Persephone as the goddess of spring.
In Greek mythology Persephone is the goddess of springtime and vegetation, as well as the queen of the Underworld. Her symbols include a pomegranate, seeds of grain and a torch.
Description
Daughter of Demeter and Zeus. After descending to the Underworld she has been depicted as a young but majestic queen. Sometimes she carries a scepter or a sheaf of grain. As the queen of the Underworld she carries out curses from the dead against the living along with his consort, Hades.
Rites of necromancy are answered either by Persephone, Hades or both, when mortals attempt to converse with the dead. She is also known to occasionally send ghosts on Earth to act as messengers.
History
King of the Underworld, Hades, took note of the beauty of Persephone and fell in love as a consequence. Hades approached Zeus with the subject, who gave Hades permission to abduct Persephone as her mother was extremely unlikely to approve of her daughter being brought to land of the dead.
When Persephone was picking flowers with Artemis and Athena, a particular flower caught her attention. When she took a closer look, land beneath her feet gave in and Hades took her within his domain.
Her mother, goddess of fertility and harvest, would stop tending the land when she searched for her daughter in grief. This had serious repercussions on mankind, which in turn was inconvenient for gods of Olympus. Hermes brought Persephone back to Mount Olympus on Zeus' behalf, but not before Hades had given her a pomegranate to eat.
When confronted by her mother, Persephone was asked if she had eaten anything during her time as a captive. She told about the pomegranate, and this came as a serious shock for Demeter. Reason was that when you eat food meant for the dead, you are forever tied to the land of the dead.
As a compromise Persephone and Hades married with the condition that Persephone would spend most of her time on Mount Olympus, descending to Underworld only for a few months in a year.
