Tomorrow is the spring equinox. A number of Pagan myths are connected with this day, including Persephone’s return from the Underworld.
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In the most common version of this story, Persephone is abducted by Hades and carried off to the Underworld to be his unwilling bride. (There are variant versions of the story, wherein Persephone goes voluntarily, or goes to aid the souls of the dead.) Persephone’s mother, Demeter is the Goddess of agriculture — and she brings everything to a screeching halt. No crops, not even grass or weeds: the world is frozen over as Demeter fights for her daughter’s return.
Finally a compromise is negotiated: because Persephone has eaten the food of the dead (a handful of pomegranate seeds), she cannot permanently return to the world of the living, so she must split her time between living above ground and below. When she returns to Hades every year, Demeter brings back winter, and waits for her daughter’s return.
When Persephone emerges from her quarantine (you knew that’s where I was going with this, right?), she is not the same person as before. She’s had to give up her ignorance-is-bliss version of innocence. She’s seen the dark side.
The world is going to look very different when Persephone emerges in the spring.
But spring will come. It always does.
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From Kluger2:
On conflating COVID-19 denial and global warmingdenial: this is a top comment in my book! Democratic campaigns can get some mileage out of it. [Noter from Tara: comment is from theotherside.]
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