
Causes: neglect, abuse, incest, parents absent, addicted or weak.
Generals
Weather: warmish, outside, < mountains, < draught.
Desires: alcohol, narcotics, fruit, warm food.
Food: < fat, cheese, butter, pork, alcohol, wine.
Sleep: much (2), laughing during sleep.
Physical: < exertion, climbing, < smoke, noise.
Complaints
Tiredness, low blood pressure.
Headaches, pressing, above right eye, eyebrow pressed down, < exertion, rest.
Sinusitis, swelling of lymph glands.
Vertigo, blackness before the eyes.
Retrolental fibroplasia. Blindness. Cataract.
Pressure in ears. Blocked nose, epistaxis.
Throat dry, tickling, < talking. Loss of voice.
Lung complaints. Cough, white lumps. Hyperventilation.
Heart problems.
Liver problems, liver insufficiency, hepatogenic toxemia.
Affections of the kidneys.
Vitiligo.
DD Carbon series, Stage 16, Aceticums, Muriaticums, Anacardium.
DD: free radicals, superoxide, Hydroxyl, Nitric oxide, Hydrogen peroxide, Allopurinol.
DD: antioxidants: Glutathion, Superoxide dismutase, Vitamin C and E.
DD Causticums: they have the same feeling of being a victim of injustice, but they also have high ideals, something which is lacking in Oxygen.
DD Nitricums: Oxygen no longer feels he has the right to receive, which is why he starts to moan and complain. Nitrogen still feels he has a right to receive his due reward, so he will be tend to be more pushy and demanding.
DD Muriaticums: these can also have a tendency to moan and complain, but it is more meant to attract the attention than to get anything special like extra sweets or extra money or special treatment from the doctor.
DD Magnesium: the aggression is a strong characteristic in both. They both have a tendency to fight too.
DD Ferrum: on the material plane both Ferrum and Magnesium are the most important modulators of the oxidation process, tempering the intensity of the process and slowing it down to an even pace.