Aphrodite, The Goddess of Love and Passion

Most people know of Aphrodite as the goddess of love. And she is that, but she’s also much more.

The earliest myth of the birth of Aphrodite comes from Hesiod. Ouranos (Heaven) forbid the offspring of himself and Gaia (Earth) to see light, the space between Heaven and Earth. One night when Heaven lay with Earth, their son, Chronos, harvested Heaven’s genitals and threw them into the stormy sea. From this immortal flesh mixed with sea foam, rose Aphrodite (Baring 352-3).

Aphrodite is, therefore, the first fruit of the separation of Heaven and Earth, the original Mother Goddess. She connects people back to nature, before sin and laws began to regulate women’s freedom and rights.

Aphrodite’s innocence –her virginity – was renewed on an annual basis. At her temple on Cyprus, her priestesses carried her statue into the sea for a ritual bathing. This act was a recreation of the annual restoration of Aphrodite’s virginity by the Graces. This return to innocence and wholeness is one of Aphrodite’s many gifts to us. Yes, we can be restored from the wounds of heartbreak. Our past does not need to be our present. But for healing, we must first love and honor ourselves.

Join us on Wednesday, May 17, to hear the many myths about Aphrodite and to learn the messages she has for us about the importance of self-love and self care.