This is maxim number Fifty-Six, often translated into English as "Down-look on No-One" and it carries the message that we should all stop ourselves before we think we are better than someone else. If someone has fallen on hard times, we should understand that life is uncertain and it could have been us that had … Continue reading Look Down on No One (Υφορω μηδενα)
Give a Timely Counsel (Βουλεύου χρόνῳ)
One way to understand this Delphic Maxim is to consider he bias of hindsight: we all have a tendency to perceive the past as having been easily predictable. Saying to someone after the fact, "I knew it was going to happen all along" is not giving them good advice. Timeliness then is the key. If … Continue reading Give a Timely Counsel (Βουλεύου χρόνῳ)
Finish the race without shrinking back (Πέρας ἐπιτέλει μὴ ἀποδειλιῶν)
This Delphic Maxim advises us to do our best. Apollo was a patron of excellence. A race, or indeed any competition, is where we must commit to winning. Even if we do not win, we have both honored the spirit of the race, but we have also learned something about ourselves and how we can … Continue reading Finish the race without shrinking back (Πέρας ἐπιτέλει μὴ ἀποδειλιῶν)
Accept Old Age (Γῆρας προσδέχου)
This Delphic Maxim is all about embracing our coming status as elders. Here are some ideas to keep in mind to make our final years truly golden: Reject the Culture of Youth: Do not hold on to the façades of being young. Have fun, have friends, have sex, but do so from the perspective of … Continue reading Accept Old Age (Γῆρας προσδέχου)
Pray for Happiness (Εὐτυχίαν εὔχου)
Simply, we should seek happiness as a general wish instead of showing up with a shopping list of desires that may or may not leads us joy. Put your faith in the Gods, the Universe, the Process. Enjoy yourself and ask for simple things.
Intend to Get Married (Γαμεῖν μέλλε)
The Ancient Greeks had a very different conception of marriage than we do. Roughly speaking, social responsibility was more important than our modern notions of love. So, at the risk of being accused of taking this maxim out of context, I would like to imagine what Apollo would mean by this today. Marriage, in its … Continue reading Intend to Get Married (Γαμεῖν μέλλε)
Grieve for No One (Μὴ ἐπὶ παντὶ λυποῦ)
Today's maxim seems a bit harsh. Then again, when was Apollo ever known to sugar coat things? The modern takeaway here is the trap of using grief as an emotional crutch or manipulation tactic. Sadness and grief are natural and are emotional responses we all know from the breakup of a relationship, drifting away from … Continue reading Grieve for No One (Μὴ ἐπὶ παντὶ λυποῦ)
Obey The Law (Νομω πειθου)
Today's Delphic Maxim, #2 after "Follow God," is certainly something we have all been thinking about and discussing both publicly and privately following the death of Tyre Nichols at the hands of police officers and other public safety officials in Memphis, Tennessee. Here in the United States, police officers, constables, sheriffs and the like are … Continue reading Obey The Law (Νομω πειθου)
Love Whom You Rear (Οὓς τρέφεις, ἀγάπα)
Today's Delphic Maxim seems at first glance to be the simple advice that a parent should love their children. But I think this advice is much broader than that: to rear also means to raise up like a building. It can apply to anything that starts small and grows: plants, children, livestock. Each of these … Continue reading Love Whom You Rear (Οὓς τρέφεις, ἀγάπα)
In the Shadow of Rx
Photo by zhugewala on Pexels.com I had taken a month's worth of cards from the Supra deck by UUSI and now I can't find them on my phone or in my files or anywhere... so even in the shadow of Mercury's recent retrograde motion, there is a reminder that we have to pay attention to … Continue reading In the Shadow of Rx
The Bear Oracle 