Cindy Sheehan embodies the Wrath of Demeter

[Hekate]

"And now let me sing
Demeter,
that awesome goddess,
with her beautiful hair,
and her daughter
with slender feet,
whom Aidoneus
carried away,
and Zeus,
who sees far,
in his deep voice,
allowing it,
far away from
Demeter..."
(Hymn to Demeter, trans. Chas Boer)

Over the past few days any number of admirers have referred to Cindy as a warrior-woman -- including a Brit who dropped by DU to liken her to Boudicca.

But Cindy's wrath is Demetrian, not Boudicean or Athenian. At Zeus's command (how appropriate that Bush claims that God speaks through him!) her child has been ripped from her by Death, but instead of taking up weapons herself, she is sitting by Zeus's gates and demanding that she be seen and heard.

On the road to the Crawford ranch, as close to the gates as she can get, Cindy is sitting down into her grief and wrath, and she will be heard.

Our culture does not offer many role-models for women bereft of their children. The Virgin Mary takes her son's broken body in her arms and models acceptance of God's Will -- the very god that ordained that the child of her body should die in this gruesome manner.

Greek Demeter is different. She faces down Zeus, she does not accept his will. Demeter witholds her harvests and threatens to starve the Earth so that there will be none left to make sacrifices to the gods. Zeus blinks. By the force of her own will she regains her daughter.

Cindy is a mortal mother, and she cannot regain her son in this life. But oh, what a goddess lives in her heart.

Hekate

[dbt]

1. Now, that RINGS!

"none left to make sacrifices to the gods" ought to scare the hell out of bu$hco, but as Sitting Bull put it, "they have no ears."

Well spoken, Hekate.

Edited to point out: "Error. You can't recommend threads from this forum."

[tavalon]

2. Yep, that's Demeter energy all right! n/t

[LiberalEsto]

3. Perfect analogy

Unfortunately, Cindy doesn't have the powers to withhold the harvests and keep spring from coming.

But I wonder if we all, collectively, can do things that would create a serious economic impact to put pressure the Zeus-boys.

-Don't use credit cards if at all possible.
-Don't shop at WalMart.
-Buy Blue.
-Boycott ExxonMobil.
-Don't bank or use credit cards from MBNA (big Bush donor).
-Boycott goods made by military defense contractors (GE, etc.)

Does anyone have more ideas?

Of course if anti-war women in the US decided to pull a Lysistrata -- withholding sex from their men until the war was over -- we'd see some pretty quick movement!

[Larkspur]

6. Isn't the Army's recruiting woes a sign of withholding?

Parents are discouraging their children, the "fruits of their wombs and loins," from joining the Army for fear of being sent to Iraq.

Actively opposing the recruiters is also a Demeter in action because it's intent is, to paraphrase Grover Norquist, to "starve the war machine" of cannon fodder.

[Hekate]

7. Yes! That too is a Demetrian act -- thanks. nt

[Is It Fascism Yet]

4. Very nice. Well said. Tre True. Thou are wise, Hecate! N/T

[hippiechick]

5. Beautiful - and appropriate - comparison.

:applause: :hug: