Hygieia is the Greek goddess of health. She is named after the concept of hygiene and cleanliness, which of course is second only to godliness! Her father was the famous healer Asclepius, the god of medicine. The worship of Hygia went hand in hand with her father’s until the oracle of Delphi recognized her. She was popular after the plague of Athens in 430-427 BC and again in Rome after the plague of 293 BC.
* internal use
Depictions of Hygia usually show her as a young woman feeding a giant snake coiled around her body or drinking from a jar. There are few written records of Hygia’s life, but she was an important goddess when illness was prevalent. Who doesn’t know someone who is sick and in need of her grace?
Xujia in greek mythology
One of the myths about her comes from Plutarch, and that is the story of Hygia’s partnership with Pallas Athena. The two goddesses oversaw the construction of the Parthenon, Athens’ famous temple dedicated to Athena. Hygieia’s job is to look after the health of manual workers while they do this demanding job. Athena was there to keep the peace. Therefore, Hygia is a great goddess to call upon when performing physically demanding or stressful tasks. She works well with other goddesses who are more administrative or strategic. Hygieia has the more empathetic moon energy.
Xu Jiya has no children or spouse. All her relatives are therapists. Hygieia’s mother is Epione, which means “soothing.” Her sisters are Iaso, the goddess of healing; Panacea, the god of all medicines; Aceso, the goddess of happiness and recovery; and Aegis, the goddess of light. Hygieia was a virgin goddess, which meant that her patients would become her children. She is 100% dedicated to helping and healing others.
Hygieia grew up in a family of therapists and doctors, so medicine is truly in her blood. If her mythology speaks to you, then you are in need of therapy, or are a born healer and must answer the call to serve others. It can even be where you have to learn to heal yourself and heal others by doing so. All treatment modalities are possible. It can be traditional or alternative, as long as you’re helping others. You may also be less adept at hands-on healing and more adept at making herbal remedies. Another possibility for Hygieia is her Hygiene trait, which means you could pursue a career in toiletries, soaps, or cleaning products.
Negative Hygienic Characteristics*
All goddesses have the potential for a negative side, and healthy Hygieia is no exception. The tendency to over-sterilize can be a problem! The perfectionist side of the Virgo archetype is strongly associated with Hygieia. If you resonate with this goddess, you will have a tendency to wipe out all germs. The same goes for your actions, you can edit everything you say or do. Remember, balance is necessary and accepting the darkness and light of others is crucial. Humans are part of an ecosystem in which bacteria play an important role. In nature, things must stink and rot before they die, but once the trash is collected, life begins anew.
After Rome conquered Greece, Hygieia was renamed Salus, which means “welfare” in Latin. So, another characteristic we see in this goddess is the theme of adoption of waifs and outcasts. A person must be wary of taking on more therapeutic work and responsibilities than he or she can handle. Otherwise, your health will suffer and you will be of no use to others. Another possibility is to attract a partner who always needs care; for example, they have a drug addiction that is harmful to their health. For others, there is the danger of becoming a lifelong nurse. The Hygieia archetype is dedicated to philanthropy and passionate about working with the underprivileged and most vulnerable in society.
Hygieia as a spiritual guide
10 situations where you may need to seek Hygieia guidance and treatment are:
- You or a loved one is sick
- Find help finding natural remedies to heal yourself and others
- You pay too much attention to the minute details of your project
- You need motivation to clean the house!
- Your partner treats you like a nurse
- You want to clear your space of negative energy
- Suitable for any hands-on treatment such as massage, reiki, acupuncture, physical therapy and more.
- When you become obsessive about the mess in other people’s homes.
- You feel overwhelmed by other people’s problems.
- You have a parasitic infection, candida or worms!
health communications
Signs that Hygieia is coming to your aid:
You’ve started growing an herb garden
When the Moon is in Virgo, you want to make exquisite crafts
You’ll be drawn to antibacterial and antimicrobial herbs and oils like tea tree, eucalyptus oregano, and peppermint.
You’ve gone on a grand spring cleaning mission, sanitizing your place from top to bottom.
You like the smell of disinfectant.
Fresh white, light sage and hospital green to attract you
White snakeskin is very attractive
You bought a pestle and mortar and don’t know why
Moss agate, clear quartz, green aventurine and selenite are eye-catching in crystal shops.
Other connections to Hygieia that may interest you include: white feathers, books about herbs, herb gardens, staff of Asclepius, hermit tarot cards, white cats, birds, rosemary and lavender, daisies Patterns, cypress trees, white lilies and lilies of the valley.
health in your zodiac sign
You have strong Hygieia traits if you have two or more of the following:
Your Moon is conjunct Mercury or Ceres.
Asteroid Janus is conjunct your Ascendant, Midheaven, Sun or Moon. *
You have many personal planets in the sixth house.
The fixed star Ras Al Haq is conjunct your Ascendant, Midheaven, Sun or Moon. *
Asteroid Athena trines or sextiles your Ascendant, Midheaven, Sun, Moon, or Venus. *
You have many personal planets in Virgo.
To find Hygieia in your chart: Head to Astrodienst to draw a free birth chart. Click “Other Objects” and add the number 10 in the manual input box, followed by a comma.