The Mysteries at Eleusis

They're on my mind quite a bit lately. I just got back from a pagan festival which attempts to recreate the spirit and purpose of the original, if not the form. They can't recreate the form, you see. We simply don't know enough about it.

We know that there were Lesser Mysteries, held in another complex nearby, and that people had to attend the Lesser Mysteries before they could attend the Greater Mysteries. We know that the Mysteries had their roots in agricultural cycles, and centered around the myth of Persephone, Hades, and Demeter. We know that certain sacred objects (the Hiera) were shown to the initiates, although what they were is not known. We know that anyone could attend the Mysteries, man or woman, slave or citizen, Athenian or foreigner, so long as they spoke the Hellenic tongue and had not committed murder. We know that initiates took a fearsome oath to say nothing about the form of the Mysteries, beyond the ritual phrase, "Things were enacted, things were shown, words were spoken," dromena, deiknymena, and legomena. The punishment in Athenian law for violating this this was death, and the laws of the gods held worse punishments. (I can't tell you anything about the form of the ritual I attended because I have taken similar oaths, and while I won't be put to death, I wouldn't want to piss off my gods.)

What we do know, though, is something about the purpose of the Mysteries. It is ritual revelation or reassurance of continuance after death, to take away the fear of death.

The fear of death is basically the fear of ceasing to exist. I'm making a distinction here between the fear of death and fears of dying painfully or violently or alone or what have you. We're specifically talking about the fear of death itself. Many people experience this fear at some point in their lives, and most religions, philosophies, and other ways of thinking about the universe try to give people ways to deal with it, whether by guaranteeing life after death, or changing the focus to this life, or by choosing to accept and be satisfied or pleased with the idea.

The ancient Hellenes and Romans had Eleusis, among other things, and the Mysteries shown and stories told there. The broad outlines of the story of Persephone, Hades, and Demeter are pretty widely known, but there's a lot more detail to it than most people are aware of.

Demeter is the goddess of the grain, and when the world was young, the Earth always produced grain, all the year long. Demeter's greatest joy was in her daughter, Kore, whose name means simply Maiden.

Some say that Hades asked Zeus for the hand of Kore, and Zeus, knowing Demeter would never consent to her daughter going to live in the Underworld, told him to kidnap her instead. Some say that Hades looked up and saw Kore picking flowers alone and acted on impulse. Whether it was premeditated or not, he split open the earth before her as she picked poppies and iris and violets, and took her back with him to the Underworld.

Most people say that he swept her up and took her away without her consent, but others say that he convinced her to go with him of her own free will, convinced her to reach for the maturity she had never known as her mother's daughter. Some will even tell you that he raped her there in the meadow, but this is not so. It's a linguistic confusion, because the word rape (and its Latin forebear, rapere) originally meant to abduct, and the definition of violation came later.

Only two in all the world knew what had happened: Helios, looking down from the Chariot of the Sun, who saw what happened but could hear nothing, and Hekate, who heard it but could not see.

When Demeter learned that her precious daughter was gone, she sought high and low, through day and night, for her, seeking always. In her grief, she was known as Melaine, the Black Demeter, and Erinye, the Vengeful, and she would let nothing grow.

In her wanderings, Demeter came to Eleusis, to the house of the king, Keleus. She told the king's daughters that her name was Doso, that she was a Cretan woman whose daughter had been abducted by pirates, and that she wished to work in the household. They took her in, but every evening, when she was done with her work, she would sit by the hearth neither moving nor speaking.

In the house of the king was an old nurse, called Baubo or Iambe, who could not stand to see Doso in such pain, and she began to tell dirty jokes, and to dance suggestively, until finally Doso laughed out loud. After that, her heart was lightened, and though she still grieved for her daughter, she began to take more interest in the life of the royal family.

Now the king's wife, Metaneira, had a baby boy still in swaddling at that time, Demophon, and Demeter learned to love him. Out of love, and a fear of losing one she loved again, she began to feed him ambrosia, the food of the gods, and to lay him in the fire at night, to burn away his mortality. One night, two nights, she laid him in the fire, but on the third and final night, as she went to put him in the hearth, Metaneira woke and came out and saw it. Crying out, she snatched her baby to her breast, screaming for help.

Demeter, angry now, revealed herself and told the queen that her son would have lived forever, had she not interfered, but that now, while he would live a long life, he could not escape death. Then she left, and began again her long search.

By now it had been many months since Demeter had allowed the grain to grow, and the people had begun to starve, and the gods to worry. And it was during the famine that Demeter finally came across Hekate, who was on her own journey, and Hekate told her that she had heard the abduction, but had not seen the abductor, and suggested that Demeter speak to Helios, who saw all. Helios told Demeter that it was Hades who had taken her daughter from her.

Enraged that her brother should have taken her daughter from her, but unable to travel to the Underworld without his leave, Demeter went instead to Zeus, demanding that Kore be returned, or she would let the whole world starve to death. Zeus, alarmed at the thought, promised to get Kore back. So he sent Hermes to Hades, with the order to return Kore.

Hades agreed, but he had given Kore a pomegranate from the groves in the Elysian Fields, the sacred fruit of the Underworld, and, knowingly or not, she ate some of the seeds, so that when she went to leave with Hermes, she could not.

Eager to resolve this dilemma, Zeus asked Rhea, Mother of the Olympians, to mediate the dispute, and Rhea's judgement was that for the few seeds she had eaten, Kore must stay part of the year in the Underworld and part with her mother above. And Kore married Hades, and became Persephone, Queen of the Underworld, who brought light to the shadows. And Demeter, happy to have her daughter back, but refusing to allow the grain to grow while Persephone dwelt below, went back to the royal family at Eleusis, and taught them to store the grain, so that mortals might not starve during the dead season.*

Now, you may have heard that Persephone ate six seeds, and so spent half the year in the Underworld, and so we have winter, but this is not the case. In Greece, it's summer that's the dead time, summer when the sun parches the earth and nothing grows, and autumn when the rains come and rejuvenate the earth, when the people plant again, when life is renewed; winter is the growing season, and spring is the harvest. (Living in Florida and being heat sensitive, I always identified with that, with the summer being a time of death and sickness.) The idea that Persephone's absence was during the winter was an adaptation of the story for northern climes, where of course that version is much more relevant to people's experiences.

Precisely how this myth is meant to lead to the revelation of continuance after death is not entirely known, and different attempts to recreate those mysteries find different ways of handling this, but it is often believed to be linked to Persephone herself, and the changes she wrought in Erebos when she became its Iron Queen, and the change she wrought in Hades himself, and the cycle of the harvest that Demeter taught the royal family, and the change that Demeter herself learned to accept and live in. Persephone is the Goddess of Transformation, and she changes everything she touches; Demeter is the Goddess of Growth, and what she touches thrives.

This was my second year, and so I became Epoptai, "one who has seen," an initiate of the Greater Mysteries. I have seen the Hiera, and the mysteries of the rebirth, and though I had experienced those revelations in other forms through other mysteries, I have still been changed by it. I'm very full of that change right now.

And now it is my duty to Demeter and Persephone to carry that growth and that change out into the world, and my duty to Baubo to dig deep and find buried things, and my duty to Hecate to make my choices for myself, and my duty to one other, whom I shall not name here, to recreate myself in joy and to transform my own madness.**

How can I do these things? I'm still thinking about that. I can make the choices, and the changes, in my life that I need to make, consciously and deliberately, and accept the new ones that come along; I can be more active at making changes and influencing choices on a wider level. I can celebrate women's bodies (also one of the lessons of Baubo) by creating art; I can support women's health issues, abortion rights, freedom of expression for controversial art, and other issues more actively. I can dig deep by addressing my own issues (some of which have already started to surface); I can address issues in other places that other people don't see, or ignore. I can find my joy, and I can continue to try to find ways to make my bipolar to work for me; I can work to bring joy to others, and I can support mental illness causes. I can both drink and serve good food and wine.

Work-life balance is another issue that the Mysteries have brought home to me. I need to fulfill my responsibilities, at work, at home, to my friends and family and pets, to my sweeties, to myself. I also need to find time to set those responsibilities aside, to dance and sing, and take joy in life. Demeter lived for, and through, her daughter Kore. She was a mother, first and foremost. When she lost Kore, she lost everything, and could not live. I must learn what she had to learn: not to live through others, not to define myself by my role, but to live for myself. It's the only way I can have enough of me to give to others.

I do not need to fear death any longer. I can release that. Then I only have to face my fears about living.

I started this piece weeks ago, but couldn't find a way to make the myth connect with other issues. Now that I have seen the Greater Mysteries, it's been a little easier.

The Mysteries are there. Everyone can -- and many do -- find Mysteries, not only in religion, but in botany, in biology, in physics, in mathematics. Anywhere there is a deep sense of wonder and revelation that cannot be expressed accurately with words, there is Mystery. Anyone who experiences a Mystery can learn from it. These are some of the Mysteries I have experienced, and some of what I have learned from them. But the Mysteries can be frightening in their own right, even as they conquer other fears, and I am afraid of some of what I may find as I work in the names of my gods.

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*All of this is, of course, a great simplified version of the whole thing, and various people's research contradicts the research of others. Anyone interested in learning more about the Mysteries of Eleusis might want to check out Eleusis: Archetypal Image of Mother and Daughter by Carl Kerenyi and Ralph Manheim and Mysteries of Demeter by Jennifer Reif, the latter of which is an attempt to recreate an Eleusinian liturgical cycle.

**Madness is, of course, a deeply problematic term for mental illness. However, here it has a specific religious meaning, a meaning I'm reluctant to go into detail about at this time. Those familiar with the Greek pantheon will probably be able to piece some of this together, and it's fine for anyone else to mention it, but it's not something I can talk about in depth in this context.

--MadGastronomer

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Comments

[Froborr]

This post deserves ten thousand comments.

I can't possibly imagine what they'd be, though; it's left me in a state I can describe only as "Awed Huh." As if I dimly glimpsed something of immense power as it flew right over my head. I will attempt to re-read later and possibly have something more useful to say then.

Okay, everybody, your comments can't possibly be less useful than this when, so stop being shy!

[Froborr]

Okay, everybody, your comments can't possibly be less useful than this when, so stop being shy!

Than this ONE.

See, they also can't be less typoed.

[histrogeek]

Most of the mystery cults (Eleusian, Orphean, Dionysian) of the Hellenistic world involved the return from Hades and were said to contain to the initiates a secret of how the protagonist managed it. So I would speculate the original Eleusian Mysteries contain the secret of escaping Hades.
Even some of the syncretic societies like the Gnostic Christians, followers of Isis, the conventional Christians, and possibly the Mithrians (although their beliefs are very hard to discern) had similar aspirations and styles. It is all part of our common desire not just to fear non-existence, but to strive to move past that fear.
Just for those who don't know this, "mystery" in this case doesn't mean "puzzle" or "secret." It is something that true but paradoxical, more closely connected to its other English derivative "mystic." And part of the reason for the secrecy was that to the inexperienced the truth wouldn't make sense and could even be potentially damaging to future development (since the uninitiated would invariably misunderstand it and short-circuit their future growth).

[Kristy]

In the house of the king was an old nurse, called Baubo or Iambe, who could not stand to see Doso in such pain, and she began to tell dirty jokes, and to dance suggestively, until finally Doso laughed out loud. After that, her heart was lightened, and though she still grieved for her daughter, she began to take more interest in the life of the royal family.

This is a part of the story I'd never heard before. So basically, what you're telling me is... the world was saved from starvation and destruction because one old woman told bawdy jokes to cheer up a Goddess.

This is my new favorite character in all of mythology, ever. I've never used a "magical" name before, but if I ever do, I'm adopting hers.

[MadGastronomer]

Most of the mystery cults (Eleusian, Orphean, Dionysian) of the Hellenistic world involved the return from Hades and were said to contain to the initiates a secret of how the protagonist managed it. So I would speculate the original Eleusian Mysteries contain the secret of escaping Hades.

For the sake of clarity, I recommend using Hades as the name of the god and the Underworld or Erebos for the place.

This is a part of the story I'd never heard before. So basically, what you're telling me is... the world was saved from starvation and destruction because one old woman told bawdy jokes to cheer up a Goddess.

Yes. Among other things, but yes. Oh, and don't forget the "suggestive" dance.

There is some reason to believe that Baubo was a pre-Hellenic fertility goddess in her own right, who got absorbed into the story, much like Io.

This is my new favorite character in all of mythology, ever.

She is pretty awesome, isn't she. I made a short-term dedication to her this year, for various reasons. She's a lot of fun. But now I have to make vagina art, making me yet more stereotypical of an earthy-crunchy dyke.

Oh, and the Egyptian story of how beer saved the world is pretty good, too.

[Kristy]

Ooh, do share!

[MadGastronomer]

Most of the mystery cults (Eleusian, Orphean, Dionysian) of the Hellenistic world involved the return from Hades and were said to contain to the initiates a secret of how the protagonist managed it. So I would speculate the original Eleusian Mysteries contain the secret of escaping Hades.

Also: "Escaping" is a very slanted word in this context, and adds meanings and connotations which are at best debateably applicable to the Eleusinian Mysteries. If Persephone chose her role, and chooses to return each year, then she is not "escaping."

[Fosterson]

Well, I'm certainly glad you enjoyed our little 'shindig' :D Most of us, the performers and priests and vessels spend the better part of 6 months sacrificing our time, money, weekends, and (questionable) sanity to put the Rites on each year, and each year we try to better what we've done in the past.

It truly humbles and tickles me in turns, to see when someone is brave enough to talk about the experience without revealing the experience, and you've done a fine job.

Io Eleusis!

[Literata]

This is awesome, MadG, including the sense that references awe. (Like awful when it used to be awe-full or closer to numinous.) More later.

Just wanted to chime in about the beer story. Short version of the version I heard: it's a disaster story a little bit like the Flood, except that Ra didn't just send destruction, he embodied it in a vengeful goddess of destruction whose thirst for blood seemed unquenchable. She didn't want to stop, so when Ra wanted it to stop, he had to tell the people to brew tons and tons of beer, and color it red with ochre, so that she would think it was blood and when she drank enough of it, she passed out and the world was saved.

I've been doing more thinking and writing with Persephone lately, so this is extremely timely. Thank you!

[hapax]

the Egyptian story of how beer saved the world is pretty good, too

Do you mean the one about how Sekhmet became Hathor?

That is my favoritest Egyptian story Evah.

Except when the world looks terribly grim and dark. Then I think about how Isis conceived Horus, and *nothing* I can imagine is nearly as unpleasant.

[renniejoy]

I don't know how I feel about death. I try not to think about it too much.

OTOH, I have reason* to believe that each of my sons had a previous incarnation as members of our extended family of choice (neither of whom their father or I had ever met), so maybe I really don't care?

* Nothing that would convince a skeptic - there are things that I cannot believe are merely coincidences.

[Welltemperedwriter.wordpress.com]

As a longtime reader of Slacktivist and now of Slacktiverse, I was delightedly surprised to read this post. I was one of the writers of the script for said festival, you see, and I am thrilled to see such a thoughtful rumination on it and on the Mysteries that inspired it. Thank you!

[Izzy]

I seem to recall there's also a Japanese story about the world being saved via dirty jokes.

This post is an awesome post. And reminds me that I need to take time out to focus on spiritual stuff these days--thank you.

[Nicole J. LeBoeuf-Little]

I can't adequately express how happy I am to read this post and feel it tickle my brain and soul in all the places where Mystery wants to live. Thank you so much, MadG. I will be rereading this a number of times.

hapax: Do you mean the one about how Sekhmet became Hathor? That is my favoritest Egyptian story Evah.

Not Bast, though? The impression I got from the Egyptian exhibit at the Field Museum was that it was Bast who was the other side of the coin that is Sekhmet. The domestic kitty, helping us out by chasing the vermin; the ferocious lion who slays your enemies but might eat you if she's still hungry.

It was reading about that story, about saving the world with beer, that made the connection for me between Sekhmet and Kali. My imperfect memory of Kali's story is that she was intended to defend the Gods against the demons, but in her battle fury she looked likely to wipe out every living thing, so Shiva, whom she loved, went into her path and - I don't know if I'm remembering this bit right - either let her kill him, or lay down and played dead, so that the shock of seeing his body beneath her feet shook her out of her frenzy. That picture of Kali standing on a prone Shiva always shows her sticking her tongue out; my understanding is, that's an expression of shame for having killed Shiva or nearly so.

Am I getting this at all right? I'm sure I'm at least remembering correctly that these are only some of the parallels between Kali and Sekhmet.

[MadGastronomer]

Well, I'm certainly glad you enjoyed our little 'shindig' :D Most of us, the performers and priests and vessels spend the better part of 6 months sacrificing our time, money, weekends, and (questionable) sanity to put the Rites on each year, and each year we try to better what we've done in the past.

I had several friends on cast this year (and the past two years, even before I started going), so I have some idea of how much work goes into it. Y'all did an excellent job this year.

Thanks for your kind words about my little essay. I tried to do the feeling justice. Feel free to share the link if you like.

Io Eleusis!

As a longtime reader of Slacktivist and now of Slacktiverse, I was delightedly surprised to read this post. I was one of the writers of the script for said festival, you see, and I am thrilled to see such a thoughtful rumination on it and on the Mysteries that inspired it. Thank you!

It was a fantastic script this year! I loved it!

And if you're one of the writers, then I think we've probably met socially, although you may or may not remember me. Short curvy redhead, hangs out with Nicole (Blyss) and Sherry at Sidhehaven a lot. Owner of the Night Kitchen. That's me. Hi!

Feel free to spread the link around, if you like. I'm proud to hear you enjoyed it so much.

Re: the Sekhmet story: Yep, that one, although when I first heard it, the beer was mixed equally with blood. I tend to tell it as a fairly silly story, and leave off the transformative ending, but it's not my mythology and I don't know much about it.

Thanks to everybody who liked it.

[Emmy]

Yeah, ancient mystery cults are SUPER SUPER EXCELLENT and I love them. Like histrogeek says, a lot of them are about secrets of death and stuff--a lot of mystery cults center around people who go down to the Underworld and come back up.

A lot of people think the Homeric Hymn to Demeter is a guidebook to the mysteries, so to speak, but it's hard to get any other evidence to back up. I think my favorite theory is that the mystery was the identification of Hades with Dionysus, but there isn't good evidence for that either. :(

[Rickie]

As a member of the cast as well thank you for a great write up, it's a good feeling to get reading it.

[Inquisitiveravn]

The Japanese story would be about someone doing dirty dancing and telling jokes to lure Amaterasu the sun goddess from a cave where she was hiding.

[Jenk]

Good post - thanks for sharing ;)

I also like the idea that mysteries are secret because they're best experienced without spoilers, not that they're dangerous. ;)

[Literata]

Nicole, that's an interesting way to characterize the connection between Sekhmet and Bast. Tell me more, please!

Hapax, I don't think I've run into the Sekhmet-Hathor connection. That could be because I haven't studied the Egyptian pantheon or because I ran across it somewhere but wasn't sure whether it was a historically supported connection or one of those "six degrees of Isis" extremely tenuous connections theorized by a modern approach.

"Then I only have to face my fears about living." Yes. This. And thank you for pointing out that when death is no longer to be feared, neither is it necessarily a realm from which one escapes.

[Amaranth]

In Greece, it's summer that's the dead time, summer when the sun parches the earth and nothing grows, and autumn when the rains come and rejuvenate the earth, when the people plant again, when life is renewed; winter is the growing season, and spring is the harvest...The idea that Persephone's absence was during the winter was an adaptation of the story for northern climes, where of course that version is much more relevant to people's experiences.

Did anyone see the movie adaptation of Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief? One of the things that annoyed me about the movie was the fact that they entered the Underworld around the time of the summer solstice, and yet had Persephone down there with Hades. (In the book, she's absent...cause you know, it's not winter and all). So...but if summer is actually the original dead time where nothing grows, then the movie inadvertently got it right. Or do you suppose they actually consulted with someone and discovered that the book was wrong, and fixed it for the movie?

[Lonespark]

The dirty-performance-saves-gods story I know doesn't involve a threat to the universe...but maybe it did once?

We have the Norse and Greek myth books by Ingri and Edgar D'Aulaire, and they leave out lots of things. There's no Baubo, and also they neglect to mention which part of Loki the goat was tied to. I had to put that back in; I knew my four-year-old would appreciate it.

(I'm pretty sure there's no Baubo; she might be mentioned without telling her story.)

[MadGastronomer]

I don't know the D'Aulaire books, but Baubo is not mentioned in any of the other basic introductory-style mythology books I know. Certainly not Bullfinch or Hamilton, the ones I grew up with. She's pretty obscure, as far as the general population is concerned.

[storiteller]

It's too bad that Hamilton doesn't mention Baubo, as she's such an interesting character. Just from your short little description, it sounds like she has layers of personality - the identifying with such sadness, not having a child of her own, the desire to cheer and encourage, and of course, the bawdiness. It reminded me a bit of the nurse in Romeo and Juliet - if only Shakespeare's nurse was half as helpful! In fact, I had never even heard of most of the middle part of that story - just the kidnapping and then the return of Persphone.

The loss of mystery in modern evangelism is one of the reasons that I think it sometimes can be so spiritually dead. American evangelism has to be one of the few religions in the world that manages to be totally rationalistic while completely abandoning science. It's a mix of logic and illogic that totally baffles me and is probably the main reason that I no longer consider myself evangelical at all. I believe that the more we understand, the more beautifully mysterious things are, whether you are describing a tree or God. I don't understand when people want to turn it into the magic words or even boil it down to a diagram (which are hideously oversimplied anyway, and probably express something decided upon as heresy more than a thousand years ago - there are a lot of things wrong with the Catholic church, but their theology is at least complex and thought-through).

Thank you for posting this. I think it has a lot to speak to many different religious experiences, not only those associated with the Greek pantheon.

[sarah]

Thanks for this, MG.

[Mink]

Thank you for sharing this, MG. It's a fascinating read!

[alsafi]

Thank you for this awesome (as someone upthread said, in all the senses of that word) post. I love Mystery, and since the first time I read about the Mysteries of Eleusis, have mourned a little to think they are lost forever. I like knowing that there are people still keeping that flame.

The beer story is one of my favorites too! I've always heard it as having been colored with red ochre.

I think properly, it's the story of how Hathor became Sekhmet. Hathor (Hwt-hwr) is a sun goddess, one of the Eyes of Ra, and Her terrible aspect is Sekhmet. Hwt-hrw/Sekhmet and Bast aren't really related in a duality-type thing--they are very similar goddesses, but Bast is Lady of the South, whose worship was mainly in Upper Egypt, while Sekhmet is Lady of the North, and her worship was centered in Memphis, in the Nile Delta.

I didn't know that Kali story at all--but I like it.

The Baubo part of the Demeter/Kore/Hades story is new to me as well, but like a couple other people, it made me think of the story of how Ama-no-Uzume, the fat dwarf goddess of merriment, did a striptease to lure Amaterasu-ōmikami out of the cave She retreated to when Her brother's insults became unbearable. Without Her sunlight, the crops were dying and people were starving, so the other kami knew Something Had To Be Done. None of their pleas or negotiations worked, but the roars of laughter at Uzume's dance made Amaterasu peek out, so they were able to use a mirror to catch Her light and a sacred rope to keep Her from returning to the cave.

I kind of love mythology--does it show?

[Mary Kaye]

The Kali-Shiva myth lends itself well to being actually danced. It's a powerful experience. (Shiva should be prepared for some bruises, though.) We based our ritual on the version where Shiva throws himself at Kali's feet, and when she feels that she is trampling him she is motivated to stop; but I think in the enactment it was more of a wrestling match. Once you have started destroying the world it is pretty hard to stop.

When I first heard of Baubo she was described as "belly-goddess" with her face in her belly. I don't know where that version came from.

[Sixwing]

Thank you, MadG, that was beautiful.

I had never seen Demeter as Erinye before, but then, that's not my mythology. That's -really cool.-

[histrogeek]

Also: "Escaping" is a very slanted word in this context, and adds meanings and connotations which are at best debateably applicable to the Eleusinian Mysteries. If Persephone chose her role, and chooses to return each year, then she is not "escaping."

True enough. The other Hellenistic mystery/mystic societies, Christianity included, aren't escaping in the sense of sneaking out either or get out of Erebus free pass, at least not the main ones. In all the central figure voluntarily enters the Underworld, or just dies in the case of Dionysian rites, only to return from it. Persephone is unique (as far as my limited knowledge goes) in that she returns to the shadow world.
I should have said they showed how to leave the Underworld or perhaps more correctly how to pass between the shadow realm of Death and the realm of new life. I certainly didn't mean to imply anything untoward.

[histrogeek]

Curse you html tags. Grrrrrr.

[Sixwing]

Does this fix it?

Hmm...

[Laiima]

I'm another one who was sorry the Eleusinian Mysteries were "lost" because they seemed like something I would like to experience (even though I don't follow a Hellenistic pantheon). I'm glad to hear they are alive and well!

When I began exploring the archetypes (when I turned 40), I discovered deep-seated feelings about Demeter that I didn't know I had. Your retelling of this myth, MadG, illuminated what my problem with her was. I saw Demeter as the endlessly selfless female who never asks for anything herself, is always willing to give to others. My mother, a person who takes more than you want to give, ironically despises people who give, characterizing them as "weak". I grew up forced to give, never allowed to have boundaries, and resentful. Why wouldn't anyone give to me what I gave to them? But I didn't realize the missing puzzle piece was me providing for myself first. Only when I love myself can I truly love others. That's what Demeter signifies for me now -- boundless love yes, but it wells up from inside me. Perhaps the gods laughed when I picked Laima as my patron (because she's a weaver), as she is an analog of Demeter!

[MadGastronomer]

When I first heard of Baubo she was described as "belly-goddess" with her face in her belly. I don't know where that version came from.

If I understand it correctly, Baubo actually means belly -- and belly, unsurprisingly, can be a euphemism for female genitals.

Laiima . . . you should have seen this year's script, I think. I'm sure most of them address the kind of problem you're talking about, but this year's was particularly good, I thought.

This particular myth cycle means a lot to me because my mother is very much a Demeter figure, and always over-identified with me, and had a lot of trouble letting me go. Seeing some of the problems I'd seen my mom have from the other side was powerful.

[Ross]

and belly, unsurprisingly, can be a euphemism for female genitals.

"Unsurprising" in the sense of "It is a word with more than zero letters, and therefore probably a euphemism for genitalia"?

[Literata]

Perhaps unsurprising in the sense that women are often seen, especially sexually, as being about their bodies in a reductionist sense. A lot of male euphemisms refer to things outside the body or have some other kind of additional or nonsensical connotations. Belly as a euphemism for female genitalia fits with the idea that women are mostly about their bodies and babies, which strikes me as reductionist in a way that a lot of male euphemisms aren't.

[Laiima]

I was thinking "belly as a euphemism for female genitalia" was analogous to the biblical euphemism of thigh for male genitals. So those biblical passages that are otherwise kind of inexplicable that refer to swearing an oath while putting your hand on your thigh (for generic male you) should be read as putting your hand on, or is it grasping?, your genitals. Which seems even weirder in a way, except it does put the patriarchy front and center.

I think Literata's got a good point though.

[Literata]

Or my other favorite biblical euphemism, the "tail" of Leviathan. Unfortunate side effect: "cedar tree" is now a joke in my household.

[Winter]

Laiima: So those biblical passages that are otherwise kind of inexplicable that refer to swearing an oath while putting your hand on your thigh (for generic male you) should be read as putting your hand on, or is it grasping?, your genitals.

The phrase reminds me of Harpo Marx's bit where he randomly uses other people's hands as a leg rest.

I wonder if it's done with the idea that something nasty would happen to those genitals if the oath is broken. Impotence, venereal disease, etc.

[Froth]

Thank you, MadG.

I want to talk about my own recent encounters with Deity, but I'm running into the Mystery problem. I could tell you the forms. I could inadequately describe the results. Neither of those things would really explain what happened.

Not A Tame Lion. That was the meaning of one of them.

[MadGastronomer]

What Literata said about "belly".

Froth, I always loved the line "Not a tame lion." And yeah, Mystery is like that. One of my early ones was Cold Comfort.

[hapax]

So those biblical passages that are otherwise kind of inexplicable that refer to swearing an oath while putting your hand on your thigh (for generic male you) should be read as putting your hand on, or is it grasping?, your genitals. Which seems even weirder in a way, except it does put the patriarchy front and center.

Well, I think the idea was more that you were swearing on your future descendents, your posterity -- your very chance at immortality, as it was then understood.

Then there's Jacob, who wrestled with [an angel of] of God, who "touched the hollow of his thigh, and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint", which I always took as a euphemism for, umm, a debilitating crotch punch.

I did notice as a child how many mythological heroes kept getting "gored in the thigh", particularly by boars. It wasn't until much later that I released that it was a reference to castration.

[Cliff]

I really liked this post.
My question is, how does one go about finding rituals like this? My (admittedly feeble) investigations into modern paganism left me with the impression that most modern practice is concerned with magic. Which isn't really my bag, as far as real life goes.
What MadGastronomer describes sounds far more profound and meaningful to me.

Also this:
Then there's Jacob, who wrestled with [an angel of] of God, who "touched the hollow of his thigh, and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint", which I always took as a euphemism for, umm, a debilitating crotch punch.

... is awesome. "Never fight an angel, because it will punch you in the dick."

[MadGastronomer]

My question is, how does one go about finding rituals like this? My (admittedly feeble) investigations into modern paganism left me with the impression that most modern practice is concerned with magic. Which isn't really my bag, as far as real life goes.

It isn't, really, that's just the stuff that gets a lot of attention.

I didn't hear about SMF until I got to know some local pagans who were involved with it, but then I've always been a solitary and never paid a lot of attention. I'd google for festivals in your area (read: 3-4 hours' travel, usually), as a first step, and also meet some people and ask around. But most festivals aren't immersive the way SMF is, so I don't know what to tell you. A lot of groups save big rituals for holidays like Samhain, if that helps. I keep wanting to do a big labyrinth ritual for it.

What part of the world are you in, if you don't mind my asking? I might know somebody who knows somebody.

Also, anybody can go to SMF, and if any Slacktivites feel like coming all the way out to Seattle to give it a try in a year I'm going, you can come hang out with me and mine.

[Cliff]

I'm in Phoenix Arizona.
I've gotten involved with a Universalist Unitarian congregation here, and I've met a few pagans at the place and been to two small equinox celebrations there. I like the dances they do there (they're easy to learn, even for a guy that dances about as well as those little electric hula girls), but apart from that they feel a little lackluster.

[Lonespark]

Cliff -
Are you on the AZ pagan mailing list? What part of Phoenix do you live in and what kind of tradition are interested in?

There is good stuff in Phoenix, in this Troth member's opinion. I was thinking a few hours ago how desperately I miss my Heathen group there and how hard I kick myself for never attending rituals with the ADF group.

[Lonespark]

I definitely know people who know people. I never personally attended anything as elaborate as what MG describes, but there's serious stuff in Phoenix and probably even more so in Sedona and possibly Tucson.

[Cliff]

I live down in Gilbert. I'm not quite sure how to answer the question about traditions - I've been interested in the Greek and Norse mythologies for my entire life. And I didn't realize there was an AZ pagan mailing list.

[Lonespark]

Looks like Witchvox has some listings, too:

http://www.witchvox.com/vn/ev/usaz_ev.html

The Northern Winds was my hometown Heathen store.

When I went to Pagan Pride Day they had a lot of information about different organizations. More in Phoenix and the West Valley than over where you are, but good stuff is worth a drive, especially when you only have to do it on major holidays.

Which UU congregation are you in? (I'm just curious. I used to go to UUCP when I lived there.)

[Lonespark]

Typepad? What have you done to the first part of my post?

[Lonespark]

Maybe it doesn't like the ratio of random comment content to links?

This is the groups I attended open rituals with: https://sites.google.com/site/thenorsewolfpackarizona/

And these folks meet at the Irish Cultural Center, which is a lovely place. I have heard good things about their public rituals. http://www.risingphoenix-adf.org/main/events/events_menu.htm

[Lonespark]

Still I am foiled. How about this? http://www.thenorthernwinds.com/

And for the mailing list, just go to yahoo groups and search azpagan and it should be right there and you can join and introduce yourself or lurk or whatever.

[David Emery]

It's worth noting, if it hasn't already been noted, that SMF has an opposite-partner, "Hecate's Sickle Festival" which happens on Orcas Island in the late fall. (Samhain or so) Instead of the greek pantheon, it uses the Celtic ones, and gives everyone a chance to dig DEEP and release those who have passed in the year before (or further, if you have not attended before), including a special ritual for pets/companion animals/familliars. It is very intense, and everyone will experience it differently- unlike SMF, your path will only be walked by your clan, and there are nine of those- nine different ways to hear from nine different gods/godesses. Info on that can be found at: http://www.aquatabch.org/hekates-sickle-festival just as Info on SMF can be found at: http://www.aquatabch.org/spring-mysteries-festival If you're poor like me (GRIN) They have a 'festival savings plan' where you put just a few bucks every payday into a fund, and by the time the festivals roll around, you're all paid up. Folks in the community are great about carpooling and helping folks get from airports or train/bus stations to the festivals if you come from afar. Speaking as one who was staff/cast on both festivals the last few years, Please- DO consider coming! You're VERY welcome at both! The more, quite literally, the merrier! For me, the Festivals are two of the most profound experiences I have each year. I LOVE them.

[Karen, who is still stoked about getting a Slactiverse link]

Beautiful post, MadG, and despite actually having a minor in Classical Civilization and Mythology in college, I never met Baubo either. Thanks for telling me about her.

I vaguely recall Demeter teaching humans farming by having sex with a prince of the reigning family of Eleusis, but can't find the reference now.

[Mark Temporis]

Chiming in with a "That was Incredible". One of the few direct experiences I have had with Goddess spirituality had to do with Persephone, and I have since then always felt some indirect tie.

My sister, for one, unknowingly acts out the more patriarchial tellings of the myth: she stays for some time with her asshole bf, then with us, and then feels drawn to go back with him--never allowed in both realms at once. Apologies to both deities for the comparison.

I don't see a fear of death as the same as a fear of ceasing to exist. I do not want to die. I fear death. Nonexistence: Were it possible, I would seek that. The world would be materially better for my never having lived, but since I do, my passing would hurt, and sadden those I love, and not change any of the important harm I've done.

[Cliff]

Thanks for the information, Lonespark! And sorry for the long wait for a reply, I don't comment on the internet at my job.
Also, I go to VUU. I keep meaning to check UUCP out but it's an extra half hour's drive on a Sunday morning for me.

[Rebecca]

The other biblical euphemism for genitalia is, of course, the feet.

[MadGastronomer]

If anyone is interested in reading the work of a very young MG, I have just discovered that the Queer Slang Dictionary I started freshman year of college, and thought long gone with Geocities, has been preserved. Some of the terms have changed or changed meaning (particularly some of the stuff I wrote about trans people and pronouns), or is stuff I would write very differently today, but there it is.

And, it seems, the dictionary has been referenced in a Wikipedia entry, a bilingual French journal on American culture, and a bunch of other totally random places. It's weird, but I'm feeling rather proud of it.

[Lonespark]

You're very welcome, Cliff.

I wanted to check out VUU when we lived in Mesa, but then we ended up moving close to UUCP.

I recommend stopping by The Northern Winds / Fantasia if you're ever in the area (7th St. and...uh...Indian School?). The shop is nice and you can find out about the classes and rituals they have. I realize that's a loooong drive for you, but maybe you can go out for dinner or ice cream or something too?

[Michael Chui]

Owner of the Night Kitchen.

I need to tell you that I love your restaurant. Also, lovely post. =P

[MadGastronomer]

Thanks, Michael! Say hi next time you're in!

[spamflagger]

TBAT: spam at 07:14AM