Greek goddess of love, sex, war, beauty, passion, procreation, pleasure, desire, fertility, and the Morning Star
Before the Greeks called her Aphrodite, she was known to them as Astarte, who was their renaming of the goddess Astoreth from Egypt and Canaan (in turn, a renaming of the goddess Ishtar/Inanna). Though not to be confused with the Roman goddess Venus, as she existed independently as a goddess of gardens and vegetation before having some of Aphrodite’s attributes added.
Although she was primarily a goddess of love, sex, and beauty to the Greeks, Aphrodite was still honoured as a goddess of war and was known to bring victory and strength in battle. While she is indeed loving, she is also terrifying and has the ability to sway humans to her will- encouraging chaos wherever she pleases. Due to this, she was the bringer of frenzy and even the Fates would bend to her will. Should you cross her on the battlefield, you would not win. Though she is also a goddess of passion. She is indeed of great and powerful love, though also anger and hatred, thus connecting her with crimes of passion and even death (especially on the battlefield). This all made her one of the most feared deities of Ancient Greece.
In my personal experiences with this goddess, she is extremely powerful, cunning, ambitious, vain, and courageous, while also being empathetic, motherly, and tender all at once. She is not quite a “soft” goddess but can be gentle when she wants to be, otherwise, her presence to me feels like fire. Though when gentle, her energy feels like pure ecstasy and beauty, so much so that it brings tears to one’s eyes. Aphrodite is not shallow in the slightest and is a deeply compassionate and wise goddess who will stand tall and proud alongside her followers; she will never allow any of them to feel weak or ugly. She is also very fond of nature and adores all things that grow.
For myself, Aphrodite appears as a tall slender woman with long, wavy black hair, piercing blue eyes, and wears a deep red dress adorned with gold and diamonds. Her voice is gentle but it radiates power. She is also a withdrawn goddess who may not speak much, but when she talks about something she loves, she lights up. She is welcoming of all people, not just women, and supports those who transition as well.
| Symbolism of Aphrodite |
| Personal Associations |
Ambologera (She Who Postpones Old Age)
Antheia (Friend of Flowers)
Androphonos (Killer of Men)
Enoplios (Bearing Weapons)
Epitumbidia (She Upon the Graves)
Nikêphoros (Bringer of Victory)
Pasiphaessa (The Far-Shining)
Sy′ria Dea (The Syrian Goddess)
Philopannyx (The Night-Loving)
Philomeides (Laughter-Loving)
Tymborychos (The Gravedigger)
Sea shells, roses, myrtle, poppies, imagery of her animals, daggers, lingerie, sex toys, make-up products, jewelry, perfume, strong tobacco, wine, champagne, lemonade, pomegranate juice, black or rose tea, cream and sugar, honey, aphrodisiacs, fruits, chili peppers, chocolate, pastries, desserts in general, lotions, myrrh, rose quartz, garnet, rubies, diamonds, red or pink candles, masquerade masques, sea water, shark teeth, fish scales, pearls, mirrors, poetry, prose, artwork, music, and all other things beautiful.
