DELPHI ORACLE

THE DREAM, THE MYTHOLOGY AND THE REALITY

compiled by Dee Finney

updated 11-16-2002

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THE BIBLE REFERENCES TO ORION Job: Chapter 9:  2 I know it is so of a truth: but how should man be just with God? 3 If he will contend with him, he cannot answer him one of a thousand. 4 He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered? 5 Which removeth the mountains, and they know not: which overturneth them in his anger. 6 Which shaketh the earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof tremble. 7 Which commandeth the sun, and it riseth not; and sealeth up the stars. 8 Which alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea. 9 Which maketh Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south. 10 Which doeth great things past finding out; yea, and wonders without number. Job; Chapter 38  1 Then the LORD  answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said, 2 Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge? 3 Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me. 4 Where wast thou when I 1laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.  5 Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it? 6 Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof; 7 When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy? 8 Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb? 9 When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddlingband for it, 10 And brake up for it my decreed place, and set bars and doors, 11 And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed? 12 Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days; and caused the dayspring to know his place; 13 That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, that the wicked might be shaken out of it? 14 It is turned as clay to the seal; and they stand as a garment. 15 And from the wicked their light is withholden, and the high arm shall be broken. 16 Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? or hast thou walked in the search of the depth? 17 Have the gates of death been opened unto thee? or hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of death? 18 Hast thou perceived the breadth of the earth? declare if thou knowest it all. 19 Where is the way where light dwelleth? and as for darkness, where is the place thereof, 20 That thou shouldest take it to the bound thereof, and that thou shouldest know the paths to the house thereof? 21 Knowest thou it, because thou wast then born? or because the number of thy days is great? 22 Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail, 23 Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war? 24 By what way is the light parted, which scattereth the east wind upon the earth? 25 Who hath divided a watercourse for the overflowing of waters, or a way for the lightning of thunder; 26  To cause it to rain on the earth, where no man is; on the wilderness, wherein there is no man; 27 To satisfy the desolate and waste ground; and to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth? 28 Hath the rain a father? or who hath begotten the drops of dew? 29 Out of whose womb came the ice? and the hoary frost of heaven, who hath gendered it? 30 The waters are hid as with a stone, and the face of the deep is frozen.  31 Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion? 32 Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season? or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons? 33 Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth? 34 Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters may cover thee? 35 Canst thou send lightnings, that they may go and say unto thee, Here we are? 36 Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? or who hath given understanding to the heart? 37 Who can number the clouds in wisdom? or who can stay the bottles of heaven, 38 When the dust groweth into hardness, and the clods cleave fast together? 39 Wilt thou hunt the prey for the lion? or fill the appetite of the young lions, 40 When they couch in their dens, and abide in the covert to lie in wait? 41 Who provideth for the raven his food? when his young ones cry unto God, they wander for lack of meat. Isaiah - Chapter 13  1 The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see. 2 Lift ye up a banner upon the high mountain, exalt the voice unto them, shake the hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles. 3 I have commanded my sanctified ones, I have also called my mighty ones for mine anger, even them that rejoice in my highness. 4 The noise of a multitude in the mountains, like as of a great people; a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together: the LORD of hosts mustereth the host of the battle. 5 They come from a far country, from the end of heaven, even the LORD, and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land. 6 Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty. 7 Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man's heart shall melt: 8 And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames. 9 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. 10 For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine. 11 And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. 12 I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir. 13 Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger. 14 And it shall be as the chased roe, and as a sheep that no man taketh up: they shall every man turn to his own people, and flee every one into his own land. 15 Every one that is found shall be thrust through; and every one that is joined unto them shall fall by the sword. 16 Their children also shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be spoiled, and their wives ravished. 17 Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, which shall not regard silver; and as for gold, they shall not delight in it. 18 Their bows also shall dash the young men to pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eyes shall not spare children. 19 And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees' excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.   20 It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation: neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there; neither shall the shepherds make their fold there. Amos - Chapter 5  1 Hear ye this word which I take up against you, even a lamentation, O house of Israel. 2 The virgin of Israel is fallen; she shall no more rise: she is forsaken upon her land; there is none to raise her up. 3 For thus saith the Lord GOD; The city that went out by a thousand shall leave an hundred, and that which went forth by an hundred shall leave ten, to the house of Israel. 4 For thus saith the LORD unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live: 5 But seek not Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal, and pass not to Beersheba: for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to nought. 6 Seek the LORD, and ye shall live; lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and devour it, and there be none to quench it in Bethel. 7 Ye who turn judgment to wormwood, and leave off righteousness in the earth, 8 Seek him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night: that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The LORD is his name: 9 That strengtheneth the spoiled against the strong, so that the spoiled shall come against the fortress. 10 They hate him that rebuketh in the gate, and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly. 11 Forasmuch therefore as your treading is upon the poor, and ye take from him burdens of wheat: ye have built houses of hewn stone, but ye shall not dwell in them; ye have planted pleasant vineyards, but ye shall not drink wine of them. 12 For I know your manifold transgressions and your mighty sins: they afflict the just, they take a bribe, and they turn aside the poor in the gate from their right. 13 Therefore the prudent shall keep silence in that time; for it is an evil time. 14 Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the LORD, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have spoken. 15 Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate: it may be that the LORD God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph. 16 Therefore the LORD, the God of hosts, the LORD, saith thus; Wailing shall be in all streets; and they shall say in all the highways, Alas! alas! and they shall call the husbandman to mourning, and such as are skillful of lamentation to wailing. 17 And in all vineyards shall be wailing: for I will pass through thee, saith the LORD. 18 Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end is it for you? the day of the LORD is darkness, and not light. 19 As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him. 20 Shall not the day of the LORD be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it? 21 I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies. 22 Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts. 23 Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols. 24 But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream. 25 Have ye offered unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel? 26 But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves. 27 Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus, saith the LORD, whose name is The God of hosts.

ORION AND THE CONSTELLATIONS excerpted from: http://astro.lsa.umich.edu/Course/Bernstein102/Labs/nightsky/nightsky.html Winter is the season of Orion, the hunter. You can find Orion by looking for the three closely set stars in his belt a little further south than overhead. Once you have seen these a couple of times you will be able to recognize them anywhere. As well as the belt, Orion includes shoulders (the two bright stars above his belt, to the north), two feet (the two bright stars further south) and a scabbard hanging from his belt. There are several legends involving Orion, many of them not so complimentary to the giant hunter. One involves Orion becoming enamored of the Pleiades (who were seven earthly women at the time, all daughters of a king). He eventually became so obsessed with them that the gods took pity on the girls and whisked them away to the sky on the back of a bull. They became the group of stars called the Pleiades and the bull became Taurus. Obviously Orion managed to follow them, and still chases them across the sky. Orion is the key to the winter constellations, because you can find most of the rest of them using reference points on Orion. Find Orion's belt, and follow an imaginary line through it until you come to a very bright star. This star is Sirius, the dog-star. It is the brightest star in the nighttime sky. There are many stories involving Sirius. In ancient Egypt it was called the "Nile Star" or the "Star of Isis" because its annual appearance preceding sunrise on the day of the summer solstice marked the ensuing rise of the Nile River. In medieval Europe it was associated with the "dog days of summer" since it was thought that the summer heat resulted from the mixing of Sirius's light with that of the Sun. Its appearance was regarded was an evil omen. Sirius is also the nose or eye of Canis Major, the big dog. The rest of the body of the dog is closer to the horizon and fainter, but does follow a stick figure of a dog. A circumpolar constellation is Cassiopeia, queen of a powerful land according to legend. In the sky Cassiopeia looks like a W or an M, depending on the time of year. The W is Cassiopeia's throne. All of her stars are bright, so this is another easy one to see. You can find Cassiopeia by following the same two stars in the bowl of the Big Dipper past the north star and keep going another 30 degrees or so - that should put you near the big W. The other two circumpolar constellations are a bit fainter, but still visible from the Northern U.S.. Cepheus, the King to Cassiopeia's queen, looks like a tall skinny house or a square with a triangle on top. You can find Cepheus by imagining Cassiopeia sitting on her throne (inside the W) looking at Cepheus. The roof-top of the house sits between the north star and Cassiopeia. Draco the dragon winds between the Big and Little Dippers, generally taking up all of the remaining bright stars between those two constellations. Draco's head hangs down near Cepheus. Draco is probably the toughest circumpolar constellation to find outside, but if you can find it you could tell the 'dragon heaven' story from the movie Dragonheart. The autumn constellations are all part of one big legend, the story that was made into Clash of the Titans. Cassiopeia, the queen named above, was a very vain and proud woman. She boasted that she was the most beautiful woman in all the world, more beautiful than even the sea nymphs. Poseidon, the father of the sea nymphs, was more than a little upset by these boasts. He sent a sea monster to plague her land by eating her subjects and preventing them from going to sea to fish. The kingdom was in bad shape, so Cassiopeia and her husband, King Cepheus, went to see the oracle at Delphi to find a solution to the sea monster problem. The oracle said the only solution was to sacrifice their daughter Andromeda. They were to chain her to the rocks on the beach and let the monster eat her. Being very concerned about their country, they decided to do as the oracle said. You can find Andromeda by locating Cassiopeia, then following a line straight out from the center of the W, away from the north star. You should see a line of three bright stars. The one furthest from Cassiopeia is Andromeda's head, the middle one is her bottom, and the last is her foot. Probably too faint to see from Ann Arbor is her kneecap, which is the Andromeda Galaxy and not actually a star. She also is waving about two arms, which you might not see from Ann Arbor either. She is sitting, chained onto the rocks. Cassiopeia and Cepheus had already chained Andromeda up on the rocks and were waiting for the sea monster, when Perseus the hero showed up. Perseus on his way home from his quest where he had killed the Medusa who turned men into stone. As such, Pegasus the flying horse and the decapitated head of the Medusa were with him.  Find Perseus by following the zig of the W from the center to the side nearest the Big Dipper. He is to the east of Andromeda. Perseus looks like a Greek sign lambda, or even a coat hanger to modern folks. In truth, he is up there running towards Andromeda to save her. His head is the top of the lambda, pointed towards Cassiopeia, and his legs are the two branches. He even has two arms that look like he's running hard. You can find Pegasus by following the other zig of the W out towards the west of Andromeda. You should see a big square made up of bright stars, one of which is Andromeda's head. This is called the Great Square of Pegasus (another asterism). Pegasus is made up of three of the stars of the square, which are his triangular wings, and long legs which hang below his wings. His head also hangs down by his legs, as if he were bucking and fighting with something (the sea monster?). Perseus and Pegasus save the Princess Andromeda by turning the sea monster to stone with the Medusa's head. Perseus then asked Andromeda to marry him, but her parents Cassiopeia and Cepheus refused to allow it. Perseus promptly turned them into stone and married her anyway.

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The Delphi Oracle - From Strong's Concordance: 4436: Puthon {poo'-thone} from Putho (the name of the region where Delphi, the seat of the famous oracle, was located) AV - divination 1; 1 1) in Greek mythology the name of the Pythian serpent or dragon that dwelt in the region of Pytho at the foot of Parnassus in Phocis, and was said to have guarded the oracle at Delphi and been slain by Apollo 2) a spirit of divination The New International Dictionary lists pharmakos as a related term because herbs were traditionally gathered and used for spells and to invoke spirits at magical ceremonies. Python is also listed as a related term because of its connection to the Delphi oracle. Delphi was where Apollo killed the serpent Python that guarded the oracle. Python came to mean a spirit of divination; also, a ventriloquist was believed to have this spirit in his belly. This term is used in Acts 16:16 for the girl in Philippi who had the pneuma pythona, a spirit of divination or literally, a spirit of a python. Acts 16:16-18 - 16 And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying: 17 the same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which show unto us the way of salvation. 18 And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour

WHAT IS AN ORACLE? Definition: or*a*cle (noun) [Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin oraculum, from orare to speak -- more at ORATION] First appeared 15th Century 1 a : a person (as a priestess of ancient Greece) through whom a deity is believed to speak b : a shrine in which a deity reveals hidden knowledge or the divine purpose through such a person c : an answer or decision given by an oracle 2 a : a person giving wise or authoritative decisions or opinions b : an authoritative or wise expression or answer WHO WAS THE DELPHI ORACLE? According to the earliest legends the site was originally a sacred place of the earth goddess Gaia (also called Ge) and was guarded by her daughter, the serpent Python. Later legends state that the site was the center of the world as determined by the god Zeus. Two eagles had been released by Zeus from opposite ends of the earth and following great flights across the skies they finally met at Delphi. A still later legend relates that Apollo, the son of Zeus, came from his home atop Mt. Olympus to Mt. Parnassus to slay the great serpent Python. Fleeing from the peak Python sought safety in the sanctuary of the Earth Mother at Delphi. Apollo relentlessly pursued Python however, and violently claimed the site. Apollo then repented of his crime, purified himself and, returning to Delphi, persuaded Pan (the goat-god of wild places and evocative music) to reveal to him the art of prophecy. Upon the site of the battle, Apollo erected his own oracular temple and, at the exact place where he had 'speared' the serpent, an omphalos stone was set in the ground. The Delphi Oracle was an extremely influential oracle who made predictions and announcements at the Temple of Apollo at Delphi. The Priestess of Apollo was named Pythia. This was a 'title' not her given name. A goat would be sacrificed and then Pythia would mount a tripod and sit perched over a cleft in the rocks above Castalia, a sacred spring on the mountain Parnassus. . She would breath in intoxicating smoke while awaiting divine inspiration. It is said she received mental images of darkness, pungent fumes and fragrant incenses, cloudy and clouded memories, unintelligible ravings, riddles, profound knowledge and wisdom. Modern geologists have measured hallucinogenic fumes rising from a nearby spring, and narcotic gases preserved within the temple rock. When she entered a trance the priests would interpret the oracles from Pythia and then relay the answers to the seeker. Pagan Goddesses and Gods of the Delphi Oracle The Pagan Oracle of Delphi was located about 75 NW of Athens on the Corinthian Sea (Korinthiakos Kolpos), 5 miles inland and 10 miles south of Mount Parnassos' (Parnassus) summit. There on the sharp, Parnassus mountain cliffs, at nearly 1900 feet above the Corinthian Gulf, where the sacred spring, Castalia flows into the Cephissus river, two spectacular crags form a ledge. It is here that the Pagan temple of Apollo was located. The lower level of the Temple was reached by steps at one corner, and it is said that intoxicating fumes rose from a cleft in the floor near the center of the chamber, which were believed to be the smell from the decaying Python which Apollo is said to have killed. It was on Parnassus that the sacred Stone of Rhea landed when Cronus disgorged it.

Delphi The temple of Apollo on Mount Parnassus, north of the Gulf of Corinth, is the site of the Oracle of Delph in the ancient town of Phocis. Early Greeks believed that the earth-goddess Ge and her daughter Themis had given answers (also called oracles) at this location, which was then called Pytho, before Apollo took possession by slaying a great she-dragon. Delphi was regarded as the 'navel of the earth', and in the temple there was a sacred white stone bound with a red ribbon to represent the navel and umbilical cord which they believed marked the exact center of the Earth. The sacred fountain of Castalia flowed nearby. Herodotus, the Greek historian, tells us that the oracles were delivered by Apollo's priestess, the Pythia, seated on a tripod and speaking in a trance induced by natural gases seeping through the rocks. Her pronouncements which were not really intelligible were then interpreted and transmitted to inquirers by the priests, who rendered them to the paying petitioners in deliberately vague verse. No important step was ever taken in affairs of state without consulting the Oracle at Delphi. This created a powerful influence on the lives of the Greeks. The Pythian festivals and games held near the shrine every four years, made for unity in the political and religious life of the Greek world along with the Oracles which were regarded trustfully. It is said that Delphi was found by Coretas, a shepherd boy, whose sheep and goats acted strangely when they neared the area and he himself began making prophetic statements which came true.  Prior to this time, the Delphic Oracle belonged to Mother Earth, who appointed Daphnis as Her prophetess; and Daphnis, seated on a tripod, drank in the fumes of prophecy, as the Pyhthian priestess still does. Some say that Mother Earth later resigned Her rights to the Titaness Phoebe, or Themis; and that She ceded them to Apollo, who built himself a shrine of laurel-boughs brought from Tempe. But others say that Apollo robbed the oracle from Mother Earth, after killing Python, and that the Hyperborean priests Pegasus and Agyieus established His worship there. The Priestesses of Daphoene and the Cretan times, were about 200 years to 400 years before Apollo. The shepherd, Coretas could not have discovered the site, but he seems to have discovered the secret to the Priestesses of the Serpent Oracles of Mother Goddess who presided in that area. Early Christian writers, such as Adamantius Origenes [Origen (c. 250 CE)], who obviously have no knowledge of how channeling or spirit messages are received by anyone, much less the Delphi Oracle,  defended Christianity against attacks by the philosopher, Celsus, in Contra Celsum, stated the following revolting offensive dispute against Paganism: "It is said of the Pythian priestess, whose oracle seems to have been the most celebrated, that when she sat down a the mouth of the Castalian cave, the prophetic spirit of Apollo entered her private parts. She sat with parted thighs on the tripod of Apollo, and the evil spirit entered her from below, passing through her genital organs, and plunged her into a state of frenzy, so that she began with loosened hair to foam and rage like a drunkard." At no time did Origen ever go to see the Delphi Oracle and never witnessed it personally, but wrote purely out of hearsay from other people, even though as a Greek, he lived close enough to check this out for himself. His words were stated in a manner intended to portray the Pythoness as a demonic channel in order to forward his idea of Christianity which was being preached by the Apostle Paul and his assistants, who had started the church in nearby Thessalonia. The brass tripod, on which the Pythoness sat, had three legs. Each leg represented a Goddess; the one facing east was meant to represent Hera. The tripods right leg was Pasiphae, the Cretan wife of Minos. The Bull worship was still used at Delphi at this time. The tripods left leg was Ino, who also predated the Apollonian invasion of the shrine like Pasiphae. Ino represented 'thought apotheosis', Leucothea was the Goddess of pools and streams. The bowl of water used to descry the message oracles by the Priestess was taken from the pool of Castalia. One can hardly not sit with parted thighs on a tripod, thus the Pythoness did sit with parted thighs as reported, but the oracles were not frenzied such as the Sibyl of Cumae. As a fundamental Christian, it is to be expected that Origen would have considered any spirit or God which entered the Pythoness to be evil. Socrates, who lived at a time prior to Christianity, spoke about prophecy and madness, looking upon it as a blessing, and not a bad thing like Origen. "but there is also a madness which is a divine gift, and the source of the chiefest blessings granted to men. For prophecy is a madness, and the prophetess at Delphi and the priestesses at Dodona when out of their senses have conferred great benefits on Hellas, both in public and private life, but when in their senses few or none." (Phaedrus, 243) As an experienced meditator, I can assure readers that being out of one's senses does not mean that one is "plunged" into a state of frenzy. As a matter of fact, the opposite is true of anyone who does this type of work.  The exception would be people who practice VooDoo dancing where the criteria is to do a frenzied dance which takes the practitioner out of their physical mentality into another state of consciousness. Ancient paintings of the Pythoness priestess show her seated on her tripod with a laurel sprig in her right hand and a bowl of water in her left.  Scrying in a bowl of water cannot be done unless the water is absolutely still. Origen is a classic example of the fundamental Christian ignorance which prevailed in the early days of that religion and which continues to modern times.  These  beliefs had nothing to do with what Jesus Christ taught, but that which some of the Apostles were teaching to further their own teachings and careers.  We must note here that not all the Apostles taught the same thing.  Jesus brother James is not considered a fundamental Christian. In fact, he started the Gnostic Christian church which was practically annihilated in the early days and had to fight to stay alive over the years. The Gnostic beliefs are coming into a resurgence in modern times, is a good thing.  Without going into another topic altogether and getting sidetracked, many terrible things have been done over the centuries in the name Christianity that Jesus Christ walking the earth never taught. This brings up the topic, however, of what kind of trance the Delphi Oracle was in when she was giving messages, and this has been greatly debated.  Possession by supernatural entities is a nearly universal theme, though mostly on the margins in the great religions as few events have been documented in a largely illiterate population in history. More modern Western medicine redefines hostile possession as psychological disorders, but it is worth noting exorcists have better cure rates than psychotherapy until the introduction of reliable psychotropic drugs. Historical documents such as the some books of the Bible are based on contact by supernatural entities which were called God, Lord, angels, demons, dreams, and visions. Even though the Bible names these entities as angels or Lord, does not in fact make that true. It is noteworthy here to state that the events as described as being from Yahweh or Lord are different. In one case, the bad pronouncements were stated as being from Yahweh and those that were good were stated as being from 'The Lord'. If Yahweh and the Lord are the same deity, why the differentiation? What is called possession comes in many shades. The most useful distinction is whether the spirits have 'names' that one can research or know the history of. Possession by spirits that do not have 'names, such as - Christian demons, Islamic jinn, the nymphs of classical myth or the animas of the Lodges - look much like mental illness. Spirits like the Muses or the Voodoo loas are more like true deities. There are also Roman genius and lares, or Yoruba orishas. Most religions have 'named' deities or entities one can communicate with and there are many writings on these individual deities and entities. Inspiration which is literally the breathing in of the spirit is another traditional way of communication, in which the possession is by an almost abstract concept. Whether this can be called possession is a question I would raise with so-called experts. The unnamed forms of this kind of communication, which are usually positive are more like virtues (e.g. creativity). The kabbalistic sefiroth as aspects of the godhead are perhaps the best example of historical inspiration, and the classical Muses also show some of this character. Of course they easily acquire myths and personalities - as the sefiroth have become specific angels to help explain the concept. Mystery cults which involve 'divine' possession which causes what we would call insane behavior - as in Panic (possession by the god Pan), the Maenads (possessed by Dionysus) or the priests of Attis (known for castrating themselves during the ecstasy) would more likely be called 'true possession'. People who exhibit these kinds of behaviors are normally treated with drugs or hospitalized in modern times. Deities which are more inspirational such as the oracles of Apollo, the Muses, or Hermes the Wise Serpent, and some - the theolepsy of Eros or possession by the Christian Holy Spirit, fall somewhere in between. These types of communications are found within the confines of churches, temples, and religions of various kinds. This is not to say that we don't find people who must be treated with medicines and hospitalized who claim to be communicating with God, and behave in ways that are destructive.  One must always look at the results of the communication to know whether true communication or mental illness is involved in these cases. In the most extreme form of possession, which is extremely rare, the deity becomes indistinguishable from the possessed. We have examples of Divine kingship and incarnate priesthoods in historical writings that describe these cases. Christ's incarnation, the avatars of some Hindu deities, and the serial reincarnations of Tibetan lamas or other Buddhist bodhisattvas can be seen in this light.  One cannot, just make a claim such as this, one must prove it beyond all doubt, with external examples such as miracles.  Just because one tells you this is true, does not make it true. Possession usually involves personality changes, which in long term communicative relationships may endure even when not under the direct influence of the spirit. Some negative powers also demand vows or duties which appear similar - e.g. when a maltheistic power requires killing of other humans or other equally disturbing events. Spirits using someone else's voice can sound different from the possessed individual, sometimes this is a change in accents, but in others it is a dramatic change almost indistinguishable from the original voice of the spirit. Possessions can also produce changes in appearance; changes in facial muscle tensions can make most people look younger or older, haggard or alert or strange looking. There are over 100 modern examples of this in the United States alone, and many in other countries. Examples I am familiar with myself would be Jane Roberts with Seth, Esther Hicks with Abraham, and J.Z. Knight with Ramtha, Elizabeth Clare Prophet and Kevin Ryerson. Channeling is relatively easily done, to enter a trance and allow spirits to speak through you. During the trance any spirit in the area can take limited possession of your body and use it to speak or write messages. The channel is usually unaware of what is happening while he is possessed and does not know what the spirit said, though this is not always the case. Modern exploration of the cavern at Delphi show no mineral traces which could have been caused by escaping fumes. There are records of the many questions asked through the oracle; they require more then a simple "yes" or "no" answers. Many of the answers have survived as well, and none are gibberish, but are articulate, though frequently couched in ambiguous terms. The Pythoness priestess, never spoke directly to the person asking the question, but was interpreted by the priest of Apollo was always placed between the pythoness and the people. In my personal experience, this is usually the case as well.  Dreams, visions, and voices are generally given in allegory or just clues like puzzle pieces and I am expected to study what is given, research the information, read the current news, or even study historical events to find the truth of matter such as what I am doing on this page. The scholar Robert Graves states that the "Goddess Daphoene [also Daphonesissa [the bloody one] was worshiped by a college of orgiastic laurel-chewing Maenads" and that "Apollo took over the laurel which, afterwards, only the Pythoness might chew". Some species of the Laurel are mildly poisonous in small amounts--lethal in larger dosages--and when made into a decoction (boiled) of honey-wine, it has been know to produce prophetic hallucinations at the places of oracle. Mountain Laurel (Mescalbean) - This plant has fragrant purple flowers in spring. Its red seeds, which are extremely toxic, have been used in jewelry, ornaments, and trade. They were once used as a hallucinogen by Texas Indians for ritual purposes. In early history, there were the Minoans, from the island of Crete, who ruled over a much larger Aegean area. From the original myth the Minoans were ruled by Minos at Knossos. Minos ruled over the entire area and demanded that seven young boys and girls from each area of Greece take part in the "bull dance," which was a sacrifice to the Minotaur, a monster that was part bull, part man, and kept in a labyrinth under the palace at Knossos. Even though Minos expected this from his people the Minoans were a peaceful people, Knossos did not even have walls around it. According to legend, Theseus, one of the first kings of Athens, went to Knossos with these hostages and helped keep them alive until he was forced to take on the Minotaur personally. Theseus ventured into the labyrinth with a string and defeated the Minotaur and escaped to return and conquer Crete, until all civilization was wiped out. Today in Greece and on the island of Crete festivals of bull sacrifice and bull fighting are believed to be direct descendants of these practices.

THE BLEEDING HEART OF JESUS - THE CONNECTION TO PISCES 

Sirius - The Dogstar - The Lost and Missing Star

THE BARKED TREE  - A PROPHECY OF JOEL

THE 7 SISTERS OF THE PLEIADES

The Pleiades and the Seventh Ray on the Seventh Day

ASTRONOMY - SIGNS IN THE SKY

Sacred Geometry and the Stories of Jesus

The Sun Behind the Sun

Sirius-The Sun Behind the Sun

Delphi Resources and Mythology

Music Playing is "Another Orion" by Fujii Fumiya