Thankful Thursday

This week I am thankful for...

1. Experiencing the joy and serenity of Muir woods and the redwood trees
2. Spending time with good friends, sharing experiences and wisdom and joy
3. The shadow work course that I am undertaking and the healing it is giving me
4. Warm sunny days and cool evenings
5. Slowly feeling more at home within my own skin.

Persephone

(Source: http://www.citelighter.com/history/history/knowledgecards/persephone)

Deity Name	Persephone
Pantheon	Persephone is a goddess of the Greek Olympian Pantheon
Native Origins	Persephone is a strictly Greek goddess, Although she was later incorporated into the Roman pantheon as Proserpina.  She is the daughter of Demeter and Zeus
Correspondences	Day of the week	Persephone is often associated with Monday.
	Flowers and Herbs	The following Flowers and Herbs are found to be associated with Persephone: grain, lily of the valley, spring flowers, pomegranates, narcissus, lavender, ivy, daisy, mint, reeds, willow tree.
	Fragrances and Incenses	Spring fragrances such as narcissus, lily, hyacinth, vanilla but also earthy fragrances such as amber, and bergamot are all associated with the goddess Persephone.
	Crystals and Gemstones	Citrine, Peridot, Green Tourmaline, Topaz, quartz, agate, black onyx, pink tourmaline, sapphire, obsidian, mercury, coral, agate, and jasper are all stones that can be used in connection with Persephone.
	Foods	Food associated with Persephone include: pomegranates and grains, both of which are associated with her connection to the harvest seasons.
	Sabbats	As a maiden goddess Persephone could be called upon at Imbolc or Ostara.  With her mother Demeter she could be used as part of a Mabon celebration or even Samhain.
	Metals	While there are no particular metals said to be associated with Persephone, as a queen of the underworld, and through her link with Hades you could almost use any kind of precious metal that is dug forth from the earth such as gold, silver etc.
Aspects	Persephone as a Kore, is a maiden goddess, however when she descends to the underworld she is a Queen, and therefore is more representative of the Mother aspect.  She is a goddess of spring and rebirth, wisdom and innocence as well as death and spiritual connections.
Favored Offerings	Some of Persephone’s favored offerings would include: pomegranates, spring flowers, grains.  The ancient Greeks also used to have precious gems engraved as offerings and honoring of the goddess Persephone.
Myth & Legend	The myth of Persephone’s abduction is well known.  Persephone (Kore) was a child of Demeter and Zeus who often played with her father’s other daughters Athena and Aphrodite and was generally the perfect daughter.  As Kore approached womanhood and grew more beautiful she attracted Hades attention who sought Zeus’ permission to marry Persephone and was granted it.  In secret the two plotted for Hades to kidnap Persephone.  One day as she was in the meadow playing as usual a narcissus caught Persephone’s attention and when she plucked it from the ground a hole to the underworld opened up and Hades emerged stealing her away to the underworld to be his wife. When Demeter realized that her daughter was missing she searched desperately for her daughter.  Deeply in mourning for her daughter Demeter roamed the earth in the form of an old lady carrying a lighted torch.  Eventually the goddess Hekate instructed Demeter that she should seek the sun god Helios for information, he in turn informed Demeter of Persephone’s kidnapping. Demeter begged Zeus for the return of her daughter a demand the Zeus eventually was forced to give in to because Demeter’s sorrow had left the land barren and without crops or livestock the people could not honor the gods.  Hades, however, did not wish to give up Persephone and because Persephone had consumed some pomegranate seeds he could demand that she must return to live with him in the underworld for a certain amount of time each year (myths vary as to whether it is a 6 month split, a 7/5 split or a 9/3 split).

Musing Monday - I am Bleeding

I am currently undertaking a shadow work course.  One of the activities for the course is to choose a word to accompany the phrase 'I am'.  Today's word was Bleeding...here is what came to me.

I am bleeding

Bleeding little pieces of my soul

Slowly dripping from the many wounds I’ve never taken the time to heal

Drip…drip…with each step I move monotonously forward tuned out to my body

To my needs, to my souls cry, to the wild, deep, dark within

That place that has hidden me, protected me, been denied by me

To the shadowy sentinels that have stood watch over all my hurts

And who hurt now, bleeding, waiting, wanting to be a part of me.