Apollo

Culture: Ancient Greek   Domain: Prophecy, music, healing, archery, light

Apollo, twin of Artemis, is a god of many linked gifts: prophecy through his oracle at Delphi, music and the lyre, healing (and, through his son Asclepius, medicine), archery, and light and clarity of mind. The Delphic maxims "know thyself" and "nothing in excess," inscribed at his temple, capture the balance and self-knowledge associated with him.

Associations

Prophecy and oracles, music and poetry, healing, the sun, archery, the laurel tree.

Ways people honor him (modern)

• Practice or listen to music with focused attention
• Sit with a question rather than rushing to an answer, in the spirit of Delphi
• Keep a laurel leaf on the altar or read the Delphic maxims
• Study astrology or divination as disciplines requiring real skill

Approach any deity with respect and do your own research. Practices vary widely between traditions, and modern devotional practice often goes beyond what survives in ancient sources.