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Welcome to Get Sleepy, where we listen, we relax, and we get sleepy.
My name's Thomas, and I'm your host.
Continuing our series on the twelve Olympian gods of the ancient Greeks, tonight we turn to the goddess of the harvest, agriculture and earthly fertility.
Demeter can sometimes be seen to be apart from her divine family members in personality and temperament, but she is as wise and powerful as any of them.
Thank you to Frankie for writing this story, which I'll be reading for you.
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Now, before we meet the goddess Demeter and her daughter Persephone, first we must ground ourselves.
As you lie in your comfortable bed, pay special attention to your body.
This is the time to adjust and reset physically.
Once you've arranged yourself in the position that best supports your body, turn your mind inward.
Take a few deep breaths and connect your mind to your body.
Feel the air come in and go back out in an unforced natural rhythm.
Return to this calming pattern whenever you feel your mind start to wander.
Now, imagine that you are lying on the soft earth, The ground beneath you is warm and comforting.
The grass and moss on which you lie provide a bed that is more relaxing and peaceful than any you have ever experienced.
Instead of blankets, you feel soft sunlight draped across your body.
Its warmth seeps through your skin and muscles to your very bones.
The sounds around you are those of complete calm.
A light breeze rustles trees and long grasses.
The smell of wildflowers drifts over you.
As you lie there, connected with the earth, you can hear a soft, slow beating.
The constant and unending heartbeat of the earth.
The primordial goddess, Gaia, reaches your ears through the very soil.
She provides health, home, and life to everything on the planet, yourself included.
You become aware that your breath matches Gaia's steady heartbeat.
Take a few more breaths, relishing that connection.
In the distance and growing louder.
You hear the murmuring of voices as two women make their way across the land.
Demeter and her daughter leave flowers blooming and seeds sprouting with every step they take.
This is where our story begins.
A buried seed bursts forth with life, sprouting and pushing its way through the surface of the soil.
As it hits the sunlight it grows bright green leaves and within seconds a little yellow flower blooms from the stem.
This feverish creation of life is repeated constantly in the footfalls of two women walking slowly through a meadow.
Demeter catches her daughter Persephone's eye and smiles at her.
Demeter is the goddess of the harvest and fertility.
She has a unique connection with her grandmother, Gaia.
She is the living embodiment of all that grows and is nurtured.
She helps the plants and animals of the world to live and reproduce, just as Gaia gives them all life.
Persephone too contains a deep fertility power.
She is the goddess of spring, specializing in helping plants to flower and fruit and so create more.
Persephone briefly smiles back at her mother before turning her attention to their path.
Demeter observes her daughter thoughtfully.
The young woman has all the power of a nature and fertility goddess.
Yet Demeter perceives something else waiting just below the surface of her daughter's dark gaze.
Demeter puts these thoughts from her mind and turns her attention back to the horizons.
Mother and daughter are traveling to a particular patch of calendula flowers.
They intend to pick the orange flowers for the centaur Chiron, who uses the blossoms to create a tincture for skin conditions.
Already, Demeter can see the carpet of fiery orange petals in the near distance.
Close by is a small copse of trees.
The sun is past midday and the rays of light from Helios' sun chariot are already changing from golden to the same color as the flowers.
They have a bit of time before sunset.
A soft breeze shakes the flowers in the meadow and the branches of the trees, sending them fluttering slightly.
Demeter and Persephone reach the flowers and begin picking the calendula in comfortable silence.
They gather the flowers into their woven baskets.
As they work, Persephone softly hums to herself.
Demeter's mind lingers on their baskets.
She and Persephone wove them together many years ago, when her daughter was still a child.
They spent a beautiful afternoon picking long grasses, drying them in the sun and then weaving them together.
Even then, Demeter marveled at the way her daughter turned her dark eyes on her task with such intense focus.
Her little fingers had struggled at first with the finicky weaving, but she picked up the skill quite quickly.
They laughed and talked in the free way that parent and child do when children are very small.
Demeter takes her eyes off her task now and allows them to fall on her grown daughter.
She can still see the little girl in Persephone's features, particularly in the way her eyes focus on her task.
Demeter's attention is drawn away from her daughter by a musical voice on the wind.
She straightens up and looks around.
From the copse of trees, Demeter sees a graceful, pale grey arm waving to her.
Demeter tells her daughter that she'll return in a moment and makes her way to the hammer, dryad waving to her from her olive tree.
Persephone gives a small smile to show her mother that she has heard her and returns to the flowers.
Demeter approaches the trees and greets the Dryad.
Dryads like this are tied to their tree, tending to it and living in its branches.
The olive tree hamadryad has long strands of hair sprouting olive leaves.
She is the living embodiment of the tree itself, and a devoted follower of Demeter.
The two divine beings have a brief catch-up.
The Dryad reports back to Demeter on the health of the area.
Everything is going well, though they could use a little more water.
Demeter promises to ensure more rainfall in the next few days.
There is no weather or season in this very young world.
Demeter spends much of her time tending everything and making sure the entire world is in a constant state of growth.
It can be tiring, but she takes great pride in her work.
The dryad introduces Demeter to her daughter, a child dryad who lives in a young olive tree sapling.
Demeter laughs and plays with the child for a few moments, who is very sweet and giggly.
The sun is now dipping towards the horizon.
The whole world is bathed in a light, much like the warm glow of a fire.
The world seems to shine with warmth, just as the sky is splashed with vibrant pinks, purples and oranges.
Demeter says farewell to the Dryads and turns back towards Persephone in the flower patch.
Just as she turns, a sound erupts unlike anything she has ever heard.
A loud crunching and crackling sound like the footfalls of a giant or the breaking of huge rocks reaches her ears.
Demeter looks around wildly, trying to find the source of the sound.
She hears a gasp of surprise and immediately sets off at a run towards where Persephone should be.
Just as Demeter rounds the corner, she sees a huge hole in the earth, which is rapidly closing.
Persephone is nowhere to be seen, and Demeter finds herself frozen in surprise as the hole, blacker than midnight, snaps shut.
Demeter stares at the patch of calendula flowers, now even more bright and orange in the light of the sunset.
Where is Persephone?
She was just here.
Did she run off when the crackling sound happened?
Where would she have gone?
These thoughts race through Demeter's mind as she stares, still not quite comprehending what just happened.
Finally, the reality of the situation sinks in and Demeter feels her heart quicken as her stomach sinks.
Her daughter has disappeared into the hole, leaving no trace behind.
At the same moment that this realization dawns, the sun finally dips below the horizon.
Instead of the flowers blooming at her feet, the grasses and vegetation below Demeter wilt.
She turns back to the copse of trees and runs to her dryad friend.
She questions her, hoping that the dryad will have seen something, a clue that will lead Demeter to her daughter.
However, the Dryad didn't see anything more than Demeter, and can only offer her condolences.
Undeterred, Demeter moves on, beginning her search for any living creature that may have seen what happened to Persephone.
With each footfall, she leaves a trail of brown grasses and fallen leaves behind her.
Demeter spends weeks and weeks looking for Persephone.
She questions every beast, man, and immortal she comes across for any information.
She gets nothing in return, and it is as if Persephone vanished into thin air.
As she searches, Demeter neglects her duties as a goddess.
She no longer puts all her time and energy into making sure that the vegetation and crops of the world grow with their usual constancy.
Plants don't flower, seeds refuse to sprout, and harvests aren't fruitful.
As her search drags on, Demeter decides to ask a close friend for help.
She has been close with the goddess Hecate for centuries, though they may seem an odd pairing.
While Demeter is a goddess of the earth, Hecate is a goddess of the underworld.
She is the goddess of magic, witchcraft, crossroads, and the night.
With her help, Demeter begins to search all the shadowy places of the world.
Though they continue to search for many more weeks with their combined efforts, they still find no clue of Persephone's whereabouts.
One day, Zeus, the Skyfather and King of the Gods, sends a message to Demeter.
She and Hecate obey his summons without question.
On Olympus, Demeter and Hecate are greeted by the other gods.
Demeter receives condolences and kind words from her family members as she makes her way towards Zeus' throne.
As she approaches, Hera steps down from the raised dais and rushes forward to hug her sister.
Hera releases Demeter and takes her place next to Zeus once again.
The king and queen of heaven sit upon illustrious golden thrones carved with the most lovely and detailed designs telling the story of the creation of the world.
Zeus looks imposing for a moment.
But with a quick glance at his wife, he softens his gaze.
In as gentle a tone as he can manage for being the god of storms and thunder.
Zeus questions Demeter about the current state of the natural world.
He outlines the lack of growth and crops.
Demeter listens to him calmly and responds simply.
The search for her daughter's whereabouts has drained her of her powers.
She cannot keep up with the constant growth that the world demands while also maintaining her search.
Zeus listens to her intently, with his great eyebrows knitted together in thought.
When she finishes her tales, Zeus fills his impressive lungs and makes an announcement to the immortals gathered on Olympus.
Zeus begs any of them who may know something about Persephone to come forward.
There are a few moments of stunned silence before a voice from high above them all floats down.
Helios, who at this very moment is driving the sun chariot over the world, has heard Zeus' call and bellows his response back down.
He saw what happened to Persephone, because the eyes of the sun see everything that happens over the course of the day.
Helios witnessed Persephone's disappearance just before the sun chariot arrived at the Palace of the West and ended its journey.
The gathered crowd of immortals clamor for more information, but Helios must finish the journey of the sun and promises to return that evening once his job is done.
No day has ever gone more slowly than this one for Demeter.
She paces with a nervous energy from one side of Olympus to the other.
Caught up in the great mystery of it all.
The other residents of Olympus also wait impatiently for the end of the day.
Zeus taps his foot at the base of his throne Hecate bites her fingernails.
Even the usually calm and poised Hera twirls her hair around her finger absentmindedly.
Demeter is not consumed with fear for her, but rather the anxiety of a mother struggling with the unexpected independence of a child she holds dear.
Demeter has always loved nothing more than spending time with Persephone.
Yet, even before her daughter's disappearance, she could feel a distance growing between them.
It was not a bad distance, but Demeter wonders if it has to do with the undiscovered power she often sees behind her daughter's eyes.
Night finally falls, and Helios arrives on Olympus.
By this time, a decent crowd has gathered.
Immortals have passed the story on from one to another and made their way to the home of the gods to bear witness to the reveal.
Helios, clearly enjoying all the attention, begins to recount the scene he witnessed.
Persephone was picking flowers in the meadow, minding her own business.
When the earth-shattering sound happened, a large, dark hole appeared in the earth just next to her.
Persephone gasped in surprise.
A chariot pulled by huge black horses erupted from the ground and stopped beside the goddess.
The rider, dressed in black robes, offered his hand to Persephone, who studied him for a moment before accepting his hand and climbing on to the chariot.
Horses Ryder, Chariot and Persephone disappeared back down the dark hole just as Demeter came around the corner and saw it close after them.
There is a stunned silence following this story.
No one is in confusion about who the Dark Rider is.
And yet, there is still an air of disbelief.
Really?
Him?
And she went with him willingly.
Demeter shakes herself from her surprise and leaves for the underworld immediately, Hecate following right behind her.
They make for the River Styx, the boundary between the upper and lower worlds.
When they arrive, the river rushes with a strong current, its waters dark.
On the shore is a small boat with a ferryman waiting.
As goddesses and immortals, Hecate and Demeter do not have to pay the ferryman, but they are polite and do so anyway.
He gracefully pushes their boat into the flowing waters, and the river seems to calm with their presence.
They alight on the opposite shore and enter the underworld.
Despite the associations with darkness, the place itself is quite lovely.
Demeter and Hecate walk through the many caves and tunnels, admiring the deep seams of gold, silver and precious jewels that decorate the walls and ceilings.
Demeter even notices mosses, lichen, and mushrooms that flourish down here beneath the earth.
They all seem to glow with anotherworldly beauty of bioluminescence.
Stalactites and stalagmites create delicate sculptures and chandeliers.
The entire place glitters and gleams with a loveliness found nowhere else.
The two goddesses make their way to a large chamber and are greeted by the cheerful barks of Cerberus, the three-headed dog that guards the underworld.
Having recognized Hecate, the huge dog leaps about playfully like a puppy.
His tail counts out a joyful beat on the stone floor as he obeys the command to sit.
Cerberus is larger than the biggest wolf and as black as midnight.
His eyes are an icy blue and a single stripe of white fur runs from the chin and down the neck on his middle head.
Demeter and Hecate pat his triple heads and scratch behind his six huge ears before moving on.
Hecate and Demeter finally come to the entry of an ornate palace.
It appears to be made of pure onyx that has naturally formed the shape of a building.
The onyx shines in the bioluminescent glow of the underworld.
It is slick and smooth, with many turrets and balconies.
Dimita is impressed.
She follows Hecate through the huge front doors, she suddenly becomes aware that the air down here is far from being cold or stale, as she suspected it might be.
It is pleasantly warm and smells of something cozy and comforting, though she knows not what.
As she follows Hecate through the palace, Demeter reflects on her experience of the underworld up to this point.
It is far more lovely and beautiful than she anticipated.
Reluctantly, she feels her appreciation for the place rising.
The interior of the palace is decadent and beautiful.
The walls are inlaid with precious jewels and crystals.
The most beautiful marble mosaics cover the floors.
Each room is more wonderful than the last.
So when Demeter and Hecate finally arrive in the cavernous throne room, Demeter is fully dazzled.
On a dais in the middle of the room sit two ornate thrones.
They are as lovely as the ones Zeus and Hera have, but are made from silver rather than gold.
Demeter expects to see her quarry sat upon a throne, imperious and foreboding.
She certainly didn't expect two thrones, nor did she expect to see him sitting on the floor cross-legged and playing with a baby rabbit next to Persephone.
Hades, the god of the underworld, is feeding the tiny animal bits of vegetation with the widest smile on his face.
Persephone watches him with a grin.
Nearby sits a small table loaded with fruits and vegetables.
Demeter, though surprised, redoubles her confidence and marches up to the pair.
Persephone spots her first and breaks into a large smile.
She gets up, runs to her mother, and hugs her tightly.
Demeter hugs her back and sees Hades watching them sheepishly as he strokes the baby bunny.
Persephone releases her mother and takes her by the hand over to Hades.
Hecate has the good sense to melt into the darkness.
Demeter stands in silence as Persephone explains that she chose to venture to the underworld with Hades and intends to be his consort and queen.
Hades, for his part, avoids the eyes of his would-be mother-in-law and pets his bunny.
Demeter listens intently and thinks hard.
While her first instinct is to reject the match, she still listens to her daughter.
Persephone loves Hades, as surprising as it may seem.
Though she is a goddess of spring, she has found a new power here beneath the world.
She is both a goddess of fertility and one of rebirth.
Seeds have to mature and sprout in the warm embrace of the earth before they can burst into the sunlight above Persephone reminds her mother.
As Persephone describes her newfound powers, Demeter watches her.
She seems happier and more settled.
That darkness behind the eyes that Demeter always wondered about has finally come forth, and it enriches Persephone.
She has a role in the underworld, one that is powerful and important.
Demeter cannot deny the way her daughter seems to emanate with dignity down here.
Demeter also cannot ignore the way Hades and Persephone look at one another.
There is as deep a devotion as any mother could want in a match for her child.
Persephone finishes talking, and Demeter reminds her about her responsibilities in the world above.
Demeter is already so busy that she cannot also take on Persephone's job as the goddess of spring.
Persephone thinks for a long moment.
She looks from her mother to Hades, who wears an expression of hope and desperation.
The young goddess extends a hand to the table and picks up six pomegranate seeds.
She tosses the ruby-like bits into her mouth and eats them.
When she finishes, she announces to her mother and her consort that she will stay below in the underworld for six months and then return to the earth for six months every year.
In this way, she can be queen of the underworld and remain the goddess of spring.
Demeter smiles, happy that they have found a compromise.
Hades extends a hesitant hand and is hugged by Demeter in return.
He insists that she stay for the wedding.
Demeter agrees with a heart full of joy.
She helps them plan a celebration, the likes of which no immortal has seen before.
Hera and Zeus' wedding was magnificent, but this is something else entirely.
The wedding is moody, hauntingly beautiful and perfectly reflective of the rulers of the underworld.
Dark red roses decorate every corner of the palace.
Guests arrive dressed in earthy tones, while the bride wears a dress and veil of inky black.
Demeter herself blesses the union.
After the allotted six months, Persephone returns to the upper world, and life bursts forth.
Flowers bloom, fruit ripens and crops grow in the six months that mother and daughter work together under the sun.
When the time comes again for Persephone to return to her husband, Demeter travels with her to the entrance of the underworld.
Before they part, Persephone looks into the eyes of her mother.
She lovingly takes her hands.
Persephone urges her mother to see this period apart as a time for rest.
She knows Demeter cannot continue her work alone and persuades her to take a pause.
Growth cannot and should not be perpetual.
Demeter listens to her daughter carefully.
She wonders when the little basket weaving girl became such a wise woman.
As Persephone ventures back down to her kingdom, Demeter wanders towards a little copse of trees.
Under the canopy of two olive trees, she lies down.
With one long, deep breath, she relaxes into the earth.
The work and worry of the world seem to drain out of her.
The natural world will pause while she rests.
But in doing so, it will be able to come back even fuller and richer in six months' time.
Demeter closes her eyes and smiles softly. allowing herself to drift into sleep.
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