Ascension of Persephone, April 3 Ancient Holiday with Esoteric Meaning

Attention devotees of the Divine Feminine, aka God-ess.  She is Returning today! April 3rd is an ancient holiday marking the ascension from “hell” of Persephone.  Like Jesus Christ, she descended into Hell, but she did it every year in Fall with the “death” of the growing season.  Then on April 3rd, she is “resurrected” and ascends to rejoin her mother, the Earth who has been mourning for her and refusing to produce all winter. This ancient holy day is part of the Spring Equinox season which begins nowadays on March 20 and goes to the 3rd.

This painting by famed Goddess artist Jonathan Earl Bowser used to be called simply the Return, but now it’s called the Awakening.  I like  both titles since the latter implies a spiritual awakening alongside the physical “awakening” of the fertile mother earth. Look for the hidden symbols in the painting, such as the DNA spiral, the astrological symbol for the earth (circle with a dot inside). Persephone is treading on water, on lily pads where lotus flowers will soon grow.

This is also the first picture in my God Has a Wife online slide show.

Below is a list of other esoteric alternative holy days for this first week of April.  Buddha’s birthday comes this week, also.

And be ready for the Goddess of Fate day on the 5th. “May Fortuna Smile Upon You!” was the ancient Greek and later Roman greeting today (and all week).  If you were an ordained priest or priestess of God-the-Mother you would greet everyone thusly, generating the response, “And upon you!”

Esoteric, Alternative Holy Days for First Week of April

April 1 thru 4  – Iroquois Thunder Ceremony – In thanksgiving for the rains. Iroquois believe Sky Woman descended from the Sky and Created Earth.

April 2 thru 10  – Hindu Festival honoring Maha Devi as Gauri – life, growth, and fruition.

April 3  – the Ascension of Persephone
–  Buddha’s Birthday  563 BCE (Although the Zen Buddhists celebrate his birthday on the 8th of April)

April 4  – Greek Megalesia of Cybele – Games dedicated to the Great Mother (Greek).

April 5 – Roman Day of Fortuna – Goddess of Fate (Roman).