As a devotee of the goddess Hecate, spring is an important time of the year. In one of the most popular myths related to the goddess, Hecate participates in the search for the captured Persephone in the underworld by the god Haides. After an eventful search, rescue, and deal with Haides, Persephone stays as his wife and queen in the underworld, returning in the spring. Her mother, Demeter, is said to be so distraught that when her beloved daughter descends into the underworld, all the life dies on the earth, only to return the following spring, when Persephone returns. Hecate accompanies her on this journey each season, using her torches to light the way and her keys to unlock the passage to and from the underworld.
Spring is when we look to welcome a burst of new life over the planet. We plant the seeds that we blessed at Imbolc and sow them deeply in the warming soil. This is the time when we see new life, often in the form of bunnies and ducklings, from pets in the pet store to the marshmallow kind that graces Easter baskets across the United States. For me, this is when my flowers are blooming and I can finally get my hands in the soil. As a potter, I work with the earth in the form of clay in my studio all year; however, there is something different when I’m able to get my hands into the soil for the first time during the growing season. Remembering my Imbolc ritual blessing of the seeds, I go out into the garden, begin with a deep breath, and complete the following:
Using my hands, I dig into the soil, feeling the energy flow through my hands. I visualize the flow of energy from my body to the seed as it drops into the soil. I cover it when the soil imagines the walk of Hecate from the darkest parts of the underworld, bringing forth Persephone and breathing life back into the world. She comes forth from beneath the earth and breaks through the ground escorted by Hecate Chthonia, Hecate Phosphoros, and Hecate Propolos!!
Ostara Blessings!
This entry was published as part of the Ostara Issue of Imramma Magazine. Get the full issue here.
Originally published on Blogger - 3/20/15 9:41 AM
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