The Oracle of Delphi by Dr. D. Stavropoulos

Archetype trauma therapy as a connection between the earth (Delphi) and the sun (Apollon) in us.

Recently trauma therapy has become very topical. Where injury (Greek: trauma) arises from the action of a perpetrator upon a victim, these two remain connected by the injury, which calls for overcoming, e.g., for therapy. In ancient Greece, an oracle prophecy from the Sanctuary of Delphi puts the perpetrator at the center: “The injuring one will heal (you).” Thus, the process of trauma therapy is turned upon its head.

In ancient Greek, “therapy” means the connection to the divine, to the higher, which one can only achieve by obeying the oracle. The sanctuary of Delphi was considered the navel of the earth. Here, the sun god Apollo sheds his holy light on the one who seeks help, so that the supplicant can pierce the soul-shadow of his injuries and connect with mother earth by agreeing to the oracle and its authority. The union of sun and earth is the all-round giver of life and life guides us towards the necessary balance, which can lead to reconciliation with both the perpetrator and the perpetrator in us.

In this seminar we will work on precisely this union in order to use the power of the archetypes for our personal development. To achieve a healing effect for all of us, we will activate the group’s sympathy (Greek methexis) through experience-oriented exercises and systemic constellations, taking up any concerns of the participants and integrating them into this process in order to clarify the soul (Greek catharsis) individually how to achieve collectively. This will then clarify the relationship to the “inner therapist” – the necessary power of self-knowledge and self-therapy – and let it work in us.