Aphrodite is the Greek Goddess of physical and romantic love, attraction, beauty, seduction, and mischief. The Romans referred to her as Venus, and scholars believe Aphrodite’s worship originated from the Mesopotamian Goddesses Astarte and Ishtar. We can find this same type of Divine Feminine energy in various Goddesses throughout many cultures – Oshun, Hathor, and Freya, for example. Often referred to as “The Golden One,” Aphrodite teaches the pleasures of being human, as well as dedication and love of the Self. She shows us how to be ‘golden’ in both our physical and spiritual lives.
When we embrace Aphrodite, we are grabbing hold of passion and love in whatever forms we find it.
Her influence isn’t just about the carnal acts, but the entire experience. The romance of holding another’s hand, of couch cuddling and hot chocolate; the sweet taste of another’s mouth, the smell of perfume and pheromones. The feeling that swells in us when we are inspired by art, our infatuation with a beautiful song or affecting novel, the light and shadow playing across your skin as you watch the sun set… All these experiences are Aphrodite’s gifts. She is the goddess of desire, passion, and lust; of splendor, of opulence. All acts of sensuality are a part of Aphrodite’s realm.
Life and our experiences within it are wet, juicy, and luscious, as well as integrated with spirit. Without the energy that is Aphrodite (and Goddesses of Her like), life can get pretty dry, and may begin to feel futile and isolated.
If you are willing to do the work (it’s fun, exciting work, but it’s still work) and you are committed to this Goddess, she will hold you near and dear to her heart, and supply you with endless opportunities to create, obtain, and enjoy love in all its creative, seductive forms. It is your choice whether to accept those opportunities or not, and your responsibility to know which situations serve your highest good, and which don’t.
Because Aphrodite will give it all to you.
When you hold space for Aphrodite in your life, you are making your pleasure and care of yourself your top priority. I think the key to working with Aphrodite – other than being of brave temperament - is you have to be willing to put in the effort. Bringing this type of Divine Feminine energy into your life takes a constant determination, because truly, you are asking Aphrodite to train and teach you to see the world in a different way. And sometimes that means you’re waking up a little earlier, or going to bed a little later, so you can complete your meditation and rituals. Sometimes it means saying no to someone you love, in order to take care of yourself first.
It’s amazing what happens when you take that 3 minutes, 5 minutes, 10 minutes a day to take care of yourself. You start to want that feeling of comfort and pleasure more often. Your perspective of the world and things you can achieve starts to change. Suddenly you are able to see the areas of your life that are lacking passion. You may still be apprehensive, but you are now willing to make changes that seemed completely impossible before Aphrodite twirled into your consciousness. Because now, you want that feeling of joy, of happiness, of pleasure, and desire all the time in your entire life experience.
The things that make up our daily lives (our habits, routines, and chores we do) can be food for the soul when we call this Goddess into our lives. Oils, perfumes, music, special dress, delicious foods are all things speak to our soul body. They change our temperament, our attitudes, our connections to others, and our atmosphere.
The good way to embrace an Aphrodisian life is to use your senses as a guide. What do you like to taste? What do you like to listen to? To watch? To touch? To feel?
Turn those activities into daily rituals for the Goddess Aphrodite.
Some simple suggestions to tap into your sensual nature:
- Enjoy your morning coffee/tea without distractions. Just sip and enjoy the flavor.
- Fill your home with your favorite scents using oil burners and incense. Consider a different scent for each room.
- Do your daily yoga or meditation using your favorite song as a focus point
- Moisturizing / self massage with scented oils and lotions.
- Treat your clothes and makeup application as acts of adornment. Have fun with jewelry!
- Read one poem every day, and ponder the significance and flow of the words.
- Start an art journal! Draw, paint, or take photos full of color and things that make you smile.
Sensual Resources for the Goddess Aphrodite:
Shopping
Books
Blood and Roses: A Devotional for Aphrodite and Venus by Bibliotheca Alexandrina
The Goddess Path: Myths, Invocations, and Rituals by Patricia Monaghan
Lost Goddesses of Early Greece: A Collection of Pre-Hellenic Myths by Charlene Spretnak
Aphrodite: A Memoir of the Senses by Isabel Allende
The Complete Poems of Sappho, translated by Willis Barnstone
The Soul of Sex: Cultivating Life as an Act of Love by Thomas Moore
You Look Like Something Blooming: A Memoir of Divination Seeds to Cultivate Your Feminine Garden Temple by India Ame'ye
For more information on Aphrodite, check out my ecourse Aphrodite’s Kiss:Invoking the Goddess of Love, Sex, and Mischief
Aphrodite not quite right for you? Maybe Orisha Goddess Oshun or Egyptian Goddess Hathor are more your flow.