Asclepius is the ancient Greek God of medicine, born to a human mother and the Sun God Apollo. His name means “to cut open”, as he was liberated from his dying mother’s womb via the first cesarian section. He was raised by his father and tutored by the wise centaur Chiron — known amongst astrologers by his asteroid and “wounded healer” lore — in the ways of healing and medicine using plants, herbs, and stones.

He was also a master of prophecy, and it was said that with Medusa’s blood and his serpent bound staff, the symbol for paramedics even to this day, he could call forth the resurrection of the dead. This shows Asclepius possessed the power and knowledge of transmuting poison into a cure — the means and production of anti-venom. He was the husband of Epione, Goddess of healing, and father to many, including Panacea, Goddess of the universal remedy, and Hygeia, Goddess of cleanliness and hygiene. He met his end being struck with Zeus’ lightning bolt, because his teachings and medicine were seen as a threat to the division between Gods and Humanity, and the King of the Gods refused to suffer that disruption of the status quo, tipped as it was, in his own favor.

Temples of Asclepius date back to the fifth century BCE, where those looking to be healed would make pilgrimage. Ritual purifications and baths were taken before making offerings or sacrifices, and the night was spent in the temple so that healing dreams, or dreams wherein cures were revealed, could take place. These were then reported to the temple priests, who would help interpret their meaning and prescribe a course of treatment. It is thought that Hippocrates, regarded as the father of medicine and the namesake of the Hippocratic Oath, began his career in an Asclepieion serving in just such a capacity.

Asclepius in astrology is seen as the Serpent Bearer in the constellation Ophiuchus, the much hyped and falsely accused “13th sign” of the zodiac. In truth, our sky features many constellations that are not included in the 12 most famous that ally the signs, and Ophiuchus is but one. As is so often the case, however, where pagan gods, snakes, and occult powers are concerned, Ophiuchus is widely maligned and misunderstood, along with the fixed stars comprising his celestial figure.

The creation of the Asclepius series was begun on the 26th of June, 2018 when the Ascendant hit the first star belonging to Ophiuchus in Sagittarius, culminating and giving the final consecrations as Ras Alhague was rising. This fixed star denotes the snake bearer’s head and is the brightest the constellation Ophiuchus has to offer. Bernadette Brady (super star lady!), in her book Star and Planet Combinations, says of Ras Alhague:

The themes of this star are that of the healer, teacher, or one who is wounded. With this star in a chart one is drawn to the healing professions, or at least has a natural gift in that area… Whatever the symbolism of this star in a person’s life, the driving force of its expression is to repair that which is damaged, to heal.

Brady also points out that under Christian influence Ophiuchus became seen as Saint Paul, who was shipwrecked in Malta and bitten by a venomous viper. Acts of the Apostles (28: 3-6) within the Bible’s New Testament reveals:

And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand.

And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live.

And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm.

Howbeit they looked when he should have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly: but after they had looked a great while, and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god.

Although the Christianized version of the constellation’s figure was attributed to St. Paul, one cannot deny that Asclepius’ status as a martyr, Solar affiliations, and ability to not only heal the sick, but resurrect the dead, also align him with the figure of Jesus Christ.

As part of the creation for this series, Asclepius was petitioned directly to bless each of the offerings and make them as medicine by his own hand. They are of course charged and qualified by their construction during the right window of space-time, but they are not 100% planetary magic as other Sphere + Sundry series have thus far been, as they integrate the empowerment of a God for a portion of their mechanics and expression. They are blessed by the Divine Physician himself, as God of Medicine and martyr for the healing and empowerment of mankind. Their very procurement and use is an offering to him, in return for Asclepius’ curative blessings.

In practical terms, these items are intended to provide healing and renewal of the body, mind, and spirit. The first step before any medical operation is to sterilize. The wound must be cleaned, and the scalpels and bandages free of contaminating factors, as should be the environment that will host the procedure. On a mundane level, lack of hygiene begets rot, rodents, and illness, among a myriad of lesser evils like stink and stagnancy. In order to restore perfect health, all impeding the body’s ability to heal itself must be stripped away, for all healing is self-healing. The rest is but a simple matter of quarantine and facilitation.

As a result, the first effect that the offerings of Asclepius have is that of profound purification. The supreme clarity they bring can be instantly felt, and regular applications provide deeper benefit as further layers are washed and purified. Their cleansing effects are transmutative, helping the self and body craft the medicine it needs from the ‘poisons’, wounds, and trauma already in the system, both literally and metaphorically. These offerings help facilitate psychic and emotional metabolism and the distillation of wisdom and perspective from experience. They don’t wantonly strip the undesirable in order for it to be discarded, they alchemically transform it into a rich compost, from which new life and perfect healing can spring.

The cypress, western cedar, and fresh sage used in this series were harvested during the hour of Jupiter on the Summer Solstice after saying the harvesting prayer of Thessalos, transmitted to him in dream by Asclepius himself. This text was recently translated and published in English for the first time by Demetra George in her contribution to The Celestial Art, an anthology on astrological magic co-edited by Austin Coppock  and Daniel A. Schulke for Three Hands Press. 

This series features the handiwork of goldsmith Tony Mack in the form of talismanic Rods of Asclepius, cast during the equivalent election in his own time zone, and is thus Sphere + Sundry’s first official collaboration. As we have partnered with Tony to make manifest talismans for personal use over the last 7 years, we are over the moon to incorporate his fine works in this series and offer them directly to our valued clients.

As is the Sphere + Sundry way, the series was created and then left to incubate for a full lunar cycle and was bottled as the Moon next conjoined Ras Alhague. Our items are free of branding with simple hand drawn labels – the symbol for this series being the serpent bound rod of Asclepius. Each order comes with prayers and basic instructions for use, including suggested dates of working.

To learn more about people’s experiences with the Asclepius series, check the “Testimonials” section on each page, or Michael Lux’s in-depth exploration on Necromantic Matters.