POSEIDON

Poseidon has been one of the primary archetypes that has accompanied me on my spiritual journeys.  This statue sets on the roof of a building in Brugge, Belgium.  Poseidon, God of the Sea.

Temple to Poseidon on the Island of Tinos, Greece

One myth relates that Poseidon, protector of the island of Tinos, send a flock of storks to rid it of snakes.  Poseidon, was worshipped on Tinos as the “great doctor”. Due to the worship of Poseidon, Tinos became an important religious center, like the one at Delos and many pilgrims, after bathing and purifying themselves on Tinos continued on to Apollo’s island. The Poseidonia or Posideia were religious ceremonies conducted in honor of Poseidon in January and February,  Purification rituals seem to be Poseidon's domaine.

It was pleasant to find another visitor at this ancient site.

While visiting Tinos I attempted to visit the temple twice, but it was closed both times.  I was finally able to visit the temple the last day of my stay on the island.  On top of a set of steps (I believe ie was the foundation of the main temple bldg) I performed a ritual.  It was a ritual of purification and initiation.  I was blessed that day to receive a great gift from the god of the sea.

Neptune was originally a protector of Delphi

The Castalian Spring, it is located in a ravien just east of Delphi.  All, visitors to Delphi stopped to wash their hair or bather their entire bodies, in the case of those who had committed a horendous act such as murder, the priestesses of Delphi also cleansed and purified themselves at the spring.  Athletes cleansed and purified before the Pythian games and Roman poets also came to receive poetic inspiration. This is also where Apollo killed the monster Python, Studies of the water indicate that it has hallucinogenic properties.

This spring  once provided drinking and washing water for the priestesses who pronounced the oracles here. The spectres of three women are said to sometimes wander the area, which is now closed off to visitors - supposedly because of falling rocks. However, a channel filled with water running from the spring comes out to the pathway.

I found my way to this sping, on my last visit, by climbing over a brick wall.  Dragonflies and butterflies flitted about above the spring. 

Because Poseidon is known for being the father of many half monsters, I wonder at his being a protector of the Python and of the Pythia herself.  The Greek god that is associated with the worship of snakes is Apollo.

Temple at Eleusina, site of the Eleusinian Mystery School.  Poseidon was said to have led the initiates into the mystery school from the Erechthion on the Acropolis along the sacred way to the temple at Elefsina.

The cave pictured above is said to be the spot where Hades abducted Persephone into the underworld.

This is one of my favorite sites in Greece.  The home of the Eleusinian Mystery School.  The mystery intrigues me.  I can imagine myself as an initiate.

During the 3rd century B.C. The temple was rebuilt and extended and the worship of Amphitrite, wife of Poseidon, was inaugurated,  The fame of the island spread throughout Greece to Lower Italy and the coasts of Asia Minor and Africa. Indeed, certain cities recognized the right of inviolable asylum there for those being persecuted.

The energy of this site leavee its impression on this ancient tree.  I can see a portrait to Poseidon in its bark.

Poseidon is the god of horses.  I saw this cloud formation flying over the sea by the temple.  This winged horse and rider affirmed the power of the temple as a site of purification and ritual.

Ancient Greek religion was based on the notion that to avoid misfortune, one must constantly seek the favour of the relevant gods by prayers, gifts and sacrifices. In a maritime country like Greece, the god of the sea was bound to occupy a high position in the divine hierarchy. In power, Poseidon was considered second only to Zeus, the supreme god himself. His implacable wrath, manifested in the form of storms, was greatly feared by all mariners. In an age without mechanical power, storms very frequently resulted in shipwrecks and drownings. The temple at Cape Sounion was a temple where mariners, and also entire cities or states, could make sacrifices and leave gifts to Poseidon.

The temple at Delphi.  It was at this location, beneath the temple, that the Phthia, the oracle, received her messages for supplicants.

Carved into the temple were three phrases: γνῶθι σεαυτόν (gnōthi seautón = "know thyself") and μηδέν άγαν (mēdén ágan = "nothing in excess"), and Ἑγγύα πάρα δ'ἄτη (eggýa pára d'atē = "make a pledge and mischief is nigh").

The Erectheum was associated with some of the most ancient and holy relics of the Athenians: the Palladion, which was a xoanon (defined as a wooden effigy fallen from heaven) of Athena protectress of the City); the marks of Poseidon's trident and the salt water well (the "salt sea") that resulted from Poseidon's strike; and the sacred olive tree that sprouted when Athena struck the rock with her spear in her successful rivalry with Poseidon for the city. The temple itself was dedicated to Athena Polias and Poseidon Erechtheus. Within the foundations lived the sacred snake of the temple, which represented the spirit of Cecrops and whose well-being was thought essential for the safety of the city. The snake was fed honey-cakes by the priestesses of Athena.  The snake's occasional refusal to eat the cakes was thought a disastrous omen.

I found the site at Elefsina quite by accident as I was traveling from the Pelopponese to Athens.  I initally visited the site not knowing what I had found.  When I am in Greece I return to the site to explore and learn more about this ancient landscape and the Eleusinian mysteries.  The mystery associated with these secret rituals clings to the Earth at this site.  It is on the edge of the sea, hence another connection to the great god Poseidon. I have also felt a connection to Persephone for as long as I can remember. In reading Bolen's book "Goddesses in Every Woman," it was to Persephone that I felt a resonance.

The last time I visited the site I was on a spiritual pilgrimage.  I was heading for the island of Tinos the next day. I had been examining the cave and paying attention to the area around it and decided to do a meditation, I wanted to invite the gods and goddesses of Greece to be with me on my pilgrimage. From my study of Greek mythology I knew they can be a jealous lot so I was careful not to leave anybody out. When I opened by eyes I was immediately struck by the faces in the cave wall. How could I have missed them before? I welcomed the gods and goddesses as they accompanied me on my journey to the ilsands of Tinos and Delos and eventually to an initiation at the temple of Poseidon.