All Offerings
Plants of the Underworld
Journey down, into the depths of the earth, to meet the plants of the Greek Underworld — the trees, flowers, herbs, and shrubs that ancient Greek mythology associates with the Realm of the Dead. Along the way, we meet the Underworld rivers and entrances to Hades; learn about the sacred kykeon of the Eleusinian Mysteries; discover a shocking truth about Persephone's connection with the seasons; and meet the botanical allies for navigating through death, grief, and the Unseen Realm.
Cypress Trees Are Firebreaks?
As I was doing research for the Cypress materia mythica, I came across these articles…
Cypress
The Cypress is an evergreen conifer tree with dense, scale-like leaves and ovoid cones. Native to the eastern Mediterranean, the Cypress is associated primarily with the gods Apollo, Artemis, and Hades. However, the most well-known myth of the Cypress is that of Kyparrisos, the youth who accidentally killed his favorite stag and, desiring to mourn forever, transformed into a Cypress tree. The tree is thus associated with grief and lamentation, and often found near burial grounds or entrances to the Underworld. As a sacred emblem of holding vigil, invite the Cypress into your ceremonies for grief, mourning, and lamenting that which has died
Evergreen Trees of Greek Mythology
Learn the difference between the most common evergreen conifers of the mythic Greek landscape: the Pine, Spruce, Fir, and Cypress. Then we’ll look at a few other evergreens that you might come across in the Mediterranean (like the Juniper, Strawberry Tree, Yew, and more). And of course, along the way, we’ll touch on the myths, gods, and goddesses that are sacred to each of them.
