Who is Hygeia?

Hygeia is the Greek Goddess of health and hygiene and/or wisdom and purity. She was the chief attendant to her father Asclepius, the Greek God of medicine. Her symbol is a bowl with the serpent of wisdom drinking the potion within. The potion in the bowl represents health and the snake resurrection. You may recognize Hygeia’s symbol next time you go to the pharmacy. In Greek your pronounce her name Ygiea (ee-eeyah).

Hygeia is an elusive goddess. There is not the amazing body of work that surrounds her stories like Athena or Hera. She is subtle but present. It takes patience and devotion to begin to hear what she is asking of us.

The priestesses of Hygeia were devoted to preparing Aesclepion participants. Under their care, participants would be given proper herbs, diet, herbal baths and counseling to bring them into a more healthful balance for their night in the dream temple in hopes the Divine Physician Aesclepius would heal them.

painting of Hygeia by Henry Howard (1769–1847)