Inachis io (Peacock butterfly)
The patient is a slender 49 year old woman with a youthful appearance. She arrives at the appointment a half hour too late, having lost her way, even though she lives close by and knows the way. She has lost the balance between being very active and being inactive; she can only find rest by working hard. She is not sleeping well – her head is too busy. She is very driven in her work (teaching) but now has difficulties listening: “I almost have to fake interest.”
Acute physical complaints
Sour eructations
Stitches in her chest
Pressure in her chest, though not on exertion
Sore spot between the shoulder blades
Menorrhagia
Headaches extending from the neck
Early in the consultation, she starts to make hand gestures, and I suggest that we follow the sensation method. The words and gestures that surfaced are as follows:
Caught, trapped
It needs to come out
Unreasonable anger
Sucked dry
Warmth alternating with cold – colours: purple/blue with yellow underneath
Vague stitches
Spots that open and close
A repetitive gesture: fists crossed in front of chest
She sees a farmer’s gate, and landscape full of corn, cold wind
Feels a lump in her throat and wishes to stop
Immense need for space
Left side of her face falls away, left cheek is numb; the image is dark on one side
A clear difference between right and left side (repetitive)
Something flutters, flies, something with wings
Colours red, green, yellow, blue, a heart with wings and a point in the middle
Muscular pain
Popping sound in ear
Cold draft of air
Bird
Half circle with red, purple, yellow and blue
At the end, she feels more symmetrical, more balanced, and lighter than at the beginning
Mind
Busy, stressful, fanatic. She has had a nervous breakdown in the past
Analytical
Responsible position at her work
Fear of failure
Loves symmetry, harmony, beautiful things
Strong intuition, judges people accurately
Does not like to be the centre of attention
Can feel small
In the past, “mother was disappointed in me – my sister did things perfectly.”
Feels as though she has “lost her way”: “What do they want from me, what do they expect from me?”
From a young age, she tried to ensure that her sister would not have that feeling, so she tried to prepare her for everything by explaining things (she still does this)
Tries to create clarity for the students at school
She can be angry
Generals
Food desires: dairy, chocolate, liqueur, fruit+++, raw food
Aversion: meat+
Allergies: house mite, pollen, grasses
Medical history:
14 years: cysts in breasts, which came and disappeared spontaneously, operated on once
Heavy menses / anaemia
Migraine first day of menses with nausea and vomiting
Very active at ovulation, clear thoughts premenstrual: empty, grumpy, pessimistic
Asthmatic bronchitis as a young child
Severe blood loss after birth of daughter
Recurrent sinusitis frontalis/ maxillaries
Asthma worse in wet weather
Prescription: Inachis io
Hibernates in its mature form. Lives on stinging nettles and buddleia (butterfly bush). Stinging nettles grow widely, so this butterfly is not dependent on a certain environment. The eyespots, which give the impression of being a dangerous animal, are only exposed if it is threatened by an enemy, for instance a bird.
Follow-up
The reaction was remarkable: at first, she had a severe reaction, with increased tiredness and headaches. After that, she had no need for painkillers anymore – all the physical pains disappeared. She sleeps better. She feels emotionally better, more in balance, more easily able to follow her own needs and less prone to overload herself. She has come to the conclusion that as a child, she did not receive the support or guidance that she felt she needed. She can concentrate much better and feels sturdier. Things do not touch her as deeply or bring her out of balance. She is clearer, and takes on less responsibility for others. She names her quality at her work “the ability to rise above things.” It was a tumultuous period at work, but she says “I am finding my way.”
Inachis io themes according to Patricia Le Roux
Loss of direction leading to a feeling of abandonment
Suffering from lack of concentration
Restless agitation
Metamorphosis: loves to dress up, likes lively colours. Attracted by double faced masks: fear of imminent danger/ living a life of pleasure
Case P. Le Roux
Boy, 6 year, concentration problems, very active; no discipline within the family; he just does what he enjoys, likes to dress up, esp. double faced masks; absence of authority; desire sweets, aversion meat+++
Symptoms of Inachis io in this case
‘Lost’ feeling
Concentration problems
Headache from the neck
Sinusitis
Strong difference between right and left, polarity, (Bombay proving), double-faced mask (Le Roux proving)
RADAR
Anger alternating with tranquillity
Capriciousness, alternating mood
Desire activity, Industriousness
Dreams of birds, dreams of helping people
Desire fruit