Demeter and Persephone A MYSTERY PLAY THÉMIS SRI AUROBINDO INTERNATIONAL CENTRE OF EDUCATION PONDICHERRY First Published 21 February 1995 (Typeset in 11/13 Palatino) ACKNOWLEDGEMENT My sincere thanks go to all my friends who have encouraged me to publish this play and specially to the friend who has in addition financed the publication. © Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust 1995 Published by Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education Printed at Sri Aurobindo Ashram Press, Pondicherry, 605 002 PRINTED IN INDIA

ACT IV SCENE 1 A room in Zeus' palace. He is looking out of a large window. Ananke, unveiled, stands a little behind him. Zeus Behold, Ananke, how the earth has blossomed Since that gold dawn when thy strong sanctioning word Put its white seal upon my Will, and I Sent forth my child divine into those depths, The rocky dark abyss where Pluto reigns - My child, my Fire-Soul, to dwell within his Night. Ananke I saw and sanctioned thy vast, all-wise plan. Zeus So too, Demeter, loving my pure Will, Consented to the Separation hard, And gave our child, a portion of herself, Self of her self, made of her light and bliss;

DRAMATIS PERSONAE ZEUS, the Supreme Godhead PLUTO, brother of Zeus, King of the "Underworld" HERMES, messenger of Zeus HELIOS, the Sun-god HESPERUS, the Evening Star HYLON, captain of Pluto's Fort A CHILD, Metaneira's son THE FOUR TITANS A GNOME SEVERAL IMPS (Spry is one of them) MANY SMALL BEINGS: Beings of the Mind Beings of the Vital Beings of the Physical OTHER DARK, UGLY BEINGS DEMETER, the Great Mother-Goddess PERSEPHONE, her daughter by Zeus ANANKE, goddess: the Will of Zeus ATHENE, goddess of Wisdom and War APHRODITE, goddess of Beauty GAIA, the Earth-goddess IRIS (child-

a dream-fact vision of a truth' DEMETER AND PERSEPHONE: A Mystery Play "Myth is a true story because it is a sacred story, not only by virtue of its content but also by the concrete sacral forces which it sets to work." R. PETTAZZONI Sri Aurobindo:. Alone, she harbours the Absolute Power and the ineffable Presence;... calling the Truths that have to be manifested she brings them down from the Mystery in which they were hidden into the light of her infinite consciousness and gives them a form... and a body in the universe. ...all is her manifestation of the mysteries of the Eternal, the miracles of the Infinite; The aspiration of the psychi