Aphrodite

Born of the foam. Goddess of beauty and sexual love.
Venus / Uranus / Moon / Air / Water /April / Spring / Summer /Autumn / Taurus / Pisces / Friday
(European: Greek)

Aphrodite rules love, sexuality, sensuality, desire, gardens,  marriage, fertility, war, victory, affection, trysts, brothels,  aphrodisiacs, pornography, voyeurism, exhibitionism, Nature, promiscuity, female beauty, physical beauty, the sex act, carnal love, sexual freedom, love affairs, sexual encounters, and death in-life. She is the matron of courtesans and prostitutes.

Aphrodite is also called Aphrodite Antheia (of the flowers), Aphrodite Areia (warlike), Aphrodite Acraea (of the height), Aphrodite Camaetho (bright-haired), Aphrodite Cnidian, Aphrodite Cytherea, Cyprian Aphrodite or Aphrodite Cypris (of Cyprus), Aphrodite Doritis (bountiful), Aphrodite Erycina (of the heather), Aphrodite Euploia (fair voyage), and Aphrodite Schoenus (of the rush basket). Her many titles include Immortal Aphrodite, Golden One, Aphrodite of the Gardens, Aphrodite of the Mandrakes, Aphrodite of the Goats, and Eldest of the Fates. She is also Aphrodite Anadyomene, She Who Rises from the Waves; Aphrodite Epitymbidia, She Upon the Graves; Aphrodite Melaina, the Black One; and Aphrodite Pandemos, Goddess of All the People. Pythagoreans called her Dual-Triple Goddess, and Christians called her The Number of Sin.

In her sexual aspect she is called Peeping Aphrodite, Aphrodite the Courtesan, Aphrodite of Brothels, Aphrodite of Streetwalkers; Aphrodite Philommedes, Lover of Genitals; Aphrodite Androphonos, Man-Slayer; and Aphrodite Porne or Pornos (for the whores), The Titillator. As Aphrodite Urania or Aphrodite Ouranos her titles are Sky Borne, The Heavenly One, and Queen of the Mountain. Aphrodite of the Flowers is her springtime aspect, and Aphrodite Camaetho is her summer or autumn aspect.

Hesperus is Aphroditeís star. Salt, especially sea salt, is her jewel. Six is her number, the hexagon is her shape, and a magical girdle is her tool. Her colors are pink, white, blue, green, and scarlet. Her sacred herbs are cinnamon, marjoram, rose, rowan, poppy, mandrake, myrtle, quince, and orris root. Apple and cypress are her sacred trees. Heather is sacred to Aphrodite Erycina. The goat, leopard, tortoise, ram, bee, and dolphin are Aphroditeís sacred animals. All fish are sacred to her, especially cuttlefish, sturgeon, tunny, and the periwinkle, scallop, and sea urchin. Aphroditeís sacred birds include dove, partridge, sparrow, swallow, swan, goose, sea mew, and all sea birds. The owl is sacred to Aphrodite Camaetho.

Aphroditeís symbols include scallop shell, spiral conch shell, mirror, honeycomb, and hexagon. The hexagon, called the Flower of Aphrodite, can be used as an amulet for the safe delivery of a baby. Aphrodite was depicted as a beautiful woman, naked or wearing jewels, fine gowns, and golden slippers. In some traditions she is considered to be androgenous, or to have a beard. Her feast days are February 6, February 14-21 (Festival of Aphrodite), and July 9 (Aphrodisia of Aphrodite Pandemos). Honor Aphrodite at Beltane; honor her as Aphrodite Urania or Aphrodite Erycina at Midsummer.

Invoke Aphrodite for attraction, passion, beauty, victory, fertility, lust, battle, regeneration, eroticism, love spells, physical beauty, sex magic, sexual freedom, sacred prostitution, sacramental promiscuity, and the sanctity of marriage. She can also be invoked for attracting love, taking lovers, protecting sailors, flouting convention, falling in love, increasing self esteem, surviving marriage to an unsuitable mate, and for loving and leaving a man. Invoke her as Aphrodite Antheia for flower magic, and as Aphrodite Urania for spiritual love. Invoke Aphrodite of the Gardens for farming and garden magic. Invoke her as Aphrodite Porne or Aphrodite Pandemos for carnal love.

Aphrodite is most powerfully invoked wherever the ocean foams up. The Great Rite is an appropriate offering to her, because the mating of humans is said to delight her. Sacred prostitution was practiced at some of her temples. The Temple of Aphrodite at Paphos gave lumps of salt and phalluses to pilgrims. She was worshiped as the Queen Bee on Mt. Eryx. There, her priestesses were called melissae (bees), and the high priestess was called Bee.

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