As the Greek Goddess of Earth and grain, Demeter's most well-known myth is of the loss of her daughter Persephone, who was abducted into the underworld. In a rage of grief, Demeter withdrew her energy from the earth, and autumn and winter came to the land. Demeter wandered through the dying earth, searching for her daughter. Eventually, Persephone was restored to her mother for part of each year, and with Demeter's joy, spring came again. The Eleusinian Mysteries, a reenactment of this seasonal story, were the most profound and sacred festivals of the Greeks.

Demeter symbolizes fierce mother love and devotion, as well as the power of the Goddess over life and death of the earth itself.