Persephone, the Goddess of Springtime flowers and vegetation, becomes the Queen of the Underworld and her mother Demeter, the Goddess of the Harvest, comes into focus as we have entered Autumn in the Northern Hemisphere and darkness comes.
Persephone is sad. She is distraught. Her life changed in a moment to one that she could not have imagined, to a life that she did not consciously choose. She was a young maiden content and not interested in the expectations of others. Her rebuffs of the other gods who pursued her placed her in a somewhat precarious position. Her joyful, innocent youth would be taken away as she is promised to Hades to be his wife — this without her knowledge nor her mother Demeter’s knowledge.
This is the story of the abduction of Persephone, daughter of Demeter and Zeus.
Artwork: Rape of Persephone by Rupert Bunny, 1913
Her descent into her own inner world where she will come to face darkness begins when she is seized by Hades, Zeus’ brother and the King of the underworld. For the first time, she fathoms what it is to be alone without friends or her family. The darkness is upon her. Even though Hades constructs illusory worlds with fields of flowers in the underworld to appease her, she is forced to explore the depths of the unknown. She is processing this and is at a standstill. She must come to know herself so she can accept what is in the moment and move forward.
Persephone can occupy her time hoping that things will change and do nothing, or she can ask for what she desires. She can spend time staying in denial or a state of apathy or deep sadness, or ultimately she can choose to embrace what is and work with it. Change has taken place, and the darkness is acknowledged and worked with and even embraced. She moves eventually from her life as a maiden or princess to that of a Queen. She has fully become a woman.
When her mother Demeter learns of the abduction, she is distraught and beside herself. She searches for her with Hecate, Goddess of the Crossroads, who heard Persephone scream but did not see where she was ferried. The two women ask Helios, the Sun God, who observes everything where she was taken. He tells them.
Meanwhile, Demeter has neglected her duties of caring for the Earth. Everything is dying all around her as her pain and feelings of helplessness are extraordinarily intense. Demeter confronts Zeus, who admits he arranged this union of Hades and Persephone. She pleads with him to no avail. She lets her fury and wrath towards Zeus and the gods forthwith and continues to neglect her duties. No sacrifices or worship of him will happen by humans if they are in dire straits.
Now, the Earth is barren and infertile — like a woman who has passed through menopause to become the crone. Demeter, now knowing where her daughter is does everything in her power to get her back. She has now come to this time of separation from her child. In the end, she is reunited with her for part of the year. She confronts immense sadness, an undesirable change, but there is a resolution. Everything changes.
Artwork: Demeter mourning Persephone by Evelyn de Morgan, 1906
This is merely a summary of the myth in many ways to acquaint you with Persephone and Demeter and to reflect on our inevitable and continuous cycle of death and rebirth from one state of being to another. In this tale, each woman completes a cycle of descent, search and ascension. Traversing the path of darkness, they transform from deep sorrow to joy.
There is so much more to these tales including a lot of things that are really not okay on so many levels! This story includes things like kidnapping, obsession, sexual assault, incest, and the patriarchy. Yet, Persephone overcomes her challenges — the sadness, apathy, dismay and injustice — in the end, she is both the Goddess of the Springtime flowers & vegetation AND the Queen of the Underworld. Her mother too, as an aging Goddess, does not lose her power. She claims it.
At the end of the summer, like many times in our own lives darkness comes and with it so does the bountiful harvest.
Lesson Number One
The first lesson, when you refuse to make a choice or make a decision, it may be made for you. This is how we surrender our power to others.
Lesson Number Two
No one is coming to save you, that's the essence of the second lesson. It’s up to you to face the darkness. Find the glimmer, the glint of light and follow it. And reach out to your sisters for help when needed.
Lesson Number Three
To all the women reading this, the third lesson — if you live long enough, you will be the maiden who transforms into the mother. As the mother, you may give life to something other than a human, you may even care for others. Know that you are whole and never diminished by biological circumstance or choice. In the end, becoming the crone.
Artwork: Abduction of Persephone a relief sculpture from a sarcophagus
