Pomegranates, when left on their trees, open like flowers to release hundreds of seeds. They are harvested in the fall. The maiden Kore, before she became known as Queen of the Underworld, Persephone, ate pomegranate seeds when Hades (AKA Pluto, God of the Underworld) offered them to her. The act of accepting them signified moving…
Tag: pomegranate
Sicily Shopping Tip: Buy It When You See It
Each piece of ceramics from Sicily is a unique work of art. I always tell my clients, if you see something you like in a shop, buy it there and then. Don’t wait, because you probably won’t see it again anywhere else. I love this typical plate that possesses a classic, baroque-style lemon and pomegranate…
Persephone, The Goddess Of The Underworld, And Sicily
Persephone is the daughter of the great goddess Demeter and the Goddess of the Underworld. Here she is as interpreted during the 2019 Arches of Easter in San Biagio Platani (Agrigento). (Yes, this art is made with beans and other natural elements!) During these last weeks of summer, she is preparing for her annual return…
The Power Of The Pomegranate
Pomegranates (melograni in Italian) are in season. Scholars believe that the fruit was brought to Sicily by both the Phoenicians and the Greeks, not only for food, but also for religious reasons. Pomegranate seeds represent fertility, prosperity, abundance, and generosity. And because of the Persephone myth–when the maiden daughter of the goddess Demeter eats the…
Autumn Is Here And So Are Pomegranates
“By what guile did the mighty Host-to-Many deceive you?” the Goddess Demeter asked her daughter Persephone in the The Homeric Hymn to Demeter (As translated by Helene P. Foley). … If you guessed that Hades (the “Host-to-Many”) deceived Persephone by feeding her pomegranate seeds (based on the photo), you are correct. Hades’ cunning action condemned…
Greek Mythology: She Took The Seeds With Her
Today, the Solstice, we welcome winter. I share this picture of a pomegranate I took in Sicily because in western literature and art, the pomegranate represents the cycle of life and death. This symbolism stems from the ancient Greek cult of Demeter and Persephone. Autumn marks when Persephone returns to the Underworld to join her…
Pomegranates and the Cycle of Life and Death
Autumn marks the time of year when Persephone bids her mother Demeter goodbye, and she returns to the Underworld to join her husband Hades–an ancient myth that explains why we have seasons. Annually when Persephone descends into the depths of the Earth and winter comes upon us, she brings with her the seeds of the…
Evelina’s Pomegranates
It’s pomegranate season! Experience Sicily’s Evelina Buttitta, who took this photo, was so excited to share with us the bounty of the tree that she and her husband have cultivated in their garden. Pomegranates (melograni in Italian) are packed with juicy, ruby-red seeds, and for this reason, they have been a symbol of fertility for…
Powerful Pomegranate
“But if [you tasted food], returning beneath [the earth,] you will stay a third part of the seasons [each year] … By what guile did the mighty Host-to-Many deceive you?” the Goddess Demeter asked her daughter Persephone in the The Homeric Hymn to Demeter (As translated by Helene P. Foley). From the featured photo today,…