Demeter: the Universal Mother
Demeter, you embody the essence of motherhood within us all. Throughout your life, you have cultivated a deep love for children, eagerly anticipating the day when you would become a mother yourself.
Nurturing comes naturally to you, extending beyond simply caring for children—it's an intrinsic part of your being. Your selfless nature, instinctual caregiving, and inexhaustible energy make you a constant source of support for those in need.
Among all the goddesses, you possess a remarkable lack of ego. Your sense of fulfillment and identity is rooted in your role as a mother, setting you apart from figures like Athena, Hera, and Persephone, who derive their satisfaction from independence, power, or spirituality.
Similar to Aphrodite, who is ruled by love, you live for the welfare of your children rather than seeking personal adoration.
Unlike Aphrodite's focus on physical beauty, Athena's interest in news and politics, Hera's involvement in committees, or Persephone's understanding of past lives, you maintain a healthy connection with the realities of physical existence. Your attention is not solely on mental pursuits, in contrast to Athena, who can be quite detached from the physical realm.
You may sometimes grapple with an inferiority complex, feeling removed from the worldly action due to societal perceptions of motherhood.
One of Demeter's teachings is that each woman, whether she bears children or not, must honor the monthly death and renewal that takes place in her body.
Without an element of Athena in your makeup to hold it together as a working mother, to become pregnant may lead to your sense of inferiority, the contemporary prison of the home, being out of the game no longer part of the action.
This distinction between urban and rural psyche can further contribute to your sense of being undervalued. You may not prioritize intellectual endeavors as much as others, as your focus lies primarily on motherhood—a role that society may not always recognize and appreciate.
Demeter represents the stage of emotional maturity, relationships, and motherhood, along with Aphrodite. Within you, your dominant inner voice aligns with this aspect. It's crucial to consider external influences that either push you toward or pull you away from the realms embodied by the other goddesses.
Take a closer look at your mother's main characteristics and values. Are you dutifully following her desires, or do you strongly react against them?
If your mother didn't provide you with much nurturing during your own childhood, a part of you may long for that experience through the form of a child. Before rushing into marriage and starting a family, it is essential to gain clarity on where you truly stand.
Unfortunately Demeter's role in the world is one that has been disempowered.
Instead, the Athena and Hera goddesses have held the power in a world dominated by city-living, plus the career, power, & political focus of society.
Just like Aphrodite, Demeter is ruled by love, not independence like Athena or Artemis, or power like Hera and Persephone.
Where Demeter is matriarchal, the world we have been living in up until now has been patriarchal.
We don't live in a society that values motherhood, so where does Demeter fit in? How can she articulate and advocate for her rights, such as birthrights, and accept that her values and role in society come as a mother first?
This clash can show up in your life as having the desire to step into motherhood, but worrying about how to keep a career in a way that supports these values, this role.
But that's just one way Demeter can show up in your life - she can also show up when you are in need of reparenting yourself, approaching your business in a more nurturing way, etc. it's all personal to you!
In the modern world, Demeter's essence can be seen in the figure of Mother Teresa, who dedicated her life to nurturing and caring for the less fortunate.
Just like her, you have the potential to bring immense love and compassion to those around you, apply this nurturing to whatever you touch: relationships, business, your community and yourself.