Happy Equinox! Merry Mabon! Autumn has arrived in my neck of the woods. At this time of year I like to spend time meditating on the Goddess who I share my name with and her stories.
Demeter was a goddess of grain and harvests in ancient Greece whose daughter Persephone caught the eye of Hades, god of the Underworld. When Hades tricked Persephone and took her back to the Underworld with him Demeter's grief caused the crops on earth to die and go dormant. By the time she finally recovered her daughter with the help of Hekate, Persephone had eaten six pomegranate seeds, which compelled her to spend six months of the year in the Underworld. These six months when Persephone is with Hades are the time when nature goes through its death cycle to be reborn again in spring.
In modern interpretations of the story, Persephone is not compelled to stay in the Underworld. Instead, she chooses to stay there for six months each year so that she can bring light to the souls who spend eternity with Hades. I love this interpretation as it exemplifies her love and compassion and her agency within her own myth.
Demeter and Persephone are both Life and Death Goddesses.
My daughter Stephanie was born on the very first day of Spring and the irony considering my name was not lost on me.
May you Autumn be blessed and may you reap what you've sown. So mote it be!
