Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, lust, procreation, sexual reproduction, and fertility. The Roman equivalent of her is the goddess Venus. She is also the protector of sailors and the myrtle, the dove, the sparrow, the swan, the apple, the scallop shell and the mirror are sacred to her. She is accompanied by the winged god of love named Eros.
Aphrodite, the goddess of love, has her origins in ancient civilizations. The origins of her go back to the ancient Asian goddesses such as the Mesopotamian Ishtar and the Palestinian goddess, that is, the ancient Semitic goddess of love Ishtar. So the Greeks were not the first to worship the goddess of love. In fact, the ancient Greeks themselves believed that Aphrodite was of both Greek and foreign origin. It is said that she was actually a “Cyprian” and many of her attributes reflect Asian Mycenaean origins. She is a mix of Hellenic or Aegean goddess. She also came to identify the latter with Venus, the Roman goddess of love. Her offspring are said to be the ruling founding clan of Roman civilization.
Aphrodite: The Dual Birth Story
The goddess of love has two birth stories and one relates to her birth from Uranus and here she is called Aphrodite Uranus or Heavenly Aphrodite and through this birth she manifests all the superior quality of love which is pure and spiritual. In this manifestation she is linked to the creation of the world and that makes her one of the oldest divinities present since the beginning of time. On the other hand, there is another birth story that she is attributed to where it is known that she is the daughter of Zeus. In this manifestation she links to the basal nature of love, lust, and physical satisfaction. Therefore, Aphrodite seems to be a goddess who can manifest all the qualities of love, from the most basic and physical to the highest of spiritual love.
Aphrodite: in mythological manifestations
She is the patron deity of love and has helped human and divine lovers. She was involved in bringing together the most famous couple in Greek mythology which is Paris and Helen. She was also a goddess who was personally involved with many lovers, both divine and human. She was considered a unique and powerful deity with tremendous powers in matters of love, freedom, and human feelings.
Aphrodite: hidden powers
His domain of influence included the innermost feelings of the heart and the reservoir of human passion. Such power was revealed through his actions both towards his loyal followers and those who incited his wrath. She was particularly angry with those who tried to disrupt or prevent the natural workings of love and sexuality. Her abilities were not just a tool to create petty love, but a true instrument of power that could ignite and awaken the most intimate and hidden passions of love in all beings.
Aphrodite: true meaning of her manifestations
In its basal manifestation, it was the symbol of freedom and liberated sexuality. She was a rebel in the truest sense and her seductive skills were of the highest order. No one could resist her charms that emanated from her embroidered plate that, both in gods and in men, aroused passion for whoever dressed her. In fact, she was feared and so anyone who opposed the workings of love and sexuality doomed her reputation. She had lovers between God and humans. Her adventures with the god of war, Ares and the creation of many children is the best known adventure with the divine. On the other hand, she is also credited with giving birth to the founder of the nation of Italy and the mystical founder of the Roman people, Aeneas, who is one of the best-known mortal children she had by her. Aeneas was born from her marriage that she had with a shepherd. Her control over her love and passion was complete and with this power she could influence both the divine and the mortal in profound ways.
Aphrodite: A glimpse of the goddess of war
Aphrodite may also have been projected as a goddess of war, especially in Sparta, which was a militaristic state and where even girls were raised in militaristic traditions. She was also paired with the god of war, Ares in mythology and worship. Even when her origins go back to the ancient goddesses, we find that she projects the attribute of goddess of war. Ishtar, the ancient goddess to whom she is linked, was a goddess of war and fertility.
Aphrodite: Her Celebration in Art and Festivals
As the Greek goddess of love, beauty, fertility, and passion, she had a rich presence in numerous myths, poems, plays, and stories. She was richly represented in Greek sculpture and vase painting. She was often depicted nude. Vase paintings of antiquity have shown her associated with the dove and goose on which she is seen riding. She has also been painted riding the giant scallop shell. Venus de Milo, the statue with a missing arm is one of the famous representations of her. In ancient Greece, her Aphrodisiac festival was celebrated in various centers and her priestesses were considered goddesses and sexual intercourse with them was considered a form of goddess worship.
Aphrodite: The true symbolization
Aphrodite was truly a powerful and influential goddess of the Greeks who symbolized love, passion, and freedom. Her cult was a celebration of the most primal instincts of human nature, as well as the highest ideals of love and emotion. She represented the most basic passions of the physical, as well as the most scared, pure, compassionate and spiritual manifestation of love. She was a goddess that humanity could closely relate to in terms of fertility, nurture, and growth.
