The Greek Goddess Persephone and Eleusis
Relief from the site of Eleusis
Celebrating the Reuniting of the Goddesses
Demeter, the goddess of harvest, and Persephone, Queen of the Underworld and goddess of Spring, are celebrated twice a year at the site of Eleusis. Their reunification welcomes new initiates to be a part of something larger than themselves.
Like other mystery cults of antiquity, the Eleusinian mysteries focused on the theme of rebirth, which is encapsulated with the mother and daughter’s reunification.
The site of Eleusis was especially important to their mythology as its creation is documented in the Hymn to Demeter, a tale not only important within the sphere of Greek mythology but one whose themes carry over even today! To better understand the hymn, we dove into the ancient piece— check it out!
Kore The Maiden
Kore candle
Tale as old as time… right? Well, the mysteries of Eleusis find their roots in pre-7th c BCE, as the primary texts go!
When Kore (Persephone) is abducted by her husband Hades, Demeter’s grief ravages the world until her daughter returns home.
The Eleusinian mysteries follow this myth, and each year the new initiates celebrate the life and loss, and only upon initiation do they witness the return of the young goddess.
As Spring is almost upon us, we wanted to highlight the energy of the Maiden (Kore), as Persephone was known before being Queen of the Underworld. The Kore candle embodies the feminine archetype of The Maiden, which is all about new beginnings, playfulness, and growth, all of which are perfect for the Spring season.
A Goddess & A Queen
The Eleusinian mysteries highlight the dual nature of both goddesses. Demeter, who brings harvest to the mortal realm, can also cause famine and the land to dry up, and her daughter Persephone, goddess of Spring and the Queen of the Underworld.
As a queen, she ruled alongside her husband with the dead worshipping her, and as a goddess, her dual nature makes her one of the most powerful women in Greek Mythology.
Persephone Perfumed Oil
The items in the store were crafted with this dual aspect in mind and can even be used to honor the goddess in her mystery cult or to embody the energy of the maiden, the queen or the goddess.
Persephone Incense: crafted with the scent of pomegranates as a nod to her mythology. Use to cleanse yourself or space(just like the ancients would have)! And…
Perfumed oil: you can use this to anoint yourself or items you may have, like statues! The image highlights the beauty of baroque sculpture, capturing the moment she transitioned from Maiden to Queen.
Incense and scented oils created a sacred atmosphere in the ancient world. While the precise scents and ingredients from her mystery cult remain unknown, we have crafted these items using knowledge from ancient sources and mythology.
We love bringing history and ancient rites back to life, and incense and scented oils allow us to do so as they were crucial not only to mystery cults and their rites but also to ancient Greek worship and rituals!
Queens Know Their Power
Persephone room spray
Because the mystery rites of the cult of Demeter and Persephone at Eleusis were lost during antiquity, many aspects have been left to interpretation of art and artefacts.
But with how exactly they were worshipped, it is up for debate. As is Greek Mythology! Which is one of the many reasons their stories still ring true today, thousands of years later.
But, if you are looking to set a vibe fit for a goddess and queen as you read her mythology and dive into the realms of ancient cultic practices, our favorite item to do so with is the Persephone room spray which was crafted to smell like power. Knowledge is power here at Styx and Bones, and queens know just how to use it! It is perfect for setting the mood any time you are in your home library or when you want to crack open any of the classic myths with the scent fit for a queen. The archetype of The Queen is someone who balances her power and purpose and is a leader in her own right. This archetype is perfect for those looking to embody more of their own power.
Persephone: Maiden, Queen, and More
Persephone is one of the most powerful goddesses in Greek mythology and ancient Greek religion. She is the goddess of Spring, Maiden of Eleusis, and Queen of the Underworld who was worshipped by both the living and dead.
She is a great reminder that you too do not have to fit into one box. This is why we have decided to craft different divine feminine archetype boxes to highlight that while you are growing as a maiden, you also have the queen's power.
You can check out the boxes here. And learn about all the different divine feminine archetypes and which goddesses we associate them with in our podcast.
More Mysteries of Eleusis?
Since we all know that Persephone married the King of the Underworld, Hades, how does he fit into the Eleusinian mysteries?
Well, not even archaeologists and scholars can agree on this due to the names and epithets that we see used during these rites and rituals.
For a deep dive into the mystery cult of Eleusis, you can check out those podcasts on Spotify and Apple or watch them on YouTube!
