Finding the Lost City

 

May 13, 2005 (with picture)

 

http://cainer.com/ericfrancis/may13.html

 

Dear Readers:

 

Last week, I visited the Greek island of Delos, which is near Mykonos in the central Aegean Sea. Actually, I had no idea Delos was there; I thought I was going on my first-ever ordinary vacation to a place reputed for beaches and partying. This was a gift to myself for having worked 10 continuous years writing horoscope columns.

 

Shortly after arriving on Mykonos, a souvenir shop-keeper filled me in on what was right next door: a tiny island, 1,300 meters by 5 kilometers, that between the 7th century BC and the 1st century BC was the Mecca of the Greek world. There are ferries several times a day.

 

The place Delos holds in history began as the birthplace of the twins Apollo and Artemis, the gods of the Sun and Moon. Then it quickly became the place where thousands of pilgrims flocked seeking spiritual gifts, healing and an encounter with the gods. It evolved into a kind of spiritual city, with temples to numerous deities, and many tribes and religious sects living there.

 

As the centuries progressed, Delos became a major center of trade, and an even greater city grew up on the enormous wealth and prosperity this brought. Its vast marketplaces sold everything from corn to cloth to slaves. It is said to be Europe's first cosmopolitan center, with people from every country in the Mediterranean region and far beyond represented. Temples existed to most of the Greek gods, and many of the Middle East, including Egypt and Syria, as well as one of the earliest synagogues outside the mainland of Eurasia.

 

Marble stairs on one part of the city are worn some five centimeters deep, so many millions of people passed through over the many decades this island flourished as a society and destination point.

 

Twice during the first century BC, it was invaded, and the second invasion brought the society to a halt. It has pretty much laid in ruins since, having served as a pirate base and also a place where the building materials were mined.

But I dare say, the Gods and Goddesses are no less present today than they ever were. As an astrologer, these are the energies and personalities that populate the chart. It's just that instead of looking at the glyph for Venus, it's possible to go into what is left of the Temple of Aphrodite, where many thousands made offerings to the goddess of love, pleasure and desire (I personally brought her some Bjork and Talking Heads, figuring maybe she had not heard that yet).

 

Here's a picture taken from the ferry -- the astonishing view of what one sees pulling into the harbor.

 

I'll have more to say about this mysterious, beautiful place in Planet Waves and Planet Waves Weekly -- so please don't forget to check in.

Here are some of your questions this week.