Cassandra was Trojan princess and she was blursed. It means she was blessed and cursed. She was blessed with the gift of prophesy. She could see what was coming. That was the gift she got from Apollo, who was hot for princess. He expected favors in return.
But poor Cassandra was in a difficult position. She was a temple virgin for Athena, and the job involved keeping her virginity. So, she had no choice. She was faithful to her goddess and she rejected Apollo’s advances. He didn’t take it well, and he cursed her.
It seems like prophecy is a gift that always comes with a catch. Some people have to put their hands in steaming entrails to get a vision. Other people are forced to speak their prophesies in incomprehensible rhymes. It can lead to misunderstandings and generations of women exhausting themselves with too many pregnancies trying for a seventh son.
Cassandra’s visions were straightforward. She always spoke the plain truth. Her curse was simple. Nobody ever believed her.
Cassandra knew about the soldiers in the wooden horse, and tried to warn her father the king, but he didn’t believe her and it led to the fall of Troy, and the downfall of Cassandra.
Everything she saw after that must have been horrible. She was brutally raped by Ajax on the temple floor, offending Athena, who made sure the Greeks didn’t get home without an odyssey.
Then she became a concubine to King Agamemnon, and that didn’t go well either. Agamemnon was murdered by his unfaithful wife Clytemnestra, and Cassandra was murdered too for good measure.
What sad and violent visions she must have had! Based on this story I have decided there will be no statues of Apollo in my collection.
Currently Cassandra is overseeing path construction near the waterfall.
The path is amazing. The guy responsible for the hardscaping is named Pablo. Here is a picture of Pablo.
Pablo is brilliant at design and engineering. I ordered a sign to make sure he will always get credit for for his work.
Cassandra’s story is a warning to us all. Beware of Gods bearing gifts, and be grateful for the things you don’t know.
