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Once again Jan Scholten has made an enormous impact on homeopathy
with his new book entitled Secret Lanthanides. In this
richly written book, Jan illuminates new remedies from the periodic
table through mythology, provings and case studies. It is thrilling
to see the evolution of Jan’s element theory as well as his
writing. The book is not only abundant with information but is also
exciting to read -- something that is not so common in homeopathic
literature!
The Lanthanides are a group of remedies from the periodic table
running between Barium and Hafnium, but are depicted in a separate
row because the elements were not discovered until the first half
of the 20th century. The name "Lanthanide" comes from
the word "Lanthanum" which means “hidden”
and turns out to be a significant part of the essence of this group
of remedies. Their use in autoimmune illnesses are well documented
in the book, but also reported by many homeopaths that have begun
to use these remedies in their daily practices, including myself.
Jan expounds on the lanthanides in great detail by discussing their
material use in the world, their themes, through provings, and case
studies. He further clarifies the characteristics of the group through
mythology with the labors of Hercules and the story of Odysseus.
Each discussion reveals another facet to create a more complete
picture.
Jan explains his element theory and places each Lanthanide in a
stage of the gold series. With every element discussed, Jan shows
us the ideas and words that relate to the remedy and the stage,
brilliantly illuminating the remedy picture. Those of us that have
been following Jan and successfully using his element theory for
the past ten years will be excited by the deeper understanding of
the stages and especially the salts. Jan presents case studies for
each element and many of them show a comparison of how the salt
subtly shifts the remedy picture. He reveals an insightful and clear
understanding of how each salt influences the picture of the element.
The result is a much more accurate prescription. For those new to
Jan’s work, his humble confidence shows in every page and
allows the reader to feel comfortable with their own ability to
prescribe these largely unknown remedies.
Jan rounds out this stimulating book with chapters on symbolic
language, case taking, homeopathy and science, and homeopathy and
classifications. He includes tables of the periodic system in different
formats and detailed charts of his element theory. He also includes
the color preference for many of the remedies, validating the theory
discussed in the book Colors in Homeopathy by Ulrich Welte.
On the inside covers of the book are beautiful photographs taken
by well known pharmacist Robert Muntz, who prepared the Lanthanides.
The photos show the crystallizing salts of many of the Lanthanides
under a polarization microscope. The cover art is a stunning painting
by Jan’s wife Maria Davits, which after studying this book
you will come to understand is a profound expression of the Lanthanides.
Secret Lanthanides is a continuation of Jan Scholten’s
contribution to the evolution of homeopathy. Through his genius
I have been able to take homeopathy to a higher level, to prescribe
more accurately and serve my clients with greater success. In reading
this book I was fascinated by his seemingly unending brilliance.
Jan remains a pioneer in homeopathy and his books are a source of
enlightenment. My hope is that there is more to come!
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