Journey through Dodonaean Truth

Journey through Dodonaean Truth

”nosce te ipsum” – “Know thyself"

I close my eyes.

All the world is suddenly brought to a screeching halt, and my soul merges at once with the surrounding earth. At this moment, like never before, I can hear the slow and steady heartbeat of Mother Earth. Dozens of oak and beech shadows dance across the ground as Apollo’s fading rays shine down from the heavens.

Peace. At long last, I am at peace. My troubled spirit is healed by the soothing power of Earth’s embrace. Her warmth and love radiate through the grove; it is as though the rest of the world is no more. Silence is all that remains.

Jupiter whispers through the trees, asking why I have come to see him, what I want to know. I purse my lips, but in doing so, my focus on peace is shifted. After all, one who moves to produce words or actions in the name of his own peace disturbs the natural order at the same time. With my eyes tightly closed, I can see all that was ever meant to be seen: time and space move freely across my line of vision. I see stars and nebulas, clouds and birds, trees and flowers, men and animals. And inside each of these things, there lies the undisputed truth, the underlying principle: existence is eternal. Once a being becomes, it can never be completely undone.

I pose my question to the powers above, that almighty Jupiter may hear my fervent request. My thoughts and prayers soar up from the grove and float along on the gentle breezes. Is love as necessary to life as is often thought? Could it be that love is the reason behind the innate human weakness: eternal dependence? Surely there must be some way to pass through this life without some sort of love. Affection is a double-edged sword. On one hand, the passion of love is a gift from the gods, granted to us only that we might become something much greater than would be possible alone. On the other, the power of love is corruptive and surreptitious. It slithers into life, and before the victim notices shining scales around his throat, it is too late for escape. Love, disguised as a gift of pleasure, is nothing but a conniving traitor, seeking to bring about mutual dependence between two lovers. That dependence tests, time and again, the strength of the relationship between the two until the desires and needs of the one outweigh those of the other. At that crucial instant, the power of love grows too frail to maintain its grasp on the helpless victims involved, and the bond between them snaps. Many have died at the hand of that scheming serpent’s fangs. I cannot afford such a cursed fate to invade my life.

My heart beats steadily alongside Mother’s as those soft Jovian words tickle the leaves over my head. Oak whispers a message from Delphi, “Know thyself, and thou shalt know all the mysteries of the gods and of the universe.” Beech bends to my ear, “Guard thyself, and thou shalt never be harmed, though thou knowest not happiness in life or death.” As quiet responses return to my unanswered prayers and winds fade from the grove, all is once again silent. Deep inside the chasms of my feeble mind, I try to process the Father’s words, but his knowledge is far beyond my grasp. Though I understand what he says, I cannot fathom his true meaning.

Alas, I stand to my feet once again, no wiser than when I arrived. Mother’s heartbeat fades from my senses, and my soul returns to the chaos it has always known. My inner vision grows blurry, and the universe closes his book of secrets so that I cannot see its texts any longer. My spirit struggles with itself to maintain its composure. I know not if love shall ever creep into my life so long as it lasts, but if it does, I shall not resist with my shield. Instead, I shall face the future and whatever it holds with my sword at the ready. I sigh as Apollo’s chariot flies over to replace the guiding moonlight with fingertips of rose.

I open my eyes.

Here I am back in reality surrounded by a grove of ancient trees said to tell Jupiter’s words to their seeker. Such infinite knowledge is worthless in this age, and so I move on and continue my aimless quest for truth.

And in the distance, I hear the vicious roar of cruel and heartless chainsaws coming to claim the Oracle.

“Sic transit Gloria mundi.” – “So goes the glory of the world.”