Maid to Queen: Meditations on Persephone

Blessed Imbolc

2012-02-01T19:38:00.000-05:00

While today is a day reserved to honor Brigid (the Celtic Goddess of healing, the home and the forge) it is also a day reserved in the Pagan blogosphere for sharing poetry as part of the Brigid Poetry Festival. This tradition has been happening every Imbolc for 7 years. So I thought I would post something myself. I wrote this last year to honor Persephone, of course.

In Her Hand She Held The Flower

Did she know that fateful hour?
That her place would be as queen.
When in her hand she held theflower.

Could she imagine all that power?
On the throne, she would be seen.
Did she know that fateful hour?

She escaped from that ivory tower.
She felt a love not obscene.
When in her hand she held theflower.

Deep in snow, the earth will cower.
In the winter she goes unseen.
Did she know that fateful hour?

The brand new vines climb the bower.
In the spring the world will green.
When in her hand she held theflower.

With each season changes devour.
Moaning winds wail and keen.
Did she know that fateful hour?
When in her hand she held theflower.

Reaching for the Sun

2012-01-26T14:22:00.002-05:00

I have had a very strange feeling lately. The last three years have been very action oriented for me. I was always doing something. Either I was working on building the tiny house or I was working on selling our other house. At some point in there I found some time go to to South Africa which was less a vacation and more an exploratory trip to start building something there as well. But now, the tiny house is nearly done, we live in an apartment in the city, and the next trip to South Africa depends on how much money we can raise.

I feel a little stagnant. I feel like the bulbs of the daffodils, just below the surface of the earth waiting for the first warm days of early spring before I can push my shoots through the thick black soil. I feel a bit like Persephone. There are some big changes coming my way. I can't talk about many of them for some very practical reasons, but I am eager for the that time to arrive. As I was sitting here feeling terribly uninspired and festering with the thought that I am not moving forward I was once again faced with how my life and the story of Persephone's journey is once again at the same place. Is it a coincidence that this stoppage is happening in the thick of winter? Or could it be Persephone telling me to slow down, reassess, and begin to prepare for a reemergence - a reemergence that will be a complete transformation That is scary as hell. I need this downtime to get my shit together and be able to unravel my new green leaves in the springtime sun.

This is just another turn on the wheel. Another cycle of life, death, and rebirth. I have trusted Persephone to follow her down many times in my life. I follow every time knowing that beyond the darkness there will be sunlight. The turning of the seasons has never failed me, and my own personal seasons are turning along with them. Big changes are terrifying. I should just snuggle deep in the darkness of the winter waiting patiently for my turn to reach up toward the sun.

A Date With Adonis (Repost)

2012-01-25T10:43:00.000-05:00

It isn't often that I simply repost things here. But I have been thinking about Persephone and Adonis lately, so this short story came to mind. I just spent some time up at our land in North Carolina and it was so beautiful in its starkness. Waiting for both Persephone and Adonis to return with a green blanket to cover the earth makes me both grateful for what has happened and excited for what is to come.

“You’re thinking about her, aren’t you?”

They sat in the field of asphodel, their red and white checkered picnic blanket laid out beneath their legs. He sat with his perfectly toned and tanned legs crossed. She lay back stretching her white limbs out from her body. He was silent in answer to her question. He fiddled with the hem of his shirt and didn’t look at her.

“I understand,” she said. “I know we’ve run out of things to talk about.”

“Its not you,” He said finally, quietly.

“I know. I know better than anyone else, really. The Olympians are always figuring out ways to divide our time between there and here. I hate being a pawn in their ridiculous games. It is okay if you’re thinking about her. I owe her a debt myself.”

Adonis looked up at her, his dark green eyes inquisitive. She knew he wanted to hear the story. She was certain he had heard it before, but she knew he liked to hear her tell it.

“Yeah. It is all Aphrodite’s fault. My mother had made it quite clear that I was never to be married off like some commoner. She wanted me to be elevated to the very pinnacle of the Greek pantheon – an eternal virgin like Hestia, Athena and Artemis.” Adonis smiled a little and so Persephone responded, “you better believe I’m glad that didn’t happen!

“Anyway, Aphrodite was angry about it, as you might expect. She didn’t want anyone out of her realm of dominance that wasn’t already. She thought hard about another God who might need a partner. Several gods had auditioned for the job, including Hermes who had been Aphrodite’s lover once. But she decided on Hades, my very own uncle. I think she might have been a little jealous of me. Or maybe thought I would be too much of a rival, that by her hand she could banish me to the deepest recesses of hell. And so she bade Eros to shoot Hades with the arrow of love. The rest is history, as they say. I have been here with my husband ever since. And I do love him.”

“Then why did you fight so hard for me?” asked Adonis.

“Maybe to get back at her a bit? I am not angry at her for introducing me to Hades. But I am angry that she started the battle over where I get to spend my time. That is the part of my life in which I had no control. When she brought you here, she was begging for me to help her. She needed to hide you because she knew she couldn’t keep you to herself.” Persephone reached out with her slender fingers and gently traced his jaw line. “You are beautiful, you know.” Adonis smiled and looked away shyly.
“Tell me about her.”

His eyes brightened. He looked straight into her violet eyes. “I know she has a bad reputation. And I know she has had a lot of different lovers. But there is something magnificent about her. She has a draw. A magnetism. I love the feeling of her hair in my hands and the weight of her body in my arms. Her hair smells like roses and her skin glows with gold.” Adonis leaned over Persephone’s prone body, his face very close to hers.

She turned her face away from him. He brushed her ear with his lips. She knew they both thought about different lovers, but he was the embodiment of passion so why not make the best of it. “You never describe me like that,” she said.

“You are very different,” he whispered. “Your hair smells like daffodils. Your eyes shine like amethysts. Your skin is like the glorious moonlight.”

Persephone sighed. “I haven’t seen the moon since summer,” she said.

“Me neither.”

She turned her face to him. She knew that when the seasons changed they would be apart again. They might be in someone else’s arms all together. But this night was their night, their longing was a yearning for the springtime.

The Song of Persephone

2012-01-16T07:34:00.000-05:00

Because of my time celebrating with Celtic Pagans, I developed a love for a particular poem called The Song of Amergin. This blogger does a very nice write up of the poem. I have used this poem as a basis for a couple of poems I have written myself. It just flows so well and feels so god-like when spoken aloud.

I have always wanted to do a similar poem for Persephone but for some reason I just never got to it. Recently, Dionysian blogger Sannion posted his 99 Adorations and the Pagan blogosphere lit up with other version of the prayer.

I didn't feel it necessary to write my own Adorations for Persephone, as it had already been done and was done nicely. Instead I decided to revisit my old idea of writing the Song of Persephone.

I am the maiden with the daffodils
I am the queen of the underworld
I am the savior from death
I am the daughter of the earth
I am the protector of pigs
I am the juice of the pomegranate
I am light in the darkness
I am as strong as iron
I am as gentle as the grasses
I am not lost but I am sought
I am whose name must not be spoken
I am the last face of sweetness
     …who creeps forth from the rocks
     …who whispers the mysteries
     …who is honored in life and death

The Pagan Poetry of Edna St. Vincent Millay

2012-01-07T12:30:00.001-05:00

Yesterday, Star Foster wrote this post over at the Patheos Pagan blog. She speaks about one of her favorite poets, Peggy Pond Church, and how her poetry evokes Pagan ideas and images in a time when Paganism wasn't necessarily a thing.

This made me think of one of my favorite poets, a woman who lived and wrote poetry in the 20s and 30s and manages to evoke very specific Pagan themes in her writing.

I first learned about Edna St. Vincent Millay when I was very young. My mother had been an English teacher before I was born and she still had several volumes of poetry on our bookshelves. I specifically remember a time when I was attending Catholic catechism. Because I went to public school, I took catechism classes as a kid. They were usually taught in the home of another parishioner. At one teacher's class, I remember that us kids rotated who would bring in and read an opening prayer for the class. I think I might have been in the 6th grade, just on the cusp of teenager-hood. I spent a lot of time agonizing over what prayer to read and couldn't think of anything. My mom suggested looked for a poem in one of her poetry books. And that was when I discovered Edna St. Vincent Millay.

The poem I read at catechism that night was "Afternoon on a Hill."

I will be the gladdest thing
   Under the sun!
I will touch a hundred flowers
   And not pick one.

I will look at cliffs and clouds
   With quiet eyes,
Watch the wind bow down the grass,
   And the grass rise.

And when lights begin to show
   Up from the town,
I will mark which must be mine,
   And then start down!

Of course, at the time, I was Catholic but the reverence of nature clearly resonated with me even at that age. No one new at that time how deep my relationship with the cycles of nature went, least of all me. Those those cycles of nature would eventually speak to me through the story of Persephone and would lead me to honor her throughout my life.

Curiously enough, that brought me back full circle to the poetry of Edna St. Vincent Millay. It was after became devoted to Persephone that I discovered some of Millay's other poetry. I don't think anyone can say that Millay herself was Pagan but her use of mythology in her writing was undeniable.

She wrote about Daphne and Apollo in "Daphne".

Why do you follow me?—
Any moment I can be
Nothing but a laurel-tree.

Any moment of the chase
I can leave you in my place
A pink bough for your embrace.

Yet if over hill and hollow
Still it is your will to follow,
I am off;—to heel, Apollo!

She wrote about Odysseus's wife in An Ancient Gesture:

I thought, as I wiped my eyes on the corner of my apron:
Penelope did this too.
And more than once: you can't keep weaving all day
And undoing it all through the night;
Your arms get tired, and the back of your neck gets tight;
And along towards morning, when you think it will never be light,
And your husband has been gone, and you don't know where, for years.
Suddenly you burst into tears;
There is simply nothing else to do.

And I thought, as I wiped my eyes on the corner of my apron:
This is an ancient gesture, authentic, antique,
In the very best tradition, classic, Greek;
Ulysses did this too.
But only as a gesture,—a gesture which implied
To the assembled throng that he was much too moved to speak.
He learned it from Penelope...
Penelope, who really cried.

And this is an excerpt of her poem "Invocation to the Muses" which she read at a dedication at Carnegie Hall in 1941.

O Muses, O immortal Nine!—
Or do ye languish? Can ye die?
Must all go under?—
How shall we heal without your help a world
By these wild horses torn asunder?
How shall we build anew? — How start again?
How cure, how even moderate this pain
Without you, and you strong?
And if ye sleep, then waken!
And if ye sicken and do plan to die,
Do not that now!

But none of these make me feel like one tiny little poem does. It is said that she wrote this poem when she was mourning the death of her lover, another woman - certainly scandalous in the 1920s!

Be to her, Persephone,
All the things I might not be:
Take her head upon your knee.
She that was so proud and wild,
Flippant, arrogant and free,
She that had no need of me,
Is a little lonely child
Lost in Hell,—Persephone,
Take her head upon your knee:
Say to her, "My dear, my dear,
It is not so dreadful here."

Climbing a Mountain

2012-01-05T10:26:00.000-05:00

I was surprised to find that blogger and adventurer Drew Jacob had mentioned me in a blog post published yesterday. I was happily reading the post thinking "Yes, I agree with this!" when I came to this paragraph:

You might not be interested in climbing a mountain. Neither is Laura LaVoie, as far as I know. Her challenge was to build her own tiny house and downsize her life to fit into it. Then she went to Africa to use her house-building skills to help orphaned children.

Wow. He even links to my Tiny House blog and the donation page for the Zulu Orphan Alliance. I was stunned. I was more stunned because this isn't the first time Drew has mentioned me in his blog.

Other people always see you differently than you see yourself. I don't consider myself heroic in any way. In fact, what I do is nothing compared so some of the heroes I've been working with in South Africa.

But one thing I do agree with is that profoundly changing your life changes everything. If we had never decided to build a tiny house, we would have never had the opportunity to travel to South Africa. Small steps became bigger steps and next thing you know, we were doing this thing. I don't want to live a conventional life. I've done that. I want to live an extraordinary life. And while it is exciting to see people like Drew talking about the things I do, I don't do any of it to be famous. I want to live an extraordinary life for ME.

One of my primary mottos or mantras is to Just Do It. If there is something you want to see happen, I promise you it won't just happen. You have to make the change you want to see in your life. I have done this. I am doing this. I have failed just as much as I have won. Sometimes that happens, and it has to be okay. But if you put forth the effort to make positive change in your life, positive change will happen. Maybe not in the way you expected, but it will. In order for anything to happen, though, you have to actually do it.

I had to laugh, though, when Drew suggested that I didn't want to climb a mountain. He's right. It just isn't my thing. But interestingly enough, climbing a mountain was one of the things that gave me the strength to do what I am doing now. You can read about it in the Winter 2007 issue of Neokori's newsletter, He Epistole. (Go here and click on Issue #15).

Adorations to Persephone and an anthology

2012-01-04T19:43:00.000-05:00

This post is two fold.

The other day, I saw this post over at Sannion's House of Vines. I thought to myself "Hey, that is a really great idea!"

Apparently, I wasn't the only person who thought so. Another Persephone devotee, Melitta Benu,
was inspired to create her 93 Adorations to Persephone. As she mentions in her post, many of the associations are personal to her so I don't know that I will find myself using her prayers verbatim. But it is lovely just the same.

Of course, one of the reasons I began following Melitta's blog is that she is the Editor of a new devotional anthology dedicated to Persephone. I am eagerly awaiting the publication of The Queen of The Sacred Way. One of the reasons I am excited is because I have an essay in the book, but I am also excited because of some of the other authors included, such as Charles Stein. I can't believe I will be published in a volume along with people like Mr. Stein.

So stay tuned for the publication date!

Shrine

2011-12-31T10:36:00.000-05:00

I was just going through some of my old photos for a different project and I found this one.

I love the placement of the dying hydrangea with the image of Persephone and Hades along with a simple pomegranate oil lamp, a clay pig and the incense. It seems so serene and peaceful. I thought I would share it on this New Year's Eve as we cross the threshold from 2011 to 2012.

Beer, Dionysos and Christmas

2011-12-27T14:07:00.000-05:00

Every post I've put here lately has begun with apologies for not being around much lately. I have to say I am still processing many things that have happened to me recently and am also processing some of the things I am about to do. I am about to jump headfirst into what looks like a shallow pool and all I can hope for is that I won't break my neck.

But no matter what scary things lie before me, I always love to celebrate the winter holidays with my friends and family and knowing they are around and support me means everything to me.

Even though Persephone is very close to me all year long I can't help but honor Dionysos this time of year. One of the many divine births to happen around this time of year was Dionysos himself. Also, the very essence of him is celebratory.

I don't make wine, but I do brew beer and I do find that a contemplative and celebratory way to honor my gods. This year, I made a Yule Gingerbread Porter to share with our friends and family. I'm pleased with it - a hearty brown porter made with ginger, allspice, clove and cinnamon to make it taste like gingerbread. I hope they like it but most of all I hope they know that I made it to celebrate them and to celebrate life and love and happiness.

Dionysos and my Yule Gingerbread Porter

Prayers to Athena and Artemis

2011-11-24T08:04:00.000-05:00

We just got back from our trip to South Africa that I had mentioned before. I can't even begin to articulate some of the things that happened. If you want a general recap, go to our tiny house blog.

But I wanted to offer the followings Homeric hymns to Athena, for her Wisdom and Justice and to Artemis, protector of children.

I begin to sing of Pallas Athena, the dread Protectress of the city,who with Ares looks after matters of war, the plundering of cities, the battle-cry and the fray.It is She who protects the people, wherever they might come or go.Hail, Goddess, and give us good spirits and blessed favor!

Athena, may you grant us wisdom in the decision we'll have to make and allow those decisions to be just and fair.

Muse, sing of Artemis, sister of the Far-shooter, the virgin who delights in arrows, who was fostered with Apollo. She waters her horses from Meles deep in reeds, and swiftly drives her all-golden chariot through Smyrna to vine-clad Claros where Apollo, god of the silver bow, sits waiting for the far-shooting goddess who delights in arrows.

Artemis, may you please watch over our project and protect the children above all other things.

If ever I have poured libations in your honor, hear my prayers.

Libations to the Gods and Ancestors

2011-11-01T19:42:00.001-04:00

Yesterday, I held a very subdued Samhain celebration. I set up my altar for Persephone and Hades as the king and queen of the underworld and for the ancestors, as represented by a photograph of my Great Aunt and Grandmother taken in 1921. I also had a dried pomegranate on the altar as well as a coin for the underworld and a small figure of Hecate as the maid that leads the way. I also placed two small glasses on the altar. One for the Gods and one for the ancestors. Then I cracked open a bottle of the Pomegranate Wheat beer I recently brewed and poured it in the two glasses and then a small serving for myself and my partner. We sipped the beer in silence as were privately honored those who have gone before us. I hope everyone had a blessed Samhain.

In which I brew beer for the Goddess

2011-10-13T16:36:00.000-04:00

As you all know, I brew beer. I brew beer because it is awesome. I brew it because I like to drink it, but also because I enjoy the art and science behind a good brew. It has a certain magic.

Recently, I brewed a specific recipe. It turned out to be delicious, which is exactly what a brewer hopes for. It was crisp and clean and just a little bit of the fruit flavors came through. But I didn't just brew it to have a tasty beer beverage to enjoy. I brewed it as an act of love and devotion to Persephone and her mother. This is why I chose a wheat beer base, for Demeter, and added pomegranate for Persephone. In one sense, it is an offering to bring about a long term goal of mine. I want to be a brewer. Not just a homebrewer, but I want to start my own beer company or brewpub. And not in the whimsical "one day I'll do this" sense, but in the "I have a plan I will execute" sense. I want the Pomegranate Wheat to be one of my staple beers and so I thought I might want to get to practicing. There are a lot of modifications I will make the next time I give it a try. After tasting it, I thought of several different ways to get a more complex flavor out of the brew. But even still, it was a delicious beer bringing together the symbols of two goddesses.

So here is to Persephone and to Demeter. May they bless my path. And may I always be able to offer them a Pomegranate Wheat Beer to thank them.

My Equinox Celebration in Pictures

2011-09-27T20:18:00.000-04:00

I was up in Asheville this weekend working on our tiny house. Since I was there just a day after the Equinox, I wanted to pour libations and present offerings to Persephone at her Glade.

I offered her some local Asheville beer, the Highland Brewery Octoberfest, Clawhammer. Since craft beer is one of my favorite things, it seems very appropriate for me to offer it to the Goddess. The autumn seasonal beer was perfect. I poured most of it out for, her but I certainly had a few sips myself. I also picked her a small bouquet of purple wildflowers. I placed the offerings at the base of her statue in the glade.

A really cool black pointy spider had set up shop on the statue as well. I considered removing her, but somehow she seemed to belong and Persephone didn't seem to mind the company. I did find out that this kind of spider is called a Spined Micrathena and apparently their are really common. And I just love their name. Apparently, only the females make webs and all of the ones I seem to walk into with my face are Micrathena webs.

And to to honor Persephone and the changing season, I wanted to repost this poem.

Little girl running
Blonde to her autumn mother
Dancing among the daffodils
Embracing butterflies
Little girl laughing
Springtime laughing

Womanhood come little girl
Blossoming to fullness
Breasts and hips and legs
All full, beautiful
Little girl grown
Summer laughing

Then He come up
Man, misunderstood
Not the mother love
Daughter love
And with him is wed
Autumn laughing

The underworld reached
Little girl becomes queen
Queen of darkness
Last face of sweetness
Little girl is the wise one
Winter laughing

Autumn in the Air

2011-09-21T19:53:00.000-04:00

Even here in Atlanta, I am starting to feel the pull of the seasons. I didn't intend to be away from this blog for so long, but there are just so many other things going on. We have been making a push to finish the Tumbleweed House so it is 100% inhabitable by next Spring.We are also getting ready for our trip to South Africa, which is feel is being looked after by a very different Goddess. But I still can't deny the beauty of the Autumn Equinox as the time where Persephone descends once again into the Underworld to be with her husband.

I thought, to honor the turning of the season I would provide a "Greatest Hits" of the past posts on this topic.

Like the song Meet Me on the Equinox by Death Cab for Cutie. Just pretend it isn't tied into the movie Twilight.

There is also the post I did last year on the Equinox. I had woven a crude crown of orange flowers and placed them on Persephone to honor her return to the Underworld.

And I always do enjoy a good seasonal recipe from the Greek cookbook.

And, last year I also posted this photo I took of Persephone up at the land in Asheville.

And not to mention, the Autumn Equinox marks the two year anniversary of this blog.

So, Praise Persephone and this changing season. Rejoice in her descent. I leave you with this poem, my favorite by John Keats; To Autumn.

TO AUTUMN.
1.
SEASON of mists and mellow fruitfulness,
Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
Conspiring with him how to load and bless
With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run;
To bend with apples the moss’d cottage-trees,
And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;
To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells
With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,
And still more, later flowers for the bees,
Until they think warm days will never cease,
For Summer has o’er-brimm’d their clammy cells.
2.
Who hath not seen thee oft amid thy store?
Sometimes whoever seeks abroad may find
Thee sitting careless on a granary floor,
Thy hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind;
Or on a half-reap’d furrow sound asleep,
Drows’d with the fume of poppies, while thy hook
Spares the next swath and all its twined flowers:
And sometimes like a gleaner thou dost keep
Steady thy laden head across a brook;
Or by a cyder-press, with patient look,
Thou watchest the last oozings hours by hours.
3.
Where are the songs of Spring? Ay, where are they?
Think not of them, thou hast thy music too,—
While barred clouds bloom the soft-dying day,
And touch the stubble plains with rosy hue;
Then in a wailful choir the small gnats mourn
Among the river sallows, borne aloft
Or sinking as the light wind lives or dies;
And full-grown lambs loud bleat from hilly bourn;
Hedge-crickets sing; and now with treble soft
The red-breast whistles from a garden-croft;
And gathering swallows twitter in the skies.

Detroit 2011 Film Festival: Persephone

2011-08-24T18:38:00.000-04:00

On one hand I like this because it was made in Detroit, which is where I am from and still have a Stockholm Syndrome-esque draw too. On the other hand, it is titled Persephone and seems to be some level of retelling of the story. On either hand, it is freaking awesome.

Persephone from Adam N. on Vimeo.

Photoshopping Persephone

2011-08-07T10:21:00.000-04:00

Not too long ago I was having a conversation with a friend over coffee and I mentioned that I have never seen Persephone the same way twice. I figured, as a goddess, she doesn't have to have a corporeal form so why not change it up a bit. My friend said that sounded like Persephone, since she is very "Changey". Each time I do see her, I know precisely who she is but the constant reinvention in my mind means I can never accurately describe her. I write stories and poems about her and all of them feature very different physical attributes.

I just ran across this video. While the story is extremely simplified and not entirely accurate (the myth had no baring on the names of the seasons, after all), I think the Photoshop work on the statue is lovely and kind of play into my image of Persephone as an ever changing Goddess.

You can never go home again.

2011-08-05T20:37:00.000-04:00

It was Thomas Wolfe who said that you can't home again. This is something I think about all the time. I think about Place. What is home? Where on earth do we belong and does it matter?

All my life I wondered where on this planet I actually belonged. Where I was born was a circumstance, not a choice. I knew that I didn't want to be there forever. The place didn't call to me. I felt no magic. Detroit has its own kind of magic, most of which I feel is negative right now though I realize that is a biased opinion. It is actually heartwarming for me to see people who care so much about the city where I grew up, but it wasn't the place for me. Being surrounded by all the decay and all the depression was not good for me.

When the opportunity arose to move to Atlanta I jumped at the chance. It was absolutely the right decision for me at that time. Atlanta was a great move and this city is fantastic and there are lot of things I like about it. I was pleased by how easily I made friends here and how quickly we fit into life in the south. I knew the South was where I wanted to be, but was Atlanta my place on earth?

I always yearned for a place that would make me feel connected. I didn't know what that felt like so I kept waiting for it. I was concerned that my desire for place was masking another problem. Were there things about myself that made me feel inadequate that I felt only a "change of scenery" would fix? I spend a lot of time with introspection and you know what, while I'm certainly not perfect I really do like myself. I am proud of myself and my accomplishments. I am always looking for ways to improve. But having a connection to a place was not about fixing any problems, it was about filling a need. Fitting that last piece of my life story puzzle.

Some of my favorite music is about places. It is s staple of folk music. John Denver fell in love with Colorado. Jason Isbell sings about his home in Alabama. Cowboy Mouth is rooted in New Orleans. I want to feel that kind of draw and that kind of magic when I think of a place - my place. Everyone's place is different, but everyone has a place. People might even have more than one place. I didn't know what it would feel like but that is the beauty of it. Then, as soon as I set foot in Asheville North Carolina, I knew it was home. It has been a great journey to come to that place. We are still in the middle of it as we build our own little house in the woods. There is magic in that place. Something I can't explain. I feel better simply being there. Certainly that doesn't mean it will fix all my problems or make everything perfect, but it is comforting to be embraced by the mountains and the trees. It is comforting to know I belong somewhere.

They say it is the journey, not the destination that matters. The journey shouldn't stop just because you've found your place in the world. But there is certain comfort knowing that there is a place you can come back to rest your head.

Morning Theft

2011-07-28T21:05:00.001-04:00

I heard this song for the first time last week. My partner, Matt, played an open mic at a local folk music venue. While there, another kid performed this song. It made me think of Persephone and Hades. I had no idea it was by Jeff Buckley until I Googled it.

Time takes care of the wound, so I can believe.
You had so much to give, you thought I couldn't see.
Gifts for boot heels to crush, promises deceived
I had to send it away to bring us back again.
Your eyes and body brighten silent waters, deep.
Your precious daughter in the other room, asleep.
A kiss "Goodnight" from every stranger that I meet.
I had to send it away to bring us back again.
Morning theft, and pretender left, ungrateful.
True Self is what brought you here, to me.
A place where we can accept this love.
Friendship battered down by useless history,
Unexamined failure.
What am I still to you?
Some thief who stole from you?
Or some fool drama queen whose chances were few?
Love brings us to who we need,
a place where we can save
A heart that beats as both siphon and reservoir.
You're a woman, I'm a calf.
You're a window, I'm a knife.
We come together making chance into starlight.
Meet me tomorrow night, or any day you want.
I have no right to wonder just how, or when.
And though the meaning fits, there's no relief in this.
I miss my beautiful friend.
I had to send it away to bring her back again.

As I embark on a new spiritual journey...

2011-07-20T19:36:00.000-04:00

I have been away. Not because I am abandoning this blog, but I have been doing a lot of other work that has taken some time away from this writing. Most notably, I have an opportunity to go to South Africa this November to help an organization plan a sustainable building project.

Certainly, being involved with the tiny house movement and sustainable living was a big factor in this process. But there was something else that led me to this path as well - My Gods. In May of 2010, I lost a friend. Unfortunately I hadn't spoken to that friend in a while and his death hit me very hard. As the seasons turned, by October I still felt the loss but I also felt gratitude for having known him. If I had never known him, I would have never met the wonderful people who live in South Africa and do much for the children there.This project may have never happened.

Persephone is certainly with me on this journey because she is always with me, but there is another Goddess I must honor during this time. Artemis. I have never been particularly close to Artemis, but I feel her calling me as I begin planning for this project. She is so much more than just a Goddess of the hunt. She is also a protector of children, especially girls. As if I needed additional confirmation of her presence, one of the organizations that my friend works with is Operation Bobbi Bear. Since the bear is one of Artemis' most sacred animals, this seems appropriate and powerful.

I do, of course, consider the project deeply spiritual. I am grateful and humbled to be involved and marvel at all the things that have led me to this place. If you want to know how you can help, check out the Zulu Orphan Alliance website and their projects page.

Here is a poem I wrote to honor Artemis a couple of years ago. May she bless me on this journey.

Huntress, Artemis, you are silver moonglow

Sunlight stops his chariot to watch your dance

Hunter’s arrows in shadows of the oak tree

Artemis Bless Me

Spring-like water, mountain streams over rock beds

Wildlife; deer, bear. Wilderness Personified.

You are the cat and serpent, the dog, the bird

I praise Artemis

I give gifts to your temple. Your land; wild, free

I honor you; honor your brother hand in hand

Starlight, Moonlight, Dark Twilight you are Goddess

Artemis Bless Me

The Myth of Persephone: Animated

2011-07-10T11:45:00.000-04:00

Check out this video about the story of Persephone and Hades, made by a kid in England. It never ceases to amaze me how often this story is told and retold and how many different ways different people chose to tell it.

What does Hades do when Persephone isn't around?

2011-06-25T10:10:00.000-04:00

I have been pondering this question. We pay so much attention to the Lady herself in this story that I begin to wonder how lonely Hades must be without his wife. There is only one mention in infidelity in his story (and in Persephone's for that matter). I don't believe that the story of Minthe plays out year after year, so what does happen when Persephone is away. Does Hades sit solemnly on his stone throne surrounded by dull gray and apparitions in the underworld simply waiting for months for his wife to return? While Persephone rejoices in the sun and spends time with her Mother, what solace does Hades have?

Blessed Summer Solstice Everyone

2011-06-21T07:41:00.002-04:00

Trust The Process

2011-06-16T14:11:00.000-04:00

There is a weird contradiction in my life. My friends will tell you this is true. I really love to plan things. I like to know what is coming up so I can make the best possible preparations. I know what I am doing pretty much every weekend through, say, September. And by July I'll have October and possibly November figured out. Well, all right, I already know what I am doing in December too. I'm sure this is some form of OCD but it also some form of Day Dreaming. I like to imagine how an event will go and process all the possible outcomes to make something the best it can be.

At the same time, when it comes to actually doing something I like to throw caution to the wind and just do it. I know this sounds like an impossible combination, but trust me it isn't. Years ago I read a business article that made me reflect on this aspect of my personality. I have no idea where that article was or anything else about it. It was about careers or whatever, something I might have read for my job. It indicated that there were two types of decision makers. There were people who excelled at making the small decisions and people who excelled at the big ones.

And I realized that I was a big decision maker. I have no problem making large, life changing decisions. I just say to myself "Trust the process." If I jump, everything will be okay. For example - do you want to quit your job and move to Georgia? There was no internal debate. There was no fear. I was ready to pack up my stuff and get going. As you know, I did just that 8 years ago and it was honestly the best decision I have ever made. Sure, I miss some folks from my home town but since moving south there have been so many good things that I could have never experienced in my life.

But small decisions - those I have a hard time with. Waffles or Pancakes? I don't know! I like both! Can someone pick for me? Green or Blue? Um...I like both! OMG, this decision is so hard.

Built a tiny house in the woods? Sure, when do I start? Should we put shelves on this wall? Well, the might be nice to have, but I don't know...what does that entail?

Seriously.

There are parts of my life where I am willing to just "Trust The Process." There are some decisions that I suppose I think are bigger than myself. Many people would consider this divine inspiration or some type of God. When I trust the process am I trusting myself or am I trusting a power greater than myself to guide me in the right direction? I don't believe that I am not responsible for my own happiness or success, but I am willing to jump into some things with both feed because Persephone won't let me fall.

Persephone won't let me fall.

I didn't say she wouldn't let me fail. Failure is sometimes the greatest gift. But that is part of trusting the process. Once I decide to let something go, sure I might spend a lot of my time making charts and lists to organize everything, but by then the decision is made. Persephone won't let me fall.

Persephone's Tears...sadness or joy?

2011-06-05T11:46:00.000-04:00

I recently took this photo of my Persephone statue up at our land in Western North Carolina.

I always think of the summertime as the hardest time for Persephone. The underworld is her home and yet she is torn from it and forced to live in the sun, where everyone can see her, for these months. Persephone is nothing if not resilient. She not only faces the sun, but it makes her stronger. There are many lessons I have learned from Persephone's journey and one of them is that Happiness Is A Choice. Perhaps it isn't sadness at all that she feels in this half of the year but joy. The I realize my projections are not really Persephone's problem, but my own. And isn't that the core of every problem with every relationship? We simply don't understand one another and we don't talk to find out, even when we think we do. So this summer, rather than recognizing Persephone's sadness being away from her home, I will relish in her joy of being in the sun.

Persephone and Game of Thrones on HBO

2011-05-23T20:54:00.000-04:00

Rather than reposting, I want to point you to my latest contribution to The Juggler.

Musings on Zeus

2011-05-18T21:49:00.000-04:00

I had occasion this weekend to be thoughtful about Zeus. While working on our tiny house we were slaves to the whims of the weather and our final day was rained out completely. I know Zeus sometimes gets the short end of the stick when it comes to the story of his daughter. He essentially sold her off into a marriage with his brother, her uncle, without consulting her mother. But the truth remains, Persephone is as much Zeus's daughter as she is Demeter's. So this is post is about three songs for Zeus.

The first song I think of when I think of Zeus is by my all time favorite band, Counting Crows. I know it is actually based on a story called Henderson the Rain King, but the lyrics remind me of Zeus. He is the Rain King. And he belongs in the service of a Queen.

The second song is "Have You Ever Seen The Rain". While I love the original Credence Clearwater Revival version, I really love this old-school country version by Willie Nelson and Paula Nelson. I'm not normally a fan of country music, but I love classic folky country.

And, for my cheesy 90s alternative loving heart: Lightening Crashes by Live. Though, this song is probably speaks to me more of Zeus's wife, Hera.

The Last Unicorn

2011-05-11T19:38:00.000-04:00

Recently I mentioned that I had intended to explore some topics on this blog. These are things that have influenced my life in the same way as Persephone, and perhaps they have influenced my life because of Persephone. I want to start with The Last Unicorn.

If you have neither read the book nor watched the movie, go ahead and do that now. I'll wait.

Okay, are you ready?

I saw that movie when I was 7 years old when it came out in the theaters. I distinctly remember being so enamored with the visuals and the story that I sat at the the edge of my seat the whole time. Of course, I was 7 so that might have been because my feet didn't touch the ground otherwise. My father had taken myself and my brother to see it, if I recall correctly. I loved it so much I demanded that we read the book. So the next time we were at the public library and picked up a copy of The Fantasy Worlds of Peter S. Beagle, containing the Last Unicorn. We read the book together, but I'm not sure I fully groked it at the time.

Many years later, I rediscovered the movie. Some television network or another would play it at least once a year and I made an effort to watch it every time. I also eventually got another paper back version of the book and read it cover to cover. This love lasted through college. My college friends understood that I was obsessed with the book. It has actually lasted through present.

Ultimately, it is a tale of a journey of self-discovery. And you know what? It isn't unlike the story of Persephone. It isn't exactly like it, either, but not unlike it. I related to every character in the story. I felt Molly Grue's gut wrenching pain when she confronted the Unicorn. I felt Schmendrick's inadequacies when he couldn't free the unicorn (and the terror when the Harpy was freed). I felt the sadness in the voice of The Unicorn when she returned to say goodbye. This story has moved me more than just about any other.

"I have been mortal, and some part of me is mortal yet. I am full of tears and hunger and the fear of death, although I cannot weep, and I want nothing, and I cannot die. I am not like the others now, for no unicorn was ever born who could regret, but I do. I regret..unicorns are in the world again. No sorrow will live in me with that joy-save one. And I thank you for that part, too. Farewell good magician.I will try to go home now."

A couple of years ago, I had the pleasure of meeting Peter S. Beagle at Dragon*Con here in Atlanta.

I was dressed at a butterfly, and for some reason that seems terribly appropriate. I was able to have Mr. Beagle sign my battered copy of The Fantasy Worlds of Peter S. Beagle that I had picked up at a used bookstore several years before. At Dragon*Con, I was also able to see a viewing of the movie where Peter Beagle provided commentary. It was a once in a lifetime experience.

This is a story that has really affected my life. Influenced the way I think. Without it, I don't know that I would fully understand what it means to be a seeker. What it means to treat this life as a journey. Ultimately we are all on our paths of self-discovery, it is just some of us are more aware of it than others. The Unicorn brought me to another journey; the journey of Persephone. And for that I am grateful.

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-08T07:42:00.000-04:00

Persephone wouldn't have a story if it weren't for her mother. They are inextricably linked. Last year I posted this tribute to Demeter. This year, I wanted to post a new prayer for her.

This is an excerpt from a poem by 3rd century BCE poet Callimachus.

Hail, goddess, and save this people in harmony and in prosperity, and in the fields bring us all pleasant things! Feed our kine, bring us flocks, bring us the corn-ear, bring us harvest! And nurse peace, that he who sows may also reap. Be gracious, O thrice-prayed for, great Queen of goddesses!

Hail, goddess, Queen of Mothers!

Celebrations

2011-04-30T12:03:00.000-04:00

One of the reasons I follow a Pagan path is that in most incarnations it is a celebratory religion. Religion here is a broad term because there are so many Pagan paths one can walk down. I, as you are aware, celebrate the season with the myth of Persephone.

Beltane isn't part of the Hellenic tradition, but it is a lovely day that happen right in between the spring equinox and summer solstice making it very convenient to celebration. And I love to celebrate things. I'll co-opt holidays from anywhere. So, I celebrate Beltane. And since my mantra is to really get out and celebrate, I think it is important to put my money where my mouth is and follow my own advice. I won't be spending this Beltane weekend simply reciting prayers and making offers, I plan to get out and have fun.

Today, I am celebrating Beltane Eve with one of my favorite activities, a local Beer Festival. I find it suitable to raise my tiny glass of tasty beer to the Gods and revel with them this season.

Tomorrow, we go with friends to the Georgia Renaissance Festival. I will don a costume, which I also think is an appropriate way to honor the gods. Though tame and acceptable by the general public, a Renaissance Festival, if you stretch the definition, is almost a modern form of Mumming. Costumes, characters, and performances. And don't forget the food! I can share a meal of fried macaroni on a stick with my Gods this year. They Gods are joyful and I delight in their joy.

So this year, really celebrate the spirit of the season with your friends and with your favorite things.

International Pagan Coming Out Day

2011-04-27T07:20:00.001-04:00

Last summer, my friend Cara Schulz posted over on Pagan+Politics her idea for a formalized Pagan Coming Out Day. I thought this was a great idea. Not long after that, I received an email from her asking if I would be willing to help with the launch of the movement. She put together a team - a real who's who of the modern Pagan community (felt humbled to be included) - and we got to work on what is now International Pagan Coming Out Day.

I am very proud to be a part of this project. It is very important to me that everyone is able to practice their own religion or spirituality in this country without fear of retribution or worse. In spite of what some people are saying today, our country was actually founded on a principle of religious freedom. Thomas Jefferson was famously quoted as saying "But it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no God. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg."

As is evident by this blog, my spirituality is an important part of my personal identity. I honor the gods of the ancient Greeks, most especially Persephone, and I believe that there is a lot of wisdom to be found in this tradition. It is beautiful, poetic and philosophical. Human culture would not be where it is today without the influence of the ancient Greeks and that is why I find their traditions and teachings still viable today. As a devotee of Persephone, I also find great beauty in the cycles of nature. As the seasons turn from year to year I find myself in absolute awe. I certainly understand the science behind it all, but I still want to connect with a divinity that I feel embodies that natural rhythm.I want to feel a part of something bigger than myself.

Why am I saying all this? Because no matter what traditions I follow or what Goddess I honor, I am still a good person. It makes me sad to think that so many people in this world are so afraid of what other people think - whether it is society, friends, or family - that they are willing to keep something so important to them so secret. When I have kept a secret in my life it is because I thought that somehow that thing must be inherently wrong. That people would judge me or I would "get in trouble." It was a lesson I learned at an early age. I don't want that the be the lesson about Paganism. I don't want it to be considered "Wrong." And I know you can't please anyone. I have certainly heard the counter arguments and people who are angry about Pagan Coming Out Day. People who say that it isn't anyone's business but their own. That is fine, then this might not be for you. One thing we're not doing is forcing people to participate. But as you are ready, as you chose to, do this thing on your own terms. I have a very good friend who has chosen this Coming Out Day to tell his family. I am very proud of him. It takes a lot of courage and he is exactly the reason I am behind this mission. I have even been surprised by some of the response I have been getting and I have never been "in". I share things about the movement on social networking sites and non-Pagan family and friends express their support as well. It makes my heart happy to see that people are willing to embrace these religious differences.

So, this May 2nd I will be celebrating International Pagan Coming Out Day at a local bar with really good beer. Pagans and non-Pagans will be there to honor our religious diversity and our choices.

Easter Beltane?

2011-04-17T09:59:00.000-04:00

As you know, I love a good holiday. I love them so much I will gladly celebrate secular versions of any of the major religious observances. Easter is an interesting problem this year. Normally, it is so much closer to the Spring Equinox. Since the typical symbols of Easter are actually more appropriate for the Spring Equinox it was always such an easy fit. But this year, with Easter on April 24th, it is actually much closer to Beltane. I have written about Persephone's Beltane before.

I decided with Easter and Beltane just around the corner, it was time again to consult the Hellenic Cuisine Cookbook and find and appropriate offering for the holiday feast.

The cookbook conveniently references May Day or Protomayia in Greek. They suggest that it is "traditionally a day for an outing for which we suggest the following menu:"

Lamb Cooked in Foil

Pastitsio (Baked Macaroni)

Dolmathes (Stuffed Grape Leaves)

Vegetable Platter

Greek Cheese Pie

Greek Bread

Coffee or Cool Drinks

Pasta Flora

Fresh Fruit

In only the way that this cookbook can do, it doesn't provide any information on some of these recipes. I couldn't find the "Pasta Flora" at all so I had to google it. It also seems that Pastitsio is a staple and since it is one of my favorites I have posted the recipe here before. I love the lushness of this menu, too. The foods seem so sensual and rich, which is perfect. I decided to share a Dolmathes recipe here, which not only would honor Persephone this Beltane but also her brother, Dionysos who embodies much of what Beltane means.

And, true to form, the cookbook doesn't offer just a regular Dolmathes recipe. But I did fine one titled "Vine Leaves Stuffed With Rice". I present it to you unedited for your reading and cooking pleasure. I can never get enough of the way these old recipes are written even if it means I go "huh?" when I try to cook one.

Needed:

50 Vine Leaves, Fresh or Canned

2 cups Rice

3 Medium Onions, Chopped

1.5 cups olive oil

1 lemon

1 cup chopped parsley

2 tablespoons pignolia nuts (pine nuts) and currants (optional)

Salt and Pepper to Taste

Prepare as follows: fry the chopped onions in oil until golden brown. Add the washed rice and rest of ingredients and about 1 cup of water. Cover and let simmer for a few minutes. Let mixture cool. Rinse and drain vine leaves. Fill each leaf carefully, using one large or two small leaves for each dolma, making sure that the shiny side of the leaves remain on outside. A teaspoon of the filling is sufficient and do not roll too tightly to allow room for rice to expand. Place a few coarse leaves on bottom of pot, and arrange domathes side by side and layer upon layer until all leaves and filling are used. Add three cups of water, a little salt, oil and the juice of one lemon. Cover with a heavy plate and let simmer for 40-45 minutes or until the rice is cooked. Serve cold.

Concrete Evidence

2011-04-13T08:05:00.001-04:00

I had submitted this piece to a magazine but it was not selected for publication. Then promptly, I forgot about it. I found it this morning and decided now was a fine time to share it. It is about beginning the foundation of our tiny house in North Carolina - both physically and spiritually. It doesn't specifically mention Persephone, but she is my strength and inspiration. With this story of discovering my own strength, I honor her.

The mists gently cascaded over the rolling mountains. The trees swayed softly in the morning breeze. I breathed in deeply. I was at home on a mountain in the wilds of Western North Carolina, finally. Sometimes I think I can feel the pulse of the quartz that bubbles to the surface of the soil all over our land. I feel a peace I never knew I was missing.

Over the last several years, I began a journey that has changed my life; and monument to that journey stands on the top of a small mountain deep in the blue haze of the Smoky Mountains.

Several years before, I had moved to Atlanta, Georgia with my husband. We had both grown up in Suburban Detroit and had known for a long time that we didn't want to stay there forever. The opportunity presented itself to relocate to Atlanta and it seemed like a great option. We didn't really know *where* we wanted to spend the rest of our lives and Atlanta offered us the opportunity to explore the American South East. Shortly after our move, we discovered Asheville, North Carolina and fell instantly in love. We knew that we had a place we belonged.

In 2009, I found myself building a house with my own two hands. My husband had long expressed restlessness with the corporate world of 9 to 5 jobs and work that did not fulfill him spiritually. For him, the solution to that was to explore his dream of building a house on his own. For myself, I had always wanted to live self sufficiently - I wanted to be accountable only to myself when it came to how I spent my time and how I used my own resources to live simply. Those two motivating factors were easily compatible and we enjoyed working together to realize them. When we uncovered the mysterious properties of Asheville we finally felt ready to move forward with those dreams. We were able to buy fifteen acres in the mountains just north of Asheville and began work on a tiny cabin. We painstakingly began to build, having never done anything like it before. Occasionally we had friends help us, but most of the time it was just the two of us camping and building on weekends.

On a weekend in May, I discovered a strength that I didn't know I had. Our building site is inaccessible by car or truck by design. We use an ATV to get supplies to the area. This particular weekend we were to pour the concrete piers for our foundation. The holes had been dug several weeks prior by my husband and a friend using an auger rented from Home Depot. We had hoped to begin the process of pouring the concrete at that time, but we had been slowly learning that projects seemed to progress at their own pace regardless of our determination. Now, the two of us faced the task of pouring the piers ourselves in one two-day weekend. Neither of us had ever done it before. We spent time making sure the cardboard tubes, called Sonotubes, used to set the posts were level with one another and cut to the right height. We transported a small cement mixer, thirty gallons of water, and twenty-four hundred pounds of unmixed concrete up to the building site. We were forced to make trip after trip as the ATV could only carry three bags of concrete at a time. When finally all of the components were safely at our worksite, we began to mix and pour concrete to make eight foundation piers. By this time, it was already after noon on Sunday. Both of us still worked corporate jobs in Atlanta so we were motivated to get this project done in time to get back for work on Monday. Like the proverbial well-oiled machine, the two of us worked together mixing one bag of concrete with one gallon of water at a time, thankfully with the help of a cement mixer and our generator. We would pour the mixture into a bucket and then into the sonotubes. Bucket after bucket after bucket. Time still marched on and while working on the seventh pier we knew that we were running out of daylight. We both started to panic in different ways. My partner was worried about getting everything done to perfection in spite of the time crunch and I was worried about having enough time to clean up the worksite and begin the three hour drive back to Atlanta. Emotions ran high and tempers began to flare. As the last light of the sun dipped below the mountains, we set the last anchor bolt in the wet concrete of pier number seven with only the illumination of a flash light. This still meant we had one more pier to do, and we would have to mix it by hand some other weekend as we had to return the mixer to its lender. Anxiously, we were able to clean up the worksite, pack up the car and leave the Blue Ridge mountains going toward Atlanta. It was eleven thirty when we started the three hour drive back. We were both tired and we drove in shifts and finally made it back around two thirty a.m. on Monday Morning. I had called my office and left a message over night. - I needed some sleep or I was going to be completely non-functional. The gravity of what we had actually accomplished finally set in and by the next day the memory of the event began to change.

To be completely honest, I was miserable that day. It was hard and dirty work that I had never done before. I was frustrated by time not being on our side. Never once was I ready to give up. Now, there is a little house standing at the top of a mountain near Asheville, NC. With our own determination and with the help of some dear friends, we were able to construct a perfectly level and square tiny cabin in the woods. It isn't done yet, but we are very proud of where we are. And still, we haven't dreamed of giving up.

ee cummings and my daffodils

2011-03-31T07:20:00.000-04:00

My daffodils in North Carolina.

And now, a poem by ee cummings:

in time of daffodils(who know
the goal of living is to grow)
forgetting why,remember how

in time of lilacs who proclaim
the aim of waking is to dream,
remember so(forgetting seem)

in time of roses(who amaze
our now and here with paradise)
forgetting if,remember yes

in time of all sweet things beyond
whatever mind may comprehend,
remember seek(forgetting find)

and in a mystery to be
(when time from time shall set us free)
forgetting me,remember me

Conspiracy Theory?

2011-03-24T07:30:00.000-04:00

I would have never thought that Persephone would be the central figure in a little known conspiracy theory about the United States government. But, it seems, she is. I have conversations sometimes with folks about the fact that Paganism is not taken seriously in this country. I think ownership for that falls squarely on us as Pagans. Average people don't even know that Paganism exists. To them it would be weird to think about people still honoring ancient traditions and old Gods. We need to educate everyone that Paganism is not only not "weird" but a perfectly valid and beautiful religious tradition. Truthfully, weird political conspiracy theories don't really help. So which is it folks, do we have a Christian Country or is congress under the spell of Persephone, who is apparently the Goddess of Darkness? I figure I'd rather draw attention to this very bizarre but apparently unknown issue to show just how ridiculous it actually sounds.

The statue on top of the capitol building is actually Freedom. As far as I understand it has never been Persephone. But symbols are what we believe they are. If these (hopefully few) folks believe that Persephone stands on top of the capital it seems to be to be better to educate them that their ideas about the Goddess are a little off. I've spent a lifetime studying and honoring Persephone and while she might have a bit of a dark side, I'm not certain she has ever had the reputation of the evil Goddess of evil. She represents change, cycles, beauty, youth. The is both a maiden and a queen. She is beautiful.

My Equinox in Pictures

2011-03-20T17:12:00.000-04:00

Action seems to be my mantra. Don't just "practice" religion, live it. So, today, on the Spring Equinox I spend the day getting my hands dirty, literally.

I mentioned in my last post that one of the things that I wanted to get accomplished on this first day of spring was to bottle our newest beer. I will start off by saying this task did not get completed. And it was for entirely practical reasons. We have 8 beers left in our first batch and I need those bottles. But if you are interested in reading about the eventual progress, don't forget to check out my beer blog. With that being said, here is the evidence of what I did do today.

We started our day by heading out to gather our supplies. We stopped at Whole Foods to get some organic potatoes to be able to plant in our new balcony container garden. While we were there, we picked up some tilapia, and fresh beans to make for our Spring Equinox dinner (which Matt will be starting shortly). We will also roast up the remaining fingerling potatoes that we didn't plant. I also grabbed some cut daffodils to decorate the altar and the house. Then we stopped by a garden supply store and picked up containers, top soil, fertilizer, a shovel and our plans. We chose tomatoes, sweet banana peppers, and jalapeno peppers to go with our fingerling potatoes.

When we got home, I started by putting the flowers on the altar for Persephone. We also cracked open a beer, which I am sharing with her as well. It isn't a homebrew, but I still felt it was an appropriate offering.

Then, Matt and I got to work with our balcony garden.

Praise to Persephone and may she bless our newly planted green growing things.

Daffodils, Beer and Potatoes: How I'm celebrating Spring

2011-03-19T09:01:00.001-04:00

In spite of the title, this is really nothing to do with St. Patrick's day. Though I did go out and celebrate on Thursday and enjoyed myself quite a bit. Beer and Potatoes refer to something all together different.

Last weekend, I was up in Asheville and was excited to see that the daffodils I planted last year had made it through the winter and were beginning to bloom. The hadn't quite bloomed yet, but I thought they were beautiful. I can't wait to go back next week and see the flowers.

But this weekend, we're in Atlanta. Today, we are going out with friends to see the Atlanta Roller Derby. It seems like a great way to celebrate the return of the Goddess. Tomorrow, on the day of the equinox, I am going to bottle my newest beer, an ESB. Matt also wants to start container gardening on our little apartment balcony. I know he wants to grow potatoes and poblano peppers and I think something else too but I don't remember what. I also want to get some flowers to decorate Persephone's altar.

I also keep reading about the Supermoon. I've never been a very lunar oriented Pagan, but it is still always cool to see a gorgeous moon in the sky on the first night of Spring.

So, on this Equinox I encourage you to get out there. Go outside. Revel in the new Spring. Revel in the return of the Goddess. You can read your hymns and say your prayers, but don't stop there. Do something. It doesn't have to be bottling beer or planting potatoes, but it shouldn't just be nothing either. Persephone is returning. Rejoice.

First Days of Spring

2011-03-15T20:50:00.000-04:00

I am counting down to the Spring Equinox and the return of Persephone. I was recently introduced to this song and I think it is perfect. I don't know whether it is Persephone or Hades I hear in the lyrics.

It's the first day of spring
And my life is starting over again
Well the trees grow, the river flows
And its water will wash away my sin
For I do believe that everyone
has one chance to fuck up their lives
Like a cut down tree, I will rise again
I'll be bigger, and stronger than ever before

If I'm still here hoping, that one day you may come back
If I'm still here hoping, that one day you may come back

There's a hope in every new seed
And every flower that grows on the Earth
And though I love you, and you know that
Well I no longer know what that's worth
And I'll come back to you, in a year or so
And rebuild ready to become
Oh the person, you believed in
Or the person that you used to love

If I'm still here hoping, that one day you may come back
If I'm still here hoping, that one day you may come back

Who Am I?

2011-03-09T19:27:00.000-05:00

Recently, I completed a project where I was exploring the Homeric Hymn to Demeter in the style of Lectio Divina. I use to fall back on that project when I hadn't had any other original ideas for writing. Without that discipline, sometimes I feel like I am not sure what to share. I thought it would be an interesting exercise on this blog to explore some of the things that make up who I am exactly. There are a lot of things in my life that make me uniquely me - just as they are a lot of things in each of your lives that accomplish the same thing. We are each made up of multiple decisions. These things create the core of our beings. They create our essence. Occasionally, we rethink and reconsider the decisions and processes that brought us to a certain place and we make a course correction, but there are some things that make up the core of our beings.

These life influences can come from a lot of difference places. It can be music that touches our souls, people who have made a difference in our lives, books that changed the way we think, and places that we call home. I want to inventory some of these things in my life and the turning points they brought about and why they make me feel like they do.

Among the things that I will be exploring will be:

Being from Detroit
Living in Atlanta
Loving Asheville
How the Musical Les Miserables influenced me
The Last Unicorn book and movie
Watership Down
Music that inspires me
Building a Tiny House
Loving and Brewing Beer
Traveling to Ireland and Italy
My Partner
My Sphynx Cat, Piglet
Persephone

There may be more things that hit me as I explore my own path. Join me on this journey and I hope it makes you consider the places you've been, the things you love and the things you've done.

The Promise of Spring

2011-03-08T21:49:00.000-05:00

There is so much to love about March. Of course this is the month of Persephone's return and the flowers rejoice and bloom to welcome her. It is also the national holiday to celebrate beer and all things Irish. I understand that some folks are less than pleased to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, but I do not share that perspective. For me, March 17th is all about beer and Irish pride and since I like both of those things I will happily co-opt this Catholic holy day that most people don't even realize is a Catholic holy day.

That is just the first of things that March delivers. The second most notable event is the Spring Equinox itself. Last year, I was able to celebrate the return of Persephone at the glade that I built for her. My friend and I planted daffodils in her honor and read hymns and poured libations of beer. I was so excited when I was back at the glade about a week and a half ago and saw that the green shoots of the daffodils were reborn this year. I will be able to visit the glad this coming weekend and am beside myself with anticipation to see if the flowers have bloomed. Persephone's return means a burst of energy. Every year at this time I feel tingle of this new spring energy all over my body and it makes me want to accomplish something.

There is one last day in March that is special to me. My birthday, March 29th. Not only is it Persephone's return every year but I also know that within just a few days of her return I can also celebrate another year in my own life. I can reflect on all that I have done in the past year and consider all the things I can accomplish in the year ahead.

What kind of renewal is this spring bringing to you? What will you celebrate? What will you plant? What will you cultivate?

29. Hymn to Persephone Translation by Apostolos N. Athanassakis

Persephone, blessed daughter of great Zeus, sole offspring of Demeter,
Come and accept this gracious sacrifice.
Much-honored spouse of Plouton, discreet and life-giving,
You command the gates of Hades in the bowels of the earth,
Lovely-tressed, Praxidike, pure bloom of Deo, mother of the Furies,
Queen of the netherworld whom Zeus sired in clandestine union.
Mother of loud-roaring and many shaped Eubouleus,
Radiant and luminous playmate of the Seasons, august, almighty,
Maiden rich in fruits, you alone are beloved of mortals.
In spring you rejoice in the meadow breezes,
And you show your holy figure in shoots and green fruits.
You were made a kidnapper's bride in the fall,
And you alone are life and death to toiling mortals,
O Persephone, for you always nourish all and kill them too.
Hearken, O blessed goddess, and send forth the earth's fruits.
You who blossom in peace, in soft-handed health,
And in a life of plenty that ferries old age in comfort to your realm,
O queen, and to that of mighty Plouton.

So, Seriously. I'm not a teenage girl.

2011-03-01T21:12:00.000-05:00

However, if you look at some of the fiction I read you might think so. I am currently reading the newest Rick Riordan Olympians book, The Lost Hero. I've written about the Percy Jackson series and the movie here before. Honestly, I didn't know there was a new Olympians book, but I am glad he wrote it. And I like his particular take on the mythology, too. I do plan to write a more formal review over at the Juggler once I finish reading it.

I don't want you to think I don't take my religion seriously, because I do. But I also think there is a place for a bit of whimsy. I thought to myself if I had been a teenager who discovered that I was a demigod and sent to Camp Half Blood, who's child would I be? Being a devotee of Persephone I first thought of her, but my image of her is defined so much by her childless status that I don't want to imagine that she's had any demigod children.

And that led me to Demeter. In the books she is painted as a little one dimensional, at least so far, but Riordan has a way of turning your preconceived notions on their heads as you read the series. This is why I think they are such a great primer of Greek myths for kids. I have a feeling this may yet be explored. She is the overbearing mother of Persephone, which is not untrue. Her children are good with plants and food and cooking. This may not describe me perfectly, but I am good at recipes. I can make beer. This is definitely in Demeter's realm. I love the seasons, which she brings to us. And that would make me Persephone's sister, which feels more like the devotional relationship I have with her anyway. She is not my mother, but my mentor. I look up to her and I want to be more like her.

I would proudly be a child of Demeter.

Seasonal Play List

2011-02-19T09:33:00.001-05:00

I have said over and over again, the thing that pulls me toward Persephone is the sense of wonder I get with the turning of the seasons. Today, in Atlanta, it will be 70 degrees in February. That isn't normal, but it is wonderful and I plan to be outside all day long. I understand the science of the seasons, but that doesn't stop me from experiencing the beauty of them as they cycle through each year without fail.

I decided to put together a Seasonal Play List. These are 4 songs for each season that aren't specifically about honoring Persephone but do honor the feelings that each season brings to me which in turn honors Persephone.

Since spring is just around the corner, I want to start there.

Spring

Southland in the Springtime by Indigo Girls
I've written about this before, so you can just click the link if you want to read why this song is so important to me. When God made me born a Yankee, she was teasing.

Poets by The Tragically Hip
I wrote about the album that this song was on, but not about this song specifically. There is something about it that just makes me feel alive with springtime energy.

Beautiful Day by U2
This is not my favorite U2 song, but I can't deny it's spring flavor.

The heart is a bloom, shoots up through stony ground
But there's no room, no space to rent in this town
You're out of luck and the reason that you had to care
The traffic is stuck and you're not movin' anywhere
You thought you’d found a friend to take you out of this place
Someone you could lend a hand in return for grace

It's a beautiful day,
The sky falls and you feel like
It's a beautiful day,
Don’t let it get away

Celtic Spring by Van Morrison
I never thought I liked Van Morrison. And I still don't like "Brown Eyed Girl". But then I heard the song "Into the Mystic" and understood his genius. His songs are often seasonal and spiritual. Celtic Spring is no exception.

Wanna dance by you by the light of the moon
I wanna see you there on a bright afternoon
I wanna sing my song, won't you play me the tune
In the regions again

In the Celtic Spring
In the Celtic Spring
Won't you come and go

Summer

June Hymn by The Decemberists
This is a band new song on the brand new album The King is Dead. I love it. I love every note and every lyric. It makes me want to lay back and feel the summer sweep over me.

Summer's Cauldron by XTC
This band is one of my favorites. I think they are underrated.

Trees are dancing drunk with nectar, grass is waving underwater
Please don't pull me out, this is how I would want to go
Insect bomber Buddhist droning, copper chord of August's organ
Please don't heed my shout, I'm relaxing the undertow

Island in the Sun by Wheezer
You may notice a trend when it comes to my summer song choices. I like that lazy feeling of summer. Sit back, relax, and just let the summer happen. Plus, the video has a kitten. You can never go wrong with a kitten.

Ain't No Sunshine by Bill Withers
But I can't help but think about how summer comes because of the ultimate sacrifice. Persephone returns so we can enjoy the sunshine, but she leaves behind her husband and King. This song is for Hades.

Autumn

Meet Me On The Equinox by Death Cab for Cutie
The only negative thing I can say about this song is that it comes from a movie about sparkly vampires.

Meet me on the Equinox
Meet me half way
When the sun is perched at its highest peek
In the middle of the day

Let me give my love to you
Let me take your hand
As we walk in the dimming light
Or darling understand

Autumn Almanac by The Kinks

Friday evenings, people get together,
Hiding from the weather.
Tea and toasted, buttered currant buns
Can't compensate for lack of sun,
Because the summer's all gone.

Moondance by Van Morrison
A little song for Samhain.

And all the leaves on the trees are fallin'
To the sound of the breezes that blow
An' I'm trying to please to the callin'
Of your heart strings that play soft and low

And all the nights magic seems to whisper and hush
And all the soft moonlight seems to shine in your blush
Can I just have one more moondance with you, my love?
Can I just make some more romance with you, my love?

September Morn by Neil Diamond
Is it a "Guilty Pleasure" when you post about it on the Internet? Okay, I have a soft spot in m heart for Neil Diamond. Once I get past the creepy old man feeling. But this song is a lovely tribute to Autumn love, like when Hades and Persephone are reunited at the equinox.

Winter

Hazy Shade of Winter by Simon and Garfunkel
I have to be a purist and say that the only version anyone should concern themselves with is the original, not the Bangles version from the 80s. I think this song really brings that sense of seasonal transition. The leaves are brown and fall has just passed us, the snow is just beginning to fall. I don't know that it gets much better than Simon and Garfunkel.

Love Will Tear Us Apart by Joy Division
This song isn't so much about winter as it is the feeling that winter gives me. Hades and Persephone know that through this dark season they will once again be separated. Even Hades makes a sacrifice for the good of all people.

Winter by Tori Amos
This is probably my favorite song of all time.

When you gonna make up your mind?
When you gonna love you as much as I do?
When you gonna make up your mind?
Cause things are gonna change so fast
All the white horses are still in bed
I tell you that I always want you near
You say that things change, my dear

Winter Song by Crash Test Dummies
I know a lot of people hate Crash Test Dummies. I am not one of those people. I especially love their first album, The Ghosts that Haunt Me which is where this song comes from. I like the nostalgic feeling I get when I listen to this song.

And there you have it, my seasonal playlist. Some songs for Persephone, some songs about Persephone and some songs that just make me feel the sense of wonder about each season as the wheel of the year keeps turning.

Orpheus in the Underworld

2011-02-13T08:21:00.000-05:00

It has been a while since I brought up Orpheus her. I had been so into the myth last year when Anais Mitchell's folk opera Hadestown was released. And it is pretty clear that I love this story because of Persephone's role in the tale.

There is an often overlooked version of the story. Even though it is overlooked it might be the single most recognizable piece of music ever written. It is a form of operetta written by composer Jacques Offenbach first performed in 1858.

In the second act, there is a song called The Infernal Gallop which has become associated with the French dance The Can-Can. So much so that it is often called by the name Can-Can than by it's actual name.

I couldn't find too many actual performance videos (as opposed to orchestral versions) but this one is pretty good.

There is, however, a version of the song used in the Baz Luhrmann movie Moulin Rouge. The movie is, in some ways, a descent into the underworld just like the journey of Orpheus. In this instance, it is a naive young writer with stars in his eyes named Christian who finds himself in the seedy underworld of the Moulin Rouge and falls in love with the untouchable Satine. It remains one of my favorite movies.

"Just Do It" isn't just for selling sneakers...

2011-02-03T19:22:00.000-05:00

I don't spend much time at all on this blog or elsewhere in my life preaching at people. It just isn't something that I do. I'm not clergy so I don't suppose I consider myself qualified to preach and even if I were clergy I don't personally find preaching an effective method of congregation herding. That is probably one reason I am not Christian. Of course, the reason I am beginning this post with these disclaimers is, of course, because I am about to preach. Maybe preach is a harsh word, but I have something I really need to say and I want as many people as possible to really read what I have to say about it. To really listen to me. Ready?

One of my favorite motivational quotes is the famous Gandhi phrase "Be the change you wish to see in the world." I use to think this really just meant "in regards to human rights and activism." But after years of reflection on these few words I honestly believe that it applies to everything someone does in their life. This is a principle I refer to as "Positive action creates positive action."

I spent a good portion of my life waiting for something to happen. I waited for someone else to present me with the opportunities to advance whatever part of my life that needed advancement. I waited for raises or promotions. I hoped someone would see that I was a talented writer and give me the opportunity to write. I waited. Then one day, I had a revelation. There was no magic opportunity fairy. I could wait for "a better time" for the rest of my life and "a better time" would never come. Some people say "God helps those who help themselves." Same is true for The Goddess. I realized that I was the only person in my life who could create any of my own opportunities. And if I created my own opportunities I might be blessed with more opportunities. And so I dove in; deep.

It started small about 10 years ago. On a whim, I emailed Anne Newkirk Niven the editor of Sage Woman magazine and offered a proposal for a series of articles. She informed me it wasn't right for Sage Woman (initial disappointment) but would be great for PanGaia (yay!) and directed me to the editor of that magazine. For the next year and a half I had a featured column in PanGaia. And what that really did for me was boost my confidence. It was no longer "I want to be a writer when I grow up" but "I'm a writer." I was emboldened to share my work with other markets and was subsequently published in Llewellyn's magical almanacs for two years. I met people and made connections. I felt good about myself because I took a positive step in the direction I wanted to go.

Then I moved to Georgia and that was a big change in my life as well. I started out still writing and still active in a community that would empower me. After a while, though, I began to get comfortable and complacent again. I kept writing but I stopped publishing and I kept thinking "one day" I would do something else. One day an opportunity would present itself to me.

I suppose one day it did. My best friend emailed me about 2 years ago and said "You know, I want to write and you want to write but neither of us are writing. What are we waiting for?" And she was absolutely right. Positive action breeds positive action. We began writing and sending our pieces to each other. It didn't matter if they were good, but just that we were doing them. During this period of time I also began to publish this blog. It started, and remains, primarily a blog of inspiration. It is dedicated to the Goddess I am most devoted to and was simply intended to be a platform for me to express my relationship with her. I didn't really care that people read it, just that I was writing it. And positive action bred positive action. The more I wrote here the more I wanted to share. Next thing I know I was volunteering for other aspects of the greater community. Since May I have been writing for the PNC pop culture blog The Juggler. I feel like I am contributing to the world in my own small way. My best friend, by the way, has also been writing a lot. She finished a novel and half of another and just started a new one as well as several short stories. Positive action breeds positive action.

I also have two other blogs. My partner, who also believes in action over words, put his money where his mouth is and began a lifelong dream of building his own small house with his own hands. With no building experience and armed with a dream and amazing research skills, we began to build a 120 foot cabin in the mountains. I wrote about the process on my more private journal primarily for safe keeping. I started to realize people were interested. I started to realize strangers were interested. So I started the blog. I don't do it for the recognition but I do get really excited when I see the blog featured on other blogs or in local newspapers.

Then, over the last year, I started to get really interested in another project - beer. Sure, I like drinking it but what I really loved about it was the art of it. I was fascinated by the overwhelming variety and by the community of people it seems to bring together. I also became interested in the science behind it. I wanted to learn to brew my own. For the first time it occurred to me that blogging could be a significant motivator in the process at inception. If I write about what I am doing I have a responsibility to actually do it. It makes it real. After I started posting to my blog a few friends who have made beer before were suddenly inspired to do it again. Positive action breeds positive action.

I get really excited when my friends express an interest in starting something. I want to be involved, I want to encourage them. You want to start the movement for International Pagan Coming Out Day? I'm behind you 100%. You want to train to eventually try out for the roller derby? Where's the next skate party? I'm here for you.

This isn't about "Hey look at me!" or bragging about the things that I've done. I'm not perfect and I have a lot of work still left to do. This is more about "If I can do it, so can you." I don't really care what it is that you do, just do it. You want to build a tiny house in the woods? Just do it. You want to write a novel? Just do it. You want to travel the world? Just do it. You want to change your life? Just do it. No one can do it for you. I am here specifically to give you the encouragement that you can, in fact, do it. There are always sacrifices. Sometimes, there is even failure. There are always small steps, but your opportunities are out there. Positive action breeds positive action. Be the change you wish to see in the world. Go ahead, I'll wait here...

Imbolc Cyber Poetry Fest 2011

2011-02-01T07:31:00.000-05:00

Though I have been on a Hellenic path for years, Brigid has always been important to me. She was one of the gods we evoked at our handfasting 14 years ago and I also spent Imbolc 2005 in Kildare celebrating with the nuns. I've shared this poem here before, but I thought it would be a good day to share it again.

The Song of Brigid

I am the smoke on the pyre
I am the bubble in the brook
I am the cat asleep on the hearth
I am the wren on the breeze
I am the heat of the blaze
I am the herb of healing
I am a red-eared cow
I am the playful otter
I am a well on the land
I am the inspiration
I am the anvil and the hammer
I am the goddess who burns the inner fire
…Who stokes the fire of the home
…Who fans the fire of the forge.
…Who is the fire of the heart

And inspired by that, in 2008 I wrote another poem for the Olympic Gods, to honor that path in my life.

The Song of Olympos

I am the fire on the hearth
I am the lightening in the storm
I am the eye of the cow
I am the crashing sea
I am the sheaf of wheat
I am the lover's embrace
I am the music of the lyre
I am the sword and the shield
I am the hunter in the wild
I am the wisdom of ages
I am the anvil and the hammer
I am the guide of the dead
I am the vine and the grape
I am the fire in the hearth
...We are the eternal ones
...We are the deathless ones
...We are the Gods of Olympos

Tonight, we are making cheese fondue to celebrate the milk festival and I will raise a glass of beer for Brigid.

When Two World Colide: Persephone Pils

2011-01-26T07:24:00.001-05:00

As you have recently learned, I love the art of beer. And maybe there was a reason that I started my odyssey in beer brewing this year and not sooner in my life. I just learned of Grand Teton Brewery out of Idaho of all places and their new reserve beer, Persephone Pils. The description sounds lovely and as one blogger pointed out, it tastes like spring. I would love to try it and see, in fact, if it does tasted like it has been touched by the Goddess of Spring upon her return. I also really love the label that was designed by Grand Teton's own artist.

Black Swan as Persephone

2011-01-16T10:13:00.002-05:00

I posted this review of the movie Black Swan over at the Juggler. I just wanted to share it here as well.

Snowpocalypse 2011

2011-01-11T11:13:00.000-05:00

It isn't as rare as it seems to have snow or ice in Atlanta. Honestly, there has been at least one major winter event since I moved here in 2003. But this week we've been hit by an event that no one here ever remembers seeing. Businesses have been closed for two days. Roads are icy and eerily empty (thankfully). Adults turn in to children going outside to sled and build snowmen.

Of course, for me this kind of winter weather speaks of the journey of Persephone. The deeper she descends the harsher the winter for us as her mother mourns her leaving. But my favorite winter prayer is not for Demeter nor Persephone, but Zeus her father. This is by Alcaeus, a contemporary of Sappho.

Rain falls from Zeus, and out of the sky a great
winter storm comes; the streams are frozen
[two lines missing]
Defy the storm, lay wood upon
the fire, mix the honey-sweet wine
unstintingly, and about your temples
place a headband of soft wool

I will defy the storm indeed.

Praise to Mother Demeter, Goddess of Grains

2011-01-09T19:34:00.000-05:00

I am starting a new project this year. I am excited about it so I wanted to share it here. The other day I launched a new blog. This year, 2011, I will be learning the art of brewing beer. I have long enjoyed beer, and now I feel the next step in my life is to make it myself. While the blog itself isn't devotional in nature, the act of brewing beer for me is a spiritual practice. So I dedicate this project to Demeter, the mother of Persephone and Dionysos, her brother and sometimes son.

Praise Demeter, giver of the barley which brings us the malt
Praise Dionysos, lord of the vine and the green hops flower
May I honor you by chemistry and design
May I offer you the taste of the beer I make.

Demeter, may you bless the porters,
the wheats, the browns and the ambers

Dionysos may you bless the pale ales,
the bitters, the stouts, and the pilsners.

Pomegranate Martinis

2010-12-30T20:27:00.000-05:00

It has occurred to me that while I have showcased several other pomegranate based cocktails, I have never posted a recipe for a Pomegranate Martini. If I go out for cocktails, I always seek out the pomegranate martinis from the menu.

Pomegranate Martinis have become very popular with bars and clubs and when you search for them it isn't hard to find several tasty looking options. I thought I might catalog several offerings here.

Oprah even has a favorite recipe.
This one includes vanilla.
This website has several recipes.
And this website has a few as well.

Enjoy a pomegranate martini at your next Persephone themed cocktail party! What, you don't have those? Well, you should.

What makes a family?

2010-12-28T12:06:00.000-05:00

I have been in various conversations about just this subject over the years and this holiday season has really made me think about my place in the structure.

Persephone has two very specific family roles. She is a daughter and wife. One thing she is not, as I have discussed before, is a mother. Her identity is defined by what she is as well as what she is not, which is really what a lot of us deal with when understanding our place in our world.

Starting about a year ago and brought up again this year, a friend of mine is very offended by a jewelry commercial that plays during the holidays. While I don’t get as worked up as the people in the linked forum discussion, I do agree that a baby doesn’t necessarily make a family and I think it devalues child-free couples as non-families in our societies.

In another conversation at The Wild Hunt, there was talk about whether or not marriage as an institution is in crisis in America. I have a particular stake in this debate as I have specifically opted out of “Marriage” in my relationship. There are a lot of reasons for this including financial choices, spiritual choices and not wanting to support a program that is discriminatory by nature. In that post there was a great point made by blogger and friend Cara Schulz:

“I don't think marriage is obsolete any more than families are obsolete. How we define "marriage" and "family" may change, though, and has changed in the past. I think Americans are disillusioned by marriage because we, culturally, have placed marriage into a fairy tale.

Looking to the past, before we get into such a rush to throw it all away as meaningless, there is some wisdom to be learned about marriage.

We marry (in this country) primarily for love. We love the person and decide to make it official. That's OK as far as it goes, but it shouldn't be the only factor in that decision. What about shared core values? When looking for a mate are you choosing one based on if they have the capability to be a full and true partner to you? Do you respect one another and is that respect reflected in your actions? Do you love this person in a non-romantic way plus a romantic love -meaning - do you see them as FAMILY? Family that you can stick with even when they piss you off? Are they your ally in life? Do you have each other’s back? Can you count on them? Are they reliable?

In the past parents arranged marriage based on property, title, wealth, connections, and other economic reasons. But they also looked for mates for their children (and for themselves) based on the questions I listed above. Parents in the past didn't love their children any less than parents do now. And parents in other cultures where arranged marriage is still the norm don't love their children any less. But they did have a firmer grasp that a spouse isn't just a romantic interest - a spouse was a new member of the *family* and great care needed to be taken when accepting a new member.

I'm glad I didn't have an arranged marriage and I'm happy our culture encourages marriage for love. But we've gone too far. We now exclude almost every other consideration other than romantic love when deciding who to marry. We don't look at spouses as *family* anymore.”

What is interesting about both of these discussions – about the Kay Jewelers commercial and about the marriage crisis in America – is that they are both the same issue. We don’t seem to look at our partners as “Family” anymore because apparently we aren’t family until we have babies. That is why gay marriage seems to be such an issue in our country. Fundamental opponents to gay marriage are worried that it will destroy family values and because gay couples can’t have children in the truest biological sense, then they are not “Families”.

So, for Persephone – is she more of a daughter or more of a wife? Which is her family? Of course Demeter, her over protective mother, is her family but do we view Hades as her Husband – her Partner? Do they have each other’s back when it really counts? In spite of some indiscretions that are common for the Gods, I believe that they do. When it really mattered, Hades let Persephone go because it was for the good of their family.

My partner and I have been together nearly 16 years. While we love each other very much romantically we also love each other as true partners. We work together to achieve common goals. We support each other emotionally as well as practically, which includes financial and household matters. We provide each other with the things that each of us needs to feel fulfilled spiritually. I think for that reason alone, my partner is very much my family.

So, what makes a family?

Small White Flowers

2010-12-27T11:01:00.000-05:00

This is something that I wrote back in January of 2008. I had requested an oracle from Kate Winter, author of the Girls Underground Blog. I asked her to see if Persephone had a message for me for the coming year. Check out her information on her mantic practice here. I wrote this at the time to sort out the meaning of the message, but it was very personal and I never shared it. With the dawning of this new year around the corner, I feel like it is the right time to share. There isn't anything terribly revelatory here, but I thought the images of the small white flowers would bring us through this winter on our journey with Persephone.

“I saw a pretty gentle year ahead of you, but with a lot of work. But even though there will be work, you will have help and encouragement and gifts along the way. I saw Persephone handing you a bunch of small white flowers and then stepping back to oversee what you were working on. It was pretty sweet, actually.
I think this is straightforward (unlike so many oracles I get!) but if you have any questions, let me know.” – oracle by Dver

When I received the email, I thought to clarify which “small white flowers” Persephone was giving to me. However, I had a sudden sense that this wasn’t something Dver could provide for me. She is the vessel, she is the oracle – but I am the one living my own life. I was inspired to take her words and discover for myself what flowers Persephone might have chosen and, using the Victorian conventions for the language of flowers, determine just what the message might be. So I researched white flowers and came across 10 types that I though the Goddess might have gathered in her bouquet. Then I looked up what those flowers meant. What follows is the message I believe I was given.

Baby’s Breath

A typical addition to wedding arrangements, bouquets of red roses and high school prom corsages, Baby’s Breath seemed to fit the description of “small white flower” more than just about any other. They don’t get much smaller, or more delicate. The Victorians ascribed the message of “Everlasting Love” to these flowers. For Persephone this may describe her own marriage to the Lord of the Underworld. For time and memorial, she remains his loyal and faithful queen returning to his underworld realm each year as promised and taking up her mantle of wife. I’ve often seen her journey back to the upper world to see her mother more of a visit or a vacation, her real work and her real life exist with her husband. Is this not true for most people? Especially in modern America. Children are raised by their parents to be independent beings and eventually leave the nest and make their own fortunes. I myself have been in a long term relationship. I have been with the same person since I was 19 years old and our partnership continues to get better with time. Persephone approves of my choice in made and gives us her blessings that this is indeed an Everlasting Love.

Carnation

I originally overlooked the carnation as a flower that Persephone might have chosen for me, but I was drawn back to it. When I read the meaning that it was given, I was glad that I did include it on my list of the flowers. The Victorian’s believe is represented “Sweet and lovely”, “innocence” and “pure love”. All of these things fell in line with what Dver saw in Persephone’s message. However, there was one final meaning that seemed more appropriate to me; “Woman’s good luck gift”. Would Persephone have handed me a carnation to give me a boost of “luck” or even her blessings for the coming year? I think a wish of “good luck” form a Goddess would be fortuitous indeed.

Daffodil

I needed to include the Daffodil, or Narcissus, in any bouquet of flowers that Persephone would have gathered. I know, typically they are yellow but indeed they do come in white varieties as well. The Daffodil was the very flower that was planted for Persephone to find that led her to Hades himself. And I was surprised to find what the Victorian’s had considered it’s meaning: “respect”. This gave me a new understanding and appreciation for the choice of the Narcissus as the “trap” for Persephone to fall into. Perhaps it was Hades way of showing that he respected her. It makes the store a little sweeter, in my opinion. Persephone places it in the bouquet for me as a symbol of respect – her respect for my goals for the year or my respect for her presence in my life.

Daisy

I chose the daisy because it is indeed one of my favorite flowers, and certainly it fits the bill as a small white flower. The language of the Victorians gave it the meaning of Innocence. Innocence is an interesting concept in my life. At my age, I feel perhaps a little old for it. However, it doesn’t need to have that kind of connotation. Perhaps Persephone’s message to me is to live life with more wonder or stay on the path of living life with open and innocent eyes. Enjoy the things that come you way, without to many preconceived notions.

Feverfew

I chose this flower based on its physical attributes. It is a tiny white daisy like flower – individual white petals with a yellow center. It symbolizes protection. It is also a useful medicinal herb helping headaches and fevers. For Persephone to hand me this flower meaning protection I again feel cared for and feel as though she will be looking out for me in the coming year. This does not mean, however, that I should be lax about my own personal safety. I just know that I have some divine assistance along as well.

Heather

Though typically seen in purple, I discovered that Heather comes in a beautiful white variety. They are tiny bell shaped flowers with red at the stems. I imagine a cluster with the evergreen foliage would be placed in Persephone’s bouquet. White Heather also represents protection but also, according to the Victorians, they mean that “wishes will come true.” Based on the very gentle nature of the oracle I thought this was a terribly appropriate message. Thank you, Persephone, for allowing me the ability to make my wishes come true. Though, I know it will not be without a lot of hard work.

Lily of the Valley

This was another seemingly obvious choice. They are tiny delicate flowers, bell shaped like the Heather but with big broad green leaves. The Victorians believed it meant a return to happiness. Sweetness was another message they ascribed to the Lily of the Valley, which sounds like it was Persephone’s intention all along. It also stands for humility. Humility is a hard one for me. For some reason, and probably from a “wounded Christian” perspective, I have a negative connotation associated with Humility in my brain. I don’t see why that should be the case. Perhaps that is Persephone’s lesson for me in general. However, recent research into the subject suggested that in many religious traditions, humility is part of the process to finding inner peace. I will take that for what it is worth.

Rose

I felt it was important to include the White Rose. The rose has, arguably, the longest continuing history in the “language of flowers” out of any of the blooms discussed here. In mythology, the rose is sacred to lots of Goddesses including Aphrodite. The white rose can symbolize so many things including innocence, purity, secrecy, friendship, reverence and humility. There is the word humility again. I have also read that it can mean Eternal Love and silence. Out of all of these meanings, a couple stand out specifically: Secrecy, Reverence and Silence. What could these mean in terms of Persephone’s message to me? I have always felt that much of my relationship with Persephone is a secret. Not out of shame, but more out of Reverence. I understand that I am breaking this idea with some of the essays I write so that others may better understand my relationship with Her, but there will always be parts that I will remain silent about. To conclude, the Rose may not be able to be explained in word. Rumi, the Muslim mystic might have put it best when he says: “In the driest whitest stretch of pains' infinite desert, I lost my sanity and found this rose”

Stephanotis

I understand that the Stephanotis might be an odd flower to choose for me as an avowed unmarried person since its meaning is so tied up with weddings. However, I chose it for a purpose. Persephone, I don’t think, has a preference for those who are legally married. However, I have been dedicated to the same partner for [16] years. Persephone herself, as a queen but not as a mother, holds a special place among the Greek pantheon as a goddess of wives alone. Happiness in marriage has little to do with the paperwork that a couple must file with the state. I think we have demonstrated happiness in marriage more than many married couples that we know (though certainly not all). I also read a meaning that indicates that the Stephanotis represents the desire to travel. In my life, travel may be the second most important thing to me besides my relationship. Brilliantly, it is also immensely important to my partner. Happiness in marriage indeed.

Violet

Even though this flower is more commonly found in its purple or even its yellow varieties, I chose the white violet for a specific purpose. I loved the Victorian meaning ascribed to it in the language of flowers. “Let’s take a change on happiness”. I think little more needs to be said than that. Happiness isn’t a right, it is a privilege and we must make the conscious effort to either be happy or not. So, as a final message from Persephone, let us take a chance on happiness!

Your Holiday Song

2010-12-21T07:21:00.001-05:00

My favorite holiday songs are ones where everyone is included. I have written about "Christmas" by Blues Traveler before as well as Dar William's classic "The Christians and the Pagans". I think this season should be about celebration, no matter what it is you want to celebrate. Celebrate everything or just celebrate because it is a good time to do it. That is my wish for everyone during the winter season. In this dead world where Persephone is hidden beneath the earth and Demeter mourns covering the ground with her frozen tears, we need to love each other so that spring will return. That is one of the many things I celebrate.
Well, I just found another holiday song that I love. The Indigo Girls released a holiday album this year, Holly Happy Days. It features some originals including a great bluegrass Christmas song as well as many of the traditional carols we all grew up with. There is also their version of "Happy Joyous Hanukkah". There is also an original song called "Your Holiday Song" that, like the Blues Traver's song feels very inclusive of the winter holidays. The Unitarians will like it, I bet.

Gather round girls and boys,
It's time to make your joyful noise
Some feel it in the feast after the fast,
Or the oil lamps everlasting,
Or the Solstice in the wild,
or the birth of a baby child.

It's your holiday song
No one more true or right or wrong
When our faith calls our name
Someone else's does the same
Hallelujah! Thank you.

So gather round girls and boys
It's time to raise your holy noise
Some feel it in the drum, in the snare
or the silence of their prayer
or the church bells on the hill
or the harmony of goodwill

For every voice lifted in song
The sacred place we all belong
A chance to heal a broken world
with every voice in every song
of every boy and every girl!

You can listen to it and even download it for free here.

Winter Ponderings

2010-12-13T21:04:00.000-05:00

I make no excuses. I love the winter holidays - all of them. I suppose I've never really celebrated Hanukkah or Kwanzaa, but I love the idea of celebratory days during the winter so I still appreciate them. Recently, Patheos.com posted this article about the real "Reason for the Season." I am grateful for the research that went into that piece and it is an incredibly well written offering on the topic. I'm not here to argue for or against it in anyway, I just wanted to say that I don't really care what someone celebrates this time of year, I am willing to wish that they have a good one in any case.

I believe that the winter holidays were created essentially to keep people from killing themselves when the world was dead around them. I have a couple of friends who suffer from SAD or Seasonal Affective Disorder and I don't think it hurts to have something to celebrate. Sure, the self- or society-imposed stress when it comes to the holidays doesn't help the situation, but if we really look at it as a reason to be with friends and family and honor the changing of the seasons or the birth of the Son or the return of the Sun, it is simply a beautiful time of year.

My holiday officially begins on December 21st. My partner, Matt, and I celebrate the solstice. We started this tradition several years ago mostly for practical reasons. We travel during the holidays and we learned after the first year that it made no sense what so ever to haul our presents from Georgia to Michigan and the back again. The Solstice was a convenient time to celebrate for ourselves because it is usually before we leave for Detroit and also it is a day that is meaningful to me as a devotee of Persephone, the goddess of the changing seasons. Our home is already decorated with our tree and lights and other assorted holiday items. The entire spirit of the season is festive and pleasing to me. I always feel a sense of wonder this time of year.

After our Solstice celebration this year, we leave the next day to travel to Michigan to be with our families for Christmas. Both of our families still celebrate the christian holiday and frankly, I just don't want to miss out on being able to celebrate with them. For me it is not at all about the Christ the Savior(as my savior, after a fashion, is Persephone Soteira) but about going to Matt's cousin's house for dessert and white elephant gift exchange, or out to dinner with my best friend, or making a gingerbread house with my sister and the youngest member of the family. It is, simply, about celebrating life even while the earth herself sleeps waiting for spring.

Pomegranate Stocking Stuffers

2010-12-01T20:34:00.000-05:00

I often find myself buying products just because they have pomegranate in them. This applies to food, of course, but also to other products like lotions and even razors. For me, using pomegranate products brings me closer to the Goddess whom I love so deeply. I thought maybe I would share some of my favorite products and maybe they would even make good stocking stuffers.

I started using Intuition Razors years ago for my leg shaving needs. I love it and couldn't imagine going with out it. Recently, I discovered that they make a pomegranate refill, which is awesome.

Bath and Body Works has an entire line of fragrance called Midnight Pomegranate. I love this scent. It has the sweetness of the pomegranate but the mystery of something more, like patchouli.

I have a pomegranate scented candle that has a central spot on my altar to Persephone. The one I have is a brand called Illuminations and it smells amazing and makes the whole house smell amazing. I've googled every combination of words to find it, but I can't. However, Yankee candle has a scent called Pomegranate Cider that I imagine would be satisfying.

One of my favorite pomegranate products is shampoo. Burt's Bees has a great shampoo that makes my hair feel great but also gives me that pomegranate fix.

And if you're interested in a refreshing pomegranate drink but not pure pomegranate juice, Izze's sparkling pomegranate juice is awesome.

Persephone's Winter

2010-11-28T19:15:00.000-05:00

This is an interesting time for the story of Persephone. It is the part of the story where we don't hear from her at all. This is the season that feels ultimately introspective. Persephone is in the underworld and while there, even though she is spending time with her husband, she is also forced to spend time with just herself.

I'll admit, spending time with just myself is one of the hardest things that I do. Not that I am not capable of it, but I don't prefer it. I would rather be around other people. When I am alone, I feel the constant need for background noise. This winter, one of the things I want to work on is being more contemplative. Letting myself be in silence with just my own thoughts. I'm not sure what I am afraid of hearing, but I have a feeling if I just listen I will be surprised by what I find.

Here, however, is a lovely resource for a winter meditation.

Contemplative Persephone

Prayer for Demeter at Thanksgiving

2010-11-22T21:25:00.000-05:00

I wanted to share this alternate prayer that you might offer before your Thanksgiving dinner.

Deo, Bringer of the Seasons,
You who gave us the gift of the harvest,
taught us how to work the land and gather the fruits of our labors.
You who gave us your daughter so that we
may not fear death.
We honor you in your veil of sadness
As you walk the earth in mourning.
Know that we are grateful for your sacrifice.
We honor you with the foods we have made,
We honor you with the family and friends who have gathered.
Demeter, Giver of Gifts,
We give you great thanks on this feast day.

Lectio Homerica: Homeric Hymn to Demeter Part Eight

2010-11-17T19:48:00.000-05:00

You may recall from my last Lectio Homerica entry that I left you with a cliffhanger of sorts. Demeter, upon being reunited with her daughter, demanded to know just what the King of the Dead did to seduce her. And so, I bring you Persephone's answer with the final installment of this exploration.

Then beautiful Persephone answered her thus: "Mother, I will tell you all without error. When luck-bringing Hermes came, swift messenger from my father the Son of Cronos and the other Sons of Heaven, bidding me come back from Erebus that you might see me with your eyes and so cease from your anger and fearful wrath against the gods, I sprang up at once for joy; but he secretly put in my mouth sweet food, a pomegranate seed, and forced me to taste against my will. Also I will tell how he rapt me away by the deep plan of my father the Son of Cronos and carried me off beneath the depths of the earth, and will relate the whole matter as you ask. All we were playing in a lovely meadow, Leucippe and Phaeno and Electra and Ianthe, Melita also and Iache with Rhodea and Callirhoe and Melobosis and Tyche and Ocyrhoe, fair as a flower, Chryseis, Ianeira, Acaste and Admete and Rhodope and Pluto and charming Calypso; Styx too was there and Urania and lovely Galaxaura with Pallas who rouses battles and Artemis delighting in arrows. We were playing and gathering sweet flowers in our hands, soft crocuses mingled with irises and hyacinths, and rose-blooms and lilies, marvelous to see, and the narcissus which the wide earth caused to grow yellow as a crocus. That I plucked in my joy; but the earth parted beneath, and there the strong lord, the Host of Many, sprang forth and in his golden chariot he bore me away, all unwilling, beneath the earth: then I cried with a shrill cry. All this is true, sore though it grieves me to tell the tale."

So did they then, with hearts at one, greatly cheer each the other's soul and spirit with many an embrace: their hearts had relief from their griefs while each took and gave back joyousness.

Then bright-coiffed Hecate came near to them, and often did she embrace the daughter of holy Demeter: and from that time the lady Hecate was minister and companion to Persephone.

And all-seeing Zeus sent a messenger to them, rich-haired Rhea, to bring dark-cloaked Demeter to join the families of the gods: and he promised to give her what rights she should choose among the deathless gods and agreed that her daughter should go down for the third part of the circling year to darkness and gloom, but for the two parts should live with her mother and the other deathless gods. Thus he commanded. And the goddess did not disobey the message of Zeus; swiftly she rushed down from the peaks of Olympus and came to the plain of Rharus, rich, fertile corn-land once, but then in nowise fruitful, for it lay idle and utterly leafless, because the white grain was hidden by design of trim-ankled Demeter. But afterwards, as spring-time waxed, it was soon to be waving with long ears of corn, and its rich furrows to be loaded with grain upon the ground, while others would already be bound in sheaves. There first she landed from the fruitless upper air: and glad were the goddesses to see each other and cheered in heart. Then bright-coiffed Rhea said to Demeter:

"Come, my daughter; for far-seeing Zeus the loud-thunderer calls you to join the families of the gods, and has promised to give you what rights you please among the deathless gods, and has agreed that for a third part of the circling year your daughter shall go down to darkness and gloom, but for the two parts shall be with you and the other deathless gods: so has he declared it shall be and has bowed his head in token. But come, my child, obey, and be not too angry unrelentingly with the dark-clouded Son of Cronos; but rather increase forthwith for men the fruit that gives them life."

So spake Rhea. And rich-crowned Demeter did not refuse but straightway made fruit to spring up from the rich lands, so that the whole wide earth was laden with leaves and flowers. Then she went, and to the kings who deal justice, Triptolemus and Diocles, the horse-driver, and to doughty Eumolpus and Celeus, leader of the people, she showed the conduct of her rites and taught them all her mysteries, to Triptolemus and Polyxeinus and Diocles also, -- awful mysteries which no one may in any way transgress or pry into or utter, for deep awe of the gods checks the voice. Happy is he among men upon earth who has seen these mysteries; but he who is uninitiate and who has no part in them, never has lot of like good things once he is dead, down in the darkness and gloom.

But when the bright goddess had taught them all, they went to Olympus to the gathering of the other gods. And there they dwell beside Zeus who delights in thunder, awful and reverend goddesses. Right blessed is he among men on earth whom they freely love: soon they do send Plutus as guest to his great house, Plutus who gives wealth to mortal men.

And now, queen of the land of sweet Eleusis and sea-girt Paros and rocky Antron, lady, giver of good gifts, bringer of seasons, queen Deo, be gracious, you and your daughter all beauteous Persephone, and for my song grant me heart-cheering substance. And now I will remember you and another song also.

This begins the section where I read a very different attitude into Persephone's retelling of the tale than most scholars seem to suggest. Nothing I am about to say comes from any sort of research but from my reading of the hymn and how I let it permeate my entire soul.

I see a young woman flat out lying to her mother. Not because she has something to hide specifically but because she wants to spare her mother's feelings. Persephone wasn't kidnapped, she ran away. And after she learns of Demeter's sorrow and how it causes the earth to die, she doesn't want her mother to feel like she did anything wrong in this situation. So she exaggerates. She saw a beautiful flower. A flower to magnificent that she was unable to resist plucking it from the earth. When she did that, she found herself face to face with a man she felt the same way about and she joined her hand to his and followed him down to his kingdom.

Also, in this section of the Hymn we see a small walk on role by Hecate who then is given the job of the new Queen's handmaiden.

The news is given. Zeus decrees that Persephone will spend some portion of the year with her Mother and another with her Husband. Here the hymn tells us the year will be spit in thirds. I don't doubt that it was for the ancients. I feel much more drawn to Persephone's story as a cyclical solar cycle following the seasons as I experience them. It may not be traditional, but it feels right for me.

At this time, Demeter is so overjoyed that she brings back the spring but also travels to teach her "mysteries" to the kings all over the world. These "mysteries" are presumably the Eleusinian rites. There is just the tiniest hint of what they could be about with the phrase, "Happy is he among men upon earth who has seen these mysteries; but he who is uninitiate and who has no part in them, never has lot of like good things once he is dead, down in the darkness and gloom."

The end of the very long hymn ends like all hymns. This entire story, in fact, was to gain the favor of Demeter and thus it is common for the poet to give great thanks to her this way. "And now, queen of the land of sweet Eleusis and sea-girt Paros and rocky Antron, lady, giver of good gifts, bringer of seasons, queen Deo, be gracious, you and your daughter all beauteous Persephone, and for my song grant me heart-cheering substance. And now I will remember you and another song also." It is so fitting to me that I finish this series so close to the American Thanksgiving holiday. I view that celebration as a day to give thanks to Demeter for teaching us about the harvest but also giving us the great gift of her Daughter - a daughter who, in a way, died so that we could be saved, to use the phrasing from other religious traditions. Because Demeter has allowed this sacrifice, we all are able to face the Queen when it is our time to pass into the underworld.

Online Temple for Persephone

2010-11-11T19:45:00.002-05:00

This website was just brought to my attention. It is part of a website for a business in California, but I love the photos and stories that have been posted on this on-line temple.

from North to South

2010-11-10T20:27:00.001-05:00

I have said often that I associate Persephone's trip into the underworld with my own journey from the Midwest to the Southeast United States. Music that speaks to the journey is also very important to me, as you might imagine. One of my favorite songs of this type is Wagon Wheel by a band called Old Crow Medicine Show.

Plus, the trippy showgirls/carnival theme is cool.

Samhain for Aaron

2010-10-31T08:37:00.001-04:00

The wheel of the year continues to turn and we find ourselves at Samhain. Though Samhain is not a Hellenic celebration, I have always found myself drawn to this holiday. Even as a child, before I knew what Samhain was, Halloween was always my favorite day of the year. Today seems like a day that Persephone and her husband would fully appreciate. It is a time where we can celebrate the lives of those who have passed on this year. This year, I experienced a loss that affected me a great deal.

A couple of years ago, my husband's cousin had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Six months ago at Beltane he passed away. I had a lot of trouble with the news at the time of his death. Matt had gone to the memorial in Reno and I was alone to deal with the loss. At first I thought I could handle it, but I couldn’t. My grief woke me up in the middle of the night where I cried alone in the darkness. Aaron was my age and it was hard to accept no matter how sick he had been. He had always been in shape and healthy. There was nothing fair about his death. To make it worse, Aaron and I had a sort of love/hate relationship. I loved him and I'm pretty sure he loved me too, but we often disagreed about things and that would usually end up with a shouting match.

The funny part is I remember those fights, but I don't remember any of the reasons for them. Even though we disagreed on a lot of things, I knew he would do anything for a friend. I remember fun times with him too. I remember going to a Halloween show that Matt's band was playing at and dancing with Aaron all night. It seems fitting that one of my favorite memories of him would have happened on Samhain night. The last time I saw him was after we had moved to Georgia and he had moved to Reno. We were both in Michigan for the holidays. It was so much fun to hang out with him and many of our other friends. We stayed up all night and played games and talked.

So as these six months have passed my grief has turned to quiet gratitude. I am grateful to have had Aaron in my life. The only thing I wish I could do is tell him that. And so this Samhain I will tell that to Persephone, the benevolent queen of the underworld, and hope that she can deliver the message.

A Persephone for All Seasons

2010-10-28T06:54:00.001-04:00

I just wanted to share some photos of Persephone in North Carolina.

Starting with Autumn. I was just in Asheville this past weekend and I loved the soft blanket of leaves around her feet.

And then the winter comes. Persephone becomes contemplative.

But Spring does come again. (This is the only photograph I didn't take, it was taken by a friend last Spring Equinox)

Spring leads to the lush green summer celebration of life.

And the season cycle begins again.

A Persephone Greatest Hit: Breakfast

2010-10-21T07:24:00.000-04:00

I wanted to share this recipe again. Since it is Autumn, pumpkin puree and pie filling has made its way back to the store shelves. That means I can make the vanilla yogurt and pumpkin breakfast again. It tastes like fall and is a great way to start a cool October morning. And November, and December.

So, here is my original post from the end of last year:

There is no specific reason why I am associating this with Persephone except that one of the three ingrediants is pumpkin. When I think "Pumpkin," I think "Autumn" and so I think "Persephone".

I am not exactly sure where I saw this - it was on either on Yahoo! or MSN. With the glut* of on-line articles about how to reign in your weight for New Year, this particularly suggestion sounded very tasty.

It starts with Vanilla Yogurt. I couldn't remember the amounts, so I guessed. I got regular low fat vanilla yogert - just the grocery store brand. One serving was a cup, but I didn't think I needed that much so I went with half a cup. Next you add 100% pure pumpkin puree: I added with a tablespoon which turned out to be plenty. Mix. Then add ground cinnamon to taste. And Voila! A yummy morning treat or anytime snack.

*No pun intended...?

Vivaldi Autumn and Sand Animation

2010-10-17T08:48:00.000-04:00

It is kind of long, but it is lovely.

I actually would have loved to see the entire sand art display in progress instead of edited to go with the music.

Shady Grove, my little love

2010-10-10T09:06:00.000-04:00

There is an Appalachian folk song that I associate with Persephone. The connection is entirely in my head but it comes from the Josh Joplin song "10 Feet Small", which I have written about before.

I wanted to share some music on this blog today so I went to YouTube and searched Shady Grove. The coolest thing about the folk tradition is that there are so many version of the same song and each unique.

Here is an awesome version by Doc Watson:

Even the Stray Cats did a version:

But the coolest and most endearing version that I found was from The Andy Griffith Show:

Enjoy the music on this fine October morning!

She Stays Because She Wants To

2010-10-02T08:27:00.000-04:00

I keep seeing commercials for Disney's Beauty and the Beast. They have released it in High Definition. If I had to pick a favorite Disney movie in the classic fairy tale genre, it would most certainly be Beauty and the Beast. I know it isn't a perfect comparison, but I see this story as something like Persephone's. At least in the way she journey's into the realm of the beast because she has to, but she stays (or returns) because she chooses to. I know for Persephone there is the whole Pomegranate story, but I do think too much attention has been paid to the magic of the thing. Not that the seeds somehow magnetically bind her to the underworld, but rather it symbolically binds her to Hades. Like a wedding ring.

I love how strong a character Belle is in the Disney version of the story. But I also love Beast and can see in him the changes that Hades himself must have experienced after he brought Persephone into his world.

Recipe Time!

2010-09-29T20:30:00.000-04:00

I love going back to the old standby of the Hellenic Cookbook from the Greek Orthodox church in Detroit for its culinary gems. I missed posting something for the Autumn Equinox and there is still a month before Halloween/Samhain, but I thought I would share this tasty sounding recipe for Greek Pumpkin Pie as a offering of the Autumn season.

It is written, like all the recipes in this collection, with the imprecision of all good Greek household recipes. I have transcribed it directly from the book without any changes to language or ingredients. I think there are some substitutions that could be made. For instance, it explains how to prepare the pumpkin but I think the modern Greek cook could replace that part with canned pumpkin puree. And you certainly can't beat any dessert that uses a pound of butter.

Ingredients:

1 lb pastry sheets

1 lb butter (melted)

1 medium sized pumpkin

1 tbsp salt

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp cloves

3 cups chopped walnuts

1 cup white raisins

Cut and prepare pumpkin, removing seeds. Proceed to cut into 1 inch cubes. Using medium disc, pass pumpkin cubes through food chopper. Place ground pumpkin in cheese cloth and sprinkle with salt. Let stand overnight to remove moisture. Using only 8 cups of strained pumpkin, place in kettle adding olive oil and one cup of butter. Simmer for one our, stirring to prevent scorching. During last five minutes, add sugar and raisins. Remove from heat and add one cup walnuts. Set mixture aside to cool. Brush bottom of pan 14x20" with melted butter and line with pastry sheet, brush with melted butter and sprinkle with walnuts. Repeat this process until 1/2 lb of pastry sheets are used. Pour pumpkin mixture in center and cover with remainder of pastry sheets; brushing each sheet with butter and sprinkling with walnuts. Top with six individually buttered pastry sheets. Trip and cut into 2" diamond pieces. Pour remaining butter over pastry and bake at 375 degrees for one hour.

Syrup:

3 cups sugar

2 cups water

1/2 cup honey

While pastry is baking, boil sugar and water until a clear thin syrup is formed. Stir in honey and remove from heat. Cool. Spoon cool syrup over hot pastry.

One Year

2010-09-23T07:28:00.000-04:00

Today marks the one year anniversary of this blog. When I started it, I don't think I was consciously aware that I had begun so close to the Autumn Equinox. It make sense though, to begin a journey with Persephone at the beginning of Persephone's descent. I am sure I was subconsciously aware of it, however, because it is impossible to be dedicated to Persephone without feeling the overwhelming draw of seasonal changes.

It is officially Fall in Atlanta, and temperatures still hover in the 90s. What I wouldn't give for a good Midwestern fall with crisp autumn air and the symphony of colors in the trees. We get that eventually, but not until late October. I remind myself that I am taking a trip to Minneapolis this weekend and will get a lovely dose of Autumn there before returning to Atlanta to get a second turn in another month. But the night of the equinox was breathtaking. The sky was clear and the full harvest moon magnificent and even though the lights from the city were glaring you could still see Jupiter, Persephone's own father, as the second brightest thing in the universe. Maybe he was saying goodbye to his daughter as she left him for the dark half of the year.

Last year, I spent a lot of time exploring the seasonal themes of Persephone's story. I haven't really thought much about how I want to continue this blog. Is there anything anyone would like to see me explore?

I will, however, share again the poem that I posted on the day I created this page. Honestly, it was a place marker that day. I had created the account and picked out the page design (which I have since changed) and get things all set up the way I liked it. I was afraid, though, if I left it that day without any content I might not get back to it, so I posted this poem. I wrote it a while back while up in Asheville to honor the glade where we placed her statue and created a space to commune with the Goddess.

"Persephone's Glade"

A soft spring maid picking daffodils
Autumn wife and most dread Queen
A field of white sweet asphodel
A soft spring maid picking daffodils
Olympos high above the rolling hills
Halls of Hades in the world beneath
A soft spring maid picking daffodils
Autumn wife and most dread Queen