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| Persephone and Hades. Tondo of an Attic red-figured kylix, ca. 440-430 BC. Said to be from Vulci. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Persephone was the daughter of Demeter. When Persephone was kidnapped by Hades, the god of the underworld, Demeter--goddess of agriculture--threatened to destroy all the trees and plants, and thus, all life, unless she got her daughter back. Because Persephone had eaten the fruit of the underworld, she couldn't leave it permanently, so she spends winter in the underworld with her husband and the rest of the year with her mother.
Let me clarify that a bit: For three months, she lives with her husband, gets to be queen, has a special jar of youthful beauty, gets to boss people around and decorate her kingdom the way she sees fit. For NINE months she lives with her mother and eats a lot of wheat products. Now, I do like me my gluten, but, you know, NINE months.
Clearly, every spring, Demeter and Persephone have a lot of relationship massaging they need to do, and, after a winter of being queen, it can't always be easy. Here's how they keep the peace. First of all, they never mention the Atkins diet. Persephone brought it up once and it was bad. Second, they respect each other's personal space. Persephone only uses Persephone's bathroom. Demeter never asks where Persephone is going--she is a grown woman for godsakes! Finally, they are both on Xanax. That REALLY helps. And, if those things fail, they both remember that winter is just a chilly breeze away.
Channel Persephone: when having mother problems, when feeling that different people expect too many different things from you, when time alone will bring you the peace you seek.
Need a goddess? I got goddesses! Post a comment explaining what you need or want a goddess for. Then check back in a few weeks and see what you got. It's fun! It's free! It's cheaper than Xanax!
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11 comments:
Oh mommy problems! I got em!
wish I had this advice about 40 years ago!
Daisy's BArbara
I so agree that it takes a goddess to take care of mother in the the later years...and having brothers to help?? dubious...
Thanks Margaret,
So far no major blow ups but we are all ready to have our house back to ourselves.
Luckily I am gone to work all day so time together is limited,a blessing.
Olga,I might as well not have a brother he is that much help.And only lives across town so what's the deal with that?
I really like your spin on the Demeter-Persephone myth. I always wondered if there was more to it...
Your prescription should help quite a bit.
"when time alone will bring you the peace you seek" - yes! I've had to be super protective of the ONE day left before work starts that I think I can get 3-4 hours by MYSELF . . . it will be worth it!
Diving in and out of Marcus Aurelius' "Meditations," here's what recently came under my eyes: 'People seek retreats for themselves in the country, by the seaside, on mountains, and you, too, usually long above all for these things. But all this is unphilosophical to the nth degree, when you can--at a moment's notice--retire into yourself. For nowhere can we find a retreat more full of peace, or more free from care, than our own souls, especially if we have peace within us...' (paraphrase from Book VII, verse 4). Easy to say, hard to do...otherwise, it wouldn't be good advice!...but reading, re-reading and re-reading dear Marcus does help a lot to internalize and profit from his good advice jotted down to himself (so it's fresh, and not preachy). Hope this helps, and thanks, Margaret, for your great posts!
O thank you for your Goddesses - At present I have my daughter, granddaughter and grandaughter on the way living with me. O and a girl puppy - peace within and without would be lovely!!
Adele at Sierra Madre Daily Photo Blog suggested I ask you for a goddess for our nearly drained Horseshoe Lake!!! Any suggestions Margaret?
Xanax. You are funny.
Rois, I hope this helps.
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