iliosflower

[iliosflower]

Happy Lesser Mysteries!

Today marks the second day of my observance of the Lesser Mysteries of Eleusis. What exactly went on at these rites remains mostly just that, a mystery, but many believe that there were preparatory rites of purification that prepared someone for the Greater Mysteries.

In my worship, the Lesser Mysteries are commemorated by offerings made to Demeter, Persephone, and Hekate over the seven days of the festival. For seven days I will fast from sun up to sun down, honoring the ritual fasting believed to be part of these rites and to mirror Demeter’s refusal of food and drink while she sought for Her daughter.

Each day I will give the goddesses libations, incense, barley grain, and various fruits, along with offerings of various candles made of beeswax or filled with sacred oils and the holy herbs of Demeter. As I do so, I will recite a section of the Homeric Hymn to Demeter, reading 1/7th of it each day.

I ask the goddesses for the gift of purification and renewal, both spiritual and physical, and for abundance and prosperity in the Spring. May Demeter, Kore, and Hekate look upon us with favor in these dark and cold times.

[iliosflower]

May the Theoi surround you with comfort and warmth in times of hopelessness and dismal loneliness. May they always remain a friend in your corner, a gentle rhythm to your heartbeat, a surge of confidence, a bout of contagious laughter, a boundless curiosity, a passionate anger, pure joy in all its countless shapes and forms. May they embrace you in the dark and dance with you in the light.

May you never suffer, or celebrate, in the cruelty of solitude ever again.

[iliosflower]

Mother 💃🏻🐍👁️‍🗨️🌿

May’s illustration is simply called ‘Mother’ as the figure depicted is not one specific goddess, but a personification of the primordial maternal deity all Ancient Mediterranean mother goddesses seem to have sprung from🪴

During my trip through Sicily I became fascinated with the origins of the gorgon and what she represented to the ancient people of Sicily and Magna Graeca. I learnt in some cases the gorgon would be depicted in the pose of the Potnia Theron, Mistress of Animals, who much later had associations with many of the female Olympians. This took me down a rabbit hole, reading up on the Scythian snake-legged goddess who sometimes had the form of the gorgonic potnia theron, the Minoan snake goddesses brandishing snakes, and then the chthonic poppy goddesses of the Cyclades who inhabit the border of the living and the dead. There’s even connection to the goddess Cybele or Bona Dea, who similarly encompass that space of overall Mother of the Gods.

From reading about all these divine mothers from all over the Greek world, I wanted to encompass them all together in their origin. I feel a bit conflicted because it is heavily my own interpretation and I don’t want anyone to feel mislead, but I just wanted to capture the vibe of a powerful, intimidating, ancient goddess who has heavy ties to the balance between life and death✨

[iliosflower]

could you please point me to your post about how americans misuse greek mythology (if it isn't too much trouble, of course)? while i'm not american i would be interested in reading about it since i think it is always a relevant topic

Ah, sure, no trouble! The thing is, I have several posts on this matter. Time to make a masterpost. Some disclaimers first:

1) The blogs I reblog from, I don’t agree in everything with them. I also can’t look up every blog I’ve ever reblogged from. 2) Greeks are not mad at Americans for not knowing. (You can’t expect someone to automatically know things for other countries so far away from them). The problem is most Americans don’t research or even realize that they have to research, since they are absorbed in their own country’s affairs only. Probably because of their country’s power and self-reliance, some Americans have a hard time comprehending in depth how other cultures differ from theirs. 3) This also goes for countries who have been and are big powers. It’s mostly the UK, Germany, Austria, France, Australia and Canada (perhaps). There is a certain amount of privilege these countries have and they can more easily forget to check if the information they are served from the media or their friends about Greek mythology is correct.

On this attitude there is a small commentary in this Post

The recent Nike stupidity: Post (I forgot to reblog the addition so I’m sending you to another blog)

"If you see “Greek mythology” and your mind goes to North Americans and Northwestern Europeans, you haven’t decolonized your mind yet." Post

How Americans (among other foreigners) miss the mark with Hades and Persephone myth. Post

False stereotypes for Greeks and Greece most Americans have: Post

Dispelling the myth that ancient Greek folklore is a patriarchal creation. (Greece was and is patriarchal, but the creation of folklore doesn’t fall onto men only. Dismissing the whole ancient and modern folklore as “fanfiction written by dudes” is quite dismissive and condescending) Post

Foreigners not knowing we had a word for blue! Post

Some (mostly Anglophone) Hellenic pagans use "Hellen"/"Hellene" as their identity name, while that name denotes a nationality. Also, some Hellenic Pagans identify as "Hellenic" which sounds as if they identify as Greek people. (It is like me saying “I am British”. It's a linguistic matter. The problem is that they don't know it and that this knowledge isn't available to them). They also falsely use the word "Hellenismos" as a name for their religion. Meanwhile, "Hellenismos" always meant "Greek people and culture". (Another linguistic knowledge not available. And nobody cares to ask Greeks about it) Post

Sarah J. Maas passing existing names and cultures as her own Post (In her more recent books she has more Greek words but she says they are part of an “ancient forgotten language”)

In the book Receiver of Many (from a US American author) there were many weird things, including Persephone not knowing what her name meant. (reminder: she speaks the language her name is from :p) There were so many inaccuracies I had made a whole post about it but I got tired and deleted it, together with my memories of it :p

In the book Circe the hero Odysseus and his crew become rapists to further develop Circe’s story. This invalidates both Circe and the beloved hero of the Greeks for millennia. (Odysseus wasn’t a saint but making him a rapist is not respectful either). The author, Madeline Miller also said in an article that she continues (!!!) the Greek mythology and the article compared her to Homer. Madeline Miller is a US American with a BA and MA in Latin and Ancient Greek, and has been teaching both for almost a decade. If a person with such knowledge is doing this, it makes me feel that we really have no hope with the rest. 

Rick Riordan being culturally inclusive but surprisingly NOT inclusive to Greeks, in a series talking about Greek mythology. I don’t recall dances, food, customs and relatable things in the Percy Jackson series. What is more, some portrayals of the gods are questionable. And Apollo’s surname is Christian Orthodox and means “Priest’s Child”. Which is weird and shows that the amount of research on his surname lasted less than ten seconds. This Post shows how it would be to have some Hellenismos (Greekness) in the Percy Jackson series.

Lore Olympus, holy f*ck, where do I begin.... (The author is from New Zealand where you can find Greek people and communities, and is also very active on social media where she could have found Greeks and ask them)

A British author misusing Greek language and mythology in To Kill a Kingdom: Post

Americans drawing Greek deities without any Greek elements on them: Post (OP’s blog has changed, so the post remains just as an example) Another Post comments on this trend.

And last but not least, all the hate Zeus (the literal father of gods!!) gets on this most US American site shows zero seconds of research on Greek mythology.

[iliosflower]

Persephone's Abduction

"Persephone went willingly! Just check the oldest myth." - one too many a person on tiktok this morning.

Alright, I will. I'll use the Homeric Hymn to Demeter (7th century BCE) for you.

"[..] but broad-pathed Earth gaped wide

On the Nysion plain where the lord, the Receiver of many, rushed forth

With his deathless horses, Kronos' son who has many a name.

He seized her against her will, and aboard his golden car

Carried her off, lamenting; she uttered a piercing scream"

(line 16-20)

"When the maiden shrieked in appeal to her father"

(line 27)

"While the goddess [Persephone] viewed earth and starry sky, and the strong-flowing sea

Teeming with fish, and the rays of the Sun, she still hoped to behold

Her dear mother again, and the tribes of gods eternal in race;

So long did hope soothe her mighty mind despite her grief."

(line 33-36)

"Sun, [Helios], as a god for a goddess [Demeter] show your regard for me,

If ever by word or deed your heart and spirit I pleased.

The daughter whom I bore, my sweet offshoot of glorious form,

I heard through the murmuring air giving vent to an anguished cry

As though overpowered by force, yet caught no glimpse with my eyes.

[...]

Who took her without my consent against her will by force

And vanished -"

(line 64-72)

"And the lord in his [Hades'] halls he [Hermes] discovered seated upon a couch,

And he had his revered spouse by him, though much against her will,

Since she longed for Demeter, her mother -"

(line 43-45)

"She [Persephone] quickly leaped up in delight, but secretly, glancing round,

He [Hades] gave her to eat a pomegranate's honey-sweet seed, so that there

By revered Demeter the dark-robed she would not for ever stay."

(line 73-75)

"I [Persephone] at once leaped up in delight, but Hades secretly put

A food as sweet as honey, a pomegranate's seed, in my hand

And using violence forced me to taste it against my will"

(line 412-412)

Photo credit here.

[iliosflower]

@bug-b0i I hope it's okay to answer your question like this, as I've seen the sentiment more often and it's really important to me.

This post was made as an (irritated) reaction to the 99th romantasy being promoted on tiktok pretending that the story of Persephone going willingly with Hades (which originated in the 70s) is secretly thousands of years old. They claimed to have knowledge of an ancient myth that does not exist.

However, the myths are not the gods. Hades was worshipped - conjunct with Persephone and Demeter. It was rare to find one without the others.

The confusion arises from cults where Persephone and Hades are seen as gods of marriage (such at Locri) that people then confuse with mythology. They're not the same thing. You can interpret the mythology as an allegory of the seasons, of death/marriage of young girls, of the harvest - but there is nothing wrong with worshipping Hades. I love him. He's one of the oldest gods at my altar, alongside his wife, and he's brought me nothing but comfort.

So, please do not let mythology stop you from worshipping the gods. Whether that's Zeus, Hades, or anyone else.

Persephone's Abduction

"Persephone went willingly! Just check the oldest myth." - one too many a person on tiktok this morning.

Alright, I will. I'll use the Homeric Hymn to Demeter (7th century BCE) for you.

"[..] but broad-pathed Earth gaped wide

On the Nysion plain where the lord, the Receiver of many, rushed forth

With his deathless horses, Kronos' son who has many a name.

He seized her against her will, and aboard his golden car

Carried her off, lamenting; she uttered a piercing scream"

(line 16-20)

"When the maiden shrieked in appeal to her father"

(line 27)

"While the goddess [Persephone] viewed earth and starry sky, and the strong-flowing sea

Teeming with fish, and the rays of the Sun, she still hoped to behold

Her dear mother again, and the tribes of gods eternal in race;

So long did hope soothe her mighty mind despite her grief."

(line 33-36)

"Sun, [Helios], as a god for a goddess [Demeter] show your regard for me,

If ever by word or deed your heart and spirit I pleased.

The daughter whom I bore, my sweet offshoot of glorious form,

I heard through the murmuring air giving vent to an anguished cry

As though overpowered by force, yet caught no glimpse with my eyes.

[...]

Who took her without my consent against her will by force

And vanished -"

(line 64-72)

"And the lord in his [Hades'] halls he [Hermes] discovered seated upon a couch,

And he had his revered spouse by him, though much against her will,

Since she longed for Demeter, her mother -"

(line 43-45)

"She [Persephone] quickly leaped up in delight, but secretly, glancing round,

He [Hades] gave her to eat a pomegranate's honey-sweet seed, so that there

By revered Demeter the dark-robed she would not for ever stay."

(line 73-75)

"I [Persephone] at once leaped up in delight, but Hades secretly put

A food as sweet as honey, a pomegranate's seed, in my hand

And using violence forced me to taste it against my will"

(line 412-412)

Photo credit here.

[iliosflower]

A Modern Festival For Psyche - Festival of Butterflies

This is very inspired by the festival for Psyche that @starry-polytheism created for April. Though it's almost opposite, different sides of the same coin, if you will. Since their festival is more based around the transition from fall to winter as they're in the southern hemisphere. As I'm in the northern hemisphere I wanted to make this more focused on the transition from winter to spring.

Psyche is not necessarily a goddess of spring but a lot of her symbolism is very spring-related. Especially her biggest and most known symbol, butterflies. So having a festival and time to celebrate in spring felt fitting. To me, she is a goddess of transformation and hope and that's what I want the focus of this festival to be. Transformation of yourself and the transformation and hope for the upcoming spring. I will also be bringing Eros into this festival as they are married and closely intertwined for me and my worship. I like to honor him as much as I can.

Ideally, this would take place on the spring equinox but because I've been struggling a bit and just now writing this I will not personally be celebrating on that day. Most likely this upcoming weekend since that's when I have the time.

This will be a two-day festival. Day one is focused on the transformation aspect. Preparing to bring in the new and to celebrate. The focus is on cleaning your space and doing self-care acts in the name and honor of Lady Psyche. Everyone has different levels of spoons so this can be as much or as little as you want. I'm confident she will enjoy and appreciate any of it!

Ideas for day one of the festival

Clean your space spiritually by lighting incense.

Clean your home (as much or as little as you can or want. Even just cleaning your room or altar space or even one section of any room is perfect.)

Listen to a playlist you've made for Psyche while cleaning

Bake to enjoy for day two of the festival.

Journal things you're grateful for in your current season and/or things you're looking forward to in spring.

Journal about how you've grown and changed through the last few months and how Psyche or Eros have helped you with that.

Gather things to donate to those in need.

Perform self-care acts for and in Lady's Psyche name (taking an intentional shower/bath, brushing your teeth with intention, etc.)

Day two focuses on the hope and joy the new season can bring. It's all about celebrating and doing things that bring you joy to honor Psyche. As Eros is the god of passion and love I feel like he can be especially involved in this day.

Ideas for day two of the festival

If the weather permits enjoy nature coming back to life around you. Go for a walk in nature or simply sit outside on your porch/yard.

Bring Psyche in while you spend time on a favorite hobby (coloring, art, reading, knitting, etc.)

Have a dancing and singing session.

Offer a yummy baked good or candy you think Psyche and Eros would enjoy.

Prepare and enjoy a good meal for the two.

Rest in any way you need or see fit.

Literally, anything that makes you happy and brings you joy.

I have never attempted to make a festival so I'm not sure if any of this makes much sense but I'll take any chance to celebrate my beautiful deities any extra amount. If you think something would be better or you have anything to add to what I've written, please feel free to share!

Feel free to do as much or as little of what's in this post, or adapt it any way that would better fit your practice. If you don't have two days for a festival split the day in two or split whatever time you have to celebrate to focus on the two aspects of the festival. As I mentioned before, Psyche and Eros will enjoy any thought put into this, no matter how small it feels.

[iliosflower]

Of Diô, divine mother of all, divinity with many names, Holy Dîmítîr, nurturer of children, bestower of bliss, Oh divine one, who cultivates the grain, who apportions all good things, You who rejoice in peace and our difficult labors, Presiding over seeds, bequeathing abundant grain, thresher, producing the green fruit, You dwell in the hallowed valley of Ælefsís. Oh charming, lovely one, you give nourishment to all the mortals; You were the first to yoke the ploughing oxen, And you produce a lovely and abundant life for mortals; You promote growth, familial companion of Vrómios, splendidly honored, Torch-bearing, holy one, you rejoice in the summer's fruit of the sickle. You are from the earth, you appear, you are gentle to all. You bless us with progeny, oh lover of children, holy one, maiden who nurtures the young, You yoke dragons to your chariot with a bridle, Whirling and circling about your throne as you cry out in ecstasy. Only-begotten, Goddess bearing many children, mighty queen of mortals, Creator of many things, you bloom with flowers, blooming with holiness; Come, happy one, pure one, heavy with the fruits of summer, Bring down peace and lovely order to our world, With riches and blessings and a life governed by good health.

ORPHIC HYMN TO DEMETER 🌾

a small devotional offering for Adeia (learn more here)

[iliosflower]

Ramadan Kareem to all those who observe, may Allah accept our fasts and duaa and allow us growth and harmony over the course of the next month. May Allah ease the suffering of those in Gaza and across Falasteen, Sudan, Congo, Yemen, Tigray, Kashmir, West Papau, and all those who are oppressed around the world. May He grant them shifa, tranquility, steadfastness, and sabr. May He grant us the strength and ability to fight injustice wherever we see it, and victory over our oppressors.

Here is a list of resources for Gaza and Falasteen. Here is an even bigger list. Here’s a much smaller one. Here is one with resources for both Gaza and Sudan.

Here is the link to a GFM that is very important to me. Here is the link to a GFM for a family in urgent need of evacuation out of Gaza.

Here is a way to help out Sudan. Here are links for donations, Sudanese businesses to support, and brief education about Sudan. Here is a post with resources for education and updates about what's happening in Sudan.

Here is a post with resources for Tigray.

Here is a post with important information on boycotting for Congo. Here is a post with links to support Congo.

Here is a list of resources for education on various issues around the world, including but not limited to West Papau, Hawai'i, Kashmir, and Armenia.

You can check my resources tag for more. I know tumblr's searching system isn't the best, though, so I tried to put as many as I could from that tag here.

Ramadan Kareem. May every action we take towards justice bring us lasting freedom and tranquility 🌙

[iliosflower]

Introduction To Supporting Sustainable Agriculture For Witches and Pagans

[ID: An image of yellow grain stocks, soon to be harvested. The several stocks reach towards a blurred open sky, focusing the camera on he grains themselves. The leaves of the grains are green and the cereals are exposed].

PAGANISM AND WITCHCRAFT ARE MOVEMENTS WITHIN A SELF-DESTRUCTIVE CAPITALIST SOCIETY. As the world becomes more aware of the importance of sustainability, so does the duty of humanity to uphold the idea of the steward, stemming from various indigenous worldviews, in the modern era. I make this small introduction as a viticulturist working towards organic and environmentally friendly grape production. I also do work on a food farm, as a second job—a regenerative farm, so I suppose that is my qualifications. Sustainable—or rather regenerative agriculture—grows in recognition. And as paganism and witchcraft continue to blossom, learning and supporting sustainability is naturally a path for us to take. I will say that this is influenced by I living in the USA, however, there are thousands of groups across the world for sustainable agriculture, of which tend to be easy to research.

So let us unite in caring for the world together, and here is an introduction to supporting sustainable/regenerative agriculture. 

A QUICK BRIEF ON SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE 

Sustainable agriculture, in truth, is a movement to practise agriculture as it has been done for thousands of years—this time, with more innovation from science and microbiology especially. The legal definition in the USA of sustainable agriculture is: 

The term ”sustainable agriculture” (U.S. Code Title 7, Section 3103) means an integrated system of plant and animal production practices having a site-specific application that will over the long-term:

A more common man’s definition would be farming in a way that provides society’s food and textile needs without overuse of natural resources, artificial supplements and pest controls, without compromising the future generation’s needs and ability to produce resources. The agriculture industry has one of the largest and most detrimental impacts on the environment, and sustainable agriculture is the alternative movement to it. 

Sustainable agriculture also has the perk of being physically better for you—the nutrient quality of crops in the USA has dropped by 47%, and the majority of our food goes to waste. Imagine if it was composted and reused? Or even better—we buy only what we need. We as pagans and witches can help change this. 

BUYING ORGANIC (IT REALLY WORKS)

The first step is buying organic. While cliche, it does work: organic operations have certain rules to abide by, which excludes environmentally dangerous chemicals—many of which, such as DDT, which causes ecological genocide and death to people. Organic operations have to use natural ways of fertilising, such as compost, which to many of us—such as myself—revere the cycle of life, rot, and death. Organic standards do vary depending on the country, but the key idea is farming without artificial fertilisers, using organic seeds, supplementing with animal manure, fertility managed through management practices, etc. 

However, organic does have its flaws. Certified organic costs many, of which many small farmers cannot afford. The nutrient quality of organic food, while tending to be better, is still poor compared to regeneratively grown crops. Furthermore, the process to become certified organic is often gruelling—you can practise completely organically, but if you are not certified, it is not organic. Which, while a quality control insurance, is both a bonus and a hurdle. 

JOINING A CSA

Moving from organic is joining a CSA (“Community supported agriculture”). The USDA defines far better than I could: 

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), one type of direct marketing, consists of a community of individuals who pledge support to a farm operation so that the farmland becomes, either legally or spiritually, the community’s farm, with the growers and consumers providing mutual support and sharing the risks and benefits of food production.

By purchasing a farm share, you receive food from the farm for the agreed upon production year. I personally enjoy CSAs for the relational aspect—choosing a CSA is about having a relationship, not only with the farmer(s), but also the land you receive food from. I volunteer for my CSA and sometimes I get extra cash from it—partaking in the act of caring for the land. Joining a CSA also means taking your precious capital away from the larger food industry and directly supporting growers—and CSAs typically practise sustainable and/or regenerative agriculture. 

CSAs are also found all over the world and many can deliver their products to food deserts and other areas with limited agricultural access. I volunteer from time to time for a food bank that does exactly that with the produce I helped grow on the vegetable farm I work for. 

FARM MARKETS AND STALLS 

Another way of personally connecting to sustainable agriculture is entering the realm of the farm stall. The farmer’s market is one of my personal favourite experiences—people buzzing about searching for ingredients, smiles as farmers sell crops and products such as honey or baked goods, etc. The personal connection stretches into the earth, and into the past it buries—as I purchase my apples from the stall, I cannot help but see a thousand lives unfold. People have been doing this for thousands of years and here I stand, doing it all over again. 

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Farmers’ markets are dependent on your local area, yet in most you can still develop personal community connections. Paganism often stresses community as an ideal and a state of life. And witchcraft often stresses a connection to the soil. What better place, then, is purchasing the products from the locals who commune with the land? 

VOLUNTEERING 

If you are able to, I absolutely recommend volunteering. I have worked with aquaponic systems, food banks, farms, cider-making companies, soil conservation groups, etc. There is so much opportunity—and perhaps employment—in these fields. The knowledge I have gained has been wonderful. As one example, I learned that fertilisers reduce carbon sequestration as plants absorb carbon to help with nutrient intake. If they have all their nutrients ready, they do not need to work to obtain carbon to help absorb it. This does not even get into the symbiotic relationship fungi have with roots, or the world of hyphae. Volunteering provides community and connection. Actions and words change the world, and the world grows ever better with help—including how much or how little you may provide. It also makes a wonderful devotional activity. 

RESOURCING FOOD AND COOKING 

Buying from farmers is not always easy, however. Produce often has to be processed, requiring labour and work with some crops such as carrots. Other times, it is a hard effort to cook and many of us—such as myself—often have very limited energy. There are solutions to this, thankfully:

Many farmers can and will process foods. Some even do canning, which can be good to stock up on food and lessen the energy inputs. 

Value-added products: farms also try to avoid waste, and these products often become dried snacks if fruit, frozen, etc. 

Asking farmers if they would be open to accommodating this. Chances are, they would! The farmer I purchase my CSA share from certainly does. 

Going to farmers markets instead of buying a CSA, aligning with your energy levels. 

And if any of your purchased goods are going unused, you can always freeze them. 

DEMETER, CERES, VEIA, ETC: THE FORGOTTEN AGRICULTURE GODS

Agricultural gods are often neglected. Even gods presiding over agriculture often do not have those aspects venerated—Dionysos is a god of viticulture and Apollon a god of cattle. While I myself love Dionysos as a party and wine god, the core of him remains firmly in the vineyards and fields, branching into the expanses of the wild. I find him far more in the curling vines as I prune them than in the simple delights of the wine I ferment. Even more obscure gods, such as Veia, the Etruscan goddess of agriculture, are seldom known.

Persephone receives the worst of this: I enjoy her too as a dread queen, and people do acknowledge her as Kore, but she is far more popular as the queen of the underworld instead of the dear daughter of Demeter. I do understand this, though—I did not feel the might of Demeter and Persephone until I began to move soil with my own hands. A complete difference to the ancient world, where the Eleusinian mysteries appealed to thousands. Times change, and while some things should be left to the past, our link to these gods have been severed. After all, how many of us reading know where our food comes from? I did not until I began to purchase from the land I grew to know personally. The grocery store has become a land of tearing us from the land, instead of the food hub it should be.

Yet, while paganism forgets agriculture gods, they have not forgotten us. The new world of farming is more conductive and welcoming than ever. I find that while older, bigoted people exist, the majority of new farmers tend to be LGBT+. My own boss is trans and aro, and I myself am transgender and gay. The other young farmers I know are some flavour of LGBT+, or mixed/poc. There’s a growing movement for Black farmers, elaborated in a lovely text called We Are Each Other’s Harvest. 

Indigenous farming is also growing and I absolutely recommend buying from indigenous farmers. At this point, I consider Demeter to be a patron of LGBT+ people in this regard—she gives an escape to farmers such as myself. Bigotry is far from my mind under her tender care, as divine Helios shines above and Okeanos’ daughters bring fresh water to the crops. Paganism is also more commonly accepted—I find that farmers find out that I am pagan and tell me to do rituals for their crops instead of reacting poorly. Or they’re pagan themselves; a farmer I know turned out to be Wiccan and uses the wheel of the year to keep track of production. 

Incorporating these divinities—or concepts surrounding them—into our crafts and altars is the spiritual step towards better agriculture. Holy Demeter continues to guide me, even before I knew it. 

WANT CHANGE? DO IT YOURSELF! 

If you want change in the world, you have to act. And if you wish for better agriculture, there is always the chance to do it yourself. Sustainable agriculture is often far more accessible than people think: like witchcraft and divination, it is a practice. Homesteading is often appealing to many of us, including myself, and there are plenty of resources to begin. There are even grants to help one improve their home to be more sustainable, i.e. solar panels. Gardening is another, smaller option. Many of us find that plants we grow and nourish are far more potentant in craft, and more receptive to magical workings. 

Caring for plants is fundamental to our natures and there are a thousand ways to delve into it. I personally have joined conservation groups, my local soil conservation group, work with the NRCs in the USA, and more. The path to fully reconnecting to nature and agriculture is personal—united in a common cause to fight for this beautiful world. To immerse yourself in sustainable agriculture, I honestly recommend researching and finding your own path. Mine lies in soil and rot, grapevines and fruit trees. Others do vegetables and cereal grains, or perhaps join unions and legislators. Everyone has a share in the beauty of life, our lives stemming from the land’s gentle sprouts. 

Questions and or help may be given through my ask box on tumblr—if there is a way I can help, let me know. My knowledge is invaluable I believe, as I continue to learn and grow in the grey-clothed arms of Demeter, Dionysos, and Kore. 

FURTHER READING:

Baszile, N. (2021). We are each other’s harvest. HarperCollins.

Hatley, J. (2016). Robin Wall Kimmerer. Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous wisdom, scientific knowledge and the teachings of plants. Environmental Philosophy, 13(1), 143–145. https://doi.org/10.5840/envirophil201613137

Regenerative Agriculture 101. (2021, November 29). https://www.nrdc.org/stories/regenerative-agriculture-101#what-is

And in truth, far more than I could count. 

References

Community Supported Agriculture | National Agricultural Library. (n.d.). https://www.nal.usda.gov/farms-and-agricultural-production-systems/community-supported-agriculture

Navazio, J. (2012). The Organic seed Grower: A Farmer’s Guide to Vegetable Seed Production. Chelsea Green Publishing.

Plaster, E. (2008). Soil Science and Management. Cengage Learning.

Sheaffer, C. C., & Moncada, K. M. (2012). Introduction to agronomy: food, crops, and environment. Cengage Learning.

Sheldrake, M. (2020). Entangled life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures. Random House.

Sustainable Agriculture | National Agricultural Library. (n.d.). https://www.nal.usda.gov/farms-and-agricultural-production-systems/sustainable-agriculture

[iliosflower]

i wake up thirsty and i think of palestine. i go to the doctor’s office and i think of palestine. a sign in the corner of the waiting room says ‘this is a place of healing, disruptive behavior will not be tolerated’ and i think of palestine. they probably weren’t thinking of bombs and snipers and mass graves in parking lots. i call my parents and i think of palestine. i drive to the grocery store and i think of palestine. i look at the clear blue sky and i think of palestine. i put the dishes away and i think of palestine. i feed my cat and i think of palestine. i listen to music and i think of palestine. i read poetry and i think of palestine. i text my friends and i think of palestine. i think of palestine and i think of palestine and i think of palestine

[iliosflower]

Please please please donate to the PCRF

Or donate to the Cartoonist Cooperative's e-sim drive that provides a handy guide to how it works and why it's important

[iliosflower]

Thank you so much for the update, good to know there's a Roman copy and where it is!!! I appreciate it!

Startling and scary to see how easy mislabeling can lead to such a rabbit hole of misinformation but I'm glad it found its conclusion today

Demeter, goddess of fertility and the harvest, taken from the temple site of Eleusis

[iliosflower]

I went down a 2-hour long rabbit hole trying to find this picture - as I've read countless theses/articles on archaeological finds at Eleusis, have been to Eleusis and its museum, and have never seen this relief before. Of course I could be mistaken, but every result for this image is either not sourced (one Italian Facebook post sourced it coming from the "web", thanks for nothing), or sourced very vaguely and contradictory. Some say it's from a museum in Rome, one mentioned le Louvre, and some mentioned Eleusis - without a source, a date of how old it is, where it's located right now, where it was found, etc.

(One said it was "above a temple door at Eleusis." Which one?? There's none standing. And most reliefs and statues left at Eleusis are broken, none intact - yet this one looks brand-new, untouched by weather, age, or violence).

I finally found the closest image - an exclusive restaurant/club in San Francisco has it over their door.

The fourth picture in this article shows it:

Edwin Boger, valet parker, waits for arrivals at the entrance to Villa Taverna in San Francisco, Calif. on Tuesday, September 8, 2009.Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle

I genuinely have not been able to find it anywhere else - I've looked through museum catalogues, articles, neowebsites but this is the only result. It even has the same weathering on the sides, same coloring - everything.

The fact that peer-reviewed articles and university websites showed this image with a vague description is worrying. In an age of copyright issues and AI stealing work, sourcing your images is just as important as any other literary sources, because now this echo-chamber has sourced a modern American relief of Demeter as being ancient.

No hate at the OP whatsoever, I just couldn't let this image go. If somehow I missed something (which is very possible), please let me know if this is a copy of an original, genuine ancient relief and where that one might be.

Demeter, goddess of fertility and the harvest, taken from the temple site of Eleusis

[iliosflower]

The Women of Eleusis by Jean Delville 1931

"The Eleusinians have a temple of Triptolemos, of Artemis of the Portal, and of Poseidon Father, and a well called Kallikhoron (beautiful place for dance and song), where first the women of the Eleusinians danced and sang in praise of the Goddess. They say that the plain called Rharium was the first to be sown and the first to grow crops, and for this reason it is the custom to use sacrificial barley and to make cakes for the sacrifices from its produce. Here there is shown a threshing-floor called that of Triptolemos and an altar.

My dream forbade the description of the things within the wall of the sanctuary, and the uninitiated are of course not permitted to learn that which they are prevented from seeing."

-Pausanias, Description of Greece: 1.38.6

https://paganimagevault.blogspot.com/2019/12/the-women-of-eleusis-by-jean-delville.html

[iliosflower]

I'm two paragraphs into Poseidon's chapter in Ancient Greek Cults by Jennifer Larson and I'm already wanting to bite something

[iliosflower]

The Telesterion, Eleusis.

Still can't believe we got to see the sanctuary at Eleusis by ourselves with no one else there. It felt like a blessing of Demeter to just stand there in the center of the grounds, walk through the museum, pray and leave our offerings in silence without the clamor and intrusion of other tourists. Bless the Great Goddesses, may I one day find my feet entering her sacred grounds again.