"Oracles: Prophecy, Divination, Portals" Dr Rietveld Zoom Talk-April 9, 8pm

History buffs and Anthropology enthusiasts, join us for professor Dr. James Rietveld's Zoom talk "Ancient Oracles: Sites of Prophecy, Divination and Portals of the Underworld: Greece, Rome, Asia Minor, Eurasia, Norse, Celtic" for Ipso Facto on Thursday, April 9, 8 pm.

Pay What You Wish. Sorry no refunds.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1984656385675
Ever since ancient times, humanity has sought to know the future, to decipher the events to come, in order to somehow make life more manageable, more secure, or to perchance control others with the threat of what was to come.

Many believed it was possible to decipher knowledge of the future from signs arriving from the natural world around them, believed as infused with supernatural energies, for example from reading the patterns of the stars above, in astrology; discerning the condition of the entrails of animals; observing the flight of birds; and, especially, the perceived direct human contact in a mystical way with the spirits and gods of the heavens and underworld, whether it be the biblical prophets or the Greek and Roman Pythia and Sibyl.

In connection to these prophecies, places of divination were designated as especially associated with these events, oracle sites that were often quite extensive in layout and elaborate in ritual, from the Oracle of Delphi in Greece and the Oracle of Dodona in Epirus to the oracles of Didyma and Claros in Asia Minor.

In many cases, the participant wishing to learn the future was led down deep tunnels into what they were told was the underworld to hear from the dead themselves about their fate or the fate of others, as in the case of the Oracle of the Dead at Baia in Italy and in the recently excavated Oracle of Hierapolis in Asia Minor.

Beyond the Greek and Roman world, oracles were important to everyone from the ancient Celts and Norse, to cultures throughout Eurasia and into the Americas, inclusive of India, Tibet, and China.

Follow us down deep mysterious tunnels and before the Phythian prophets, as we explore these ancient oracle sites along with ancient understandings of their significance. Because Dr. Rietveld has visited many of these sites himself, he will bring his own observations to this lecture, especially through the investigation of the archaeological discoveries made at these mystical convergence points.

This lecture will be posted on the Dr. James Rietveld Salon Lecture You Tube channel, where you can also watch previous lectures: dr.jamesrietveldsalonlectu2903

Dr. James Rietveld is a professor at CSU, Fullerton and Cal Poly Pomona, CA of History, Anthropology, Religion with a PHD from Claremont School of Religion, is author of two books, and can be seen on History channel's "Crazy Rich Ancients."

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

Get App

Host or Publisher IPSO FACTO