[dr_dshiv]

The only picture of the Pythian priestess is a red figure drinking cup from around 430 BC. She sits on a bronze tripod, holds laurel leaves and a bowl or water or wine.

She would, apparently, listen to the rustle of the leaves— scry into the ripples of water — and feel the resonant vibrations of the tripod. All in order to channel the wisdom of the god Apollo.

Sources of randomness to support creative inspiration. Seems plausible.

[dr_dshiv]

Here is the image:

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/The-only-surviving-image...

Also, the ethylene theorists have a rebuttal. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/155636507014778...

It’s funny that neither paper attempted to just try the stuff and, you know, attempt mantic divination.

And there is some evidence for those laurel leaves (which were chewed) to be psychoactive. https://muse.jhu.edu/article/581067/summary

And, finally, that the oracle used lots (dice, basically) for divination. More randomness. https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/pdf/10.1086/358831

[NKosmatos]

Came here to say the same thing, it's either Laurel or Oleander leaves that Pythia (the high priestess) either chewed or inhaled (their fumes). At least that's what I remember from high school and what most Greeks know. It's debated that the whole Oracle of Delphi thing could be a very well organized scam, but that's another discussion.

It's a place worth the visit: https://www.visitgreece.gr/mainland/central-greece/delphi/

[pjot]

  Also, the ethylene theorists have a rebuttal. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/155636507014778 ...

This page 404’s - do you have another source?

[mgdlbp]

GP included HN's ellipsis when copying the link from a previous comment of theirs.

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/155636507014778...