#kore deity

[thedansemacabres]

Introduction To Supporting Sustainable Agriculture For Witches and Pagans

[ID: An image of yellow grain stocks, soon to be harvested. The several stocks reach towards a blurred open sky, focusing the camera on he grains themselves. The leaves of the grains are green and the cereals are exposed].

PAGANISM AND WITCHCRAFT ARE MOVEMENTS WITHIN A SELF-DESTRUCTIVE CAPITALIST SOCIETY. As the world becomes more aware of the importance of sustainability, so does the duty of humanity to uphold the idea of the steward, stemming from various indigenous worldviews, in the modern era. I make this small introduction as a viticulturist working towards organic and environmentally friendly grape production. I also do work on a food farm, as a second job—a regenerative farm, so I suppose that is my qualifications. Sustainable—or rather regenerative agriculture—grows in recognition. And as paganism and witchcraft continue to blossom, learning and supporting sustainability is naturally a path for us to take. I will say that this is influenced by I living in the USA, however, there are thousands of groups across the world for sustainable agriculture, of which tend to be easy to research.

So let us unite in caring for the world together, and here is an introduction to supporting sustainable/regenerative agriculture. 

A QUICK BRIEF ON SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE 

Sustainable agriculture, in truth, is a movement to practise agriculture as it has been done for thousands of years—this time, with more innovation from science and microbiology especially. The legal definition in the USA of sustainable agriculture is: 

The term ”sustainable agriculture” (U.S. Code Title 7, Section 3103) means an integrated system of plant and animal production practices having a site-specific application that will over the long-term:

A more common man’s definition would be farming in a way that provides society’s food and textile needs without overuse of natural resources, artificial supplements and pest controls, without compromising the future generation’s needs and ability to produce resources. The agriculture industry has one of the largest and most detrimental impacts on the environment, and sustainable agriculture is the alternative movement to it. 

Sustainable agriculture also has the perk of being physically better for you—the nutrient quality of crops in the USA has dropped by 47%, and the majority of our food goes to waste. Imagine if it was composted and reused? Or even better—we buy only what we need. We as pagans and witches can help change this. 

BUYING ORGANIC (IT REALLY WORKS)

The first step is buying organic. While cliche, it does work: organic operations have certain rules to abide by, which excludes environmentally dangerous chemicals—many of which, such as DDT, which causes ecological genocide and death to people. Organic operations have to use natural ways of fertilising, such as compost, which to many of us—such as myself—revere the cycle of life, rot, and death. Organic standards do vary depending on the country, but the key idea is farming without artificial fertilisers, using organic seeds, supplementing with animal manure, fertility managed through management practices, etc. 

However, organic does have its flaws. Certified organic costs many, of which many small farmers cannot afford. The nutrient quality of organic food, while tending to be better, is still poor compared to regeneratively grown crops. Furthermore, the process to become certified organic is often gruelling—you can practise completely organically, but if you are not certified, it is not organic. Which, while a quality control insurance, is both a bonus and a hurdle. 

JOINING A CSA

Moving from organic is joining a CSA (“Community supported agriculture”). The USDA defines far better than I could: 

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), one type of direct marketing, consists of a community of individuals who pledge support to a farm operation so that the farmland becomes, either legally or spiritually, the community’s farm, with the growers and consumers providing mutual support and sharing the risks and benefits of food production.

By purchasing a farm share, you receive food from the farm for the agreed upon production year. I personally enjoy CSAs for the relational aspect—choosing a CSA is about having a relationship, not only with the farmer(s), but also the land you receive food from. I volunteer for my CSA and sometimes I get extra cash from it—partaking in the act of caring for the land. Joining a CSA also means taking your precious capital away from the larger food industry and directly supporting growers—and CSAs typically practise sustainable and/or regenerative agriculture. 

CSAs are also found all over the world and many can deliver their products to food deserts and other areas with limited agricultural access. I volunteer from time to time for a food bank that does exactly that with the produce I helped grow on the vegetable farm I work for. 

FARM MARKETS AND STALLS 

Another way of personally connecting to sustainable agriculture is entering the realm of the farm stall. The farmer’s market is one of my personal favourite experiences—people buzzing about searching for ingredients, smiles as farmers sell crops and products such as honey or baked goods, etc. The personal connection stretches into the earth, and into the past it buries—as I purchase my apples from the stall, I cannot help but see a thousand lives unfold. People have been doing this for thousands of years and here I stand, doing it all over again. 

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Farmers’ markets are dependent on your local area, yet in most you can still develop personal community connections. Paganism often stresses community as an ideal and a state of life. And witchcraft often stresses a connection to the soil. What better place, then, is purchasing the products from the locals who commune with the land? 

VOLUNTEERING 

If you are able to, I absolutely recommend volunteering. I have worked with aquaponic systems, food banks, farms, cider-making companies, soil conservation groups, etc. There is so much opportunity—and perhaps employment—in these fields. The knowledge I have gained has been wonderful. As one example, I learned that fertilisers reduce carbon sequestration as plants absorb carbon to help with nutrient intake. If they have all their nutrients ready, they do not need to work to obtain carbon to help absorb it. This does not even get into the symbiotic relationship fungi have with roots, or the world of hyphae. Volunteering provides community and connection. Actions and words change the world, and the world grows ever better with help—including how much or how little you may provide. It also makes a wonderful devotional activity. 

RESOURCING FOOD AND COOKING 

Buying from farmers is not always easy, however. Produce often has to be processed, requiring labour and work with some crops such as carrots. Other times, it is a hard effort to cook and many of us—such as myself—often have very limited energy. There are solutions to this, thankfully:

Many farmers can and will process foods. Some even do canning, which can be good to stock up on food and lessen the energy inputs. 

Value-added products: farms also try to avoid waste, and these products often become dried snacks if fruit, frozen, etc. 

Asking farmers if they would be open to accommodating this. Chances are, they would! The farmer I purchase my CSA share from certainly does. 

Going to farmers markets instead of buying a CSA, aligning with your energy levels. 

And if any of your purchased goods are going unused, you can always freeze them. 

DEMETER, CERES, VEIA, ETC: THE FORGOTTEN AGRICULTURE GODS

Agricultural gods are often neglected. Even gods presiding over agriculture often do not have those aspects venerated—Dionysos is a god of viticulture and Apollon a god of cattle. While I myself love Dionysos as a party and wine god, the core of him remains firmly in the vineyards and fields, branching into the expanses of the wild. I find him far more in the curling vines as I prune them than in the simple delights of the wine I ferment. Even more obscure gods, such as Veia, the Etruscan goddess of agriculture, are seldom known.

Persephone receives the worst of this: I enjoy her too as a dread queen, and people do acknowledge her as Kore, but she is far more popular as the queen of the underworld instead of the dear daughter of Demeter. I do understand this, though—I did not feel the might of Demeter and Persephone until I began to move soil with my own hands. A complete difference to the ancient world, where the Eleusinian mysteries appealed to thousands. Times change, and while some things should be left to the past, our link to these gods have been severed. After all, how many of us reading know where our food comes from? I did not until I began to purchase from the land I grew to know personally. The grocery store has become a land of tearing us from the land, instead of the food hub it should be.

Yet, while paganism forgets agriculture gods, they have not forgotten us. The new world of farming is more conductive and welcoming than ever. I find that while older, bigoted people exist, the majority of new farmers tend to be LGBT+. My own boss is trans and aro, and I myself am transgender and gay. The other young farmers I know are some flavour of LGBT+, or mixed/poc. There’s a growing movement for Black farmers, elaborated in a lovely text called We Are Each Other’s Harvest. 

Indigenous farming is also growing and I absolutely recommend buying from indigenous farmers. At this point, I consider Demeter to be a patron of LGBT+ people in this regard—she gives an escape to farmers such as myself. Bigotry is far from my mind under her tender care, as divine Helios shines above and Okeanos’ daughters bring fresh water to the crops. Paganism is also more commonly accepted—I find that farmers find out that I am pagan and tell me to do rituals for their crops instead of reacting poorly. Or they’re pagan themselves; a farmer I know turned out to be Wiccan and uses the wheel of the year to keep track of production. 

Incorporating these divinities—or concepts surrounding them—into our crafts and altars is the spiritual step towards better agriculture. Holy Demeter continues to guide me, even before I knew it. 

WANT CHANGE? DO IT YOURSELF! 

If you want change in the world, you have to act. And if you wish for better agriculture, there is always the chance to do it yourself. Sustainable agriculture is often far more accessible than people think: like witchcraft and divination, it is a practice. Homesteading is often appealing to many of us, including myself, and there are plenty of resources to begin. There are even grants to help one improve their home to be more sustainable, i.e. solar panels. Gardening is another, smaller option. Many of us find that plants we grow and nourish are far more potentant in craft, and more receptive to magical workings. 

Caring for plants is fundamental to our natures and there are a thousand ways to delve into it. I personally have joined conservation groups, my local soil conservation group, work with the NRCs in the USA, and more. The path to fully reconnecting to nature and agriculture is personal—united in a common cause to fight for this beautiful world. To immerse yourself in sustainable agriculture, I honestly recommend researching and finding your own path. Mine lies in soil and rot, grapevines and fruit trees. Others do vegetables and cereal grains, or perhaps join unions and legislators. Everyone has a share in the beauty of life, our lives stemming from the land’s gentle sprouts. 

Questions and or help may be given through my ask box on tumblr—if there is a way I can help, let me know. My knowledge is invaluable I believe, as I continue to learn and grow in the grey-clothed arms of Demeter, Dionysos, and Kore. 

FURTHER READING:

Baszile, N. (2021). We are each other’s harvest. HarperCollins.

Hatley, J. (2016). Robin Wall Kimmerer. Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous wisdom, scientific knowledge and the teachings of plants. Environmental Philosophy, 13(1), 143–145. https://doi.org/10.5840/envirophil201613137

Regenerative Agriculture 101. (2021, November 29). https://www.nrdc.org/stories/regenerative-agriculture-101#what-is

And in truth, far more than I could count. 

References

Community Supported Agriculture | National Agricultural Library. (n.d.). https://www.nal.usda.gov/farms-and-agricultural-production-systems/community-supported-agriculture

Navazio, J. (2012). The Organic seed Grower: A Farmer’s Guide to Vegetable Seed Production. Chelsea Green Publishing.

Plaster, E. (2008). Soil Science and Management. Cengage Learning.

Sheaffer, C. C., & Moncada, K. M. (2012). Introduction to agronomy: food, crops, and environment. Cengage Learning.

Sheldrake, M. (2020). Entangled life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures. Random House.

Sustainable Agriculture | National Agricultural Library. (n.d.). https://www.nal.usda.gov/farms-and-agricultural-production-systems/sustainable-agriculture

#dragonis.txt #witchcraft #paganism #hellenic polytheism #witchblr #pagan #helpol #hellenic pagan #hellenic worship #hellenic paganism #hellenic polytheist #demeter deity #demeter worship #persephone deity #kore deity #raspol #etrupol #etruscan polytheist #etruscan polytheism #rasenna polytheism #rasenna polytheist #rasenna paganism

[entheosareian]

Persephone

“May noble Persephone, queen of light and dark, comfort of the sorrowing and the bereft, be with us: we honor you and praise your might.” - Prayers to the Gods of Olympus

🌿Persephone loves and protects people of color, disabled people, trans people and all who are marginalized. 🌿

#Moodboard 2 #Persephone #Kore #persephone deity #persephone worship #Persephone goddess #kore deity #kore worship #Greek mythology #Hellenism #Hellenic polytheism #helpol #Hellenistic pagan #Greek pagan

[persephoneist]

Do you like Persephone? Please read if you do!

Hi! I'm Meli, and I'm a classics student who is writing a paper on Persephone and modern reception of her myth. In doing so, I'd like to gather information from as many people as possible to get a well-rounded view of how she is perceived by people interested in her! This includes Hellenic polytheists, academics, fans of Greek myth in general, or fans of modern retellings like Lore Olympus, Hadestown, Punderworld, etc.

Thank you if you do participate! Reblogs are appreciated!

#classics #tagamemnon #persephone #persephone x hades #hades x persephone #greek goddess #greek myth #greek mythology #hellenism #hellenic polytheism #hellenic deities #hellenic pagan #hellenic gods #greek religion #demeter #hades #greek pantheon #kore #lore olympus #hadestown #hymn to demeter #Punderworld #Receiver of Many #A Touch of Darkness #hades game #hades supergiant

[iliosflower]

Persephone's Abduction

"Persephone went willingly! Just check the oldest myth." - one too many a person on tiktok this morning.

Alright, I will. I'll use the Homeric Hymn to Demeter (7th century BCE) for you.

"[..] but broad-pathed Earth gaped wide

On the Nysion plain where the lord, the Receiver of many, rushed forth

With his deathless horses, Kronos' son who has many a name.

He seized her against her will, and aboard his golden car

Carried her off, lamenting; she uttered a piercing scream"

(line 16-20)

"When the maiden shrieked in appeal to her father"

(line 27)

"While the goddess [Persephone] viewed earth and starry sky, and the strong-flowing sea

Teeming with fish, and the rays of the Sun, she still hoped to behold

Her dear mother again, and the tribes of gods eternal in race;

So long did hope soothe her mighty mind despite her grief."

(line 33-36)

"Sun, [Helios], as a god for a goddess [Demeter] show your regard for me,

If ever by word or deed your heart and spirit I pleased.

The daughter whom I bore, my sweet offshoot of glorious form,

I heard through the murmuring air giving vent to an anguished cry

As though overpowered by force, yet caught no glimpse with my eyes.

[...]

Who took her without my consent against her will by force

And vanished -"

(line 64-72)

"And the lord in his [Hades'] halls he [Hermes] discovered seated upon a couch,

And he had his revered spouse by him, though much against her will,

Since she longed for Demeter, her mother -"

(line 43-45)

"She [Persephone] quickly leaped up in delight, but secretly, glancing round,

He [Hades] gave her to eat a pomegranate's honey-sweet seed, so that there

By revered Demeter the dark-robed she would not for ever stay."

(line 73-75)

"I [Persephone] at once leaped up in delight, but Hades secretly put

A food as sweet as honey, a pomegranate's seed, in my hand

And using violence forced me to taste it against my will"

(line 412-412)

Photo credit here.

#can you tell i'm tired? #worship hades and persephone together - see them as a happy couple - that still does not deny what's in the myths. #you can't rewrite it and 'correct' people on the 'true story'. #it's about grief and forced marriage and being torn from your mother. it's about demeter and persephone. #persephone deity #persephone worship #demeter deity #demeter worship #hades deity #hades worship #demeter devotee #homeric hymns #kore #hellenic polytheist #eleusinian mysteries #<- as this hymn is the foundation myth of that cult and what i reconstruct

[kore-siciliana]

UPG: On the nature of the gods, ancestors, and maybe also mystery cults

What is a god but many of the blessed dead coming together in an afterlife.  Many joined together across space and time to form a consciousness. Together they can speak and act and live.  To me that is the mystery cult.  What is a blessed afterlife but joining with a god.  And when you pray and libate to a god you become part of them.  In life and death you then can join with many gods and in life they live close to you. 

They love to come together around you.  Each time you pray and give offerings you add to them as a god.  You give part of yourself and those blessed dead that are always around us can join to become part of that god to be near you. 

Giving to a god is also a way to give to the blessed dead or our ancestors.  There then is a way that ancestral gods mean something.  Our ancestors can remember what it means to be part of a god they themselves sacrificed to.  Though I should say, that doesn’t mean you cannot worship gods who are not ancestral to you.  You still help a god come together around you by giving to them. 

So libate! The gods live and they live around us. They can hear and feel us and they are always with us.

#hellenic deities #hellenic polytheism #helpol #mystery cults #Eleusis #Eleusinian mysteries #Dionysian mysteries #cthonic gods #12 olympians #zeus #hera #demeter #hestia #poseidon #hades #dionysus #hermes #apollon #apollo #artemis #ares #athena #hephaestus #persephone #kore #theoi #theoi worship #greek gods #dionysus worship #Aphrodite

[persephonesdread]

trying to find persephone content while avoiding lore olympus content, feels like im running in a mine field

#kore #hellenic polytheism #helpol #persephone worship #persephone deity #anti lore olympus

[romance-club-daily]

Romance Club MC's as Greek deities:

Vicky Walker as Persephone (or Kore):

Queen of the Underworld and Goddess of Spring ☠🌹🥀

In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Persephone (also called Kore or Cora), is the daughter of Zeus, the chief god, and Demeter, the goddess of agriculture; she was the wife of Hades, king of the underworld. She is goddess of spring, the dead, the underworld, destruction, life, grain, and nature. True to her double nature, Persephone was imagined as having two homes: one on Olympus with her mother, Demeter, and the other in the Underworld with her husband. According to Homer, she also possessed sacred groves on the western edge of the world, near the entrance to the Underworld. Vicky was chosen to be Persephone because of the dichotomy of her story - Heaven's Secret, choosing between being Angel and Demon, similar to Kore/Persephone who also has two aspects, both related to life and/or death.

File Source | BeautifulCome | cr.nana | malbgt | tavernytkr |

Other skin colours under the cut:

#Romance Club MC's as Greek deities #romance club #romance club game #клуб романтики #rc mc #rc edits #rcd edits #greek mythology #greek goddess #rc heaven's secret 2 #rc heaven's secret #rc vicky walker #rc hs #rc hs 2 #goddess of spring #queen of the underworld #persephone #kore #cora

[kaleb-is-definitely-sane]

#osp #overly sarcastic productions #demeter #persephone deity #greek mythology #hades and persephone #hades x persephone #hades #despoina #kore #persephone #death aesthetic #a matter of life and death #spring #life and death #orphism #dreaded #underworld #mycenaean greece #greek goddess #greek myth #mycenae #earthshaker #oceancore #deathcore #personal moodboard

[transcendingblood]

I listed a bunch of new deity vial necklaces on my Etsy today including this Persephone one containing rose petals, sunflower petals, milled wheat, rose quartz, and snowflake obsidian!

#Persephone #Kore #persephone deity #Persephone goddess #Goddess of spring #pagan jewelry

[oineroi]

The Lokrian goddess: an interpretation of the abduction of Persephone in Magna Graecia

The myth of Persephone is well known to a lot of polytheists through the Homeric Hymn to Demeter, but in 1889 archaeologists unearthed some pinakes (votive tablets) from the shrine to Persephone (the famous Persephoneion) in the greek colony of Epizephyrian Locri (modern day Calabria, Italy), that contain a different version of the myth.

In these plaques, her mother Demeter is absent and Persephone is depicted as "willing bride and powerful underworld queen". Persephone does not return.

This is because local women turned to Persephone for assistance in biological and social transitions. The pinakes draw the goddess into a set of experiences that map a mortal woman's life: for example, one of the most popular motifs is the abduction of a maiden by a man on his chariot. The maiden's emotional reactions to her own abduction range from terror to active affection: these depictions represent the complex reactions that the worshippers brought to the cult.

#hellenic polytheism #helpol #hellenic reconstructionism #hellenic pantheon #theoi #persephone #persephone deity #hades and persephone #hades and kore #greek mythology #magna graecia #mine #ancient greece #hellenism

[pillowdrawz]

PLS PLS PLS IS THERE A FANFICTION WHERE Mythology Hades and Heracles meets Hercules disney Cast Like the interaction!!. Imma add a few more gods.

In a Dinner table in the underworld also this is mortal food idk how it works okay-

Heracles: I'm sorry.. My uncle did what want to ruled what a-and Hera is your mother that doesn't want to kill you..

Hercules:.....Uhhh yeah....I mean your hades doesn't want to....kill you?? Or is he cruel and Abusive?

Everyone who's at the dinner table Looks at Hercules

Dionysus *Spits his whine* He's a What-

Hades*used at the insults ngl so he just eats the food*

Heracles:....When how-

Persephone*also used at Hades insults and just pat her husband.

(In some mythology Dionysus who at some point also raised by hades and persephone also A Devoted husband .yeah he Got that from his Other father not real /j)

URGG Especially the Percy jackson movie imagine the Movie Cast trio + Persephone just pop out in Mythology Hades and Persephone's Underworld with Heracles, Dionysus and Perseus who is just playing checkers.

Movie Percy jackson who is terrified for their life as 3 Headed dogs and a God of the Underworld glared at them..

LIKE WHERE IS THE FANFICTION CROSSOVER Link pls if there is-

#crossover comic #for fun #greek mythology #hades deity #hades #fanfiction #disney hercules #heracles #dionysus #persephone #kore #fanfic #classical mythology #mythologyart #hades and persephone #dionysus and ariadne #Where pls

[throughthegrapevine]

i finally caught up on lore olympus today, and my gods.

it is just such a beautiful comic, the way hades and kore know each other so well despite being so far apart for so long. and the way zeus knew their love?? the way he finally gave in. kore trying to get into his dreams i can’t.

#usedbandaid #lore olympus #persephone #hades and kore #kore #hades deity #webtoon #brainrotblurbs

[pink-lemonade-rose]

Kore fell into a “trap,” which was another flower: the narcissus. That flower, a “toy” from which “a hundred other flowers” sprouted, was the result of an agreement between the gods: Ge had made them grow because Zeus wished to please He Who Receives Many, his brother Hades. Heaven, earth, and underworld came together to make that flower appear. This itself indicated the wondrous nature of the event. In what do gods and humans meet? In the contemplation of a flower. The essence of the Mysteries is revealed in this first moment: in looking at something that even the gods view with the same rapture as humans. This was the supreme “vision,” epopteia. All eyes, immortal and mortal, converged on a flower that had sprouted “in the plain of Nysa,” on the Enna plateau. Divine and human eyes were drawn to a certain, clearly defined, point of the visible. Something familiar—and at the same time “a radiant wonder.”

Roberto Calasso, The Celestial Hunter

#roberto calasso #the celestial hunter #eleusinian mysteries #homeric hymn to demeter #persephone #kore #narcissus #flowers #hellenic deities #quotes #gaia #zeus #haides #epopteia #revelation

[miladeywrites]

Look at these stickers by @grimdoesart on Instagram!! They are just absolutely beautiful! They are now available for purchase at $4 each or $15 for the whole set. Sizes are 3.5x4 so you can slap them on laptops, tumblers, mirrors, your face, or your sibling’s face!! Can’t buy them now? There are many ways to support an artist such as following them on social media, sharing their art, and even just liking their posts. Support @grimdoesart on Instagram and Twitter 🤘🏼

#lore olympus #greek mythology #greek gods #hades and kore #hades deity #hades and persephone #persephone #kore #ares #artemis #artistsupport #digital artist #artists on tumblr #fan art #daddyhades #daddy ares

[im-persephone-bitch]

I can't wait to come home

- Sephe

Letters to Hades, V

#hades and persephone #hades greek mythology #greek posts #persephone #greece #olympus #greek #greek myth aesthetic #hades deity #olympians #hades and kore #hades persephone #letters to hades

[pan-the-only]

Kore Persephone Aesthetic

#greek gods #greek mythology #kore #persephone #persephone deity