Oracle of Delphi Speaks!

I've invited a few of my friends to guest-blog about their most 

transformational travel experiences, and here's the first one!  

Simone is my personal astrologer extraordinaire and the author 
of Astro Feng Shui.  I love her video blogs each new moon.

Enjoy!  Kaliani

The Oracle of Delphi Speaks!

By Simone Butler

On September 14, 2005, the Goddess gave me an urgent message. My friend Karen and I had left Athens at dawn, and the sun was blazing hot when the bus unloaded us at Delphi four hours later. This picturesque seaside town in the north of the mainland was the first stop on our self-guided pilgrimage to ancient Goddess sites of Greece.

Ruins of Temple of Apollo

Now we were approaching the Oracle of Delphi on the slopes of Mt. Parnassus, a site so sacred to the ancients that they believed it to be the center of the world. Inhabited since the late Bronze Age (1600 BC) by followers of the Goddess, the site was originally discovered by a goat-herder when one of his charges fell into a crack in the earth and began to act strangely. On entering the chasm, the man was filled with a divine presence and could suddenly see into the past as well as the future. Others experienced convulsions and inspirational trances. A shrine was erected, and a young woman chosen as a liaison for divine transmissions. A cult grew up around the priestesses of Pythia (python) who channeled the Mother’s wisdom, guarded by twin serpents.

In the 8^th Century BC, followers of the sun god Apollo seized the temple and expelled the serpents, yet retained the Pythian priestesses. A temple to Apollo was built on top of the inner sanctum. And Delphi became world-famous for the oracular powers of the priestesses, now allegedly channeling the word of Apollo—as interpreted by male priests charging large sums for the prophecies.

Priestess of Delphi by John Collier

 As she’d always done, the priestess would enter the inner chamber beneath the temple, sit on a tripod and inhale the hydrocarbon gasses escaping from a chasm in the earth. While in ecstatic trance, thrashing and wailing, she would mumble an incomprehensible message—which the priests would then translate for whoever had requested it. The prophecy was often confusing, with dual or opposing meanings. And yet, the Greeks still considered the Oracle the ultimate authority, preserving her enigmatic prophecies in their literature. The last recorded response was given in AD 393, just before emperor Theodosius ordered all pagan temples shut down.

Sacred Spring at Delphi

Now Karen and I were trudging uphill to the sacred site in the blistering heat. As she went on to the summit, I paused to rest where tourists were milling around the temple ruins. Many of the areas were roped off, but I was attracted to one that wasn’t and descended a short flight of earthen steps to a cool anteroom next to a series of mud catacombs. Could this be the inner sanctum? I put my hands on the rough earthen walls, and felt an ecstatic wave of energy fill me. And then the Oracle spoke:

“Give this energy to men. Don’t judge them, just love them.”

I stumbled back up the steps to find Karen, but by the time we returned, a guard prevented us from re-entering the area. I remained in a semi-trance for the rest of the day, and shared the healing power still flowing through my hands with a young Greek man we met—who seemed transformed by the Goddess’ touch. But the energy was gone by the next day, and I was left to ponder Her words.

Now, seven years later, I think the message was meant for all women at this pivotal point in history. We’ve been crushed by the devastation of patriarchal rule, and many of us have felt dishonored by the masculine. But the Goddess is rising once more. The Oracle was urging us to release our bitterness and open our hearts to men. And when we do, She will fill us with Her sacred “awen,” the fountain of love and eternal youth—and the conduit to a new Golden Age.

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I highly recommend Simone's book Astro Feng Shui if you're interested in learning how to quickly manifest anything in your life! Kaliani