Lycopodium Clavatum
Old school traditionalists, used Lycopodium as a coating on pills and as a lubricating dust on the skin-contacting latex (natural rubber) products, such as condoms and medical gloves. Lycopodium is a yellow-tan dust-like powder, consisting of the dry spores from the clubmoss plant. The Clubmoss spores are highly flammable and were used (up until the 1950s) to make fireworks, and create dust explosions as theatrical special effects. Other uses have included; fingerprint powders, an ice cream stabilizer, along with physics experiments to demonstrate phenomena such as Brownian motion (random motion of particles suspended in a medium such as a liquid or a gas).
Lycopodium (Club Moss) Doctrine Signatures
Doctrine signatures are clues traditional cultures have used for many years to help identify what a plant can be used for medicinally. Doctrine signatures include how and where it grows, the color of the plant (i.e., yellow – liver, white – stomach), or how the plant resembles the condition or part of the body that it can heal.
Club moss grows on top of ground and underground, showing us that it has two sides, and “Lycopodium people” can also present two sides. This represents the characteristic or symptoms that Lycopodium’s have in one way and also another way such as it shows one personality in public and a different personality at home. Or, they are either bullies or victims of being bullied. The club moss plant has scale-like leaves, showing us, it can be used for scaly skin. The clubmoss plant reproduces by a dispersal of spores or the tip of the cone are yellow. The yellow color of the cone and powder from the spores, tells us Lycopodium is for liver conditions.
Lycopodium as a Homeopathic Remedy
When Lycopodium is potenized and made into a homeopathic remedy it is what is called a Polycrest remedy (commonly used homeopathic remedy). It is used as both an Acute and a Constitutional or Fundamental homeopathic remedy. In clinical homeopathy a Constitutional homeopathic remedy is selected based on the healthy genetic characteristics that someone is born with. For example; when a person is taking a clinical Constitutional or Fundamental homeopathic remedy you can say “that person is a Lycopodium” meaning they show characteristics typically associated with that homeopathic remedy.
Lycopodium Characteristics – Poor Confidence and Low Self-Esteem
Poor confidence and low self-esteem usually will begin at a very young age from an incidence of being humiliated, an embarrassing situation, and/or verbal or physical abuse. Often this will come from a domineering parent(s), an older sibling, a teacher, peers or some other authoritarian figure. Background shows that more often than not the parent, sibling or whomever is doing this, doesn’t feel good enough and has poor confidence themselves. Consequently, they can come down on the child making (him or her) not feel good enough. In doing so, the parent, sibling or whomever is doing this, makes themselves feel strong mentally and emotionally.
Example: Parent continuously keeps putting the child down. Making comments to the child like you are dumb, stupid, why can’t you be like your brother (straight A’s and athletic), you will never amount to anything and so on beating down the child’s self-esteem and confidence.
The continuous yelling, screaming and beating down by the authoritarian figure will in time have the child start to believe that what is being said must be true; leaving a Lycopodium imprint or layer on the child. The child starts to think they are not smart, reinforced because they are always making mistakes, especially around those that keep putting them down. The sad thing is, this shy child who now has poor self-esteem will feel this way for the rest of their life; unless they are able to become aware and work to move away from this conditioning.
Once the child has a Lycopodium imprint on them, the poor confidence starts to show up in whatever they do around that parent, sibling, in school, and with peers. They are making more mistakes in doing tasks and when speaking (saying the wrong words).
It starts to create anxiety and a worry feeling inside of them. They fear making mistakes in school, saying the wrong words, or being made fun of for saying the wrong answer when called upon in class. They start to worry about their performance in front of others and being embarrassed in school with everyone in the class laughing at them, they begin to feel self-conscious. It gets to the point that they won’t speak up in class and cringe when called on in class to answer the teacher’s question.
They are Always Trying to Improve Their Image
They start to make getting good grades in school a priority. In doing so, they think there is evidence of being very intelligent (not that they weren’t intelligent to begin with). They think the grades will be able to compensate for poor confidence, low self-esteem and being embarrassed. It is a shame that they have poor confidence, because it is all in their head, because someone drummed it into their head that they are not smart and intelligent people. They believe, if they can show (grades) or talk very intelligently, then no one will see their inadequacies and embarrass them.
Lycopodiums, also try to improve their self-image to cover up their inadequacies. They have to wear designer clothes or accessories and make sure their hair is styled. Lycopodium females are known to wear lots of makeup to hide who they really are, hiding behind the makeup mask to cover up their lack of confidence and poor self-image of themselves. What it really boils down to, is they want to be someone else, someone other than who they have become.
Public Speaking (Stage Fright)
How does the saying go “public speaking is worse than the fear of death”? Lycopodiums fears public speaking because of their poor self-esteem, and lack of confidence. The Lycopodium saying goes “Lycopodium’s lack getting behind the podium”. They are afraid they will make a mistake and become embarrassed or humiliated in front of all the people.
Bully or Victim of Being Bullied
Lycopodiums, if you have not figured it out by now, are bullies or victims of being bullied. They are aggressive people (dictators) and take advantage of the weak; to make themselves feel good about themselves. Lycopodiums can create other Lycopodiums.
Have you ever noticed the bullies in school or street gangs always have what I call an “entourage” (safety is better in numbers)? The main bully (gang leader) rarely does the fighting. It’s his “entourage” that does it for him. And what’s interesting, is those in the entourage are most likely afraid of the bully (leader) hurting them. Little do they know, that will not happen because the bully is afraid of getting beaten up by anyone, especially someone bigger and stronger. Bullies only pick on those that they know they can manipulate or beat up, they will never pick a fight with the star quarterback or any other athlete.
Being in a gang or a group (i.e., religious, spiritual) also gives them an identity that they lost at home. By having the group’s identity, they have more confidence and they feel they have more power being associated with the group.
The child bully is just as aggressive as the parent(s) are to them and in turn bullies’ other kids (i.e., in school, neighborhood). Because they are being bullied by someone at home, so they take their anger and frustrations out on others in school or wherever they can. It comes down to the pecking order and it continues until someone stops the repeated family pattern (imprinting).
Not All Lycopodium’s are Bullies
You can be Lycopodium and not be a bully, just a victim of being bullied. These are the ones the get picked on in school or at work. The bully makes fun of them for various reasons (i.e., overweight as a child, funny accent, large nose, bad hair day, they didn’t say something or do something right) and now it can lead to beating the child up after school. All this continues to shatter the confidence of the child and even the adult at work.
Fears Authority
Those needing Lycopodium will not speak up to authority (i.e., parent, teacher, police, older sibling, boss), because they are afraid to stand up for themselves, along with being embarrassed or humiliated. What they will do, is take it out on someone else they know they can manipulate, such as the paper boy, the pizza delivery boy or another family member.
Example: The husband’s boss calls him a stupid jerk for not doing something correctly. The husband is afraid to speak up to the boss (authority), from lack of confidence and out of fear, especially for the fear of losing his job. So, what does the husband do? He goes home and takes his anger out on his wife about something she did or did not do. And of course, she does not speak up to the husband, for fear of being put down again. And the wife in turn takes it out on the child, by putting him down. The child does not dare speak up to the mother, so he kicks the dog. Lycopodium is a chain reaction response on down the pecking order. All of them are Lycopodium’s from the boss on down to the child.
Lycopodium’s Big Egos
They act like they are extroverted people, going out, being very sociable; the life of the party. They show up to the party in their designer clothes, with their designer accessories (i.e. pocket books, watches). They are big talkers, telling the big fish stories at the party, talking about all of their big ideas, which never happen. The next day, they’re at work in the lunchroom talking about the big party they went to over the weekend and dropping names as to who they were talking with at the party. And in reality, that so called “famous person,” more than likely didn’t even know the Lycopodium person was even at the party.
Lycopodium’s Make Great Lawyer’s, Politicians, and Salesmen
Lawyer’s, politicians and salesmen are many homeopathic remedies and Lycopodium is one of the main remedies, because of their ego and the love of power. The more power they have control of the more it boosts their ego. They are naturals and know how to sell something, whether it’s a car, or an idea in the courtroom or politics; they can convince you it’s the truth or it’s what you need. They can be great actors, too. When Lycopodium’s are in one of these professions, they put their acting clothes on and play the part. It becomes their new identity, a place for them to pretend they are someone else; where they can hide their insecurities and poor confidence behind the costume while in this role.
Example: I am sure you have heard someone say to someone “You should be a lawyer”.
These are the ones that will get into an argument while trying to prove the point that they believe they are right in. They are passionate in what they are saying, because they believe they “know what they talking about”.
Have You Ever Wondered How Someone Can Have So Many Jobs?
I know a friend of the family who is very insecure; deep down they don’t have confidence in themselves. They have had so many jobs from working in a school, a car salesman, a banker, to helping families with their finances. Now this person does not have much to call his own and yet he’s had a wide variety of jobs. Why? Because he knows how to talk himself up (embellish) as the person who he really wants to be in his mind. Once he starts to climb up the ladder in his job, his confidence starts to wane and he fears that he may fail at the job. He really does not want to take on the responsibly, so what does he do? He will find a way to sabotage the job and leave moving onto another job. Lycopodiums have a fear of failure and a fear of success (it’s the same fear).
Other Example: I remember my dad telling me the story about his father standing in line to get a job. As he got closer to the desk, he would let others go ahead of him, allowing them to get the more skilled and better paying jobs. Being a Hungarian immigrant, he lacked the confidence to do the higher skilled jobs and he was embarrassed of his broken-English. He would end up getting a job that paid less doing grunt work, because of his lack of confidence.
Lycopodium Has 2 Sides to Them
When you see a Lycopodium in public you may think to yourself, they are a really nice person. And are very friendly and generous helping others. But when you really get to know the Lycopodium, you will see that they act one way in public and another way at home.
They can come off as confident people when they are playing the role of who they really want to be; other than who they have become from their upbringing. They do not want their insecurities to come through; their identity to be discovered. But when they are at home, they are the tyrant’s in the house. Putting down someone down in the family.
It’s like they are wearing a mask in public and when they get home, they take the mask off and you really see who they really are.
Some Lycopodium’s Do Have Confidence
Remember there are 2 sides of Lycopodium that can show up in various ways. Lycopodium’s can be very good at their job, and with family, but have a problem when out and about socially. They are very confident in areas that they know such as their job, interests, family and peers. But, when you put them in a social situation, speaking in from of groups or in an area they may not know that well, their anxiety comes out and they feel their lack of confidence surface inside. They feel much better socializing with those they know and feel comfortable speaking with.
Lycopodium Child
Bedwetting
Lycopodium children can also be bedwetters. Their bedwetting comes from the domineering parent coming down on them during the day and when they relax during the night while sleeping, they pee their bed. This again makes them feel like a failure for someone at their age (7- 12 years old) still wetting the bed. They get invited to a sleep over and they won’t go because they will be embarrassed that if they peed the bed at their age they would be made fun of at the sleepover and later in school.
Lycopodium is a Major Homeopathic Liver Remedy (Digestion)
Lycopodium people become stressed out and their digestion can act up causing gas and bloating, slowing down their digestion and causing constipation, or they can have diarrhea.
The low self-esteem and a lack of confidence weakens their immune system and then the liver weakens, causing the digestion to go off. They start to have gas and bloating soon after eating, and after taking a few bites of food especially cabbage, broccoli, beans, and or onions. Their abdomen is full and distended, with gurgling in the lower intestines from the fermentation. They will loosen up their belt after a meal and sometimes even during the meal; they are so distended. This is because their digestion is slow to digest the food, and it starts to ferment in their intestine from the bread, beans or other foods.
They start to fill up quickly after a meal. They fill their plate with food and find themselves not able to finish it. They don’t eat breakfast until two or more hours after waking up, because they just aren’t hungry. A cup of coffee is a filling breakfast for them. This is because they are still digesting the food from the day before. They eat small meals or a few bites of food every couple of hours when they become hungry again; this is what I call “grazing”. The gut and brain connection also cause them to have a weak memory and or confused thoughts.
Lycopodium’s are also known to have a bowel movement soon after eating to make more room for what they have just ate.
Sleepy After Meals and Especially Between 4-8 PM
They feel better with eating less food through the course of the day, especially eating lighter and less dense food (i.e., fruits, veggies, broth soups). Eating lighter meals throughout the day, they will have more energy, because their digestion is not spending as much time digesting the food and robbing their energy, especially between 4-8 PM. During the hours of 4-8 PM is when the Liver Chakra (Navel Chakra) comes online and if you are having digestion problems, the Liver Chakra will not be spinning properly.
Example: If you can visualize the belly as a barrel and the more food you put in the barrel the more work the digestion (liver) has to do to process it (digest it) and the less energy one has to utilize.
You will see them belching, having heart burn, indigestion, acid reflux. I have taken a client’s case and can see all of the Lycopodium characteristics, but they tell me they have no gas and bloating symptoms. I question the client as to when the gas and bloating stopped and they tell me since they started taking enzymes. This still is a Lycopodium case, because if they did not take the enzymes; they would have the gas and bloating symptoms.
The thing about taking enzymes, is the more you take, the more you will need, making the Lycopodium’s addicted to taking enzymes daily. Enzymes do not fix the digestion problem. The only way to address the digestion problem is to fix what has caused the digestion to begin with. In a Lycopodium’s case, it is the lack of confidence, low self-esteem that someone (i.e., parent, sibling, bully, etc.) imprinted on them that is causing the digestion problem.
Now there are some Lycopodiums that will overeat too; as if having a Thanksgiving meal. This shows the doctrine signatures of the two sides Lycopodium one that fills up quickly and the other that can overeat.
Lycopodium Craves Sweets and has Candida
They crave sugar, chocolate, sweets, which also aggravates their symptoms. They want warm (cooked) foods and drinks, because they stimulate (jumps starts) the liver; it’s like turning the stove on, to cook a stew.
Lycopodium also addresses Candida too. Candida symptoms occur soon after eating a piece of bread, it causes them to have severe bloating in the abdomen.
Diabetes and Low Blood Sugars (Hypoglycemic)
Lycopodium addresses diabetes by strengthening the liver. Lycopodium diabetes is from a metabolism of sugar problem (the storage and release of sugar, not an insulin metabolism problem).
Lycopodiums crave sweets, because they have low blood sugar (Hypoglycemic) and need it for energy (tired), even though it makes them sick.
Lycopodium children, especially need their sugar, because their blood sugar drops from the stress of their domineering parents yelling and screaming at them, which causes the child to have low blood sugar. When the Lycopodium child’s blood sugar drops, it causes them to become anxious and they need to eat food. After they take a few bites, they are full and content at least for a couple of hours.
Other Lycopodium Liver Signs:
In the morning they do not wake-up refreshed, and usually awake irritable and angry, because the liver was working overtime digesting the prior meal all night long. They can also feel drugged when they first are trying to wake up. They’re hitting the snooze button until they know they must get up, which is a slow process. They must have their morning cup of coffee, take their shower, to just to start to take on the day.
Lycopodium Skin Symptoms
As digestion continues to have symptoms (i.e., gas, bloating, filling up quickly), the liver can’t handle the toxic overload and eliminated the toxins fast enough via the bowels. The liver starts to eliminate these toxins out to the skin; our largest organ.
How Do We Know the Liver is Eliminating Through the Skin?
You start seeing skin conditions (i.e., rashes, eczema, psoriasis, dandruff). And these skin conditions can all be addressed with Lycopodium, providing they are flaky, scaly skin symptoms, especially after scratching the skin. Besides having flaky skin symptoms, they also started on the right side of the body and eventually travel to the left side of the body.
Lycopodium also is for acne that started on the right of the face or body
Lycopodium Throat and Glands Symptoms
The person will have a sore throat or swollen glands (i.e., neck, armpits, groin) on the right side and in a matter of time, the same symptoms moves to the left side of the body. This process can happen a within a couple of hours after showing up on the right side or within a day or even months later. Besides the symptoms going from right to left, they will also want warm drinks or compresses.
Example: When a client calls me up telling me they have a swollen gland on the left side (i.e., neck, armpits, groin). I always ask them if they ever had swollen glands on the right side. If they say they had same swollen glands on the right side, even if it was last week or a few months ago. Think no further, they will need Lycopodium.
Mucus Stuck in the Nasal Pharynx
Lycopodium’s are known to have mucus in nasal pharynx (opening that connects the nose to the roof of mouth). It occurs at the tail end of a sinus congestion (post nasal drip) or associated with allergies, especially food related. This mucus gets stuck in that opening and blocks the air exchange from the nose into the mouth, and must be hawk down into the mouth in order to expel it.
Kidney Symptoms
Key Lycopodium kidney symptoms (i.e., pain, infection) in the right kidney. And then in time, the symptoms move from the right kidney to the left kidney. This can happen within a couple of days or 6 months later. What I mean by 6 months or longer is that they can now have left kidney pain and the right kidney doesn’t need to be acting up too.
Male Lycopodium’s in Relationships
The guy is in a great relationship for several months now and everything is going well. He realizes the relationship is starting to get serious. The guy starts to have this internal conflict within himself about his inadequacies, poor confidence; especially if the partner starts talking about marriage. The guy will in some way leave (sabotage) the relationship, because he fears his poor self-esteem, lack of confidence will be discovered by his partner. Lycopodium’s don’t like or want responsibility either; as in a marriage. They feel that in getting out of the relationship, their partner will not see their lack of confidence and they will not be embarrassed by making any mistakes. It’s the inadequacies in their head that causes them to leave the relationship, what they believe in their head from what others have drilled into them.
Lycopodium is #1 Homeopathic Remedy for Impotence
Lack of confidence can also show up in the bedroom. Because of the poor confidence they have, the feeling of inadequacy starts to cause them to have sexual performance problems. In time this can lead to impotency. The lack of confidence, causes them to have anxiety of not being able to perform, which then causes them to have a poor erection and leads to early ejaculations.
Lycopodium Female Symptoms
They will have menstrual pains or PMS on the right side of the body, especially in the right ovary. The righted sided ovary pains in time travel over to the left ovary. Or, I have seen women having symptoms (e.g. cysts) in the right ovary and in time will start having symptoms in the left ovary. When you take their case and they say they have left ovary symptoms, I always ask if they ever had pain in the right ovary. If they say yes, Lycopodium is one of the main remedies I will be considering for their left ovary pain.
Right Shoulder Pain “50’s Shoulder”
The right shoulder is known as “50’s Shoulder”, because right shoulder represents the liver. This is when someone in their 50’s starts having right sided shoulder pain for what seems to be for no reason. Their right shoulder may be giving them hidden clues that relate to their liver (digestion problems). The next time you hear someone complaining about their right shoulder causing them pain and they are in their 50’s, have them check out their digestion. They may need Lycopodium for right shoulder pain and or for changes in their digestion.
Key Lycopodium Symptoms
- Major Liver (Digestion), Glands, Large intestines,
- Symptoms are worse from 4-8 PM and after 8 or 8:30 PM their energy increases (rallies) enough for them to straighten up around the house before heading to bed.
- Symptoms and Pain(s) start anywhere in the body on the right side and in time these symptoms shift to the left side of the body
- Right knee acted up, now left knee is painful
- Earache in right ear and in time has earache in left ear.
- Headache on right side of head or over right eye, moves to left side of head or left eye
- Has cysts on the right side of body and in time moves to left side of the body.
- Chilly and worse in stuffy room, warm room and feels better in fresh open air.
- One leg warm and other leg is cold.
Additional indicators:
Lycopodium is one of the homeopathic remedies where the person’s body type can give you clues, that they need Lycopodium. The upper part of body (waist on up) is smaller and the lower part of the body from hips down, gives a bowling pin shape.
Another way to tell Lycopodium, is when you look them in the eyes when talking to them. Their eyes get shaky, they will not look you in the eye. They may even talk out of the side of their mouth.
Other Health Conditions Lycopodium Addresses
These health conditions all come from low self-esteem, lack of confidence, digestion symptoms and the other Lycopodium characteristics.
- Anxiety about health (Hypochondriacal)
- Colitis
- Dyslexia (spells and writes words wrong and syllables)
- Hernia’s on right side
- Hepatitis
- Mononucleosis (Mono)
- Sciatica worse right
- Pneumonia on right sided and wants warm drinks
- Varicose veins that starts on right side and may eventually go to the left side
- Food allergies, especially to wheat
Lycopodium Children’s Illnesses Come From:
- Domineering parents or siblings
- Abuse, mortification (anger or vexation) and
- From fright
Administering Lycopodium Acutely and Chronically
Lycopodium is commonly taken as a Constitutional or Fundamental (Chronic) Remedy in a 6c or LM potencies.
Lycopodium can also be taken Acutely (i.e., throat, gland, kidney, filling up quickly, heartburn) in a 30c or 200c potencies. Which means, one does not have the mental and emotional Lycopodium characteristics in order to use Lycopodium for Acute health condition(s). However, look for Lycopodium etiology (Never Well Since), a parent, or boss coming down on them and causing them to have Acute Lycopodium symptoms.
If results are not seen, I usually recommend a homeopathic consultation with a trained homeopath who will take a case developing a health history of the person over a period of time.
How Can Lycopodium Help You?
Taking Lycopodium as a 6c chronic homeopathic remedy, will give you confidence and boost up your low self-esteem. As you get stronger and gain the courage to speak up for yourself the dominate parent, sibling or even your boss will not be able to continue to knock your confidence down.
Example: Once you start to stand up for yourself as I like to call it “change the dance steps”. Whomever, is trying to dominate you, will either have to follow the new dance steps (you speaking up for yourself). Or, they will find someone else to dance their dance steps.
Once the dominate parent, or whomever sees that you are no longer triggered by them and can now stand up for yourself, they will leave you alone and sadly pick on someone else to make them feel good inside.
