Homeopathic Constitutional Types : Lycopodium
My exploration of the six Genotypes (homeopathic constitutional or personality types) leads me today to Lycopodium. This is one of the more IQ types (grounded more in intellect and reason than feelings), and one which is very strongly grounded in the rational mind. The quintessential marriage partner for Lycopodium, by the way, is the Pulsatilla type, who is most grounded in the emotional mind.
Being so strongly grounded in their rational mind, the Lycopodium can have trouble making true emotional connections, even to their own spouse or family. I know that this is often the complaint you’ll hear about husbands, but it is equally true for female Lycopodiums. Socially, they are extremely adept and versatile, and able to climb to the top of a social or workplace hierarchy, but this is much truer in terms of outer social conventions, and not from a true inner emotional connection. At home, Lycopodiums like for other people to be around, but not too close or in the same room.
There is often some challenge for student homeopaths to learn the difference between Lycopodium and Silicea, and one way you can start to see the difference is to consider that Lycopodium is more akin to following the letter of the law, whereas Siliceas follow the spirit of the law. In that sense, Lycopodiums make better lawyers, and Siliceas are better judges.
Physically, Lycopodiums can have weakness in their digestive system, and can easily suffer from gas or indigestion. This is actually a commonly used remedy to help support the liver functions, regardless of the patient’s constitutional type. They have the strongest sweet tooth of any constitutional type, which is a stimulant both for digestion, as well as the brain, which they draw on a lot. They may also be prone to impotence, as an offshoot of their deep tendency to feeling inferior, and always trying to compensate by proving themselves.
Their biggest challenges include confidence and commitment. Much of their behaviour is motivated by covering up, or compensating for their own perceived inadequacies, and this is a big part of why they can sometimes appear to have such an over-inflated ego. It can be very challenging for them to commit to a single relationship, which implies a depth of emotional connection and vulnerability. This often makes them the “players” on the dating scene, who are much more comfortable moving through several superficial relationships, rather than finding true love and exploring their deeper emotions within a relationship.
At their worst, they are egotistical, competitive, and manipulative, doing whatever it takes to get ahead in the game of success. This worst side can be described as the type who is very popular and charming outside of the home, but a dictator to their family in private. Conversely, they can successfully “put on their game face” at work, but need a lot of emotional support and nurturing at home from a supportive spouse and family. A healthy Lycopodium has worked to connect to their emotional life, as a servant to their often overdriven rational mind.
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I haven’t had a look at Colin Griffith’s materia medica, which I’d like to. It appears, though, that although these are “thought” or “meditation” provings, they are still by and large based on substance remedies.
I’m new to this and wondering if anyone has read the enneagram? In that I am a 3, female and doing my constitution test I came up with Lycopodium. I can identify with most of this wondering if the two tend to go hand and hand…
3=Lycopodium
Also my husband is a 9 in the enneagram so I’m wondering what his constitution could be and if we are well paired.
Thanks for raising this question. I only have a cursory knowledge of the enneagram types, so I could not make any conclusive observations about how they compare with the homeopathic genotypes, at this time. The first step I’d have to take to make such a comparison is to reach exactly (or even “if”, in the first place”) the enneagram is grounded into a concrete aspect of our dynamic physiology. Once this were done, the next step would be to take it at that level, and begin to draw connections to the homeopathic genotypes based on the fact that they are representations of a typology of our upper physical bodies. Once I got to this point, I’m not sure that I’d find a direct correlation between the genotypes and the enneagram types, as there are 6 of the one, and 9 of the other. What would that mean for the leftover 3 types, for example?
This is all interesting food for thought, and I hope that someone takes up this research projects someday.
Great information about constitution of lycopodium clav.
People tend to speak (it seems to me) mostly negatively about Lycopodium, and with great passion — in a negative way. Is Lycopodium also considered a disease state (phenotype) like suphur seems to be, as well as a genotype? Or could it be said that Lycopodium genotypes are more often “decompensated” than other types?
Hi Eva,
Thank you for your comment! Practitioner, Jeff Korentayer, has provided the following reply:
“Good question!
Yes, you’ve hit the nail on the head, in intuiting that there’s a world of difference between a “state of disease” and a “state of health”.
It’s true that the remedy lycopodium may be applied to either a lycopodium disease state, or simply a lycopodium genotype (a basic personality type in a state of health).
Even though both situation receive the remedy of the same name, it does not mean that it is the same thing being treated.
This is one of the primary problems with most classical materia medica literature, is that it does NOT have such a distinction between health and disease, and all the symptoms are mixed into a single entry.”
Thank you for your wonderful description of my husband, ooops I mean the Lycopodium patient!
We have wondered why he is the way he is… Interestingly, his mother was a homeopath and she often recommended Lycopodium for him due to his love of sweets and his digestive issues!
His personality type is very frustrating to deal with. He is a gaslighter…but he turns on the charm for everyone outside the family and demands control at home. Example, day One: he tells me I am His Enemy (because I bought a coffee maker for my son and he had told me not let my son drink coffee AND I disagreed with his mother 21 years ago. ) These are excuses to keep his distance. I have realized over the years that he does not want to be together unless it is to share a meal.
Day 2: He forgets that his old and dear friend has invited us to dinner, so could we all dress up to go? The charm is back on for the length of the event.
Day 3: He tells me a sad tale of a family in Pakistan, where the sister died and the mother died and the brother was killed in a motor cycle accident. The moral of his story is that “just because I called you, my one and only spouse, The Enemy, does not amount to anything. Other people have REAL problems and so this is just nothing.
Day 4: He tells a story of a happy lady who is stuck with a spouse who is veeeery depressing….and he describes himself as “the happiest guy in the world!” So guess who is supposed to be “stuck with the veeeery depressing spouse?” He has told his sisters so many stories about my “depression” that they believe him, but interestingly, he does not do this with his brothers. They are not interested in backbiting.
The question I have is that if his constitutional remedy is Lycopodium, how high a dose should I give to see some results? Lyc Q?
I am not sure a Pulsatilla spouse IS best. I think I am a pulsatilla, but the distance creates a big push-pull in the relationship, but as far as the children go, I agree that they need an emotionally grounded person since the Lycopodium personality is incapable. My father used to tell us he loved us and we used to kiss and hug my parents good night. Living with a Lycopodium patient is like: Good night man on the moon!
Psychologically, this person is called a gaslighter, which does not engender much sympathy. Thank you for giving me some hope. As my mother in law used to say, if they get their constitutional remedy, they are always better for it, regardless of the illness. I did not realize she had given me the key to his personality type…
Hi! Thanks so much for your excellent comment and observations.
Regarding the Lyc dose, that is something that needs to be determined on a case by case basis.
If you and your husband are interested in consulting with a practitioner, you can reach us at reception@arcanum.ca .
Best regards,
– Diane Nowlan, Office Manager
Hi! about the comment regarding the enneagram—I found lycopodium through the enneagram book titled “Character and Neurosis” by Claudio Naranjo. I have been told that I have the personality of a “Type 7” or “oral character” in Reichian terms. Naranjo attributes this character as being connected with lychopodium, which I know far less about.
Hi Alex,
Thank you for your comment. Here’s a reply from practitioner, Allyson McQuinn:
“Yes, in an unhealthy state, Lycopodium can suffer a suppressed ocular and oral blocks as per Reich. The reason for this is that there is often suppressed armouring due to high parental expectations and the neurotic block develops in the chronic posturing of trying to please that parent that translates into the character’s working life to try and always exceed expectations.” More on these to elements here: https://arcanum.ca/2012/04/08/homeopathic-constitutional-types-lycopodium/ and https://arcanum.ca/2012/09/04/heilkunst-basics-university-3rd-year-armoring-of-the-oral-segment/ “