Is it disrespectful to think Persephone would help me overcome trauma?

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Lio
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Is it disrespectful to think Persephone would help me overcome trauma?

Post by Lio »

Without going into too much detail, I've had some trauma regarding a man in my past. I've recently begun to try and address that, and within the past few months reading a book of mythology I reread the story of Persephone and Hades.

I started to feel a strong connection to Persephone as a deity that might be able to assist me in my process of healing from trauma in regards to men. What Hades did to her was to me very disturbing, kidnapping her and tricking her into having to stay with him, only made worse by the version I read stating that Zeus permitted Hades to do it. I do wonder if I'm reading too much into it, but I imagine Persephone could have found the whole experience very terrifying and been devastated to learn Hades had tricked her and she would have to spend six months with him each year presumably forever.

I haven't been able to find much mythology in regards to how Persephone might see Hades. I do wonder how after such an experience if she would be able to love him, and if she did, my modern mind can only imagine the love she'd feel for him would be a sort of trauma bond, similar to what I've felt with the person that traumatized me. Again, I worry that I'm reading too much into it.

I will say, one interpretation of the myth I have seen that somewhat backs up my understanding of it is that the myth is meant as a metaphor for what women married off to men they barely know in ancient Greece went through, and also what their mothers went through, as shown in Demeter.

Still, I'm worried ultimately about offending Persephone if I were to turn to her for help with recovering from trauma with the understanding of her as a victim. I would like to make an offering to her on Ostara, since lore states when Spring arrives Persephone emerges from the Underworld, and that seems like good timing to ask essentially for help with starting a new beginning.

I actually recently used Tarot cards as a means to talk with Persephone, just to try and begin to start to bond with her. I simply asked what I could do to honor her. I got the lovers, ace of swords, and strength. I kind of have interpreted it as I can honor her through love, learning more about her, and channeling the strength I see her as having. The first card is especially meaningful to me as my biggest desire in overcoming my past is to be able to feel safe enough around men that I can find a partner.

Now that I know she's a goddess I'm very interested in, I'm ready to start making an effort to bond with her, but before I go forward with it, I just needed some input on if I'm understanding her in a disrespectful way. If she loves Hades, me essentially believing what he did to her was wrong I worry could offend her. If any of you are more acquainted with Persephone than I am, I'd really like your input. Thank you.
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Re: Is it disrespectful to think Persephone would help me overcome trauma?

Post by NeverMoonAWerewolf »

I think unless you are intentionally disrespectful it would be hard to insult Her.

The concept of "victim" is a very difficult one, and there are language barriers to this concept as well. For example, the word you get when you translate victim to German also means sacrifice,offering, prey, casualty... and the same is true for the Greek language. in addition to this, people in the ancient times did things very differently (and that's even more true for gods). So what would be shameful for someone right now was not in the past and vice versa. This really makes a difference in the way someone deals with things. Imagine a society where it is normal to abduct women to get them to accept you. It happened quite a lot, and still does in some areas of the world. While this is certainly not fun for the woman, there is no stigma attached to this.

How women (or anyone really) feel about what was done to them largely depends on how the environment sees it. If you constantly hear that if you get pregnant out of marriage,other people knowing you have failed to behave like a woman is supposed to behave does more harm than an unwanted pregnancy and causes a lot of unborn babies to never come to the world. If you live in a society where you are expected to be pure and you get raped, the stigma of being impure and now undesirable does more harm than the original trauma. Same if you are expected to be a strong woman and could not defend yourself. Nowadays, half of the population still seems to think it is the woman's fault and some think it is for being too weak. Being a victim is partly a cultural thing.

Persephone never had this problem. It was normal then to abduct those you could grab if you were in a position of power,especially among the gods. Zeus captured Europa and others, so why would he be opposed to Hades abducting Persephone? But goddesses did it as well. Eos took many handsome men. Selene took Cephalus, who was happily married, too,and then when she had to let him go fooled him into believing his wife had been unfaithful. Gods could be jerks as well as the mortals - where abduction of possible mates was also normal.

So Her image never suffered,She was one of many who were taken against their will. Had She not fallen in love with Hades, He might have let Her go again -or not, who knows what goes through the mind of a god. In any case, She was very well aware that he abducted Her to make Her love Him. This was likely not disrespectful in anyone's mind, albeit also very likely still traumatic for Persephone.

But the gods grow with the world, and chance with the times. What was acceptable then is not anymore.

And I think you already got an answer from the Tarot. I'd see the Ace of Swords as the sword to cut through ignorance and trauma. Love and strength go best together, but it is the mind balancing them. She will accept you anyway, as long as you know what you want and need.
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Re: Is it disrespectful to think Persephone would help me overcome trauma?

Post by Firebird »

In my opinion many of the myths can be quite brutal, Are they mirroring what goes on in human life or are they models of what to avoid or both.
When one has been victimized or traumatized, it rearranges the brain to be on high alert.
NeverMoon had one translation that probably come close, that is, causality. The word victim over time has come to mean someone who has been beaten into a hole, if you will. And cannot get out. Their abuser continues to make that person their causality of abuse. However if one can actually get out or in any other way seek and receive help, is to learn view that trauma in a new light. One as a survivor.
As I under stand the Persephone narrative (and there are many) she is in the underworld for 6 months, half the year, (that part is pretty much across the board), the way she got there gets hazy. One thing is, Hades treated her as an equal and she reigned with him for the 6 months she was there. Whether she was tricked or not or actually abducted or not was the vision of some artists and may not be what happened. Regardless, I feel her being gone for half the year simply cleaves the year in half, the light and the dark. Ever reminding us of the cycle.
Honoring her in your trauma healing journey does not seem to me to be disrespectful, but more of how you might endure the dark places in your mind until the light returns.
bb, FF
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Re: Is it disrespectful to think Persephone would help me overcome trauma?

Post by Xiao Rong »

Hello Lio, thank you for sharing your story. Persephone has been a very important goddess to me in my growth, also as a result of trauma that I experienced. She is indeed a very powerful goddess for understanding, healing, and growing from trauma and hardship. Some time ago I wrote a longer post and exploration of this goddess. There's a great book, The Goddess Within, that I highly recommend that also deals extensively with the archetype of Persephone.

You might be interested to know that there are many different interpretations for the Persephone myth. The one that we all know (where Hades kidnaps Persephone) is the most recent and most patriarchal version. There are older versions of the myth that have been repressed, where Persephone ventures to the Underworld alone, driven by compassion and curiosity. There are other versions where Persephone wasn't kidnapped but fell in love with Hades and ran away with him, and invented the pomegranate story as a clever way to circumvent her mother's wishes -- a way to assert her own sexual independence and agency. There is also a lot of evidence to suggest that, between Hades and Persephone, she was the one who people truly feared -- some of her epithets are "Exacter of Justice" and "The Dreaded". We don't know exactly why, but certainly she carries a lot of power. Persephone and Demeter were also the subjects of the Cult of Eleusis; those who went through their secret rituals were said to never fear death again.

None of these other interpretations make the kidnapping myth less real or important, but as with all good myths, there are hidden depths that can provide rich and deep insight, if we keep seeking to understand. I wish you all the best in the journeying!
~ Xiao Rong ~ 小蓉 ~ Little Lotus ~
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Lio
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Re: Is it disrespectful to think Persephone would help me overcome trauma?

Post by Lio »

NeverMoonAWerewolf wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 5:08 pm
Thank you very much for your response. I also think it would be difficult to offend her, I just have a tendency to project how I would feel in a situation onto deities, haha.

What you've explained makes a lot of sense. The more I've meditated on my question, the more I think Persephone would understand why I would relate to her even if she doesn't perceive herself as a victim. Like with any God, I think she will help me ultimately if she decides she wants to, but after reading all the answers here I definitely feel right in that she might help me if I ask for her assistance. Still, hearing you say she will accept me means a lot. Thank you for your input.
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Re: Is it disrespectful to think Persephone would help me overcome trauma?

Post by Lio »

firebirdflys wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 10:49 pm
Thank you for your response.

Yes, I agree, Persephone to me is definitely symbolic of survival, if the story of her being tricked into staying with Hades is the real version. That's one of the main ideas behind why I feel so drawn to her. Thank you for your input.
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Lio
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Re: Is it disrespectful to think Persephone would help me overcome trauma?

Post by Lio »

Xiao Rong wrote: Thu Aug 05, 2021 10:47 pm
Thank you for your response. That's comforting to know someone else has seen in her what I have, thank you for sharing. I will definitely read your post :)

I haven't heard that variation on the myth. That actually is a much more comforting idea, that Persephone chose to be with Hades and simply told the story that way so she could be with him. I've grown to feel such a connection with Persephone that I would hope that's what "actually" happened, as far as mythology goes.

I've been meditating on my idea of incorporating her into my healing journey. I think Persephone, regardless of whether or not she is "happy" in her situation, shows us that darkness is a necessary part of life, like the autumn and winter that come after her descent, and if that version of the story is true, that tells me that she also can show us that there can be light in darkness. Thank you for your input and elaborating on the myth. The idea of Persephone being with Hades out of love is something I'm very grateful to hear about.
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Re: Is it disrespectful to think Persephone would help me overcome trauma?

Post by Firebird »

Xiao Rong wrote: Thu Aug 05, 2021 10:47 pm There is also a lot of evidence to suggest that, between Hades and Persephone, she was the one who people truly feared -- some of her epithets are "Exacter of Justice" and "The Dreaded". We don't know exactly why, but certainly she carries a lot of power. Persephone and Demeter were also the subjects of the Cult of Eleusis; those who went through their secret rituals were said to never fear death again.
Having the ability to bring back growth and the spring, is a powerful aspect. Makes me think that would be a contributing fearful factor to the people should she fail to return.
As to the darkness she spends time in, reminds us that we all need that down time to regenerate and heal our bodies as we do every night when we sleep. Perhaps dedicating a altar for a bedtime ritual would bring insights and messages? When recovering from trauma the body needs more of this, preferably in quiet spaces. Meditation would be a good tool to facilitate this, perhaps even donning some eye covers to mimic the going within to Persephone's realm.
bb, FF
“There are things known and things unknown and in between are the Doors.”
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“All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen.”
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