4 days hence the celebration of the autumn equinox (Sept 23) will be upon us. Soon Persephone will begin her descent into the underworld, no longer her mother's daughter, but Queen of the Underworld. Everyone I think, knows the story of how she was abducted by Hades and taken to the Underworld to be his wife. Her mother, Demeter, utterly distraught refused to let anything grow until her return, which brought on the first autumn and winter. To prevent everlasting winter, it was agreed she would be returned to her mother permanently as long as she hadn't eaten anything in the Underworld. Hades, giving her a pomegranate to eat ensured that she could not stay up above the entire year, she had to return, spending half the year above and half below. The stories mostly focus on Demeter and her anguish, but hidden in the stories are great lessons from Persephone.
Persephone teaches duality, surrender, and holding space for yourself even when blinded by darkness. She models courage and how to transition skilllfully and gracefully between Shadow and Light. She does not identify solely with either end of the spectrum because she has integrated the opposites within her. She is a lithe and nimble shapeshifter of grace, dignity, and authority. She is vulnerability and her strength, who chose to rise above victim status in order to gain her crown as Queen. Facing adversity and the bleakness of her new home, she still manages to find her true self and embody the dark and mysterious persona of Hades' new wife and Queen of the Underworld. When we surrender to the deep currents and dark places of our misplaced fears, many gifts and blessings can be found. We quickly learn to trust and honour the mysterious workings of our processes, which is very grounding and humbling. We learn to trust our own unique purpose. She represents the regenerative energy and potential for growth and transformation. Looking deep, we can develop the skills to transform ourselves as we adapt to all of our experiences, both light and dark, and move toward wholeness and awareness. No longer afraid of the shadows in the Underworld, we have embraced the holy darkness, and claiming all parts of our soul, emerge into the light with joy and love both for ourselves and others. It is time to bloom, to ripen, to embrace our full power and celebrate our extraordinary triumph after a long and painful struggle.
We take our first steps into the underworld at Autumn Equinox. We are now on the inward journey to our source and center. What will we cast off? What belongings are too heavy to carry on this journey? What will we bring along? What strengths and gifts will nurture this dark journey?
