For most of human history, families handled everyday illness at home with knowledge passed down through generations. Somewhere along the way, we traded that confidence for a medicine cabinet full of Tylenol, antacids and cough syrup that tasted like cherry-flavored regret. We reached for those bottles because that’s what we were taught to do. But there’s something better sitting right there in nature, waiting for us to remember it.
Homeopathy has been around for over 200 years, and it works on a principle that sounds strange at first but makes perfect sense once you understand it: like cures like. A substance that would cause certain symptoms in a healthy person can, when prepared in an ultra-diluted form, help the body heal those same symptoms. The remedies come from plants, minerals and even animal sources. Over two centuries, practitioners have documented consistent patterns: specific remedies matching specific symptom pictures with remarkable reliability. It’s less about chemistry in the conventional sense and more about pattern recognition in living systems, refined through generations of careful observation.
I sat down recently with classical homeopath and quantum health clinician Vanessa Baldwin on the TAG Podcast to talk about how homeopathy can support women through menopause and beyond. What struck me most about our conversation was how empowering this knowledge is, especially for families. Vanessa hasn’t taken her family to a conventional doctor since she learned homeopathy. Her children, her husband, even her dog have all been supported through acute illnesses and injuries with remedies she keeps on hand at home.
That kind of sovereignty over your family’s health is something worth pursuing.
How Homeopathy Differs from Conventional Medicine
Conventional medicine works on the law of opposites. If you have diarrhea, you get something to stop it. If you have a fever, you take something to bring it down. The symptom goes away, but the underlying issue often stays put or comes back later in a different form.
Homeopathy takes a different approach. Rather than suppressing symptoms, it gives the body a gentle nudge to do its own healing work. When you take a correctly matched remedy, your immune system wakes up, recognizes what needs attention and gets to work. The remedy is the catalyst; your body does the heavy lifting.
In classical practice, properly prepared remedies are considered non-toxic and have been used safely for centuries across all ages and species, including infants and animals. If the remedy doesn’t match your symptoms, the body simply doesn’t respond to it. This is one of the things that makes homeopathy so appealing for families with young children.
Vanessa shared a story during our conversation that perfectly illustrates this. Her niece came down with a high fever on Christmas Day. Vanessa first tried gelsemium because the child was lethargic, but once she looked more closely, she noticed the dilated pupils, the red hot face with cold hands, and realized it was a belladonna picture. In five to ten minutes, her niece was back to herself. The body recognized the right frequency and responded.
Why Suppression Creates Bigger Problems
One of the most fascinating things Vanessa explained is the concept of suppression and how it relates to chronic illness. When we constantly shut down our body’s attempts to heal, whether that’s with antibiotics, Tylenol or even some supplements, we push the illness deeper. The body wanted to express something and clear it out, and we told it to stop.
Over time, this weakens the immune system. Vanessa sees it in her practice all the time: people who can’t remember the last time they had a fever. Most of us think that’s a good thing, but she explained that a healthy body produces one strong acute illness per year, complete with fever. That fever raises core temperature, increases circulation and clears out what doesn’t belong. When we never allow that process to happen, things accumulate.
This is especially relevant for women going through menopause. Many of the symptoms we associate with this time of life, the hot flashes, the anxiety, the weight gain and the brain fog, may have roots in decades of suppression. The body has been holding onto things that were never properly expressed, and now during this major hormonal transition, everything surfaces.
Homeopathic Remedies Worth Having at Home
You don’t need to be a trained homeopath to keep a basic kit at home for acute situations. These aren’t random remedies grabbed off a shelf. They’ve been used for generations for very specific symptom patterns, and I’d encourage you to stock up while you still can because they’re becoming harder to find in stores.
Arnica is probably the most well-known homeopathic remedy. It’s the go-to for concussions, severe bruising, trauma and pain. Vanessa’s husband fell from a scaffold and experienced temporary vision loss from the shock. He’s an arnica personality, the “I’m fine, don’t worry about me” type, and arnica helped clear that trauma from his tissues. I’ve seen this work in my own life as well, and it remains one of the most impressive remedies to witness in action. Keep it in 200C and 1M potencies.
Aconite is the remedy for shock, panic and fear after a traumatic event. If belladonna is for the person who’s red and hot, aconite is for the person who’s terrified. It also works beautifully for acutes that come on suddenly after exposure to cold, dry wind. Think of a child who develops an ear infection after playing soccer on a windy day. Keep it in 30C, 200C and 1M.
Belladonna is your high fever remedy. The fever comes on suddenly, often around 3 p.m., with a red, hot face and cold extremities. Pupils may be dilated. It comes on fast and can leave just as quickly when the right remedy is given. Keep it in 30C and 200C.
Arsenicum album is the one to reach for during a stomach flu or food poisoning. Burning diarrhea, vomiting, restlessness, anxiety and chills, especially worse around midnight. Keep it in 30C and 200C.
Chamomilla is a lifesaver for teething children who are angry, fussy and impossible to please. It’s also a strong remedy for left-sided ear infections. Keep it in 30C and 200C.
Pulsatilla covers a wide range of acute complaints, from allergies and colds to ear infections and UTIs. The person needing pulsatilla is weepy, clingy, wants consolation and feels better in open air. This remedy comes up constantly with children. Keep it in 30C and 200C.
Nux vomica is your digestive rescue remedy. Stomach upset from overindulgence, alcohol or rich food responds well to this one. It also covers flu with high fever and violent chills. Keep it in 30C and 200C.
Calendula is wonderful for open wounds and preventing infection. You can dissolve the pellets in water and pour it directly onto a wound. Vanessa uses it for everything from cuts to scrapes.
Hypericum handles nerve pain, whether from a slammed finger, a dropped object on a toe or a tailbone injury. All the pains are shooting. Keep it in 200C and 1M.
Ledum covers bites, stings and puncture wounds that feel better with cold applications and worse with heat. Vanessa even gives it to her dog for tick bites, and she noticed he stopped getting bitten as frequently afterward.
A Few Things to Know about Homeopathy
Homeopathic remedies never expire as long as they’re stored properly, meaning away from strong heat, direct sunlight, extreme cold, strong electromagnetic exposure and strong scents like essential oils. Caffeinated coffee, cannabis, CBD and essential oils applied to the skin can all antidote a remedy, so avoid these while under homeopathic care.
To take a remedy, bang the bottom of the tube against your palm about ten times to disperse the remedy evenly. Pour four pellets into the cap without touching them, then dissolve them in four ounces of distilled water. Each sip counts as a dose.
For quality, Vanessa recommends sourcing remedies from Hahnemann Labs, named after the founder of homeopathy, Dr. Samuel Hahnemann. Quality matters with remedies the same way it matters with food and water.
When to Work with a Practitioner
A home remedy kit is wonderful for acute situations like fevers, stomach bugs, bumps and injuries of daily life. But for chronic conditions, including the hormonal symptoms of menopause, working with a trained classical homeopath makes a real difference.
Vanessa explained that chronic care involves peeling back layers of suppression like an onion. She takes a thorough health history going all the way back to childhood, looking at patterns, traumas and tendencies that have shaped the person. She’s looking for one single remedy that matches the whole person, the full picture of who they are and how they got here. Sometimes it takes time to uncover that remedy because there are layers to work through, but the results can be profound. People report feeling lighter, clearer, more connected to themselves. Some realize relationships or jobs are no longer right for them. The healing goes far deeper than the physical.
If you want to explore working with Vanessa, she sees clients online at brightlightwellnesscoach.com. She also has a free Homeopathic Home Remedy Kit guide you can download from her website, which goes into more detail on each of these remedies and how to use them.
And if you want to hear our full conversation, including how homeopathy can specifically support women during menopause, watch the latest episode of the TAG Podcast below.
