Spiritual Journey – Stellaria Media - Part 1 (Mouse-Eared Plant, Common Chickweed)

Dr Mirjana Živanov

Person oscillates between the need to be VISIBLE — to exist, to be recognized and affirmed — and a quiet inner voice that pulls them toward INVISIBILITY, toward withdrawal, toward the desire to blend into the space and remain unnoticed.

Code of Stellaria Media: VISIBLE – INVISIBLE.

To the best of my knowledge, and according to the available literature, no case has been documented in which Stellaria Media was recognized as the Simillimum. In my clinical practice, however, multiple cases have been recorded in which this remedy clearly acted as the Simillimum. These cases were neither isolated nor incidental; rather, they demonstrated a consistent recurrence of the same Code, identified through the application of the Matrix Method. This confirms that the finding is not singular, but reflects a stable and clinically verified structure, thereby opening a new chapter in the understanding of the Code and the therapeutic potential of Stellaria Media.

At first glance, the person may appear strict, gruff, and somewhat intimidating. Yet once they begin to speak, a gentle smile emerges, revealing that deep within their essence lives a tender soul whose modesty quietly captivates.

They try to leave the impression of being strong and rational, yet they love to philosophize and to search for truth in everything. They may visit many allopathic doctors, listen carefully to their opinions, yet not follow the prescribed therapy, eventually turning to homeopathic treatment instead. It is as if they feel uncertain all the time, unsure whom to trust, even though their inner sense draws them toward a holistic approach. The fear of a serious illness leads them to doubt everything.

They are highly sensitive, especially in childhood, when the opinions of others strongly influence their emotions. The impact of parents is immense; if they do not feel supported by the father, they will almost certainly withdraw and strive to become INVISIBLE. Yet deep inside, they suffer because of this. They long to be supported, strong, and self-confident, for only then could they allow themselves to be VISIBLE.

They are greatly influenced by other children at school, who strongly shape their self-perception. Often tall and slender, they begin to stand out among their peers — they become VISIBLE. However, if they lack sufficient parental support, instead of feeling proud, they experience shame and the need to become INVISIBLE once again.

Within this inner split, a profound feeling is born:as if they have walked through this world “barefoot on thorns.”Wounded, unaccepted, unloved, rejected.

They then bend their body, curve their shoulders forward, close their chest, and walk hunched — as if trying to protect the heart from new stings. As a consequence, severe back pain may develop, a bodily reflection of the long-standing attempt to become invisible and avoid further hurt.

The patient does not say:“I made a mistake.”

The patient feels:“I must not be seen.”

This is very deep and often begins in puberty:

• bodily growth

• breasts

• the gaze of others

• a feeling of exposure

The body becomes something that must be hidden.

Body G

The Stellaria Media patient:

• bends the shoulders forward

• closes the chest

• walks hunched

• as if shrinking

• wanting to be smaller than they truly are

This is NOT muscular weakness.It is the gesture of hiding one’s existence.

Therefore:

• back pain

• especially in the thoracic region

• chronically stooped posture

The back carries the conflict:Am I allowed to stand upright?

The Essence of the Code

Polarity VISIBLE:– there is a need to be present– wants contact, wants to participate– has sensitivity, reacts, feels

Polarity INVISIBLE:– withdraws as soon as noticed– diminishes, quiets down, bends the body– as if erasing one’s own trace

It is a constant switching on and off of one’s own presence.

First Simillimum Stellaria Media

She was the first Simillimum Stellaria Media.

From the very beginning, I knew this was a remedy we had not encountered before.She did not resemble any known pattern. She did not fit into any previously observed picture.

During case-taking, I felt that something new was forming — something that was only waiting to receive its name.

At one moment, I had already thought of Stellaria. The idea was there, but without final confirmation.

Then a quiet yet decisive moment occurred.

As she was speaking, my gaze suddenly fell upon her ears.It was as if only they entered the frame.

Their shape, softness, gentle projection — they reminded me of the ears of a small mouse.

In that instant, a thought passed through me:“Could it be that she truly is mouse-eared?”

The idea had already existed within me, but now it received visual confirmation.

Her ears resembled the leaf of Stellaria. And the leaf of Stellaria — resembles the ears of a mouse.A plant bearing the name mouse-ear.

The body recognized the remedy before the mind had fully named it.

These days, I am writing the remedy Stellaria.

And today, while walking on the Dolma, a small mouse appeared — a baby.It paused for a moment, then disappeared into the grass.

I did not experience it as coincidence.Only as a quiet confirmation of a pattern already recognized.

Terminological Precision in Symbolic Analysis

Within the Matrix Method, it is essential to clearly distinguish between morphological analogy and archetypal and code-based structure.

The name “chickweed” (Stellaria media) derives from an external, morphological resemblance — primarily the smallness and shape of the leaves. This correspondence is descriptive and botanical, but it does not automatically constitute an archetypal symbol within the framework of the Code.

Morphological analogy refers to external form and naming.An archetypal symbol belongs to a deeper psychodynamic structure and must be confirmed through consistent clinical patterns.The Code represents a stable polarity-based structure recognized through Matrix methodology.

For this reason, the symbol of the mouse, although present in the plant’s vernacular naming, is not automatically transferred to the Code of Stellaria media. Instead, it is addressed within the context of an entirely different remedy whose clinical dynamics consistently correspond to that archetype.

The name “chickweed” derives from the external

resemblance of the leaf to a small mouse ear or body.This correspondence is morphological,

but not symbolic within the context of the Code.

Symbolism of the Flower

The flower of Stellaria looks like a small star that has split into five deeply notched petals.

Botanically,it appears as if it has not even fully decided to become a flower.

It is a plant— between appearing and disappearing.

Psychological Image

Patients often say:

• “I don’t like to stand out.”

• “I would rather be unnoticed.”

• “I don’t like when people look at me.”

• “I don’t feel comfortable in my body.”

• “As if I am extra.”

But they do not say this dramatically.They say it quietly.Almost apologetically.

Why This Plant?

Stellaria Media grows:

• low

• hidden

• among others

• without its own territory

It is existence without occupying space.

Clinical Key

• shame → bending

• bending → back pain

• back pain → chronic posture of hiding

It is the perfect bodily translation of the Code.

It is the remedy of self-diminishing.

Stellaria Media with the Code: VISIBLE – INVISIBLE does not speak of a moral conflict (as in Lycopodium with the Code “Pride – Shame”),but of an existential oscillation of appearing:

I am here — but as if I should not be seen.

Bodily Expression of the Code

The patient:

• enters a room → then “shrinks”

• speaks → then lowers the voice

• appears → then bends forward

• physically reduces the chest

That is why a stooped posture and back pain are characteristic.

This is not an orthopedic problem.It is the body’s attempt to become less visible.

The back does what the psyche demands:to close the figure.

The Plant as a Perfect Image

Stellaria Media:

• grows close to the ground

• has no height → no “appearance”

• the flower is white and tiny → easily overlooked

• always present, yet rarely noticed

It is a plant that exists in the zone of peripheral vision.

Exactly like the patient.

Inner Experience (when expressed)

They do not say:

• “I am worthless.”

Instead they say:

• “It would be better if I weren’t here.”

• “I don’t like being noticed.”

• “I am here… but I am not important.”

• “I would rather stay on the side.”\

This is not depression.It is a strategy of self-erasure.

Key Moment of Origin

Very often:

• the entrance into puberty

• the body becomes visible to others

• the external gaze becomes “too strong”

Then an inner decision is formed:

“If I am visible — I am not safe.”→ and the mechanism develops: to become INVISIBLE.

Photo: Dr Mirjana Zivanov

Spiritual Quality – SOFTNESS

In this quiet greenery, there is no effort. One leaf does not push another, a flower does not seek to be seen. Everything exists in gentle contact – without resistance, without the need to stand out.

Softness is not weakness. It is a state in which life is not defended – but allowed to flow.

When tension is released, when the body no longer feels the need to protect, then softness appears –as the deepest form of strength.

In softness, everything finds its place.

Stellaria Media in Mythological Symbolism

Although Stellaria Media does not have a direct record in the great mythological systems as oak, laurel, or lotus do, its form and manner of growth carry an archetypal image that clearly fits into the universal mythological language.

It belongs to those “quiet plants” which are not explicitly named in mythology, yet are always present as symbols of modest, hidden life — a life that exists at the threshold of the visible world.

The Star That Descended to Earth

The name Stellaria comes from the Latin stella — star.

But this is not a star shining in the sky.It is a star that:

• has fallen

• has diminished

• has become almost unnoticeable

• lives close to the ground

In mythological language, this is the motif of:

“Light that descended into matter and forgot to shine.”

Such an image appears in many traditions:

• in ancient mysteries — the soul descending into the world of form

• in Gnostic texts — the spark hidden within matter

• in folk narratives — the “star seed” that no one recognizes

It is a perfect parallel to the Code:VISIBLE – INVISIBLE

The Plant of the Threshold (Liminal Plant)

Stellaria grows:

• along pathways

• between stones

• in places where nothing was intended to grow

• in crossings, cracks, edges

In mythology, such places are spaces between worlds.

These are the so-called liminal zones:

• neither inside nor outside

• neither cultivated nor wild

• neither noticed nor hidden

Plants that grow in such places always symbolizea being that is not entirely “here.”

The Myth of Invisible Presence

Unlike the mythic tree that connects heaven and earth,Stellaria does not connect — it quietly exists in between.

Its mythological function is closer to the figure of:

• the invisible companion

• the child who stands aside

• the one who participates without occupying space

This is an archetype that often has no name in stories,yet without it, the story would not exist.

The Five-Part Flower — A Dispersed Wholeness

The petals of Stellaria are deeply notched,so the flower appears to have ten parts,although it actually has five.

This creates the impressionof a divided appearance.

Mythologically speaking,it is the image of a being that is “here and not here,”that does not manifest in full form.

Hidden Vital Force

In European folk tradition, chickweed is:

• edible

• medicinal

• exceptionally resilient

• almost impossible to eradicate

Though inconspicuous, it constantly persists.

Mythological paradox:what is least visible — is most enduring.

The Archetypal Image of the Remedy

If we were to translate Stellaria media into a mythological image, it would be:

• a small star that descended to earth

• living among humans without demanding to be seen

• shining only as much as is necessary to exist

This is not a myth of a fall.It is a myth of diminished radiance.

Photo: Dr Mirjana Zivanov

Stellaria Media in Folk Medicine

Stellaria Media (mouse-ear, chickweed) is one of those plants that in folk medicine was used more than described — considered “ordinary,” yet constantly present as a remedy for everyday ailments. Precisely this modest, accessible nature made it an important part of traditional therapy throughout Europe.

Use in Traditional Herbal Practice

For the Skin and “Hidden” Inflammations

In folk medicine, it was most often used externally:

• for itching, rashes, and skin irritations

• for eczema and mild inflammatory processes

• as a compress that “cools and soothes”

Freshly crushed plant material was applied directly to the skin, as it was believed to:

• “draw the heat out of the tissue”

• reduce the sensation of tension and discomfort

As a Gentle “Cleanser”

Taken as tea, it was used:

• for mild detoxification

• in cases of “retention” and slow metabolism

• as a spring plant for renewal after winter

It was not regarded as a strong remedy, but as a plant that:

• acts gently

• gradually restores balance

Food and Medicine in One

Chickweed was also a commonly eaten wild plant:

• added to salads and soups

• valued as a source of freshness and minerals

• given to the weak and exhausted because it was considered “light for the body”

In many regions it was said:

“It nourishes without burden.”

Use for Pain and Stiffness

In some local traditions, compresses were applied:

• to stiff backs and joints

• in cases of tension and stooped posture

It is interesting that a plant which itself grows low to the groundwas traditionally used precisely where the body loses freedom of movement.

Why Was It So Valued?

In folk medicine, Stellaria was not a “heroic” plant like St. John’s wort or sage.It was a remedy:

• for everyday, quieter complaints

• for conditions that are not dramatic, yet persistent

• for people who “remain silent and carry their burdens”\

It was a plant of mild but steady action.

The Traditional Message of the Plant

If many medicinal plants in folklore “act strongly,”Stellaria media was the one that:

• does not impose change

• does not disturb the organism

• but slowly returns it to its natural state

That is why it often grew near the house — almost like a constant, quiet ally.

Photo: Dr Mirjana Zivanov - Stellaria Media – five deeply divided petals, appearing as ten delicate rays of light.

Stellaria Media in Contemporary Scientific Research

In contrast to its modest reputation in everyday life, Stellaria media has in recent decades become the subject of numerous phytochemical and pharmacological studies. Science has sought to explain what folk medicine had long used intuitively — its gentle yet multi-layered action.

Chemical Composition (Phytochemistry)

Analyses have shown that the plant contains:

• Flavonoids– antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects

• Saponins– mild anti-inflammatory activity; influence metabolism and microcirculation

• Phenolic acids– protection of tissues from oxidative stress

• Vitamin C and minerals (especially iron and magnesium)– nutritional support for the organism

• Mucilaginous substances (mucilage)– soothing effect on skin and irritated surfaces

This composition explains why the plant does not act abruptly, but rather modulates processes within tissues.

Antioxidant Activity

Experimental studies have shown that extracts of Stellaria media:

• reduce oxidative stress in cells

• act as “free radical scavengers”

• protect cellular membranes

In other words, the plant functions as a biological stabilizer rather than a stimulant.

Anti-inflammatory Effect

Laboratory models have demonstrated:

• reduction of local inflammatory response

• inhibition of certain inflammatory mediators

• mild analgesic activity

This confirms its traditional use in cases of:

• skin irritation

• mild swelling

• tissue tension

Influence on Metabolism

Some studies have examined the plant’s effect on:

• lipid regulation

• mild support of glucose metabolism

• improvement of digestion in experimental models

Results suggest an adaptogenic, regulatory character rather than a strong pharmacological effect.

Dermatological Research

Topical application of extracts has shown:

• soothing effects on the skin

• acceleration of epithelialization

• reduction of itching

For this reason, it continues to appear in certain natural dermal preparations.

Scientific Conclusion

Modern research does not identify a single dominant “active substance” in Stellaria media, but rather a complex that:

• gently regulates

• calms

• stabilizes tissue

• restores physiological balance

It is a plant with modulatory rather than aggressive action.

An Interesting Convergence with Its Traditional Image

Science describes it as:

• mild

• unobtrusive

• yet functionally useful

which closely aligns with its long-standing folk use as a “quiet medicinal plant.”

Themes of the Remedy

1. The Theme of Guilt and Low Self-Confidence

At the core of this state lies not aggression, but fragility. Behind the attempt to appear rational and composed hides a deep sense of inadequacy.

A person with this Code often carries the inner feeling of being “small in a world of the large.” As if others are always more secure, stronger, louder, while she remains one step behind — in silence and doubt. A single word, a glance, a comment from a parent or peer is enough for self-confidence to withdraw as if it had never existed.

The inner voice says:“I have no right.”“I am not good enough.”“My opinion does not matter.”

And so she gradually retreats from the space of visibility.

“My back is tearing me apart! What did I do? I don’t know. (Stell.)”

“I made a mistake by exercising on the bench and injuring myself! (Stell.) Before that, after your remedy, I was walking so beautifully without pain and was happy. Why did I need that!”

She keeps her head bent downward while saying this.

“I feel as if I would explode from the amount of love I have, but when it needs to be said, I cannot. And after your remedy I felt that I must say it, regardless of what will happen, how it will be received — I finally expressed it and said: ‘I love you!’ Without any occasion, in the middle of the day — it wasn’t in any romantic circumstances. I just said it. I felt wonderful because I had finally spoken it. And all of that happened after the sternum cracked, and as you say, after the opening.”

This is the moment when the metal band loosens.

The explosion of love that had been held for years behind the sternum finally finds its way into words. The cracking of the sternum is not merely a physical event — it is a symbolic opening of the chest, the opening of the space of the heart.

Before the remedy — love was present, but unspoken.After the remedy — it becomes VISIBLE through the voice.

“I love you,” spoken without occasion, without romantic staging, without preparation — this is liberated emotion. It is the moment when it no longer matters how it will be received. What matters is that the truth has been spoken.

It is the passage from INVISIBLE love to VISIBLE love.

2. The Theme of the Experience of Personal Mistake

In Stellaria, there is a pronounced tendency to experience every unfavorable event as a personal mistake.

“I made a mistake by exercising… Why did I need that!”

Even when the behavior was reasonable and healthy, when she tried to do something good for herself, the outcome is interpreted as her own failure.

This is not objective analysis.It is automatic inner accusation.

There is a constant sense that she could have acted differently, should have acted differently, that she herself is to blame for what happened — even when it involves normal human risk or coincidence.

This is an extension of the theme of low self-confidence:

If something bad happens — I made a mistake.If something goes wrong — my decision was wrong.

Interestingly, before the injury she says she was happy, walking without pain. But the moment deterioration occurs, instead of seeing it as a temporary phase, she turns it into proof of her own inadequacy.

This is not merely guilt — this is the identity of mistake.

Perhaps the shortest and most precise formulation is:

In Stellaria, a mistake is not an event —a mistake becomes the personal experience of oneself.

Mistake and the Code VISIBLE – INVISIBLE

In Stellaria, the mistake becomes VISIBLE, while success remains INVISIBLE.

When she was walking without pain, when she was happy, it is hardly registered. It is “normal.” It passes quietly.

But the moment an injury occurs — it becomes enormous.It becomes evidence.It becomes confirmation.

“There — I made a mistake.”

It is as if her psyche has a spotlight directed only at her own errors, while everything good remains in shadow.

She is hypersensitive to her own “guilt.”Not because she objectively makes constant mistakes — but because she deeply believes she must be perfect in order to have the right to exist in space.

And here her Code becomes visible again:

When she is successful — she remains quiet, unobtrusive.When she makes a mistake — she becomes fully VISIBLE to herself, almost in a self-punishing way.

Perhaps the deepest sentence is this:

It is not the mistake she fears —it is that the mistake will confirm she is not enough.

The Stellaria Formula of Self-Criticism

EVENT → neutralMIND → “I made a mistake.”EMOTION → guiltBODY → tightening

Even more precisely:

Small mistake↓Large inner accusation↓Tightening of the chest↓Bent back

The psychological sequence looks like this:

1. She attempts something for herself.

2. If the outcome is not ideal — she immediately takes the blame.

3. Internally, she pronounces judgment.

4. The body responds with constriction.

The mistake becomes confirmation of the old inner sentence:

“I am not good enough.”

In Stellaria, conscience is stricter than reality.

3. The Theme of Injustice

Injustice affects her deeply. Not because she is rebellious, but because she is sensitive to truth. When at work she sees people being dismissed due to political affiliation while others are employed solely through party connections, a strong pain arises within her. “This is not human,” she says. In her value system, there is a clear boundary between what is right and what is wrong.

But here the inner split appears: she sees, she feels, she understands — yet she cannot change anything.

The same dynamic repeats within the healthcare system. She goes to allopathic doctors because she must, for sick-leave documentation. She repeatedly undergoes examinations, yet diagnosis is absent, and solutions even more so. Once again she finds herself in a situation where “they are big,” and she is small. She must listen, adapt, accept others’ opinions — even when she internally feels that this is not the whole truth.

In such situations, injustice does not hurt only externally — it confirms her inner experience of powerlessness.

As if the world functions according to rules she cannot alter.As if others are always above, and she below.

And so she withdraws once again — not because she has no position, but because she does not believe her voice can change anything.

Here her Code becomes clearly visible: VISIBLE – INVISIBLE.

She sees injustice, yet feels invisible herself.

Truth is strongly present within her, but her voice remains quiet.

She would like to be VISIBLE in her stance, but fear and the feeling of being small before the “large ones” pull her back into INVISIBILITY.

And so she withdraws again — not because she lacks conviction, but because she does not believe her voice can change the world.

4. The Theme of Oscillation – Indecision

Within her there is almost constantly a state of inner division. As if she stands at a crossroads, looking in two directions, yet unable to walk calmly and confidently down either path. Every decision carries doubt; every possibility brings a new dilemma. This is not superficial indecision — it is a deep internal conflict between fear and trust, between reason and intuition, between the need for security and the longing for truth.

Her sentences often begin with hesitation and end with a sigh:

“Should I do the MRI? Should I go here or there, I truly don’t know anymore. I have come to the point of starting allopathic medication, but I haven’t yet…”

“I heard about Cupping therapy, and I was thinking maybe I should try that. I DON’T KNOW anymore! I DON’T KNOW!”

“I have this conflict between conventional medicine and holistic medicine.”

“I simply DON’T KNOW what to do. I want this, I want that — LOST.”

In this constant “I want – I don’t want,” she feels lost, as if she lacks an inner point of support. As if every choice is a risk, and every decision a potential mistake.

Here again her Code reveals itself.

When she is connected with herself — she is clear, present, VISIBLE in her decision.

But the moment authority appears, others’ opinions intervene, or fear of making a mistake arises, her inner voice becomes quiet — almost INVISIBLE.

She does not know whom to trust because she has lost trust in her own compass.

And then hesitation emerges.

When one’s own voice becomes invisible — every crossroads appears dangerous.

5. The Theme of Disappointment, Apathy, and Depression

“I could really do many things, but I have no will. And that back pain won’t let me go anywhere… what can I do… Melancholy (Stell) and some kind of depression (Stell).”

“He is yet another great disappointment for me. And he has no sense at all that I remained hurt!”

“I should just give up on everything! (Stell)”

“It’s truly tormenting (Stell).”

Within her there is an awareness of her own potential. “I could do many things, realistically,” she says. But immediately another sentence follows: “…but I have no will.” As if between possibility and movement there stands an invisible barrier.

Back pain becomes a symbol of this stagnation. “And that back pain won’t let me go anywhere… what can I do.” Melancholy (Stell). “And some kind of depression (Stell).”

She experiences disappointments deeply and personally. “He is yet another great disappointment for me.”

For her, every emotional rupture is not merely the end of a relationship — it is confirmation of the inner feeling that she is not sufficiently loved, that she does not belong, that something about her is not right.

Although she tries to fit in, to be part of society, to give herself in relationships, she often remains with the feeling of being excess. She is divorced, and now another relationship has ended. She does not experience this as life circumstances, but as personal failure.

Then withdrawal follows.

She becomes quiet, apathetic, without initiative.She gives up before she tries.

She attempts to change the situation in which she lives, yet lacks the capacity for radical cuts. She does not dare to resign from her job because it is her “comfort zone.” Deep inside, she would not cope well with sudden changes. Security is more important to her than freedom — even when that security hurts.

And here the same pattern appears again:

She would like to expand, but she contracts.She would like to move forward, but she remains.She would like to be loved, but she withdraws before fully revealing herself.

She withdraws so as not to be hurt again.She contracts in order to survive disappointment.

It is not only loss that hurts her —it is the confirmation that perhaps she belongs nowhere.

6. The Theme of Injury and Pain

In this patient, pain is not merely a physical symptom.It is the language of the body.

Where she withdrew, where she remained silent, where she contracted in order to become INVISIBLE — the body began to speak.

The injury was concrete, but the pain became a pattern.

It is as if her entire inner dynamic settled in her back: doubt, fear, hesitation, the need to be smaller than she truly is.

The pain appears when she begins to move — but also when she stops.It eases with movement, yet returns in stillness.

As if the body oscillates between tension and brief relief, just as her inner world oscillates between VISIBILITY and withdrawal.

Dr: “How is the pain now?”

Patient: “Like it was in the beginning after the injury. I also started Tai Chi. It hurts when I begin to exercise, then during the exercise it eases (Stell, Rhus-tox). I feel relaxed, but only for half an hour after exercising.”

“At work the pain starts around 12 noon, so I do some exercises there. I wonder (Stell, Ars) whether something is inflamed, because it burns (Stell, Ars). I think maybe it’s some kind of carcinoma (Stell, Ars). I feel cold, so I use a hot water bottle (Stell, Ars). Then I start thinking (Stell, Ars) — bones, back, this, that… Nonsense! I simply DON’T KNOW (Helx, Myosotis) what to do. I DON’T KNOW (Helx, Myosotis) which direction to take.”

“I try, I attempt to breathe through the body, some meditations, but I DON’T KNOW (Helx, Myosotis). I think (Stell, Ars) maybe I’m foolish, I simply DON’T KNOW (Helx, Myosotis), I feel confused.”

Dr: “At what time of day is the pain strongest?”

Patient: “It starts at noon (Stell), although I also have pain in the morning when I get up (Stell, Rhus-tox). Then I do exercises, I lower my head (Stell), to RELEASE (Nicc, Crot-h) vertebra by vertebra.”

“When the pain starts around noon, I don’t know how to position myself — whether to walk, stand, or sit. When I touch that PART (Arn), it feels numb (Stell). I feel pain, but as if it were a hard plate (Stell). Probably the muscles are in some kind of SPASM (Nux-v).”

“When I do the ‘embrace the tree’ exercise, the pain feels like a metal band (Stell). As if there is no space for the lungs, nor for the ribs, for anything — as if it’s this small.”

“I feel somewhat stiff in the morning (Stell).”

“I go to choir, but I cannot breathe from the diaphragm (Stell).”

“Everything is like walking on eggshells — every sudden movement leads to imbalance (Stell).”

“When I am in pain, my attention is divided (Stell).”

“Two types of pain — burning in the lumbar region and stabbing.”

Her back pain is not merely the consequence of injury. It is the body that bent in order to survive.

The metal band around the chest, the hard plate, spasms, stiffness — all are images of contraction. As if it is protecting itself. As if it is shrinking. As if there is no room for breathing, for expansion, for presence.

When she says there is no space for the lungs — this is not only anatomical imagery.It is the experience that in this world there is not enough space for her.

And so she lowers her head.And so she “releases vertebra by vertebra.”

As if she is trying to return to herself the space she has been taking away for years.

The metal band around her chest is the boundary between the world and her fear of taking up space.

Her back does not carry only her body — it carries the burden of unspoken injustice and invisible sorrow.

The pain did not begin in the spine — it began in the moment she decided to make herself smaller.

Where the soul withdraws — the body stiffens.

7. The Theme of Numbness

In this patient, numbness is not merely a sensory disturbance.It is the experience of losing contact.

When she says, “It feels as if I am touching you,” she is describing the absence of her own perception. As if a part of her body no longer belongs to her. As if she has lost the inner map of her own boundaries.

She does not clearly feel her feet.She cannot distinguish the touch of a blanket.She cannot separate her toes.

This is not simply tingling — it is an experience of disconnection.

The body becomes distant, foreign, weakly controlled. And this evokes in her anxiety, panic, suffocation. Because the loss of sensation is not only physical — it is a loss of safety.

“When I touch the thoracic part of my spine, it’s as if I’m touching you. The same with my legs. If I don’t look (Stell), and there’s a blanket over my feet, I don’t know whether it’s there or not. I can’t separate my toes. That gave me intense anxiety (Stell), a panic attack and suffocation (Stell).”

“Fear that my legs will fail (Stell).”

“It’s as if that part of the body is anesthetized (Stell), that’s how it feels under my hand.”

“It started with numbness in just one toe, the middle toe. Then the other foot began to tingle, and then it spread to three or four toes on both feet (Stell). In the end, it became constantly numb (Stell). I can move the little toes on both feet, the big toes just slightly — the others, not at all.”

In her case, numbness symbolizes a rupture of connection with herself.

Just as in conflict she withdraws her voice,just as in injustice she withdraws her stance,just as in love she withdraws her words —so too in the body sensation withdraws.

The fear that her legs will fail is not merely fear of weakness.It is fear of losing support.

The feet are contact with the earth.If she cannot feel them — it is as if she does not feel the ground beneath her.

And once again, her Code appears:

When it becomes too tense, too painful, too exposed — a part of her “switches off.”It goes numb.

As if the body says:If I cannot be safe — I will become insensitive.

When she cannot bear emotional overwhelm — the body chooses not to feel.

Numbness is her way of becoming INVISIBLE (Stell) to her own sensations.

She does not withdraw only her voice — she withdraws sensation itself.

Between hypersensitivity and complete numbness — there lives her Code.

8. Claustrophobia

Claustrophobia is not merely a phobia.It is the body’s memory of constriction.

The first event occurred in a crowd, in a “bottleneck,” where she was pressed from both sides and the air was knocked out of her. The body remembered the moment when she could not breathe.

Since then, every enclosed space — elevator, bus, cave, MRI machine, gondola — activates the same pattern:

Tightness in the sternum.Lack of air.Panic.Struggle for breath.

The space does not have to be objectively small. It is enough that it is closed. Even when it is made of glass, even when vastness is visible — if it is enclosed, the body reacts.

“I had claustrophobic attacks. When I was eight, I was at a concert, there was a crowd, they squeezed me (Stell, Nux-v) from both sides, knocked the air out of me, I couldn’t inhale (Stell), and they had to pull me out. It was a concert, a crowd, and only one narrow door (Stell) was open. (bottleneck) They pushed from one side, pushed from the other. That was the first time. Then at seventeen I found myself in an elevator with thirteen people. We were going up from the ground floor. When we reached the fifth floor, the elevator got stuck. Then came the feeling that something was pressing on my chest, at the sternum (Stell), I felt I had no air (Stell). After that I didn’t dare enter a bus if I saw it was crowded (Stell). Alone in an elevator — nothing.”

“It’s such a panic attack that I would strangle everyone (Stell), I would do anything just to get a breath.”

“We were in a cave, you go from one chamber through a narrow passage (Stell), then it opens into another chamber. Some people coming from here, others pushing from there — I found myself there (Stell) and the same suffocating feeling came (Stell).”

“Since I didn’t want to deprive myself because of ‘narrow space,’ I decided to enter an elevator with someone and close my eyes (Stell). It’s easier when I don’t see (Stell).”

“It still happens in a crowded bus (Stell), when it’s hot (Stell), I suddenly can’t inhale (Stell), but then I close my eyes (Stell) and think of SOMETHING (Phos) else.”

“I don’t dare enter the MRI. When I enter the room where the machine is, I turn my back so I don’t see it (Stell), I sit down, close my eyes (Stell) before it pulls me inside.”

“I was in Bosnia, in the pyramids, I came there and didn’t want to enter. ‘Oh dear’ (Stell). I said, I’ll go, even if I die. A friend went with me who barely sees — only ten percent in both eyes. I told him, ‘I’ll go with you, whatever happens!’ When we put on the helmets, I held him by the arm. First you have to bend and crawl, then the chambers are wide (Stell). I entered with my eyes closed (Stell), holding onto him. Later everyone laughed (Stell), he hardly sees (Stell), and you closed your eyes (Stell) — like the blind leading the blind.”

“That same feeling came when I thought of my mother. She died. When I think of my mother, I get that suffocating feeling (Stell). I immediately see a coffin — a closed space (Stell). That is the fear of enclosed space (Stell).”

“When I was on the mountain and we entered a glass gondola, when the doors closed (Stell), that suffocating feeling grabbed me (Stell). Even though it was glass, you could see the vastness — but it was a closed space (Stell).”

Claustrophobia is not merely fear of walls.It is fear of having no exit.

“Only one narrow door.”“A narrow passage.”“Closed elevator doors.”“A coffin.”

Each of these images activates the same theme:

If there is no space — there is no air.If there is no air — there is no life.

It is striking that she says it is easier when she closes her eyes.When she does not see — she tolerates the enclosure more easily.

Here her Code appears in full clarity:

When she feels too exposed externally — she closes her eyes.When she feels too compressed internally — the body fights for breath.

Claustrophobia is the extreme expression of her fundamental conflict:

The fear of being trapped without an exit.

And perhaps the deepest truth is this:

She does not fear space itself —she fears the loss of freedom within space.

9. The Theme of Exhaustion

In her case, exhaustion does not come suddenly. It accumulates.It is the quiet consequence of prolonged inner effort — constant thinking, questioning, doubting, tension.

The pain is constantly present, but even more exhausting is the continuous analysis of the pain.Thinking. Fear of consequences. Searching for an exit.It is as if her mind never rests.

“It exhausts me so much. I can’t work with concentration because the pain is always there. It’s truly exhausting. I DON’T KNOW (Helx, Myosotis). It seems I’ve started eating a bit more.”

“If this lasts long, it will leave permanent consequences. Those are my thoughts. (Stell, Nicc)”

“Never enter somewhere where there is no exit, where you don’t have an escape route. That rang in my dream!”

“My first stiffness happened when my son moved away (Phos-ac).”

“I am dissatisfied (Phos-ac). Nothing specific with health — but it’s like that.”

The pain exhausts her, but even more exhausting is the feeling that there is no secure way out.

That is why, in a dream, she hears the sentence:“Never enter somewhere where there is no exit.”

This is her deepest need — that there must always be an escape route, safety, a retreat if things become too overwhelming.

The first stiffness appeared when her son moved away.That was not merely a physical moment — it was an emotional rupture.Loss of support. Emptiness. Dissatisfaction that has no clear form, yet remains constantly present.

Her exhaustion is not only bodily fatigue.It is the fatigue of constant inner vigilance.

And perhaps the deepest truth is this:

She is tired of a life she constantly has to survive, instead of freely living it.

She is exhausted by the constant struggle between the need to be VISIBLE and the fear that, if she shows herself, she will lose safety.

The fatigue comes from this ongoing shrinking — from trying to remain unobtrusive in a world that feels too loud.

She is exhausted by living in half-shadow — neither fully VISIBLE, nor sufficiently INVISIBLE to feel at peace.

When you withdraw for years just to survive — the body tires before the soul.

10. The Theme of Withdrawing from People

In her case, withdrawal is not coldness nor indifference.It is ethical pain.

Patient: “I really withdrew. For two weeks I didn’t even go to choir. I can’t sit at work. I can’t socialize.”

When she knows something she is not allowed to say, and does not want to lie, she enters an inner conflict. She cannot speak the truth, but she also cannot pretend everything is fine. Then she chooses the only option left — withdrawal.

She does not step away because she dislikes people.She withdraws because she is too transparent.

“People are losing their jobs. I have information I’m not allowed to give until the law is adopted. I withdraw from people because I cannot lie. I cannot even remain silent (Stell), because it SHOWS on me (Stell). So it’s better that they do not SEE me (Stell).”

“I cannot even stay silent, because it SHOWS on me.”

This is the core of her Code.

She cannot hide what she feels. Emotion is visible on her face. Truth is present in her gaze.

And so, to avoid being exposed, she chooses to become invisible.

This is not escape.It is protection of integrity.

When she cannot be VISIBLE in truth — she would rather become INVISIBLE in space.

If she cannot be VISIBLE in truth, she chooses to be INVISIBLE in the world.

11. The Theme of Inner Tension (Being Torn)

In her case, being torn is not merely hesitation — it is a collision of principles within.

On one side stands law, structure, rule, form.On the other stands the human being, empathy, compassion, truth.

She wants to be correct. She wants everything to be orderly, lawful, clean. Yet at the same time she feels pain when rules harm people. Then she finds herself between two sides — and neither is completely hers.

She does not deviate from her principles, yet she is not at peace with what she must carry out. And so she remains in between.

“I don’t listen to myself. On the other hand, I am pressured that I must do it. I keep thinking whether I have to, but otherwise I cannot get the sick leave certificate.”

“I was told at work: ‘Don’t say anything!’ Then I cannot speak, and I would like to speak, because I feel sorry for those people who will find out in the corridors that they are losing their jobs.”

“The situation is like that. I do not deviate from my rules: lawful, orderly. And now I’m sort of… wavering (Stell)! I’m not in harmony with some things, because what the superiors are doing is not correct. On the other hand, I have people coming in for employment. But it’s not mine to… (Stell). I only implement what I’m told, although it is all within the law, but it is not human (Stell). So I feel bad about it.”

She does not break the law — but she suffers because of its consequences.

She says she “only implements what she is told,” yet her conscience does not remain silent.

And so she feels bad. Not because she made a mistake — but because she is torn between the system and the heart.

This is a state of constant internal pressure.Torn between duty and empathy.Between form and humanity.Between VISIBLE order and INVISIBLE pain.

And perhaps the deepest truth is this:

It is not difficult for her to respect the law —it is difficult for her to live against her own conscience.

12. The Theme of the Metal Band

The metal band beneath the ribs constricts the space of breath.The numbness in the feet removes the sense of ground.

Above — too much tension.Below — too little sensation.

Between these two poles lives her Code.

When emotion becomes too intense, the chest tightens.When fear becomes too great, the feet go numb.

One part of the body tries to hold.The other tries to switch off.

It is the same dynamic:

VISIBLE in the sensation of pain,INVISIBLE in the sensation of touch.

And perhaps the deepest image is this:

Tight in the chest, disconnected in the feet —as if she were cut between heaven and earth.

Patients often describe the feeling as if they have a metal band beneath their ribs. As if something is tight, hard, immobile. As if the chest has no room to expand.

It is not only pain.It is the sensation of limitation.

The metal band symbolizes constriction — but not from outside, rather from within. As if emotions, fears, and unspoken thoughts have formed a ring that holds the body in tension.

Beneath the ribs lies the space of breath.The space of the heart.The space of expansion.

When that space narrows, there arises the experience that “there is no room for the lungs,” that everything is “this small.” As if the body attempts to protect itself by shrinking.

Metal is hard, cold, immobile.

Just as she becomes when she withdraws into INVISIBILITY.

That band is the boundary she created in order to survive.But at the same time, it is a prison.

And so she practices “embracing the tree.”And so she tries to release vertebra by vertebra.

As if searching for a crack through which breath can expand again.

Photo: Dr. Mirjana Živanov

Stellaria — the One Who Fills the Cracks

In this photograph, Stellaria is seen growing exactly where there is a crack. It enters the fractures, the transitions, the hard edges.

And it does not break them.It SOFTENS them (Spir. Qual. Stell).

Between the cold, dark concrete and the dry pine needles, her soft, living green appears — the first to revive the image after winter. Not aggressively. Not dominantly. But quietly, persistently, present.

Stellaria does not shatter structure.She fills it.

She does not impose.She envelops.

Just as with the patient — she does not enter conflict openly, but fills the gaps, softens tension, attempts to connect what is rigid and separated.

Within her exists that ability to be soft inside the crack.To be alive between cold edges.

Invisible in height — yet indispensable in touch.

13. The Theme of Conflict

Because she finds no final resolution anywhere, within her there constantly arises the need to rebel, to say that something is not right, to defend the truth. But her rebellion is not loud. It is quiet. Internal.

She speaks to herself under her breath.The dialogue takes place inside.

She enters conflict — but only for a moment. She begins to oppose — just a few sentences. And the moment the other side raises its tone, the moment stronger energy appears, she immediately withdraws. Her voice softens. Her gaze lowers.

Outwardly, the conflict ends.Inwardly, it only begins.

She continues the dialogue alone with herself. She re-examines, analyzes, repeats what she could have said, what she should have said. In that inner debate she is clear, brave, precise. But aloud — there is silence.

She leaves every conflict with a feeling of defeat.Not because she was wrong — but because she could not endure the louder force.

Her conflicts are short.Just a few sentences.And then everything ends — externally.

What remains is dissatisfaction.And the feeling that once again she has remained small.

In conflict she wants to be VISIBLE in her truth — but the moment she meets a stronger force, she becomes INVISIBLE to protect herself.

She did not lose the argument — she lost the courage to remain VISIBLE.

Her truth is clear, but her voice withdraws before it gains space.

In a world of the loud, she chooses silence — and thus remains invisible even when she is right.

The Axis of the Stellaria Body

Head – Chest – Feet

1. Head — Doubt and Hesitation

In her head, an endless dialogue unfolds.

“Should I? Must I? What if?”

Thoughts circle. Analyze. Question.The head is never completely at rest.

Here hesitation appears.Here the fear of a wrong decision is born.Here arises the inner split between reason and intuition.

The head is awake.Too awake.

2. Chest — The Metal Band

Beneath the ribs — constriction.The metal band.

Here is the love that wants to explode.Here is the unspoken truth.Here is the pain of injustice.

The chest contracts when something must be said.The breath shortens.The heart remains closed.

This is the place of VISIBILITY that is not allowed to appear.

3. Feet — Numbness and Loss of Ground

In the feet — interruption of contact.Numbness. Inability to separate the toes.Fear that the legs will fail.

The feet are the connection to the earth.If she cannot feel them — it is as if she cannot feel safety.

Here INVISIBILITY appears through disconnection.

The Whole

The head thinks too much.The chest tightens too much.The feet stop feeling.

Between heaven and earth,between thought and ground,she stands — torn.

And here the full image of her Code appears:

When she wants to be VISIBLE — she tightens.When she becomes too exposed — she goes numb.When she does not know whom to trust — she loses her footing.

And perhaps the deepest truth is this:

To stand upright, she must reconnect head, heart, and feet — thought, breath, and ground.

Photo: Dr Mirjana Zivanov

Formula of the Code — Stellaria media

HEAD → Too many thoughtsCHEST → Too much constrictionFEET → Too little sensation

Or even more condensed:

THOUGHT without securityBREATH without expansionGROUND without support

Essence

Over-sensitive above.Over-switched-off below.Overburdened in the middle.

Between heaven and earth — without a stable center.

Stellaria is hypersensitive in the heart, overloaded in thought, and disconnected from the ground.

Final Seal — Stellaria media

Through guilt, injustice, hesitation, disappointment, pain, exhaustion, withdrawal, inner tension, the metal band, and quiet conflict — the same inner dynamic runs throughout.

She sees.She feels.She understands.

But she does not believe she is allowed to take up space.

She wants to be just, but she cannot endure conflict.She wants to speak the truth, but she cannot endure a raised tone.She wants to be loved, but withdraws before she can be hurt.She wants to move forward, yet remains where it feels safe.

Then the body takes over the story.

The spine bends.The chest tightens like a metal band.The breath shortens.The voice falls silent.

This is the Code VISIBLE – INVISIBLE in its full image.

When she feels safe — she is warm, gentle, soft like a green carpet that softens cracks.When she feels threatened — she becomes quiet, bent, contracted.

Not because she lacks strength.But because she fears showing it.

Stellaria does not destroy.She does not attack.She does not conquer.She softens.

But if she softens others for too long without claiming space for herself — she tightens within.

And only when she believes she has the right to exist without withdrawing,the metal band loosens,the back straightens,and she becomes visible — without fear of being rejected.

When she stops shrinking in order to survive —Stellaria finally takes her space.

Photo: Dr Mirjana Zivanov

Stellaria media — the bud before opening.

Within the bud, everything is present — yet still invisible.

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