Swan: A remedy for Grief

Just been to see a showing of Mathew Bourne's magnificent "Swan Lake" at Penzance Savoy cinema. The choreography was so sublime mimicking the graceful movements of the swans. My mind drifted at one point and I started to think about Swan which is actually a homeopathic remedy (the remedy is made from the feather of a member of Cygus cygnus). Many people might not know that, as well as remedies created from plants and minerals, we now have a huge array of animal remedies from all the different groupings (from fur, blood, milk etc). In the last 15 years or the feathers of so many of the birds have now been potentised and have become very useful remedies in the homeopath's tool kit. Patients requiring Bird remedies reflect the signature of the Bird group. They are often quite spiritual people and hate to feel trapped and not free in their lives. They are often reflective and see the bigger picture because they are able to rise above the quotidien. They are usually refined, with a rather nervous energy, the tension often affecting the musculo-skeletal system, especially the neck, shoulders, and upper body in general.

Cygnus cygnus is a particularly good remedy for the effects of unresolved grief, often from years before and which the person has been unable to process. This may be due to the death of a friend or close partner but can also arise from a history of sexual abuse. Particularly useful when the person feels a constriction in their chest and caught up in their throat (think of the long slender neck of the swan). It is a remedy closely connected with Natrum muriaticum or Ignatia , our two most well known grief remedies in homeopathy.