On January 19, the Orthodox Church celebrates the Baptism of the Lord. Otherwise, this holiday is called the Epiphany, since at this moment the manifestation of the Fullness of the Divine took place - the appearance of all Persons of the Holy Trinity: the Father, with a voice from Heaven testifying of the Son, the Son who received Baptism, and the Holy Spirit who descended on the Son in the form of a dove.
Since the New Testament Baptism took place in the waters of the Jordan River, this holiday is closely associated with the symbolism of water and purification. It is no coincidence that in Russia, the climate of which is very different from that of Palestine, thousands of believers, and not only believers, swim in ice holes at Epiphany. It is believed that on the night of Epiphany, all the water, both in ponds and in rivers, and even from the tap, becomes holy, Epiphany.
What the Orthodox Church says
Epiphany water in Greek is called "Great Agiasma" ("shrine"). This water, teaches the church, brings healing of mental and physical ailments, extinguishes the flame of passions, drives away evil forces. Therefore, baptismal water is sprinkled on the dwelling and every thing that is consecrated. Saint John Chrysostom, who lived in the 4th century, said that holy water for many years remains incorruptible, is fresh, pure and pleasant, as if it had been drawn from a living source just a minute ago.
Many saints, in response to requests for healing, sent a bottle of Epiphany water to the sick, or simply advised with prayer, reverently, to drink such water every day.
Orthodox people have a special attitude to baptismal water. For example, it is not customary to pour holy water where it can be trampled underfoot, and if for some reason the need to pour out the baptismal water arises, then it must be done somewhere in the garden, at the roots of a tree, or in a flower bed. Baptismal water should be stored next to the images, and drink it in the morning, on an empty stomach, after reading the morning prayers.
It is also believed that if ordinary water is diluted with Epiphany water, then all the liquid will become a saint.
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What Science Says
Scientists, even non-believers, in general, have never denied such a property of Epiphany water as the ability to stay fresh for a long time. What is strange if this water is taken in the coldest period of the year, when the activity of microorganisms is zero? In addition, during the consecration of water, a silver cross is immersed in a vessel, and everyone knows that silver ions destroy microorganisms.
However, it has recently become clear that the properties of baptismal water are not limited to this.
Some scientists explain the healing properties of Epiphany water by the peculiarities of the Earth's magnetic field. On this day, it deviates from the norm and all the water on the planet is magnetized. What is the reason for these changes has not yet been studied.
Russian experimental physicist Professor A. Belsky conducted the following experiment: on the night of January 19, he took water samples from a nearby pond. Polyethylene bottles with samples were in his laboratory for several years. The water in them remained clear, odorless and sedimentless.
At a scientific conference, Belsky told about this to a familiar professor from the Research Institute of Nuclear Physics at Moscow State University, who was studying neutron fluxes from space and from the Earth. He became interested and promised to see the experimental data of his laboratory in recent years.
So, according to these data, before January 19, bursts of neutron flux were regularly recorded, exceeding background levels by 100-200 times. There was no rigid peg to January 19: the maximums were on the 18th and 17th, but sometimes exactly on the 19th.
Specialists of the laboratory of drinking water supply of the Institute named after Sysina also conducted a scientific study of the properties of Epiphany water. As the candidate of technical sciences A. Stekhin said, the task of the experiment was to fix the phase of the transition of water to an unusual state, for this they began to observe the water from January 15. The tap water was defended and the amount of radical ions was measured in it. The number of radical ions began to increase on January 17.
At the same time, the pH (pH level) rose, which made the water less acidic. On January 18th, in the evening, the changes reached their peak. Due to the large number of radical ions, the electrical conductivity of water was similar to that of an artificially created catholyte (water saturated with electrons). At the same time, the pH of the water jumped over the neutral (7pH) by 1.5 points.
However, it is necessary to warn that there are no references to scientific publications of Professor A. Belsky and Candidate of Technical Sciences A. Stekhin, or there are so few of them that no one can find them.
What do neopagans think?
But astrologers and followers of various mystical practices devote a lot of space to the properties of Epiphany water.
They argue that on the night of January 19, the Sun, Earth, as well as the center of the Galaxy are located so that a communication line opens between the heart of our planet and the center of the Galaxy. At this time, a special energy channel operates, which structures everything that gets into it. Water on Earth and everything that is made of it undergoes this structuring.
Followers of the doctrine, which they call "Slavic Vedas", believe that the name "Epiphany water" does not come from the word "baptism", but on behalf of the ancient Slavic deity Khors. And the word "water" comes from the word "Veda". Such is the water, "Khorsa who knows". And the followers of this teaching propose to swim for baptism not in ice-holes cut in the shape of a cross, but in open reservoirs and polynyas.
For Christians, the experiments of scientists and the speculations of mystics are unnecessary. They know that water is sanctified by the grace of God, and they believe in its power and healing properties.