Book excerpt: The purpose of this study of remedies is to offer a living, imaginative picture of the metallic remedies of anthroposophic and homeopathic medicine. In contrast to chemical, agent-based medicine, anthroposophic remedies are based on a paradigm that focuses on processes and spiritual-evolutionary relationships. Fairy-tale imaginations allow us to recognize spiritual efficacies in their lawfulness, making it possible to develop the kind of understanding that matches the nature of the remedies. Approaching remedies through fairy tales is not a way of recasting abstract, scientific information in a more accessible and interesting form but is the appropriate approach for these remedies. The author interprets fairy-tale imaginations on three different levels: the planetary spheres, metal processes, and human soul qualities. In this way they offer us a marvelous holistic picture of the action of the metals in therapy. The book also demonstrate that the imaginations in fairy tales have broad significance in and of themselves. Simply occupying oneself with them can be a genuine help in life. Both research and experience confirm that the healing effects of practicing imagination can extend to the physiological processes of the body. The Healing Power of Planetary Metals shows that working with imaginations has real significance today.