8 Facts About The Ancient Greek Goddess Aphrodite

Ancient Greek mythology is filled with numerous fascinating tales of gods and men. Most of these stories portray the complicated nature of man and usually carry some lessons in politics and philosophy for the reader. Although formally known as Greek “mythology,” these ancient folklores may be more than hearsay and to this day, carry a considerable following. One of these famous Greek legends tells the story of Aphrodite, the goddess of love, beauty, and sensuality. A woman so beautiful, that even the gods would rival over her. 

According to Hesiod’s THEOGONY, Aphrodite arose from the foam of the sea of Paphos, on the island of Cyprus. She was conceived when the Titan Cronus slew his father Uranus and threw his genitals into the sea, from where arose Aphrodite. As with many Greek deities, there are numerous stories about the origins of Aphrodite. The most commonly heard version comes from Homer’s ILIAD where Aphrodite is said to be the daughter of Zeus and Dione.
 

Aphrodite is commonly associated with passion, sensuality, and desire. She is known as a powerful goddess who represents femininity and the true power it carries. To this day, there are many cults and Neopagan religions that revere Aphrodite, some of the more famous ones are The Church of Aphrodite, Wicca, and Hellenismos.

Aphrodite went by many names and epithets, including: -
 

• Venus, because of the planet Venus with which she was associated.

• Ourania meaning “heavenly,” although this name rarely appeared in literary texts and has a purely cultic significance.

• Pandemos, which means “for all folks.”

• Philommeidḗs meaning “smile-loving.”

• Cytherea, Cypris, Cerigo, derived from Aphrodite’s associations with the islands of Cythera, Cypris, and Cerigo respectively.

• Acida’lia which is derived from the well Acidalius near Orchomenos, where she used to bathe with the Graces.

• Acraea, a name given to various goddesses and gods whose temples were on hills.

• Alitta, a name given to her by the Arabs according to Herodotus.

• Amathu’sia, an epithet used by the residents of the town Amathus, one of the most ancient sites of her worship.

• Ambologe-ra, her other name, which was written on a statue in Sparta, which loosely translates to “delaying of old age.”

• Anadyo-mene, which means the goddess rising out of the sea. This name comes from the story of her being born from the foam of the sea.

1. Aphrodite was one of the twelve gods of Olympus. The other eleven included Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Hades, Hestia, Athena, Artemis, Apollo, Hephaestus, Ares, and Hermes.

2. Aphrodite was married to Hephaestus, the god of blacksmiths and metalworking. Despite this, she had many lovers, including the god of war Ares and the mortal shepherd Anchises. She was also the surrogate mother and lover of the human shepherd Adonis, over who later Aphrodite and Persephone got into a scuffle. Zeus mediated and judged that Adonis would spend half the year with Persephone and half with Aphrodite. A wild boar later killed Adonis.

3. Aphrodite, Hera, and Athena were the top three contenders for the 'gold apple,' awarded to the fairest one of all. Zeus was asked to judge the contest, but he refused. In the end, Paris, Son of King Troy judged the contest instead. Paris chose Aphrodite as the winner. However, this did not settle well with Hera and Athena and was supposedly one of the main reasons for the Trojan War.
 

4. Aphrodite was the subject of the famous sculpture, Venus de Milo. The famous statue is thought to have been sculpted by Praxiteles. But based on an inscription that was on its plinth, the statue is now thought to be the work of Alexandros of Antioch. It was discovered by a peasant named Yorgos Kentrotas, inside a buried niche within the ancient city ruins of Milos.
 

5. She had 16 children. With Ares, the God of War, she mothered Eros (also known as Cupid), Phobos, Deimos, Harmonia, Pothos, Anteros, and Himeros. With Hermes, she mothered Hermaphroditus. With  Poseidon, she mothered Rhodos and Eryx. With Dionysus, she mothered Peitho, the three Graces, and Priapus. And with Anchises (her only mortal lover), she mothered Aeneas.

There are numerous invocations and incantations to connect with the goddess Aphrodite, here are some of our favorite ones:
 
Aphrodite of golden hair, 
With purest love and face so fair, 
Goddess of longing, You who inspire, 
and fan the flames of hot desire, 
Lady of pleasure and lustful nights 
--All acts of love are Your rites. 
Queen of love and passions wild, 
Smile upon Your loving child. 
You who were foam-born of the sea, 
I ask Your blessings here on me. 
And when this sacred rite is through, 
Take my thanks and love with You. 
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The great goddess helps me to remain centered and emotionally available to others.
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Far-shining Aphrodite hear our prayer!
Thou Laughter-loving Lady, Paphian,
Well-girded, Golden, Sea-born, Cyprian,
Companion, Tender-hearted, or however
It please Thee to be addressed, attend,
We ask, our words of praise, and send
Thy Grace, because of Thou art the source of all
That's charming, graceful, all that doth enthrall
In word or deed, in action, figure, face.
For Thine is the allure that doth enlace
Our hearts as one, for as the charmed is bound,
So also is the charmer quickly found
Surrendering, with yearning undisguised,
The compromiser gladly compromised!
But irresistible is even this,
Seducer falling to seduction; bliss
Repaid is twofold bliss, drawing tight
The bonds about them both, in shared delight.
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Rose quartz is the crystal associated with Aphrodite. When summoning the goddess, intensify your magic by using a rose quartz crystal, the gentle energy of the rose quartz enhances love magic. It stimulates loving energies and represents unconditional love. It also balances emotions, heals estrangement, and heightens passions. Place a piece of rose quartz under your bed to unify and strengthen your relationship. 
The energy of a love crystal can help you and your partner open your hearts to love and bring more passion, sensuality, and romance into your life.

To win over someone you love with the help of goddess Aphrodite, use the following spell:

Write the name of the one you love on the base of an onion bulb. Plant it in the soil in a new pot. Place the pot on a windowsill, preferably facing the direction in which your love lives. Over the bulb, repeat the name of the person you desire morning and night until the bulb takes root, begins to shoot, and finally blooms. Say the following incantation daily:

May its roots grow,

May its leaves grow,

May its flowers grow,

And as it does so

[name of person] 's love grow

Words in closing

Be your fantasy—the woman you admire

And revere—but stay true to yourself

Another love spell invoking Aphrodite:
 

You will need: -

2 tall white candles

1 pink heart-shaped piece of paper

1 red pen

1 pink votive candle & 1 red votive candle

1 stick or cone of patchouli or strawberry incense

Cauldron or heat-proof container
 

This spell is best performed in the evening on a waxing moon. Cast your sacred circle and invoke the goddess of love. Light the 2 tall white candles and the incense. Using the pen, write the following incantation on the pink heart-shaped paper. Do not use names and avoid thinking of a specific person.

“APHRODITE, APHRODITE,

 GODDESS OF LOVE,

 AND PASSION MIGHTY

 LOOK DOWN FROM ABOVE;

 HEAR MY PRAYER

 AND GRANT ME A LOVE,

 SO TRUE AND SO FAIR -

 AS IT IS WILLED, SO MOTE"

Light the pink (for love & friendship) and red (for passion) votive candles. Meditate for a bit while concentrating on your happiness. Visualize yourself happy and in love. When you are ready, take the pink heart-shaped paper and light it from the pink votive candle flame. Place it in the cauldron or heat-proof container while repeating the incantation three times.
 

When finished, thank the goddess Aphrodite and extinguish the candles. Close the ritual and open the circle. Take the container outside and toss the ashes back out into the Earth, releasing the spell.

In all of Greek mythology, Aphrodite stands out and makes a mark of her own. A force to be reckoned with, Aphrodite challenges the damsel in distress image of a woman and replaces it with grace, power, and love. 
Even in this modern day and age, Aphrodite remains to be a universal symbol of femininity and sensuality. People may not believe in her legend, but there is an undeniable feminine vigor that her symbol still carries, which is used to represent numerous brands and ideas. Aphrodite's symbol empowered women taught them to be open with their sexuality and explore their desires - especially in an era where women's sexuality was something most people tried to suppress.