Enchanted Journeys For Autumn: Persephone & Demeter

Greetings friends.

By popular demand I bring you the story of Persephone and her mother the goddess Demeter.

This is a story that can be challenging as Persephone's fate is decided for her but I do believe there is hope to be found and a certain inspiration.

Let's begin with a short story,

A tale of myth,

Of magic and of the underworld.

After the story we'll journey into a little guided meditation so feel free to take your time now to get comfortable.

Get yourself a drink or wrap yourself in a blanket or lay down and close your eyes.

Persephone and the pomegranate seeds.

Persephone is picking flowers from a meadow when Hades rising from the earth carries her away to be his bride in the underworld.

The goddess Hecate hears the cries of Persephone and goes to tell her mother,

Goddess of the harvest Demeter and together they search for her.

Hecate guides Demeter through the dark nights with flaming torches to light her way through the many crossroads and paths of the dark underworld and its eternal night but to no avail.

Demeter is so grief-stricken that she casts the earth into barrenness.

No crops can grow as she mourns.

The people of the land are starving.

So Persephone's father,

The god Zeus,

Is forced to order Hades to release her from the underworld.

Hades agrees to let her go but not before first entreating her to eat some pomegranate seeds which she does and having consumed food of the underworld Persephone becomes part of this realm and must then spend half a year here every year for she is now queen of the underworld and goddess of death.

So though against her will she has claimed a powerful role.

However when Persephone returns to her mother each spring Demeter ensures that the season flourishes.

The pomegranate trees blossom and the earth again produces flowers,

Fruit and grain.

But when autumn falls Persephone must return to the underworld.

Hecate returning once more becomes her companion on her yearly journeys and helps lead her through the realms and the earth falls into dormancy of the dark winter months as Demeter grieves the loss of her daughter once more.

That was the story of Persephone and Demeter.

Of the many themes present within this tale of classical mythology there is the theme of change.

The changes of the seasons,

The changes of light and earth and changes that are not necessarily our choice but ones that we may claim should we wish.

So with this simple idea of coming to a place of darkness I invite you to find your restful place if you are not there already and close the eye.

Within our mind's eye we will make our own journey down into the earth.

We might come across a tunnel or a set of stairs that lead us downwards and though we are journeying down into a darker place there is still light.

There are candles or lanterns perhaps.

Perhaps you are holding a torch to light your way.

This place is quiet and peaceful and as you journey down,

Down,

Down into the underworld you sense the noise and the busyness of the world outside gently softening as you draw to a place that is a little quieter,

A little more still.

We find that as we come to the end of our pathway,

Those steps,

The corridor that may lead us downwards,

We find a room,

Our own special place beneath the earth,

Our own place of quiet and calm,

A sanctuary.

As you pass into the space you may find yourself in a beautiful sacred space,

A temple with candles and altar or perhaps a very cosy space strewn with velvet cushions and blankets and a gently crackling hearth fire.

Maybe the space is a beautiful old library,

The walls covered in books,

Bound in gilded colours,

So quiet and peaceful.

Take your time to visualise your space,

Your place.

You may feel a sensation of being gently held or gently watched over.

The goddess Persephone dwells here within the underworld in this,

The season of autumn and winter.

She watches over you with a kind heart.

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Know first that you can return to the place of quiet and dark.

For this,

The dark season for Stephanie will be here whenever you wish to draw to the place of quiet and dark.

But now she smiles.

Her brightness appears behind you.

The goddess Hecate has brought her bright torches to help guide you back towards the earth's surface and back perhaps to a little more noise and busyness,

The hustle and bustle of the day.

You bid the Stephanie in the quiet place farewell for now and Hecate smiles as she guides you,

Rising gently on steps or pathway back towards the day.

And as you rise,

We find ourselves once more amongst green grass and trees and Demeter is here to meet you.

She smiles and embraces you and welcomes you back to the world above.

Perhaps you hear birds calling or hear trees swaying in the breeze.

Perhaps some trees still hold golden red and brown leaves,

Ready to dance in the breeze as autumn progresses.

Demeter is here and she is waiting.

She is waiting for the return of her daughter and knows that that day will come when the season will once more burst into light and joy and brightness.

But for now,

We rest.

We wait.

We find value in the time of dormancy.

And when we need it,

We know that there is guidance and love that we are being always watched over by the guardian goddesses.

And so,

My dear ones,

Take your time to stretch and move as we begin to end.

And we will ever so gently bring our awareness back to the day and back to the room.

Some nice deep breaths,

A wiggle,

Whatever you like.

If you are ready to drift off to sleep to your own place of rest and darkness,

Feel free to stay where you are.

Or if you would like to join me,

We will just rise up to an easy seat.

Take a nice stretch towards the sky with a lovely inhale and exhale at the hands for as I welcome you back.

Thank you so much for joining me today on this little journey into the season of autumn,

A little more darkness,

But also a chance to let go and find a little peace in the stillness.

I wish you well on your onward journey as we move through the seasons.

And I look forward to seeing you soon.

Thank you and Namaste.