Part of my Constellations series. Pam's Chanda (no makeup) wearing the Olympian outfit. Love having her Pam! Virgo really means "maiden" or "unmarried woman", not "virgin" as we think of the word, but somehow it didn't seem right to make her naked! Lots of stories for this constellion, but the following is most commonly associated with Virgo. It doesn't tell you how the stars got there, but it explains why depictions of the constellation usually have a shelf of wheat in her hand. I didn't have a "shelf of wheat" prop so oh well! VIRGO IN GREEK MYTH: The sister of Zeus, Demeter, was the goddess of the harvest and all food plants. She had a young beautiful daughter who was very dear to her, Persphone. One day Persephone was out picking flowers. Just as Persephone bent down to take a remarkably beautiful flower, Hades broke from the ground in her chariot and stole her away. Demeter searched for her daughter, eventually asking Hekate, the moon goddess, if she knew where Perephone was. Hekate told her she had heard Perephone scream, but did not see what happened. Together, they went to Helios, the sun god, who sees and hears all that happens on earth. He told her that Persephone had been abducted by the king of the underground, and that she was now his bride. Beside herself with grief and anger, Demeter stopped blessing the fields and gardens, and the earth soon withered bringing great famine to all mortals. The grains wilted, the flowers disappeared and there was suffering and famine among the humans. At last Zeus decided that something had to be done or all mortals would die. Unable to pursuade Demeter to stop grieving, he sent Hermes, the messenger of the gods, down to Hades to convince him to give Persephone back. Hades finally agreed, but did not want to let go of his bride. He pursuaded Persephone to eat a pomegranate that had grown in the Underworld, then sent her back to her mother. Demeter was overjoyed, but her joy again turned to sorry when she learned Persphone had eaten of the pomegrante. Doing so had bound her to the Underworld forever, and Persphone would have to return to Hades. Zeus, fearing what Demeter's grief would mean for the earth, struck a bargain with Hades. For one third of the year Persephone would live in the Underworld as Hades queen. The rest of the year she would spend with her mother. To this day, while Persphone is with Hades, Demeter retires in grief and nothing grows or blossoms. When Persephone returns, Demeter blesses the earth with Spring, the earth becomes fetile, and once again grows and blooms.