Ariadne's Tribe: Minoan Spirituality for the Modern World

Walk the sacred labyrinth with Ariadne, the Minotaur, the Great Mothers, Dionysus, and the rest of the Minoan family of deities. Ariadne's Tribe is an independent spiritual tradition that brings the deities of the ancient Minoans alive in the modern world. We're a revivalist tradition, not a reconstructionist one. We rely heavily on shared gnosis and the practical realities of Paganism in the modern world. Ariadne's thread reaches across the millennia to connect us with the divine. Will you follow where it leads?

Find out all about Ariadne's Tribe at ariadnestribe.com. We're an inclusive, welcoming tradition, open to all who share our love for the Minoan deities and respect for our fellow human beings.

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Hygeia and Paean: Minoan Healer Deities

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The Minoan family of deities includes a variety of what you might call job descriptions. Each deity has unique connections with certain facets of human life and the material world. But it's not always as clear-cut as you might think, since many of our deities appear to be reflections of each other.

Individuation is problematic, as we say in Ariadne's Tribe.

Today I'd like to share a little about a mother-son pair of deities who are special to us: Hygeia and Paean. In the Tribe, we consider these two to be faces of our Sun Goddess Therasia and her son Korydallos.

You may be familiar with Paean as an epithet of the Greek god Asclepius. In that pantheon, he is Hygeia's father. But in the Minoan pantheon, the parent-child roles are reversed, with Hygeia as the mother and Paean as the son.

Let's begin with their names. As with so many of our deities, we're not sure what the Minoans called them. Hygeia (Ὑγεία) is the Greek word for "health," so it's certainly not what the Minoans called her, since the Minoans weren't Greek. But she responds to this name now and appears to be happy for us to use it, so that's what we're calling her.

Paean is a more interesting case, since his name appears in the Mycenaean Linear B tablets from late Minoan times as pa-ja-wo-ne. And the word paean (παιάν) has no known Indo-European root. So it's possible Paean is indeed the name the Minoans knew this god by. Some of us also call him Asclepius, which may also be a pre-Greek name.

We associate both of these deities with health and healing. In this context, they both also have strong connections with the Serpent Mother. I like to think the Serpent Mother is the origin of the snake on the symbol of Asclepius's rod.

Hygeia, as a face of the Sun, is a powerful ally in achieving and maintaining a strong constitution and overall good health. This doesn't mean she can magically heal every problem you have. But she can help you do the best you can with what you've got. She's the one to call on for issues like chronic illness, childhood failure to thrive, and ill health from stress, responsibility, and exhaustion - issues that are all too familiar to many of us these days.

Developing a relationship with her can help you navigate the ups and downs of physical life. Connect with her at sunrise to draw on her great strength. Call on her on Sunday, the day we've designated for her in the Tribe's sacred week. At noon on any day, but especially Sunday, when the Sun is at its highest point in the sky, fill a transparent blue bowl or glass with water and center the Sun's reflection on the surface. This is a water mirror, one of the ways in which we interact with Therasia and revere her. Once the water has reflected her shining face, drink it down to your health.

Paean has a more Underworld-directed orientation than his mother. Like his later Greek face of Asclepius, he is connected with dreams and dream healing. He is an excellent ally in working through mental and emotional issues. We don't have dream incubation temples in the modern world, but really, they're not necessary to connect with Paean.

When you're ready to go to sleep, call on him, asking him for help in your dreaming time. Focus your thoughts on the issue you'd like help with. Then, if possible, plan on waking naturally rather than to an alarm. Spend some time before you get up, gently contemplating your dreaming experiences and memories. Paean can help us hear our ancestors, deities, and other spirit allies whose voices aren't always clear when we're awake. Their messages can ease our burdens and help us find healing.

These two deities add a beautiful aspect to the Minoan pantheon since they specialize in healing. But we've also found that many of the other deities can help with both physical and non-physical healing. The most powerful healing ally you have is probably the deity you have the strongest, closest relationship with. Why not have a talk with them about how they can help you on your healing journey?

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Laura Perry is a priestess and creator who works magic with words, paint, ink, music, textiles, and herbs. She's the founder and Temple Mom of Ariadne's Tribe, an inclusive Minoan spiritual tradition. When she's not busy drawing and writing, you can find her in the garden or giving living history demonstrations at local historic sites.

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