The Pythia of Providence
“Tell the people that my hall has risen from the ashes. Phoebus reclaims his house, his mantic bay, and his prophetic spring; the sacred water flows forth.”
I am an oracle of Apollo.
For most of my life, I was extraordinarily reluctant to take on the title. Afterall, the word “Oracle” itself is a Roman word that is both somehow overused and misunderstood by the general public. I have been hiding from the true word, simply out of fear.
Has it been fear of rejection or —
Fear of being burnt at the stake for being a woman who speaks the truth.
I am beyond fortunate that I had the support and care of my community. I am forever thankful for the people along the way who listened to me, who taught me, who guided me.
So for a very overdue announcement - so that I am no longer hiding in the closet —
I have always been an oracle. I became a Pythia in the winter of 2022, after accepting the offer from Apollon and swearing several related oathes.
Countless confirmations have been done on my behalf with countless forms of divination. I make no claim that I am the only Pythia. I make no attempt to claim sole authority on the Gods. I make no demand that anyone listen to what I have to say. I make no pretense that I am perfect or infallible.
At the end of the day, this is a job. A sacred job, yes— and a job nevertheless. A role for which I have been trained and prepared. A role for which I certainly feel like I could use more training.
I have spent so much of my life terrified to be who I am. I have been afraid of proudly and publicly proclaiming who I am.
I realized today, in a stunning moment of grief and solidarity, that I am not the first woman to feel afraid of speaking openly about her gift. I am not the first woman to live in fear of herself and her abilities.
I am not the first woman to want to deny herself—
just to fit into modern society.
Today- I was reflecting on the irony of marching with the Temple of Dionysus in a Pride Parade later this month - in Salem, Massachusetts- while mortally afraid to come out of this particular broom closet. Seriously.
Sometimes the Gods have to make it ridiculously clear before I listen about myself.
A pride parade. Where I am hiding. Where I am not proud. Where I fear.
Literally behind the banner of Dionysus. Literally among our own people.
In the place known for the deaths of innocent women persecuted for the crime of speaking up. For the crime of the mere suspicion of oracular abilities. A constant reminder of a society terrified of oracles, of witches, of women.
People have asked me- why Providence? Why Rhode Island? The truth is that I feel safer here—in the place founded by religious refugees who fled to avoid persecution and literal witch hunts.
The place where our freedom of religion is carved deeply into the marble dome.
The Gods did not give oracles to the world in order to placate us. We are not here to tell the powerful that they are righteous. We are not here to win favor, influence, or applause.
We are here to serve the Gods.
To speak truth.
To guide.
To protect.
Oracles disrupt injustice.
The Gods will not be silenced.
Oracles have existed since the dawn of humanity-
and we are going to continue existing.
Recently someone asked me,
“So you just decided you were an oracle?”
No. That would have been nice.
I just reached a point in my life where I could no longer deny it.
And at the urging of my family, friends, and community,
I began to genuinely understand the gift—
& train my mind
so the weight of the prophetic voice of the God
doesn’t completely flatten me into a human pancake.
For the record, I don’t think it’s the gift that’s rare— but rather the investment in oneself to nurture and protect that connection to the divine— and the investment of the community to create an environment where an oracle can do more than survive. To create a world where an oracle can flourish.
I am an oracle of Apollo.
And it is only through the continued support of my community, that I am able to continue to exist as such.
It is with deep honor that I now proudly proclaim-
The Gods speak.
For my community, for those who respect the weight of this burden, for my friends and family- old and new- Thank you. I look forward to serving you.
For those who would act in jealously or seek to cause division and despair, for those who decide they can legally or socially outlaw our deeply held religious beliefs, for those to would have us fall to infighting, and for those who simply do not want to believe that the Gods should speak — I have just one thing to say.
"More weight."
- Alyx the Amused, Pythia of Providence
#templeofdionysus #apollo #providence #pythia #oracle #hellenicpolytheism #pagan #KnowThyself
