Persephone's Farewell (+ a Gift)
first steps into the darkness
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September is a long, lazy month. The scorching, blistering summer sun has given way to a warm, mellow glow. The humidity has retreated some. The air no longer feels oppressive. The water in the air now offers morning haze and evening mists that are gentle and mysterious. Droplets of atmospheric water settle like a shroud on the woods and marshes around me.
Paths in the woods seem purposely obscured, as if Mother Nature doesn’t want to be seen changing her clothes from green to scarlet. The first step into the darkness must be taken in secret.
September is the month of preparation for Persephone’s farewell. She is clothed in garments of the most vibrant, warm hues, mossy greens, deep royal purples like overripe blackberries, and earthy browns reminiscent of glossy acorns and richly scented mushrooms. She wears a crown of starry asters, the Michaelmas Daisies of old.
She carries a sheave of wheat in her arm, symbolizing her final gift as Ceres, her mother aspect. This grain harvest will give sustenance through the long, cold winter months when the earth sleeps in mourning until she returns in spring. In her other hand, she carries a torch symbolic of the inner light necessary to find her way down as she descends into the earth once more.
A harvest feast is held in woods, ponds, and streams. All creatures know that She is Departing. It is bittersweet, a reminder of the cycle of life and death, departure and return. Her youthful beauty and motherly care will now be replaced by the austerity and mystery of the Cailleach, who brings snow, ice, and storms. In imitation of Persephone, many of her children, the bear, badger, rabbit, groundhog, and others, will soon retreat to the safety of their dens and holes deep in the earth. Others, like deer, owls, and wolves, rely on the protection of the Cailleach during the long, cold winter.
In addition to being the hag of winter, creator, and destroyer of landscapes, [she] was also the protector of animals. According to mythology, Cailleach looked after animals during long, dark winter months. During the winter the blue-skinned giantess would herd deer.
Cailleach was believed to be the patron of wolves. According to some Irish myths, Cailleach could take the form of a wolf. Although the crone is linked specifically to wolves and deer, she was said to care for both wild and domestic animals during winter. ~Graham Grieve
For now, Persephone is still with us. She will descend slowly into the underworld, allowing us time to adjust and prepare for the winter ahead. The preparations for her journey are filled with the harvest's delights, the sun's warmth, the comings and goings of woodland animals, and the tree swallows, hummingbirds, and monarch butterflies that have not yet begun their migration southward.
Autumn Equinox
On September 22nd, the autumnal equinox recalibrates the balance of dark and light, holding us in equilibrium for the briefest moment. In that brief moment, Persephone stands on the threshold of the underworld. She glances backward, and her final pause creates the equinox. The moment she turns her gaze downward into the abyss and places her foot on the first step, she tips the balance in favor of darkness. Instantly, summer is gone, the ancient Wheel of the Year turns, and the autumn season arrives. Darkness increases and now holds sway over all living things.
The descent into the underworld of our inner being must now also begin. Whether we are aware of it or not, winter challenges us to grapple with its themes, symbols, and archetypes. Even those in the most comfortable lives and tropical places can’t escape what is coming. The cyclical nature and energy of the seasonal wheel invites (compels?) us to descend the stairs with Persephone. We must, year after year, explore the darkness within ourselves if our souls are to make progress.
Making Adjustments
How can we greet a new season? Where can we turn our gaze and focus our intuitions? What can we do to attune ourselves to the seasonal energies? How do we welcome the adjustment from summer to autumn?
All Hedge Mystic Subscribers have access to the School of the Seasons materials. These materials are on hidden pages within the Hedge Mystic website.
The brand-new Autumn Equinox/Mabon Exploration & Experience Materials can be found HERE
You’ll discover more about Persephone, the Celtic myth of Mabon, crystals for the autumn equinox, an art invitation, a releasing ritual, and more.
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Michaelmas
The next holy day on the Anglo-Saxon Wheel of the Year is Michaelmas, a celebration of the Archangel Michael and all holy angels. If you are a paid subscriber, next week, you’ll receive a special email with a link to a downloadable guidebook exploring the four archangels to help you celebrate Michaelmas. If you’d like to upgrade and become a paid subscriber for this and other benefits (I’d be thrilled to have you in the inner circle!), use the box below.
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Love slow descent of Persephone you picture. Turns Autumn into a wonderful parade.
Maybe this descent of Persephone is what brings some grief for me at fall. I found an owl pellet. When u wrote that Persephone needed her inner light, it shook me. My flame is deep inside. Owl always shows me how to see in the dark. This time Persephone has decided to plant bulbs, instead of seeds.