Goddesses and Gods.wps - Welcome to Our Temple

In her wandering, Demeter came to the city of Eleusis and here she found refuge with
Queen Metaneria. While residing there, Demeter came to care greatly for the prince
Demophon. Desiring to bestow immortal life upon the child, each night she hid him
in the fire and fed him the nectar and ambrosia of the Gods. When the queen found
out what was going on she was very much frightened. At that moment, the Goddess
Demeter revealed herself in all her glory to the mortals. She commanded that they
should build a temple dedicated to her worship and instructed them in the secret
rituals for her worship.
Demeter stayed in her temple in Eleusis, away form the home of he Goddesses and
Gods, for many days as she mourned for her daughter. She caused this time to be the
most terrible and oppressive year for humans upon the nourishing earth. Demeter
allowed no seed to grow and the fields were plowed in vain. By these deeds, she could
have destroyed the mortal race and deprived the Goddesses and Gods of the most
glorious sacrifices. Zeus, fearing the loss of sacrifices, sent many an ambassador to
summon Demeter, yet she refused to return to Olympus. Demeter told the
ambassadors that she would not return to Olympus nor allow the seeds of the earth to
grow again until she saw her daughter.
When Zeus heard this, he sent Hermes to lead Persephone out of the underworld.
When Persephone learned that she would be returning to see her mother she was
overjoyed. However, before she left, Aidoneus gave her a pomegranate and bade her
to eat it. Persephone did so, not knowing that Aidoneus had worked magick upon it
so that if she ate of it she would be compelled to return to the underworld. In light of
this, Zeus decided that Persephone would spend one third of the year with Aidoneus
in the darkness of the underworld and the other two thirds with her mother,
Demeter.
As a result, each year Persephone returns to the underworld and Demeter mourns for
her daughter. All life that is upon the earth retreats and awaits the return of
Persephone. Each year we yearn, along with Demeter, for the return of Persephone.
As the time approaches, we all smell the air, listen for the birds and look for the
blooming flowers.
Blessed Be and Welcome Return Persephone!