The leaders of our country are embodying the archetype of Pluto in Aquarius. Like all of us, they have realized that the systems in this country aren’t working as intended. They are breaking down the core components of our Government, dismantling it piece by piece in order to advantageously reconstruct it even more in their favor. Like Hades abducting Persephone, they are taking what they want and have no regard for those of us who actually keep our country from falling apart. They expect us to bow to their power and comply with their orders because we are rendering ourselves helpless. We are not! Who can blame them for trying when they have not been held accountable for their abuse of power up until this point? Ceres has important messages for us right now, and with her conjunction to the Sun and Mercury and opposition to the Full Moon, I am hoping to do them justice. Let’s take a look at the myth of Ceres, viewed through a modern lens.
In ancient Rome, Ceres was the goddess of agriculture and fertility modeled after Demeter, her Greek counterpart. The most well known myth of Ceres involves the kidnapping of her daughter Persephone. Ceres’ brothers, Jupiter and Pluto, conspired in the kidnapping with the aim to marry Persephone off to Pluto. Ceres first attempted to reason with her brothers but they ignored her and expected her to accept what they had done without argument. What they didn’t expect is her wrath, fury, and withdrawal from society that would result in widespread famine and death. Because she had committed her life to helping humanity with agriculture, gifting them with the skills to cultivate the land and the laws to govern the growing complexity of society, Ceres played a major role in the world at that time. Her most precious connection was with her daughter and when Persephone was snatched away, Ceres had no choice but to acknowledge the abuse of power that had been taking place.
The kidnapping of Persephone represented a loss of innocence for both Mother and Daughter. Perhaps Ceres thought that her immortality and status would protect them from the patriarchal abuse. Persephone was a young child, experiencing the loss of her innocence through sexual violence and being removed from the safety and security of her home without warning. She lost her ability to determine her future for herself and was cast into a role to play instead. They could no longer turn a blind eye to the imbalance of power. In order to move forward, Ceres had to move beyond denial and into acceptance of the abuse of power that had taken place.
After being taken to the Underworld, Persephone ate pomegranate seeds that were presented to her. She didn’t realize that eating the fruit would seal her fate of becoming the wife of Pluto. Ceres recognized that this wasn’t Persephone’s fault and she also had to learn to forgive herself, realizing that she was also a victim. Ceres encourages us to move beyond the identity of being a victim and of victim blaming. She chose to take action to preserve herself and to harm the system that was perpetuating the abuse. Ceres refused to use her gifts to support a system that only sought to further the power and grip of the patriarchy on the collective. She withdrew from society, allowing crops to die and famine to spread. Ceres refused to respect the system that violated her and deprived her of what was sacred to her. Ceres knew that when negotiating fails, it’s time to act.
Like Ceres, we must find a way to constructively channel our rage. She chose to withhold her gifts including her nurturing, fertile presence that had so effectively served the Gods that abused her and her daughter. Withdrawal allowed her to protect her self and nurture her spirit and resolve in private. Ceres had to figure out how to survive the intense grief and depression that resulted from the violation. This process of being in the pain allowed her to identify the role she played in the abuse and then forgive herself. By understanding her role, she could clearly identify the abuse beyond her control, remove herself from participating in the abusive system, and confront the abusers in a way that could not be denied. Ceres did not hide her grief or rage over the violation but she did not allow it to overwhelm her or prevent her from taking action.
As a society we are experiencing the abuse of power at the hands of a few wealthy white men. We must stop denying that this abuse is taking place and admit that we are all victims of the patriarchy. Without acceptance, there cannot be healing or a creative, life affirming result. We cannot undo the effects of this system or pretend they don’t exist. This abuse has been taking place for many years and escalating over time as it’s become more and more embedded in our society. The men that are in power now are just the current face of the abusive systems. From this myth, we learn that we must move beyond victim blaming, including any internalized blame that we have for our participation (or lack thereof) in this process of abuse. When we blame anyone other than the abuser, we are effectively colluding with them and amplifying the effects.
Many people haven’t had the luxury of denying this abuse because they experience it every single day as a result of their identity. The core of who they are is considered unacceptable and deemed “less than” from the moment they take their first breath or show their unique personality to the world. They are not strangers to the abusive nature of these systems and they have come to expect it, regardless of how much they resist or try to bring awareness to the abuse. We are conditioned by our cultures, societies, and religions to believe that some humans have more value than others. This is simply not true but many people turn a blind eye to the blatant inequity happening all around them.
It is those of us, like Ceres, that have the proximity to power that must take a stand. This is especially a call to action for white women who consistently uphold the patriarchy by refusing to acknowledge the harm perpetuated at the hand of their white husbands, fathers, brothers, friends, PRESIDENTS. We must stop denying the abuse and name it or we are complicit in it. Take your power back by withdrawing your nurturing and empathy. Consider how your own rights have been diminished, your own light snuffed out by sacrificing yourself for the benefit of this system. Speak out when you witness discrimination, inequity, or unjust behavior. Withdraw yourself from the spaces and people that seek to diminish your life force in service to this abuse of power. Refuse to spend your money at businesses that perpetuate or ignore the abusive systems. Stop being the only person in the office that cleans the kitchen. Withdraw your nurturing presence from family dynamics that do not return the support to you.
Ceres had a passion for life that empowered her to fight against anything that stood in the way of her living her desired life. She lived a life of service to humanity and found fulfillment in her relationship with her daughter. Despite her Goddess status, she did not ask for much in return for her service but when the Gods showed no respect for her, she turned her wrath towards the roots of the problem… the patriarchal world view of her family. Ceres stopped being complicit in the abuse by accepting that it was happening and by not letting it stand. How can you be more like Ceres? Use your privilege to take a stand against the corruption and in favor of a new world that can benefit all of humanity and our life giving planet. Do what you can with what you have. Every changed behavior and action matters, regardless of how small you feel in the scheme of things.
