On January 19, the Orthodox Church celebrates the feast of Epiphany. Of particular importance is the Epiphany water, which in the church tradition is called the Great Agiasma, which translated from Greek means "shrine". On this day, many strive to collect blessed water, as it has special qualities, including healing ones, and does not deteriorate. But how to use it correctly?
Why is Epiphany water special?
One of the church stichera claims that at Baptism "all waters are sanctified," that is, all water in nature acquires the primordial property of incorruption.
The church says that holy baptismal water can be sprinkled on objects, places of residence, vehicles, animals, plants for "blessing and driving out impurities."
Are there any taboos associated with Epiphany water? Here are some of them.
You can not collect Epiphany water in dirty vessels or vessels with stickers that are not related to Orthodoxy
Promotional video:
The vessel for Epiphany water must be cleanly washed; if there are any foreign stickers on it, they must be removed.
You cannot collect Epiphany water for future use
That is, you should not type too much of it. The priests claim that over time it loses its healing properties - this is called "confinement of the shrine." If you have a lot of Epiphany water at home, share it with your family, neighbors, and friends.
Store water in a special place
In the old days, Epiphany water was placed in a secluded place near the iconostasis. It was believed that it would retain its properties longer. You cannot store such water in the refrigerator - it is believed that the food lying next to it contaminates it.
You can not boil or freeze Epiphany water
It is believed that baptismal water originally possesses special sacred properties. When heat treated or frozen, these properties change. It is also not recommended to expose containers with Epiphany water to direct sunlight. A number of researchers believe that Epiphany water has a special molecular structure, and manipulations with it can change this structure.
You cannot add Epiphany water to food or drink, you cannot wash in it or wash clothes
Epiphany water must not be used for cooking, for example, kneading dough on it.
“They believed that the water consecrated in the rivers“drags away”the demons, so a week after Epiphany it was forbidden to wash clothes in the ice holes so that the evil spirits would not grab onto it and come out,” says A. Ryzhkova in the article “Epiphany Christmas Eve and the Baptism of the Lord: traditions of celebration in Russia :
You often hear recommendations to wash yourself with Epiphany water if you suspect an evil eye. But the church considers this to be superstition. Drinking baptismal water, washing with it is allowed only if a person is seriously ill or has been attacked by dark forces. “Taking baptismal water (like any other shrine, for example, prosphora or consecrated oil - oil), a person can pray to the Lord that this shrine would serve him as a means of healing from diseases,” says the cleric of the Saratov temple of the First Apostles Peter and Paul, Priest Vasily Kutsenko. This water should be consumed in the morning on an empty stomach or in the evening before bedtime, be sure to read a prayer. You can apply a compress moistened with holy water to the sore spot.
Women on critical days cannot use baptismal water
On these days a woman is considered "unclean" and therefore should not touch the shrines, except for those cases when she is sick - then the baptismal water can help her.
You can not give baptismal water to drink animals
But you can sprinkle it on pets. A. Ryzhkova writes: “In many provinces, sprinkling of livestock was carried out in a separate order. All the animals were driven out into the yard, where hay and unmilled sheaves were laid out in advance, and while the living creatures were eating the treat, the whole family, young and old - children with icons, lighted candles, a wife with a bowl filled with Epiphany water, and the owner with sprinkles walked around the herd and sprinkled it."
Sometimes it was also believed that some animals could be given holy water to drink and others not. A. Ryzhkova reports: “They sprinkled all the corners of the hut with the Epiphany water brought from the prayer service, sprinkled the cattle, poultry, barn, gave cows and horses, especially horses, to drink, so that the“brownie wouldn't ride”on them. But the pigs were not given baptismal water, it was believed that it was sinful to water a pig with blessed water - an “unclean” animal."
You can't pour water wherever you have to
Epiphany water is a shrine and must be treated accordingly. So, if it has spilled or the vessel in which it was has broken, the water should be collected with a clean towel and squeezed into another vessel, and then poured into an "unsupported place", that is, a place where people do not walk, say, running water or natural body of water. You can pour this water over the flowers. But pouring it on the ground, in a sink or sewer is unacceptable!
Taking or giving baptismal water, you cannot quarrel or use foul language
It is believed that the holy water can deteriorate and lose its properties. However, abuse and foul language have always been considered incompatible with the concept of holiness.
Irina Shlionskaya