Aphrodite and Adonis

Cinyras, The kind of Cyprus, had a beautiful daughter named Myrrha.  Myrrha was th most beautiful human mortal of her time… and her mother knew it.  Myrrha’s mother became arrogant.  She began to state to friends and family that Myrrha was even more beautiful than Aprodite! The famed goddess of beauty and love… also known as Venus.

Naturally, this enraged Aphrodite who cast a curse on Myrrha with a never-ending lust for her own father, Cinyras.  

Myrrha couldn’t control herself.  She denied any suitable lover that came her way, and was slowly driven mad with lust for her father.  Seeing no way out of this maddening life, Myrrha decided to kill herself and end this torture once and for all.

Hyppolyte, the family nurse, found Myrrha who had failed this suicide attempt.  She cried and begged Myrrha to explain why, so Myrrha told her everything.  Hyppolyte nursed Myrrha back to health afraid every single day that she would attempt to end her life once again.  After many failed discussions in order to sway Myrrha’s mind and end her incestuous temptation, Hyppolyte agreed to help Myrrha seduce her father in exchange for a promise she would never try to end her life again.

 The plan was a success.  Tricking King Cinyras into believing he had a young admirer who wishes to remain faceless, Myrrha visited her father’s chambers in complete darkness for 12 nights.  But on the final night, his curiosity got the best of him.  She walked into the room and her face was revealed by candlelight.

King Cinyras went mad.  He tried to kill her on the spot but she escaped and ran for 9 months.  Myrrha was pregnant.  King Cinyras finally caught Myrrha, and realising she was about to give birth Myrrha fell to her knees and begged the Gods for help. Aphrodite heard Myrrha's pleas, and was suddenly overcome with sympathy and remorse for this poor innocent girl whom has fallen victim to Aphrodite’s wrath.

Aphrodite turned Myrrha into the Myrrh tree we know today.  The Myrrh tree began to give birth to a baby boy, and Myrrha’s child birthing tears were said to be the beautifully fragrant Myrrh sap.  The boy was named Adonis.
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Cinyras turned his back on the entire situation and returned to his kingdom.  Aphrodite seeing Adonis, takes pity on the infant.  She puts him in a box and takes him down to Hades to Persephone can care for him.  

Adonis grew into a stunningly handsome young man.  Sexy AF would be putting it mildly.  Aphrodite returns to the underworld for Adonis but Persephone doesn’t want to give him up.  Zeus, the great God, is forced to intervene, and decides that Adonis will spend a third of the year with Aphrodite, a third of the year with Persephone, and a third of the year with whomever he chooses.

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Adonis of course chooses Aphrodite.  He begins his year with her, and they spend every waking hour with one another… Aphrodite grows completely head over heels for Adonis.  She begins neglecting her work (as we all do when in the beginning throws of love) and is forced to leave him for a short time.  

Adonis loves the hunt.  But seeing flashes of the future, Aphrodite warms Adonis not to not to attack any animal which shows no fear.  

Not long after Aphrodite leaves, Adonis comes across a wild boar who is actually the god Ares, in a vengeful jealous wrath that Aphrodite has chosen the young mortal Adonis over him.  

Adonis pursues the boar, only to have the boar charge him.  The boat (Ares) attacks adonis and impales him with his tusk.  Adonis lays there, bleeding uncontrollably, and cries out in agony.  Aphrodite hears Adonis’ cries comes rushing back to him, tearing her clothes and ripping her skin on branches and thorns.  She holds the dying Adonis, their combined blood pooling on the ground beneath them.  Aphrodite cries and cries in grief, and in the exact place of each one of her tears hitting the blood and sinking into the ground, grows a rose quartz crystal.  

Upon his death, Adonis returns to Hades, the underworld.  Persephone is delighted to see him again, and holds him tight.  After some time, Aphrodite realises where Adonis is, and rushes back to get him.  She and Persephone argue and fight over who is allowed to keep Adonis, until Zeus is forced to intervene once again.  

This time, Zeus decides Adonis will spend six months in the underworld with Persephone, and six months with Aphrodite for the rest of all time.

The contest between Aphrodite and Persephone for the possession of Adonis mirrors the struggle between love and death.  Adonis' return to the underworld marks the beginning of winter in the mortal world, and upon his return to earth to reunite with his love, the world  blossoms into spring and summer.

R. Minerva

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