Insects; Escaping the Earth

Recensie

This book review is reprinted with the permission of Winter 2008 Edition of The Homeopath.

Reviewed by Tina Burchill

This book is the first in the 'transformation between the realms' series by Peter Fraser, a bookseller and publisher before discovering homeopathy. Its aim is to examine the insect group of remedies and their movement between the sky and the earth, to determine their most distinctive general features, and then identify characteristics that might help us to differentiate between the individual remedies. This was a Herculean task - perhaps reflecting one of the main features of the insect group - industriousness. Peter has succeeded in pulling together what little information there is on many of these remedies. He has developed ideas which have the potential to transform our understanding of the insects and their role in our prescribing, which until recently has been largely therapeutic. It becomes obvious that there is a world of remedies out there, which we have been missing (800,000 known insect species) and we need many more provings if we are to properly utilise this source.

Reading this book in one sitting, my understanding was literally taken through the metamorphic process of the insect, beginning with the hungry caterpillar and ending with the butterfly, who, taking to the air, is rewarded with an aerial overview of all that is below. In this case giving an overview of the insect themes, not only how these creatures are in the world, but also how this is reflected in human pathology.

The book focuses on the dynamic process that we see in the movement from the realm of the earth to the realm of the sky, and explains that the differentiation between the remedies is in the way this point of transformation is handled. Comparisons are made with other groups of remedies, including birds, and the differences, though sometimes subtle, are clearly explained.

There is much natural history, offered in a way that gives us insight into how insect behaviour is reflected in the pathology that might require an insect remedy. Through careful examination of provings, Peter takes the reader through 25 remedies including some recent provings such as plague locust (Schistocerca gregaria). This is the first study of its kind and is a work that takes us well beyond lists of symptoms. In the very best traditions of classical homeopathy we are offered the very essence of the insect.

This book review is reprinted from Volume 21, Winter 2008 edition, with permission from Homeopathic Links.

Reviewed by Petra Wood, UK

This 50-page booklet is another one in the "Transformation between the Realms" series, adding to the other themes on spiders, snakes and birds. It is set out with a short introductory part followed by entries on 25 different insect remedies.

In the general introduction Peter Fraser establishes his ideas of background and foreground symptoms. Background symptoms are those that establish the patient's standing within the kingdoms, miasms and realms etc. Foreground symptoms are those that mark the individuality of the patient and will lead the homeopath to the indicated remedy. This idea of background and foreground symptoms is picked up throughout the booklet in regard to establishing the general features of insect remedies and in the effort to provide distinguishing features of the different insects.

To me the 15 pages that follow the general introduction are the true highlight of the booklet: in these pages the author provides the main themes of the insect remedies. These are established through studying the biological and social features of this whole class of animals as well as through the information that has been gained in provings.

Next in the booklet follows a small section on taxonomy and families of insects before the main part: the discussion of the different insect remedies. The information here obviously mirrors the accessibility and quality of provings. The author admits that it is of "varying depth", but I did wonder at times whether the information was worth including. The complete entry for Pieris brassicae (Large Cabbage White Butterfly) for example reads: "This also was proved in Germany and is in the repertory but I have not been able to study it."

I would have liked to see all chapters and, paragraphs organised with headings and bold type keynotes, to make the information accessible at a glance. I also feel that the author could and should have included the sources for the different provings that are available. As it is, there are no references given at all. Altogether, this booklet provides a good first glimpse of what the insect remedies might offer the homeopathic practitioner. It certainly made me want to find out more.