ofbonesandpomegranates

[ofbonesandpomegranates]

Hades and Persephone Terracotta fragment of a votive relief, circa 470–460 BCE, Locri, Italy. Collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Image source: (X) via metmuseumorg. Image license: CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication

[ofbonesandpomegranates]

[ofbonesandpomegranates]

Hades Devotee

For: @midnightcrypts

[ofbonesandpomegranates]

[ofbonesandpomegranates]

just finished making my digital shrine for persephone (cant have a physical one rn bc in a house full of anti-witch christians lmfao)

hades is up next whenever i can do his!!

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Hades’ virtual shrine is finally done!!

gonna have it be on a background slideshow with my Persephone one 

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Persephone's Altar

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Ghost of a Pomegranate

When I heard Persephone first, I was twelve and alone, twelve and in pain, twelve and crazy, crazy, losing my mind.  My mother was absent, there and gone, a candle flicker in a house that was a hurricane.  My father was rage–not Ares, who buffers the world from me, who has wrapped me in ‘protection-kindness-courage’, but the kind of rage that is achingly, bitingly mortal.  The kind of rage that fixed on a target (me, young and tearful and wrong in ways no one articulated) and could have broken the foundations of the house with its strength. I moved through my childhood like a ghost, like I’d already lived my life and there was nothing more of the world to see. I longed for death with an ache I felt draw down my spine.

I was young– and there was not yet language for who I heard calling me.

I’d like to say I remember it clearly, but I don’t.  My memory has suffered from more than I should rightly have put it through and things tend to fall through it like sand through a sifter.  Even the memories I’d like to keep.

No, mostly what I remember from those fawn-new years is this:

I caught the crooning of my name, echoing faintly, around corners and down halls.  Certain I dreamt it, I didn’t follow.  Certain, certain, I’d have sworn it wasn’t real.  I was afraid for her voice to be real.  It terrified me, the idea that I could hear something that wasn’t there, wasn’t true.  I spent well past a decade being terribly, truly frightened of the voice and of myself, that I was so lonesome I would conjure up a woman’s voice from nowhere to soothe and scold me, to love and comfort me, to push me to go far, farther, farthest.  

I remember I used to ask Persephone who she was and she only ever answered “You know who I am.  You’ll be mine one day,” and I convinced myself that the voice I heard, rather than being the goddess I would devote myself to, was a figment. Imagined.  If she were real, whoever she was, I reasoned, then I would have a straight answer.  

But Persephone doesn’t work like that.

Keep reading

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Hades for the most part manifests how you interpret him. To me he is a strong and calm presence that pats me on the head, or places his hand on my shoulder so I can feel he’s there. When I talk to him, and he talks back I get chills, and almost feel startled by how soft yet strong his voice is.

[ofbonesandpomegranates]

Art by Julia Zhuravleva

[ofbonesandpomegranates]

I painted a candleholder for Haidês as part of my devotion to him!

[ofbonesandpomegranates]

“Don’t Work with Death!”

“Don’t work with death, because then you invite it into your house.”

Death is already in my house. Death is everywhere. Death is what decays the plant matter that feeds my garden. Death is what feeds the herbs I use in my spells, for each grows from what died before it.

Death is what feeds my family - death of plants, the death of animals. I would not disrespect the spirits of that which feeds us by ignoring their sacrifice. 

Death is the veil between my ancestors and myself, keeping them at rest and then acting as the gate for them to step into their next life.

When I do hospice work and sit with someone who is accepting their approaching death, I don’t tell them death is something to fear or avoid. I tell them death is the friend that walked beside them, every step of their life, maintaining the balance of the world, and waiting for them with open arms, to escort them to rebirth. 

“Don’t work with death!” 

I would not ignore life’s partner, not for arrogance or fear or ignorance. When I go to my own, I want to greet death with respect, acceptance, and gratitude. 

[ofbonesandpomegranates]

“Pluto and the Abduction of Proserpina”

Can we please talk about how Bernini was able to make something as cold and hard as stone seem as warm and soft as human flesh?

[ofbonesandpomegranates]

Hades tag

I have recently been worshipping Hades! My boyfriend has been diagnosed with Cancer and let’s say my feeling have consisted of:despair, anger, loss of faith, renewal in faith, Pity and a whole lot of other things. With that being said- I stopped worshipping period after his diagnosis, actually before then when he got a chest scan and I saw it I knew what it was because I had been told. But when it was confirmed my anger towards the Gods was fierce, in particular with Apollo, I don��t feel that way now but at the time, and I just stopped everything. And then one day I was sitting there and got a really overwhelming urge to sit down with my altars.

I have a small one for Persephone and I was staring for like 15 minutes at it, with just a weird sensation in my chest and I was like “wow why am I feeling this?” A huge part of me felt like I wanted to push my cabinet over that holds Apollo and Persephones stuff. It was early in the morning too. After awhile I started rearranging my stuff and creating a “new” space for me. I flowed with it not really sure who was guiding my hand when I was nearly done though it became obvious who the altar was for- because of the offering “black coffee In the small blue cup” and instantly I knew it was Hades.

And I sat down with him and man oh man did we FEEL emotions together. I begged him to not take my sweet man or at least prevent his transition and his energy just enveloped me like a protective layer of “it’ll feel this way for a long time but it’ll work out.” Anyways I’ve been keeping up with offerings to him and writing with him a lot. The day my bf had his biopsy I felt Hades sitting with me and Hermès- I was confused why were they there? They couldn’t be here for just me? And then the fire alarm starts going off- except there’s no fire, they can’t find the triggered alarm and they don’t know where the signal originated from, so literally the alarm stops sounding but keeps flashing and I some how feel at ease. And I realize suddenly that they came for Sean and to look over him.

All is said and done after that we go home and he rests for the weekend. The following Monday he walks up to the altar I have set up for Hades and he offers him money (pesos) I ask casually “what are you doing?” And he says “I’m making an offering to the Gods.” And internally I chuckle because he has no idea I’ve been worshipping Hades lately. But his spirit/soul knew. After a few days hs took the money back and again I asked him “what are you doing?” And he tells me “me and the Gods have an understanding, I carry for awhile and then put it back.” He subconsciously made a totem? With Hades? How do I even really explain that?

It’s been surprising to see Hades slink around, he’s a powerful man and his presence is much softer than I expected, I always smell a mix of roses and musk with tobacco underneath it all. He has been so kind and understanding of my anger. We sat down and had a reading together and he basically told me “we never left you, this was outside our control. Look deeper into this issue. You will overcome all of this, but you need to find peace in your spirit once more.” But below are pictures of my first time altar to him and then the larger one I made for Samhain.

[ofbonesandpomegranates]

Yaenito, Hades

Yaenito, Hades, for being solid, and steady, and for keeping your word. 

Life is scary and ever changing, but you are constant.

Comfort. 

You are what I can count on, when everything else feels upside down. 

Your patience and kindness scares me. It really does. But I’m also finding out - over and over again - that it’s a Truth in my life. A tested fact that I can count on. 

I want to ask, “Why me?” I want to surround myself in suspicion, to protect myself from the possibility of love. But you place a gentle finger under my chin and bring my eyes up to yours

And you ask me why I’ve ever thought

that I’m anything less than worthy. 

I have no answer for you - I rarely do. So I sit, and soak in your presence, and try to believe all the beautiful things you say. 

Trying to see myself as you do is like forcing new shoes that don’t quite fit. But choice is a powerful thing, so from here on out, I choose to believe.

I choose to trust you when you say that

I am worthy of love.

Gods don’t love the way humans do: that your love is less restricted. More expansive. Bigger that I can ever know.

You are unchanging, and eternal, and that even when I run and hide and shut you out, for fear of my own shadow and the truth you always bring, you’ll still be there waiting when I gain the courage to return. 

You wait for us all, in the end. That you receive us with fair judgement - far lighter and less harsh than my own - and lead us with caring hands, ready onto our next adventure. 

I choose to believe that you’ll never leave unless I ask you to.

Yaenito, Hades, for your kindness, and goodness, and gentle care; 

For your steady presence in an anxious world.

Yaenito, Hades!

[ofbonesandpomegranates]

pomegranate chocolate cream pie

[ofbonesandpomegranates]

Hades seems so, warm. He’s a father figure who wants to make sure He sees you succeed, even if that means pushing you a little harder than you’d like. That means staying up to do ritual, because He knows it’ll make you less worried about talking to Him, and therefore creating a relationship. He lets you know that He knows you’re trying, and that you need to keep pushing on and on until you win. He’s a warm chuckle that breaks the seriousness, but a responsible and incredible warmth. The stride of a headteacher walking into assembly, they’re in charge, they’re going to make everyone in that room succeed. Persephone seems absolutely wonderful, but I’m getting a stronger pull to Hades. He seems so amazing. I can’t wat to build a relationship with him. Especially with my future career in mind. It’s so exciting. I’m so so happy.