Trembling from the Hooves Upward

If you wanted to consult the Oracle at Delphi, you first had to travel to Delphi — no easy task. Once there, you would prepare yourself for your consultation, which included presenting gifts to the various priests and prophets you came across. On the appointed day, the seventh day of the month, you would travel the Sacred Way — a mountain path that led to the cave where the Pythia (who received the voice of the god) waited. There, the sacrificial goat would be set in front of the altar. Water would be sprinkled on the goat. If it trembled from the hooves upward, this was a good omen, and the consultation could proceed. If not, try again next month (if you can afford to stay around or come back). On an auspicious day, the goat would be burned on the alter and the smoke would be the signal that the oracle was open. Assuming all this, you as the supplicant would go into the cave and speak your question to the oracle, likely in an atmosphere of smoky darkness. The Pythia would receive the god’s reply and relay it to you, perhaps in rhyme, often in metaphor, many times as a paradox.