The Stages of the Periodic Table

Many practitioners of homeopathy believe in the Element Theory, which is the use of the periodic table of elements as a universal guide to the phases of human life. According the Element Theory, the rows of the periodic table symbolize general life themes, while the columns represent the stages of human development. There are 18 stages of development, which rise, peak and fall.

Stages 1 to 3

• Stage 1 represents initiation and a spontaneous, impulsive inception, which lead to naive, instinctive and sometimes irrational behavior. Stage 2 represents self-doubt and timidity. The subject in this stage is passive, because he is unsure of himself. Stage 3 represents searching, experimenting and indecision; the subject explores options but struggles to commit himself to a path.

Stages 4 to 6

• Stage 4 represents the first official start, since it is deliberate, unlike the spontaneous initiation signaled in the first stage. During this stage, the subject may make a major life start, such as start a business or get married. Stage 5 corresponds with the work, planning and labor that result from the commitment initiated in the previous stage. During this stage, the subject is easily discouraged, feeling overwhelmed by goals that seem unattainable. Stage 6 represents challenge and obstacle. The subject must overcome failures to prove himself and her courage.

Stages 7 to 10

• Stage 7 represents training and development. The subject is still learning, even while beginning to teach others that follow in his path. Stage 8 represents burden and struggle, testing the subject to endure and prove her conviction. During this stage, the subject continues to experience adversity and opposition, having to persevere. Stage 9 represents mild relief, as the bulk of work is done. The subject is nearer his goal, but still must face small hurdles in his path. During Stage 10, the goal is attained; the subject experiences the glory and joy of his achievements. All is in balance.

Stage 11 to 13

• Stage 11 is maintenance of the balance and harmony that the subject finally achieved in Stage 10. Sustenance of prosperity, however, is taxing. During Stage 12, the subject feels exerted and, while still powerful, threatened from all directions. She suspects betrayal of friends and loved ones, and she may resort to aggression to protect her wealth and fortune. Stage 13 represents nostalgia for the past. The subject recalls the antique and the days of old, mourning what is irretrievably lost (his youth).

Stages 14 to 16

• Stage 14 represents a symbolic loss of power, as the subject is beginning to experience weakness, emptiness and hollowness, even though he may still hold a position of high stature. Stage 15 represents real loss. During this stage, the subejct experiences defeat, in the form of bankruptcy, loss of health, loss of esteem or stature or other demotions. During stage 16, the subject has nothing but decay and fragments to remind him that his life and his kingdom have been shattered. He is disgusted with himself, and he becomes an outcast and a beggar.

Stages 17 to 18

• Stage 17 is the stage of eradication. The subject must be erased, extinguished and wiped clean. Her memory is eroded and she is freed from the bondage of the past. During Stage 18, the subject rests and meditates in a coma-like state, as she prepares to die. This stage is marked by inertia, inactivity and idleness. The subject floats in a kind of cocoon -- she is unconnected from the world, even while she is being pulled back into the universe, ready to begin Stage 1 of a new cycle of life.