Recipe Time!

I love going back to the old standby of the Hellenic Cookbook from the Greek Orthodox church in Detroit for its culinary gems.  I missed posting something for the Autumn Equinox and there is still a month before Halloween/Samhain, but I thought I would share this tasty sounding recipe for Greek Pumpkin Pie as a offering of the Autumn season. 

It is written, like all the recipes in this collection, with the imprecision of all good Greek household recipes. I have transcribed it directly from the book without any changes to language or ingredients.  I think there are some substitutions that could be made.  For instance, it explains how to prepare the pumpkin but I think the modern Greek cook could replace that part with canned pumpkin puree.  And you certainly can't beat any dessert that uses a pound of butter. 

Ingredients:

1 lb pastry sheets

1 lb butter (melted)

1 medium sized pumpkin

1 tbsp salt

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp cloves

3 cups chopped walnuts

1 cup white raisins

Cut and prepare pumpkin, removing seeds.  Proceed to cut into 1 inch cubes.  Using medium disc, pass pumpkin cubes through food chopper.  Place ground pumpkin in cheese cloth and sprinkle with salt.  Let stand overnight to remove moisture.  Using only 8 cups of strained pumpkin, place in kettle adding olive oil and one cup of butter. Simmer for one our, stirring to prevent scorching.  During last five minutes, add sugar and raisins.  Remove from heat and add one cup walnuts.  Set mixture aside to cool.  Brush bottom of pan 14x20" with melted butter and line with pastry sheet, brush with melted butter and sprinkle with walnuts.  Repeat this process until 1/2 lb of pastry sheets are used.  Pour pumpkin mixture in center and cover with remainder of pastry sheets; brushing each sheet with butter and sprinkling with walnuts.  Top with six individually buttered pastry sheets.  Trip and cut into 2" diamond pieces.  Pour remaining butter over pastry and bake at 375 degrees for one hour.

Syrup:

3 cups sugar

2 cups water

1/2 cup honey

While pastry is baking, boil sugar and water until a clear thin syrup is formed.  Stir in honey and remove from heat.  Cool.  Spoon cool syrup over hot pastry. 

One Year

Today marks the one year anniversary of this blog.  When I started it, I don't think I was consciously aware that I had begun so close to the Autumn Equinox.  It make sense though, to begin a journey with Persephone at the beginning of Persephone's descent.  I am sure I was subconsciously aware of it, however, because it is impossible to be dedicated to Persephone without feeling the overwhelming draw of seasonal changes. 

It is officially Fall in Atlanta, and temperatures still hover in the 90s.  What I wouldn't give for a good Midwestern fall with crisp autumn air and the symphony of colors in the trees.  We get that eventually, but not until late October. I remind myself that I am taking a trip to Minneapolis this weekend and will get a lovely dose of Autumn there before returning to Atlanta to get a second turn in another month.  But the night of the equinox was breathtaking.  The sky was clear and the full harvest moon magnificent and even though the lights from the city were glaring you could still see Jupiter, Persephone's own father, as the second brightest thing in the universe.  Maybe he was saying goodbye to his daughter as she left him for the dark half of the year. 

Last year, I spent a lot of time exploring the seasonal themes of Persephone's story.  I haven't really thought much about how I want to continue this blog.  Is there anything anyone would like to see me explore? 

I will, however, share again the poem that I posted on the day I created this page.  Honestly, it was a place marker that day.  I had created the account and picked out the page design (which I have since changed) and get things all set up the way I liked it. I was afraid, though, if I left it that day without any content I might not get back to it, so I posted this poem. I wrote it a while back while up in Asheville to honor the glade where we placed her statue and created a space to commune with the Goddess.

"Persephone's Glade"

A soft spring maid picking daffodils
Autumn wife and most dread Queen
A field of white sweet asphodel
A soft spring maid picking daffodils
Olympos high above the rolling hills
Halls of Hades in the world beneath
A soft spring maid picking daffodils
Autumn wife and most dread Queen

Journey Back to the Underworld

We were in Asheville this weekend and I had an opportunity to honor Persephone's journey back to her underworld Queendom at the statue that I have on our land.  I made her a crown of pretty orange flowers (I am not sure what kind they are) and offered it to her.  The Autumn Equinox is just a few days away and the half of the year she spends with her husband is just beginning. 

While there, I also had an opportunity to offer prayers for an elder of the Pagan community who passed away just days before Autumn.  May her journey to the underworld be gentle and may she be comforted in the presence of Persephone.  I didn't know Lady Sintana personally, but anyone who is that influential in our greater community deserves great honor. 

Lectio Homerica: Homeric Hymn to Demeter Part Seven

Now when all-seeing Zeus the loud-thunderer heard this, he sent the Slayer of Argus whose wand is of gold to Erebus, so that having won over Hades with soft words, he might lead forth chaste Persephone to the light from the misty gloom to join the gods, and that her mother might see her with her eyes and cease from her anger. And Hermes obeyed, and leaving the house of Olympus, straightway sprang down with speed to the hidden places of the earth. And he found the lord Hades in his house seated upon a couch, and his shy mate with him, much reluctant, because she yearned for her mother. But she was afar off, brooding on her fell design because of the deeds of the blessed gods. And the strong Slayer of Argus drew near and said:
"Dark-haired Hades, ruler over the departed, father Zeus bids me bring noble Persephone forth from Erebus unto the gods, that her mother may see her with her eyes and cease from her dread anger with the immortals; for now she plans an awful deed, to destroy the weakly tribes of earthborn men by keeping seed hidden beneath the earth, and so she makes an end of the honours of the undying gods. For she keeps fearful anger and does not consort with the gods, but sits aloof in her fragrant temple, dwelling in the rocky hold of Eleusis."

So he said. And Aidoneus, ruler over the dead, smiled grimly and obeyed the behest of Zeus the king. For he straightway urged wise Persephone, saying:

"Go now, Persephone, to your dark-robed mother, go, and feel kindly in your heart towards me: be not so exceedingly cast down; for I shall be no unfitting husband for you among the deathless gods, that am own brother to father Zeus. And while you are here, you shall rule all that lives and moves and shall have the greatest rights among the deathless gods: those who defraud you and do not appease your power with offerings, reverently performing rites and paying fit gifts, shall be punished for evermore."

When he said this, wise Persephone was filled with joy and hastily sprang up for gladness. But he on his part secretly gave her sweet pomegranate seed to eat, taking care for himself that she might not remain continually with grave, dark-robed Demeter. Then Aidoneus the Ruler of Many openly got ready his deathless horses beneath the golden chariots And she mounted on the chariot and the strong Slayer of Argus took reins and whip in his dear hands and drove forth from the hall, the horses speeding readily. Swiftly they traversed their long course, and neither the sea nor river-waters nor grassy glens nor mountain-peaks checked the career of the immortal horses, but they clave the deep air above them as they went. And Hermes brought them to the place where rich-crowned Demeter was staying and checked them before her fragrant temple.

And when Demeter saw them, she rushed forth as does a Maenad down some thick-wooded mountain, while Persephone on the other side, when she saw her mother's sweet eyes, left the chariot and horses, and leaped down to run to her, and falling upon her neck, embraced her. But while Demeter was still holding her dear child in her arms, her heart suddenly misgave her for some snare, so that she feared greatly and ceased fondling her daughter and asked of her at once: "My child, tell me, surely you have not tasted any food while you were below? Speak out and hide nothing, but let us both know. For if you have not, you shall come back from loathly Hades and live with me and your father, the dark-clouded Son of Cronos and be honoured by all the deathless gods; but if you have tasted food, you must go back again beneath the secret places of the earth, there to dwell a third part of the seasons every year: yet for the two parts you shall be with me and the other deathless gods. But when the earth shall bloom with the fragrant flowers of spring in every kind, then from the realm of darkness and gloom thou shalt come up once more to be a wonder for gods and mortal men. And now tell me how he rapt you away to the realm of darkness and gloom, and by what trick did the strong Host of Many beguile you?"

I have continued with the Loeb edition as it is one of the easiest to come by.  

I read this portion of the hymn differently than I would think that most scholars read it.  I think this is the moment where we see the love between Hades and Persephone.  Zeus sends Hermes into the underworld to retrieve Persephone and there it is Hades speech to her that I find lovely.  "Go now, Persephone, to your dark-robed mother, go, and feel kindly in your heart towards me: be not so exceedingly cast down; for I shall be no unfitting husband for you among the deathless gods, that am own brother to father Zeus. And while you are here, you shall rule all that lives and moves and shall have the greatest rights among the deathless gods: those who defraud you and do not appease your power with offerings, reverently performing rites and paying fit gifts, shall be punished for evermore."   I love this so much I feel it bears repeating.  He tells Persephone she can go and see her mother but know that she has a place of honor in his kingdom and will be honored and worshiped by all who pass through their halls, which will ultimately be everyone.  Then the poet indicates that Persephone is joyful by this turn of events and casually mentioned the pomegranate seeds.  Such a powerful moment boiled down into just a few short words.  The fruit was just a sacred to Hera as she ruled over the sanctity of marriage and it would have been reasonable for Hades to give one to his wife.  And Persephone ate it. The hymn says he gave it to her secretly, but how precisely would someone sneak such a sweet seed past another's tongue?  The light crunch of the seed and the sweet burst of juice is a singular experience, and I believe it was one that Persephone relished.  She accepted this marriage gift from her husband.  It was at that moment that she was crowned his Queen. 

And it seems as thought Demeter knows this exchange would have happened.  When she first sees her daughter after their long separation she carefully spells out what it would mean if she had eaten any of the food offered to her.  Demeter knows that her child has grown up and will never again be an innocent child. 

I've left you with a cliffhanger for the next section of the hymn. Stay tuned for more insights. 

Autumn in Clay

I hadn't intended to post here today, but I discovered something I had to share.  I was searching for photos of Autumn just to change up my computer's wall paper.  I am tired of this long hot summer and I want to encourage Autumn in my world. 

It was during this very benign search that I discovered this website.  Just the the Beauty doll that I discovered yesterday, I find these sculptures incredibly evocative; though of the opposite emotion.    So many of the sculptures reflect the feelings of Persephone.  As I mentioned just the other day, I see the Autumn aspect of The Goddess to be as important as her springtime aspect.  And is was specifically this piece that inspired me.  Unfortunately, it is no longer available. 

Beauty and the Beast Doll

I have always thought of the Beauty and the Beast myth as a gateway to Persephone's story. Or, perhaps, the other way around.  In either case, I think both stories are beautiful.  I just discovered this doll and was immediately enchanted.  Though she is a representation of Beauty from the fairy tale, she could easily be seen as Persephone as well as she finds herself in the Underworld for the first time, afraid and confused. 

The End of Summer

This weekend is Labor Day.  I've always seen it as the official end of summer.  Though here in the south school has started for a lot of kids already, in Michigan I always remember going back to school after Labor Day.  It was a real shift in consciousness.  Labor Day meant Autumn was mere days away. 

Now the anticipation of Fall means so much to me.  It has always been my favorite season.  It is the season of Halloween, my favorite holiday.  This weekend is Dragon*Con which is kind of like my adult version of the last hurrah of the summer. Next weekend starts NFL Football season, which I love.  It is also the season where Persephone returns to her underworld palace to be with her husband.  She is often referred to as the Goddess of Spring, as in popular culture it is thought that her return is the catalyst for the return of the flowers and trees.  But I have always connected to her as the Goddess of Autumn.  It is when she descends into the Underworld that she discovers her own power. 

Approaching the Autumn Equinox will also be the first anniversary of this blog.  I has been a devotional project for me.  I love sharing deep thoughts on the Goddess as well as recipes and poems and stories.  I love journeying with Persephone throughout the seasons. 

I think this song, Le Ballet d'Or by Counting Crows, really captures the sense of Autumn in the air. 

Wasted time running scared

When all a love needs is to be believed in

All those Springs come and gone

Past like trains and boxcars leaving

But I would be lying

If I didn't tell you the truth

They will leave you

They will leave you

So come now

Let's go dance to siren's song

Come now

Leave your damage behind and gone

Some are lost to you

Wasted time running scared

All that I need is to believe in something like a Summer

And I know you need somebody just like I do

And all these foxes go down in their barrows to hide

They will leave you

They will leave you behind

So come now

Let's go dance to the siren's song

Come now

Leave your damage behind and gone

Just come now

Let's go to the dance floor

Come now

Lose your mind at Le Ballet d'Or

Some are lost

Some are leaving

Some are lost

Some are leaving

But I'm not going at all

I'm not going anywhere at all

Some are lost to you

We've wasted time running scared

Now Autumn's fire is ashes on the breeze

And it spins away like dust on pearls

As winter comes to usher in the evening

But all of these drummers go stand

on their hillsides alone

They will leave you

They will leave you alone

So come now

Let's go dance to siren's song

Come now

Leave your damage behind and gone

So come now

Let's go down to the dance floor

Come now

Lose your mind at Le Ballet d'Or

Just come now

Let's get out while the getting's good

Come now

There's no one left in the neighborhood