Dear Annaliese,

My travels, fuelled by my floral passion, have taken me to Canada. My travel journal of pressed flowers continues to grow, and at some point I expect it will resemble an encyclopedia. Today, while exploring the great beauty of the rocky mountains, I stumbled across the sweet little aster flower.

My books on ancient Greek mythology have been accompanying me on my travels. I love these stories, for they add such richness to life, offering creative explanations for whatever questions we may have for the world around us. Though Canada bears little resemblance to what I imagine the lands of ancient Greece looked like, my discovery of the flower reminded me of its mythological origins.

Asters grow wild here, in open woods, the forest edges, in clearings and thickets. The petite flowers resemble stars with their thin petals, and come in a few different shades depending on the variety. The ones I stumbled across were a pale violet, wonderfully ethereal in contrast to the green grass.

As is the case with many Greek myths, passed down verbally from generation to generation, there are a few variations in the story of the aster’s origin. In one version, it is said that Astraea, goddess of justice, innocence and purity, was so saddened by how few stars there were in the dark sky. She started to cry, and as she wept her tears fell to the soil, and from them the star-shaped aster was born.

In another version of the story, Zeus, the king of the gods, flooded the earth to rid the lands of warring men. Astraea was so upset by this vision of death that she wished to become a star. Her wish was granted, but from her position in the sky she saw all the destruction the flood waters had caused. She wept for the loss of human lives. Where her tears fell upon the earth, the aster flower bloomed.

As I'm sure you have gathered, the word ‘aster’ comes from Latin and ancient Greek, meaning ‘star’. I have woven myself a crown with these little purple stars, so that I may feel like a woodland nymph from Greek myth as I wander these flower-scattered fields.

With love,

Eden