Poppy Garden Cauldron ✦ 18 Inches ✦ Smoky Quartz

“Pick the flowers that grow in the midst of hell.”

The myth of Persephone is the story of a young girl who is kidnapped and forced into the darkest place imaginable - the underworld. Instead of succumbing, she rises to Queen. In facing the blackest shadows and emerging stronger than before, Persephone perfects the art of personal power. I created this jewel to honor this triumph, and to remind us that the most difficult circumstances provide the most fertile grounds for transformation. Handmade poppies bloom and sway along a handcrafted cauldron. In Ancient Greek flower lore, poppies represent fertility and abundance, which link them to Demeter and Persephone. In art from the era, both goddesses are often depicted with them. Persephone is shown rising from the underworld with these flowers in her arms, and in later accounts is said to have a garden of eternally blooming poppies in the underworld.

When we dig deeper, the connection between Persephone and the role of poppies in Greek society and myth is even more remarkable. In The Odyssey, we learn of a potion taken to ease sadness and erase painful memories. This potion, called Nepenthes Pharmakon {literally “not-sorrow drug”, poetically “the potion which chases away sorrow}, was likely a concoction of wine and poppies, which mirrored medicine taken in real life for the same purposes. This means, then, that when Persephone rises from the underworld with an armful of poppies, she emerges from her most traumatic experience bearing a flower that is not only literal medicine for emotional pain, but also a symbol of abundance. Despite the terror of a descent into the underworld, there is healing and strength to be found when we face our shadows. The cauldron further invokes these themes, as a symbol of transformation, abundance, creation, and divine feminine power. Seven smoky quartz spring forth from this hollow vessel, radiating their grounding, soothing, and cleansing energies to the wearer. The central crystal features a void left behind by another crystal, representative of the separation of Demeter and Persephone, and the parts of ourselves we shed in order to rise anew. My maker's mark and .925 for sterling adorn the back of the cauldron, and the entire piece has been blackened and sanded to highlight the details. 

✦ Details ✦
Sterling silver.
Natural smoky quartz.
18 inches total length.
Pendant measures 1 7/8 inches tall.
You will receive the pictured necklace.

✦ Please familiarize yourself with my policies before purchasing from my shop: https://soliloquyjewelry.com/pages/faqs

✦ As with all handmade jewelry, my pieces are delicate and should not be worn during strenuous activity or in water. Please take care to remove all pieces while swimming, bathing, washing hands, playing sports, applying cosmetics, etc. 

✦ Stay Connected ✦
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/SoliloquyJewelry
Instagram - @soliloquyjewelry