Harry Potter and Homeopathy- What’s the Connection?

Today is July 15^th, 2011.  This is a very exciting day for many children and adults around the world because the last Harry Potter movie, The Deathly Hallows, Part II, opens today.  Yes, I admit it.  I am a huge Harry Potter fan.  I have seen all of the movies and read all of the books.  You may be wondering why I am spending time talking about Harry Potter-‘this has nothing to do with Homeopathy’!

Besides being a fun and light topic to blog about...I would actually argue that there are many similarities between the Harry Potter books/movies and Homeopathic Medicine.

The Magic Factor:

It might seem obvious that Harry Potter is about magic.  After all, it is a story of wizards and witches who go to school (the infamous Hogwarts) to learn how to perform magic spells and hopefully eventually defeat an evil wizard.  Homeopathy when practiced with skill according to the clear instructions of Hahnemann, can also seem like magic.  I have a patient who calls Homeopathy ‘magic pills’.  Her experience of Homeopathy has been quick resolution of many complaints.  For example, she first came to me suffering from a head cold.  After I prescribed a few doses of a particular homeopathic remedy, her cold was gone.  Next, she brought her young child to me suffering from a chronic cough.  Again, I prescribed the indicated remedy and his cough was gone the next day.  Even though Homeopathy is not magic in the sense that it is based on a clear set of scientific principles, its ability to stimulate the body’s capacity to heal can indeed seem like magic for both patient and practitioner alike.  This is the allure of Homeopathy.  When a practitioner is well-trained and is able to identify the best remedy for a patient, it is an inspiring, uplifting and magical profession.

It’s All About the Journey:

As we come to the end of the Harry Potter books, it is an end of a journey.  The character of Harry Potter has come full circle and must confront his destiny and fight “He Who Shall Not Be Named” or his nemesis of Voldemort.  The study of Homeopathy is also a journey.  At times, it is hard and challenging.  Sometimes there is struggle.  After several years of study and practice, it starts to become so rewarding.  I found that after a few years of study and making sure I had mentors (just like Harry had Sirius and Dumbledore amongst others), I found I was getting more consistent results in practice.  Helping people to regain their health is probably one of the most rewarding aspects of Homeopathic practice.

They Both Awaken Something In Us:

The Harry Potter books (and the movies) have taken a hold of our imaginations.  The story has gripped both adults and children.  Perhaps it has tapped into our sense of longing for the unexplainable and the hope that there is indeed more to the world than what we can observe.  Likewise, Homeopathy offers an option to those not satisfied by the mainstream, medical system.  It offers the hope that there is more to healing and health than science can adequately explain (at least for the time being).  Homeopathy offers a refreshing alternative to the view that our bodies are just a bunch of mechanical parts.  There is much more to healing than only fixing broken parts.  We are more complex.  If you have experienced Homeopathy, you know that it is capable of igniting profound healing.

So, if Harry Potter has ignited something in you...take a look at Homeopathy too.  It is a wonderful, satisfying career that has something not quite explainable and has a little bit of magic in it too.