Goddess of the Bountiful Harvest and the Nurturing Spirit

Today was a Snowday which meant for a day dedicated to my week three Life Journal. This class was about creating a goddess that we connected with . I really enjoyed learning the new techniques taught by Bonnie Rose Bryan . 


The Goddess I chose is Demeter.  She was the most generous of the great Olympian goddesses.  The Greek goddess Demeter was beloved for her service to mankind in giving them the gift of the harvest, the reward for cultivation of the soil. Also known as the Roman goddess Ceres, Demeter was the goddess of the harvest and was credited with teaching humans how to grow, preserve, and prepare grain. Demeter  was thought to be responsible for the fertility of the land. She was the only one of the Greek goddesses who was involved on a day-to-day basis in the lives of the common folk. While others occasionally "dabbled" in human affairs when it suited their personal interests, or came to the aid of "special" mortals they favored, the goddess Demeter was truly the nurturer of mankind. Demeter also was the only one of the Greek goddesses who could truly empathize with the human experience of suffering and grief, having experienced it fully herself. The story of Greek goddess Demeter illustrates the tremendous capacity of a woman to love and nurture, within her own family and the world at large.  It also reminds us to stand firm for what is good and right, even in the face of adversity, when powerful forces are aligned against us. 

The goddess Demeter's message also reminds us of the seasons of a woman's life, that even though there are times of great sorrow there is also great joy to be found.