GODDESS OF LOVE: APHRODITE

APHRODITE - The Greek goddess of love and beauty, was born from the foam of the sea, she is married to HEPHAESTUS, the god of fire and smith to the gods. Sacred to her are myrtle, rose, apple, poppy, sparrow, dove, swan, tortoise, ram, the planet Venus, and the month April. EROS was produced from a liaison with ZEUS. Her favourite lover is the GOD of war, ARES.

APHRODITE, the goddess of romance and passion, of fashion beauty and art, has captivated poets and painters for centuries. Known for her numerous affairs of the heart, as well as her willingness, to help others find the love they seek. She is also known as the roman goddess, VENUS. APHRODITE had one gift and one gift only... to make love, and that one gift was so special that no one seemed to resent her. She was only assigned only one gift.... to bring love into the world.

What is certain is that her arrival caused quite a stir! Every Greek god and goddess was dying to meet her. The HORAE (hours) welcomed her with the finest gold ornaments and cloths, then brought APHRODITE to MT. Olympus to present her to ZEUS and the other god and goddess.

Since she was known for her rich and lusty affairs, she had several too, her most notable lovers were, ARES, DIONYSIUS, HERMES, POSEIDON, and the mortal, ADONIS.

Although the goddess APHRODITE seldom seemed very serious in her affairs, one love caused her great suffering. She had begged ADONIS, her beloved mortal, to give up dangerous sports he enjoyed; she could not bear to lose him. But ADONIS ignored her advice and was killed by a wild boar while hunting. When he died, APHRODITE heard his cries and hastened to his side in her swan-drawn chariot.

APHRODITE'S most famous son was EROS, the god of love who helped with her work. He was a talented archer, his job was to shoot arrows dipped in APHRODITE’S love potion, hitting her unwitting victims, causing them to fall madly in love with the next person they saw. Many of the great love stories began this way.

The influence of the Greek goddess, APHRODITE can be seem generative, for beyond that of romance, love or desire alone. She is associated with the life-giving sea. Just as the waves lapping on the shore refresh and renew the beach. APHRODITE brings us hope and the awareness of the transforming power of love and beauty.

Written by High Priestess Lisa Tarrance

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