It was a long haul up the hillside in the heat of the sun, but the travellers believed the journey would be worth the effort. They'd heard such great things about the Priestess, and they just knew that their questions would be answered and they would be able to draw up their plans with confidence once they'd heard the lady's thoughts. Carefully nursing the precious gifts that they had brought with them as offerings to the mighty God, Apollo, the men moved forward towards the great stone pillars above them on the slope.

Many such travellers found their way to this remote spot in Greece. The Oracle at Delphi was well-renowned throughout the ancient Mediterranean civilizations. Visitors came from as far as Egypt to seek guidance there.

The priestess was known as the ’Pythia’, and she was selected by the Priesthood from amongst the peasants who lived in the countryside near the Temple. She was a woman of good character and mature years, and her words helped shape political decisions, and also determined matters of the heart. When the trance came upon her, she would speak in riddles that only the priests could decipher. Perched on a tripod seat over an opening in the Earth, the prophetess uttered her cryptic predictions to an attentive audience who were laden with offerings for the Oracle.

Some said that gases from the bowels of the Earth induced her visions, and others claimed that the Gods whispered their secrets to her until such time as she became too feeble and aged to impart her prophesies any longer, and a successor would be sought to receive the wisdom of the Sanctuary of Apollo.

From before recorded history right through until the earthquake of 83B.C. and then intermittently until 395A.D, the Ancient Greeks sought out the wisdom of the Oracle at Delphi. And who can blame them? The world is so full of the unknown. It’s no surprise that we constantly seek to make sense of it. From casting runes to reading the entrails of animals sacrificed to the Gods, from gazing at the stars, to crystal balls, palmistry, the I Ching, and the Tarot, mystics and psychics have always had a place at the table.

After all, wouldn’t you just love to have the gift of clairvoyance? To be able to receive a vision of the future so clear that you can pick out every tiny detail?

Of all the published predictions and prophesies written over the years, perhaps the best-known are those of Nostradamus, who has been credited with predicting numerous events in world history, from the Great Fire of London, right through to the destruction of the World Trade Centre, as well as foreshadowing the rise of both Napoleon and Hitler.

Born in France, in 1503, Michel de Nostradame was a French apothecary with a deep and abiding interest in foretelling future events. In 1555 he published a book known as 'Les Propheties', copies of which are still in existence. The prophesies take the form of quatrains, and their meanings are obscure and difficult to determine with any accuracy. Many people assume that these prophesies are completely Nostradamus's own work, the result of long hours spent in mystic contemplation, but scholars in later times identified sources as diverse as the Bible, Astrology, and the works of Savonarola and others, as published in the Mirabilis Liber of 1522, Despite all this, Nostradamus has become a towering figure in the traditions and myth of divination. Further evidence of our need to grapple with the unknown and the unknowable.

Some years ago I was watching a discussion about psychics on a UK chat show, and American twins,Terry and Linda Jamison, known internationally as "The Psychic Twins," were featured. The programme stuck in my mind because of a reference to the twin's prediction of the 9/11 bombing. In my experience, most psychic prediction is either personal, trivial, or both. You know the kind of thing, "I see a tall, dark man entering your life. Does the letter 'P' mean anything? And yes, you will be making a long journey any day soon....." But this prophesy was different. This was a tangible, real life world event, and it excited my curiousity.

Researching for this hub, I learned that the Psychic Twins have been professional psychics for twenty years. Aside from making surprisingly accurate world predictions, the pair have reunited families, assisted criminal investigations, and located missing persons, all through their unusual gift of automatic writing.

20 million listeners heard the Psychic Twins predict the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre Towers and on Washington, D.C. during an interview on the Art Bell Radio Show in November 1999. Other world predictions about natural disasters, medical breakthroughs, and economic events have appeared frequently in their channeled writing.

The ladies have their own web-site, and provide private readings. Are they the real mcCoy, or just incredibly lucky? You must decide that for yourself.

Some of our fellow hubbers have also dipped their toes in the murky waters of prediction and divination, and you might want to check out some of their hubs a little later. Perhaps after you've joined in my hubber's 2009 prediction quiz further down the page would be a good time!

Here are just some of the many and varied prediction hubs currently published. Some are serious and analytical in intent, and some are a little more tongue in cheek!

• I Ching Prediction of USA Economy in 2009 by Hery Yansen
• Stock Market Astrology by Paulie Walnuts
• Astrology, Horoscope, Love Life 2009 by ShoppersWing
• Oil Price Will Reach $250 in 2009 by Estess
• 9 No-Chance Predictions Sure to come True in 2009 by gkSquire9

There are very many talented and inspired hubbers using HubPages, and it occurred to me that some of you reading this hub might have your own sixth sense about forth-coming world events. If you have any major premonitions please share them. We need to know! Failing that, here are some questions about 2009. Answer honestly, using your intuition, and at the end of the year, visit this hub again, and see how close we got!