#and Persephone was so jealous that she turned minthe into a mint plant

[valkerymillenia]

You know who would be interesting to see in Hades 2?

Minthe.

[what-even-is-thiss]

I'm putting together a collection of people turned into flowers or other plants after a weird or tragic love affair in Greek mythology because this epidemic is just getting ridiculous. Let me know if I've missed any.

Narcissus: the one everybody knows. Loved himself so much he turned into a dang flower.

Hyacinthus: Lover of Apollo that got turned into a flower after Zephyr blew a wind and made Apollo accidentally crush his skull with a discus

Crocus: Lover of Hermes who got killed in almost the exact same way as Hyacinthus but this really was on accident Hermes just accidentally killed his boyfriend with a discus and then he got turned into a flower rip

Mecon: A lover of Demeter. Dude got turned into a poppy. idk why but someone thought he should get turned into a flower to preserve him I guess

Clytia: A nymph who liked Helios but Helios didn't like her back and she was so sad about it she turned into a heliotrope flower I guess

Ampelus: Lover of Dionysus. A satyr who died while trying to ride a bull so Dionysus turned him into a vine. I'm starting to think this is a weirdly common coping mechanism for immortals.

Minthe: A nymph that was a consort to Hades. When she claimed to be better than Persephone the goddess in question turned her into a mint plant. Tasty!

Myrrha: Aphrodite got jealous that a city of people were worshipping Dionysus instead of her so she cursed the princess of the island to fall in love with her own father and have sex with him under cover of darkness without him knowing. Myrrha was ashamed of her actions and ran into the woods where the gods turned her into a tree. Out of the tree came Adonis.

Adonis: Lover of Aphrodite. Came out of a tree. Got impaled by a boar when Ares got jealous. Aphrodite turned him into a dang flower. Either Anemones or Roses, sources vary.

Daphne: Not exactly a love affair but her dad did turn her into a laurel tree to help her escape from Apollo so that's something I guess.

[cupidvision]

𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒑𝒉𝒐𝒏𝒆- 𝒈𝒐𝒅𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅

banners by @cafekitsune @dollywons @qqmariztwsse

𝒉𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚

persephone is daughter to zeus and demeter. it was said she was actually born deformed in some articles. persephone had a pretty good childhood, and played with the other children in mount olympus. her mother was also quite protective of her

before she was the goddess of the underworld, she was the goddess of fertility and agriculture. she also was called “kore” before she was married

it wasn’t until she was the goddess of the underworld when she was known as the goddess of ghost and death

𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒑𝒉𝒐𝒏𝒆

some articles say that the children persephone has are actually zeus’s, while some say they’re hades. some claim she doesn’t have children at all

similar to that claim, some say persephone cheated on hades, while other critics say she didn’t

persephone was actually quite jealous, and she was very open about her hatred for people. especially apollo, since it was said he tried to take sexual advantage of her

𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆

she was picking flowers, with nymphs. during this, the ground opened and hades took her. i’ve seen some reports that said hades got zeus’s permission, which is persephone’s dad.

only helios saw the abduction (besides zeus), and during this time demeter noticed that her child went missing. she searched for her, but she found out her daughter had been kidnapped to the underworld and stopped the harvesting and growth of the crops. she wouldn’t release this curse until her daughter was out of hades hands. zeus tried to get demeter to uplift the curse but she refused until persephone was set free.

zeus sent hermes to hades pretty much begging him to let persephone free, but before he left he made her eat pomegranate seeds which forcibly tied her to hades and the underworld. it was said that during her eating the seeds, hades said he would give persephone all of his money and how much he loves her

zeus was left in a position where he had to find a middle ground between hades and demeter’s demand for persephone. so he made persephone stay with hades for 4 months, for the 4 seeds she ate, and the rest of the 8 months with her mother.

it was said persephone fell in love with hades quite fast, since he spoiled her with gifts, love, affection, etc.

during their relationship she found out about one of hades mistresses, minthe. she got very jealous and killed her, and turned her into a mint plant

𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒔

other / nick names: kore, desponia

symbols: seeds, grain, pomegranate, flowers

asteroid meaning(my opinion): choices, choices being taken from us, cycles, abduction, falling in love with the wrong people, jealousy, how your mother is protective, beauty, fertility, agriculture, being trapped, stockholm syndrome

dwelling: the underworld

[mask131]

Asking because I’m researching for my own story.

Did Hades ever cheat on Persephone? I’ve seen two different versions of a myth that he fell in love with two people.

One is that he did love these two but Demeter or Persephone turned one into a mint and Hades turned another into a tree (I think?)

But another version where he was pursued by these two and he didn’t actually love them?

Not sure about the second version, feels like someone babied Hades a bit.

Ah yes, the famous Leuce and Minthe everybody talks about... Well, while I am no expert on the matter, I'll give you the trick that make you seem like an expert: just look at the sources for these stories. As in who wrote about them, when did they write about them, and which culture did they belong to?

Let us begin with Minte, the lover turned to mint. For example, when it came to the sources of the Minthe's legend, one of them is Ovid - so alarm bells - but said mention is just one quick throw-away line, not a full story ; unless the other sources which go into more details about it, and these other sources are Greek. So already the alarm bell can be put down: the Greeks seemed to know more about this than the Romans. However who are the Greeks in question that wrote about this legend? Strabo and Oppian - people who lived in the post-roman age of Greece, in (or around) the first centuries after Christ (Oppian even more obviously since he is in the third century CE). So we are into the latest part of Greek mythology document, the most "recent", and thus it has to be considered carefully. Because while in these late era we did find people digging up and preserving old myth we had no other record of (see how Apollodorus ended up actually preserving an old Medusa story, the one of Medusa being cursed for her vanity, when everybody believed him for a long time to have just collected an alternate tale of Ovid), but on the other we also have LOTS of inventions and stuff that clearly did not exist in very ancient, and not even in Classical Greece (see Nonnos' Dionysiaca which is... a quite special thing.)

It should especially be considered that the two late Greek versions contradict each other, and come from works with very different purposes. Strabo collected the legend as part of his geographical work, and mentions it because there is a mountain near an area sacred to Hades called Minthe, and according to the legend Strabo heard and that he wrote down, Minthe was a lover of Hades that Kore/Persephone "trampled" to death (probably out of jealousy) and turned into a mint. Note that this is the same version Ovid briefly mentions in his Metamorphosis. So by the town the Romans came around, we can be pretty sure this story was the most common one... And yet a few centuries later, Oppian collected a different story in his Halieutica, and Oppian was not a geographer but a poet, and the Halieutica is a ... didactic epic about fishing. I know it sounds weird, but I swear it makes sense. Anyway, in the story Oppian gives us, the tale goes differently: Minthe was still Hades' lover, but the story explicitely says she was BEFORE Hades ravished/captured Persephone to be his bride, and as a result Minthe was actually pushed away/abandoned. (Note that in the Ovid/Strabo stories Minte seems to be a human woman, while in Oppian's tale, she is a "nymph of the Cocytus", aka one of the nymphs of the rivers of the underworld). And in Oppian's tale it is not Persephone that was jealous, but Minthe, who kept complaining, and saying bad things about Hades' new bride, and who kept boasting about her own beauty supposedly greater than Persephone's, and she kept repeating that Hades would end up being tired of Persephone and divorce her and take Minte back... And the goddess that got angry with Minthe wasn't Persephone, but it was Demeter, who became very angry at Minthe slandering her daughter, and trampled her until she was turned into a mint-plant.

These are the main sources for the Minthe tale, but there are other secondary records about it. For example saint Photios of the Orthodox Church wrote in the ninth century a "Lexicon", a work meant to explain words and vocabulary of Antique authors that had gone obscure - and he had a mention of Minthe, where he merely described her as Hades's mistress/extra-marital lover, and yet a "nymph of Cocytus" (so we have a mix of the previous versions above). We also have a preserved scholia of a Greek poet of the second century (Nicander) that mentions another story of Minthe being killed by Persephone for having slept with Hades - but in this scholia, Persephone rather "ripped to pieces" Minthe, and it was Hades himself that turned her into a mint.

So conclusion: the story did exist... But apparently only was recorded in very, very late Greek mythology, meaning it might be one of the very latest developments of Hades' love life. THAT BEING SAID... there is an element that might hint at the source of this sudden legend. John M. Edmonds published in 1957 "The Fragments of Attic Comedy" in which he mentions the writings of the second century CE scholar Julius Polux, who mentions that Minthe was evoked and described in an old Greek play we now have lost: "Nomoi", the "Laws", written by Cratinus, an Athenian playwright of the 6-5th century BCE... So given all the elements we have, we might be to imagine that Minthe started her life as a theatrical invention, that became more and more popular until it became a widespread legend.

We also have to consider the cultural elements surrounding the mint-plant in Ancient Greece - because whenever someone turns into a plant, it is very revealing. The myth of Minthe seems to be a poetic transliteration of the various roles the mint had in Ancient Greece. After all, it was a plant used for funerary rites and rituals - explaining why it would be associated with Hades and the underworld. It was also one of the ingredients of the sacred brew used in the Eleusian Mysteries, again linking it to the Underworld, but with the additional links to Demeter and Kore. (Even though some rather saw Minte as being an opposite of Persephone/Demeter, for example Marcel Detienne in "The Garden of Adonis" (a studies of spices in Ancient Greece), points out that the mint was seen as a plant of sterility, or a sterile symbol, and that thus Minthe being destroyed by Demeter represents the victory of a goddess of fertility against the plant of sterility. We also have records of the mint being considered an aphrodisiac by Ancient Greeks - which again would explain Minthe's role as a lover of Hades... So Minthe might have been an allegorical character to depict the role of the mint in relation to the funerary rites and/or Eleusinian rites, that gained a life of its own... Maybe. We can never be sure.

But one thing we are sure of is that Minthe did not belong to the oldest versions of Greek mythology - she is not from the Homeric or Hesiodic traditions, in both of which Hades is very much faithful to Persephone.

As for Leuce, she is... very very much less interesting than Minthe. Because the story of Leuce/Leuke only comes from one source: Servius. Who was not from Greece, but from Italy, and who lived between the fifth and sixth century, aka at a time where a lost of the old myths had been lost or very, very warped - and he is to this day the only source we have for this story so... he might have either invented it, or recorded someone else's invention or deformation. Mind you, people will come saying "But... Leuke was turned into a poplar tree, and the poplar tree was HUGE in Underworld symbolism and Greek mythology!". And I do not deny that... But when the only source we have for a character is a non-Greek person that is the only one speaking of said character and came long after Ancient Greece and even after the glory days of the Roman Empire... Yeah I am doubting Leuke ever really belonged to Greek mythology.

If you want to write something about Hades having another lover, at least go with Minthe, she has more roots in Greek mythology (no pun intended). But you are not even forced to include Minthe because she is part of the very late stages of Greek mythology, she is not a constant, so you can add her if you want, or go with older traditions where she did not exist.

[bleakyblues]

oh my god I swear my breath stopped when I got the new chapter notification. I loooooooved this chapter, like the way I can't stop thinking about kinn and porsche as persephone and hades? shaking screaming and crying <3

just everything about this chapter completely hit me, the reality of kinn loving porsche, how he'd rather be hated then put porsche at risk, how despite all this he can't keep himself away. God I love tragedy, can't wait to see what happens next (seriously my heart speeds up every time I think about this fic)

yes, Yes YESS! you don't know how excited this ask about the Persephone and Hades myth makes me. (mythology nerd here)

I am particularly obsessed with this myth for KP because on the surface it's a tale of cruelty right? Hades/Kinn (both of whom are lords of the 'underworld' wink, wink) drags poor, unwilling and bright like sunshine Persephone/Porsche down to the underworld and away from Demeter/family. Then when there's a chance to leave, he traps her/him with the fruit/ring. It is a tragedy in its purest form.

But then, when you read deeper into the myth you realise a few key points that are usually left out for a more palatable narrative -

1. Hades had three brothers (like Kinn) and like Kinn, he was the unwilling ruler of the underworld because he quite literally drew the shorter straw (perhaps the first one in mythological history even). He also genuinely loved Persephone - he never cheated and in some versions, gave her an out and an ability to leave by offering her only one seed instead of the whole fruit.

2. That you couldn't leave the underworld if you had underworld food was a very ancient law that predated even the Olympians so it is a bit weird that Persephone didn't know exactly what she was doing when she had that fruit, especially given that her mother was the fricken goddess of fruits. This is also a perfect analogy for Porsche, who, when he returned to Kinn for the last time and took the ring, knew exactly what he was getting into with the ring (i have a whole meta about it, you can read that one for more on the topic).

3. Persephone was actually called 'dread Persephone' by Hesiod in his Theogony and she was supposed to have been Hades' 'Queen' (laughs in chess) and his equal. She was Hades' most trusted advisor, the protector of his realm, the one who decided the cruelest punishments and had enough control on the ghosts to send them to the living world. That is practically the definition of what Porsche becomes by the end of the show because what else role he'd have as the head of the minor family who's duty is literally to do the dirty work of the major one.

3. Persephone's only known possible affair was with Adonis (Vegas anybody?) but that is also disputed because some claim she loved him like a mother, having raised him since he was a child, and not like a lover. So it was a rumour rather than the actual truth - just like Porsche and Vegas would seem to be to any unsuspecting bystander who wasn't aware of the whole situation.

4. Persephone was known to be a very, very jealous person (just like Porsche) and really, really petty because there was a nymph named Minthe who tried to seduce Hades so Persephone turned her into a mint plant just so she could stomp on it. Seems like the kind of a thing Porsche would do in fact.

There are other similarities out there but this is all I can remember off the top of my head right now. (Also, don't tell anyone but I might have a Hades-Persephone kp fic in the works ;)

[brightdown00]

Why Hades x Persephone Isn't The Healthy Couple You Think They Are (Part 2)

I strongly recommend that you read Part 1 before Part 2 ...

In my first post, I thoroughly debunked the myths people have about this myth, and re-examined the historical context behind the myths, and so this post will just be wrapping things up with my own thoughts on the subject.

Another fairly minor but still common misconception I've seen is that Hades is steadfast loyal to Persephone, which is not true. In the original myth about Minthe, the word used is pallake, which is Greek for 'concubine' (even though Minthe never bore Hades a child). In the original myth about Leuke, an Oceanid and friend of Persephone, the word used is adamavit, which is an Latin verb used for describing passionate yet adulterous love. (Hades also abducted Leuke to the Underworld, so ...) The Roman poet, Vergil, claims that Hades fathered the Furies with Nyx (and Nyx is their mother according to Apollodorus). Hades is, after all, King of the Underworld and ancient kings will always have their concubines if only one can be the queen consort (see my post, Why Hera Isn't The Jealous Wife You Think She Is).

People use Persephone turning Minthe into, well, a mint plant and stomping on her as 'proof' of her love for Hades, but that's only one version of the myth, the other version of the myth has DEMETER turning Minthe into a mint plant and stomping on her, which is likely to be the original myth since there was a hill named after her in the neighborhood of Pylos, and there was a temple to Hades and a grove to Demeter at its foot (source: Theoi.com). They also disregard how Persephone has cheated on Hades with Adonis (one of the only goddesses to cheat on her husband), whom she raised as a baby (so a classic case of the abused becoming the abuser) and so Adonis chose Aphrodite over her. A girl is not going to fall in love with her uncle who kidnapped and raped her, and if she does, we would call that Stockholm Syndrome.

Really, the only inclination I've seen of these two actually loving each other (or, rather Persephone loving Hades) is when Melinoe was conceived on the banks of the river Cocytus ... but that's in the Orphic Hymns, where Persephone has sex with her daddy Zeus who is the guise of her husband, Hades. No, Hades saving Persephone from Pirithous doesn't count, because Zeus would have done the same if it was Hera (and he did, in many myths). Sure, Hades treats Persephone with respect, but bear in mind he's terrified of her mother, who made it abundantly clear (pun intended) that she could make his job infinitely harder.

Oh, and few people know this, but Demeter's son, Plutus, the God of Wealth, was originally fathered by Hades (y'know, the God of Wealth, whose name is also Plutus). Ioanna Papadopoulou, an Greek author, actually touched upon this in her retelling of the Homeric Hymn to Demeter, Winter Harvest.

Lastly, the final misconception is that Hades and Persephone are together for six months, which is why we have the fall/autumn and winter season, but that's a misconception dating back to the application of Victorian Era protoscience to Hellenism. The Mediterranean climate of Greece and Rome doesn't allow for four seasons, and heavy snow don't occur in Greece, the myth is to explain why crops don't grow for a third of the year (since the Ancient Greeks divided their calendar into thirds), so, really, Hades only has his wife around for four months (two in the winter, and two in the summer). In the myth of Adonis, Zeus divided Adonis' time with Persephone and Aphrodite into thirds; he gets four months with Persephone, four months with Aphrodite, and a third by himself (which he chooses to spend with Aphrodite).

I'd also like to mention the reason why you don't see other myths about Hades and Persephone is because of the taboo on death-worship in Ancient Greek culture. Ancient Greeks would address Hades by his epithet, 'Aidoneus', or his nickname, 'Zeus of the Underworld'. They would also address Persephone as 'Kore' or 'Despoina' (also the name of her half-sister fathered by Poseidon). People would only use Persephone's name in curses. There is a reason why you don't see Hades depicted as unreasonable (his epithet, 'Aidoneus', is Greek for 'reasonable mind'), when compared to Zeus and Poseidon. People figured out that Zeus was lustful and Poseidon wrathful, so they attempted to lift up Hades as some kind of dark and repressed antihero, but really, it's more Palpatine bad versus Vader bad.

FUN FACT: In Ancient Greece, unmarried girls who died young was considered a Really Bad Thing. A big upset for the family - basically it meant you were a shitty parent. (Of course, assuming that these families weren't the cause of their deaths ...) So, what the women in the family would do is dress their deceased daughters up as if they were going to get married. The funeral procession would play out like a wedding profession and during the bridal ceremony, the daughter would "marry" Hades as his newest concubine. It's a way to comfort parents because believing that your daughter is at his mercy sounds terrible, but with Persephone, you can imagine that she's looking after your lost little girl. (I suspect it's also to ward off necrophilia ...)

My own thoughts on this subject?

I am absolutely convinced that women just really want to fantasize about the original versions of myth but also don't want to admit it so they have to retell it. Women seem to have collectively agreed they would get excited over the thought of getting taken by an abusive kidnapper. I think our tendency to write and seek out these types of retellings (where there is a romanticization of an abusive situation) is also deeply connected to our internalized misogyny and the romanticization of abuse that a lot of us have grown up with. We were taught in many different ways that physical (including sexual) and emotional (including verbal), stalking, abduction, etc, is romantic when guys do it. We were taught that it means he loves us and that it's something we should desire; that it means we are special. (E.G. Little girls are told that if a little boy hits her, it means he likes her, and they also get shown movies like Beauty and the Beast.) Growing up with these messages instilled in us through sayings, stories and so on, as well as (for many of us) having experienced this firsthand in romantic and sexual relationships means it's now deeply rooted in us; in our worldviews and sexualities, and so we tend to repeat the pattern.

I think making Hades the hero and Demeter the villain in modern retellings is another proof of how much we are influenced by the patriarchy. It just fits in so perfectly in all the stereotypes about the evil mother-in-law.

Plus it helps that Hades is "shadow daddy". He is dark, brooding, mysterious, emotionally distant, vaguely Goth, probably tall and skinny. The myth of Hades and Persephone hits all the tropes popular in Epic Dark Romance like a wrecking ball, 50 Shades of Hades and all, but let's just normalize being abducted and raped by your uncle as a child, right?

[minthe-lover]

Plants a Connection

After Minthe was turned back into a plant you formed a close connection to her. A curtain pink Goddess got annoyed and jealous at it. So this fic was planning on having like.. five more parts but I spent way to long just getting through the first two.

It was a long three years, there was constant working and while Persephone was doing her best to fill Demeters shoes there was definitely a difference. The days started to drag on, you tried to distract yourself with hobbies and work but you couldn't help but long for something new.

There is only so much distract you could get from exploring the nearby forests, swimming, and playing games with the other nymphs. Plus the small library that had stopped getting any new books three years ago, only lasted two years before you were rereading things.

Not to mention most of them where Persephones old textbooks, and a eight hundred pages about plant growth couldn't save you from boredom. Days began to get repetitive, before the punishment you would have been joining Demeter on her travels. Making sure to take notes of whatever was important and getting to enjoy technology the other realms had to offer.

During the punishment, besides the normal duties of helping in the fields you were also tasked with following Persephone and writing down any important information, record keeping was boring but easy. That also lead to hear many many of Persephone daydreams and reminiscing on her time with hades. At first you didn't mind accepting they were simply the lovesick rambling of a first crush in a stressful situation.

After awhile they began to annoy and even worry you, hearing about their first meeting or even first kiss and how strong the feelings where even after years. It brought up a protective concern for someone you consider similar to a sister, though you kept your feelings to yourself.

When any of the nymphs brought up even the slightly bit of worry or question about the relationship, Persephone quickly dismissed or even for what she considered particular bad remarks lead to arguing. You wished to avoid such confrontation, and simply hoping Persephone didn't end up getting hurt.

It was a routine you got into and slugged through in hopes for the future to return to normal, you did see persephones abilities getting more controlled. Though it truly came to show when she turned the mint plan back into a nymph it originally was.

You where told what had happen to minthe, you did join with Persephone in her anger towards her at first. Hearing of how she harmed people close to you, but then came a creeping sympathy and sadness. Yes you missed your loss friends but you saw the destruction Persephone had caused.

Not to mention the lonely nymph that was trapped in a simple potted plant. You found yourself visiting her often, sharing a few kind words in hope she could hear you and get comfort from them.

Today was another attempt like the others to turn minthe back, Persephone straining and focus. Then something different, a few seconds of complete stillness. The wind in the air no longer moving the leaves before they began to merge together and grow.

It was the first time you saw a underwold river nymph so close. Her deep red crimson skin stood up a great deal against the soft green of the grass, though you couldn't get a word in before a small argument between minthe and Persephone broke out and she rushed off into the bush.

Persephone was stopped from running after minthe, but she sighed and started to complain about minthe. "I get she angry but I got to much stuff to deal with right now! Why does she have to be so difficult!!"

You were staring at the forest line where minthe disappeared, you felt bad for her. The confusion and anger she felt must be difficult and you wished you could help, instead you turned to Persephone attempting to calm her frustrations. "Perse... Please, she confused and frustrated as well... She isn't purposefully being difficult.. she's just trying to make sure that she's okay after something traumatic"

Persephone just groaned annoyed "come on! She just selfish and doesn't care about anyone besides herself and has always been difficult! I told you what she did to hades!"

You gave Persephone a small look, knowing you couldn't convince her otherwise so just nodded along as she complained. Once she cooled off she gave instructions to the nymphs to bring minthe to her once they found her.

It was a few hour later when they did, and what you saw broke your heart. Minthe yelling out in shock when she learned of the punishment and that after she was freed from one prison she was trapped in yet another. You saw the few stray tears in her eyes as she stumbled a bit away from Persephone.

Then the anger came, Persephone was laughing. Not loudly or boastfully but a small under the breath chuckle as minthe shakes in shock at the fact she can never return home. Something in you snapped and you glared at Persephone quickly walking past her and to minthe.

You spoke calmly attempting to calm her "minthe... I know this is alot... I understand it will take awhile to fully comprehend what's going on, but I'm here to answer any questions you have..." You paused looking over at a confused Persephone with a small glare. "Without any judgment, of course."

You say that Persephone was gonna attempt to rebuttal that but was cut of by minthe "What could you possible understand you lit-" you saw her bite her tongue and take a moment to stare at you before pausing. "..... I know your voice" she whispered under her breath.

In was a second later you where being dragged away Persephone yelling at minthe in the background. "You gonna tell me what I need to know and then you can go back to that screaming pink puff." Minthe again retreated into the bush with you close behind and once you both were hidden from Persephone she stopped turning to you.

"... Is what shes is saying right? Are we really trapped in this shitty place!" You nodded sadly and minthe stumbled again sitting on the ground and swearing under her breath. You frown and sat next to her, taking a moment to pick your works to attempt to comfort her.

"... It's... Terrible... And a lonely experience... But I'll make sure you have everything you need... The punishment could technically end any year now... Though... I know none of that is going to make you feel much better... And while there isn't alot of private placed here, I know one where you can go to be alone for a bit..."

Minthe paused before taking a Shaky breath. "... I... I don't remember much of being a plant, It was all muddled and it was like being trapped in dream but every so often I heard things, most of them weren't the nicest but.. I heard your voice the most often and it was always.... nicer.."

It was clear that it was minthe's way of thanking you without actually saying it. Minthe looked away before getting up "Well.... guess I'll go back and deal with that dumb puffball of a god... I'm guess you don't got any alcohol I could have to make it a bit easier."

You laugh a bit with minthe before leading her back. It was a rocky start with minthe, Persephone was always snappy at minthe and Minthe wasn't that great either. Though she grew into her role as a teacher, branching out from teaching the children to the older nymphs. Helping them learn skills more fitting to a life in the city for whenever the borders may open.

Despite being busy with Persephone you were always trying to find an hour or two when you could to sit in are her classes. She was a great teacher, explaining things in a clear way that wasn't boring or stiff. It was clear that the nymphs began to warm up to her, after knowing her many began to warm up.

Though Persephone and later Daphne still held a grudge, often talking about her in a negative way. Still strong and clear of their hatred of her. You very much had a growing interest in her, she was beautiful and alluring. She made you laugh and the time spent with her was fun.

It was a day during one of her classes, you sat near the back listening in. Having arrived closer to the end you missed most of the context for the lesson but you enjoyed listen none the less. Afterwards you stay in the back as a few of the nymphs chatted, simply enjoying the cooling air of the late afternoon the sun soon going to begin setting.

It wasn't long till most of the nymphs left and minthe joined you in the back letting out a tired sign. "By the gods I don't think I'll ever be used to so many nymphs looking up to me... Guess I really got them fooled" She laughs softly and you shook your head with a smile.

"oh please you know your great at it and You love to find different ways to boss people around~" You and minthe shared a laugh before leading into a comfortable silence. Minthe paused staring at the forest line before speaking up "hey... do you wanna steal some wine and fine a pretty spot to...."

Minthe trailed of clearly gather some strength to continue. "I want to invite you on a date.. I thought that getting drunk while watching a sunset would be a fun idea.... I can tell your desperate for some time away from persephone..."

You could help but smile brightly "Yes!... Yes I'd love to go on a date.. you go find a nice spot.. and I'll get the alcohol. I know where Demeter kept the good stuff, and it should still be there" you winked at her.

She followed with a small laugh "good to know I should go to you if I want to get wasted.. I'll see you back here in tenish minutes?" you agreed and both went separate paths.

You quickly rushed to the Demeters hidden pantry, you knew she that Demeter wouldn't have much use for them and wouldn't notice a single missing one whenever she does return. You started back out to find minthe before passing by a familiar pink face. Persephone gave you a smile "There you are! what are you doing.... where are you bringing that?"

You couldn't stop the large goofy smile that formed on your face, extremely happy to be sharing the news. "I'm going on a date with.." you paused knowing Persephone feeling towards minthe but you were to happy to care. "Minthe... minthe asked me out on a date! and I'm so happy and excited"

Persephone shared your excited smile at first, but it quickly fell at the mention of who "... minthe.. why would you got on a date with her.. she's terrible! She will ruin your life! she was a terrible girlfriend to hades! don't do this you'll regret it..."

Your smily fell quickly after as well. "Perse... Your acting like acting like we just got engaged.. it's a first date, we're gonna drink and talk. Plus it's been almost four years since minthe has been in a relationship, she been doing better and alot of the nymphs trust her.. and I do as well"

Persephone mood seemed to have soured even more "Don't act like you know more then me about her! I've told her all the shitty things she's done and why are in love with her."

You couldn't help but laugh "Persephone... You knew her for less then a month three years ago.. I've been friends with her for multiple months and again I'm not In love with her... it's a first date!"

Persephone eyes glowed a bit red letting out an annoying sigh "Fine! go have a romantic night with the nymph that messed over my life! Go have a fun time when I'm stuck away from the love of my life because of that nymph you 'trust'"

"Perse! you knew him for a month and you never even went on a date yet! and you haven't even him in over three years... how could you possibly call him the love of your life!... because he gave you some gifts.. and was passively nice to you? Perse.. I'm saying this because I care about you... is that really what you want your love to be based on"

The goddess glared at you "What, How dare you say that! hades is the love of my life and minthe is just a little weasel who got in the way and completely ruin it! Why does she get to have a fun time while I'm stuck flirting with a tree!"

You just signed softly, no longer in the mood to argue "Persephone.. that happened three years ago, your reaction was to turn her into a fucking plant.. and you haven't honestly apologized for it... and guess what.. just cause you can't so something doesn't mean other people also can't. So I'm going on a date with Minthe and you're just going to have to deal with that fact.. and if you care about me in the slightest you'll support my decisions."

You quickly walked away for Persephone could add anything else, you just wanted to have a enjoyable night with Minthe. You met up with her, she was sitting around looking bored. "Minthe! there you are.. sorry I was a bit late.. lets get this started"

"nah it's alright, I found a pretty great spot.. though I'm guessing you already know about it." She held her hand out which you took, being careful to not drop the wine as she lead you to the bush and to a clearing. The sun was just beginning to set through the trees leading to a beautiful thing to look over.

You both sat down next to each other pouring each other a glass of wine and sharing them. You relaxed quite quickly around Minthe, joking around, making fun of a few of Persephone outfits, and just generally having fun.

"I was completely sure that her boobs where going to pop out, she must be using magic to keep them in.. cause she turned around to fast one and it 100% should've pop out but then it didn't somehow!" Minthe explained laughing loudly, and you followed in the laughing.

Minthe let out a happy sigh as a comfortable silence started taking a few sips from her glass. The sun has set and you where both staring up at the beautiful stars. She pauses looking at them to look towards you "... You know.. for the longest time I though that I was.. unloveable and didn't deserve any kind relationships.. my last one was... questionable in many ways... so thanks.. Even if this doesn't turn out into anything I'm just glad to be able to have these moments"

You smiles gently, moving to wrap and arm around her shoulders sitting a bit closer. "Same feelings here... I really enjoyed this.." you paused face heating up slightly "is there anything you want to make it more memorable.." you asked with a small whisper.

Minthe smirked, moving to give you a small kiss. "For now.. I think this is perfect..." She happy cuddling against you, simply relaxing and allowing herself to enjoy the time with you.

[elazrielbook]

ELRIEL HADES/PERSEPHONE FORESHADOWING

i don't think sjm with follow the myth exactly, she'll switch it up like authors always do with retellings, but i'll explain the similarities first and at the end i'll tell you how i think she'll change the story!

ELAIN - PERSEPHONE

godess of spring and flowers, constantly compared to innocence and light. gets taken from her home to the night court. falls for the god of death.

AZRIEL - HADES

god of death/the underworld. azriels name literally translate to 'angel of death' and how many times is he compared to death and darkness? falls in love with persephone from afar, but demeter(rhys) tries to keep them apart.

GWYN - MINTHE

both are a red haired river nymph(naiad). minthe tries to make persephone jealous and ends up getting turned into a mint leaf. (i personally don't think itll go that way but i'll explain at the end) in the myths she dwelled in the river Cocytys, that flows into the river Acheron, the river that the archerons just happen to be named after.

GRAYSEN - ADONIS

a mortal boy that persephone fell in love with. when he had to split his time between aphrodite and persephone he chose to spent most with aphrodite. (this could represent graysen choosing the humans over elain when she turned fae).

RHYS/LUCIEN - DEMETER

demeter was persephones mother whos main role in the myth was trying to keep hades and persephone apart. like how rhys forbid elriel. demeter also forced persephone to split her time between the mortal world and the underworld (the human realm and nightcourt). and lucien currently lives in the human realm...

----

everyone and their grandma sees how elriel give the hades and persephone vibes but if you actually look into it, theres so many specific things that allude to it

the only thing im not sure about is where the whole dynaminc of lucien would fit in. but authors add new characters to retellings all the time so i suppose thats fine.

so, rhys has already played demeter and set up the whole forbidden love thing. in the myth its well known that hades kidnaps persephone to marry him, but i don't see azriel abducting elain anytime soon so dont worry about that lmao.

in mythology persephone is forced to spend spend half the year with hades and half with demeter back up in the real world. maybe this represents her being forced to spend time with lucien in the next book? and then going back and forth to the night court? either rhys or lucien could demand this of her since they would be in the role of demeter.

in the end of course hades and persephone get married, and minthe starts boasting about how shes more beautiful and how hades will choose her in the end as they are past lovers. sjm definitely wont make azriel a cheater so i wouldn't worry about the past lovers part, but gwyn seems too nice to boast like that so maybe its a misunderstanding that causes trouble. the biggest candidate for this is the necklace! some jealousy is caused but not a big fight or anything. i really dont think she'll get turned into a plant though💀elains not the type to do things out of spite so i imagine gwyn will be fine.

rhys being demeter is likely. he's kind of her guardian in a way. demeter wanted persephone to stay in the mortal world to provide the harvest for everyone even though persephone wanted to be in the underworld with hades. elain has the burden of political alliances on her shoulder because of her mate bond with lucien. this could again hint to rhys making her spend time with lucien in the human lands (mortal world)when she really wants to go back to azriel in the night court(underworld).

i think that lucien is going to have more of demeters role however. rhys loves azriel and cares for elain so he'll accept their relationship in the end, lucien however may not as hes her mate. i think its more likely to be lucien than rhys that demands that elain spends time with him in the human lands and the rest in the night court. i feel like this would lead to her hating him the way persephone hated demeter. this could end in the blood dual(that's definitely happening btw)

PSA i do not think this will be the plot of the book!! but with all the hades and persephone foreshadowing i feel like these will just be some things that happen in it. but not the actual plot, that will have more to do with elain powers and koschei etc. and even if my theory is correct and its a hades and persephone retelling, it wont follow the myth exactly, some parts will be changed and go differently!

i think the next book will be a mix of the hades and persephone myth and the tale of blodeuwedd, which i will do a post on next!

[violetrose-art]

Hercules Headcannons, Theories, and Ideas

A revised list of my headcannons, theories, and ideas for Disney’s Hercules

-Nyx, the Goddess of Night, is very good friends with Hades and she owns a nightclub down in the Underworld called ‘The Void’

-Hades and Eris, the Goddess of Discord and Chaos, used to date, but Hades broke up with her due to Eris being too wild and clingy

-While they were together, Persephone beat, insulted, and abused Hades and forced him to do whatever she wanted him to do until Nyx, Erebus, and Thanatos stood up for Hades and forced Persephone to leave the Underworld and not come back

-Hades had no children with Persephone, mostly because she refused to have children with him

-Persephone had an affair with Prince Adonis, just to get Hades’ attention

-Macaria and Melinoe are Aurai, air nymphs, and Zagreus is a demigod

-Helios, the God of the Sun, is the father of Persephone, not Zeus

-Persephone had three demigod children with Adonis. Their names are Plutus, Obelix, and Deianira

-Zagreus is the son of Persephone and an unknown man

-Metis, the Goddess of Good Counsel, is the also the mother Ares, the God of War

-Thanatos, the God of Death, and Hades are very good friends and they even have a personal handshake

-Zeus and Hera had five more children after Hercules. Their names are Amoratta, Parthenia, Averos, Naidon, and Margalo

-Apollo and Athena have a son named Oleus and a daughter named Wisteria

-Harmonia, the Goddess of Harmony and Peace, is the daughter of Aphrodite and Hephaestus

-Hecate, the Goddess of Witchcraft and Necromancy, has a crush on Thanatos and she tries to flirt with him every chance she gets… but he turns her down every time

-Circe is the daughter of Hecate and an unknown mortal man

-After living a long life together, Megara and Hercules both ascended to Mt. Olympus and became gods

-When he was younger, Hades used to be very close with his mother Rhea, the Titaness of Motherhood… until the Titanomachy, that was when they drifted apart

-Adonis used to be Megara’s first boyfriend, until he ran off with Persephone, who was disguised as a human girl

-After the weaving contest between Athena and Arachne, Hades was the one who cursed Arachne, not Athena. He was a hidden spectator and when he saw the girl’s superior tapestry, he was greatly offended by it. So he cursed the human weaver to weave forever as a hideous spider monster

-Hades used to own a magical artifact called the Ember of Blue, but it was stolen from him by his father, Cronus, the Titan God of Time, and it was hidden away during the War with the Titans

-As a boy whenever Hades felt angry, sad, or scared, Rhea would take him to a secret temple they only know about and they would dance together until Hades was happy again

-When Hades was little, he had a huge argument with Cronus and he was so angry and upset that he ran away and hid in a cave… only to be chased out by the most horrifying creature he had ever seen: a huge black blob-like creature with giant rusty claws, a gaping mouth filled with rows of razor sharp teeth, and one giant, bulging red eye. He called it the Nightterror

-Persephone is a spoiled, selfish, and jealous goddess and she always puts on a kind and innocent façade to get others (mortal or divine) to do what she wants

-Medusa was born a gorgon, and she is the youngest out of her and her sisters, Euryale and Stheno

-While she was growing up, Persephone was spoiled rotten by her father, Helios

-Apate, the Goddess of Deception and Lying, and Peitho, the Goddess of Persuasion, are good friends with Persephone and they like to gossip and spread false rumors about the other Gods and Goddesses

-Minthe is able to turn herself into a mint plant at will

-Cerberus started out as a regular mortal puppy until Hecate decided to place a curse upon the poor thing and turn him into a three headed beast, and a younger Hades felt pity for the cursed dog so he took him in and trained him to be his guard dog

-Macaria, Zagreus, and Melinoe may not be gods, but they work for Hades in the Underworld

-Instead of a goddess, Ker is a sly spirit of violent death that works in the Underworld

-Eons ago, Hecate created an herb that is extremely toxic to mortal beings, but the herb itself has an opiate-like effect on the Gods

Amphitrite can transform her legs into a fish tail whenever she pleases·         Hades was the one who removed Arke’s wings and imprisoned her in Tartarus, not Zeus

-From time to time, Hermes, the Messenger of the Gods, likes to flirt with Iris, the Goddess of the Rainbow

-Elpis, the Spirit of Hope, is good friends with Zeus and Hera’s youngest daughter, Margalo

-Whenever Hades falls asleep after a huge meal, he tends to sleepwalk and he gets a really bad stomachache

-Leuke and Minthe each had a massive crush on Hades and they competed to win his affection… but they both failed miserably

-Orphne works for Hades in the Underworld, but she usually keep to herself and she doesn’t really interact with him very much

-Lamia used to be a well-respected human queen, but Hera transformed the queen into a serpent-like creature when she attempted and failed to seduce Zeus. Hades even tried to recruit Lamia for his uprising, but she turned him down flat

-During the Titanomachy, Hades stole Cronus’ magical sundial and Cronus tried to get his youngest son to join him and the other Titans, but Hades refused. He and his older brothers beat their father and locked him away in the deepest part of Tartarus and Hades hid the Sundial in the Underworld where Cronus would never find it

-Erebus, the God of Darkness and Shadows, and Hades know each other quite well. After the Titanomachy, they started to grow closer as friends and eventually, Erebus had become a father figure to Hades

-Chloris, the Goddess of Flowers, is a total hippie and she likes to throw parties with Bacchus, the God of Wine and Revelry

-Narcissus is the God of Vanity and Pride

-Fortuna, the Goddess of Luck and Fortune, is something of a gambler. She enjoys giving mortals luck, either good or bad, and seeing what happens… and the Fates don't like her for that very reason

-Macaria, Zagreus, and Melinoe usually go around and tell people that they are the children of Hades and Persephone… but they’re NOT. Hades always dispels these rumors very quickly and the three of them are always brutally punished for it

-After Hercules and Megara were married, they had five children together. Their names are Arsenius, Phoebe, Elena, Matthias, and Deicoon

-Tempest, an Amazon Warrior, had a son named Achilles. He never knew his father, but he doesn't really care since he's a mama's boy. Achilles is more drawn to theater, dramas, dance, and music over fighting in wars despite being named after a great warrior like his namesake

-Adonis and Helen of Troy were married after graduating from Prometheus Academy and had two daughters named Aurea and Dalia

-Cassandra ended up falling in love with Icarus, they got married, and had two sons named Jenos and Dion

-After graduating from Prometheus Academy, Icarus became a well-known inventor and Cassandra became a wise and famous oracle

-Helen of Troy and Adonis rule a kingdom of their own

-Hebe, the Goddess of Youth, has a pet eagle named Omega

-During the time of Hades’ banishment in the River Styx, Thanatos, Erebus, and Nyx were tasked to rule the Underworld together in Hades’ absence, but they missed him terribly

-Geras, the God of Old Age, used to flirt with Hebe until Hera stepped in and told him to back off and leave her daughter alone

-In the Underworld, Geras likes to tick Hades off by doing things like leaving his dentures on the throne and pretending to be hard of hearing, which drives Hades up a wall

-Hephaestus is very close with his daughter, Harmonia, but he’s also a little overprotective of her

-The Sirens used to be ordinary naiads and playmates of Persephone, but Demeter cursed them to be monsters when they failed to rescue Persephone when she was abducted to the Underworld

-Nyx has an unusual relationship with Hemera, the Goddess of the Day. They have their differences and they can sometimes butt heads on certain subjects, but they usually get along rather well

-Aurora, the Goddess of the Dawn, is a total glamour girl. She enjoys fashion and loves to accessorize, especially with bracelets

-Aether, the God of Light, is a bit of a rock star. He loves to sing and rock out and he has a very sweet relationship with Hemera

-Aura, the Goddess of the Breeze, is something of a hippie and enjoys meditating

[gale-gentlepenguin]

Okay, I'm a Greek mythology nerd. There are a couple interpretations of Persephone becoming Queen of the Underworld and two more common ones of the one with Minthe.

There are some where Hades went to Zeus (Persephone's father) and asked to marry her/what should he do. As both king of the gods and father to Persephone, Zeus gave Hades permission/the idea to kidnap Persephone. Since men had a greater say and he was given the go ahead, Hades likely saw nothing really wrong with this. It was very common place and normal during those times to not get permission from the daughter/wife-to-be.

The other version is that Persephone found the entrance to the Underworld while wandering. Because she was so confided and restricted by Demeter, she explored and loved it there. She eventually came across Hades and they fell in love and so she decided of her own free will to eat the seeds.

I prefer the second version. The additional bit of fact for this is that Persephone's name was originally Kore. Kore in Greek means "maiden". But it was later changed by Zeus to Persephone, and means "bringer of destruction/chaos".

And Minthe. There was the version that Hades cheated with the river nymph and Persephone was enraged enough to turn her into a mint plant. The other is that Minthe flirted with Hades and tried to sleep with Hades, which made Persephone jealous and angry, so she turned her into a mint plant.

(And yes I got way into this, sorry)

[mystiksnotes]

Mint

Ruled by - Venus, Mars, Pluto Element - Air Sacred to - Hades/Pluto Form - Leaf, Extract, Oil Legend states that the Nymph Minte/Minthe, lover of Pluto/Hades, was turned into a mint plant by her jealous rival, Persephone (or Demeter). Other legend states Hades made the plant grow from the dust she was trampled into. The plant was also used to mask the smell of the dead, and as such is associated with the Underworld. Peppermint is called the lust herb; chew on fresh leaves to increase libido. Spearmint is associated with memory and intelligence; chew the leaves or rub the oil on your forehead or a white candle. Wintergreen is associated with protection; add the oil or sprinkle leaves into a bath or floor wash. This can also mean keeping away trouble, or troublesome people. When ingested (eg: as a tea,) it aids in psychic and verbal communication of all types by stengthening our words. It is often associated with the Winter Solstice and makes a great addition as a fragrance or food additive in rites and rituals. It makes an excellent addition to uncrossing mixtures, stength and courage mixtures, and breaking bad luck or jinxes. Keep mint in your shoe to prevent bad luck, or in your wallet to increase fortune. Grow around the house to keep away unwanted guests, and even mice! Planting and Growing – Mint plants are perennial, vigorous spreaders, and easily identified by their square stems. Best grown from purchased plants or cuttings from a existing plant, place either of thee 2 feet apart in moist, well drained soil. They grow 1 to 2 feet tall. If planted above ground in a pot, this plant requires winter protection. Either bring it inside or cover the soil with mulch to protect the roots. Minimal care for this plant, just keep the soil lightly moistened. To prevent the invasive nature of this plant, prune it regularly and cut the runners. You may also keep it in a medium/large pot. Mint requires 3-6 hours of shade each day. Good companion plants to have nearby would be cabbage and tomatoes. Problems you may have when growing this plant include a powdery mildew, plant rust, leaf spots, anthracnose, and stem cankers. Harvesting and Storage – Mint can be harvested as soon as it comes up in the Spring. It may be dried or frozen if harvested in larger quantities. For smaller harvests, leaves may be picked as needed. For drying, it is recommended to harvest the plant by cutting stems 1 inch above the ground before the plant flowers. One plant may be harvested 2 or 3 times in the season. Uses – Peppermint is used as a digestive aid and also eases gas, burping, and bloat after meals. Also great for intestinal pain, easing nausea, IBS. Spearmint is similar medicinally, but mild compared to peppermint. It is stronger in its diaphoretic (causing perspiration) and diuretic properties. Spearmint does not make a good medicinal tea, as it loses the majority of its oil. To infuse spearmint properly, do so in a closed container. Spearmint is completely nontoxic. Caution – Any kind of mint oil should be properly diluted before applying topically. Menthol is present (in varying degrees) in the mint plant family and causes a freezing-burning sensation that is harmful, especially to those who are sensitive to it. Those who are taking iron supplements, immunosuppressants or drugs to reduce stomach acid production or to control heart conditions or high blood pressure should consult with their physician before using mint internally. References - Lexa Rosean, Jack Ritchason N.D., Farmer’s Almanac, Witchipedia Disclaimer - Nothing in this is intended to be medical advice, or used in lieu of seeing a medical professional. image credit - therestlesswitch.tumblr.com

[mountphoenixrp]

We have a returning citizen in Mount Phoenix:

                         Persephone, the Goddess of Spring and the Underworld,                                            whose origins stem from Ancient Greece.                                             She is now the owner of KORE Beauty.

FC NAME/GROUP: Lee Sunmi, Soloist GOD NAME: Persephone PANTHEON: Greek OCCUPATION: Owner of KORE Beauty HEIGHT: 166cm WEIGHT: 45kg DEFINING FEATURES: Widely known for the flowers braided in her lengthy dark locks and the amber color in her eyes. The beauty mark on her left cheek is merely worth noting as the only marking on her entire body, perhaps she puts it there herself.

PERSONALITY: A careful face with a tough attitude. In the mortal realm the matured goddess has quite a powerful personality as she is ambitious, energetic and inspiring among her peers. Always working with a self ulterior motive, she’ll never let another have their way if it means giving up hers entirely. A very sociable woman, she uses this to her advantage predominantly with important people who come into her path, may it be council members or beauty brand reviewers she never hesitates to turn on her charms. The queen can be rather pleasant company because she is capable of showing warmth and adaptability when these qualities are necessary, she is also quick witted and often likes to use humor or sarcasm. Public image is very important to her, with luxurious possessions and way of living, but her reputation remains that of a fearful Queen and loving wife.

HISTORY: The sun rises over the horizon of Mount Olympus and with it a myriad of incomparable flowers bloom, the daughter of Zeus and Demeter is born – Kore, the girl with the sun in her eyes. For a while none of the other gods and goddesses paid much attention to her, she stayed in her mother’s shadow as a budding goddess, helping her take care of matters of agriculture. As a girl, she delighted in fresh streams and the meadows they watered. There she would go in spring with her maidens to gather new flowers to create youth serums and such for the other goddesses. As she grew older and more beautiful all the eligible bachelors finally took notice to her. Many gods wanted her attention and her love, except for her father Zeus who didn’t pay her any mind and would marry her off to anyone who asked.  

Eventually, Demeter would become fed up with all the men who came to take her only daughter away. To her Kore was a lovely, intelligent young maiden, pure in heart, and the apple of her eye. She could do no wrong in her mother’s mind as she loved and cherished her greatly; Consequently, she could do nothing except for what she was born to do so Demeter continuously sent any prospective suitors away on her behalf.  This action left Kore alone in the fields drudgingly picking and naming the plants and flowers one by one. Which soon led to her wandering off in thought as she found herself desperately wanting change. Only she didn’t expect change to come charging in on a four-horse golden chariot.

She’ll never forget the first time she saw him, she was naming a new and rare flower when she felt a shadow, her gaze dashed upwards until their eyes finally met. There he was – the majestic god of the underworld in all his ghastly glory – staring back at her with eyes so full of desire. Her face drew a curious smirk, if this man were to ask for her hand could she really just up and leave, what would her mother say? What would happen if he made her his queen? Oh – but what IF she became a QUEEN!  

To put a little perspective on her infamous abduction, it actually took several weeks before either one made a move, but it was clear to the other that they were on each other’s mind’s. On days when the maiden tended to the fields with her nymphs, even times when she was all alone, she could feel his eyes on her at every turn. Truly she liked the attention because it was new and from someone other than her mother. The budding goddess decided she liked it so much that she was ready to go after the change she so longed for, and when she saw him again she seized him with her soft, rosy lips and sweet words. Her sunny eyes whispered, “take me”, so he did.

As Persephone, now Queen of the Underworld, she grew accustomed to her new life and the responsibilities that came with it. Her reputation would become that of a terrifying yet empathetic co-ruler, this was because while she believed strongly in the laws of the Underworld she was known to succumb once or twice to a juicy display of a “love lost” romantic storyline. The goddess was willing to help Psyche (goddess of the soul) pass Aphrodite’s tests so that Psyche could be reunited with her beloved husband Eros. Psyche had been assigned to go to the Underworld and return with some of Persephone’s famous youth serum/beauty ointment. When Psyche made it back to higher ground, she reflected Persephone to be both a merciful and just hostess in the end.

Persephone had no children by Hades — yet— but she remained faithful to him and saw that he remained faithful to her. When Hades attempted to seduce Minthe, Persephone transformed the nymph into a fragrant mint plant. Similarly, she thwarted her husband’s attempt to seduce “the most beautiful” Leuce by killing her then changing that nymph into a tree sooner than her husband could say “marriage contract”.

One day, as she prepared to return to her home above and her mother of all things, she remembered all the other times she did something to please her mother and wondered if it was satisfactory enough for her. It wasn’t. Being the ambitious and ever so venturous goddess that she was, she decided to give the mortal realm a try hoping it would also give some insight to what the mortals who worshiped the Olympian gods were like in this new age. Though the disguise she chose came off as ironic, it also worked in her favor. Thus she began to spend her years above ground as the mortal, Seph Green, an offbeat business woman building her empire in the beauty industry. It was only until she got word of a place where gods of different pantheons and their children could co-exist, and the possibility that her husband had multiple offspring residing there, that she relocated to Mount Phoenix with the hopes that certain rumors were untrue.  

POWERS: Fertility and vegetation - Able to create, shape and manipulate plants. Can cause plants to grow, move or even rise from the soil and “walk”, mutate plants by rearranging their structure and revive withered or dead plants. Can also cause humans and lands to become infertile resulting in famine and sterile humans/lands.

Healing- The power to restore youth and even life back into an individual or animal through nature.  

Weather Manipulation- Possesses the ability to create rain fall, from heavy downpour to light scattered spring showers. Can also generate environmental heat to induce growth of plants.  

Death Sense- (Not really a power but more of an acquired skill) Capable of sensing the coming of death, able to determine when someone is dead or dying or if others have died in a specific location.  Also may empathize or communicate with the deceased souls.

STRENGTHS:

Carries extensive knowledge of the healing (as well as some deadly) properties of plants and flowers.

Excellent strategist and extremely strong-willed

Exhumes confidence and strong sexual energy and uses this to her advantage.

Though she may never smile on average, she’s a passionate, fun-loving woman who loves a good laugh and loves as fiercely as she lives.  

WEAKNESSES:

Claustrophobia  

Is a jealous and vengeful wife

Can fall easily into the temptation of her desires when the opportunity arises, usually not before weighing the costs.

Stubborn, intolerant, defiant (mainly towards her overbearing mother).

[embersinrayne]

technically it's an herb,

What Is Mint?

Mint is an aromatic herb produced by various species of the mint plant (Mentha). Which is native to the eastern Mediterranean, mint gets its name from a mythic nymph named Minthe (Mintho). A jealous Persephone turned her into a lowly mint plant after she had an affair with Pluto, the god of the underworld. The mint plant is common and a favorite of many gardeners, so it's easy to grow your own. As an herb, it is gluten-free and suitable for vegan, vegetarian, and paleo diets.

and oh of course.....

It's gluten free. XD

would u guys be mad if i started calling mint “fruit”

[untcldstories]

fun mini myth of the day:

there was a nymph named Minthe that presided over cocytus - a river in the underworld -, she tried to seduce Hades which made Persephone jealous, so the goddess of spring turned her into a mint plant.

[catherindonald]

Peppermint – Herb of the Month

By Maryann Readal

Most of us, gardeners or not, are familiar with mint. But how many of us know that there is a distinctive difference between spearmint and peppermint? The difference between these two mints may be important depending on how you want to use them.

Peppermint, Mentha × piperita, is The Herb Society’s Herb of the Month for July.  Peppermint is really a hybrid of two mints, water mint (Mentha aquatica) and spearmint (Mentha spicata). . Being a hybrid, peppermint does not produce seeds. If you want to propagate it, you must either take cuttings or divide the plant. Like other mints, peppermint is a vigorous grower, so must be contained if you don’t want it growing everywhere in your garden.  It favors growing in rich, moist soil. Peppermint has a narrow, coarse leaf and flowers that are pink-lavender.  Spearmint, on the other hand, is softer to the touch and has a darker green leaf with pink, lavender, or white flowers.

But the major difference in these two mints is in the taste. Spearmint has a sweeter, milder taste due to its lower menthol content (0.5%). Peppermint has a much higher menthol content at 40%, and therefore has a much stronger flavor, almost a peppery minty flavor.  Because of its high menthol content, peppermint is the mint preferred for medicinal applications. It is used in pain relief ointments because it produces a cooling sensation on sore muscles. It is a common ingredient in throat soothing teas and lozenges, and is often used to disguise the strong taste of some medicines. It has been found effective in the short-term  treatment of irritable bowel syndrome and other digestive problems (https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/peppermint-oil). Peppermint oil can be rubbed on the temples to alleviate tension headaches  (https://www.webmd.com/diet/ss/slideshow-health-benefits-peppermint). Spearmint, with its much milder flavor, is used to treat mild cases of nausea and even hiccups.

In cooking, it really makes a difference which mint is used. Because of peppermint’s strong flavor, it can overpower the flavors of savory dishes. However, it works well with candies, pastries and chocolate. It is a popular addition to holiday treats such as candy canes, peppermint bark, and peppermint patties. A touch of peppermint in your hot cocoa makes it special. Spearmint, on the other hand, does not overpower other herbs and spices and can be used with a much broader spectrum of foods.  Use it in mint julep and in tabbouleh, or in a minty sauce for lamb.

Peppermint oil is becoming more important in the aromatherapy industry, and  is thought to have a positive effect on memory. According to a study reported in the International Journal of Neuroscience, the aroma from peppermint oil enhances memory and increases alertness  (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00207450601042094?journalCode=ines20&).

The United States is the major producer of peppermint oil in the world and accounts for half of the world’s trade, something that we don’t often hear when talking about the economics of herbs and spices  (https://www.agrifutures.com.au/farm-diversity/peppermint-oil/). Most of the peppermint in the U.S. is grown in the Pacific Northwest.  According to AgHires.com, an acre of mint produces about 70 pounds of oil. One pound of oil can flavor 1,500 tubes of toothpaste or 40,000 sticks of gum (https://aghires.com/u-s-produces-70-worlds-mint/). A drop of peppermint oil goes a long way. 

I would be remiss if I did not include here the story about the origin of peppermint according to Greek mythology. It is said that Hades (also known to the Greeks as Pluto) fell in love with a beautiful wood nymph.  Persephone, his wife, became jealous and turned the nymph into a lowly plant to be stepped on. Hades could not undo the damage done by Persephone’s spell, so he gave the plant a beautiful scent so that she would never be forgotten. He called her Minthe.

So there you have it─some interesting information about peppermint to help make you an enlightened user of mint —at least of spearmint and peppermint.

Please visit The Herb Society’s Herb of the Month webpage for more information about peppermint, a screensaver for your computer, and some minty recipes.

Medicinal Disclaimer: It is the policy of The Herb Society of America, Inc. not to advise or recommend herbs for medicinal or health use. This information is intended for educational purposes only and should not be considered as a recommendation or an endorsement of any particular medical or health treatment. Please consult a health care provider before pursuing any herbal treatments.

Maryann is the Secretary of The Herb Society of America. She is a Master Gardener and a member of the Texas Thyme Unit in Huntsville, TX. She gardens among the pines in the Piney Woods of East Texas.

Peppermint – Herb of the Month published first on https://marcuskeever.blogspot.com/

[mystikalwolf]

Mint

Ruled by - Venus, Mars, Pluto Element - Air Sacred to - Hades/Pluto Form - Leaf, Extract, Oil Legend states that the Nymph Minte/Minthe, lover of Pluto/Hades, was turned into a mint plant by her jealous rival, Persephone (or Demeter). Other legend states Hades made the plant grow from the dust she was trampled into. The plant was also used to mask the smell of the dead, and as such is associated with the Underworld. Peppermint is called the lust herb; chew on fresh leaves to increase libido. Spearmint is associated with memory and intelligence; chew the leaves or rub the oil on your forehead or a white candle. Wintergreen is associated with protection; add the oil or sprinkle leaves into a bath or floor wash. This can also mean keeping away trouble, or troublesome people. When ingested (eg: as a tea,) it aids in psychic and verbal communication of all types by stengthening our words. It is often associated with the Winter Solstice and makes a great addition as a fragrance or food additive in rites and rituals. It makes an excellent addition to uncrossing mixtures, stength and courage mixtures, and breaking bad luck or jinxes. Keep mint in your shoe to prevent bad luck, or in your wallet to increase fortune. Grow around the house to keep away unwanted guests, and even mice! Planting and Growing -- Mint plants are perennial, vigorous spreaders, and easily identified by their square stems. Best grown from purchased plants or cuttings from a existing plant, place either of thee 2 feet apart in moist, well drained soil. They grow 1 to 2 feet tall. If planted above ground in a pot, this plant requires winter protection. Either bring it inside or cover the soil with mulch to protect the roots. Mininal care for this plant, just keep the soil lightly moistened. To prevent the invasive nature of this plant, prune it regularly and cut the runners. You may also keep it in a medium/large pot. Mint requires 3-6 hours of shade each day. Good companion plants to have nearby would be cabbage and tomatoes. Problems you may have when growing this plant include a powdery mildew, plant rust, leaf spots, anthracnose, and stem cankers. Harvesting and Storage -- Mint can be harvested as soon as it comes up in the Spring. It may be dried or frozen if harvested in larger quantities. For smaller harvests, leaves may be picked as needed. For drying, it is recommended to harvest the plant by cutting stems 1 inch above the ground before the plant flowers. One plant may be harvested 2 or 3 times in the season. Uses -- Peppermint is used as a digestive aid and also eases gas, burping, and bloat after meals. Also great for intestinal pain, easing nausea, IBS. Spearmint is similar medicinally, but mild compared to peppermint. It is stronger in its diaphoretic (causing perspiration) and diuretic properties. Spearmint does not make a good medicinal tea, as it loses the majority of its oil. To infuse spearmint properly, do so in a closed container. Spearmint is completely nontoxic. Caution -- Any kind of mint oil should be properly diluted before applying topically. Menthol is present (in varying degrees) in the mint plant family and causes a freezing-burning sensation that is harmful, especially to those who are sensitive to it. Those who are taking iron supplements, immunosuppressants or drugs to reduce stomach acid production or to control heart conditions or high blood pressure should consult with their physician before using mint internally. References - Lexa Rosean, Jack Ritchason N.D., Farmer’s Almanac, Witchipedia Disclaimer - Nothing in this is intended to be medical advice, or used in lieu of seeing a medical professional.