Adonis

Adonis was the Greek god of beauty and desire. His religion belonged to women. Adonis was the deity of plants. He is known as a god who was forever young, the one who would live and die only to be born again. This cycle is repeated without end. The cult of Adonis is made up of of women, as it is evident from the 2,600-year-old remains found on the island of Lesbos.

Athenian women planted the "garden of Adonis" where the seeds would spring to life and then die to be reborn a few months later. The festival of Adonis was celebrated in mid-summer when fennel and lettuce were harvested. Unfortunately, these plants would wither very quickly and the women would mourn their decline as the death of the youthful Adonis.