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The Oracle at DelphiDecember 29, 2001 2:00 PM. I stood on the ancient ruins of Delphi at the site of the Temple of Apollo. My head pounding, I felt my sixth and seventh chakra open. My senses were electrified as I stood in awe and wonder at this bigger than life piece of ancient history that I was honored to experience.
The first traces of habitation in Delphi go back to around the 14th to 11th century B.C. when the deity worshiped in Delphi was Mother Earth, Gaia. However, from the 11th to 9th century B.C. the worship of Apollo became established at Delphi and in the following centuries ancient Delphi took shape with the construction of a temple to Apollo and Athena, a theater and a sports stadium. Delphi became known throughout the known world for the Oracle of the God (or angel) Apollo. This Oracle was a spiritual experience whereby the spirit of Phoebus Apollo was asked for advice on critical matters relating to people's lives and affairs of state. The cave where the divinity Gaia (Mother Earth) used to utter prophecies guarded by her son, the serpent Python, dates from the second millennium BC (Mycenaean period). It was located on the way from the Gulf of Corinth to Central and Northern Greece, in a region then called Pytho. According to legend, when the god Apollo was an infant, he killed Python, at the same time abandoning Delphi to purify himself. After the purification took place, he returned to Delphi crowned and took over the Oracle, which from then on belonged to him. The god became known as Apollo Pythias and the area was called Delphi from that time on. At first the Oracle was under the strict domination of Krisa; it was liberated in 590 BC, and it is from this date that the true history and fame of Delphi essentially began. A number of Sacred Wars broke out for control of the Oracle. The Phokians, Amphissans and even the Athenians vied to avail themselves of its great wealth, interfering with the independence of the priests and the little world that revolved about them. In 191 BC the Romans became masters of Delphi. This was a period of waves of pillaging raids but also attempts to revive the Oracle. However, nothing could halt Delphi's decline and eventually it ceased to be regarded as the navel of the world. Whoever wished to consult the Oracle was obliged to pay a tax, the "telono", which gave him the right to approach the great altar of Apollo to offer sacrifices (boars, goats or bulls). Having purified herself in the water of the Kastalian Fountain, Pythia (the Oracle) bent over the Navel of the Earth (the Sacred Stone), ate a laurel leaf and, inhaling the vapors emitted from the chasm, entered a state of ecstasy, uttering incoherent words. These were then composed into verses by the Priest, while the interpreters endeavored to render some meaning out of the prophecy. In the beginning the Pythia were chosen from among the young women of Delphi. As time went on, for the priest to be certain of their virtue, they selected them from among women who had passed their fiftieth year. Pilgrims who came from all over the world to ask questions of the oracle all had one thing in common. Those who came to consult the oracle were always men rather than women, who lacked a voice in decision-making. Thucydides tells of Pericles remark that "the greatest glory of a woman is to be least talked about by men, whether they are praising you or criticizing you," an attitude which reflects the extremely marginalized position of women in ancient Greek life. And yet, when the men came to the Oracle, they asked their questions of a woman- the Pythia priestess of Apollo. Indeed, while barred from the political sphere, women remained very much a presence in Greek religious life. Delphi was no exception. As priestesses, women fulfilled public duties in various official cults; for example, women officiated as priestesses in more than forty such cults in Athens by the fifth century B.C. Women holding these posts often enjoyed considerable prestige, practical benefits such as a salary paid by the state, and greater freedom of movement in public. Not surprisingly, many of the cults with which women were closely involved were fertility cults. For example, women had a large role in the worship of Demeter, the goddess of agriculture, And while the prominent role of the Pythia at Delphi offers evidence that women did not confine their religious activities to fertility rites, there has been a great deal of scholarly speculation through the centuries over exactly how the Pythia delivered her oracle and to what extent, if any, she was under the control of the male "prophets" who wrote down her spoken words in formal verse. I feel privileged that today as a woman I am free to act as a modern day oracle, a messenger. I am free to travel the world and offer this gift to all who seek guidance and spiritual growth. On your behalf I ask that 2002 will be prosperous and full of life's blessings. In Light | |||
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