While planning my visit to this sacred site in Delphi, Greece, I set the intention to receive a sign from the famous Oracle at the Temple of Apollo. The deity of revelation and inspiration did not disappoint and sent me a good omen, without me being aware of it at the time.
Would you not do the same if you were going to visit the remains of the legendary sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi, Greece? Well, I did! I humbly requested a simple sign or personal omen from the god of light, truth and prophecy, while I was planning my visit to this ancient sacred space. I sensed several months before I undertook this pilgrimage that the place would not disappoint, but ultimately I received much more than I had anticipated. The famous oracle who communicated Apollo’s messages to the people, and the priests who interpreted them, no longer ply their trade at this once glorious place, but Apollo has certainly not abandoned his remarkable temple. He still answers the call of mortals here, despite the fact that most of us now live in a world devoid of the mystical and the miraculous. Yes, he certainly does. I have proof. At first I was somewhat disenchanted with this sacred site, but I nevertheless paid my respects to Apollo at the foot of his altar. I also paused for a while at the remains of the grand entrance to the temple, reminding him that the two of us had a date here with destiny. But nothing came to me. I even snooped around the entrance to Pythia's chamber, in the hope that the famous oracle woman would appear from the depths below to step out onto the Rock of Sybil in a trance.
The lord whose is the oracle at Delphi neither utters nor hides his meaning, but shows it by a sign. The Sibyl, with raving lips uttering things mirthless, unbedizened, and unperfumed, reaches over a thousand years with her voice, thanks to the god in her ~ Heraclitus
In this altered state of consciousness, possibly induced by the hallucinogenic gasses from below the temple foundation, she would utter mysterious, prophetic messages from Apollo himself. It is rumored that she predicted the fall of Troy. Surely she could manage a simple little sign from Apollo for me? Yet, the temple ruins remained as silent as the grave.
Maybe the Christians, who later turned a part of the site into a church, were successful in driving out the last remnants of the old religion with their Grecian crosses? They posted these crucifixes at the entrance to the sanctuary, possibly to dispel the evil and heresy of the site’s pagan past. They no longer had any need for the protection of the colossal Naxian sphinx, which used to guard this place from up high, on top of a marble column.
Unlike the clear call of Athena that I heard on the Acropolis in Athens, just a few days earlier, the sacred site of Apollo at Delphi remained shrouded in a mysterious, yet reassuring silence. But then Apollo surprised me with proof that the sacred force of Delphi remains. His presence here reaches as far back as many centuries BC; as far back as the time when he is believed to have dug the foundations of the first temple at Delphi himself.
Delphi did not shape the fate and direct the destiny of so many nations, kings and warriors by accident. This place is after all where Zeus, with the assistance of his two eagles, determined where the center of the world must be. The energy here has gathered over millennia. This is after all where the ancient Greek aphorism "Know Thyself" was inscribed in the forecourt of the temple, along with the other 147 Delphic maxims.
There is much magical power in these ruins, despite me being so slow on the uptake. The distractions caused by the unusual European summer heat, jet lag, and the chatter of babbling tour guides, seemed to be interfering with the radar of my sixth sense.
Eventually, I was going further up the slopes of Mount Parnassus, when I had a sudden intuitive urge to pause. Not to take a picture, as I normally might, but record a short video of myself with the temple behind me. This was unusual at the time. I am not at all fond of posing for photos, much less appearing on video or television. But Apollo insisted, so I obliged, and paused my trek up the incline.
I had never before used the video capture facility on my new smart phone, so it took me a while to figure it out. The heat was becoming unbearable. At last I managed to record a brief video of myself, just saying a few words about the temple at Delphi behind me. Then I walked on. I still did not realize what had actually occurred, or what the significance was of this seemingly mundane incident.
May the wings of the butterfly kiss the sun; and find your shoulder to light on; to bring you luck, happiness and riches… today, tomorrow and beyond ~ Irish Blessing
And then I discovered it: my own little miracle message courtesy of Apollo’s oracle! While waiting at the Delphi Museum, for the small tour group I had abandoned earlier, to catch up with me, I made an amazing discovery. I was scanning through the photos I took at the temple earlier, and came upon the video I recorded. I had already forgotten about it. I cringed for a moment at the prospect of seeing myself on the screen, but curiosity got the better of me, and I pressed play. A few seconds into the video... my jaw dropped. I was amazed and very surprised. There I was, mumbling a brief introduction about the temple and the oracle, while from nowhere a large black butterfly descended from above and came to rest on my shoulder! It remained there until the end of my unplanned monologue. Long after the video ended, I remained staring at the screen in bewilderment.
After I posted the video on Facebook, a friend pointed out to me that apart from the butterfly a second amazing thing happened at the end of the video. I never noticed it the first time around. The moment the butterfly leaves my shoulder, a man walks into view in the background… and proceeds to embrace a tree growing near the temple. This held a special, personal symbolism for me. Not only did Apollo answer my prayer for a sign, but he also made sure the moment would be captured for posterity. He made sure nobody would doubt the story of my encounter with him up on that mountain. Some may see it merely as a lucky accident or coincidence, but I see only the blessing of a spiritual sign in this synchronistic occurrence. Greece was my first stop in Europe. Butterflies came to me in every country and at every sacred site I subsequently visited.
In Celtic folklore the butterfly represents growth, personal expansion, transformation and rebirth. In Native American mysticism the butterfly was believed to be a messenger that would carry secret prayers and wishes to the Great Spirit. In ancient Rome, butterflies were found on coins, next to Juno, the goddess of weddings and marriage. And in Greek mythology Psyche, the Greek goddess of the soul, is represented by a butterfly.
What was the significance to me? Apollo knew that I was not only embarking on a physical journey, but that I had also entered a period of significant personal change in my life in recent months. He reminded me that I had all the spiritual support I needed to continue breaking out of the cocoon of the past with courage. I was on the cusp of a new way of life, and under the watchful eyes of the gods, I was preparing to embrace a new chapter in my human journey, while wrapping my arms around the ever-expanding tree of life.
© 2013 Anthon St Maarten
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Anthon St. Maarten is a psychic medium and destiny coach with a global clientele of thought leaders, business executives, celebrities, politicians, academics, and luminaries in the arts and sciences in more than thirty countries spanning five continents.
He is also a metaphysics teacher, psychic development coach, podcaster, and spiritual blogger. Anthon is a hereditary psychic medium in professional practice since 2004 and a liberal arts post-graduate with a major in psychology.
Anthon publishes the spiritual life design blog, The S Word, and is the author of Divine Living: The Essential Guide To Your True Destiny and The Sensible Psychic: A Leading-Edge Guide To True Psychic Perception.
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