Contemporary healing practices tend to focus on the production of substances that attack pathogens. These substances are often derived from plants but are then produced as synthetic versions of the natural remedies. Traditional healing practices focus on strengthening the body’s resources to resist pathogens. These practices include not only plant based medicinal substances but also symbolic or ritual practices to support the action of the substances.

In a three-part series Dennis Klocek will present the alchemical methods that unite substance and symbol in the pursuit of healing. Using the alchemical method of analogy, key relationships between plant based medicines, soul life and immune system action will be presented.

Part 1: The Alchemical Analogy

The alchemical method of analogy is a traditional way to unite the changing phenomena of the physical world with patterns of illness in the human organism. Fruitful analogies can be made by forming cyclic diagrams, or mandalas, that organize information into rhythmic patterns. The first session will address how fundamental physical systems such as membrane transport, nerve / blood relationships in glands, and immune system function can be viewed in the context of plant based medicines.

Part 2: Four Elements and Four Temperaments

In the second session the development of the four elements theory into an understanding of temperamental disposition of disease processes will be addressed.

While the four elements theory describes classical physical states of matter such as solid or liquid. The four temperaments theory describes the interaction of the elements in organic systems.

An understanding of the temperamental conditions that give rise to organic imbalances can lead to remarkable insight into the hidden relationships between body systems and plant based medicines.

In this work plant families reveal clear embryological patterns in human development that can be used to diagnose degenerative disease patterns and provide insight to possible remedies.

Part 3: Healing using the Four Temperaments

Contemporary allopathic medicine seeks to create specific remedies for specific pathogens. Traditional medicine based on the four temperaments provides a way to understand disease processes for altering chronic afflictions. Chronic disease patterns arise often in the aftermath of an allopathic intervention. An antiviral medicine may destroy an organism but the immune system that must clean up after the destruction is often impaired for a long time after intervention. Degenerative disease lingers as the unaddressed chronic condition of the allopathic procedure.

Traditional medicine using the four temperaments as a working model addresses chronic conditions specifically by attempting to bring the temperamental forces in the body and soul into harmony.

This session will give insights into the application of the theory of the four temperaments in a rational approach to better health.