> mitsureigi's persephone sideblog <
+ persephone, dionysus and hypnos devotee + he/they + spoonie eclectic sorcerer +
Pomegranate Spritzer
As pomegranate was a symbol of fertility used by many Greek goddesses, this refreshing drink can be used for a wide range of offerings, not just to Persephone.
Why do the young
poets
all write
about Persephone?
Maybe it’s because
we can relate.
To a goddess?
To being half
sunshine
and half
grave.
Water is a good offering. Olive oil is a good offering. Flowers are a good offering. Written poetry is a good offering. Singing is a good offering. Milk is a good offering. Drawing is a good offering. Wine is a good offering. Candles are a good offering. Incense is a good offering.
The ancient Greeks used what they had around them as offerings, use what you have around you. Yes, the luxurious offerings are great to give, but many of you have asked us what you can do for offerings when you’re short on money. Use what you have around you. Be creative, or just offer some water. You have options and no limits to give an offering.
Persephone is the Goddess of Spring and Queen of the Underworld. She is the daughter of Zeus and Demeter and the wife of Hades. Her lore is possibly one of the most controversial and well known in Greek mythology. However, no matter the story she is known to be even stricter and far less forgiving than her husband. She is often the one to convince hand out strict and harsh sentences for the dead if they have done something wrong that puts them in The Fields of Punishment.
Invocation of Persephone
Come, Persephone,
With your paint-pots and brushes:
Stipple the fields with flowers,
Dot the branches with bright blossoms,
Streak the Spring sky with pale pastels.
You are the one who paints the eyes on the pansies,
And the lines on the lilies so the bees can find their food,
And the blushes on the rosebuds.
Without you,
The bearded iris would have no smile
And the black-eyed susan would be blind.
Come, Persephone:
The world has rested too long
Under Winter’s snowy cloak.
Come bring your brushes and bright colors
And dress us in the shades of Spring again.
We invoke you, gracious maiden of freedom and beauty:
Join us now.
Prayer to Persephone
Persephone, Goddess of Spring, hear my prayer.
I call upon you for your wisdom and insight.
I am faced with a difficult decision and I need your guidance.
Please help me know the way and help me make a decision that is most in alignment with my true path.
Thank you, Persephone.
Personal experience: She’s saved a few of my plants before but other than that I haven’t really started practicing with her yet.
Anonymous asked:
pomegranateandivy answered:
No, I don’t think I do know ALL of them. I do know some though.
There’s the festival of Kore, which has been dated as approximately January 5th and is a celebration of Persephone in her aspect as Kore Goddess of Spring.
There’s Stenia dedicated to Demeter and Persephone that is held three days before Thesmophoria. Not a lot of info on Stenia survived, so we’re not actually sure what the traditional means of celebrating were, but it seems like it was an extensive purification ritual and celebration before one could participate in Thesmophoria.
Thesmophoria is a three day celebration that honors Demeter and Persephone. Historically, there were pretty strictly observed segregations of men and women, and you weren’t allowed to have sex during Thesmophoria. Thesmophoria is held sometime in October, when Ancient Greeks would be getting ready to plant their fall crops. Check out ”Interpreting the Athenian Thesmophoria,” by Allaire B. Stallsmith if you’re interested in Thesmophoria, even though it’s a more Demeter-centric celebration.
Then there’s the Elesusian Mysteries festival which was also held in the fall, and lasted three days. It followed the theme of the descent-the search-and the ascent, focusing on Persephone, Demeter, and Hades. Very little is known about the mysteries, because they were secret rites and not ever written on. We do know there’s a strong theme with the underworld and that more than likely the initiated ancient Greeks who took part in the Elesusian Mysteries used items to induce visions. From vase painting we can assume that dance was an important part of the rituals.
In Sicily there was a festival specifically to celebrate Persephone’s descent, where other festivals tended to focus on her ascent more than anything else. It was called Koris Katagogi (Nilsson (1967) Vol I, pp. 463–466).
And Anthesphoria was another festival in Sicily, that was a flower festival dedicated to Persephone, I’ve never found anything indicating an exact day, but it was held to celebrate Persephone’s return to the world of the living, so I tend to locate it in the spring. There is also evidence that Anthesphoria could be held in honor of any Goddess since it was pretty literally a festival of flowers. The biggest thing about Anthesphoria was that participants should gather flowers themselves and it was considered disgraceful to purchase flowers. The flowers were made into garlands, wreaths, and decorations, all of which were used as offerings to welcome Persephone back (A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, John Murray, London, 1875.).
In case anyone is looking for rather cheap and/or small statues, i found these people may like. They have Apollo, Venus/Aphrodite, Ares, Athena, Ariadne, Hermes, and a goddess theres no clear name for. It also has historical figures that are just cool looking.
Each are about 6 bucks on amazon.
Cheers!
-D
Anonymous asked:
death-witch-envy answered:
Hi! Being new to Pagan worship is seriously very confusing, and it can be daunting. So let’s try to break this down as best we can.
Why give offerings?
Offerings as given as gifts, as little “thank yous” for existing, or displaying that you appreciate the God’s presence in your life.
How to give offerings
I’m going to direct you to this post if you don’t mind.
Will a God not respond to me if I don’t do it 100%?
First off, if you give an offering earnestly and show that you’ve considered it, it’ll work 100%, Guaranteed.
Unfortunately, relationships with the Gods aren’t that linear. I gave Hades offerings for years before I received a response. Many new worshippers don’t get responses right away. That doesn’t mean the God is ignoring you; you need to keep trying. Keep praying and offering to Her. She’ll respond, I promise.
Now ~ offerings for Persephone:
And anything else worshippers would like to add on.
Hope this helps! Have fun beginning your worship–SO exciting. .+(´^ω^`)+.
Anonymous asked:
death-witch-envy answered:
Hi! I was cruising through my Hades tag convinced that I had already made a post about this, but as it turns out, I totally haven’t! Oops! I’m glad you asked. Here’s a cohesive list of ideas:
Objects & Food:
Actions:
I’m sure people have more to add, so if you do, feel free to add on! In case you’re interested, I’ll tack on my guide to worshipping chthonic deities. Have a lovely day!! ^ v ^
