Persephone’s Table

She is the Queen of the Underworld and the Goddess of Spring.
She is the woman who walks both worlds—light and shadow, death and rebirth.
Persephone is not a victim. She is a threshold.
And every woman holds a piece of her.

The Myth of Persephone

A Story of Descent and Return

Persephone was the maiden of spring, the daughter of Demeter, goddess of the harvest. She walked among flowers, innocent and untouched by the underworld.

But one day, the earth cracked open beneath her feet, and from the shadows rose Hades. He didn’t ask—he took. He pulled her into his realm, into the dark soil of the world below.

Demeter searched and mourned. The world withered in her grief.
But beneath, something else was happening.

Persephone did not remain the innocent maiden.
In the stillness and shadow of the underworld, she remembered her own power.

And then—the pomegranate.

Some say she was tricked. Others say she chose.
What matters is this: she ate.
She accepted the underworld, let it nourish her, made it her own.

By consuming the fruit of shadow, she became Queen.

Each year, she rises—her footsteps turning winter into spring.
Each year, she returns—reminding us that descent is part of the sacred cycle.

Persephone is not a story of loss. She is the story of rebirth.

She is the wild woman who walks both worlds.
And we, too, must descend to reclaim our crowns.

While Persephone resides as the Queen of both the Underworld and the Spring, her story intersects with Beltane’s themes of renewal, passion, and fertility. Beltane celebrates the moment of union—the sacred marriage of Earth and Sky, which breathes life into everything. In this union, we become whole. In the myth of Persephone, we see this reflected when she consumes the pomegranate, a symbol of life, death, and rebirth, marking her shift into sovereignty.

Beltane marks the celebration of that very union within ourselves: the union of the dark and light, the pull of the earth and the heavens, of the feminine and masculine energies that create life.

Sacred Recipes from Persephone’s Table

To nourish the light and the dark within

Underworld Elixir: Black Sesame & Date Tonic

A warming, mineral-rich tonic that honors the deep, dark soil of the body and spirit.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp black sesame seeds (toasted and ground)

• 2 soft Medjool dates, pitted

• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

• 1/4 tsp nutmeg

• 1 cup warm almond milk

• Pinch of sea salt

Instructions:
Blend all ingredients until smooth. Warm gently if needed. Sip slowly in silence, imagining your roots deepening into the earth.

Earth Mother Stew: Root Veg & Lentil Bowl

Hearty, grounding food that brings the body into alignment with spring’s return.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup red lentils

• 1 chopped carrot, sweet potato, and beet

• 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp coriander, 1/2 tsp turmeric

• 1 tbsp ghee or olive oil

• 4 cups veggie broth

• Sea salt to taste

• Garnish: fresh dill or parsley, squeeze of lemon

Instructions:
Sauté spices in ghee, add lentils and veggies. Pour in broth and simmer until tender (30–40 mins). Serve warm with crusty sourdough or brown rice.

Queen’s Pomegranate Cacao Bites

A sensual and sacred treat—bittersweet like Persephone herself.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup cacao powder

• 1/2 cup almond or sunflower seed butter

• 2 tbsp maple syrup or honey

• 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses or juice concentrate

• Pinch of pink salt

• Optional: cacao nibs, crushed dried rose petals

Instructions:
Mix all ingredients into a thick dough. Roll into small balls and chill. Decorate with rose petals or cacao nibs. Eat with your hands. Feel your power.

Chili-Infused Pomegranate Elixir

A drink that celebrates the fiery energy of Beltane and the deep, sacred nourishment of Persephone’s pomegranate. The heat of chili mingles with the sweetness of pomegranate for a bold, awakening beverage.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup fresh pomegranate juice

• 1/2 tsp chili powder

• 1 tbsp honey or agave syrup

• 1 tsp fresh lime juice

• Sparkling water (optional)

Instructions:
Mix pomegranate juice, chili powder, honey, and lime juice in a shaker. Shake well and pour over ice. Top with sparkling water for a fizzy sensation. Sip slowly, feeling the fire within you rise.

Goddess’s Garden Salad with Fireflower Dressing

A vibrant, raw dish that reflects the blooming energy of Beltane. Loaded with seasonal greens, edible flowers, and a fiery dressing that stirs creativity.

Ingredients for Salad:

• 1 cup mixed greens (arugula, kale, spinach)

• Edible flowers (pansies, violets, marigolds)

• 1/2 cup sliced radishes

• 1/2 avocado, sliced

• 1 tbsp sunflower seeds or pine nuts

Fireflower Dressing:

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

• 1 tsp honey

• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

• Pinch of salt

Instructions:
Toss salad ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk together dressing ingredients until smooth, and pour over the salad. Toss gently. Eat with intention of nourishing your creativity and fiery energy.

Pomegranate Offering Ritual

Cut open a fresh pomegranate. Let its red juice stain your fingers. Offer a few seeds back to the earth or altar. Eat the rest slowly, with reverence.

This is your sacred return. This is your becoming.

Flowering Bath Ritual

Soak in warm water with rose petals, lavender, and epsom salt. Add a few drops of geranium or clary sage oil.

Whisper: I bloom in my own time. My softness is sacred.

Descent Meditation

Set a quiet space with candles, obsidian or onyx crystals, and soft music.
Sit comfortably. Visualize descending into a cave where your shadow self waits—tender, powerful, whole.

Ask her: What part of me is ready to rise?

Write what comes. Offer her gratitude. Light a candle in her honor.

In the union of fire and earth, of passion and grounding,
We remember we are both wild and whole.
We are both bloom and root.
And like Persephone, we rise—again and again.