Oracles

When practicing intuition, part of it is understanding and paying attention to the signs and symbols or odd sayings that come to you. Oracles are like that in many ways. They pay attention to  everything around them to receive guidance. Now we have oracle cards. On many of the cards are centered around nature and have saying on them for you to interpret how your intuition is guiding you. 

Delphi / Pytho - Sacred Site - 

This site is considered sacred as it is a place of different temples of the Gods since antiquity. There were the Oracles for Gaea and Apollo and a temple for Athena.

Many treasuries from different countries were present on the temple site as well as 

The oracle first was a worshipper of Mother earth - Gaea, but later given or stolen by Apollo. Delphi is referred to as the navel of the Earth. It is the place where people worshipped Gaea and her temple was made from Olive branches from Tempe. Demeter and Poseidon also shared the temple to Gaea. 

Themis and Phoebe were the first oracles when the site was dedicated to Gaia. Apollo seized the temple and expelled the twin guardian serpents of Gaia, whose bodies he wrapped around the caduceus.  The Medical Symbol.

Think about this place - the Navel of the Earth, the goddess who is the Earth, who helped to create our beautiful planet. For hundreds of years She is worshipped in this place. Her energy set up the powerful place of her great grand son - Apollo and the Oracles who worshipped him. How wondrous is that? 

The Pythia, Apollo’s Oracle of Delphi

The oracle was first called Pytho (the original name of Delphi).An oracle is a person or thing considered to provide insight, wise counsel or prophetic predictions, most notably including precognition of the future, inspired by deities. If done through occultic means, it is a form of divination.

8 century B.C. continued until 4century A.D. 

Pythia or Pythoness the high priestess, oracle of Delphi - Apollo’s birth place

The oracle was the best documented of spiritual institutions

The earliest account of the origin of the Delphic oracle is given in the Homeric Hymn to Delphic Apollo, 580-570 B.C. The Homeric Hymn describes in detail how Apollo chose his first priest, he selected in their ‘swift ship’ they were ‘ Cretons from Minos city of Knossos who were traveling to Pylos. Apollo as a dolphin revealed himself to the terrified Cretans and asked the priests to follow him up to the ‘place where you will have rich offerings’. The priests followed , dancing and singing. 

The other story is Apollo killed Pythos a python god who was trying to kill Apollo and Artemis mother at Delphi. Apollo claimed the land and a temple was built for him. The Oracle or high priestess is also called Pythia. 

The first Oracles of Delphi were maidens until one was kidnapped and raped. Then the priests started selecting older women as oracles and dressed them as maidens. 

The Oracles of Delphi were revered and treated well. They worked once a month on the seventh day, Apollo’s Birthday. At times there was more than one Pythia, this was during the times when the Oracles prophet was in demand.  The Pythia(s) participated within the community, helping where ever she could supporting those who were ruling the area and the people. 

The day the Oracle(s) worked she bathed, and went to the temple to perform her duties. The Oracle held Oleander in her right hand, holy water in a wood bowl in her left hand.  She would sit on a stool. The vapors from the Oleander is what helped the Pythia (s) go into a trance. 

I have looked at geology and archeology reports from Delphi and there is no proof about vaporous fumes coming out out the ground. When I read the Pythia (s) held oleander a poisonous plant in one hand, perhaps she was holding the plant close enough to her or eating part of the plant to help her go into a trance. 

She channeled messages from Apollo to the people who visited for their prophecies.  The Pythia’s council was most in demand to forecast the outcome of wars or political actions, strategies. Because the Pythia (s) spoke directly to Apollo, she/they were very influential, several wars were raged over the oracle, with control of Delphi shifting between rival cities-states. After Rome captured Delphi early 2nd century the Pythia’s influence started to wane. Her last prophesy was delivered about 393 CE when emperor Theodosius I instituted various laws to end pagan activity. 

Dodona 550-500 BCE - This is a great example of how humans worked with and worshipped nature and the dieties representing nature. Oracles can be anything as we well know - oracle cards, ruins, bones, stones/crystals, trees etc. 

Dodona, northwestern Greece, the oldest Oracle in Greece.

This site was also originally Gaea’s ancient temple. It was a sacred grove. The Oracle - an ancient oak tree. Bronze objects hanging in the trees made various noises, similar to a windchime.  The three Priestesses guarding the Oracle, listened to the sounds to determine the correct actions to be taken for the supplicant. 

The questions were collected by priests from the supplicants, written down, then and taken to the priestesses. The questions were simple, created for a yes or no answer.

The Oracle was called Dione

290 BCE King Pyrrhus dedicated Sedona the religious capital of his domain and beautified it by constructing a temple to Zeus and a smaller Temple to Gaea. A wall was built around the Oracle - ancient oak tree,  as well as the temple to Dione and Heracles. 

Pyrrhus built up the temple complex the activities included , athletic games. festivals, musical contests, plays and more. 

The Oracle and her priestesses continued to help the people until 391-391 CE when Emperor Theodosius closed all pagan temples and cut down the sacred trees at temple of Gaea and Dione. 

Temples on this site - Temple of Zeus, Temple of Hercules, Temple of Themis, Temple of Aphrodite

The Christian Basilica was built in 5th century CE - the building used material from older structures at Dodona. 

Here are two types of Oracles. The Pythia(s) and Dione, an ancient oak tree. Two different ways to receive information from the gods. Such a good example of how we now can receive information through our spirit guides and angels and the Creator. Intuitive information comes in many forms and ways, this is why it is so important to be present, grounded and aware of what is going on around you. When you practice this way of being you have the ability to stay energetic and focused. 

Have a beautiful week! Keep your heart open and aligned with the energy of LOVE!

Auriel Grace