09/06/2025
I have an entirely new perspective of this remedy. At college, we were taught that this remedy was ugly, insipid, deceptive, hiding in plain sight, usually masked and masquerading as something or someone else. Covered in warts, with sweaty oily skin, exuding yellowy-greeish discharges...
It doesn't paint a very pleasant picture, does it?
And so then what if you get prescribed this remedy by your homeopath? Even worse! No-one wants to be known for being a 'Thuja'...
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Thuja has a deep, excruciating sensitivity that is often not fully appreciated. Their perceived fragility and oversensitiveness makes them fearful of every little thing: others approaching them, the mere company of others, that they may break ('made of glass') at the slightest pressure, that something will go wrong, even the thought of being touched... the world is just too harsh for them.
It's funny that the image of Thuja is often portrayed as one of contempt and disgust, but this is entirely the internal belief system of the Thuja individual. It's as if the behaviours Thuja put out are a direct reflection of what's going on inside for them. Their self-esteem is so low that their sense of self and identity is almost non-existent, and boundaries are so blurry it's hard to know where they begin or end. Thuja's do not feel at home in their own bodies, let alone in this world or dimension, and they might feel a sensation of something alive inside of them (esp. abdomen). They feel they are going crazy and fear others will notice.
Thuja's memory and concentration is in, what can only be described as, complete turmoil - forgetful, easily distracted, completely absorbed in what they're doing, might stubbornly stick to a plan but have had much difficulty in making the initial decision, constant conflict. Mental overload can contribute to making mistakes even with simple tasks such as calculating, remembering a word or expressing themselves accurately.
Vanishing thoughts and vanishing time are all too common for Thuja, which can lead to great upset when they have not been able to accomplish as much as they would have liked to (on a short or long-term scale). Small things might seem really BIG and a temper 'tantrum' is just as easily seen in adults as in children - anticipatory anxiety, things not going to plan, something going wrong, judging themselves or being judged by others harshly, can all contribute to emotions escalating from 0-100 very quickly (shrieking, screaming, shouting, hysteria).
Now the reason it can be difficult to spot a 'Thuja' is because they put a huge amount of effort into concealing their internal struggles. The worst thing would be for others to see their collapse, and so they may behave quite unpleasantly to ensure they get their own way - obstinate, abusive, contrary - which makes them difficult to be around at times, but is quite the opposite of how they feel inside.
Because Thuja does not feel at home in themselves, they may have an attraction to other world's or belief systems. This may be as an interest alone, or go as far as stepping into having clairvoyant abilities. Fanaticism is an example of the extremes Thuja can reach when feeling consumed by fixed views.
It is easy to see how Thuja can tip into despair and anguish; life feels hard to cope with, sleeplessness is rife, there is a layer of disgust that coats almost all aspects of life, and the weariness can become so heavy that death and ending their life seems an almost pleasurable option. The feeling of wanting to return 'home' is strong, where things are not so much effort and things make more sense, although where 'home' is may not be an easy place to locate.
Despite these deep internal struggles, Thuja individuals are often very loving and sweet natured when the people in their lives can be patient, gentle, and allow them a lot of time and their own way as much as possible (no easy task in many relationships). I think most people can empathise with this remedy state if they think of how an emotional spiral can deteriorate if left in 'fight / flight' mode for too long. Ultimately, they are craving desperately a sense of belonging and a feeling of safety.
"When beauty exists side by side with ugliness,
the one seems more powerful,
owing to the presence of the other."
- Leonardo de Vinci
There is so much more to Thuja than meets the eye. The phrase "Never judge a book by its cover" doesn't even begin to illustrate the depths one must go to, to unearth what lies beneath the surface of Thuja.
And so, Thuja, I tread a little more gently with you now. I greet you with an embrace rather than holding you at arms length. Sometimes when someone is trying so hard to keep you out, what they really wish is for you to pull them close and to know they are safe there. For another person to take on, this might be difficult at times; thank goodness homeopathy is strong enough to hold that space.
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Thuja occidentalis - aka American arbor-vitae; tree of life - is an evergreen coniferous tree. The oldest trees have been aged at over 1,000 years old. It has a preference for moist conditions, growing leathery woody scales along its bark. As a homeopathic remedy, however, Thuja individuals are generally worse for cold damp conditions, but do experience skin growths of many kinds, particularly warts and polyps, and especially with abnormal appearances.
Thuja occ. has a thick trunk that divides out at the base into curved horizontal branches, which often form a symmetrical pyramidal shape. It is a reflection of its Sycotic miasm that physical ailments can appear in a symmetrical nature.
Some other physical symptoms of Thuja include: oily skin; sweetish smelling perspiration; feeling worse for any kind of suppression (phys./emo.); symptoms being worse around 3:00/15:00; pains in small spots (compare Kali-carb); issues with nail integrity; having a 'thing' with onions - be that a desire for or aversion of them; worse from fats (compare Puls); and a desire for chocolate and salt. They like their foods either hot or cold (none of this room temp stuff!) and have a tendency for sour / acid / refreshing tastes. They have cases where they've never been well since injectables and suppressants (including vaccinations, anti-allergy meds) and when they discharge it is yellow-green.
Its herbal medicinal qualities are many, throughout history, and it is thought that its main component - Thujone - has an action within the brain similar to that of TTC in ma*****na. Thujone however is a toxic substance and is not advised to ingest. It is used in essential oils for an array of uses, from health and wellbeing, to cleaning and pest control.
It's symbolism as a Tree of Life (due to its longevity, incorruptible resin and evergreen foliage) is why it is frequently seen in graveyards. There is a real polarity of presentation within Thuja as a remedy; the push-pull of life, death and all the reality in-between. ๐๐
๐ธ Remember, this is just a snapshot of the Thuja occidentalis picture, and you don't have to have everything listed for it to still be a very beneficial remedy for you - it just has to be the most similar remedy that matches with your symptoms โฏ๏ธ
๐If this remedy has resonated with you, or you'd like more information on how homeopathy can support you, please do get in touch.
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