If you take moment to imagine how it was for those living long ago and their connectedness to the seasons, it is not surprising the equinox was a much bigger event than it is today. The physical lives of people in ancient times placed them in a constant contact with nature in a way our lives do not. In modern times we could choose to live on the same physical level as they did, but not without real effort on our part to disconnect from technological advances.
What is surprising, though, is how the age-old stories still resonate. One such example is the how the Autumn equinox theme is encapsulated by the ancient-but-still-popular myth of Persephone’s abduction to the underworld.
There are countless variations of Persephone’s plight, but the gist of the story is that Hades (the god of the underworld) was in love with Persephone (Zeus’ and Demeter’s daughter). He convinced Zeus to allow him to abduct her because he knew Persephone’s mother would not allow their daughter to go down into the underworld with him. In one version, the beautiful Persephone was gathering flowers in a field when Hades came bursting through a cleft in the earth and took her.
Following the disappearance, Demeter (the goddess of Agriculture) searched the whole world for her daughter. Full of despair, she neglected the earth so everything withered and nothing would grow. After a time, the people’s hunger grew desperate and Zeus had to act. He sent a message to Hades, demanding Persephone’s return.
Hades, hearing of Zeus’ command, knew he had to comply but first he tricked Persephone into eating 6 pomegranate seeds. When Hermes (the guide of the dead) went to retrieve Persephone, it was clear she had eaten the food of the underworld. This obligated her to spend half of the year in the underworld – one month for each pomegranate seed she had consumed. But, she could join her mother on earth for the other 6 months.
To the ancient Greeks, Persephone’s story explained the origin of the 4 seasons. They believed the return of the light in spring was a celebration of Persephone reuniting with her mother to stay through the summer. The darkness of autumn and winter symbolized Demeter’s grief as she missed her daughter. The Autumn equinox is specifically set aside as a final preparation for the dark portion of the year.
Maybe these myths continue because they contain gems which perceptive minds can uncover, little signposts leading to a more contented life. For example, Persephone herself can be symbolic of a seed planted into the ground. The descent into the darkness of the soil is a necessary preparation for the spring to come. Like the seeds, we cannot be in full sunlight/full action continuously. We need periods of withdrawal to our own underworld to rest, renew and dream for the next stage.
The natural world continually gives us timing cues to live gracefully, in harmony with the seasons. As the sap in the trees moves slowly downward, the earth is signaling a time to slow down a little, grounding and reconnecting with your roots.
Another gem of the Autumn Equinox can be found in the equality between day and night – plus the Sun sits directly above the equator so both hemispheres have equal illumination. Bearing in the mind the theme of balance, we may take this opportunity to reflect on how balanced our own life is. What could be added or left out of your life for a greater sense of equilibrium?
Even if we are not in close proximity with the natural world as the ancestors once were, we can receive the benefits of the wisdom they have passed down through the ages, all it takes is some quality quiet time.