#The Oracle of Delphi

[wojakgallery]

The Oracle of Delphi Wojak

Wojak Art:

Possibly based on the painting below, "Priestess of Delphi" (1891) by John Collier

Title/Name: The Oracle of Delphi Wojak Known As: The Oracle of Delphi was an institution in Ancient Greece, dedicated to the god Apollo. Only one priestess operated at Delphi at any one time, and the name given to her was 'the Pythia'. The woman gave up her own name when she became priestess. The Temple of Apollo was at Delphi, on the slopes of Mount Parnassus in Greece. According to legend, the god answered questions through the medium of the priestess, who was famous for her ambiguous predictions. Scholars from time to time have suggested that burning Oleander or volcanic gases played their part in her strange utterings. Wojak Series: Doomer Girl (Variant) Wojak image by:  Unknown, possibly 'elysianenchant' from Twitter/X (but this account no longer exists). PNG version found [Here]. Wojak image submitted by: wrenchwenches on Tumblr Main Tag: Oracle of Delphi Wojak

[ari-larsen]

Lottie as the Oracle of Delphi, inspired by Fey Fire’s Yellowjackets mythology iceberg on youtube

I fell like i’m on the verge of artistic burn out because of the school project, I had to take a break and make something purely for myself. I’m rewatching yellowjackets with @sweetsmile4 and I realised i’ve never made proper fanart of it and I love the show?? I had so much fun drawing it so I also included a speedpaint :>

[melit0n]

And so my favourite Ancient Greek site ever; Delphi!!

This place (and, of course, the mythos behind the oracle of Delphi herself) has been a fixation for me for years, so I was buzzing basically the entire time I was there.

While everything I saw was beyond gorgeous, this place took the cake. An absolute trek up a mountain side (with a further trek if you wanted to see the Pythian stadium, which I happily did), but we'll worth it. Massive props to everyone and everyone who traveled from literally anywhere in order to get a prophecy.

Speaking of prophecy (info dump under the cut)...

Okay! So! Delphi, aside from being a temple of Apollo, was considered the centre of the classical Greek world (and just the world in general), for a long time, mainly because it was the seat of the Pythia; the high priestess, aka, the oracle of Delphi. Which, fun fact, in Greek shares the same root word for 'womb'.

Now, the temples (as well as the village, various treasuries, gymnasium and theatre) at Delphi are of varying ages, with the temple of Apollo being built around 7th century BCE, before being burnt down in 548ish BC, and then again in the 4th century BC. The ones which you can see (and are in the photos 😌) are all from the 4th century BC. Two thousand plus years old.

Isn't that insane? Sure, not the oldest thing in the world, but walked by so many people. Awesome, in the truest meaning of the word I fear.

But, onto the Pythia. For a bit of context, the original site of Delphi is believed to have housed a different God, suspected to be Gaia, who's son/daughter (varies depending on what translation of the myth you're reading into), named Python (sometimes called Drakon // Drakaina) resided in a cave. When Apollo took over the site, he killed it, and, when he did, it caused a great chasm to open up in the Earth and spew gas. Henceforth, the oracle was known as the Pythia.

She would've also sat on a tripod over this chasm, of which with inhalation of the gas, the spirit of Apollo could posses her in order to give prophecies.

It's been debated whether this chasm did or didn't exist—it is highly possible for one to have been there; the area is known for earthquakes, and natural gas that causes hallucinations, such as methane, ethane and ethylene is able to come from the ground—but, either way, the priestess was high as balls when giving these prophecies. Either from gas, laurel (known in the modern age as Oleander), or both.

So, imagine, you've been travelling from Athens to Delphi for a week or two, have waited a month to see this oracle, only to step into a dim temple to see a lady probably between 40-60 years old, dressed as a young woman, with visable gas spewing out from underneath her, and she spews what sounds like absolute nonsense, in which, very helpfully, a priest translates into poetry for you to take home, which turns out to be scarily accurate. I'd be damn sure the Olympians existed too.

Her being so accurate is, in fact, what brought Delphi such high prestige.

While the idea of living breathing oracle is very cool, the way Delphi was set up aided her being so precise. As noted before, Delphi was considered a hub (would've had street markets, banks, small villages, religious sects etc.), with almost everyone there to see the oracle—people would be waiting weeks to months for a visit from her—and, during this time, they'd interact and talk with those around them. War plans would be drunkenly shared, marriages would be quietly talked of, and most of these conversations between generals and kings, and their messangers and servants, were all heard and noted down by the various priests in the area, who'd provide information to the oracle, and slip in some more details in their 'translation'.

Interesting, no?

The oracle of Delphi is dates back to about 1400 BC, with her last prophecy being delivered about 390 CE, to a Roman Emperor who began stating various laws to end pagan (classical Hellenistic) activities.

[cynthiav06]

The biggest concern of all Perachel shippers and the most used argument used by anti Perachel shippers is that Rachel is an oracle and she took a vow of celibacy so no dating. That's not exactly how it works.

The reason they are made to make such a vow is to put serving their God Apollo first and foremost.

May Castellan had already had a child when she went to bond with the Oracle, and her not being celibate has nothing to do with that as we know .

Now, even in Ancient Greece, older women have been vessels for Oracles. They just had to put their family aside.

So, in conclusion, the vow of celibacy isn't an obligate condition.

Now for a bit of an history lesson The Oracle of Delphi is extremely unique as she has existed long before the Gods did as a spirit in Lake of Delphi and was often initially referred to as the Oracle of Gaia.

The titaness Phoebe used the powers given by the lake to divine futures. That was how Rhea knew where to hide and how to trick Kronos as she had gone to Phoebe for advice.

Now, for an even more interesting piece of fact after the Gods took control, the Lake of Delphi remained for millenias under the jurisdiction of Poseidon himself.

Priestesses used to come there to seek the power to be able to divine the futures. Only when it was attacked by Python himself and then saved by Apollo who killed the Python did the Spirit of Delphi choose to host itself in Apollos Priestesses thus abandoning the Lake.

The spirit of Delphi has no clear allegiances being able to change who she serves, and we know the Oracle spirit has some fondness for Percy given his own exceptionally prophetic dreams which is a power akin to an Oracle.

This means Rachel can probably choose to serve another God, maybe Poseidon himself, again, so he would revoke the no dating condition.

Or or this is my absolute favorite headcanon about Perachel, that given how many times Percy has managed to save her when Percy eventually ascends to Godhood Rachel and the Oracle spirit, swear fealty to him.

Take that Percabeth shippers. Your only viable argument against Perachel is no longer an argument.

[thewhispersofthewaves]

Could you do rachel dare please 🙏🙏🙏

《The earth without art

Is just "eh?"》

[garden-galaxytree]

He sees his mother from the corner of his eyes pause and watch him and Annabeth from the other edge of the field. She’s smiling and it’s a real one this time, and Percy makes a mental promise to spend more time with her too. It wasn’t just Tyson he had been neglecting with everything going on. Her smile becomes bittersweet, like she’s already grieving how well Percy fits in here with the other demi-gods. Away from her .  Percy wonders if this is part of the reason May Castellan tried to become the Oracle. To stay close with her son too.

Gold Heart, Chapter 7, "I say hello and goodbye"

[liliver-the-reader]

I really hate when people hate on Rachel because she literally just had a crush on a boy THAT SHE DIDN'T KNOW WAS "TAKEN" and when people say he was taken when he wasn't I just arghhhhhhh and I also hate when people make fanfics where they (Rachel and Annabeth) hate each other when they literally don't anymore, they're friends and it ended good because Percabeth is strong and very much in love. the song "All because I liked a boy" by Sabrina carpenter is so good and matches her so well because she gets so much hate for liking a boy. also people who ship her and Octavian🤮 are disgusting. but yeah I just love her, anyway bye Bluebs.

[sapphicgaygremlin]

i’m not one to complain about mischaracterization/inaccuries and i adore kaos the way it is, but where was the oracle of delphi? the concept of “everyone is born with a prophecy” is cool, but the fates are supposed to weave the thread of life/cut threads to end lives, so why were they writing the prophecies?

they could have included a shoutout/cameo, maybe when poseidon is asking whether minos can kill his son and one of the fates makes a comment like “go ask the girls at delphi”

[tweedfrog]

Girls when they live in an area with abundant geothermal activity

[gwydionmisha]

So What WAS the Deal with the Oracle of Delphi?

[wanderingmind867]

Why did nobody clean the Oracle's attic? A minor question, but one I just thought of. What, were people too scared of the corpse to clean the attic? Because that's the only explanation I can think of. I can kind of get it, I wouldn't want to be near an old corpse either. If you know me, you know I'm too cowardly to do anything like that. Even horror movies can give me a fear of sleeping for months, so…

But still, I know some really brave people surely can't have been that terrified of her. I wouldn't be one of them, but I know those types of people exist. And I know everyone deserves respect. Even a terrifying corpse inhabited by an Oracle.

[wordpress-blaze-239730566]

Noah's Ark on Broadway

LISTEN NOW (8 minutes):

Listen Now as Francis Douglas tells of when Noah's Ark was featured on New York City's Broadway stage.

PODCAST TRANSCRIPT:

Today on Celebrate the Bible:

NOAH’S ARK on BROADWAY in 1896

You are not likely to find anything about Noah's Ark on New York City's famous Broadway today … but, at one time, it was the "toast of the town".

Noah's Ark, and the great world-wide flood as recorded in Genesis, is perhaps one of the most easily identifiable events in all of the Bible. The most interesting aspect of this episode is not the illusion itself, but the fact that it attracted so many people from New York City's secular population: from every-day working families, to the City's upper crust … all were thrilled with the experience.

A few points of note:

Technical details of the illusion were featured in Scientific American magazine

The Olympia was the premiere entertainment showplace of the world

Biblical themes were very popular, with all NYC audiences at the Olympia

It was founded and built by famous Oscar Hammerstein

It was reported that audiences were left spellbound after each Noah’s Ark performance

It was so popular and well-received, that the highly respected science publication, Scientific American, devoted an entire page to this Biblically-themed entertainment attraction -- complete with stunning illustrations.

Let’s take a step-by-step look at the Noah’s Ark illusion. I will inter-space the steps throughout today’s presentation.

STEP ONE

Hammerstein's Olympia Theater and Music Hall was once celebrated as the foremost entertainment venue in the entire world.

Located at 44th and Broadway in New York City, it was only two blocks from what is known today as Times Square. The main theater held 2,800-seats. And the building took up an entire city block.

STEP TWO

The rooftop was just as famous as the theater and music hall. It had a 65-foot tall glass roof, and was illuminated with over 3,000 light bulbs. To provide electricity, there were four dynamos that generated 3,200 amps of power. These dynamos also powered a complete air circulation system, and pump, that brought refrigerated water from the basement to the rooftop area -- providing what was a very early version of air conditioning ... in 1896!

Not to be outdone by any other venue, the rooftop also had trees, rocks, and even a stream that eventually led to a 40-foot lake. There were swans, ducks, and even South American monkeys.

And, while you were enjoying all of this, you could walk around the perimeter of the roof, and take in views of Central Park and neighboring New Jersey.

At the time, the cost of admission for everything, including entertainment, was only 50-cents! However, keep in mind, with the rate of inflation from 1896 to 2025, that same fifty cent admission price would be equivalent to roughly $15 to $20 today.

STEP FOUR

The Scientific American publication was founded by inventor and publisher Rufus Porter in 1845. Contributors of note include Thomas Edison, Robert Goddard, Jonas Salk, Albert Einstein, and Linus Pauling -- just to name a few.

STEP FIVE: The SOLUTION

The answer to the filling of the Ark with water is a simple one … the water funnel on the top of the Ark is attached to a hose that runs down through the support beams, then empties under the stage. The water never fills the Ark in the first place.

Other than taking creative license with a few details (for instance, the real ark was never filled with water), it was a wonderful opportunity for audience members to experience one of the great Biblical events on the grand Broadway stage.

Perhaps one day we'll see a revival of the Noah's Ark Illusion, or a variation on the theme. In the meantime, I'm glad to have been able to bring it to you with this Celebrate the Bible 250 podcast.

So, until we meet again, and for celebratethebible250, this is Francis Douglas.


If you would like me to give a presentation and small exhibit to your church group, school, or organization, on the History of the Christian Holy Bible in America, I’ll place contact information below as the 2026 Semiquincentennial America 250 year approaches.

I will be available for Southern New Jersey, Southeastern Pennsylvania, and Northern Delaware.

Source: Noah's Ark on Broadway

[cynthiav06]

First fic contribution to Perachel Bingo Week. Check out more perachel fics from bingo week here

The Words left Unsaid

PERCY

Percy breathed deeply as soon as he felt the air of Montauk, with its rich and salty tang surround him. The anxiety he felt under his skin calmed a little as the waves happily lapped against his feet. He couldn't help the nostalgic smile. Rachel joined him soon after and he instinctively tensed. She must have noticed it because she remained silent, letting him work his thoughts out for himself, and he had never been more grateful for anything else. 

A wave roared in his ears as his thoughts spiraled, and he had to suppress the sensation.  He did not need another flood on his hands. The past few months had been rough, and Percy's powers had been all over the place, and he couldn't rein  them in no matter what he did. His Dad and Triton had both tried to make it better, but ever since the Pit , Percy had a feeling it would be permanent. Before then, he had felt as close to the sea as he possibly could. He had been able to call upon it, however, and whenever he pleased, but now it was something else, something more. The sea, the ocean, was under his skin, raging and churning for a release. Another reason why he was here.

He has been at home, a rare moment of calm with his mom and Paul. After all the trouble he had made them go through with his nightmares,  lack of sleep, out of control powers, and not to mention his paranoia. Fates must have seen that and gone: You thought, LOL NO. Because the next second, his phone had buzzed with a text from Rachel: I saw it. He didn't need further explanation than that.He shot her a quick reply, turned off his phone and grabbed Paul's keys.Before any of them could ask , he was out of the door, phone in his pocket. Yes,  he had begun using a phone. Because they stayed away now, the monsters ,because he was the one who was- 

"Percy, can you help keep the sand in place?" He was cut off from his darker thoughts by Rachel's words and on instinct he complied. He had barely been able to hear what she said over how soothing her voice sounded. He could feel the sand keep itself in place in response to his will; Rachel had a habit of drawing in the sand, a habit he really really liked. He had once set off waves upon waves over her sand drawings just to see her awed reaction at finding her drawing undisturbed.  He had liked that too. He had spent the entire day showcasing different stuff he could do with his powers to her. Annabeth and Thalia would have called him a showoff but he had enjoyed it and Rach had too so he didn't see a problem.

She wasn't in awe like the first time she had seen it but she was still smiling and he would do just about anything to see that soft smile. Rachel had always laughed a lot, always kept a very expressive face which he had learned was her small way of rebelling against her father who had done everything he could to forcefully turn Rachel into some poised lady. "Like a mannequin" she had once told him and he had felt a surge of anger and a vicious need to strangle the man.  But he was glad he could do something, even something so small that could genuinely make her smile. It made him smile too.

"Wouldn't want to disturb the new masterpiece." Percy told her as he watched her scrunch her nose, something he thought was really adorable and very endearing; which was tame compared to the usual mess of feelings he felt around her; Somedays she looked so beautiful, it was hard to look at her. Looking at her like this, at them like this, he wished he could keep this moment going forever.  Him finally free from wars with only college to worry about, and the Oracle now having gone silent with Apollo being punished or whatever. But he wasn't the same, not after all that and he didn't know if Rachel had it in her to keep looking at him after what she had seen, after all, Annabeth's wailing screams were still fresh in his mind, a scar that wouldn't fade but Rachel's fear would break him, he knew that much. So he closed his eyes, took a deep breath and waited for everything to go wrong as it always did. 

RACHEL

To Rachel, he had always looked out of this world. Ever since she had met him on the Hoover dam. Steady gaze, sea green eyes, a flash of blue. Percy had been her gateway to a whole new world ever since. But today gazing at the sea, his eyes softly glowing, the way he stood, he looked like something more. Rachel would have said he looked like a God, but she had met Gods, more so she had felt the essence of Gods  taking over her to communicate through her, yet Percy had always felt like more. She had seen the way he had kept everyone at bay after the war, all of the seven, even Grover. Even Annabeth, especially Annabeth. She knew they had called things off soon after they had reunited in New Rome. She had seen it after all. But Percy could never keep her at bay, no more than she could keep him. They had seen and known things about each other through their visions, things so intimate, in a way no one ever could or ever should. Even when the Oracle's power was out of control, she could always rely on it to show her Percy, where he was, what he did or was about to do. Ever since she had met him, he had become her anchor. All her dreams started and ended with visions of him. She knew it was like that for him, too, at least sometimes. They had shared dreams before. She had really liked it, having him there. Because Rachel had been afraid, there was a lot to fear even in her dreams, but if Percy was there , everything would be alright. She would be safe, always. Even her father had accepted that. 

So she and Percy had done what they always did. Sit together in silence doing their own things occasionally talking about the most random of things, a lot of words left unsaid but understood. Until yesterday when she had seen him in the pit, seen everything unfold in the pit. Rachel wasn't sure if she could understand it all  even though she had been learning up on Greek lore and such and despite Chiron telling her ,"Some things are beyond the realm of possibility Ms.Dare." She would always believe in her own eyes, in what she saw for the sake of all the times she had not and how it had cost her. She had been afraid, she had been shaking, and she had been crying which always happened after a violent vision but this time it wasn't the vision that set it off. The raw fear and worry gripping her heart was not for herself but all for Perseus Jackson. The things he went through, his screams, his desperation, how close he had come to death, the heart wrenching way his face had contorted when he saw Annabeth's horrified face. She hadn't been able to shake it off, not the tears nor the shivering. Until she couldn’t stop the urge to talk to him. I saw it, she had texted him, her fingers shaky knowing she couldn't trust herself to speak. It hadn't stopped until his reply a few long moments after , which had felt like forever then. Montauk. I will pick you up. 

 Now here they were, with her drawing the most inane things and him keeping the sand in place for her. She had always loved that. The way he cherished all her drawings and her words,  prophetic or otherwise. She could see him warring with himself, his powers growing stronger than ever; the reason why they were at the sea. She could wait for him to be ready, to be okay with having this conversation, she didn't want to push him, she never would. She was alright even if they didn't speak a word of it and instead spent the whole day here, like this, at peace.

He must have been resigned to having this talk because his voice turned soft as he asked, "What did you see, Red?" Her heart did the little dance it always did when he called her that . For all his love of the color blue, he had always called her Red softly and fondly. She wished she could have controlled herself better, stopped the tears threatening to spill as she muttered just as softly,  "Everything." She managed to choke out. Now they would talk in fears and in truths and a litany of promises, of assurances which would have to be enough.

"Why are you here then?" Why are you not running away in fear, in horror like they all do.

Labored breaths mingled with wavering voices.

"Where else is there to go? And I wanted to be here." Where could I go but to you who knows all of me and who I know all of. I am not afraid. I want to be here, Perce. 

Choked tears, heavy voices, with emotions and impulses.

"I am not okay. I will never be okay ever again, Red ."  I am a monster now, and I will always be a monster.

Waves thrashed as the sea churned on itself. 

"You don't have to be okay. You just need to be alive, to be willing to live. It will get better  because you have to make it better. Everyone else is like that too, Perce."   You are not a monster, you are human, the best of humans. If you are the monster, then the world is hell, full of devils. But you are not. It's alright and it will be okay. You have to believe it will, with me, with everyone else. 

Calm words, a chant, a prophecy.

"You saw it all, you know what I did, how I enjoyed it, Rach. Don’t defend me." I know what I am, you don't have to fool yourself into believing something else, Red.

The sea raged and raged. 

"It was hell, you were in hell, you were going through the worst of situations, you were going to die, Annabeth was going to die, you were being tortured. Of course, you were happy to get the upper hand. You didn't cross some line, Percy. Perseus, you held back infact. You showed mercy." You gave everything to save Annabeth, to save everyone. You have given so much too much, and you are still so good.

The waves toppled over one another.  Strongly then slowly.

Sea green eyes finally met emerald ones. A look full of nothing and everything as long left unsaid words beat against each other, the waves of the sea matching the pace. 

Her words, fears bared for him to see, as his own were.

"You should be the one angry, I couldn't help you, I couldn't help anyone, save anyone."  Rachel was the one who had been useless through all of it. All she had done was deliver a message Annabeth had sent and worry and worry and worry about Percy,  the camp and the fate of the world.  The gift broke down when they needed it the most and she had tried and tried to will it to work, to start. She had started with prayers to Apollo and then ended with curses.

"That's not true, Red. You told Reyna what she needed to do to unite the camps, to face Gaea. You delivered the message. In a way your prophecy saved us all, Red." Percy was sure they couldn't have made it without Rachel, they never did when it came to great prophecies. And deep down he couldn't help the relief that she hadn't been roped into a fight or a quest. She had sacrificed enough already. 

The waves thrashed once, twice, thrice more before dissolving into a harmonic calm.

PERCY

That was how he had found himself kissing Rachel.Overwhelmed and high on emotions, the both of them. He would have said more, thought this through, but he couldn't think with her soft lips moving against his own.

He relished in the familiar warmth of it and he didn't want to let go.

Sloppy makeout, sand drawings, and surfing, both of them together, happy and relaxed for the first time in a long time. That's how the day had gone, and Percy couldn't help but be giddy, about this, about them. It was one of the best and happiest days he had ever had and maybe he was wrong about never being okay; he had a feeling with Rachel's help along with that of his family, both mortal and godly, he would be okay,  eventually. He had to be. There was no other option for the Savior of Olympus.

As Percy took Rachel back to the car, both of them looked back and he was sure they had the same hunch, the same shared feeling: There would be trouble ahead with newer prophecies,  with Gods, and they both had a lot of explaining to do to his family, to her family, to a probably human Apollo but  it could all wait a little while longer,  a bit more till there were no words left unsaid.

[rebelliousdandy]

[wizarddaughterofathena]

Oedipus out there just being the sUpReMe one

happy Father’s Day to every mother fucker out there

[o1iveangel]

dionysus and apollo!

i call this mythology studying

close ups under the cut 🫶

[letsnotdieartless]

I got?? Possessed?? And stayed up until 2AM to draw this??

Anyways who’s still here for Afro-Latino Percy Jackson in 2025