Alien Space Gods Of Ancient Greece and Rome (2 page)

Stopping to catch our breath from time to time as we trudged up the ancient steep cobblestones that lead to the temple where the Oracle of Delphi prophesied, it was almost as if we had disembarked from a time machine. The scene before us hearkened back to the magnificent era of Greek gods and goddesses. Stone pillars reached toward the heavens, while a large, outdoor amphitheater seemed to come alive with the specters of the past, ghosts who had congregated to reveal secrets hidden from a modern, materialistic world less concerned with the spiritual nature of the cosmos.

We were 100 miles from the traffic-snarled, smog-drenched capital of
Athens
, and had soon come to realize that those who live in the Greek highlands to the northeast are more accustomed to the simpler life, as they have lived for thousands of years. They rise at dawn to feed the livestock and labor over olive and lemon groves that provide them with a stable income. Their homemade cheeses are as legendary as Apollo and Zeus - to that we can personally testify.

As a student of ancient mysteries, I have long wanted to visit
Delphi
to search out the truth about the mysteries of the female oracle who is said to have forecast the future and is probably more famous than even Nostradamus, thought the oracle's accuracy rate and method of scrying are in wide dispute.

Recently, an opportunity presented itself, and so I packed and was off and hiking in
Greece
. I was fortunate to be accompanied on this mind- opening excursion by a psychic friend who happens to be of partial Greek origin. Penny Melis is a gifted seeress who is enchanted by the mystical nature of her ancestral homeland and thinks she might possibly be psychically linked to the Oracle.

Before arriving in
Greece
, Penny spent hours drilling me about what we were going to see. She explained that
Delphi
was actually the original shrine built for the god Apollo and that it rests on the side of
Mount
Parnassus
. In the valley directly below there are many groves, caves and ravines sacred to the gods of antiquity.

When The Gods Mingled With Humans

This was hallowed ground indeed, reserved for both Apollo and the nine daughters of Zeus. This is where they came down from the sky and took on physical form. Yet the chief mountain place of worship was the Delphic shrine. It was here that the most famous oracle of ancient times presided and prophesied.

It is here at the
Temple
of
Apollo
that the nine daughters of Zeus are said to have come down from the sky and taken physical form while the Oracle went into a trance nearby and began to delivery prophecies for individuals who would wait in line for hours for a personal reading. To Penny, whose father is Greek, the stories told to her as a child seemed more real than mythological fantasies. She explained that to many living in this part of
Greece
, the gods are not imaginary beings, but survive on a higher plane of reality, still accessible to those who acknowledge their awesome powers.

"Greek mythology speaks to a time when the gods came down and defeated the elders of the earth," Penny explained as we stood overlooking the
Temple
of
Delphi
. So busy was I videotaping the surroundings for a forthcoming motion picture that it was all that my companion could do to gain my undivided attention. With a hint of irritation, Penny continued with the lineal history of the gods, revealing that, while Apollo was still a baby, he seized control of
Parnassus
by slaying Python, the dragon-snake that had ruled the territory. Following this conquest, Apollo shape-shifted into the form of a dolphin that swam out to sea where he captured a group of sailors who became the first priests at
Delphi
.

In this same area, near the ruins of
Delphi
, around the
Corycian
Cave
, was a place held sacred by Pan. It is said that each November pagan rituals were conducted there that attracted many who indulged in drinking and sexual rites.

It is said that the gods felt much closer to earth at that time, establishing themselves not only atop
Mount
Olympus
but at other sacred sites as well.

"Pan is depicted in art as a being who is half-man, half-woodland creature who has horns," Penny said. "This image was adopted by the early Christians, who tried to portray him as their devil. A pretty deceptive ploy, I would say!"

Later, as we continued our strenuous hike up the toward the place where the oracle prophesied, we stood in the amphitheater at
Delphi
, located directly above the
Temple
of
Apollo
. Looking all around, we couldn't help but become emotionally charged by the historical significance of the treasured place. The theater was constructed in the second century B.C.E., and rebuilt several times. Consisting of 35 rows of seats and holding about 5,000 spectators, the amphitheater was used for recitals in honor of Apollo and Dionysus.

Mystical Moments

Finally, we reached the main temple, known as the temenos, or "sacred space." Here we rested before forging ahead in our vision quest. Penny seized the moment to fill me in on her childhood realization that she was somehow different from her playmates. At age seven, she began to experience strange forms of knowing, such as who would be on the other end of the line before the phone rang. More recently, she revealed, something was happening that was disturbing - she had begun to see friends who had passed away, and they were even speaking to her and making predictions that were eerily coming true. In light of the many strange psychic experiences she was continually having, she had come to think of herself as a witch.

Before arriving at
Delphi
, we had visited
Pompeii
, where the victims of the Vesuvius volcanic eruption on
August 24, A.D. 79
, had been frozen instantly, their bodies encased in hardening lava when the mountain exploded and spewed a hurricane of ash far and wide. Penny told me that she had experienced some of the pain and utter shock of the residents of
Pompeii
, who had also suffered an earthquake as well as the death by molten lava and ash that had rained down from the sky.

"At
Pompeii
," Penny told me, "there are homeless dogs that wander the grounds, attaching themselves to the tourists who visit there. One dog followed me around. I had the feeling that it was trying to lead me to the different areas of importance. Perhaps these strays contained the souls of those who had perished there eons back."

Strange as this might seem, this phenomenon was not just that of a psychic "bubbling over," as the dogs were indeed all over the place. Furthermore, in
Delphi
, we were followed by cats that have made the ruins their home. Penny thinks these felines may have been attracted to the spot because of its high spiritual energies.

Penny noted that this was not the only time she had visited
Delphi
.

"On the first occasion, I came with my mother and brother, and it wasn't as powerful an experience then. But now that I have been drawn back as an adult, I can almost see people carrying out the religious rituals that they practiced here."

Penny says there were many violent practices associated with the time - even human sacrifices, though this has been downplayed and even denied. Most of the offerings were in the nature of precious gold and silver, and as many as 3,000 beasts were given up to the gods at one festival alone. No one can dispute that there was an official of the temple known as the "sacred executioner," who wielded a deadly sharp sword as he saw fit, taking the lives of some willing and certainly some unwilling victims as the gods had instructed him.

At one point, Penny looked down at her feet, as though she were trying to force the sadistic ghostly figures from her thoughts.

The remains of marvelous Greek and Roman architecture still exists throughout the region serving as a reminder that the greatest sculptures' lived thousands of years ago influencing art for a millennial.

"I'm feeling a strong pain in my head," she said, rubbing her brow. "I feel like someone is inside me here. I can feel the energies that were once here. At times, it's actually a good feeling. There's more of a religious well-being that was here, as opposed to
Pompeii
, where there was a lot of pain and anguish."

Vapors At
Delphi

Historians agree that there was actually more than one prophetess at
Delphi
who acted like a medium or channel would. Actually, the oracle did not predict the future herself, but passed on the information she received while in a trance to one of the high priests who presided over the gathering, which attracted the high and the mighty of Greek society as well as lower class members. To most, the oracle seemed to be speaking in indecipherable rhythms. She usually began her discourse with utterings such as: "I know the number of the sand; I know the measure of the sea."

And then she would improvise from there, often speaking in unknown tongues that only her priestly handlers could comprehend. Crowds would gather to ask questions, and they were most likely to receive a Yes or No answer.

Spiritual channeler arid clairvoyant Penny Melis says she can say with certainty that
Delphi
remains highly charged with psychic vibrations from the past.