Know Thyself

[taijasi]

Inscribed in gold letters over the portico of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi, the following precept:

"Know thyself - and thou shall know all the mysteries of the gods and of the universe." (γνῶθι σεαυτόν - gnothi seauton)

OM TAT SAT

[Saltmeister]

lol welcome back taijasi

haven't seen you around here in ages

[taijasi]

Thank you, Saltmeister.

I've scarcely been here in ages.

[seattlegal]

[taijasi]

[gp1628]

And the computer guru says "Google thyself". And a student asked "but why master?". It was then we were told "For to google thyself is to know thyself, and to see thyself as others see you". It is a wise wisdom. Buy it. Wear it. Give it to others.
Google thyself : Odd Thotz : CafePress.com

Sorry. It seemed like a good place to bring up what might be a modern version of that.
by the way, as a NetCop its also serious advice.

[China Cat Sunflower]

Welcome back Andrew!

Chris

[flowperson]

Hi Taijasi, so good to see you stopping by again. We've missed you.

Of course you know that the old crone oracle at Delphi sat on a three legged stool over a crack in the ground out of which floated hallucinogenic gasses which intoxicated her in such ways to give futuristic oracles. OTOH, that's kinds how Jerry Garcia and his merry band issued futuristic oracles in the 60's and 70's, only they employed electric kool aid as their hallucinogenic substance.

flow....

[Paladin]

Andrew! So good to see you!

"If I knew myself, I would run away..."


-Goethe

[Ciel]

Welcome back Taijasi

Peace - c -

[bgruagach]

Originally Posted by flowperson

Hi Taijasi, so good to see you stopping by again. We've missed you.

Of course you know that the old crone oracle at Delphi sat on a three legged stool over a crack in the ground out of which floated hallucinogenic gasses which intoxicated her in such ways to give futuristic oracles. OTOH, that's kinds how Jerry Garcia and his merry band issued futuristic oracles in the 60's and 70's, only they employed electric kool aid as their hallucinogenic substance.

flow....

I hadn't heard that the Delphic Oracle ladies were particularly old... The article about the Pythia at wikipedia mentions that she could be rich or poor, old or young, educated or not.

On the topic of "know thyself" I'm reminded of the Emerald Tablet of Hermes. There are a number of translations of it at Sacred-texts.com. It's the source of the microcosm-macrocosm idea which to me is the essence of "know thyself."

[flowperson]

Bgruagach...Yeah I was just going for visual convention on the old crone bit. Priestesses in ancient times were usually, as a rule, mid age from the accounts I've read. OTOH , sitting on a three legged stool above a vent from which noxious gasses continuously issue would likely "prune" you up pretty well after a few years.

I definitely agree on the significance and importance of the Emerald Tablet. I've done a fair bit of reading on the roots of alchemy, and all paths, in a western context, eventually and philosophically lead back to the Emerald Tablet. However there also historical references to the practice of alchemy in ancient India and China. This all usually also was associated with metal refinement and working skills.

flow....

[taijasi]

Greetings, all. I would respectfully submit two links, Symbolic Prints and Classical Myth 2 (both from Manly Hall's organization, the Philosophical Research Society), for further consideration of the Delphic Oracle. You'll need to scroll down or search, in order to find the image & description in each case.

Thanks for the link to the article on the Pythia at Wiki, Ben.


For comparison, especially for Flow, Ben et al, please take a look at the Wiki article on the Nechung Oracle (State Oracle of Tibet, pre-Chinese communist invasion). I think the similarities are considerable, especially given this line from the Wiki article on the Pythia:

"It is often said that the Pythia delivered oracles in a frenzied state induced by vapors rising from the ground, and that she spoke gibberish which priests reshaped into the enigmatic prophecies preserved in Greek literature."

Those at C-R familiar with the tradition of the Nechung Oracle (Dorje Drakden) might be able to say something about what's going on - "behind the scenes" - in each case. For my own homework, I've got to get out Manly Hall's Secret Teachings of All Ages, and look carefully at the chapter on ancient oracles ...

And good to see you again too, Chris, Paladin, Ciel, et al.

Peace,

~andrew

[flowperson]

Hey, let's all go find a noxious vent and breathe deeply .

flow....

[seattlegal]

Originally Posted by flowperson

Hey, let's all go find a noxious vent and breathe deeply .

flow....

*O, I must exert self-control and not push that button, and make some wise-assed crack remark about huffin' methane*
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{Oh, Pooh! I just did...}