Goddess of the Month: Persephone, Goddess of Spring
By Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway

Adapted from her book, A Goddess Is a Girl's Best Friend: A Divine Guide To Finding Love, Success and Happiness

In Greek mythology and goddess lore, winter is the dark, cold time of the year because it represents the season that Demeter – goddess of grain – cries over and mourns the loss of her daughter Persephone, who must spend six months of the year in the Underworld. When Demeter is without her daughter, the skies turn dark, the weather is nasty and the crops do not grow.

Spring time, however, represents the reemergence of the Goddess Persephone. As the youthful Goddess returns to her mother, the seasons change, flowers blooms, the sun shines upon us all once again, and the earth celebrates her return.



Persephone (per-sef-oh-nee), Greek goddess of harvest, vegetation and spring, was seen as the rich fertile earth, the seed that was planted in the earth so it could bloom. A virginal maiden who becomes a queen of darkness, she came to represent both the loss of innocence and a woman's occasional journey to the dark side with a man. She was at play in a field, gathering flowers, when she came across the beautiful narcissus flower. As she bent down to pick it, without warning, the earth suddenly opened and out came Hades, god of the shadowy underworld and ruler of the dead, in a chariot. It turned out to be her surprise wedding limo. Frightened, kicking and screaming, she is carried off to his home in Hell.

Her mother, Demeter, freaked and confronted Persephone's dad, Zeus. It turned out that he had given Hades permission to take Persephone's hand – and more.

Demeter roamed the earth in search of Persephone and could not find her. Finally she refused to let her grains and fruits grow until her daughter was returned. A deadly winter fell upon the earth. Eventually, Zeus gave in, and ordered Hades to let Persephone go. But before Hades relinquished her he persuaded Persephone to eat from the pomegranate. Because she had tasted the food of the dead, Hades retained a claim on her.

She ate six seeds. So a deal was struck that she would spend six months of the year with Hades, and six with her Mom. The cycle continues that we have spring when Persephone is free from the underworld. And winter, when she leaves and her mother mourns.


Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway, author of Wedding Goddess: A Divine Guide to Transforming Wedding Stress into Wedding Bliss, and A Goddess Is a Girl's Best Friend: A Divine Guide To Finding Love, Success and Happiness is the creator and instructor of these popular Self-Healing Expressions courses:

Discovering the Goddess: A Path to Healing, Spirituality and Joy

Find Your Spiritual Soul Mate: Transforming Your Romantic Destiny with A Romantic Resumé