Friends, today — on the eve of the autumn equinox — marks the premiere of a new track:
«Blessing of Demeter»
During these days in September, the Sun moves from the constellation Leo into Virgo, where it will mark the equinox on the morning of September 23rd. We, too, welcome the Autumn Equinox — a day significant both astronomically and culturally. Our culture is rooted in the Eastern Mediterranean of over three millennia ago, an era that gave rise to the ancient Greek myths exploring the mysteries of the cosmos and the nature of the world across all levels—from the material to the spiritual.
«Demeter’s Blessing» is a new melody inspired by the ancient legend of Kore Persephone, the daughter of Demeter, the goddess of fertility. Her very name — Kore (Greek: Kόρη) — means “Maiden” or “Young Girl,” a title that aligns with her celestial embodiment as the constellation Virgo.
Kore Persephone
Her parents — Zeus the Thunderer and Demeter — held differing views regarding their daughter’s future. Demeter kept Kore isolated from the outside world on the island of Sicily, living in constant fear of losing her. Zeus, however, owed a long-standing debt to his older brother, Hades, who had once been assigned the important yet unenviable task of ruling the Realm of the Dead. Hades craved redress and ultimately secured it: Zeus promised to give him Kore as his wife. Naturally, he did not consult Demeter.
One fine summer day, Kore spotted a huge, extraordinarily beautiful flower — a narcissus — in a meadow and hurried toward it, straying from the goddesses accompanying her, Athena and Artemis. The flower was a lure, cultivated by the Titaness Gaia in collusion with Zeus. The moment Kore touched the blossom, the earth beneath her feet split open; Hades appeared in a chariot drawn by four black horses and abducted the Maiden. The only witness to the event was Hecate, the goddess of the Moon; had it not been for her, Demeter would never have learned where her daughter had vanished.
Demeter’s anger and grief knew no bounds. Drought descended upon the world — rains ceased and rivers dried up — famine set in, and the once-fertile lands faced total desolation and the death of all living things. Demeter remained inexorable. Zeus was forced to confess everything and persuade Hades to release Kore.
However, before that, Hades had managed to give Kore — as a treat — a few pomegranate seeds that possessed a special magical power. Kore ate them and found herself bound to Hades forever; she could no longer leave his realm for any extended period. At the same time, Kore acquired her second name — Persephone — a name belonging not to a young maiden, but to the formidable and stern Queen of Hades.
Demeter was forced to agree to the condition that Cora would return to her for only half the year, while the other half would inevitably have to be spent with her lawful husband, Hades.
Thus, the cycle of the seasons came to be in our world: in spring, Cora emerges from the Underworld to return to her mother, only to depart once more for Hades’ realm in the autumn. Demeter sheds bitter tears over this — tears we recognize as the abundant, cold rains of autumn.
But the essence of this myth goes much deeper
Throughout human history, a single thread runs connecting the aspiration to elevate the spirit and humanize society. Just as society was divided into the noble and the lowly, the wealthy and the destitute, so too was the Divine Realm — in the view of the ancients — divided. And this division was insurmountable; one could not simply cross from one stratum to another — whether in the social hierarchy or within the structure of the invisible layers of the Cosmos. Once a Soul found itself in Hades, it was destined to languish there for Eternity, bereft of hope and severed from the well-being of the Earthly World — a well-being we sometimes fail to cherish while our lives here endure.
Yet, as we know, change sometimes comes to the world — including change for the better.
Kora, abducted by Hades, became a vital link connecting the realm of the dead with the world of the living. She was the first messenger from the Higher and Luminous Realms to return from Hades, bringing with her a measure of the bounty that her mother, Demeter, bestowed upon the worthy inhabitants of the inhabited world. As the goddess of fertility and abundance, Demeter allowed the gifts she offered to humanity to permeate even that realm where nothing of the sort had ever been envisioned before.
As we know, our historical mythology would later feature quite a few emissaries from higher worlds to lower ones — figures in some ways similar to Kore. At the same time, opportunities for growth — material, social, and spiritual — would open up within human society, becoming accessible to those for whom they had previously been out of reach. And now, everyone is free to choose exactly how they wish to grow.
Well, that turned out to be quite a long story. All that remains is for me to add that the new melody, «Blessing of Demeter», will soon be included in an upcoming album dedicated to the constellation Virgo. In the meantime, it is available to listen to as a single.
Yours, Andrey Klimkovsky
Video version on Youtube:
Audio version on Telegram
Friends, you can listen to this new melody in audio format on my Telegram channel, but you can also download it and listen on your device offline (which seems to be becoming increasingly relevant). Do take advantage of this option.
Enjoy watching and listening!
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