Demeter, often known as the Goddess of abundance, grain, and the harvest, came to Dark Goddess Collective with a much deeper message. Often, when the Goddess shows a facet of herself to us at a time that seems ‘seasonally’ off if it is an indication that we are about to go much deeper.
And so it is with Demeter, I definitely felt as if the timing did not make sense!
Correspondences
| Lineage | Greek |
| Parents | Cronus and Rhea |
| Siblings | Hestia, Hera, Poseidon, Zeus, Hades, Chiron (half) |
| Offspring | Persephone, Despoina, Eubuleus, Arion, Plutus, Philomelus, Iacchus |
| Consort | Zeus, Poseidon, Iasion, Karmanor, Mecon |
| Zodiac | Cancer, Virgo |
| Planetary | Earth, Saturn |
| Animals | Cat, Fox, Horse, Pig, Dove, Serpent, Bee |
| Stones | Garnet, Citrine |
| Plants/Herbs | Grain, Rose, Vervain, Poppy, Pennyroyal, Myrrh |
| Element | Earth |
Embracing Change
When I connected to Demeter, her myth and the depths of despair of a mother who had her child taken were not the messages she brought. She brought the message of embracing the cyclical nature of all things, including ourselves. There is a time for the grain, outward movement, and expression. There is also a time when that fire must return inward, to allow ourselves to be moved, to release, to be re-energized, and focus on the nature of who we are so we can repeatedly become more of it.
Our Own Sacred Rites
Demeter’s rites included the Eleusinian Mysteries and Thesmophoria. While not much is known about the Eleusinian Mysteries, Thesmophoria was a highlight of understanding the correlation between the cycles of Earth and the cycles of women. The act of ascending to a certain point, of being changed by it, and then growing from there. The maiden, mother, crone are prime examples of the cycle we see in our lives. It mimics the phases of the moon and the seasons, and that of life and death.
She begs us to answer:
- How are you honoring your cycles?
- What is your great sacred rite during this time?
- In what ways are you finding balance as the outward fire transitions into inward fire?
- What are you releasing so you can be transformed by the act of doing so?
- How are you arriving?
She then asks that we make our own Sacred Rites, in devotion to self and our walk into that dark tomb that is also the womb that transforms us into becoming more of ourselves.
Ideas for Your Rite
The possibilities are endless when it comes to creating our own Sacred Rite. You could create your own type of Megara space with offerings and petitions. While the ancient rite included the slaughter of a pig, let us modernize it a bit and write down something we may sacrifice instead. Pick something that will ultimately foster growth and abundance in the next season. Here are more ideas:
- Dress or carve a candle, inscribe a petition upon it even.
- Create a call to Demeter or future self
- Speak that which is being released or sacrificed (our words are powerful)
The way in which it is created or carried out is based on the preferences we each hold for doing so, there is no one right way, but whichever one is in devotion to the sacred you is the one that Demeter requests.
The Element of Earth
Demeter is associated with the Earth and her cycles. It was clear that she wanted my feet to be dirty but grounded. That I take part in the reciprocity and understanding of the inhabitants of Earth moving their energy down and in.
We watch the leaves fall in the Northern Hemisphere, and the trees are moving energy back to the roots.
We harvest our root medicine during this time because the energy resides there now (or we do so before the growth starts in the next season).
Here is more on the Element of Earth:
Elements are spirits, an energetic force behind all of creation. If we can understand the properties of such a force, then we can understand how to utilize them in our magic and how they correspond to various attributes, energetics, and the human experience.
| Celestial Creator | Celestial Salt |
| Creator of (Alchemical Principle) | Salt (solid structure) |
| Movement | Down and in |
| Season | Winter |
| Planet | Earth, Saturn, Venus |
| Zodiac | Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn |
| Tarot | Pentacles |
| Rune | Is, Tyr, Ur |
| Ogham | Ioho (Yew Tree) |
| Direction | North |
| Energy | Yin (receptive, magnetic) |
| Psychic Function (Jung)/Sense | Sensation/Touch |
| Chakra | Root |
| Plant Parts (Morphology) | Root |
| Human Level | Physical Body (organ systems include the bones, liver, and large intestine) |
As we head forward, into the season of the bones, we are going to continue to turn the fire inward!
A Candle & A Key,
Kaycee
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