Dominion: agriculture, grain crops, the harvest, motherhood, fertility, the earth, death and the afterlife, divine law and the rights of the common people

Title: The Grain Mother

Sacred Symbols: sickle, torch, loaf of bread, cornucopia

Sacred Colours: green, dark brown, gold

Sacred Animals: pig, oxen, black mare, fox, lynx, serpent, gecko, turtledove, crane, screech owl, dolphin

Sacred Plants: wheat, barley, rye, all grain and seed crops, apple, grapes, pomegranate, all fruits, all vines, hawthorn bush, acacia tree, fig tree, oak tree, bindweed, pennyroyal, mint, wild rue, poppy, all flowers, all grasses, mushrooms

Sacred Jewel: garnet

Day of Worship: 19th of April

High Feast Days: 24th of January, 29th of May and 8th of November 

Festival: the Harvest Festival (first Full Moon after the Autumn Equinox)

Devotees: agricultural communities, farmers, country estate managers, labourers, sellers of grain, commoners, servants, citizen soldiers, winemakers and brewers of beer

Invoked for: a good harvest, protection against famine, protection against war, protection against social disorder and civil unrest, protection against fire, fertility issues, healthy childbirth, easy breastfeeding, the return of missing children, the environment, social justice, protection against ghosts and vengeful spirits, a blissful afterlife or successful reincarnation  

Temple: The major temple is in the village of Kernley on the River Sabrina in Wayshire, on the edge of the Forest of Dale. The temple in Lindensea may be found on Dock Street on the River Tayo.    

Initiation: The Temple of Ceres has one of the easiest paths to initiation. It is open to everyone aged 18 and over who is a full citizen of Lindensea and has a clean legal record. In order to be considered as a candidate, it is only necessary to donate fifty gold coins to the temple and undergo a purification ritual in a nearby river. Spiritual instruction begins in February each year, and new intakes continue studying until the September of the following year. The details of initiation are a strictly guarded secret, but there are some wild rumours as to what is involved that I cannot confirm or deny. Most likely it has to do with preparing the acolyte's soul for the afterlife, or for reincarnation.     

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It is almost impossible to overstate the importance of the goddess Ceres. She is the protector of the crops and harvest, and if the crops fail, then the kingdom falls to famine, sickness, economic instability and civil unrest. Good crops mean plenty, health, prosperity, and social order for the kingdom, so the neglect of the goddess is unthinkable.

Because of this, some of the strictest and most closely enforced laws in the kingdom pertain to agriculture. There are heavy fines and penalties for stealing or damaging field crops, or for moving boundary lines in order to steal land. Landowners are not permitted to allow their flocks to graze on another's land, or on public land, and agricultural workers must be paid correctly and have their rights protected.

Fines paid for these offenses are paid directly to the Temple of Ceres, and as such, it is enormously influential. It is highly popular in agricultural communities, and there are numerous temples to the goddess in solitary places of rural areas. These are always set apart from the daily life of the village and imbued with a sense of deep solemnity, for no one goes near them except to worship Ceres and beg her help. 

The wealthy nobles who own the land are responsible for the management of these rural temples, and often serve the goddess as her priests and priestesses. Nearly always, they will be mature aged or elderly women of high birth and either married, divorced, or widowed. They are expected to take vows of chastity while they serve the goddess, and the few male priests exist as their assistants and supporters.  

Ceres is a humble goddess who takes as her devotees the poor, the hardworking, and the common folk of the kingdom. Her temples are always small, low, of simple old-fashioned  design, and made from wood, with statues of wood and clay pottery. It is said that she will accept any offering as long as it is clean and given with a pure heart, so that nobody is excluded from her worship because of their means.

The few temples to Ceres in large towns and cities are mostly filled with those from the servant class, as well as market gardeners from the outskirts. They have a reputation for being hotbeds of political activism, and often campaign for social justice issues such as women's rights, fair pay and treatment of workers, and environmental concerns. 

This gives the devotees of the Temple of Ceres opportunities to participate in the political life of the kingdom and feel that they can make a difference. Furthermore, demanding better conditions promotes confidence and self-esteem for workers, and the temple will shelter those of its members who are unfairly accused of crimes. The generous charity the Temple of Ceres provides allows for greater independence of its devotees as well. 

The Temple of Ceres is always involved in weddings for she is the patron of the sacred laws of marriage. The bride's family will make generous donation to the temple for a wedding, the wedding feast and cake will be ordered from the temple, and the Temple of Ceres provides a young boy to lead each wedding procession, holding a lighted green candle dedicated to the goddess. 

The Temple of Ceres is also responsible for handling funerals, as Ceres is the goddess of the underworld. It takes care of all funeral arrangements, including preparation, burial, memorial service, and wake, which are paid for by donation the family makes the temple. Wealthy people will donate large amounts, while the poor donate what they can, providing a pool of funding to help pay for all. 

The most important celebration Ceres presides over is the Harvest Festival, where she is always represented by the Corn Mother, a figure woven from the straw of the last sheaf  of the harvest to be reaped. The harvest wagon and its horses are decorated with flowers, and each farm will hold a feast for the workers, with dancing, games, and plays. Although more prominent in the country, even city dwellers celebrate Harvest Festival, for everyone must remember where the food on their plate comes from.     

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