Persephone is a Goddess I have felt very drawn to the past several years and in fact, She was the first Goddess I ever invoked during ritual—my very first Sabbat ritual (Ostara). She had seemed very cold and distant which confused me until near the end of the ritual I had heard a very clear voice say, “It’s spring and yet you called upon my being the Queen of the Underworld instead of being also a Goddess of Spring?”. That has always stuck with me for 5 years and is the reason I am very careful in ensuring I call upon a God or Goddess appropriately. Who then is this Persephone?
She is the daughter of Zeus and Demeter who often is also referred to as “Kore” which means “The Maiden”. Her Roman counterpart is Proserpina. Typically depicted as a young maiden, She is either pictured beside Her mother or sitting next to Her husband in the Underworld. As I stated above, Persephone is Queen of the Underworld with Her husband, Hades. The abduction of Persephone is a myth most of us know so I won’t retell it. However, if you would like to read a summary of it, it can be found at this site here. She is described by Homer as “the formidable, venerable majestic princess of the underworld, who carries into effect the curses of men upon the souls of the dead.”.
Before becoming Queen of Hades (another name for the Underworld), She was and is a Goddess of spring growth—being the harbinger of growth with Her return to Her mother. She was worshipped alongside Demeter in the Eleusinian Mysteries. For me, She understands the Great Mysteries as She is a part of both this life and the next. She travels between the realms of the living and the dead thereby knowing the Great Cycle of Life, Death, and Rebirth. She is a Goddess of vegetation, especially grain, which I feel is due to this understanding as Her life mirrors the necessary cycle. Local cults of Demeter and Kore existed in Greece, Asia Minor, Sicily (where Her abduction is commonly thought to have taken place), Magna Graecia, and Libya.
She could be gracious and compassionate or vengeful. If we look at the story recounting Her interaction with Minthe, a nymph who was sought after by Hades (or in some variations, His mistress). Depending on the story, Persephone either took pity on the woman or grew jealous. Either way, Minthe was turned into the plant mint. We have the story of Orpheus who longed to be reunited with his beloved Eurydice who died before their wedding. He convinced Persephone to allow him to take his beloved back with him and she did. Of course, he was warned not to look back at her until they had completely exited from the Underworld and reentered the land of the living….and he looked back. Poor fellow. In another myth, we learn of Adonis who was quite handsome that he was hidden away by Aphrodite and given to Persephone for safe-keeping…until she fell in love with him as well. Zeus had to intervene when the Goddesses began fighting over him and he dictated Adonis should spend half the year with Aphrodite and half the year with Persephone (or in some tales, 1/3 with each with a 1/3 to himself).
While portrayed as a Maiden, Persephone is also a Mother Goddess. In fact, I would say She perfectly represents the Triple Goddess as she is the Maiden Kore, A Mother, and a wise Crone in her capacity as Queen of the Underworld. Returning to Her children, I have seen some sites add others to Her name but these are the three I have found across many different places. She is mother of The Erinyes with Her husband Hades. However, She is also mother of Zagreus and Melinoe with Zeus. I do want to do more research into them as I have never heard of Her being their mother yet in all honesty, Persephone is a brushed aside Goddess. Quite unfortunate really.
Correspondences
Symbols: Pomegranates, Sheaves of Grain, Torches, Flowers, Reeds
Time of the Year: Spring though I would also list Autumn
Moon Phase: New Moon though I would also say Dark.
Animals: Bees, Bats, Rams, Talking Birds, Monkeys
Incense: Anything Floral, Almond, Vanilla, Bergamot
Crystals: Quartz, Black Onyx, Coral, Agate, Obsidian, Blue Calcite, Moss Agate, Green Aventurine (I think it depends on which aspect of Her you are calling)
Colors: Green, Black, Light Blue, Purple, Yellow
Flowers/Herbs: Wheat, Narcissus, Willow Tree, Lily, Ivy, Lily of the Valley, Maidenhair Fern, Daisy, Lavender
Tarot Cards: The Hierophant, The Priestess, and The Empress in the Thoth Deck. These were what She revealed to Me and so I don't make this post tediously lengthy, I will share a small post with my insight and experience into this.
Offerings: Plants, Bells (they were used in Her worship), Music, Honey, Milk, Wine, Bread, Meat
*Generally accepted as offerings for the Hellenic Pantheon*
Persephone is definitely an interesting and powerful Goddess that I hope to have the privilege of working with for several years to come. In my opinion, she represents the transition that is scary yet exciting in a young girl's life as she goes from Maiden to Woman and/or Mother. A girl into a woman. Confident and grounded in who She is. Knowing she can be playful yet serious, majestic yet humble, compassionate yet stern.
Brightest of Blessings,
The Autumn Witch
Sources:
http://www.theoi.com/Khthonios/Persephone.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persephone
http://www.ancient.eu/persephone/
http://www.goddessgift.com/goddess-myths/goddess_symbols_persephone.htm
http://pomegranateandivy.tumblr.com/post/111878778622/hi-ive-been-wanting-to-honor-hades-persephone
Pictures:
(I own none of the pictures shown above.)
Picture 1: Unknown Sculpture. If you happen to know please email me at autumn_witch@outlook.com so that proper credit may be given.
Picture 2: The Return of Persephone (1891) Frederic Leighton (1830–1896) PD
Picture 3: Persephone | Apulian red-figure krater C4th B.C. | Staatliche Antikensammlungen, Munich
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