Mabon & the Myth of Persephone

As we turn toward the darkening year, and the long Summer days give way to the generous ripeness of Autumn’s reach, I feel myself begin to focus my gaze inward, like the trees drawing back their chlorophyl, allowing the rich, hidden colours of the Inner Self to emerge. In witnessing and honouring the festival of Mabon (the Autumn Equinox), we align ourselves with this turn of the Wheel of the Year, reminding ourselves that we, too, are Nature.

Just like the land itself, this is our time of generous ripeness, of preparation for the Winter ahead, a time to sort through our stores, check in with ourselves, and make sure we’re ready for the natural process of descent that the lengthening nights encourage.

The Myth of Persephone and the Cycles of Nature

In my many years of dedication to my Pagan spiritual path, I have found mythology one of the most useful and reassuring tools in helping me to navigate the natural cycles of change that we witness both within and without as the seasons turn. One myth in particular, the Ancient Greek myth of the descent of the goddess Persephone and the subsequent grief of her mother Demeter (the Goddess of the Grain), has captured my heart and my imagination for decades.

The myth holds within it a deep wisdom of the necessity for change, of enduring times of darkness and difficulty, of the hidden growth that occurs in the sacred and unknown reaches of the Underworld. In the landscape of Myth, Autumn is the time that Persephone must leave her beloved mother, descend into the realm of Hades and fulfill her role as Queen of the Underworld. Each year she lets go of the concerns of the upper world, and willingly descends to become the compassionate guide to the souls of the dead, helping each soul across the threshold from Life into Death.

At Mabon, we all find ourselves at this powerful threshold, where light gives way to darkness. With Persephone as our guide, we, too, can journey deep into the lands of shadow, shed our old skins, and – if we do our deep work with honesty and integrity – can emerge with her in the Springtime, fresh and bright with a newly awakened appreciation for Life.

My Persephone Double Album

This ancient myth of death and rebirth has wound its way into my music for many years, but it was about 15 years ago that I made the decision to dedicate an entire album to the myth of Demeter and Persephone. (You can find it here). I knew that, despite the written account of this myth being over 2700 years old, it still holds great relevance and value for us today. This is a myth of survival after trauma, of the undying power of the Divine Feminine, and of the balance between Darkness and Light.

In 2014, as part of the process of creating this album, I visited Greece for the first time. As soon as I set foot in that ancient and mythic land, I realised that of course I needed to be here – to honour the ancient goddesses of this myth in their original places of worship.

Greece in Autumn

Thus began many years of traveling back and forth to Greece, learning the language, absorbing the culture. It was on my second trip to Greece, in 2015, that I first experienced the Greek Autumn. I’d taken myself on a solitary journey to experience first-hand the powerful energy of the ancient sites associated with the myth. I visited the temple of Demeter on the island of Naxos, the journey leading me along tiny dusty village roads.

At one point, I found myself driving beside a seemingly endless grove of pomegranate trees! The pomegranates were huge, ripe, red, heavy and mythic. Such bounty! I felt instantly connected to the land and its generous energy. I saw the vast, grey-green expanses of olive groves ready for harvest, and between them, patches of pale golden grasses.

I felt a deep connection to the Goddess who is the land itself, who is the grain, the olive tree, the pomegranate, the surface of the world, and what lies beneath it. It was this experience that coloured the writing of the first two songs on my Persephone album: The Harvest, and Oh Golden Grain.

The Wheel will Turn

I created my Persephone double album as a way of honouring this myth, and my hope is that goes some way toward bringing this story’s vital, living intensity to other Pagans, and into the wider world. I believe that one of its most important messages is that Nature is always in a state of flux. The golden Autumn must naturally give way to the harsher depths of Winter.

On my album, Nature’s wisdom is conveyed through the voice of the goddess Hekate. On track 3, after Demeter and her priestesses have sung their praises of the eternal Summer, Hekate reminds them that ‘The Wheel Will Turn’. I sing Hekate’s parts in Modern Greek – an acknowledgement of the land where this myth first evolved, but also a recognition that the myth continues to evolve from its Ancient Greek heritage. I sing: “ο τροχος θα γυρίσει” (In ‘greeklish’: Oh TRO-hos tha gir-IES-ie ) Which simply means ‘The Wheel Will Turn’. And turn it does, indeed.

Above and Below

When Persephone is abducted into the Underworld by her uncle Hades, her mother Demeter descends into an all consuming grief. All that was green and golden and ripe on the surface of Earth withers and suffers with her grief. The first Winter descends upon the land. At this point in the myth, Demeter represents the deep suffering of grief and loss.

But meanwhile in the Underworld, a change has taken place. Like a seed in the darkness, the maiden Persephone has begun to transform and change. What was seeming Death become new Life. She evolves into the powerful Queen of the Underworld. An aspect of the Great Below has reached the Above, and an aspect of the Above, the Below. A certain balance is restored – an honouring of the need for darkness, for death, for descent. In the voice of Hekate I sing: Πάνω και κάτω (PAno kay KAto) Which simply means ‘above and below’. This may well be a useful chant for your Mabon rituals!

Ritual of Persephone at Magic Mountain Mabon, New Mexico

I was very blessed to have the opportunity to weave some of this sacred music as part of the Magic Mountain Mabon gathering in New Mexico a couple of years ago. Through ritual theatre we recreated this myth to honour the turning of the seasons, and at many points in the ritual journey incorporated chants from my album. There were two rituals. On Friday evening we told the story of Demeter and Persephone and their lives in the Upperworld, and then her capture by Hades.

The next night, another ritual explored Persephone’s time in the Underworld, her growth into the Queen of the Dead, and her relationship with Demeter. For both rituals, my friends the Crow Women sang the choral parts while I evoked Persephone through word and song. It was very powerful!

I’d love to have the time and space to explore each and every aspect of this important myth (and my 24 track album!) with you, but this is a short article. If you’d like do dive in a little deeper, check out my album, which comes with full liner notes and lyrics.

You can also click on these links to watch film clips that I’ve made, both in New Mexico and Greece:

• ELEUSIS (Filmed partly at the ancient temple of Eleusis, and partly in a temple on Corfu, Greece)
• HOLLOW (Filmed at White Sands National Monument, New Mexico)
• DARK SHADOW (Filmed at Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico)
• UNDERWORLD (Filmed at the Nekromanteaon temple, Greece)

Wishing you all a deep, joyful and transformative Mabon.

Wendy Rule
www.wendyrule.com
www.patreon.com/wendyrule

Cover photo of Wendy as Demeter by Karen Kuehn