Descent of persephone collection vol. vi
“The only legend I have ever loved is
the story of a daughter lost in hell.” - from “The Pomegranate” by Eavan Boland
🍂
Each year around the Autumn Equinox, I hold close the myth of Persephone, who while out gathering flowers with her mother Demeter, was kidnapped by Hades and imprisoned in the underworld. Distraught, Demeter abandoned her duties as goddess of the grain and harvest to search for her missing daughter, so the crops withered horribly and the land went barren in Persephone's absence. Ultimately, Demeter begged Zeus to intervene, who ruled that since Persephone had partaken in the food of the dead by eating six pomegranate seeds while in the underworld, there she must spend 6 months of each year, ruling alongside her now husband Hades as Queen of the Underworld. The first day of fall marks Persephone's annual return to the underworld and the beginning of the darker and sparser months caused by Demeter's recurring heartbreak. This myth is one centered upon duality, balance between light and dark, the beauty of cycles, of waxing and waning, death and rebirth. It is a tale of trauma, adaptation, healing, and growth. Persephone is forced into darkness, and she thrives there regardless. I create each piece in this collection in deepest reverence of this goddess and these themes, to be worn as talismans for journeys both inward and outward, as guides through the shadows, and reminders of the ever-returning light. The imagery and metalwork of each design reflect the major symbols and themes of this myth, which I will elaborate on with the revelation of each completed piece. This is my sixth return to this collection, and although I plan to bring back some old favorites, I also have lots of new designs in the works. The Descent of Persephone Collection Vol. VI will debut 10/26 at 8pm eastern time.