Persephone's Pathway: Wisdom, Magick & Growth

by Jennifer Heather

Persephone's Pathway is one of balance and duality; embrace the dual goddess archetype of Underworld Queen and Spring Maiden in order to achieve harmony. This book shares the wisdom of Persephone, along with spells and rituals to help you in your daily life. Shadow work exercises encourage you to work with the Underworld aspect of the Dark Goddess, whilst flower magick celebrates the joy and gentleness of the Spring Goddess. Blend the dark and light aspects together to experience how they shine a light on each other in this celebration of wholeness and authenticity.

Genres: Witchcraft, Nonfiction, Spirituality, Witches, Religion, Paganism

231 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 31, 2020

Reviews

[Bayleigh Strickland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow I wish I had found this when I first started my journey into magic and witchcraft. This is perfect for a baby witch, even if you don’t necessarily want to be a devotee of Persephone. It goes super in depth on a ton of different things that really aligned with me and my practice. It’s also really hard to find a book 100% devoted to working with a single goddess. It’s packed full of offering suggestions, divination tools, meditation and journaling prompts, and a lot of really helpful tools for self healing. I highly recommend picking this one up!

[Serenity Snow · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this to be interesting and there are some magic spot Lord through. However, this book is more about the ways about connecting with Persephone as well as Kore. I enjoyed the book though it wasn't what I was expecting.

[Autumn Sulick · Rating 5 out of 5]

GORGEOUS book!!! The cover is sturdy and soft and matte which I LOVE! I always hesitate to buy paperback books because quality is about 50/50 & I was so pleasantly surprised and even impressed with this when I opened my box from Amazon! Design-wise this book is 13/10! CONTENT-wise, it’s even better! The author explains very clearly that this book is based on her own research and experiences and is meant as a tribute to the goddess! That personal touch was absolutely lovely to me! There are also clear citations throughout the book that make the different versions of her lore easier to distinguish from each other! She describes her struggle finding all the mythos in one condensed book as inspiration for this book, and I had the same struggle which the book cleared up so nicely! The way she retells the stories of Persephone are written beautifully and are easy to comprehend! Each chapter was so captivating and covered the topics being discussed in a way that was entertaining, relatable, informative, and inspiring! I LOVE the concept of the “6 Seeds Of Persephone” (the different areas in which she can aid us in our journey’s through life and help us grow)! It is a concept that I have since applied to my own work and worship of her! The spells and rituals that follow each chapter are WELL thought out and easy to replicate and alter if need be! The author uses easily accessibly ingredients in all of her recipes! I love this author’s perspectives and the way she honors Persephone through them, as well as the clear love that she has for our goddess as seen through her words and rituals! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!! This book is popular for a REASON!!!

I also feel like the longer it has been since I have read this book, the more I have thought about it in regards to deity work in general! I have recommended this book to a ton of people, not all of whom even worked with Persephone! Because I feel like the way Jennifer Heather approaches deity work and the way she breaks it down is such an amazing structure for people that feel lost and intimidated by starting to work with a deity! From the way she starts off with the history that she was able to compile along with the modern retelling and explaining how she learns from and utilizes it all, to the way that she draws inspiration from the lore to identify correspondences and choose offerings and design rituals! She has spells and rituals based entirely on stories of Persephone’s interactions with others and I think having that story in mind while creating something to use in partnership with Persephone adds such a strong touch to the working!!! Everyone says there’s no “guide for deity work”, but if there was, THIS would be a fantastic structure to follow!

[Heather Mattern · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much inside this book!! The recipes are amazing. Now I need a physical copy since I read this via Kindle!!

[Cardi · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Quick Review: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5) stars.
Persephone’s Pathway which while flawed and at times meandering is perhaps the best resource available for the modern pagan worshipping or working with Persephone and I wholly recommend it.

Personal Reason for Purchasing: Was looking for a pagan/witchy perspective on Persephone and stumbled across this one. (Bought from Amazon UK)

Overview of the book's contents.
- Introduction: A solid introduction, focusing on what the purpose of this book will be, and the author’s goals in writing it, namely ‘an exploration of the mythology and Symbolism surrounding Persephone, along with chapters dedicated to a facet of what she can teach us’, ‘both a collection of information and tribute to her’.
- Chapter 1: 'Who is Persephone'. Introduction to Persephone, her role, dual nature, The Eleusinian mysteries, possible connections to Erishkegal (a Mesopotamia goddess originating 4000 BC), and of course the Homeric Hymn to Demeter.
- Chapter 2: 'Historic Origins'. An exploration of the genesis of Persephone in Mythology, through to the Evolution of her story in present day literature. (A personal highlight).
- Chapter 3: 'A Myth Retold'. A modern retelling of the hymn to Demeter by the author.
- Chapter 4: 'Symbolism'. An exploration of the artefacts associated with Persephone, both modern and ancient, the creation of a unique glyph/sigil for Persephone and an extensive and detailed discussion of association/correspondences, some ancient, some contemporary and lastly her common epithets.
- Chapter 5: 'Creating an Altar'. A collection of suggestions and guidelines on creating your own altar for Persephone and common offerings to gift the Goddess.
Chapter 6: 'Persephone Magick. Begins with a basic beginners to magickal practice, followed by a recipe for a Persephone Anointing oils, a guide to connecting to Persephone, an innovation and an adaption of the Orphic Hymn to Proserpina.
- Appendix: The Orphic hymn to Proserpina, translated by Taylor Thomas 1792.

The Seeds of Persephone.
A collection of chapters surrounding what the Author considers to be the six core aspects/values which Persephone embodies.
- Seed 1: 'Union'. Focuses on Shadow-work, divine alignment for body and Spirit union, and includes a spell for Spiritual union of lovers, guidance surrounding meditation, shadow-work rituals, and a recipe for a love attraction oil.
- Seed 2: 'Balance'. Begins with a discussion of how to, and the importance of maintaining balance in one’s life, including a meandering discussion of grounding, living with the seasons, incorporating nature into your life, meditation, seasonal altars, self-care, massage, and yoga. Lastly it includes recipes for a Persephone Beauty Elixer’ cream/lotion, a medicinal tonic, a spell for resolution, and a spell for making a decision.
- Seed 3: 'Intuition'. Looks at ways to develop one’s intuition, including an outline for a Persephone focused Lithomancy technique (10 planetary stones, 6 Persephone stones (named for each of the author’s ‘Seeds’: Fertility, Justice, Balance, Union, Sovereignty and Intuition), three tarot spreads and the script for a guided meditation.
- Seed 4: 'Sovereignty'. Is a discussion of [personal Sovereignty, and self-esteem, with journal prompts. Guidance on enchanting a power talisman, and a spell for protecting personal boundaries.
- Seed 5: 'Justice'. Focuses heavily on Persephone in her Queen of the Underworld Aspect, touching on several myths in which she acted as a Purveyor of justice, (Orpheus and Psyche, and a discussion on Trust in regards to the Goddess. Followed by Several spells for truth telling, reflection on behaviour and fair resolutions.
- Seed 6: 'Fertility'. Focuses on Persephone's Spring/Maiden Aspect. Followed by a discussion of Maiden goddesses, Flower Magick, creating Floral elixirs, cleansing sprays, a flower bathing ritual, and spell jars/Witch’s bottles. Followed by the Associations/correspondences and finally a script of a guided meditation, to meet Persephone in her Spring Aspect.

Personal Thoughts and Review.
I’m conflicted about this book. The first half is an excellent primer on Persephone and including her into one’s personal practice however, the second half the ‘Seeds of Persephone’ are at times Meandering, unfocused and clumsy, but there are jewels among the ramblings.

The book appears to be self published, so I’m inclined to be kinder to the Author than I would otherwise be; however, Persephone’s Pathway could really use reformatting (text justified etc), and would benefit immensely from an informed and passionate editor. Nevertheless this book is an excellent edition to the libraries of those of us who work with Persephone.

Aspects in detail.
- General content: The first half goes over a lot of content around Persephone, in some detail and is appropriately referenced through allowing the reader to research further. The Second half (the Seeds) is a mixed bag and approaches certain subjects extremely casually, namely Shadow-work and herbal medicine.
- Persephone’s correspondences: Primarily contained to Chapter 4, the Correspondences are in depth, reference and diverse. However, there are inaccuracies, the most obvious is a mention of Corn/Maize being cut as a part of the Eleusinian Mysteries. As a New World crop Corn was not in ancient Greece at the time and as such has no historical connection to the Mysteries. From my own understanding the crop cut during the Mysteries was likely Barley, a grain though to have great significance to the Eleusinian Mysteries as a part of the hallucinogenic cocktail thought to be drunk by initiates, barley is also part of the offering given by Odysseus to summon Persephone (“first with milk and honey, then with sweet wine, then with water; and sprinkle white barley-meal above”).
- Rituals and Spells: It’s Always interesting to see another practitioner's approach, and covering a very broad scope although, I wish they were indexed since they appear throughout the book.
- Origin Myth retelling: An interesting retelling, possibly my favourite version, however it is not without flaws.
- Guided Meditations: Enjoyable and Interesting, these scripts approach many aspects of Persephone’s Mythos.
- Journaling Prompts: These appear seemingly at random in the latter half of the book, but are nevertheless thought provoking.
- Recommended Reading: While good to see, it is worthy of note that none of these books reference Persephone, Hellenic Polytheism, or Shadow-work. Which are the topics I would like to see additional material given some of my concerns with the book itself.
- Bibliography: Extensive and good practice.

The Seeds in Detail.
Given their significance to the book I’ll review these chapters separately:
- Union: a clumsy chapter whose advice on Shadow-work is surface level and possibly dangerous for a beginner or someone who is mentally vulnerable. But this chapter does handle the topic of Love workings with the required levity.
- Balance: Waffling and honestly feels like filler, of the seeds this one is disappointing and feels like lost potential.
- Intuition: a major highlight of the book, a detailed exploration of Lithomancy, well written and thought provoking.
- Sovereignty: A good chapter, if a little long winded.
- Justice: Spectacular, discussion of Queen Persephone and of how to connect to the Underworld Aspect. A personal highlight.
- Fertility: An excellent close to the book but desperately needs reformatting.

Final Thoughts.
I wholly recommend this book especially as a gateway into working with or worshipping Persephone. Despite its flaws, it is the best resource I’ve found on Persephone from a pagan/witch perspective, and my practice is better for reading it.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

Persephone has always been my favorite Greek goddess ever since I was a kid. I love how this book delves into the mythology of Persephone with the intent to allow it to evolve to modern standards. I was really impressed by all of the psychology-based knowledge of the author as well as her open-mindedness. Coming from a very rigid religious background, I find it very comforting when I am allowed to just absorb information as opposed to being preached at. My one criticism is that there is a lot of repeated information. I read this book from start to finish, but perhaps if you were picking it up and putting it down frequently the repetitive information would be helpful. I am excited to try some of the spells outlined in this book as well as the practical journaling prompts. I recommend this book if you are interested in witchcraft, psychology, and the story of Persephone.

[Zee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to 4 star this one, only because I have questions with some of the specific information included in this book. Heather includes an entire section on corn as a direct association from Persephone, claiming that in the ancient mysteries there was a ritual where an ear of corn was cut symbolically to honor Persephone. Here's the thing: corn is a New World crop. The ancient Greeks and Romans literally did not have corn. And while I want to chalk this up to an awkward mistranslation that corn should have meant wheat, or rye..... how do you symbolically cut some wheat berries? That doesn't make sense. Plus, I didn't see a specific source cited for the section on Persephone's corn association, so the whole inconsistency seems kind of sloppy / poorly researched, which is odd because the rest of this book is incredibly detailed and has no problem with citations and primary sources.

Apart from that, I liked this book. It was a little longer than I wanted it to be and some parts definitely seem more like a general spellbook than Persephone-centered, but it's good. I enjoyed it overall.

[June · Rating 3 out of 5]

At first, the book gives a great perspective and explanation on who is Persephone and how her archetype may be beneficial. However, if you are looking for a book that explores the spiritual and inner work, this will only be helpful to half of the content.

The other half is full of spells, personalized divination tools, and even yoga; it gives a lengthful explanation to introductive knowledge (how to meditate, how to connect with nature, what is tarot and how to open a tarot spread, etc). Which I found to be not only (mostly) unrelated but tiring to read. It may be useful to those who are still entering the witchcraft and/or spiritual path, though.

I feel that it should dive deeper into Persephone's history and deity work, since it's what can make the content richer about how to work with that goddess.

Not bad, but also not what I was looking for. Would recommend it as an introduction reading, but not for more in-depth research.

[JJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Persephone myth is a favourite so I was drawn to this book straight away. I approached this from a spiritual/metaphysical path so was more interested in the magic aspects and spells. There is a history of Persephone which gives you a bit more depth to what she's about but it's not excessive. This is perfect for me because I don't want to be overloaded with history, although if you're looking for a really in depth analysis of the history then you might need something more scholarly.

This book divides Persephone's areas of power into six seeds, with each seed giving magical guidance for that area. I really enjoyed the section on divination and making your own runes.

Enjoyed and would recommend!

[Mia Burrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite a quick read, but an enjoyable read. You can tell the writer has a lot of love and respect for Persephone in the way she talks about her.

I was really pleased to discover a book that has spells related to Persephone because she is a Goddess I want to work with. I would like this book to have gone even deeper into connecting with Persephone but it still makes a lovely addition to my witchy library.

[Bernadette]

This book was o.k. I have an attraction to everything related to Persephone. I feel like it started off really well in describing the myth surrounding Persephone, but then it started to get redundant and turning into the author's personal practice with Persephone which I felt wasn't really relevant to me.

[Fae (◡ ω ◡) · Rating 3 out of 5]

very little literary references to Persephone or information about her, this is more of a self-help book--which is fine, but the repetition of certain somewhat shallow points(protect your boundaries!) got really exhausting. while these sentiments are nice, I guess I was just hoping that a book about Persephone would have more about Persephone. the pagan portals one has a lot more info!!

[Jorge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exactamente lo que buscaba

Un libro extraordinario. No solo la autora es una verdadera devota de Persefone sino que traduce su experiencia en un camino de magia y conocimiento de la mano de mi amada Diosa. Gracias

[Jade Geary · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great resource to learn more about the goddess and her rituals. There were some glaring publishing issues (spacing and such) that were distracting and then the book just ends after an exercise. Would still recommend this book.

[Adele · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

[Patricia Puckett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well researched, and I really enjoyed the breakdown on what it is to use Persephone in one's practice. I particularly enjoyed the shadow work prompts and the two guided meditations.

[Steven Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting and useful book - read for research purposes.

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was absolutely fantastic!
As someone who has recently started her spiritual journey and found herself drawn to Persephone - this book is an amazing resource of history, lore, modern interpretations and guidance to understanding Persephone.

Thank you for writing this - it is a wealth of information. Blessed be.

[Fernanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s just alright. There is some good info on correspondences, offerings, and interesting spell ideas here. But the majority of the book is poorly written, and extremely repetitive. Several times I felt I was reading the same passage I did a couple pages prior, it honestly just feels like the author is trying to hit a word count.

A huge part of this book is also more pseudo-psychology than actually tangible info on either Persephone or witchcraft. And for a book dedicated to Persephone it’s also a bit disappointing how it only touches upon the more well known and surface level traits or parts of her myths.

Giving it 4 stars just because it is so hard to find witchcraft/Persephone books like this. And there is some interesting stuff I can use as quick reference for spell-work.

[Isabelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm giving this book two stars because I believe the author had the best intentions, but I DNF'd it. Unfortunately, there were a lot of grammatical errors, and 30% of the way in, I just couldn't force myself to push through any longer. I also felt that a lot of the information was very introductory and applied to witchcraft in general rather than being specific to Persephone-based diety worship. I expected to get more out of this, but beyond the first couple of chapters, it really felt like a "Witchcraft 101" book with Persephone as an afterthought.

[Manon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very interesting.