The ancient people worshiped the constellation of Virgo with its beautiful white star, and, even as a quiet prayer may be said in music instead of in words, the purity of Spica seemed to glow like a benediction upon their revering hearts.
Even to the modern world, the springtime loveliness of this large and beautiful star is refreshing. But we are wont to gaze upon it more with awe than reverence for science tells us that it is not only one white star but two, the mass of each being much greater than that of our sun. These two stars are only 11,000,000 miles apart and whirl around their common center of gravity in the amazingly short period of only four days!
Such is the jewel found on the Virgin's ear of wheat, although the myths do not all agree that Virgo is Astræa.
"Whether she be the daughter of Astræus, who, men say, was of old the father of the stars, or the child of other sire, untroubled be her course."
—Aratus.
However, they all do seem to agree that the constellation is connected in some way with the thought of harvests.
Virgo was early identified as the Egyptian Isis who dropped an ear of wheat as she fled from the monster Typhon when he appeared around the Nile. As a result the wheat was scattered in a wide path along the heavens which is now called the Milky Way. Among other characters, Virgo has been regarded as Ceres, the Goddess of the Harvests, and even as Ceres' daughter Proserpine. Plutarch seems to think that the Greeks are indebted to the Egyptians for their story of Ceres. Thus the Egyptian Isis would be Ceres, or Demeter. Isis also taught the use of corn which once stood neglected in the fields. The story of Ceres and Proserpine is particularly beautiful and deserves a place in every one's thoughts. One cannot have too many associations as he gazes at the starry skies, for each bit of even ancient gossip added to modern facts increases the pleasure in knowing different stars. This is particularly true if one does not own a telescope of any kind, indispensable as it may be to an astronomer.
The temple of Ceres, or Demeter, meaning "Mother Earth" (that is, not the whole solid earth, but the portion that produces vegetation), stands in the sacred city of Eleusis, on the Thracian plain, and all men who earn their living by the soil come here to do her honor. This temple was built on the spot where the Goddess met Triptolemus and taught him the use of grains, also how to plow, sow the seeds and gather the crops after they had ripened. Triptolemus then went forth and taught the nations of the world.
One day while Ceres was watching the harvests, Proserpine, her lovely daughter, disappeared.
"While like a child with busy speed and care
She gathers lilies here, and vi'lets there;
While first to fill her little lap she strives,
Hell's grizzly monarch at the shade arrives.
See's her thus sporting on the flow'ry green
And loves the blooming maid as soon as seen."
"Swift as a thought he seized the beauteous prey
And bore her in his sooty car away."