Persephone's Descent Ritual
Persephone's Descent
September 17, 2024 - Full Moon
By Foxlyn Wren
Hellenic Hearth Culture
ADF COoR Style (Performed on the Fall Equinox)
Materials:
Altar on ground for the Kthonic Ones
Persephone Statue
Persephone's Mask
Hestia Statue
Hestia's Hearthstone
Hestia Candle
Doe Figurine
Deer Skull or Teeth
Deer Antler (wand)
Viper (Agathos Daimon)
Bowl or Cauldron of Water (Khernips)
Purification Herb (Khernips)
Lighter
River Stone (The Mountain)
Candle (The Fire)
Lavender Cup (The Well)
Knife and plate or Hand Sickle (depends on if I can get a pomegranate or not)
Hellenic Prayer Beads
Kuksa Cup (Offerings)
Black and Gray Veil (altar cloth)
Garb: Hekate's Strophalos Necklace, Cords
Offerings:
Hestia - Salted Flour
Bee - Sugar Water or Cubes
Doe - Salt
Ancestors, Nature Spirits, Shining Ones - Cornmeal
Persephone - Pomegranate Sacrifice (or pom juice), Rosemary, Calla Lilies, Deep Red Roses.
Being(s) of the Occasion: The Withering Doe Persephone
Gatekeeper: Bee and Deer (Doe specifically)
I'm planning on camping the night of this ritual, so due to how dry it's been, fire will not be an option. Alternatives:
All Candles - LED Lanterns and Tealights.
Sprinkle Hestia's offerings into a bowl.
Instead of Khernips, 6 drum or Spirit Stick beats.
2021
Ritual: Wash hands before entering the ritual space.
Opening Rite: "Tonight we honor Persephone, Hellenic Goddess of Spring and Queen of the Underworld. In the spring, She emerged from the darkness as Kore, the Flower Maiden of Spring. Tonight, She withers, making Her descent back into the loving arms of Hades, caring for our dead. Join me on this journey, for we will be traveling those tunnels to meet Persephone for advice during this darkening time."
Hestia Invite: Light Her candle. "Hestia, First and Last, The Living Flame, Goddess of Hearth, Home, and Family, I light this candle to show my love and gratitude for all that you've done, do, and continue to do for myself, our family, and the community.
Hestia, accept this offering!"
Sprinkle Salted Flour into flame.Purification: Sprinkle salt into the water. "May this water be cleansed." Light the herb and drop it into the cauldron of water. "May this water be blessed."
Sprinkle the water over the altar and self.
"May this space be sacred."Earth Mother Invite: "We call now to the Earth Mother, One of many names and genders. Earth Mother, we invite you to this rite. Earth Mother accept this offering."
Give Cornmeal.Inspiration: "We call now to the Entities of Inspiration! Apollon, Muses, and Others. May you give energy to this rite. Honey our words and help keep it interesting and flowing like clear waters. Inspiration, accept our offering!"
Light candle.Attunement: "Now I'd like yall to get comfortable and close your eyes. Breath at your own pace." Let them breathe.
"Relax and release any tension in your body. From your feet, see roots or energy go down into your floor, into the foundation of your home, into the earth. Let your roots go deep and spread wide. Deeper and deeper, until you reach the cool waters below. With each inhale, draw up those waters, up your roots, your feet, and legs.
Now see a cauldron in your hips. Allow this water to fill this cauldron. Ancestral waters. Cleansing waters. Waters of the Underworld.
Allow these waters to overflow, flowing throughout your lower body, cleansing, enriching.
And breathe.
Now see another cauldron in your heart center. Allow these water to fill this cauldron.
Compassion. Healing waters. Waters of the Middleworld.
Allow these waters to flow throughout your upper half, cleansing, warming, mixing.
And breathe.
The waters flow upward to the top of your head, coming out as antlers or energy cords; however you see them, let them flow. This energy flows upwards into space, towards your star. Connecting, mixing, flowing. Star energy flows down your cords, filling yet another cauldron in your head.
Inspiration. Connection. Waters of the Heavens.
And breathe.
The Waters support and surround us.
The Land extends about us.
The Sky Stretches above us.
At our center burns a living flame.
May the Kindreds bless us.
May our worship be true.
May our actions be just.
May our love be pure.
Blessings, honor, and worship to the Holy Ones."Opening the Gates: "We call to the Gatekeepers, those who protect the paths between our world and the Other. Bee! Deer! Accept this offering and be welcomed in our tent!"
Give offerings of sugar water and salt.
"Bee and Deer, we ask that you join your magiks with ours as we open the gates!"
With the Antler, touch the Well.
"As we are in ritual space and time, know that this world reflects the Other.
Sacred Well, cauldron of the Underworld and the Chthonic Ones, Portal to the Ancestors, deep and ancient, Flowing from the womb of the Earth Mother.
May this cup of water become the cosmic well.
Sacred Well, flow deep within us!"
With the Antler, touch the Mountain.
"Sacred Mountain, you are the embodiment of strength and endurance. May this river stone become the cosmic mountain.
Sacred Mountain, stand strong within us!"
With the Antler, touch the candle.
"Sacred Fires of the Heavens, You are the spark of inspiration, the flame of transformation.
May this candle become the cosmic fire.
Sacred Fire, burn bright within us!
Bee and Deer, let the gates be opened!"
Open hands.
"Now to invite the Kindreds Three.""Ancestors of blood, spirits, and place, we invite you to this rite. Ancestors accept this offering."
Give cornmeal."Nature Spirits of land, air, and water. We invite you to this rite. Nature Spirits, accept this offering."
Give cornmeal."Shining Ones, Those Known and Unknown, Within and Without a Shrine in this space and our homes. Entities of Blessings and Guidance. We invite you to this rite. Shining Ones, accept this offering!"
Give cornmeal.Welcome the Being of the Occasion: Put on Persephone's Mask and hold the knife or hand sickle.
"Welcome Persephone, Daughter of Demeter, Beloved of Hades, Queen of the Underworld. In the Spring, we welcomed you as Kore, Flower Maiden, who stepped with life. Now we bid farewell to the Withering Persephone, Death Woman, with decay in every step. Once a young fawn, now a half dead doe, making her descent down into the dark earth.
Persephone, Nymph, Queen, Goddess, be welcomed at this ritual and accept this sacrifice!"
Cut into the pomegranate or pour the juice.
Eat 6 seeds or Drink the juice.
With finger tips, wipe the juice on the mask.Omen: "Our offerings have been given and accepted. Now it's time to see what messages or blessings, the Kindreds have for us:"
Ancestors:
Nature Spirits:
Persephone:
"Do we accept these messages/blessings?"
"We do."Hallowing the Waters: "We ask the Kindreds to bless these waters. Hold your cups up and remember the omen. May the Kindreds and Spirits All fill our cups with love, guidance, patience, and anything else They feel we're in need of. Kindreds all, give us the waters!"
See or feel the energies filling the cup.
"Behold the Waters of Life. Drink Deep and know that we are blessed."Working: "We're going to do a guided journey. Normally when I do this ritual, I lead people to a honey bee hive built into a crack of a mountain. We mount bee priestesses, called the Melissae, and they take us inside through a cave tunnel where we meet with Persephone or a similar Death Entity. Tonight's journey will be different, as my visions aren't showing me the bees or the cave, but a half dead, half living White Tailed Doe in a dark misty wood. For me this is Persephone–She usually takes the form of an anthropomorphic Doe, half dead, half living, much like the Norse Hel.
If yall could, please close your eyes and breathe at your own pace. You're inside of a tent. It's dark outside, and you've just been awakened by a sound outside. Grab your lantern and unzip the door.
…"Thanking Persephone and the Kindreds: "To our honored Guests, Persephone, the Nature Spirits, and our Ancestors of blood, spirit, and place, we thank you for attending this rite, and giving us protection and guidance, blessings, and patience. Go if you will, stay if you want. Hail and Farewell."
Remove the mask.Close the Gates: "Gatekeepers Bee and Deer, thank you for guiding and aiding is and mixing your magiks with ours. Help us now to close the gates!"
Touch the antler to the Flame.
"May this Cosmic Flame become but a candle."
Touch the antler to the Mountain.
"May this Cosmic Mountain become but a river stone."
Touch the antler to the Well.
"May this Cosmic Well become but a cup of water."
"May the gates be closed!"
Close hands."Beings of Inspiration, we thank you." Blow out the candle.
Thank Earth Mother: "Earth Mother we thank you for your support this day and every day. Our thanks and blessings. Hail and Farewell, Earth Mother."
Thank Hestia: "Hestia, First and Last. Thank you for attending this rite. Hail and Farewell."
Blow out Her candle.Closing the Rite: "This rite has ended. May we go in peace and fellowship."
—-----------------------------------
Resources
Serith, Ceisiwr.
Stone Creed Grove, ADF. Standard Liturgy. November 22, 2021. https://stonecreed.org/rituals/standard-liturgy/
Three Cranes Grove, ADF. Ritual Scripts. https://threecranes.org/category/ritual-scripts/
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