The biggest constellation along the ecliptic and the second largest in the sky after Hydra. The only constellation through which the Sun passes and its symbol is woman. It’s best seen in spring evenings and when it’s in the highest position in the Christmas period, when we celebrate the birth of her son…Mythology of Virgo is complex, there are many stories among which dominate myths on Astraea, Erigone, Demeter, and Proserpina and Egyptian goddess Isis. Nowadays, we are talking about Virgin Mary.
Astraea was the daughter of Jupiter and Temida, she was related to symbols of justice and according to the legend she was the last goddess that left the Earth after the Golden Age when gods still walked on the Earth, disappointed due to debasing of moral and spiritual values of the new age humankind who were using the knowledge on metals for forging weapons. For a long time she was trying to deter people from their destructive path after the last mortal left the Earth and she wandered among tribes, gathered them and warned them that each of their actions was leading towards the creation of a more and more cruel progeny. She wandered all alone the whole Silver Age and before Bronze Age when first swords were forged and people started to eat the meat of bullocks that they used to plow the land, she left us and went to the stars. In the age of Roman Empire, in the eighth month when the Sun was passing through this constellation, Columella was celebrated in the honor of the death and disappearance of Virgo through this period. Nowadays Christians celebrate the Assumption holiday, the assumption of the soul and body of Virgin Mary…
The other myth on Erigone is related to her father Icarus, poor peasant (not flyer towards the Sun) who was given by god Dionysus the secret of the wine and grapevine after he generously hosted him. Icarus had a task to spread the wine among people, but one evening he unintentionally got drunk the group of shepherds who thought that he bewitched them so they killed and buried him out of fear. When the loyal dog Maera took Erigone to her father’s body she hanged herself on pine tree and cursed Athenian daughters to share her destiny. Athenians begun to worship the wine in the honor of Icarus and one of the rituals was symbolic swinging of young women on ropes which is actually the origin of swings. In the memory of their doings, Erigone became in the sky the constellation of Virgo, Maera is related to the star Sirius and Procyon, and Icarus becomes the constellation of Volar who is the proximity of the Little and Big Dog.
Myths on soil fertility, rich harvest and agriculture have always been related to the symbolic of Virgo. Here we find also the myth on Demeter, the goddess of harvest who knew the secret of growing crops, food that was the basis for the development of civilizations after the last ice age. The mere mythology of Demeter is exceptionally complex, related to the unresolved Eleusinian Mysteries and the changing of seasons. In the search for love the God of the underground Hades/Pluto kidnapped Demeter’s daughter Kora. Out of sorrow for her disappearance there was drought on the Earth and only with prayers of mortals the supreme god Jupiter decided to intervene. He asked from his brother to release Kora which he agreed to do, but under the condition that she didn’t taste the food of the underground. Out of sorrow, Kora ate nothing but seven grains of rosehip. There had to be a compromise – she will spend nine months with her mother and for three months she will be the queen of the underground – Persephone and in that period the infertile winter will reign the Earth.
It’s interesting that dwarf planet Ceres/Demeter was discovered at the beginning of 1801, exactly when it was passing the constellation of Virgo. At that time Ceres was proclaimed the planet, it perfectly fitted in u Bode Law on a regular distance of planets from the Sun (whose mathematic calculation was somewhat functional up to Neptune).
The brightest star of this constellation is Spica on 23°52′ of Libra that denotes wheat ear that Virgo holds in her left hand. Arabs called this star A Simak al A’zal – Unarmed. Currently the constellation of Virgo is positioned between 20°47′ of Virgo and 15°10′ of Scorpio, and some of the more important stars are:
Vindemiatrix – right wing of Virgo on 9°56′ of Libra
Porrima – wais of Virgo on 10°08′ of Libra
Auva – body of Virgo on 11°28′ of Libra
Heze – right thigh on 21°52′ of Libra
The photo of Virgo constellation taken from
THE AGE OF VIRGO
It lasted approximately between 12 700 and 10 500 B.C. and it coincides with the first indications of the end of ice age Mother Earth is awakening, it’s becoming more and more fertile generously giving her gifts to the humankind. People are Gaia’s children, the goddess of Earth and they start to worship the cult of goddess mother that is nowadays celebrated in various forms and religions.
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