Virgo

The story

Virgo's mythological ancestor is most commonly Persephone — daughter of Demeter (goddess of harvest). One day, while Persephone was gathering flowers with her friends, Hades emerged from below, abducted her, and made her queen of the underworld. Demeter went mad; wandered Greece searching for her lost daughter. Because of the harvest goddess's grief the crops withered, animals died, humans approached starvation. Zeus intervened: Persephone would spend 6 months of the year with her mother, 6 in Hades. The earth gives in the six months Demeter is happy (spring, summer); the earth dries in the six months her daughter is in Hades (autumn, winter). The birth of the seasons is explained by this myth. The wheat-ear (the star Spica) in Virgo's hand is Demeter's gift.

Into the sky

Because Demeter's grief and joy created the seasons, the harvest goddess settled in the sky as the Virgo constellation. The "wheat-ear" meaning of Spica comes from her.

Themes

• Demeter and Persephone
• goddess of harvest
• lost daughter
• birth of seasons