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Mircea Eliade - On Sacred springs
Identifier
010946
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
This is a useful quote, but he mixes the symbolic use of fountains and springs with the actual use of them. In some cases the meaning is that the person used kundalini like energy to go into a trance state, in other cases, the water [and probably fumes] of real springs was known to heal
A description of the experience
Mircea Eliade – Patterns in Comparative religion
Oracles were often situated near water. Near the temple of Amphirais, at Oropos, those who were cured by the oracle threw a coin in the water. The pythia prepared by drinking water from the Kassotis fountain. At Colophon, the prophet drank the water from a sacred spring which was in the grotto [Iamblichus].
At Claros, the priest went down into the cave, drank some water from a mysterious fountain (hausta fontis arcani aqua) and replied in verse to any question he was asked (super rebus quas quis mente concepit).
That prophetic power emanates from water is a primitive intuition which we find in a great part of the world. The ocean, for instance, was called by the Babylonians 'the home of wisdom'.
Oannes, the mythical Babylonian character half man, half fish, rose from the Persian Gulf and revealed to man culture, writing and astrology
The source of the experience
Mysteries, theConcepts, symbols and science items
Science Items
Activities and commonsteps
Activities
Overloads
Visit sacred sitesVisiting holy wells and springs
Visiting telluric hot spots
Visiting waterfalls