particular child. The child pulls for (or constellates) the archetype
in the woman. Motivated by her feelings for the child, she will work
at being more patient, or be persistent on the child’s behalf. As she
seems to be more maternal, and works at being so, the archetype of
Demeter grows within her.
DEMETER THE WOMAN
A Demeter woman is first and foremost maternal. In her relation-
ships, she is nurturing and supportive, helpful and giving. She is
often a Lady Bountiful, providing whatever she sees is
needed—chicken soup, a supportive hug, money to tide a friend
over, a standing invitation to “come home to Mother.”
A Demeter woman often has an aura of the Earth Mother about
her. She is solid and dependable. Others describe her as having her
“feet on the ground,” as she goes about doing what needs to be done
with a mixture of practicality and warmth. She is usually generous,
outer-directed, altruistic, and loyal to individuals and principles, to
the point that others may see her as stubborn. She has strong convic-
tions and is difficult to budge when something or someone important
to her is involved.
YOUNG DEMETER
Some little girls are clearly budding Demeters—“little mothers”
who cradle baby dolls in their arms. (Little Hera prefers Barbie and
Ken dolls, and little Athena may have a collection of historical dolls
in a glass case.) Young Demeter also likes to hold real babies; at nine
or ten she’s eager to babysit for her neighbors.
PARENTS
The relationship that Demeter women have with their parents can
be better understood if we first look at the goddess Demeter’s rela-
tionship with her parents. Demeter the goddess was the daughter
of Rhea and the granddaughter of Gaea. Gaea was the primal Earth
Mother from whom all life came, including the Sky God, Uranus,
who became her husband. Rhea was also known as an Earth goddess,
although she
Demeter: Goddess of Grain, Nurturer and Mother