Persephone as Crone

The Temple of Persephone is almost done, but I wanted to get this out now in case someone can inspire me to make some changes in thought before it goes live.

I'm trying desperately to make these musings as personal as possible since I think there is no one right way to interpret the Goddess. I hope you find something useful or thought provoking within my ramblings. (edits in bold)

M U S I N G S

Her story has resonated with millions of people over millennia and her archetype is firmly rooted in the human psyche. She is Persephone, Queen of the Underworld, transformation of the Sacred Bride.

While young Kore played in the fields, stopping to take in the scent of flowers, a hole opened up in the Earth below her. She was shaken as she stood gazing at the God Pluton in his chariot. He was beautiful to her eyes, a vision of perfect masculinity and a counterpart to her feminine grace. With a natural fear of things unknown, Kore allowed herself to be taken by Pluton and succumbed to her destiny as his lover and his queen.

Persephone entered my life quite some time ago. I had very little understanding of her mysteries at that time and simply thought of her as the Maiden in the most generic sense. As I studied her further she began to take on her full form in my heart, showing me that her story was timeless and poignant. She also showed me that her image was hardly limited to that of the Maiden. I felt as though she was calling me to rediscover her and find a way to fully integrate her into my personal image of the Great Goddess.

In Eleusis, where the mysteries thrived for so long, Persephone was revered as a primary deity, and as an integral symbol of the religious traditions of thousands. In this sacred space I invite you to soak in the story of Persephone and learn her lessons for yourself. Let her light embrace you and take you into the hallowed caves of Eleusis with all the wisdom of an initiate.

U N D E R S T A N D I N G

As with many triple Goddesses, it is impossible to talk about Persephone without taking into consideration her other aspects. My perception of the Goddess Persephone (Roman Proserpina) is that she is a distinct face of the Goddess, seperate from Kore, her Maiden aspect. I see Kore, Demeter, and Persephone as a complete Triple Goddess figure with Persephone filling the role of Crone.

Her name means "Destroyer". Through my studies I have found there are devotees of this Goddess who reject that notion on the grounds that her cycle is one of a blending of life and death without fear; that she is a queen of life and beauty and love. They believe that giving her the name Destroyer somehow strips her of the role of benevolent queen.

I propose that Persephone is indeed a destroyer. Her destruction is a necessary vehicle for transformation without which nothing new could ever be created. Much like Kali-Ma she is not only a destroyer of physical things (as she personifies death), but she is also a destroyer of fear, doubt, shame, and other negative things that are not conducive to spiritual growth. She is a remover of obstacles, again like Kali.

Many scholars and worshippers of Persephone also reject the idea of her rape by Pluton, also known as Hades. I would have to agree on this one for many reasons. As cited in Mysteries of Demeter: Rebirth of the Pagan Way by Jennifer Reif, the clergy of Persephone were all priestesses. It seems unlikely that women would have chosen to devote their lives to a religion that deifies the act of rape. I think instead Persephone's image was one of empowerment and equality, not of an abused woman without power of her own.

Also, as noted by Reif, there are images of Persephone and Pluton carved in stone that picture them sitting alongside each other on their thrones, equal and appearing to be the very essence of matrimonial partnership. Adding that to the fact that there is nothing that mentions rape in both the Orphic or Homeric texts, and it seems as though the idea of rape might have been a rather modern construct, perhaps introduced by mythology scholars or art historians. At some point someone was responsible for naming the first piece of ancient art or literature "The Rape of Persephone".

Persephone is the creation of Kore's experiences; she is a symbol of the transformation between child and adult. She bridges the gap between birth and death with Demeter standing at the center to impose the balance between the two and thus facilitating and perpetuating life.

A primary symbol of Persephone is the pomegranate. Eating its seeds symbolizes gaining wisdom and the knowledge of the mystery of eternal life. The pomegranate could quite possibly have been the first image of the fruit of knowledge spoken of in Jewish mythology. When I ponder this further though I find I come to a small conundrum. Jewish mythology (in the Old Testament of the Bible) says that the fruit was the downfall of humanity. I don't agree with this idea as I think knowledge is not a bad thing. I think perhaps though that ignorance truly is bliss and sometimes knowing too much causes suffering. It is easier and less painful to accept things blindly instead of pondering life for oneself.

So, the key words I have identified in regards to Persephone are destruction, wisdom, and partnership. (See the Temple of Merope for more on my keyword process.)

Destruction
- Destroying one thing transforms it into another. (death is not to be feared)
- Without destruction there can be no birth or growth.
- Destroying ego or negative qualities of the self is an important process in spiritual development.

Partnership
- The sexes are equal and compatible.
- Working together is a way to effect greater change. (cliche version: there is no "i" in team.)
- It is not good to bear the burden of life alone.

Wisdom
- Knowledge should be sought after.
- With wisdom comes a rebirth of the spirit.
- Don't waste your ability to learn and think for yourself.

Baubo and the Profane

Athana of Radical Goddess Thealogy and I have been discussing some interesting things lately. And her post on Baubo was the catalyst for the conversation. Below I have pasted the dialogue for your reading pleasure. :) Comment here if you like or run over to Athana's place to leave her some feedback.

Read my first comments at this earlier post on Baubo.

Athana said: I really like your interpretation of several of Baubo's prime characteristics, grian. I especially like the phrase "the perfectly imperfect animals She intended us to be." We in the industrialized nations tend to forget that we're animals, that we're imperfect, and that both things are just marvelously fine and nothing to be ashamed of.

Grian said: Exactly Athana. It's hard for a lot of people in our society to grasp the idea of not being perfect I think. We're all raised with certain ideas of what perfection is and we are taught to strive for such expectations. It's hard and sometimes a little soul-threatening to deal with. I can't count the number of times I felt I was bad because I made a mistake. I have beaten myself up for not being perfect - or at least for not living up to some intangible idea of perfect.

We are certainly animals. Modern people have just managed to burry our instincts a little better than most animals do. Or have we managed that? It seems a lot of things people think of as profane can be seen as quite instinctual.

Now a days I try to remember that we are not meant to be perfect. We are meant to be human - animals with all the baggage that comes along with it. Periods and even sex can sometimes be gross. There are smells and sweat, etc. Defication and other waste removing processes are certainly gross. But that's okay. Those things don't make us or the things we do any less sacred. It's all part of being an animal and a creation of the Goddess.

And sometimes being downright baudy is fun and makes other people smile much like Mother Demeter smiled at Baubo. Ask my friends. They often laugh at some of my crude jokes. Then again I might just scare them. :)

Athana said: But Grian, are bodily functions really gross, or have we just been taught they're gross? Have we been sold a bill of goods?

Animals don't appear to think bodily functions or secretions are gross. So why do we?

Thanks for reminding me, though, that making mistakes is not something to beat oneself up over. I've actually been doing that today. I think we in the Western and/or industrialized societies have certainly been taught that making mistakes is gross, unacceptable, and somehow a sign of inferiority.

So we all need to band together and remind each other constantly that that's a buncha hooey!!!

Grian said: I think bodily functions have become gross because somewhere along the line people began to understand the health concerns of leaving excrement in the streets and other such practices that led to poor health in civilizations. A corpse came to be seen as disgusting because we realized what a health concern it posed if left to rot without cremation or burrying it. Excrement and urine can breed disease. Washing the body regularly promotes health also. So, I think it's not so much that these functions are actually gross on their own, but as a way to keep people more healthy they have become seen that way. Because of these realizations we have jumped our average life spans from about 30 to the mid 70s.

As for making mistakes... as humans we make so many and I think that's an integral part of our learning process. Mama didn't put us here already knowing everything. Our souls need to grow and learn and sometimes making mistakes is the only way to do that. I personally invoke the Maiden aspect during those times I am feeling like garbage about myself. She reminds me not to judge myself and that I too am only a human being - though divine and holy - I am bound to a body and a life that comes with screw ups and hardships that help my soul to continue to strive for completion.

Oh... I also forgot to mention that even though menstruation is a holy process of the Mother - women left without the proper facilities to bathe during their moon times can get infections. This could be one of the main reasons why this has become a gross thing to some. Add on all the "women are evil" garbage from that bible thing and it becomes a downright taboo subject. I see that changing though. All the pad and tampon commercials - and yeast infection commercials - seem to be pointing towards a more open attitude about feminine hygiene.

The Goddess Baubo

Athana at Radical Goddess Thealogy brought up the Goddess Baubo in a recent post and I found myself pondering this somewhat misunderstood aspect of the Great Goddess. Below is a link to Athana's original post and then my comments on the subject.

Wincing Over Baubo from Athana at Radical Goddess Thealogy

Grian: Baubo reminds me of the Sheila-na-Gig in some ways because she is not ashamed of her physical female-ness and shows it unabashedly to others. I also find connections with Kali-Ma as she is all at once a mixture of the divine and the profane.

I don't know that Baubo has been perverted by a patriarchal society. Misunderstood yes, though I find her story to still contain Goddess' lessons. I think the fact that Demeter is pleased by Baubo's actions shows that the Goddess not only has a sense of humor but also urges us not to place judgement on others when they "reveal" themselves to us.

I think there is something to be said for the Goddess showing us that there is a connection to her and that which we think of as profane. Maybe she is saying that embracing the "profane" things about us without shame is a way to get closer to her - or a way to understand the true nature she gave us without forcing ourselves to be more than the perfectly imperfect animals she intended us to be. Just some thoughts.

Read more about Baubo
:: Baubo, Greek Goddess of Mirth
:: Baubo on Wikipedia
:: The Story of Baubo