Goddesses and Gods.wps - Welcome to Our Temple

The Hymn to Demeter
With the coming of each spring we begin to feel the returning pulse of life all around
us. The earth and all that is living upon her is waking from a wintry sleep and is
bursting with life. As we walk outside and feel the chill of a beautiful spring morning,
look around at the spring flowers blooming, and listen for the birds singing...
something special happens to all of us. All of these wonderful sensations have been
felt by all of the Goddess's children throughout time. Our ancestors celebrated the
turning of the wheel and the coming of spring with many stories and myths that
reflect the importance of this time of the year.
One of my personal favorites is the Homeric "Hymn to Demeter". The Homeric
"Hymn to Demeter" was originally an oral epic sung to the ancient audience telling of
the kidnapping of Persephone by Aidoneus or Hades. I would like to share this myth
with you and wish all of you a most wonderful and blessed spring.
Many years ago, when the earth was not so old and the Goddesses and Gods walked
among mortals, the maiden Persephone, daughter of Demeter, gathered flowers in a
meadow. In the meadow there grew a beautiful narcissus. Because of it's great
beauty, Persephone approached the plant . When she reached out to pluck the
beautiful flower, the earth split asunder and Aidoneus, lord of the underworld, came
out and grabbed her. Persephone cried to her father Zeus and to her mother
Demeter... yet to no avail. The mountains echoed her cry and a great pain struck
Demeter as she heard her child crying.
Demeter sought out her daughter. She searched and searched, yet no one would tell
her what had happened to her daughter. Demeter, struck with grief, drank neither
ambrosia nor the sweetness of nectar for nine days. This was most unusual, as it is the
way of the Goddesses and Gods to drink ambrosia and nectar. On the tenth day of her
wandering Demeter met Hecate, who told her of hearing the screams, but could not
tell her who had taken Persephone. Demeter said nothing but immediately searched
out Helios, who sees the doings of all the Gods and mortals.
Demeter questioned Helios and learned that Aidoneus had taken her daughter. Helios
then told Demeter that Zeus, father of Persephone, had allowed his brother Aidoneus
to take Persephone as his wife. He continued by telling Demeter that she should be
happy, as Aidoneus was a good husband and not an unsuitable son-in-law. Demeter,
already filled with grief, lamented all the more for her daughter, and so she shrouded
herself in clouds and left Olympus to wander disguised among mortals.