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Working with Hades and Persephone

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    Working with Hades and Persephone

    I'm curious as to see what it's like to work with them! I never really read or heard anyone interact with Hades, but i know some who worked with Persephone. So yeah if you ever came into contact with either of them what was it like?

    #2
    Re: Working with Hades and Persephone

    I'm working both of Them into my personal pantheon, but I'm pretty head-blind, so I don't know how much I can tell you. As far as I know, Hades as such usually didn't receive cultus in antiquity (but Hades-as-Pluto did, and was regarded as a much more positive and approachable figure). I think They're both pretty frightening, to be honest, but I don't mean that in a bad way. Someone once told me that with the Gods, there's a type of fear you run away from, and a type of fear you run towards, and I think that's highly applicable here.

    Persephone terrifies me. Like, complete chills-running-up-spine, can't-sleep terror. I think it's because for me, She relates more than any other deity to the experience of the unknown and unknowable, to Mystery, and to dissolution, and to the death of beautiful things. Also, I see Her as representative of the unknowable side of everything in life. Like, She's the daughter of an earth Goddess, and starts out as this generic flower maiden; there shouldn't be anything particularly mysterious there. But then She ends up becoming this Nameless Maiden who's the queen of the underworld and the central figure of one of the most prestigious mystery religions in the ancient world.

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      #3
      Re: Working with Hades and Persephone

      Thank you for giving me the information that you know! It's just you go around and you see so much of the other gods that you barely see anyone interact with the underworld couple, makes me sad from time to time but it makes sense that no one would want to communicate with the rulers of the dead, I did a bit of research earlier upon Hades and those who work with him but they seemed to do it more for funerals.

      Ahh~ For Persephone to be seen as terrifying as well as mysterious??? I never expected her to be like that! I'm intrigued! Whenever I read her stories she always (sadly) seemed like the damsel in distress, a gentle woman who's into picking deadly nightshade in the underworld and just wanting to enjoy her time in both of the realms of Olympus and the underworld. Maybe that's the reason Hades wanted her so much though, she was so beautiful she appeared terrifying to him lol and she's a central figure?? I had no idea!

      Is she always terrifying to you though? Has she ever appeared any other way? I'm sorry if you feel bombarded by my whole excitement, it's just, I've never heard of anyone really being in contact with them, they've always been those very vague deities that no one really brings up when ever they speak of those they worship.

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        #4
        Re: Working with Hades and Persephone

        Well, like I said, I'm pretty much head-blind, so I can't pretend She's ever "appeared" to me. But I like the thought of prayer beads, so I'm working on coming up with sets of prayers for all the Gods in my personal pantheon, and working on Hers has been a slow process so far because I tend to get really nervous and have to go do something else to calm down. I should emphasize that it's not at all an aggressive nervousness; it's not like I think Persephone wants to hurt me. But there's something very ancient and mysterious about Her that puts me on edge. It's like the fear of the dark, or the fear of the unknown: there's no real reason to think there's anything dangerous going on, but you understand you're encountering something you cannot fully understand, and it's frightening.

        There's a book by Karl Kerenyi called Eleusis: Archetypal Image of Mother and Daughter that you should definitely read. Kerenyi's writing has some frustrating points -- he doesn't always cite his sources, for one thing -- but it makes up for it by having a lot of vivacity and immediacy. Kerenyi was a follower of Jung, so he was less interested in the history of the Mysteries and more interested in figuring out what they meant to participants. I read it in one night, and it fascinated me, but again, also frightened me for some reason; I couldn't have slept until I finished it, anyway. I don't know if you would have the same reaction or not.

        There's a quote from Walter Burkert about the Demeter and Persephone myth, and I'm not going to get it quite right because I don't have my notes with me, but it's something like, "Things will never be the same as they were before the rape. Instead, an element death is introduced into life, and an element of life is introduced into death." I think perhaps it's that element of death being introduced into life that's the terrifying part.

        Initiates of the Mysteries were thought to be under Persephone's special protection, but they could only get there by experiencing the intense grief and loss and terror of Demeter as She searched for Her lost daughter.

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          #5
          Re: Working with Hades and Persephone

          I wouldn't call them my Patron's because I'm still trying to decide the terminology that feels right, but Persephone and Hades are the two deities I'm closest to, and this is only my personal experience.

          Hades...He never talks to me directly. I get the feeling he doesn't really like idle talk, and that he knows I already know the answer to my questions, but he's very supportive. When I'm distressed, he clasps onto my shoulder until I can work through it, and then he nods and squeezes, as if to say good job. He gets amused by strong emotion, whether it's anger or happiness. He has a very "wait and see" attitude, but doesn't like laziness, rather it's more a sense of rolling with the punches as you live your life.

          Persephone, I have only had one intense moment with her, but wow. It was a very low moment in my life, and I was on my bed in the dark, and she comforted me. She held me and showed me what I needed to see and let me know I wasn't alone. I sense she's along the same vein of "rolling with the punches" as Hades, but if someone tries to mess with her, she's the more dangerous of the two. She's also more playful, and I sense her very often.

          But again, that's just my limited experience.
          ~Rudyard Kipling, The Cat Who Walks By Himself

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            #6
            Re: Working with Hades and Persephone

            I don't necessarily work with either of them because I more follow a Norse path than anything, but I would be careful working with the latter over the former because if I remember correctly, back in ancient times no one but her priests were ever allowed to even say her name for fear of drawing her attention. Not saying you can't or shouldn't just one of those "hey be careful how you go about it" kind of things
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              #7
              Re: Working with Hades and Persephone

              Originally posted by Yorin View Post
              I don't necessarily work with either of them because I more follow a Norse path than anything, but I would be careful working with the latter over the former because if I remember correctly, back in ancient times no one but her priests were ever allowed to even say her name for fear of drawing her attention. Not saying you can't or shouldn't just one of those "hey be careful how you go about it" kind of things
              I second Yorin here. Same with Set, for instance. Be careful.
              "Fair means that everybody gets what they need. And the only way to get that is to make it happen yourself."



              Since I adore cats, I might write something strange or unusual in my comment.Cats are awesome!!! ^_^

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                #8
                Re: Working with Hades and Persephone

                As a Hellenic reconstructionist I tend to wince at the expression "work with" - it make the Gods sound like a toolkit! I certainly worship Hades and Persephone, but only at their annual festival, when I offer wine, incense, a bunch of flowers, a donation to a hospice, and two badly-sung hymns. The narcissus is her flower and I'd normally offer daffodils as the nearest equivalent. This year I went into a shop and there were narcissi: they hadn't been in stock the day before and I didn't see any there again!

                In Antiquity, Persephone was the Goddess in Magna Graecia (southern Italy). Most towns there considered her their protectress (like Athena at Athens) and they worshiped her alongside Hades rather than Demeter. They also invoked the pair as patrons of marriage.

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                  #9
                  Re: Working with Hades and Persephone

                  This is super late I feel, but I have a small amount of insight on the infamous couple.

                  First of all, you mentioned "head sight" and I truly believe that you see them the way they want you to see them. So really, I could see them one way and if you saw them they would look completely different (maybe). They tend to change their appearance depending on how the person with respond *this isn't just for Hades and Persephone, I believe this will all deities*

                  Hades is not a fan of idle chit chat, that is true. He has a LOT of work to do and really pours himself into his work. The way I have come to understand him, he is a bit misunderstood. The ancient Greek's did fear to speak his name aloud, for they feared that Death would come sooner. However, Thanatos is the Greek god of Death and Hades' not the one that actually causes death. Think of him like this too, he got the short end of the stick. He did not choose the underworld, he drew the short stick. I have spoken to him a few times. He has saved my life a few times as well. Thanatos has come for me a few times, but Hades had my back every time. He may come off as threatening to others, but I feel it all comes down to personality. You know, there is that one friend that you can't stand but it seems everyone else likes them (or vice versa) and you don't know why? I think it is just how you may come off to others. For example, me and Apollo do NOT get along. No idea why, but our energies just do NOT work together. However, I ADORE his sister. Hades in appearance is..well...I could understand how people could view him terrifying. The one time I have seen him he does resemble the dead he protects. If I ever get the opportunity (or luxury) of actually visiting Hades, I usually end up hanging out with Cerberus...I tend to gravitate towards the animals....maybe that is why he doesn't mind me visiting once a year

                  Persephone I have never had the pleasure of meeting. I have always had a bleeding heart though and have really felt for her. She has accepted her position with grace though *granted it took many years*. I have a feeling she is more to herself just because most pity her situation. I have heard she is quite beautiful though....If you watch Game of Thrones, I would compare her to Margaery. The beautiful Queen who visits those who are lower than her.

                  But, that is my opinion. If you feel fear when working with them, I would only speak to them on occasion. It may bring you at ease as well if you ask another god or goddess to bring you courage or maybe ask Demeter to assist in working with her daughter?

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