As Persephone Returns

Asasa Ya

The time of the Spring Equinox is upon us and according to Greek myth, the Goddess Persephone has now well and truly returned from the Underworld to be with her mother, Demeter.  This return and reunion of the daughter and mother is an extremely delightful time as the trees and flowers bloom, and the gentle hum of the bees collecting their honey can now be heard.  This rising of energy begins to quicken in pace as the last shackles of Winter are cast aside. 

 

Buoyant and with the signs of proposed bounty, Spring can be such a joyous time (especially after what seems to have been a long, cold Winter).

 

From Africa, the Earth Goddess Asasa Ya (also known as Ashanti) prepares to bring forth new life in the Spring, and as such, she is honoured by her people during the festival known as Durbar, alongside Nyame, the Sky God who brings rain to the fields.

In ancient Rome, it was  the Floral Goddess Flora who was celebrated during a festival that bore her name, Floralia that was celebrated by the attendance of theatre performances and outdoor shows, as well as the undertaking of offerings to the Goddess of milk and honey.

 

The Spring Equinox is the time of balance, when the hours of day and night are equal.  As such, we are reminded of the harmony within our own selves, and are presented with a perfect time to align ourselves (the microcosm) in harmony of the greater whole (the macrocosm).  Focuses on the symbol of the scales or reflecting on our place in the universe can assist with this. 

 

Light now has well and truly overcome darkness, and with the reawakening of the Earth clearly visible around us, we begin to ready ourselves for the increasing energies of Spring.

 

Making the most of these energies, I am in the process of finalising the proof of my second book, In Her Sacred Name: Writings on the Divine Feminine.  This book contains a collection of essays (as well as poetry) that I have written over the years on the various aspects of the Divine Feminine - from the ancient worship of the Sacred She of our far distant ancestors, to how to honour and align with the 13 specific aspects in the 21st century, including even a number of ritual ideas. 

 

If anything goes to plan, I should be in the position to commence taking pre-orders early next month (October) and have a proof copy to show at the Australian Goddess Conference that will be taking place at the end of October where I will be presenting on two Goddesses from ancient Mesopotamia as a run-up to a new workshop I will be offering next year on this ancient culture.