The road climbs and climbs, and then the mountain opens. Grey cliffs above, a valley of olive trees below falling all the way to the sea. Halfway between them, on a ledge of stone, broken columns stand in the sun.
The ancient Greeks believed this was the centre of the world.
Two eagles and a stone
The story goes that Zeus wanted to find the middle of the earth. He released two eagles from opposite ends of the world, and they flew towards each other at the same speed. They met above Delphi. To mark the spot, a stone was placed there: the omphalos, the navel of the world.
You can still see it. A simplified copy stands on the site where the original was found, beside a small sign that says, simply, "the navel". In the museum, a carved marble omphalos is wrapped in a stone net, perhaps recalling the woollen mesh that once covered the sacred stone.
Delphi, Greece: the sanctuary of Athena Pronaia from above, the Temple of Apollo, the Athenian Treasury, the omphalos on site and in the museum. Photos © Evi Michailidou
Know yourself
People came from all over the Greek world to ask the oracle questions: whether to marry, to travel, to go to war. Ancient writers say that before they reached her, they passed words carved at the temple, among them γνῶθι σεαυτόν, "know yourself", and μηδὲν ἄγαν, "nothing in excess".
Two thousand years later, they still sound like good advice for a Tuesday.
No temple was built by accident
In many traditions, sacred places were chosen for something felt as much as measured: a spring, a view, a stillness. At Delphi you understand it almost at once. The silence isn't empty. It has height.
A walking meditation through a temple
You don't need to be there. Close your eyes and walk.
- Imagine yourself at the foot of a sanctuary. Notice the warm beige stones, the dust under your feet, the murmur of other visitors, and behind it all, the quiet of centuries.
- Walk slowly. Notice the temperature, the colours, the smell of pine and hot stone.
- As you walk, imagine gathering light around you, a calm, protective light that settles into your body with each breath.
- Choose a spot and sit. Picture yourself there, perfectly still.
- Then let the picture change: you are sitting in the room you're in now. Feel the chair, the floor, your hands.
- Move one finger, then another. Open your eyes slowly.
If Greek myths speak to you, you may also like Kairos, the Greek idea of the right moment, or the nine Muses.
Delphi, on paper
The first issue of our magazine, "(meditating) On Art", travels to Delphi too. With "(letters) On Art", each seasonal issue arrives at your door, along with a letter and a postcard every month.
Remember to take as much time as you need, and meet me at the next one.
Love, Evi