Welcome to Demeter's page! 

Goddess of:

Agriculture, Law & Order, Mysteries, Afterlife, Constellations, Seasons

Other Names:

Deo

Plants:

Wheat, Barley, Mint, Poppy

Animals:

Snakes, Pigs, Turtle Doves, Geckos, Red Mullet

Symbols:

Torch, Sword, Sickle, Cornucopia

Festivals:

• Eleusinian Mysteries - Secret rites believed to be passed down from Demeter herself. Considering the secret nature of the mysteries, not much is known, but scholars theorize the rites pertain to death and the afterlife.
• Proerosia - Athenian festival where offerings were made to Demeter to ensure she would bless the harvest and to keep Athens in her good graces
• Skiru - A women’s festival held in honor of Demeter, Persephone, Athena, and possibly Helios or Apollo. Women would sacrifice piglets and place them in caves along with other sacfricial objects. This was done as a way to celebrate the anniversary of Persephone’s kidnapping because it was believed when the ground opened up by Hades, piglets fell through the cracks into The Underworld.
• Stenia - A women’s festival held in honor of both Demeter and Persephone. It was celebrated two days before Thesmophoria. Women gathered at night, sat on the floor, and threw insults and told crude jokes. This ritual was meant to mimic part of the Hymn to Demeter where the goddess refused to sit on the couch offered to her and would only be soothed from her grief by the mocking jokes of a servant.
• Thesomoporia - A women’s festival held in honor of both Demeter and Persephone so both goddesses would bless the lands with fruitful crops. It was believed that the rotting sacrifices left during the Skiru were gathered, offered to the two goddesses, and then buried in the fields as compost.

Epithets:

• Khthonia - Of the Earth
• Ploutodoteira - Giver of Wealth
• Megala Thea - Great Goddess
• Megala Mêter - Great Mother
• Thesmophoros - Bringer of Law
• Prostasia - Leader
• Erinys - Fury, Wrath
• Hôrêphoros - Bringer of the Seasons
• Kyanopeplos - Dark Veiled, Cloaked
• Khrysaoros - Of the Golden Blade
• Potnia Theaôn - Queen Amongst Goddesses

Married to: Absolutely No One!

Children: Persephone

Demeter's background:

Like her other siblings (Hestia, Hera, Hades, & Poseidon), Demeter was swallowed by big daddy Kronos. She was freed when he ate/took something bad (given to him by Zeus who received it from Metis, Athena's mother). The potion Kronos took caused him to vomit out his children.

Fun fact: That is also why Hestia is given the first and last offerings (first born, first swallowed & last to be vomited).

Famously known for:

• Creating the Seasons (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter)
• Standing against the Patriarchy when her daughter, Persephone, was kidnapped
• Founded the Eleusinian Mysteries

How to worship (intro level):

• Cooking
• Gardening
• Taking care of plants
• Fighting the Patriarchy
• Honoring the Seasons
• Honoring the cycles of life and death

Spilling the Tea w/ Jess - Demeter Episode TBD 

Sip of the Day

& something to chew on

 

Visual Infographics can be found below!!