Inextricably bound to Kore, Demeter is a Goddess who is lighting the way towards the next season. The next season of the cycle of life, death, and rebirth has an impact on us all as does the agricultural cycle on Earth. While we’ve delved deeply into Persephone, Demeter teaches us that we are often lighting the way for ourselves and others to find the way home.
Symbolism to Start
Demeter has many symbols and can be traced back as a facet of original “meter” meaning “mother“. As a life-giving Goddess, her symbolism of Bee is a gorgeous example of the interconnectedness of life and cycles of agriculture.
Demeter is also, in pre-Hellenic myth, the Goddess responsible for transformation of the dead to help fertilize the next generation of life.
The symbol of the Serpent is found throughout many cultures and with Goddesses of a thousand names. Serpents reveal the ability to grow, release, and transform all over again just as Demeter teaches us all.
Creating Your Black Sacred Candle
Never created a Black Sacred Candle? We have you covered! Learn how in this free three-part series.
Ingredients:
- Poppy seeds
- Myrrh
- Eyebright
- Oil of your choice
Supplies:
- Candle
- Candle Scribe (to carve a Bee and a Serpent into candle, toothpicks work too)
- Aluminum Foil
- Parchment Paper
- Candle Holder
- Salt
Directions
- Take a piece of aluminum foil (large enough to wrap your candle in) and place it on your workspace.
- Take a piece of non-stick parchment paper (about the same size as your aluminum foil) and place it on top of the aluminum foil. Trick: Fold the edges of the aluminum foil over the top of the edges of the parchment paper to keep it from rolling!
- Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
- Go back to your candle and carve the sigils into it, then place your candle on top of the parchment paper.
- Grab your oil (or personal power oil) and anoint your candle with your chosen oil.
- Lightly coat your candle with each of the herbs.
- Caution: Please make sure there are no large chunks of plant material as these can be dangerous or ‘pop’ during candle burning. As always, please abide by all fire safety rules.
- Place your candle onto the parchment/aluminum foil, wrap your candle, and place in the oven.
- DO NOT LEAVE THE KITCHEN (lesson learned the hard way), turn your candle every 2 minutes (this took me about 12 minutes total).
- In between turning the candle in the oven, pour salt into your candle holder.
- When you take your candle out of the oven, let it sit for a moment to cool down. Carefully open it and then place your completed Black Sacred Candle within the candle holder.
Connecting to Demeter
Each day this month, sit with your candle for a few minutes and call in Demeter to connect. Ask her for guidance on connecting to self for the coming season and cultivating it further, you may be surprised at how she can light the way with you!
A Candle & A Key,
Kaycee
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Feature Image Credit: Kaycee Reeves
