Celebrate SPRING with the Goddess of the Harvest

In the Ancient Greek Myth, Demeter (Ceres) was the Goddess of the Harvest, Goddess of Agriculture. She controlled the seasons, and was capable of destroying life on earth. Her daughter, Persephone (Proserpina) was abducted from earth while picking flowers and taken into the underworld. You may be familiar with Bernini's sculpture Pluto and Proserpina that resides in the Villa Borghese Museum in Rome.

After Persephone's' abduction, Demeter wandered the earth day and night searching in grief for her lost daughter. She neglected her earthly duties, causing it to die—turning the earth into a Winter wasteland. It snowed. It snowed a lot. Demeter wandered to Eleusis where the Goddess Baubo offered her hospitality, she offered Demeter wine. But, that didn't work so Baubo playfully lifted her skirts, revealing herself and making lewd gestures. This caused Demeter to laugh. The laughter transformed Demeter's balance and in turn, transformed the balance of the earth.

Eventually Zeus convinced the gods to let Persephone return to Demeter for several months every year.

Persephone's yearly visit to her ecstatic mother, Demeter joyfully resumes her fertility of the earth—the flowers bloom and the birds sing. We have Spring.

After this year's dreadful Winter, the Spring will be specially sweet. Celebrate Persephone's return. Celebrate the rebirth of the earth!