Goddess Hygeia; More Than Cleaning
My interest in myth and astrology, particularly surrounding the Asteroid Goddesses was somewhat satiated when several years ago I picked up a copy of Demetra George’s book entitled Asteroid Goddesses: The Mythology, Psychology and Astrology of the Reemerging Feminine. It’s an old publication and George wrote it with the help of Douglas Bloch. George is an amazing resource who has been around for some time writing and teaching. Her scholarly works are especially helpful to astrology students and astrologers alike as she’s been practicing astrology since the 1970’s.
George’s book contains the four asteroid goddess favorites: Ceres; the great mother, Pallas Athene; the warrior queen, Vesta; the eternal flame and Juno; the divine consort. It’s informative to look where these goddesses reside in your astrological natal chart because then you can flesh out their thematic energies more fully in your life. Remember we are working with the energies of these asteroids and it’s all about how that energy shows up within and around you. That said, I’ve had great interest in expanding my asteroid goddess repertoire and today I want to shed some light on the goddess Hygeia. I’d learned more about her due to my advanced astrology class studies in the past, with author, writer and teacher, Heather Ensworth.
Considering Hygeia, one automatically links her to hygiene but like everything else there’s more to her. Hygeia is the daughter of the Greek god of healing and medicine, Asclepius and her mother was Epione, goddess of healing. Her sisters include Panacea, Iaso, Aceso and Agaea. She has a brother as well, maybe two if my recollection serves me correctly. Depictions of Hygieia oftentimes have a snake wrapped around her body, or she’s seen with her father Asclepius who is holding his staff with a snake coiled around it. On some occasions she is holding a bowl, cup or chalice which are all symbols of the divine feminine. Interestingly, the bowl and the snake are associated with modern day pharmacies, therefore, traveling through Europe you may see a bowl with a snake coming out of it or above it on their business signs.
In the sky, she is the tenth member of the asteroid belt and her celestial body is located between Jupiter (god of expansion/luck) and Mars (god of war/action). Hygeia is the fourth largest asteroid mass after Ceres, Vesta and Pallas Athene. Her orbit around the sun takes about five and a half years. Her astrological glyph is a straight line or rod in the middle of three coiled circles, with the base being the smallest circle, the middle a bit larger and at the top is the largest circle but it isn’t completely closed.
Hygeia is known for cleanliness but also for preventive medicine. In one’s astrological chart in certain placements or by prominent aspects one may be highly influenced by her energies. If she’s placed in a natal chart either at the angles, near the lunar nodes or in aspect with the sun and/or moon, chances are she’s a big life influencer in the native’s chart. Same is true if she is strongly aspected (having “conversations” with other planets) in the chart. In these chart configurations she’s a prominent player. One may see these chart configurations in the natal charts of health practitioners, (allopathic or holistic), healers or medical researchers.
Her natal chart placement can also be correlated to health vulnerabilities either physical or mental. And by transit Hygeia could indicate a health crises in correspondence to the astrological sign or planet she’s in and aspecting (having a “conversation” with). Through the astrological lens specific body parts and specific organs correlate to the signs and planets respectively. When looking at health issues concerning the native, the astrologer looks at the moon, the ascendant or rising sign as well as the sixth house (house of health amongst other things), the location of Hygeia by natal chart or transit, and lastly, Chiron (wounded healer) and Uranus (god of chaos/freedom/sudden events) aspects. The Chiron/Uranus aspects often are linked to emotional challenges the native may be experiencing.
We astrologers do not diagnose if we aren’t healthcare practitioners. But, we can look at the energetic influences in the chart that may potentially correlate with health challenges the native is experiencing. These insights and information are oftentimes helpful to the native.
