Reading Notes Part B "Cupid and Psyche"

Psyche being idolized above Venus (Source)

The last half of the story of Cupid and Psyche gives the resolution to the story. I thought it was interesting how poor Psyche had to go and care for the altars and shrines at the temples of various gods, but they all rejected her and sided with Venus in her feud with the mortal girl. I have always found it fascinating in Greco-Roman mythology the almost obsession that the divine beings have with their mortal counterparts.
Another interesting plot point was Venus' threatenings to strip Cupid of his power by replacing him with a slave boy. Strange the lengths to go for immortal and supreme-ply powerful gods.
The strangest and most interesting thing that I wanted to read even more about what the whole story with the vial of water from the river styx, and then the vial of the essence of beauty. I was very confused as to what that was referring to, so I want to know more about the tension between Persephone and Venus and the rivalry that they have.
Luckily, this story turns out well for Psyche, who escapes ultimately as an immortal and mother of a God. Many times these kinds of stories do not turn out so well for the mortal interlopers.

Story Source: Apuleius and His Golden Ass, Translated by Tony Kline

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Hi! My name is Blake Allred and I am majoring in International Relations with a minor in Spanish. I chose this major because I love travelling and meeting new people and learning about their cultures and traditions. One of my favorite things about the classes I take is the chance that I have to meet other people from a very diverse range of backgrounds. If all goes well, I will be graduating this semester, so this part of my college journey is coming to an end. I’m still not sure how I feel about this, it is kind of a mixture between excitement and dread, but overall, I am glad I could have such a wonderful experience here at OU and that I am now able to graduate. This summer we went on a family vacation to visit my grandparents who live in rural Colorado. My grandpa is a retired pilot and owns his own plane and built his retirement home right next to a remote airstrip. When we went there this summer, I was able to go out flying with him and even f...

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Week 4 Storytelling "The Jump"

Photo Source Cold shivers ran the length of Psyche’s spine as she contemplated the crashing waves breaking against the sharp rocks hundreds of feet below her. Tears streamed down her cheeks, aided by the frigid wind and brought on by the terrible sadness in her heart. She glanced back at her family, at her loving parents, at her weeping sisters. This was the last time she would ever see their faces. Her heart stopped as she leapt, every muscle in her body clenched and her vision went black as the rushing air slipped past her small frame. She was acutely aware of her own beating heart, its dull drumbeat strangely isolated from her own screams and those of the wind. Then, everything was black. She opened her eyes, not to the sight of the underworld, but to the rushing ocean. The wind whistled around her and she realized that she was flying through the air, rapidly, propelled by some invisible hand. She started, and nearly fainted a...

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