Kos, Greece
The art of healing comes from nature, not from the physician. Therefore the physician must start from nature, with an open mind.
—Philippus Aureolus Paracelsus (1493–1541), German-Swiss physician, botanist, and alchemist
When the ancient Greeks needed healing, they would visit a temple of Asclepius (god of healing) much as people today go to a medical clinic. The lovely island of Kos, located in the Dodecanese chain of islands in the Aegean Sea off the Asia Minor coast, is home to the well-preserved ruins of the Asclepeion of Kos, covering three terraces. The island is also the birthplace of Hippocrates, the Greek “Father of Medicine.”
Whether you seek healing for yourself or someone else, visit the sacred ruins of Kos. Walk or ride a bicycle the nearly flat 3 miles from the nearest town (Kos), enjoying the scenery and serenity the moderate exercise provides, or take a bus.
Bring your journal. Pray for healing before going to sleep at night, and then write your dreams in your journal when you awake. As you walk through the ruins, contemplate the curative message the Divine delivered to you in your dreams.
Ancient Greeks and Romans believed that Asclepius, the healing god, would appear in the patient’s dream to cure him or her. People would sleep in an Asclepius temple and the next morning report their dreams to a priest, who would prescribe a cure.