Demeter and Our Ancestor's Song

If your ancestors came from Europe your DNA has deep memories of both Pagan and Christian roots. The Eleusinan Cult of Greece had a great influence on the Christian ritual of Holy Communion, the Body and Blood of Christ in the form of bread and wine. The Greco-Roman Eleusinan Mysteries expanded far and wide through Mediterranean Europe and into the Holy Land. These mysteries are about the myth of Agricultural Goddess Demeter, her daughter Persephone/Kore and the changing of the seasons. The Mythology of Demeter and Persephone begins with Persephone gathering flowers one day in a field. All of a sudden the Earth open up and the God of the underworld, Pluto kidnapped Persephone dragging her down into the Hades. Her Mother Demeter mourned her daughter so much all the vegetation on Earth began to die. The situation got so bad that Zeus stepped in and demanded Pluto to return Persephone to her Mother. Yet Persephone had eaten 6 pomegranate seeds from the underworld. This single act bonded her with Pluto. So each year she had to return for 6 months to Pluto’s domain. The Demeter/Persephone/Pluto is a complex myth basically, it is teaches about how to face death, sorrow, hope, reunion and resurrection.

Even the great scholars do not know all the details of the Eleusinan Cult and the complex rituals. The ritual went on for twenty one days with fasting. But it is said they did break-fast with a sacred food called Kykeon. This is food was a rye bread and wine. The Cult was known to have mystical experiences and visions during the celebration. Those who partook in these celebration were sworn to secrecy. Today archeologist are finding traces of of ergot fungus in ancient jugs of wine with other hallucinogenic plants. Ergot was known to grow on moldy rye bread which was common in the ancient world. Ergot contains lysergic acid which is synthesis of LSD, thus the explanation for having intense visions. "The Book V of Dioscorides Material Medica" was an ancient herbal manuscript that was written the same time the Christian Gospels were written. This Pharmacopoeia contained over 56 recipes that used hallucinogenic plants and mushrooms to spike wine. Christianity began to gain power in Rome in the third century. The Catholic Church built the new religion on the foundations Pagan temples and absorbed the old Pagan rituals. Roman deities such Adonis, Attis, Bacchus the “God of Wine” and even the Egyptian Isis and Osiris were part of the Roman pantheon. Black Isis and Osiris were adopted into the Roman Gods/desses when Roman conquered Egypt during the time of Cleopatra. Christianity began to have many new coverts that came from the Eleusinan Mystery Schools. The Church Father began to adopt words that described the Eucharist as a Mystery. The fourth century bought with it radical policies created by Roman emperors to eradicate paganism. The Demeter sanctuary was closed by the order of Emperor Theodosius in Eleusis in 392, a few years later the Visigoth’s burned the Holy Temple to the ground. The problems always come when one religion begins to think they are superior to another religion. Christianity became fractured with the coming of the Reformation. Catholic Churches in many countries were burned to the ground rebuilding the New Wave of Christianity. Yet if we take one moment, those of you who have European roots, your ancestors are beginning to singing a New Song. A song that does not separate the Goddess from Christos or the Earth from the Sky. This new song will heal Pagans and Christians, as we let go of seeing through the lens of separation. Our Ancestors have come from deep the roots of Earth Base Pagan rituals and also members of the Catholic church and the Christian Reformation. A New Generation is rising that hears the Songs of the Goddess and remembers the Ways of the Temples. Yet within these memories are also the fires of the Inquisition. And even longer ago the Goddess Culture were known to make human sacrifices.

Alessandra Belloni’s book “Healing Journey with the Black Madonna” shares her experience with the Dark Madonna di Viggiano. Madame Belloni realize during her devotions to this Madonna that this icon is an embodiment of the ancient Goddess Demeter. I was re-reading her book last week as I was researching Demeter. I came upon a story that sang in my own DNA. I had been writing the day before about another Black Madonna the Lady of Laghet in the South of France. I was wondering if some of my Savoy Italian ancestors had supported the church. I did a little research and found out not a one. But the next day I was reading in Madame Belloni’s book and on page 268 I came across a paragraph about the Madonna Incarnate a Black Madonna in Southern Italy. There it was my Ancestor’s Song singing to me! It was in the year 1283 King Charles of Anjou gave orders to hold a Big Celebration to honor the Birthday of the Little Black Madonna Incarnate on September 8th. This Madonna was saved from an earthquake. Because Madonna Incarnate was saved Charles of Anjou created this Big Birthday Party. I am a direct great granddaughter down through time of Charles of Anjou the King of Naples and Sicily. I could hear his song singing to me in the pages of this book. This same song sings through me when I write about the many Black Madonnas I have discovered through pilgrimage, prayer cards and novenas. It is when we go on Pilgrimage in these ancient shrines we can seamlessly walk between both worlds. We find the Goddess in the shines of the Black Madonnas. We find her in early Spring that brings poppies heralding Persephone return in the fields of Provence. You can still see wheat shafts and red poppies painted on the windows of French Bakeries today that remind us of Demeter and Daughter Persephone among the daily baked loaves of bread. We can remember the Rising of the Chalice as Christ did at the Last Supper and the breaking of the bread. Christos said this is my Body and this is my Blood. The broken body of Osiris is made whole. And the Body of Christ is now found within each one who communes with their Divine Self that lives in the shrine of their our own Inner Sacred Heart. Let us look deeply into each other eyes and see ourself within our sisters, our brothers our community. When we become very quiet and listen to your ancestors they are singing both songs. It is now the time to put away our anger from ancient history and make Peace with all sides of our Ancestors and see through One Eye.

Resouces: Book Healing Journey with the Black Madonna by Alessandra Belloni https://myeleusis.com/en-us/eleusinian-mysteries/historical-events/christianity-and-the-mysteries/ https://www.jstor.org/stable/3140179?searchText=&searchUri=&ab_segments=&searchKey=&refreqid=fastly-default%3A0de40396cddb6b5ad66215e66f2f3ecb&seq=3 https://www.thecollector.com/the-eleusinian-mysteries-ancient-greece/ https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/king-papers/documents/influence-mystery-religions-christianity Source of myth : https://www.gutenberg.org/files/35087/35087-h/35087-h.htm

The rosaries and chaplet are the Union of Agricultural Goddess Demeter and her Daughter Persephone with the Holy Communion Offering of Bread and Wine. This Rosary has been created to make Peace with our European Pagan and Christian Ancestors. Deep red Garnet beads wrapped with silver plated wire. The center medal is an replica of an ancient Greek coin with the image of Demeter. The pomegranate charm represents the womb of Persephone. The Chalice at the tail of the Rosary is the Holy Communion of Bread and Wine Medal.

For Sale Chaplet of Garnet Beads..$35 Rosary has Five beads per section and made up of Five rounds, The Rosary can be worn around the neck and used for prayer practice $100. plus shipping $6 in the USA If you like to have a custom made rosary or purchase this chaplet or rosary please email me at rayleneabbott@gmail.com

I like to share this poem from Gutenberg files. This is invocation used in the celebration of the Eleusinan Mysteries. Daughter of Jove, Persephone divine,
 Come, blessed queen, and to these rites incline; 
 Only-begotten, Pluto's honored wife,
 O venerable goddess, source of life:
'Tis thine in earth's profundities to dwell,
 Fast by the wide and dismal gates of hell.
 Jove's holy offering, of a beauteous mien,
 Avenging goddess, subterranean queen.
 The Furies' source, fair-hair'd, whose frame proceeds 
From Jove's ineffable and secret seeds.
 Mother of Bacchus, sonorous, divine,
 And many form'd, the parent of the vine.
 Associate of the Seasons, essence bright,
 All-ruling virgin, bearing heavenly light.
 With fruits abounding, of a bounteous mind, 
Horn'd, and alone desired by those of mortal kind.
 O vernal queen, whom grassy plains delight, 
 Sweet to the smell, and pleasing to the sight: 
Whose holy forms in budding fruits we view,
 Earth's vigorous offspring of a various hue: 
 Espoused in autumn, life and death alone
 To wretched mortals from thy power is known:
 For thine the task, according to thy will,
 Life to produce, and all that lives to kill.
Hear, blessed Goddess, send a rich increase 
 Of various fruits from earth, with lovely Peace;
 Send Health with gentle hand, and crown my life
 With blest abundance, free from noisy strife; 
 Last in extreme old age the prey of death,
 Dismiss me willing to the realms beneath,
To thy fair palace and the blissful plains 
Where ha ppy spirits dwell, and Pluto reigns.