This is the ritual for the Libations to Demeter and Persephone. I hope that you enjoy them and let me know how I’m doing.
How to pray to Aphrodite
1) Purify the Altar area.
2) Take the barley and say, “As it was done in ancient times. I purify and cleanse this altar with this barley. With this barley I purify this altar and space so that I may give offerings, libations, and speak with glory and respect the gods of Mt. Olympus.”
3) Light a candle and say a hymn to Hestia.
Hestia, you who guard the sacred shrine of the Lord Apollon. The far-darter at goodly Pathos. With soft oil dripping ever from your locks. Come now to this house, come having one mind with Zeus the all wise-draw near, and with all bestow favor upon my song.”
Prayer to Hestia
Hestia, gracious goddess who sits at the heart of each home, who lives in the heart of each one who reveres you, each one who holds you dear, each one who turns to you for strength and harmony.
Hestia, goddess most needful, goddess most serene, goddess most esteemed, the heart of the city is yours as well, great goddess; within your realm are those who serve the state, who work for all the good of all–your blessings fall on the honest, goddess, your wrath on the corrupt, on those who betray their trust for gain. Defender of the householder, guardian of the hearthfire, Hestia, I praise and honor you.
4) Let Demeter know that your here, saying, “Demeter, hear me.” List her titles and then let her know why your here, which is to honor her.
5) Do an invocation to Demeter.
I call to Demeter, great lady of the land, friend of the farmer, sustainer of mankind, daughter of deep-hearted Rhea and wily Kronos, loving mother of rich-tressed Persephone. In ancient times were you honored by country folk above all others; in all the provinces did men and women pray to you and ask your blessing. Goddess, we see your hand in rows of golden grain, in heavy-fruited trees, in fields of scarlet poppies blooming amongst the barley, in the passing of seasons, in the fury of a mother wronged. Demeter, lauded in storied Eleusis, mistress of those cherished mysteries and sacred rites, by your might and your compassion do we endure, do we live our lives. Demeter, I call to you.
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6) Do a prayer to Demeter.
Fair-haired Demeter, daughter of nimble-footed Rhea, grandchild of deep-hearted Gaia, mother of bright-eyed Persephone: in you, as in them all, is the soul of the earth.
The golden grain is yours, O Demeter, and the heavy fruited trees, the dark rich soil and the seeds that hide within.
Friend of the farmer, friend of all who rely on your goodness and kindness, your gift of growth, your gift of bread, your gift of all our lives.
Demeter, bountiful lady, with each spring’s greening of the land you give us hope; with each rich harvest that hope is answered.
Demeter, good mother, I praise you.
7) Do a Hymn to Demeter
I begin to sing of rich-haired Demeter, awful goddess —of her and her trim-ankled daughter whom Aidoneus rapt away, given to him by all-seeing Zeus the loud-thunderer.Apart from Demeter, lady of the golden sword and glorious fruits, [5] she was playing with the deep-bosomed daughters of Oceanus and gathering flowers over a soft meadow, roses and crocuses and beautiful violets, irises also and hyacinths and the narcissus, which Earth made to grow at the will of Zeus and to please the Host of Many, to be a snare for the bloom-like girl — [10] a marvellous, radiant flower.
(note: the hymn to Demeter is so long that I had to cut this down.)
8) Let Persephone know that your here, saying, “Persephone, hear me.” Mention any titles that she might have and let her know why your here.
9) Do a invocation to Persephone.
I call to Persephone, fair child of Demeter and thundering Zeus, springtime-loving goddess, light-footed goddess, in fields of flowers you dance; the lovely nymphs are your dearest companions. Beloved bride of noble Hades, gracious mistress of the deep underworld, of such stark beauty and tranquil majesty, queen of ghosts, advocate of the dead. Always beauty surrounds you, goddess, whether with your feet amidst the brightest blossoms, the light of ever-watchful Helios bright against your unbound hair as you roam the green meadows, or enthroned in splendor beneath the earth among the brilliant stones, the gold and silver that were your bride-gift. Blessed Persephone, who knows much of life and much of death, I call to you.
10) Do a Prayer to Persephone
Fair-haired Persephone, daughter of Demeter, friend of the nymphs, merry-hearted girls who dance bearefooted and play, carefree, in grassy fields, wreathed in bright spring flowers.
The joy of life is yours, goddess, the comfort of sun on skin, the dear bonds of friendship, the refuge of a mother’s love.
Well-crowned Persephone, bride of noble Hades, queen of the afterworld, clothed in fine silks, adorned with jewels, enthroned in glory, friend to those who have passed from this world into yours, advocate of the dead and the wronged.
Kindly Persephone, womanly one, of transformation do you know much, of the ways of the earth do you know much; of the life after life do you know much.
Gracious goddess, friend of mortals, I praise you and thank you for your gifts.
11) Do a Hymn to Persphone (Got this from a site called asphodel-long.com)
Persephone, Daughter of Zeus, blessed
Only begotten, gracious Goddess, receive this good offering,
Much honoured, you, overpowered by Pluto, you are beloved and lifegiving,
You hold the doors of Hades under the depths of the earth;
Transactor of Justice, your beloved hair the sacred olive branch of the enemy
Mother of the Eumenides, Queen of the Underworld, You, maiden from Zeus through secret begetting.
Mother of loud-shouting, many-shaped Bacchus.
Playmate of the moving seasons, lightbringing, of beautiful form,
Holy, ruler of all, maiden, showering fruits,
Radiant, horned, you alone are longed for by mortals.
You are Spring, delighting in fragrant meadows
Your sacred body appears to us in growing fruits and branches.
Raped into your marriage bed in the late autumn
You alone are life and death to distressed mortals.
Persephone. You are forever the nourisher and the death bringer.
Listen, blessed Goddess and send up fruits from the earth
In peace, flourishing in health from your soothing hand;
And, in life abundance, leading to richness of old age
Then to your realm O Sovereign, and to powerful Pluto.
12) Give Food Offering, saying, “I offer this food as a sacrifice, to you Demeter and Persephone.”
13) Pour libations to Demeter and Persephone . Remember: Hestia gets first and last libations.
14) Pray to them.
15) End the ritual by saying, “Hestia, goddess of home and hearth, to you I offer last of all as a pious mortal should. Tend to those whom I love and guard the houses of the pious. As the gods will it, so it shall be.”
It is so!
Dump the entire container that you’ve poured your wine or grape juice into outside and then that ends it.
How to worship demeter
Demeter is the Goddess of agriculture, harvest, the cycle of life and death, fertility, and sacred law. Her Roman name is Ceres. She is one of the 12 Olympians and sister to Hestia, Hera, Hades, Poseidon, Zeus, and Chiron. Her parents are Cronus and Rhea, but her age isn’t known. Her children are Persephone, Despoina, Arion, Plutus, Philomelus, Eubuleus, Chrysothemis, and Amphitheus. She has ad consorts with Iasion, Zeus, Oceanus, Karmanor, Poseidon, and Triptolemus.
While Demeter is most well-known for her role as Demeter’s concerned mother in the marriage of Persephone and Hades, she is also well-known for her time with King Eleusis of Attica. In her initial search for Persephone, Demeter went to the palace fo Celeus where King Eleusis and his family lived. Demeter disguised herself as a little old lady and asked the King for shelter. He agreed, taking her in, and she nursed his sons Demophon and Triptolemus, born of Metanira. To reward the King’s kindness, she planned to make Demophon immortal.
To do this, she secretly anointed him with ambrosia and laid him in the flames of the hearth to burn away his mortal self. However, Metanira walked in and screamed in fright at the sight of her son in the flames. Demeter abandoned the attempt and thought of something else to do. Instead, she taught Triptolemus the secrets she held of agriculture. Triptolemus, in turn, taught these skills to anyone who was interested in learning. Thus, humanity was gifted with the ability to plant, grow, and harvest grains.
Altar, Offerings, and Symbols
General Symbols: Cornucopia, sheaves of wheat, autumn harvest, torch, bread, and honey.
Animals: Cats and dogs (all domestic pets), lions snakes, crane, and lizards.
Plants: Poppies, sunflower, cypress, sheaves of wheat, foxglove, daisy, columbine, ash and oak trees, and acorns.
Colors: Green, dark brown, gold, navy blue, and pink.
Gemstones/Metals: Pearls, star sapphire, cat’s eye, silver, ivory, emerald, sardonyx, carnelian, amber, mercury, and copper.
Scents: Orange blossom, myrrh, olibanum, civet, patchouli, violet, cloves, and cinnamon.
Prayers
Things you may want to consider praying for are help bringing a missing child home, good crops, a good harvest, fertility, justice, a blessing of crops or harvest, a blessing of the land you work in, and understanding the cycle of life and death.
Invocation
Demeter, Lady of fruits and grains,Of ripening suns and harvest rains,I call to you, Mother, to hear my plea—Bestow Your blessings here on me.Goddess, who searches in places wild,To bring home safely Her stolen child,Who changes the summer’s greens to gold,And causes the cycle of life to unfold,Beautiful Lady, whose love runs deep,Who banishes growth during Winter’s sleep,And causes the seeds to stir in Spring,Attend my circle and blessings bring!
Prayer for a Good Harvest
Demeter, gracious goddess who grants to mankindthe gift of grain, whose might it is that brings the treesto fruit, whose hand we see as buds become blossoms,
who taught to men the art of the seed, whose blessingwe beg, whose wrath we dread, goddess, I pray to you.The green shoot is yours, Demeter, and the rootthat clings to the black soil. In one fair arm you holda sheaf of golden wheat, in the other a poppy,
blood-red and fragrant; by your good will we are fedin body and in soul. Essential Demeter,friend of the farmer, by whose power do we survive,I pray to you, show to us a fruitful season,bless us with an abundant harvest, food enoughto bring us through the long winter. For your goodnessand your kindness we thank you, Demeter; for yourfavor we pray to you, O bountiful goddess!
Prayer
Hail Demeter,Mother of All, Gentle Hearted Lady, Bright Goddess,Hear my prayer and come to me.Let your radiance pour upon me
