A two-hundred-year-old tradition many families in the Black Hills keep in the kitchen cupboard. Here is what it is, how practitioners think about it, and the classic remedies you will hear about.
Homeopathy was developed by the German physician Samuel Hahnemann in the 1790s. It rests on two ideas practitioners still teach today:
The number and letter after a remedy's name describe how it was diluted. X means 1 part in 10 at each step; C means 1 part in 100. So 6C means six rounds of 1-in-100. Anything beyond about 12C is, chemically, the starting liquid alone. Low "X" potencies of toxic substances can still contain some of the original material, which is why you should buy only from reputable, regulated makers and follow the label.
For many people the value is in the ritual: slowing down, paying close attention to exactly how they feel, and choosing something gentle. That kind of attention is real and worth keeping, and you will find it in our practices and courses too.
How the traditional materia medica describes each one. These are descriptions from the tradition, not recommendations or dosing advice.
The remedy homeopaths reach for first after bumps, falls, overexertion, and the "beaten-up" feeling of a long hike or hard day of work.
Remedy picture: Insists they are fine and does not want to be touched.
Associated with irritability and low tolerance for discomfort, classically the fussy, teething child who wants to be carried.
Remedy picture: Nothing pleases; one cheek flushed, the other pale.
The classic picture of the overworked, overstimulated person: too much coffee, rich food, late nights, and a short temper.
Remedy picture: Driven, impatient, chilly, wakes around 3–4 a.m. thinking about work.
Long associated with fresh grief, disappointment, and emotional shock: sighing, a lump in the throat, quickly shifting moods.
Remedy picture: Holds feelings in, then they spill out unexpectedly.
The tradition's "stage fright" remedy: heavy, droopy, trembling anticipation before an exam, interview, or performance.
Remedy picture: Wants to be left alone, weak in the knees, not thirsty.
Described for restless, anxious, fastidious people who feel chilly and want everything in order.
Remedy picture: Restless worry, sips of warm water, worse around midnight.
Belladonna, Rhus tox, Calendula, Hypericum, Apis, Aconite, Ledum, Euphrasia and more, open to every member from the Kind tier ($5/mo).
See membershipsFor the moments people most often reach for the cupboard: the first practical steps, what the tradition associates with each, and when to get help instead.
Rapid City, Spearfish, Sturgis, Custer and Hot Springs all have urgent care and hospital services. If you are in emotional crisis, call or text 988.