The Virgo MythIn all of constellation mythology, few legends are as misunderstood as the Virgo myth. By most accounts, the typical interpretation of Virgo mythology is a series of goddesses from various cultural mythologies that combine to create the myth of "Virgo the Virgin". I believe, however, that this view is inaccurate. The word "virgo" is Latin, means "self-contained" which is for us is better interpreted as "self-sufficient". In astrology, those born under the sign of Virgo are said to behave in an individualistic, self-sufficient manner. Their nurturing comes from a place of not needing others to find fulfillment for them, but being able to create for others because they can already create for themselves.
The virgo myth should not be interpreted as a woman who is a virgin, but rather a nurturing woman who is a mother to all of the earth. Immaculate conception aside, we all know that mothers can't also be virgins. So why the confusion? Part of it is a long-standing misinterpretation of the word itself. In fact, I am willing to bet that other mythologists reading this are already preparing a fiery debate about whether or not I am interpreting the virgo myth correctly based mostly on the assumed meaning of the word. I mean, "Virgo" sounds like "virgin", so they must be the same thing, right? I don't think so. By all accounts, Virgo is seen as the "Great Goddess", which is a somewhat vague description to begin with, though very accurate. A look back at the history of the Virgo myth across cultures suggests reasons as to the change in how a "Great Goddess" would be viewed. Most of the goddesses who were linked to Virgo were considered fertility goddesses, or goddesses of the harvest. This resonates with the view of Virgo being the caretaker of mankind through her fertility. This includes Ishtar (Babylonian mythology), Isis (Egyptian mythology), Ceres (Roman mythology), and Demeter (Greek mythology). The constellation Virgo is thought to be a woman holding a spike of corn, thus reinforcing the Harvest Mother mythology. In one well-known Greek myth, the goddess of the Spring season Persephone is kidnapped by the god of the underworld Hades. Upon discovering this, the young goddess's mother Demeter, being the goddess of the harvest, decides to ruin the harvest in her despair. Long story short, the Spring goddess got to return for six months a year to aid her mother in the harvest. This coincides with the constellation Virgo being visible for only the months of March through August. The story of Ishtar (Babylonian mythology) is similar, except that it was her husband Tammuz (the god of the harvest) who was taken to the underworld where she followed only to be trapped there as well. Interestingly, many of the other mythological female figures who were believed to represent Virgo include Dike (Greek mythology), Astraea (Greek mythology), and Erigone (Roman mythology), all of whom represented Justice. Once you realize that Libra (the scales of justice) is the next sign in the zodiac following Virgo, suddenly things begin to make more sense. But there is another explanation. From early Babylonian mythology, the grain goddess Nidoba is often considered to be the first incarnation of Virgo, which is consistent with the view of Virgo being the self-sustaining, life-giving caretaker that most Virgo mythology follows. However, over time, worshipers of Nidoba moved toward the worship of god Nabu (Babylonian mythology) instead. Nabu is the god of wisdom and justice. Myth of Virgo the VirginSo where does the myth of "Virgo the Virgin" come from?Many goddesses who are linked to Virgo mythology are assumed or considered to be virgins, though it is unclear whether the confusion over the meaning of the word "Virgo" is the reason why. One statue of the goddess Artemis of Greek mythology is portrayed in a statue as having fifty breasts, which is representative of her nurturing life on Earth. Interestingly, Artemis is considered to be a virgin. The Spring goddesses, Persephone (Greek mythology) and Proserpina (Roman mythology) were assumed to be virgins as well, though they are more correctly tied to the Virgo myth via their mothers Demeter (Greek mythology) and Ceres (Roman mythology), the goddesses of the harvest. There is also a myth about a young girl named Parthenos in Greek mythology, who died young and was placed in the heavens (presumably as a constellation). The Virgo constellation would be the only fitting place for Parthenos, whose name happens to literally mean "virgin". So now we have three sets of goddesses said to represent Virgo - the Harvest Mothers, the Ladies of Justice, and the Youthful Virgins. Logically, virgins cannot be mothers, though when you get to Christian mythology, we have the virgin Mary giving birth to the messiah, which further confuses things. The fact is, mythology is far from being science, and as such, these things can happen quite easily. All you have to say is "it's the will of the gods" or "it's a miracle", and that is all the explanation that is necessary. One could argue that all three of our Virgo groups could be considered "self-sustaining". The virgin Spring goddesses help create life, while Ishtar is often linked to Virgo mythology and is the Babylonian goddess of procreation. Similarly, our Ladies of Justice were known to be nurturing as well. Astraea, the Roman goddess of justice, was the last of the celestial beings to leave Earth, and only after she was tired of taking care of a humanity that insisted on destroying itself. Astraea is perhaps the most interesting character involved in the Virgo myth, as she is a virgin, represents justice, and was a caretaker of humanity. After leaving Earth, she is said to have been "placed in the heavens", which is most likely why some mythologists believe her to be the constellation "Virgo" itself. Many mythologists suggest that she became the constellation Virgo and her scales of justice became the constellation Libra. This is a good argument, though one could argue that she, in combination with her scales, could have become Libra, not Virgo, though she represents them both in certain ways. All things said, Astraea is easily the strongest contender for the character represented in the Virgo myth. This idea was reinforced in the Scriptures of Delphi, in which Astraea is described by name as the Virgo constellation. For more on Astraea, click here.
Virgo Zodiac Symbol Artwork
|
