Asklepia
Festival of Asklepios
Asklepia is the ancient Athenian festival that celebrates and honors Lord Asklepios, God of Medicine and Doctors, Son of Lord Apollo and the Thessalian Princess Koronis.
Occurring annually on Herakleios 19, it is a festival that celebrates wisdom. Both that which is obtained through episteme, a word meaning knowledge or understanding, often synonymous with the modern concept of science (source: Wikipedia); and that which is obtained through gnosis, which can be defined as 'spiritual knowledge' or 'divine truth' (source: Merriam-Webster).
symbols & Decore
hair binding / veiling
Recommended
Jewelry / Adornments
Not Recommendation
foods of significance
Bread
Orange Juice or Herbal Teas
Seasonal Fruit of Your Choosing
colors of significance
Green
White
symbols of significance
Snakes and Serpents
Medical Symbols or Medical Objects
The Asklepian (The Staff/Rod of Aesculapius)
Additional Source: europeana.eu
history vs modern day
Asklepia is an Athenian holiday that celebrates Lord Asklepios, and the intersection of episteme and gnosis.
From Hellenion, regarding Asklepia:
“Michael Lahanas notes that “In honor of Asclepius, snakes were often used in healing rituals. Non-poisonous snakes were left to crawl on the floor in dormitories where the sick and injured slept. Starting about 300 BC, the cult of Asclepius grew very popular. His healing temples were called asclepieion; pilgrims flocked to them to be healed. They slept overnight and reported their dreams to a priest the following day. He prescribed a cure, often a visit to the baths or a gymnasium.”
Temple Hyacinthus observes Asklepia as a time, yes, to honor Lord Asklepios; but also as a time to remember that our faith is not separate from science or fact. To reject episteme in favor of a contradictory gnosis is to brand yourself with moría, a word meaning folly or foolishness (source: logeion).