Part 1, from last week, can be read here. For those folks in the southern hemisphere who are entering fall as we the northern climates enter spring I offer this next personal narrative. Every Autumn I buy a smooth skinned… Read More ›
Eleusinian Mysteries
Persephone Rises, Part 1 by Sara Wright
While researching Minoan Crete I learned that each autumn young girls once gathered blue violet saffron crocus to leave as an offering for the Wild Crocus Goddess as they prepared for adolescent female initiation rites. I was intrigued by the reference to… Read More ›
We Are Not Alone: Embodying and Re-enacting Ancient Wisdom by Carol P. Christ
A few nights ago, on the way to dinner, two friends and I passed by a small church near the old fortress in Ierapetra, Crete. The liturgy was broadcast via microphone and a crowd of people gathered outside the church…. Read More ›
Persephone’s Return and the Lesser Eleusinian Mysteries by Deanne Quarrie
Many of us are quite familiar with the story of Persephone and Demeter, the Greek myth behind the changing of seasons each year. “The story basically goes that Zeus arranges a marriage for Hades, the God of the Underworld and… Read More ›
Dance of Persephone: The Trata of Megara by Laura Shannon
In a previous post on FAR I explored Greek Easter customs which interweave Christian and pre-Christian beliefs. Today I would like to take a closer look at one of these customs, the women’s ritual dance known as Tráta, ceremonially performed on ‘Bright Tuesday,’… Read More ›
The Dog Days of Summer by Carol P. Christ
Sirius rises late in the dark, liquid sky On summer nights, star of stars, Orion’s Dog they call it, brightest Of all, but an evil portent, bringing heat And fevers to suffering humanity. –Homer, The Iliad The dog… Read More ›
Demeter – Mother of Creative Potential
This short paper was part of a series of assessment pieces for university where we had to imagine ourselves as people living in a number of ancient cultures. It addresses a very direct question: “Imagine you are in Ancient Greece… Read More ›
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