The Oracle of Dodona

"[Pain] removes the veil; it plants the flag of truth within the fortress of a rebel soul."

C.S. Lewis

There are times in life when we know why we suffer. It is clear that we do or did something wrong and we have to pay the consequence for it.

Sometimes, however, when being in pain (both physical and mental) the natural question is, "why?"...

A lot of times, the main reason that we suffer is because of our rebel souls, when we are unable, unwilling or unequipped to recognize the truths that we encounter.

It is because our hearts are not submitted to cosmic wholeness.

Then, a flag of truth needs to be planted in our hearts.

And the cosmos plants these flags all the time, if you are open to seeing them.

More often than not, we need help to see and interpret these guiding signs, to break through the veil, because on our own we stay lost in our pain, confusion or fear.

Dreams, stories, art or deep meditation, for example, offer powerful paths to increased self-awareness, for our deepest imagery contains within it the unfiltered truth about how to proceed or find solace.

On the deepest level, we are aware that we already embody our own answers, but find it difficult or (in acute pain) even impossible to accept what our soul already knows.

This becomes easier when - with or without help from others - you learn to allow yourself to trust serendipitous manifestations of insight and guidance.

While in touch with the cosmos, in the stillness of your meditation, daydream, rapture or slumber, we can learn to read and interpret these valuable cosmic signs. We can learn to listen to what they tell us. Pay close attention to how they make you feel. Heed what they reveal and learn who you are and who you wish to be.

Before our rational modern age it was perfectly normal to seek help in learning to listen to cosmic wholeness, for example by attending rituals or visit oracles.

And for me, trees have been very helpful in this, my whole life.

That is why my favorite oracle from ancient times is that of Dodona.

People accepted that the sacred trees of the Greek site of Dodona could actually speak, guide and sometimes even issue prophecies.

During classical antiquity, according to various accounts, priestesses and priests in the sacred Dodona grove interpreted the rustling of trees (oak or beech) leaves to determine the correct actions to be taken, messages to heed and inner truths to be accepted. According to a new interpretation, the oracular sound originated from bronze objects hanging from oak branches and sounded with the wind blowing, similar to a wind chime.

According to Nicholas Hammond, Dodona was an oracle originally devoted to a Mother Goddess (identified at other sites with Rhea, Gaia, or Dione) who was later joined and partly supplanted in historical times by the Greek deity Zeus.

The site was ancient even when the first generation of Olympians were born. The priests of Dodona would take every imaginable care of the trees and channeled the trees' voices. Given proper care, the trees could divine the future, and help people manifest inner truths.

Interestingly, the Grove of Dodona was unique in that it had no connection with Apollo, the God of Prophecy, since the trees' powers emanated from Rhea instead.

Like people in pain, without proper care, though, the voices of the trees would become unfocused and disharmonious, and the grove itself would eventually drive mortals to madness. It must be noted, though, that Rhea had planted Dodona to serve as a benevolent force, and Apollo confirmed that it had indeed helped heroes in the past: for example, the masthead of the original Argo, which could speak to the Argonauts and give them guidance in their search, was carved from a branch cultivated from one of the sacred trees in Dodona.

When I am in nature and listen to trees I always recognize that something is being communicated.

Most of the time my consciousness is in the way of hearing deep clear messages, but sometimes I am able to truly listen and guidance is given.

But, no matter if the messages shared are loud and clear, or more ambiguous...listening to trees always soothes whatever pain troubles me...