#oracleofdelphi

[tylermileslockett]

Theseus #1 - "Pythia: Oracle of Delphi"

King Aegeus of Athens, still childless, travels to the Pythia oracle at Delphi for advice. The Pythia, ever famous for her enigmatic and ambiguous prophecies, tells him “Do not uncork the wineskin until you have reached Athens.”

Zeus, wanting to locate the center of the world, released two eagles flying in opposite directions around the earth at equal speeds, and the birds reached one another at a specific point above the slope of Mount Parnassus. Here Zeus placed a sacred stone called the Omphalus, or “naval of the earth.” A serpent, Pytho (son of Gaia) guarded the stone, until Apollo came and slew the creature, establishing the site as a divine source for receiving messages directly from the god of prophecy.

Before entering the temple, priestesses and pilgrims alike would wash themselves in the soul cleansing waters of the Castilian spring for purification.  In a sacred, inner sanctum, the Pythia, (head oracle priestess) was said to sit upon a tripod and breath in toxic vapors (said to be toxic fumes from Pythos rotting body) from a chasm below in the cave rock. The fumes could have been methane or ethylene, while others have theorized, she chewed or inhaled smoke from Oleander leaves. The priestess then fell into a trance, and receiving divine inspiration from Apollo, spoke in tongues that was interpreted and translated by priests into dactylic hexameter (the poetic meter used in ancient Greek epics like the Iliad.)

The Delphi site was sprawling and complex; holding the religious temple of Apollo, a stadium and gymnasium for the Pythian games, an outdoor theatre, a hippodrome for chariot races, among others. There were three philosophical phrases carved into the temple known as the “Delphic Maxims.” They were; “know thyself,” “Nothing in Excess,” and “Surety Brings Ruin.”

Like this art? It will be in my illustrated book with over 130 other full page illustrations coming in Aug/Sept to kickstarter.  to get unseen free hi-hes art subscribe to my email newsletter

Follow my backerkit kickstarter notification page.

Thank you for supporting independent artists! 🤘❤️🏛😁

[illustriousdapoet]

The Oracle and I: A Tale of Friendship and Foresight

The soft hum of the wind whispered secrets through the pines atop Mount Parnassus, where the temple of Apollo stood as a sentinel against time. The smell of incense and sacred oils lingered in the air, mingling with the faint, sulfurous scent that wafted from the chasm beneath the temple. This was Delphi, the navel of the world, and I, a simple girl from a nearby village, had the honor—and the burden—of calling the Oracle my best friend.

Her name was not always Pythia. She was born as Kallista, "the fairest," a name as radiant as her spirit. Her laughter once filled the meadows where we played, and her dreams were as ordinary as mine. But destiny rarely favors the ordinary.

Kallista was chosen, plucked from our simple lives by priests who claimed Apollo himself had guided their decision. “She is the one,” they said, their voices thick with reverence. She was to serve as the mouthpiece of the god of prophecy.

I still remember the day she left. Her face was a canvas of fear and hope, and she held my hand tightly as we said our goodbyes. “Promise you’ll visit,” she whispered, her voice trembling like the olive leaves in the wind. I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat, not knowing how much this role would demand of her.

The Trials of Pythia

Becoming the Oracle was not as glorious as the tales suggested. Kallista was cloistered, stripped of her identity, and thrust into a world of ritual and duty. She fasted, prayed, and prepared her body and mind to channel the will of Apollo.

When the time came, she was led to the adyton, the sacred inner chamber of the temple. She sat on the tripod above the chasm, the very breath of the earth rising to meet her. I was permitted to watch from the shadows as her body convulsed and her eyes clouded over. She spoke in riddles, her words fragmented but profound. The priests interpreted her utterances for the supplicants who came from far and wide, seeking answers to questions both grave and trivial.

But these moments took their toll. The visions left her exhausted, her body fragile and her spirit wearied. “It is not Apollo’s will I fear,” she confided to me one evening, her voice barely above a whisper. “It is the weight of their hopes and fears. They place their lives in my hands, and yet I am only human.”

The Burden of Prophecy

As her fame grew, so did the demands upon her. Kings and warriors sought her guidance before battles; farmers asked for blessings upon their crops. Her words could alter the course of nations, but the cost to her was immeasurable.

One day, a powerful warlord came seeking her counsel. His arrogance was palpable as he demanded to know whether he would emerge victorious in his conquest. Kallista, now fully immersed in her role as Pythia, entered her trance. Her response was cryptic: “A great kingdom shall fall.”

The warlord departed, confident in his triumph. Yet, when the dust of battle settled, it was his own kingdom that lay in ruins. Furious, he returned, accusing her of deceit. “I spoke only the truth as Apollo revealed it,” she said, her voice steady but her eyes betraying her anguish.

The Trials of Friendship

I remained by her side, my role as her confidante both a blessing and a curse. I saw the toll her gift took, the isolation it imposed. Her laughter became rare, her joy eclipsed by the weight of her role. Yet, even in her darkest moments, she carried herself with a dignity that inspired all who knew her.

One evening, as we sat beneath the stars, she took my hand. “Do you think I chose this life?” she asked, her voice heavy with emotion. “Do you think I wanted to be the vessel for a god’s will? Yet, here I am. Perhaps it is not about what we choose, but about what we make of what is chosen for us.”

The End of an Era

Kallista’s years as Pythia came to an end as the world around us changed. The rise of new religions and the decline of the old ways dimmed the temple’s once-brilliant flame. She returned to our village, no longer the Oracle but simply Kallista once more. Yet, the wisdom she had gained remained.

In her final days, she shared her greatest lesson: “Prophecy is not about knowing the future. It is about understanding the present and acting with courage and integrity. Each of us carries the power to shape our destiny.”

Moral of the Story

Kallista’s life taught me that greatness is not in the roles we are given but in how we rise to meet them. She bore the weight of her calling with grace and courage, reminding us that even the humblest of us can be the vessel for something divine.

To this day, I honor her memory, not as the Oracle of Delphi, but as my friend, whose trials and triumphs were a testament to the strength of the human spirit.

[stochastique-blog]

Experiment - Automatic Random_Reblog - Ask me !

Temple of Apollo, Delphi #greece #hellas #delphi #delfoi #templeofapollo #templeofapollodelphi #apollo #doricorder #doriccolumns #columns #greektemple #temple #oracle #oracleofdelphi #pythia #archeology #greekarchaeology #greekhistory #rainyweather #clouds #darksky #travel #traveller (hier: Temple Of Apollo, Delfi)

[jamieroxxartist]

Today, May 28, our Fun Friends in #AncientGreece would have been getting down with the #Purification of #Pytho (the high priestess of the #TempleofApollo at Delphi who also served as its oracle, also known as the #OracleofDelphi.)

( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pythia )

Painting: ‘Lycurgus Consulting the Pythia’ (1835/1845), as imagined by Eugène #Delacroix

Full Details: https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/lycurgus-consulting-the-pythia-eug%C3%A8ne-delacroix/CwGK1__DtsYMAA?hl=en

[stephlumayno]

The process of creating Pythia. 🌿 Close to 20 hours of work condensed into 30 seconds lol. . . . #classicalgreece #classicalgreek #greekhistory #oracleofdelphi #pythia #greekmythology #apollo #oracle #prophecy #art #digitalart #delphi #procreate #procreateart

[antrumpythiae]

The Oracle of Delphi, a city in Phocis, was the most famous oracular centre in Greece, and it had established itself on all other oracles since the VII century BC. It was located on the slopes of Mount Parnassus, and had originated from the killing by Apollo of the monstrous snake Python, which had been once placed there to guard a sacred source. According to the myth, Apollo then installed the Phythian sanctuary and ordered that a virgin, the Phythia, uttered prophecies inspired by the divine exalations coming up from a crack in the ground, believed to be the very point where the Universe was born from. The pilgrims were admitted one by one inside the temple of Apollo. First, however, they had to purify themselves with the water from the source Castalia - just as Apollo himself had done after killing the Python - pay a tax and offer a goat as sacrifice to the god. From that moment the pilgrims were ready to meet the Phythia who, in the innermost cell of the temple, hidden from the gaze of men, was sitting on a high three-legged stool, the tripod, placed over the crack from which water from the Cassiotis sprung, along with psychoactive exalations. Originally the Phythia was a young virgin: later, a woman of older age was chosen, and she would live inside the sanctuary and observe rigorous chastity. Like the pilgrims, the Phythia also underwent a ceremony before uttering the response of the god Apollo: she would drink water from the Cassiotis source, chew some laurel leaves and absorbe the vapors that rose from some fissures in the ground and that would put her in a state of trance. The more or less intelligible sounds that came out of her mouth were reformulated by the priests often with ambiguous words: the risk of being contradicted by future events could definitively compromise the prestige of the Phythia. Therefore any wrong responses were attributed to the inability of the priests to understand the oracle, rather than the inability of the Phythia to predict the future. #oracle #oracleofdelphi #meditation #grounding #divination #scrying #oldworldwitchcraft #oldwalnuttree #oldreligion #witch #witchesofinstagram #wildwomanrising #wisewoman #witchywoman (presso Δελφοί (Delphi)) https://www.instagram.com/p/CB_5rtKqGLE/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[ignaciogallego]

#TempleofApolloinDelphi #PanhellenicSanctuaryofDelphi #Pithia #OracleofDelphi #Delphi #Phocis #Hellas🇬🇷 (en Ναός του Απόλλωνα (Temple of Apollo)) https://www.instagram.com/p/B8E2hIHpwEx/?igshid=1ljl0ju1sfktv

[sapphicpjogoddess]

During the Titans Curse

Oracle : *doesn’t give Percy a prophecy*

Percy : Well maybe I don’t need answers. Maybe I need to punch you in the face.

Ig- suicidal-petty-goddess

[tylermileslockett]

Theseus #1 - "Pythia: Oracle of Delphi"King Aegeus of Athens, still childless, travels to the Pythia oracle at Delphi for advice. The Pythia, ever famous for her enigmatic and ambiguous prophecies, tells him “Do not uncork the wineskin until you have reached Athens.” Zeus, wanting to locate the center of the world, released two eagles flying in opposite directions around the earth at equal speeds, and the birds reached one another at a specific point above the slope of Mount Parnassus. Here Zeus placed a sacred stone called the Omphalus, or “naval of the earth.” A serpent, Pytho (son of Gaia) guarded the stone, until Apollo came and slew the creature, establishing the site as a divine source for receiving messages directly from the god of prophecy. Before entering the temple, priestesses and pilgrims alike would wash themselves in the soul cleansing waters of the Castilian spring for purification. In a sacred, inner sanctum, the Pythia, (head oracle priestess) was said to sit upon a tripod and breath in toxic vapors (said to be toxic fumes from Pythos rotting body) from a chasm below in the cave rock. The fumes could have been methane or ethylene, while others have theorized, she chewed or inhaled smoke from Oleander leaves. The priestess then fell into a trance, and receiving divine inspiration from Apollo, spoke in tongues that was interpreted and translated by priests into dactylic hexameter (the poetic meter used in ancient Greek epics like the Iliad.) The Delphi site was sprawling and complex; holding the religious temple of Apollo, a stadium and gymnasium for the Pythian games, an outdoor theatre, a hippodrome for chariot races, among others. There were three philosophical phrases carved into the temple known as the “Delphic Maxims.” They were; “know thyself,” “Nothing in Excess,” and “Surety Brings Ruin.”Like this art? It will be in my illustrated book with over 130 other full page illustrations coming in Aug/Sept to kickstarter. to get unseen free hi-hes art subscribe to my email newsletter

Follow my backerkit kickstarter notification page.

Thank you for supporting independent artists! 🤘❤️🏛😁

[pythiatheoracle]

Heed these words, you who wish to probe the depths of nature - If you do not find within yourself that which you seek neither will you find it outside. In you is hidden the treasure of treasures. Know thyself and you will know the Universe and The Gods

The Oracle of Delphi

[photoglobo]

#renebauerphotography #travel #europe #southerneurope #greece #delfi #delphi #sightseeing #monument #ancient #ancientgreece #greecemonuments #temple #greecetemple #oracle #oracleofdelphi #column (hier: Delfi, Δελφοι) https://www.instagram.com/p/CQscAtxjLQK/?utm_medium=tumblr

[shadesofkin]

#inking done on tonight's #dailydoodle "Delphi" I have other elements I want to add so I'm going slow with this one. #mythologicalart #mythologyart #art #fantasyart #oracleofdelphi #ink #penandink #lineart #drawing #drawdaily #dailyart #portrait #portraiture #traditionalart #sketchbook #artoninstagram #artistoninstagram (at Butler, Pennsylvania)

[jamieroxxartist]

Today, May 28, our Fun Friends in #AncientGreece would have been getting down with the #Purification of #Pytho (the high priestess of the #TempleofApollo at Delphi who also served as its oracle, also known as the #OracleofDelphi.)

( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pythia )

Painting: ‘Lycurgus Consulting the Pythia’ (1835/1845), as imagined by Eugène #Delacroix

Full Details: https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/lycurgus-consulting-the-pythia-eug%C3%A8ne-delacroix/CwGK1__DtsYMAA?hl=en

[stephlumayno]

Pythia, a.k.a. the Oracle of Delphi.

The Pythia held immense political power in classical Greek society. She was perceived as having a special connection with Apollo, the god of truth and prophecy. People would travel from all over the classical world to hear Apollo's prophecy, delivered through the oracle as she entered a trance-like state. Influential individuals would consult her for major political decisions, such as potential invasions of neighbouring countries. The Pythia was not a single woman, but a position transferred from one woman to another.

This piece took me a long time and many sessions. My process is slower now as I focus on details and making sure things look right to me. This shift in mindset (from “these details are too much work” to “I’ll just take my time on these”), in my opinion, is crucial to art improvement. Don’t worry how slow you’re going — we all get faster with time anyway. . . . #classicalgreece#classicalgreek#greekhistory#oracleofdelphi#pythia#greekmythology#apollo#oracle#prophecy#art#digitalart#delphi#procreate#procreateart

[jamiesonwolf]

This morning, I asked the cards "What do I need to know about slowing down?" I drew the 9 of Swords, the Hierophant and the Ace of Wands from The Tarot of the Divine. 🌟 The 9 of Swords is a card of mental anguish. This is the war within my mind to push myself, to make myself do more, take on more. This is causing me mental pain and torment, this constant need to be busy. It's been a long and difficult journey but this card gives me a moment of pause. It's asking me to consider why I'm hurting myself in this way, why I can't allow myself to slow down. this card is asking me to take a deeper look into the why of it all. The Oracle of Delphi warns of anguish, but it's my actions that cause it. 🌟 That brings me to the Hierophant. She is the wise White Buffalo Woman. Rather than having higher knowledge and clarity for some, she extends her wisdom for everyone and all. She offers me clarity and the ability to look within myself, to go further into my spirit so that I can heal this pain that causes me to keep going despite warning signs. She wants me to take a deeper look at myself and why I am averse to offering myself kindness. This card wants me to stop and sit with myself and listen to what my spirit is saying. 🌟 The Ace of Wands shows me the magic paintbrush. It paints beauty and wonder with just the press of the brush to the canvas. The myth tells of a boy that is able to take away the pain of others with whatever he paints. The Ace of Wands is a creative spark, a light in the darkness that brings so much to light. It is the force and the push to create. Perhaps what this card is telling me is that I have to look at why I'm creating. I'm writing and painting because I'm driven to but is it healing me? Or is it driving me to create more? Sparkle on! 🌟 #tarotreadersofinstagram #tarottribe #tarotofthedivine #mentalanguish #wisdom #kindnesswins #creativity #spark #oracleofdelphi #whitebuffalowoman #magicpaintbrush #sparkleon #shinebright #likeadiamond #cardoftheday https://www.instagram.com/p/CHDSptkHICe/?igshid=p4v40aes9f88