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The Oracle

© Linda Casselman

Do you believe in fate, in destiny? Or do you believe that we exercise our own free will to shape our lives as we see fit? People of the ancient world did believe in fate. They believed that the course of their lives was pre-determined by destiny from birth, and so they often turned to prophecy for a glimpse into their future. Indisputably, the most famous prophetic voice of the ancient world was indeed the Oracle of Delphi in Greece.

Myth tells us that the great father god Zeus released two mighty eagles into the sky, one from the east and the other from the west, to find the centre of the world. Where the two birds met, Zeus threw a sacred stone to mark the centre and this became known as the navel of the world. This was the Oracle at Delphi in Greece.

People from all over the ancient world came to Delphi to consult the Oracle about their personal and even political affairs. Paying a tax and offering up a sacrifice, they would then be able to seek guidance from the god Apollo through the Oracle. The seer, a priestess called a Pythia, after having cleansed herself, would climb onto a gilded chair and bend over the "navel of the earth", a cleft or chasm in the ground that emitted vapours. Inhaling these vapours, she would swoon and enter into a trance where she would connect with the god Apollo, and then utter incoherently. These babblings would be recorded by a priest and then interpreted to be meaningful revelations from the god.

Before Apollo, the goddess Gaia, also known as Mother Earth, used to tell prophecies in a cave in the region of Pytho. Her son, the serpent Python, guarded the cave but was killed by Apollo when he was just an infant. Apollo went away for a while to purify himself, then took over the Oracle upon his triumphant return.

Sadly, by around 191 BC, when the Romans controlled Delphi, the Oracle went into decline due to warring and pillaging. Still, tourists can travel to this ancient centre of the world and explore the many ruins at Delphi. The priestess might no longer be there to connect with the god Apollo on your behalf, but I bet if you go to the Oracle and you listen carefully, opening your heart, your mind, and your spirit, you will hear Apollo whispering his words of wisdom.

The copyright of the article The Oracle in Mythology is owned by Linda Casselman. Permission to republish The Oracle in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.