LEGENDARY LADIES - APHRODITE

Birth of Aphrodite by Sandro Botticelli (1486)

ORIGIN: Greek (Roman: Venus)

MYTHOLOGY: The illustrious goddess of love and beauty, Aphrodite arose fully grown out of sea foam in a scallop shell, on which she sailed to the island of Cyprus. Her name translates into “she who rises from the waves.” She was known for her magical embroidered girdle that could seduce any lover, and she had them in spades—including Ares, god of war, and Adonis, who became the god of beauty and desire. Jealous of her love for the beautiful mortal Adonis, Ares turned into a wild boar and killed the man while he was hunting. When she discovered the body of her beloved, Aphrodite cried over him, sprinkling his blood with nectar and causing anemones to spring out of the ground around him. This is the reason why the flowers have such brief and fragile blooms. Moved by her devoted love, Zeus allowed Adonis to become a god who lives in the Underworld for half the year, and on Earth with Aphrodite for the other half.

Aphrodite also loves company and often travels with fun-loving spirits, including her attendants the Three Graces: Joyous, Brilliance, and Flowering. The Graces exemplify the gifts she bestows upon mere mortals if she chooses to smile upon them: joy, brilliance, and abundance. To help mortals find romantic love, she gifts them with a bit of her charm and appeal. Her sacred plants are myrtles, roses, and anemones. Many Greeks wore wreaths of myrtle on their wedding day for Aphrodite’s blessing.

Call on Aphrodite when you need more love in your life—be it for self-care or falling in love. Attract her attention by burning her favorite scents, frankincense and myrrh.

Written by Ann Shen in "Legendary Ladies - 50 Goddeses to Empower and Inspire You", Chronicle Books, San Francisco, USA, 2018, excerpts pp.36-38. Digitized, adapted and illustrated to be posted by Leopoldo Costa.