Michal Yakir: A Wondrous Botanical Lens for Homeopathy
Michal Yakir (PhD, RCHom) is a visionary homeopath, botanist, and educator whose groundbreaking work has reshaped how we understand and prescribe plant remedies in homeopathy.
With over 30 years of clinical practice and a deep academic foundation in botany, biology, and ecology, she brings an unparalleled blend of scientific insight and clinical depth to her field.
Bridging Botany and Homeopathy
Dr. Yakir’s early academic journey took root in the plant sciences. With a BA in Botany, an MSc in Biology and Ecology, and a PhD in Homeopathy from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem Faculty of Medicine, her doctoral thesis focused on the clinical efficacy of homeopathy for women’s health issues, particularly PMS. The study produced significant results, adding clinical weight to homeopathy’s potential.
But it’s her botanical background that truly distinguishes her. A former botanist and passionate gardener, Yakir saw a profound correlation between plant taxonomy and the developmental patterns of human consciousness. Over two decades, she meticulously developed her unique botanical approach to plant remedies, culminating in the creation of a systematic table of plant evolution with profound implications for both remedy selection and human development.
The Table of Plant Evolution
At the heart of Dr. Yakir’s work is a six-column table inspired by the Cronquist botanical classification system—a phenotype-based model used prior to the current genetic APG system. Each column in her table represents a stage in the evolution of the plant kingdom and simultaneously reflects a stage in human psychological and spiritual development.
From left to right, the table traces a journey:
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From oneness and fusion
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Through separation from mother, father, and family
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Toward individualization, autonomy, and relationship with the collective
This unfolding mirrors both individual ego development and the evolutionary story of humankind. The table doesn’t just organize remedies—it tells a story, offering a framework for understanding the themes and healing potential of even lesser-known botanical remedies.
Teaching a Global Community
Dr. Yakir has been a central figure in homeopathy education in Israel, serving as Chair of the Israeli Association for Classical Homeopathy and editor of its professional journal. In recent years, she has brought her botanical model to a global audience, lecturing across Europe, North America, and beyond. Her ability to make complex themes accessible—and clinically useful—has made her a sought-after teacher and thinker.
Her book, Wondrous Order, has gone through multiple editions, with the 7th edition translated into English and a German edition forthcoming. It offers homeopaths a new perspective: not just a collection of plant remedies, but a coherent, evolving narrative of human and botanical development.
A Living Map of Human Growth
Dr. Yakir’s work reminds us that plants—and the remedies they yield—don’t just treat symptoms. They mirror us. Her system invites us to see the deep symbolic resonance between plant families and stages of human life: from birth and bonding to individuation and connection with the wider world.
For students and practitioners encountering her work for the first time, it offers something rare: a living, breathing map of both the natural world and the inner human journey—intellectual, spiritual, and clinical.
Indeed, it is a wondrous order.