Stones, metals and minerals Eftychia Anaplioti Together here, we will make a short “journey”, through time and the myths of the Hellenic land. Myths which relate to the idea of therapy and healing.
One of the most beautiful and perhaps the brightest creation of Hellenic mythology is god Apollo. The son of Zeus and Leto (she was the goddess of the starry night), the day’s bright star, born in the center of the Cyclades, on Delos island. And it is this radiant and warm god who will be one of the Twelve Olympians, being a god of light, protector of the arts, music, clairvoyance and healing!
Wandering through the myths and traditions of Hellas for the first and earliest samples of usage and understanding of the healing power of nature, we meet a figure that is very special and significant at the same time. We are talking about Chiron, the Centaur! Chiron was the fruit of the union of the omnipotent (almighty) Saturn with the daughter of Ocean, Filyra (Linden). Filyra was a deity of recovery, fragrance and perfumes. The Centaur Chiron, this mixed creature, functions as a very powerful and special archetype through human-made myths. Located on Mount Pelion, in the geometric center of the Hellenic world, Chiron, half human and half horse, represents the abundance and blessings of Nature. This is shown by the fact that he taught many important heroes the benevolent forces of nature, such as the arts of botanology, healing, astrology, hunting and martial arts.
However, the disciple of Chiron, who is related to the art of healing more than anyone else, is Asclepius. . Legend has it that there in Thessaly, either at the foot of Pelion in Lakeria, or in Trikki (Trikala), on the banks of the river Litheos, Coronis was united in the light with Apollo. The fruit of this love was Asclepius, who did not meet his mother, since Coronis lost her life in the flames of her infidelity towards the fiery god. But the baby was saved by his loving father, who handed him over to Chiron and his companion, the Naiad nymph Hariklo. And there, in Pelion mountain, at the residence of Centaur, Asclepius flourished and grew rapidly, learning the arts of physical therapy from his stepfather and teacher. Asclepius lived as a man, but after his death he was worshiped as a god, in temples that functioned as healing centers, the well-known Asclepeion….
