Kalea Silver •☽♢☾• ˙⊙.

— Hades, the Greek god of the Underworld, ruler of all that dwells beneath the earth we tread and watcher over the souls of the dead. One of the most misunderstood and demonized deities in Western mythology—awfully, unfairly so. While in modern media we often see Hades portrayed as an evil deity of darkness and cruelty, the truth is that he is arguably one of the most decent gods in the convoluted and morally questionable Greek pantheon. While the Greeks did indeed fear him to the point of having a vast number of epithets and alternative ways to refer to him rather than his real name as to not draw his attention to the living, said fear was more about the fear of death than of the god himself. Hades was indeed depicted as stern, cold and inflexible—however, at the same time, he was also fair and just in his judgment, ensured that every soul would have their rightful place in the Underworld according to their deeds, and paid heed to those souls that would come to him seeking advice or having any complaint. His wise and fair judgment could potentially be the source of his very name—while the most common interpretation of it would translate it as ‘the unseen one’ due to him belonging to the realm of the unseen and possessing the Cap of Invisibility—or in other translations, the Helm of Darkness—that made him invisible, there is another possible etymology for it found in one of Plato’s dialogues in which Socrates suggests that his name (Aḯdēs [Ἀΐδης]) comes from “his knowledge (eidenai [εἴδομαι]) of all noble things”. Another interpretation posits that it may mean ‘the one who presides over reunions’ from the universality of death, for everyone descends to the Underworld after death, and there we reunite with our loved ones in time. Some of Hades’s epithets in Greek tradition are Klymenos (‘illustrious’), Ploutonos (‘wealthy/giver of wealth’), Eubuleus (‘good/wise counsel[or]’), and Polydegmon (‘host of many’), the latter referring to how Hades’s abode in the Underworld, the House of Hades, was said to always be "full of guests" as he received every soul in his halls. Though technically speaking he is merely the god of the dead and not Death itself, which would be Thanatos in Greek mythology, there are versions in which Thanatos becomes an aspect of Hades. His role is related to keeping the balance between the realm of the living and the Underworld, as the world would fall to ruin without him to keep them in delicate equilibrium, a responsibility that in some versions of Greek myth, he took upon himself because he did not trust Zeus nor Poseidon to be dutiful enough for carrying out. In many aspects, he symbolizes that which is unseen and unknown, often depicted holding the Key of Hades that not only keeps the gates of the Underworld closed, but also represents him as guardian of the great mysteries and truths in the cosmos. Not a kind job to have, all in all, when Hades is a god that neither mortals nor other gods were fond of—as such, in art that depicts the Greek pantheon, Hades is sometimes painted looking away from his kindred. There is, however, an aspect of him that the Greeks were much fond of, and later the Romans would actively worship—his less known facet as Pluto, god of the earth and, particularly, of its mineral bounty. Often portrayed in this aspect holding a cornucopia, representing the many gifts and blessings he bestowed upon mankind, he is also a god of fertility and rebirth who holds the seeds within the earth for harvests to bloom—must be noted that in this context, the name ‘Plouton’ (‘[giver of] wealth’) does not exactly mean that he himself is wealthy, but rather refers to the wealth that he shares with mortals that see them prosper. As such, because he is the one who provides mankind with the mineral bounty of the earth that is used to fabricate tools and build homes, Hades’s aspect of Pluto is revered as he who gives the means to humanity in his boundless generosity to grow self-sufficient, learn and prosper. Through his association with stone, metals, ore, knowledge, truth and secrecy, he has strong ties to the teachings and practices of the occult, with an underlying connection to alchemy—as Hades is god of the dead and related to the forces of decay, he presides over the process of dissolution and decomposition, the breaking down of matter into particles from which new elements, forms and life-forms emerge. As alchemy involves the principle of ‘solve et coagula’ (‘dissolve and coalesce’) in the creation and refinement of lesser metals and, in Hermetic thought, ignorant minds, to manifest gold/enlightenment, the process is at the core a replication of Death's putrefaction as the necessary transformation into a brighter and stronger new beginning. Hades’s role and significance would never be complete without the figure of his beloved wife, Persephone—as opposed to most of the Greek pantheon, the couple is consistently depicted as fiercely faithful to each other and in sincere love, even sharing the throne of the Underworld as equals. As a gift to win her love, Hades gave Persephone half of the Underworld under her direct supervision—the most beautiful part, the Elysium, where the souls of great and noble heroes reside. In their cycles of separation and reunion that manifest in the turning of the seasons, Persephone leaves the Underworld in spring equinox and life sprouts and matures until her return to her husband in autumn equinox, when crops are harvested and plants wither, the seeds falling to earth—Hades, as god of the earth, then holds the seeds safe and warm throughout the winter in his domain, waiting for winter to end, and with Persephone’s newest journey into the surface, she makes the seeds her beloved guarded sprout into new life. And so, the cycle of Life and Death goes on into eternity, through neverending change.

♊ Link Between Realms 🌟 — I was born with the power to command the Underworld and guide lost souls to their next journey. Mayhap you would call me 'gifted'. I would not fault you for it... Your reality has ever been dependent of those raised aloft by the so-called divine. In truth, this 'gift'—and every soul that is or has been made unique—means loneliness. Never to be understood. Always taken advantage of. More often than not, especially when no longer useful or compliant, being feared. None to share one's burden as equals. I belong neither here nor there. I exist in a constant threshold between realms. Half of me walks the world of the living—the other half resides in the depths of the unseen. Others notice this, of course. A strange presence. Something that does not fit. A soul that shifts the energy of the room—a frequency alien to them. The living keep a wide berth from me—afraid of the shadow of Death. The dead, however... are drawn to me instead. I offer guidance to every soul that seeks me. It just so happens that the dead are much more amenable. Once Death has called you, or its shadow looms inescapable, what is left to the living but to accept its inevitability and hope for a brighter future for those who come after? Or, perhaps, with their own sacrifice, ensuring their end will not be meaningless if they can but ensure another's future? Living men will always fear Death. But in the face of suffering, as Life fades away leaving agony in its wake... Death comes merciful to deliver them—with the promise of a new tomorrow. 'Tis true that my nature is an enigma. Can someone whose soul resides half in the Underworld say they are truly alive? Was I born half-dead and shedding my original body to survive the new order did but underline the point? Once, these questions plagued me—when I was young and foolish. Then I found a different sort of answer through those who accepted me as I am... It does not matter what I am. It is who I am that defines me. However, let us imagine that there is a force exerting its will over this world—that we are all playing a role on a stage the script of which has already been decided. That only Death may free us all from this neverending play and allow us to escape the stage, in order to stop performing and begin living a real life, directed by our choices and our own will... In a system like this—in which the living are played just as the scriptwriter intends, driven by the fear of Death and, through it, feed the machinery—where does someone like me stand? Someone not afraid of Death, knowing they are already dead? Brave wanderer who seeks to fly free, answer me these riddles three— Can you truly kill that which is already dead? Could Fate hold power over that which Death has already claimed? Is clinging to Life and surviving the only choice... or could welcoming Death on one's own terms hold the real key—and entrusting the seed of hope into futures unknown? Take your time. You know, deep within yourself, where you will find me. Nowhere and everywhere. Unseen, unheard and untold—yet ever present all around you, in your mind and heart. By your side—before, now and forevermore. You need only call... and I shall weave the bridge between realms. #emetselch #エメトセルク