As I had mentioned in my “About Sajini Ponmala” page, we live in a neighbourhood surrounded by a few lakes. I must say it’s not uncommon to meet the Swan family on a regular walk. On one of my bike rides, I met them again and they were kind enough to pose for my camera.
This is the Mute Swan (Cygnus olor). However, today I would share with you a case of the Whooper Swan (Cygnus cygnus). You must know that I have prescribed Natrum Muriaticum in the past and the patient was then, relieved of his symptoms.
Recent complaints:-
He complained of pain in the right shoulder and right elbow, started since a month, feels as if blocked, with no free movement, feels stuck. He further describes waking up in the morning and feeling the pain, made better by shrugging the shoulder (How interesting!). The shoulder pains or pain in the extremities have been documented as reported in the provings.
Clicking sound in the joints.
Further, he speaks about feeling tiredness in the legs, below the knees, as if the legs have been exerted a lot. Weakness in the legs. “Always felt body wasn’t that tired, I feel the need to rest my feet“.
Does not like close fitting clothes. “Why should I wear something that’s holding me, obstructing my movements, I like them loose, never like tight”.
He speaks about his childhood days, never liked to sit in one place, loved to play games on the field. “Just wanted to play, played all kinds of games”. “Couldn’t imagine myself being a desk-person”.
Patient recalls using only white bedsheets and white pillow covers during his bachelor days. “Everything white”.
Anxiety when late:
He does not like to carry things forward, needs to finish tasks by the end of the day. “I have to go early”.
“Don’t like people chasing me for things, feel embarrassed if I am questioned in front of everyone, no burden, just play your game and come home”. ‘Go with the flow’.
Fears:
Fear of losing people, especially after being away from family.
Aha moments in the case-take:-
The whole case-take is quite a lengthy one and I have only included those aspects which will help to understand and complete the picture.
On one occasion, I ask him as to what he thinks of the object seen below:
I have to admit that I had something else in mind, “My perception!”. The patient says, ‘It looks like a swan’. If you look closely, the object is meant to be the other way around, so as to spell, ‘YAS’.
When I asked him as to why he thought it was a swan, he explained himself further. The description went on to some hand gestures, with the hand bending like the head of a swan and his forearm, the neck. Though I am being a keen observer, I am actually awestruck on the inside to see him show the movements and describe the waves. At one point, he laughs as if he caught himself doing the act. “How perfectly I am showing this”. Yes, it was so much like real.
Some rubrics (more homeopathy related):
Mind rubrics:
Anger; over past; childhood:
Childish behaviour:
Consolation, sympathy; desire for:
Death, thoughts of; sadness, with:
Delusions, imaginations; waves of:
Forgetfulness; put objects, for where he has:
Love; nature for; plants:
Sit, sitting; desires to:
Cutting hair; desires:
Resentment; husband, wife, spouse, to:
Grief; silent, pent up:
Some more:
Mouth/ Salivation; night:
Stomach/ Anxiety; late for being: Cygn-c
Speech & Voice/ Wanting, lost:
Cough/ Dry; night:
Back:
Pain; lumbar region, lumbago:
Stiffness:
Extremities:
Pain; joints:
Pain; fingers; joints:
Weakness:
Extremities/ Pain; legs:
Sleep:
Sleepiness; sitting while:
Generalities:
Food & Drinks; coffee; desires:
Fasting, hunger; agg:
Prescription:
Cygnus cygnus 1M / 1 dose
Whooper Swan – key points:-
Swans are the largest, generally considered as the most beautiful of the waterfowl.
The elements of isolation, grief, the sense of being an outcast, the sense of not belonging and self-reproach are more intense and more central in water birds as compared to other birds.
Overwhelmed with massive sadness and grief. Long-standing grief, cannot escape it. Anguish. Aggression. Weakness of memory.
The swan works like mad under water but look completely serene and composed.
Strongly associated with the Swan is the colour white, standing for purity, perfection and light. The colour white also represents the absolute, the beginning and end as well as their union, which is why it is used so frequently for birth, marriage, initiation and death rites of passage (BIRDS by Jonathan Shore, MD)
Follow-up:
I usually recommend a follow-up in four weeks, unless there is the need to do otherwise. Acute conditions are exceptions, of course.
In this case, I had an opportunity to catch up in less than a week’s time. Patient reported the following:
“I do not feel tired, in spite of retiring to bed quite late. Don’t feel sleepy during the day. Active with a lot of things. I do not feel exhausted. I am not thinking about other things. Calmness. Stability. Stable mind. Disconnect & Connect”.
In this case, following Hering’s law of cure, the shoulder symptoms, which were the last to appear should be the first to go.
2 Comments
marzia · September 16, 2024 at 8:04 pm
hi, i much appreciate your efforts and hard work.
i m full natrum mur mind and body.
i found this rubric:-
mind, delusions,hatred,
her center is full of relentress hatred and blackness–cygnus.b
so, was trying to get more study for this remedy.
thank you.
Sajini Ponmala · September 17, 2024 at 11:11 am
Great! Thank you Marzia.
Which repertory is that rubric from? However, I can only see one of the cygnus species under Mind/Hatred.
That’s Cygnus-be, the Bewick’s Swan