Introducing Aphrodite
It is said that when the sea birthed Aphrodite from its blue depths, even the waves bowed their foamy heads to her exquisite beauty.
She rose up through the roiling waters, the sea-salt spray, full-formed and radiant. Her pearlescent skin shone as sunbeams danced across her unparalleled loveliness, and her long blonde hair swirled around the perfection of her naked body. She was carried across the surface of the ocean, held aloft upon an enormous scallop shell, accompanied by two dolphins as she approached the shore.
We, of course, were waiting for her.
We are the Graces, and if ever there was a goddess deserving of our attention, it was Aphrodite. We are the goddesses of splendour, mirth and good cheer, and presiding over us all, is the goddess Aphrodite: the goddess of love, the goddess of beauty, the goddess of sex. It was almost as though we were made to tend to her every need, so well matched were we to her, and she to us.
Setting foot upon the sand she walked into the world, and with that the lives of gods and men were never the same – forever altered by the birth of beauty and love. She smiled at us and we felt our senses played upon by the most delicious scents, tastes, sounds… We instantly devoted ourselves to her and her care.
And so when she began to walk up the beach, we could not help but follow her, and it was then that we saw that her effect was not just solely concentrated upon us. All that set eyes upon her, man, woman, beast, was similarly seduced by her presence. They would turn towards their mate with desire alight within their eyes, and then with entwined limbs, holding one another close, they lost themselves in love.
The moans and sighs uttered in her wake, rose from their earth-bound origins and spiralled up towards Olympus, catching the attention of the gods. Driven by their curiosity the gods descended to catch a sight of the being who had brought with her such an irrepressible surge of pleasure. This was surely a powerful being indeed that could so distract and delight all living beings within her sphere of influence.
It was perhaps inevitable. Beauty like that has a history of causing strife. The gods began to bicker amongst themselves, each arguing his case for marriage to this most alluring of all goddesses. Tempers flared. Threats issued. Demands made. And Aphrodite just smiled and made her way to Paphos with us, her handmaidens in attendance.
By the time she arrived at her destination, it had been decided. Zeus, sensing irreparable splits in the heretofore united Olympic dynasty, chose the one god who hadn’t made a claim for Aphrodite’s hand – the crippled Hephaestus.
Since the launch of Virgins & Lovers: Ancient Wisdom for the Modern Goddess on Monday, I have been sharing excerpts from each of the 6 goddess stories celebrated within its pages. Today, I’m sharing the opening words of Aphrodite’s story.
Her story is told by her handmaidens, the three Graces and covers a selection of myths that feature her at their centre. Unlike some other goddesses whose many myths have been lost to time, Aphrodite’s myths have endured. She teaches us how to awaken our senses, as well as the positives and negatives of free love. Her marriage to Hephaetus is of particular interest to artists and creative types, being as it is, the union of love and craftmanship.
If you’re interested in connecting with Aphrodite, as well as the other 5 goddesses (Persephone, Brigid, Artemis, Freya, and Hera), please do check out Virgins and Lovers and let the stories, the journal prompts, the creative exercises and the delicious guided goddess visualisations support your journey.
