The Myth of Ceres and Persephone
SEPTEMBER- Autumn Equinox
Also known as the Greek goddess Demeter, Ceres was the Goddess of the harvest and was credited with teaching humans how to grow, preserve, and prepare grain and corn. She was thought to be responsible for the fertility of the land.
One autumn day as her daughter, Persephone, walked with friends among the bountiful fields.
When they reach a field of flowers, Persephone called to them.
“Come here quick and we can gather all the wildflowers we want. ”
They filled their baskets with herbs and clover each selecting among the variety of crocuses and lilies.
Persephone wandered away from her companions and it was then that Dis, Lord Hades of the Underworld abducted her.
There was no place on earth that Ceres did not look for her daughter Persephone.
Ceres wore a crown of grain on her head and wore white for “twice three months”. The time that Persephone would remain dormant in the underground.
With the promise that her daughter would return again, she waited.
Persephone represents the seeds that fall in the Fall and the white worn by Ceres is the snow that will cover the ground until Persephone returns in the Spring.
Separation and Loss Followed by Joy and Belief
Mourning/Searching, Joy, and Belief are the three phases of September.
I find myself fully immersed in the Joy Phase as my mourning and searching have led me directly to my path of unbounded Joy. Relationships that were strained and dormant have reemerged as the fruitful seeds of hope.
I enter the final stage of this Equinox with the BELIEF in the powerful relationship and bond between a Mother and her Daughter. I celebrate us and you in this season and as we rest to rediscover ourselves again, I remain eager to see what we become when we bloom again in the Spring.
Celebrate the Equinox
Make an oak leaf crown or create a special table topper with two items that represent the mother and daughter relationship. You can also start a gratitude journal and include intentions (seeds) that you can focus on while the snow covers the ground and see how they develop after months of your belief.
Don’t forget to sip on a warm honey tea as you acknowledge the end of a season and prepare for rest.
To see what my Equinox table scape will look like, visit my Patreon channel.