2/23/11

Goddess of the Week: Persephone

Salon de VĂ©nus-PLUTON ENLEVANT PROSERPINEImage via Wikipedia...Daisy...needs a goddess to help her out of the dark and gloomy places. She needs the Greek goddess Persephone, the goddess of spring.

Persephone's story is disturbing--but so are the dark and gloomy places. When Persephone was a little girl, her uncle Hades became obsessed with her. He asked Zeus (who was Hade's brother and Persephone's father) if he could have Persephone for his wife. Zeus said Yes.

Wham! Hades snatched her from a field. He stole her away. He said nothing to her mother. He said nothing to her. He just took her for his bride.

Eventually, because of her mother's ruthless willingness to destroy all life is she didn't get her daughter back, Persephone was released, but, alas, Persephone had eaten three pomegranate seeds. Pomengranate's were the food of the underworld. Once you ate it, you were forever tethered there, and so for each seed she ate, she had to live one month out of each year in hell. Persephone's hell is our winter. When Persephone is released, spring begins.

We all spend time in hell. For many of us, those visits are sprinkled throughout the calendar. For others, hell lasts entire seasons. Those are hard times, gloomy and dark indeed. But here's why we need Persephone. Persephone knows hell. She lives there. She knows all about your pain. She is surrounded by it daily. But she also knows that hell ends. Winter ends. Spring always, always, always follows. Not all springs are sunny. Not all springs are easy. The waters of March are the coldest of the year. But, Daisy, all springs are filled with you, and all springs are harbingers of promise and hope.

Channel this goddess: When winter drags on too long, when dark and gloomy eats away at your inner light, when you need flowers and a new lease on life.

Need a goddess: I got goddesses! Post a comment explaining what you need or want a goddess for. Then check back in a week or two to read about your very own goddess.

(PS:...Daisy...see the link. Did I find a language you don't know?)


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15 comments:

Curly said...

Oh Margaret.... thank you thank you and again THANK YOU! I will try to channel her in the hope I'm not too gloomy even for her standards... :-) But thank you for the smile... I really needed it! And I am really waiting for spring to come! And I hope the person I love will recover or at least stop suffering, because looking at a loved one's sufferings is not an easy task and trying to hide yours for his sake is even harder. Yes you did find a language I don't know (but I'd love to learn Portuguese... or at least it sounds like it). I love this song and thank you for having found a subtitled version! I send you a hug, a big one!
So... you know I post things on my blog after a while and not when I write them, so there are plenty of not su fun things to come, but I am sure the sun will come out someday!
Have I thanked you already? ;-)

Rois said...

Maybe Daisy also needs the goddess you wrote for me last June,the one about the sun goddess hearing laughter and it brought her back.Nothing like a sun filled day to chase away the blues.

Margaret said...

Daisy: I am so glad you approve, but I lost the link to your new blog. Can you resend it?

Rois: That would be Amaratsu, the Shinto sun goddess. Uzume is the goddess who tempted her out of her cave. She's always good for a laugh, that Uzume.

Mairie said...

I love Persephone - she was one of my favourite goddesses in my book 'Tales of Long Ago' when I was about seven. I loved her mum as well for standing up to the Gods. In the illustration in my book she is sitting in a throne with Hades looking lovingly at her - he is a prisoner as much as she is. I like to think she has softened and sees winter as a time to rest and appreciate the gloom.
Thanks Margaret

Joanne said...

I see that Daisy needs a goddess to help her out of dark and gloomy places. Would she share? Our daffodils and crocuses need the same goddess to get them out from the gloomy mountains of snow in time for spring. I know you said Spring will follow winter, but you haven't been in New England lately, have you? I'm having my doubts about Spring ...

Petrea Burchard said...

This is inspiring, Margaret. It's one of those things we know is true, but sometimes it's hard to see. Best to you and your loved one, daisy.

claire bangasser said...

Ilove Persephone too :-) I found her in Goddesses in Every Woman.
Thank you for a wonderful description and interpretation as well.
What a treat this place is, Margaret :-)

Watson said...

Daisy, I think watching a loved one suffer is probably the worst kind of "winter". I hope Spring comes soon.
Sending you a hug of good wishes.

Margaret,as always you brighten my day! Thank you.

Curly said...

Margaret my new link (but not blog :-)...) is www.mystrangeafterworld.blogspot.com

Rois thank you... I would need laughter allright! :-)

Joanne OF COURSE I share! Maybe you can help me channelling her! :-)

Thank you so much Petrea!

Daisy it really is... thank you so much for your support!

Pasadena Adjacent said...

Beautifully written Margaret. Dear Daisy, so sorry to hear about your present "hell" Here's to mama and a speedy spring!


Good thing I'm not Persephone. I'd have never stopped at three seeds

Anonymous said...

Poignantly, passionately told.

Susan Campisi said...

Margaret, your goddess posts always speak to me. Yes, spring follows winter, day follows night, healing follows suffering. Daisy, I hope your pain and your loved one's suffering eases soon.

And what a wonderful video. My favorite line: "It's the promise of life in your heart."

Shanna said...

Margaret, you are truly a wise woman and a gifted healer.

Cafe Pasadena said...

daisys blog has been one i've followed for a year. ck out her interesting writing and fotos!

Deb @ PaperTurtle said...

LOVE this: "...when dark and gloomy eats away at your inner light, when you need flowers and a new lease on life..." Thanks for the reminder, Margaret. All situations are temporary after all, and this too shall pass. xo