Persephone is the goddess of the underworld in Greek mythology.
The myth of Persephone is a symbol of the cycle of death and rebirth in nature and how a victim became the Queen of Souls, the High Priestess.
Her name means “she who destroys the light.”
Persephone is the daughter of the King of the Gods -Zeus and his sister Demeter, goddess of the harvest. Persephone was a very beautiful young woman.
Hades (Pluto) was the God of the Underworld, so no one wanted to be with him. He was very lonely and longed for a wife. So, with the agreement of Zeus, he decided to take Persephone.
One day, when she was collecting flowers, the earth suddenly opened up and Hades burst forth in his chariot and grabbed her. He took her back to his underworld.
Broken-hearted, Demeter left her temple and roamed the earth, desperately looking for her daughter. Because she was the goddess of the crops (known as Ceres in Roman mythology) the earth began to dry up.
The gods realised they had to intervene, for without food the humans would die, and there would be no one left to worship them. Zeus sent Hermes (Mercury the messenger god) down to Hades to bring back Persephone.
Hades had to agree, but before she went back he gave Persephone a pomegranate . When she later ate it, it meant she had to return to the underworld. So she descends for a third of the year.
When Persephone was in Hades, Demeter refused to let anything grow and so winter began. This myth is a symbol of the cycle of death and rebirth in nature.
It also demonstrates how the young girl Persephone grows into the mature wife of the god of the Underworld. The myth resonates with the story of a girl leaving home to marry and running home to mother when the marriage goes wrong.
Once she understands herself and the psychology of a man with hidden power (and strong sexuality as seen in the myth) she becomes the Queen of the Underworld, also known as The High Priestess.
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The first asteroids to be discovered, Ceres, Pallas, Juno and Vesta were named after Goddesses. They form a self-contained symbol system that casts new light on women’s issues, and gives both men and women new insights into areas such as parenting and nurture, career, partners, sexuality and spirituality. Find out about the 12 Goddesses in your birth chart see NEW Goddess Report>
From ‘Goddesses and Heroines’ by Patricia Monaghan (Used by permission. This text is NOT included in the Goddess Oracle) www.patricia-monaghan.com