THE REASON FOR THE SEASONS

according to Greek Mythology

By Lenore Tolegian Hughes

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden Art Exhibit, 12-6-2018 through 3-31-19

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ARTIST'S STATEMENT:

 

As the Greek goddess of the bountiful harvest and fertility, Demeter presided over the cycle of life and death.  She was also a mother—the epitome of a devoted and adoring mother to her daughter, Persephone.  They loved one another with the warm-hearted affection reserved for mother and child.

 

Demeter was a joyful goddess, and because of her joy the earth yielded great riches. That is  until the fateful day when her daughter Persephone was kidnapped by Hades, the king of the underworld, to be his bride.  

 

What made matters worse was that Persephone’s abduction had the secret approval of Zeus,  king of the gods, who was the father of Persephone and the brother of Hades. 

 

The loss of her daughter left Demeter grief stricken. Demeter’s desolation turned to anger, and then to fury, when she discovered that Zeus was complicit in the abduction.

 

She unleashed her fury by using her powers to remove the sun’s warmth, leading to the destruction of every living thing on earth.  

 

When Zeus saw the devastation that the tremendous capacity of Demeter’s maternal love caused, he backed down and offered a compromise, allowing Persephone to be with her mother on earth for six months of every year.

 

And that is the reason for the seasons.  

 

The story of Demeter’s pain and torment is palpable and shared by countless parents all over the world who suffer the loss of their children for whatever reasons. And each time this happens the earth is broken. 

 

I celebrate Demeter as a woman who used her powers to stand firm for what was good and right in the face of adversity. When powerful forces were aligned against her, she sprang into action.  She demonstrates to us that the seasons of all our lives are inextricably intertwined with deep sorrow and wondrous joy and that it is our challenge and our privilege to embrace them .