Remnants of the Ring of Fire

The first time I saw an eclipse, I was in 4th grade. We had our pinhole cameras that we made at school, and we were warned of the dangers*, but I looked directly at the sun anyway. I’ve been paranoid for the 40+ years following that I did true damage to myself that day but fortunately the eye doctor has never found any problem. (Be sure to see an ophthalmologist if you have any concerns about your eye health.)

Well, there was another eclipse today. The news keeps telling us that these eclipses are a once in a lifetime thing, and maybe I have just been lucky and have been in the right place at the right time, but I have now seen 3 big solar eclipses.

This year we weren’t on the ball enough to get the special little glasses and we weren’t crafty enough to make the pinhole camera in time. But, what I saw this time that I didn’t see the other times were these crazy, crazy shadows. When I first noticed them I thought I was seeing things and then I thought I was having a dizzy spell.

My first glimpse of the shadows thinking something was wrong with my eyes.
Both photos by Julia Coyte

Turns out I wasn’t seeing things. The trees made a pinhole camera for us. (I didn’t look very hard for an explanation of this, but I did find this article from a Singapore newspaper from 2019.)

What do these trippy shadows have to do with homeopathy? Well, I’ve never looked into it until now, but there is one homeopathic remedy listed in most repertories for ailments from looking at an eclipse and that is Hepar sulph.

While Dr. Murphy lists 26 remedies which may be indicated for ailments following sun exposure to the eyes, his rubric for affects from looking at an eclipse lists just Hepar and Sol. 

What other eye complaints might Hepar help? Turns out there are quite a few possibilities, but these are the most likely indications, according to Robin Murphy:

• Discharges of mucus or pus from the eye.

• Eruptions or pimples around the eyes or on the eyelids.

• Chronic inflammation of the eyes.

• Pain in the eyes, aggravated by air.

• Spasms of the eyelids.

• Pain in the nose extending to the eyes.

Calvin Knerr’s repertory lists a few more well indicated eye symptoms for Hepar sulph:

• Vertigo when closing the eyes. 

• Headache which is worse moving the eyes.

• Mucus in the corners of the eyes.

• Conjunctivitis.

• The eyes feel bruised.

• The eyes feel as if they are being drawn back into the head.

• Itching eye lids.

• Sensitivity to light.

I see some of those paper eclipse glasses on sale on the internet — maybe I’ll buy a couple to leave in the drawer for the next time an eclipse rolls through town. Then again, if I had them, I may never have noticed these cool shadows.

Julia Coyte, CHom

Classically Practical homeopath

#wellnessawaits