Healing—52 Cards Project #43

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Healing is the theme of this week for my 52 Cards Project. My sister had back surgery and I’ve spent some time helping her out as she gets back on her feet. She’s doing as well as can be expected, but the healing process will take time—and this week, from the long anticipated surgery, to hospital to home marks the beginning of her healing journey. I hope any care I could provide—and my love—will aid in a faster recovery.

Or in other words, dear ‘Sis—Get Well Soon!

***Some fun facts about this Greek snake and staff symbol for healing, which I learned in making this card:

  • First, the symbol I am using featuring a single winding snake on a walking stick is called the Rod of Aesclepius and it is considered the true symbol for healing and medicine. This is the staff used by a Greek God named Aesclepius who oversaw healing and medicine.

  • In the U.S., we often see another Greek symbol for medicine called a Carduceus featuring two snakes winding around a sometimes winged staff. Something like this image to the right.

  • The Carduceus is actually the traditional symbol for the Greek God Hermes (Roman: Mercury), the messenger god, who held this two serpent staff and was in charge of trade and commerce, communication, alchemy and wisdom.

  • In the Medieval times, it seems, they confused medicine and alchemy—and the serpent staffs to represent them—and also the winding snake and the winged staff have ancient meanings and history that added to the symbolic confusion.

  • In any case, according to Wikipedia, the U.S. Army Medical Corps adopted the Carduceus as a symbol for Medicine in 1902 leading to widespread use of the two serpent staff in the U.S.—but many disapprove of its use as Hermes was namely known for commerce, not health, and it is not historically accurate.

  • The snake(s) by the way may represent shedding the old skin—rejuvenation—and may also depict the non-venomous “Aesculapian snakes” of ancient healing temples (that they actually let crawl freely on the floors of rooms filled with sick patients).

And why are these facts so fun? I don’t know. But the next time you see the snake(s) and staff symbol I bet you’ll think about it more.