The Isolation of the Oracle: Shifting Cultural Perspectives on Intuitive Gifts
Last month, I listened to an episode of mythologist Joshua Schrei’s podcast, The Emerald, that resonated deeply with me. I’ve previously written about the perception of intuitive gifts in today’s society, particularly the othering and isolating feeling that can come from embracing those gifts within ourselves.
What I found especially interesting about this episode, however, was how it explored the way that western, predominantly white societies arrived at the point where we currently sit – where the intuitive is, at the same time, pathologized and commodified. In Joshua’s words: “what happens when the seer is ripped from the ecology in which they traditionally lived?”
In times past, when psychic capacities started to appear, we apprenticed with the shaman, curandera/o, witch, psychic, etc. in our community. They helped us understand the sacredness of our gifts and to use them with integrity. It was a calling and we knew it was ours to do, even if we avoided it. Now, we have to do a lot more work to even realize what’s happening, much less to find a mentor or teacher that we can trust.
The Intuitive Roots We’ve Lost
I had a chance to connect with such a space in my own lineage this past summer when I traveled to Greece. My dear client-turned-friend Mira Karakitsou was my guide at the Temple of Apollo at Delphi (home to the Pythia, or the Oracle of Delphi – a prophetess of my own spiritual ancestry), and the city of Eleusis (the site of the Eleusinian Mysteries – shamanic, spiritual, and healing rituals associated with the goddesses Eileithyia, Demeter, and Persephone dating back to pre-Grecian times).
While the Pythia resonated with me more personally, there was a certain comfort in what Mira explained to me at Eleusis. The energy at the Temple of Apollo felt muted to us – like the energy was not as available as it once was. At Eleusis, we felt the distance between the present and the original practice of these rites, yet the rites themselves had endured. They began as pre-Greek (pagan, really) and not only persisted, but blossomed well into Roman times. While they have morphed into different kinds of rites and rituals, it’s incredibly affirming to know that these kinds of shamanic, spiritual, healing rituals have stayed with us through the centuries even as many aspects of our culture have moved away from them.
Still, there has been a movement to ostracize the oracle in western, white-dominated cultures – while at the same time, psychic abilities have become wildly commodified. Even those who are uncomfortable with this commodification find themselves playing a part in it… myself included! It’s not lost on me that I have made a living with my psychic and healing gifts. The rigidity of western capitalist empire has required us to find some way of making a living, no matter how much we’re able to push against these power structures in the work that we do and the values we impart. A bonafide career (albeit part-time) as a psychic medium, energy healer, and intuitive coach has been mine.
Where The Oracle Remains
One place the episode focused on was Brazil, a place with incredibly rich, diverse spiritual lineages. They’re syncretic, rooted in a blend of indigenous South American, African, and even colonial European cultures. These traditions heavily emphasize direct communication with spirit. As one of Schrei’s guests points out, you’d be hard pressed to find a town or city in Brazil that doesn’t have some sort of shamanic healer, oracle, or medium. Spirit possession is a part of daily life; as normal as making a cup of coffee in the morning.
And it’s not as if these traditions never existed in Europe, or that they don’t exist at all today. Pre-colonial Celtic traditions were rich in dream-work and nature worship. The indigenous Sámi people still fight to maintain their connection to their own spiritual practices.
This all to say, the idea of prophecy, pre-cognition, and oracular vision being considered “extraordinary” is relatively new, even in the west. So why is there such a disconnect?
In America, we’ve seen the natural human inclination towards exploring the liminal and the lessons of the past being repressed in favor of “moving on” to the next profit-driven task. We become increasingly isolated from our inner Knowing, and one another – often seeing the portents that do break through as individual oddities to be ridiculed and feared, rather than ancestral knowledge: a communal well of learning, foresight, and healing across generations.
What Can We Learn?
While this episode of The Emerald made me feel a sense of despair for what has become of spiritual human tradition in the modern day, it also served as a reminder that this is all relatively new. A connection to spirit has existed as long as we have, and it will endure long past the end of capitalist society if we protect it. I feel inspired to continue to serve in this role – to help others embrace their inherent gifts as conduits for the liminal, and to reframe intuition as a deeply human experience.
Towards the end of the episode, Schrei quotes the philosopher Jean Pouillon: “Only the non-believer believes that what the believer does is believing.” And if that doesn’t sum things up – I don’t know what will!
If you’re seeking support as you step into alignment with your psychic gifts or life path, I’m here to help. Get in touch if you’re ready to embrace the Knowing that has lived within us all for time immemorial.
