18.11.202327.05.2017

Beautiful traditions and legends about the ancient gods, when people lived in harmony with nature, and saw a divine reason and plan in everything that happened, still excite the imagination of creative people. The goddess Aphrodite, the most beautiful inhabitant of Olympus - this article is dedicated to her.

Who is Aphrodite

The influence of neighboring peoples, as well as trade with other countries, left an imprint on the beliefs and religion of the ancient Greeks; sometimes similar cults merged and existing gods were enriched with new characteristic features. Who is Aphrodite in Greek mythology - historians and archaeologists believe that the cult of the Cypriot goddess was originally of Semitic origin and brought to Ancient Greece from Ascalon, where the goddess Aphrodite was called Astarte. Aphrodite is one of the pantheon of the 12 main gods of Olympus. Spheres of influence and functions of the goddess:

fertility of nature;
at his own discretion bestows beauty on people;
patronizes lovers, marriages and the birth of children;
voluptuousness;
love;
sensuality;
sends erotic fantasies and dreams;
punishes those who reject the feeling of love.

What does Aphrodite look like?

With the advent of the cult of the goddess of love, there was a leap in the development of art: the Greeks began to pay great attention to the reproduction of the naked body in paintings, frescoes and sculpture. The goddess Aphrodite, at the initial stage, differed from the images of other gods of the Greek pantheon in that she was completely naked. The appearance of the goddess spoke for itself:

a beautiful maiden with long hair the color of gold;
delicate and delicate facial features;
forever young;
graceful and graceful as a doe;
eyes the color of emeralds.

Aphrodite's attributes:

Golden cup of wine - a person who drank from the cup became immortal and gained eternal youth.
Aphrodite's Belt - bestowed sexual charms and strengthened the one who wore it. In myths, Aphrodite sometimes gave the belt to other goddesses at their request to seduce husbands or lovers.
Birds - pigeons and sparrows, a symbol of fertility.
Flowers - rose, violet, daffodil, lily - symbols of love.
The apple is the fruit of temptation.

The goddess of beauty Aphrodite is often accompanied by companions:

nymphs - spirits of nature;
choirs - goddesses of time and order in nature;
Eros is an archer deity who strikes with arrows of love;
the Harites, the goddesses of fun and joy, serve the goddess, dress her in beautiful outfits and comb her golden hair.

Aphrodite - mythology

The myths according to which the ancient Greek goddess Aphrodite appeared interpret this event differently. The traditional method of birth described by Homer, where Aphrodite’s mother is the sea nymph Dione, and her father is the supreme thunderer Zeus himself. There is a version in which the parents of the goddess are the goddess Artemis and Zeus - as a union of the masculine and feminine principles.

Another myth, more archetypal. The Earth Goddess Gaia was angry with the husband of the Sky God Uranus, from whom terrible children were born. Gaia asked her son Kronos to castrate his father. Kronos cut off Uranus's genitals with a sickle and threw them into the sea. Snow-white foam formed around the severed organ, from which the already adult goddess of love emerged. This event happened at Fr. Cythera in the Aegean Sea. The wind carried her on a sea shell to Cyprus, and she came ashore. The choirs put a golden necklace and a diadem on her and took her to Olympus, where the gods looked at the goddess in amazement and everyone wanted to take her as his wife.

Aphrodite and Ares

Aphrodite in Greek mythology is known for her love, including gods and mere mortals among her lovers. Historical sources indicate that Aphrodite’s husband, the god of blacksmithing Hephaestus, was lame and did not shine with beauty, so the goddess of love often consoled herself in the arms of a courageous and warlike man. One day, Hephaestus, wanting to catch Aphrodite in connection with the god of war, forged a thin bronze net. In the morning, when the lovers woke up, they found themselves entangled in a net. Hephaestus, in retaliation, invited those who wanted to look at the naked and helpless Aphrodite and Ares.

From love with the god of destruction and war, the children of Aphrodite were born:

Phobos is the god of fear. His father's faithful companion in battle.
Deimos is the personification of the horror of war.
Eros and Anteros are twin brothers, responsible for attraction and mutual love.
Harmony - patronizes a happy marriage, life in unity and harmony.
Himeroth is the god of fiery passion.

Aphrodite and Adonis

Aphrodite - the Greek goddess experienced love and the torment of suffering. The beautiful young man Adonis, who surpassed even the gods of Olympus in beauty, won the heart of Aphrodite at first sight. Adonis's passion was hunting, without which he could not understand his life. Aphrodite accompanied her lover and became interested in hunting wild animals. One stormy day, the goddess could not go hunting with Adonis and asked him to heed her pleas to take care of himself, but it so happened that Adonis’s dogs attacked the trail of a wild boar and the young man hurried in anticipation of prey.

Aphrodite felt the death of her beloved and went in search of him, making her way through the thickets, all wounded from thorns and sharp stones digging into her tender legs, the goddess found Adonis lifeless with a terrible lacerated wound left by the fangs of a boar. In memory of her lover, Aphrodite created an anemone flower from drops of his blood, which became her attribute. Zeus, seeing the grief of the goddess, agreed with Hades that Adonis spends six months in the kingdom of the dead - this is the time of winter, the awakening of nature personifies the time when Adonis is reunited with Aphrodite for six months.

Apollo and Aphrodite

The myth about Aphrodite, the most beautiful of the goddesses of Olympus, is contrasted with the myths about Apollo, who personifies the most beautiful of the divine Greek pantheon. Apollo, the sun god, is dazzling in his beauty and loving. Aphrodite's son Eros, fulfilling his mother's will, often struck the brilliant Apollo with his arrows. Apollo and Aphrodite were not lovers, but were a kind of standards of masculinity, reflected in the Hellenic art of sculpture.

Athena and Aphrodite

The Greek goddess Aphrodite decided to try herself in some other craft other than love and chose spinning. Athena, the goddess of war and crafts, found the goddess at the spinning wheel, which made her indignation know no bounds. Athena considered this an encroachment and interference in her spheres and powers. Aphrodite did not want to quarrel with Athena, apologized and promised not to touch the spinning wheel again.

Aphrodite and Venus

The ancient goddess Aphrodite attracted the warlike Romans so much that they adopted the cult of Aphrodite and called her Venus. The Romans considered the goddess their ancestor. Guy Julius Caesar was proud and constantly mentioned that his family descended from the great goddess. Venus Victorious was revered as giving victory to the Roman people in battles. Aphrodite and Venus are identical in function.

Aphrodite and Dionysus

Dionysus, the god of fertility and winemaking, sought in vain the favor of Aphrodite for a long time. The goddess often found comfort in casual relationships, and luck smiled on Dionysus. The son of Dionysus and Aphrodite, Priapus, who appeared as a result of a passing infatuation, was so ugly that Aphrodite abandoned the child. The huge genitals of Priapus, which the vengeful Hera endowed him with, became a symbol of fertility among the Greeks.

Aphrodite and Psyche

The ancient Greek Aphrodite had heard a lot about the beauty of the earthly woman Psyche and decided to destroy her by sending Eros to hit Psyche with an arrow of love for the ugliest of men. But Eros himself fell in love with Psyche and made her his, sharing a bed with her only in complete darkness. Psyche, persuaded by her sisters, decided to look at her husband while he was sleeping. She lit the lamp and saw that Eros himself was in her bed. A drop of wax fell on Eros, he woke up and left Psyche in a rage.

The girl is looking for her lover all over the world and is forced to turn to Eros’s mother Aphrodite. The goddess gives the poor thing impossible tasks: to sort different types of grains dumped into one huge pile, get the golden fleece from maddened sheep, draw water from the Styx and in the underworld get a potion to treat Eros' burn. With the help of the forces of nature, Psyche copes with difficult assignments. The recovered god of love, touched by care, asks the celestials of Olympus to legitimize the marriage with Psyche and grant her immortality.

Aphrodite and Paris

“The Apple of Discord” is the most ancient Greek myth about Aphrodite, Athena and Hera. Paris, the son of the Trojan king Priam, was having fun playing the flute and admiring the beauty of nature, when he suddenly saw that the messenger of the gods Hermes himself was walking towards him, and with him the three great goddesses of Olympus. Paris ran as fast as he could out of fear, but Hermes called out to him, saying that Zeus would order the young man to judge which of the goddesses was the most beautiful. Hermes handed Paris a golden apple with the inscription “To the most beautiful.”

The goddesses decided to bribe Paris with gifts in order to receive the fruit. Hera promised Paris power and rule over Europe and Asia. Athena promised eternal glory among the sages, and victory in all battles. Aphrodite approached and affectionately promised love to the most beautiful of mortals - Helen the Beautiful. Paris, who desired Helen, gave it to Aphrodite. The goddess helped kidnap Helen and patronized their union. For this reason, the Trojan War broke out.

Aphrodite and Poseidon

Aphrodite, the goddess of love, was also not indifferent to the god of the sea elements, Poseidon, who was inflamed with lust for her after seeing her naked in bed with Ares, at the moment when they were caught in Hephaestus’s net. Aphrodite, to shake up Ares' feelings of jealousy, responded to Poseidon with a mutual outburst of short-term passion. The goddess gave birth to a daughter, Rhoda, who became the wife of Helios, the solar deity.

Aphrodite (Venus to the Romans) is the goddess of love and beauty.
She was thought of as the goddess of eternal spring, flowering and fertility. She patronized beauty and lovers, poets glorifying love, and artists embodying beauty. Everything beautiful in this world was the creation of Aphrodite. She preferred life and peace to war and death, which is why she was praised when they wanted quiet prosperity or deliverance from death.

The goddess was subject not only to people and animals, but also to the gods themselves.
“Golden” is the most common epithet among the Greeks when describing Aphrodite, meaning “beautiful” for them. According to Paul Friedrich, a famous expert on Aphrodite, the words golden honey, golden speech, golden seed linguistically related, symbolizing childbirth and verbal creativity - Aphrodite's deepest values.

Myth
There are two mythological versions of the birth and origin of Aphrodite. Hesiod and Homer tell two contradictory stories.
According to Homer, Aphrodite was born in the usual way. She was the daughter of Zeus and the sea nymph Dione.
According to Hesiod, Aphrodite was born as a result of violence. The treacherous Kronos took a sickle, cut off the reproductive organs of his father Uranus and threw them into the sea. They were covered with snow-white foam, mixed with the seed, from which Aphrodite was born, emerging from the sea waves as a fully grown goddess.

According to myths, Aphrodite first set foot on the shore of either the island of Cythera or the island of Cyprus. Then, accompanied by Eros, she was taken to Olympus and became the most beautiful of the goddesses in the host of gods.
Many of the gods, smitten by her beauty, competed as contenders for her hand and heart. Unlike other goddesses who did not choose their spouses or lovers, Aphrodite was free in her choice. She chose Hephaestus, the lame god of fire and blacksmithing. Thus, the rejected son of Hera becomes the husband of Aphrodite - and will often be deceived by her. Aphrodite and Hephaestus had no children. Their marriage may represent the union of beauty and craftsmanship from which art is born.
Aphrodite preferred to choose her lovers from the second generation of Olympians - the generation of sons, not fathers (Zeus, Poseidon and Hades).

Archetype
The Aphrodite archetype governs a woman's ability to enjoy love and beauty, sexuality and sensuality. Contact with the sphere of love activates powerful forces in many women. As a truly feminine force, Aphrodite can be as demanding as Hera and Demeter (two other strong instinctual archetypes). Aphrodite encourages women to perform both creative and reproductive functions.

beauty
When a girl first feels like a beauty, the archetype of the goddess Aphrodite awakens in her. The feeling or awareness of one's own beauty gives inspiration and strength, a feeling of unreality (“floating above the earth”) and a sense of power over the world around us. This is an unreal, truly archetypal feeling that completely transforms a woman. Without such experiences and experiences, our world would be much more boring, sadder, gloomier. We also enjoy seeing such beauty; we are able to admire others, dissolving in this experience. And such an experience is also from the Aphrodite archetype: it is this goddess who teaches us to see beauty in the world and Other people, to admire and appreciate it, to enjoy the fact that it simply exists.

The Aphrodite archetype largely dictates the image of the ideal woman. So we can observe a certain cult of bodily perfection. When a woman goes on a diet, undergoes cosmetic surgery, goes to a beauty salon, desperately fights cellulite, carefully applies makeup, she is trying to create some kind of bodily perfection, the likeness of a goddess. If the archetypes of independent goddesses are not sufficiently developed, then a woman’s own appearance becomes the only value in the world.

Peacefulness
Aphrodite was a purely peaceful goddess. She never got involved in wars: the Trojan War was an exception, and even then the immortal only wanted to protect her favorites. This archetype and the people included in it are deeply alien to the idea of violence, aggression and war. Although Aphrodite was in a love affair with the god of war, Ares, the bed of love is perhaps the only place where Aphrodite would like to see him. She loves love captures, not political ones, and gentle struggles in bed, and not on the battlefield. It gives people passion, the ability to love and give life, and not to torture and kill. The hippie slogan of the 1960s and 70s is also characteristic in this regard: “Make love, not war.”

Love
The state of falling in love is a state of “here and now”, which from the inside seems like an amazing and amazing eternity, into which you can plunge as into a life-giving source. This feeling of being filled with love, this feeling of an internal aching “breaking” of the body from the inability to connect, merge, simply get closer or, conversely, in anticipation of this. All these signs of “sweet flour” are both very similar and individual. But invariably recognizable. This is also what Aphrodite gives. A woman under the influence of this facet of the archetype does not pay attention to anything around her, only love is important to her. All people in love become like this.

Two lovers see each other in the special, uplifting, “golden” light of Aphrodite, which attracts them with its beauty. The air is saturated with magic; a state of enchantment or passionate love arises. Everyone feels wonderful and special. The energy field between them becomes emotionally charged, generating erotic “electricity”, which in turn creates a mutual magnetic attraction. In the “golden” space around them, sensory receptivity increases: they hear music more clearly, smells more clearly, the lover’s taste and touch are enhanced.

Mistress
Every woman who is in love with a man who reciprocates her feelings becomes at this moment the personification of Aphrodite. Temporarily transformed from an ordinary mortal to a goddess of love, she feels like an attractive and sensual archetypal lover.

If Aphrodite is the main archetype in the female personality, then a woman falls in love often and easily.
When sensuality and sexuality in women are devalued - as in many patriarchal cultures - the woman embodying Aphrodite the lover is seen as a temptress or harlot. This archetype, when pronounced, can lead a woman to conflict with moral standards. Aphrodite women can be expelled from society.

The well-known “virgin and whore complex” is associated precisely with the existence - and opposition - of the archetypes Aphrodite and Hestia. All existing or encountered women are subject to the projection of only these two archetypes, each of which is expressed in an extremely extreme and primitive way. And until a man sees that the same women combine different images and archetypes, or - even better, but less likely - understands that these are his own fantasies and projections, he will look for extremes.
However, some men are fascinated by this particular version of the Aphrodite archetype, the so-called Aphrodite Pandemos (“of the people”). They are looking for women who best suit him.

Thirst for love
An unquenchable thirst for love overcomes us when we are already in love, but we do not know whether this feeling is mutual or whether there is at least some possibility for it to become so. Or when there is no love or its object yet, but the soul yearns for this feeling, for the demand for desires and the body, for passionate outbursts and spiritual harmony. The Aphrodite archetype often appears to us in exactly this guise. This is what motivates us to commit various follies and oddities, stupidities and great deeds or big mistakes.

Instinct for procreation
Aphrodite represents the urge that ensures the continuation of the human race. As an archetype associated with sexual urge and the power of passion, Aphrodite can turn a woman into a “generative vessel.”

Unlike a Demeter woman who enters into intimate relationships for the desire to have a child, a woman under the influence of Aphrodite has a child because she feels passion for a man or desires a sexual or romantic experience. They gladly give birth to children from their beloved men - they do not associate childbirth with the legal ties of Hymen like Hera, but they also do not consider children the meaning of their whole life, like Demeter. For Aphrodite, children are wonderful “fruits of love.”

Creation
Aphrodite represents the great power of change. Thanks to it, attraction, connection, fertilization, gestation and the birth of a new life occur. When this process between a man and a woman takes place solely on the physical level, a child is conceived. But in all other creative processes the sequence is the same: attraction, union, fertilization, gestation and new creation. An abstract creative product can be presented as an inspired combination of two ideas, which ultimately gives birth to a new theory.

Creative work occurs in a state of intense and passionate involvement - almost like with a lover, where one (the artist) interacts with the "other" to bring something new to life. This “other,” all-consuming and enchanting for a period of time, may be a painting, a dance form, a musical composition, a sculpture, a poem or manuscript, a new theory or invention. Creativity for many people is also a "feeling" process; it is an “in-the-moment” sensory experience that includes touch, sound, sights, movement, and sometimes even smell and taste. An artist, immersed in the creative process, often, like a lover, finds that all her sensations are intensified and she perceives sensory impressions through many channels. When she works on a visual image, a verbal phrase, or a dance movement, multiple sensory sensations can interact to produce the result.

Just as Aphrodite the lover can move through a chain of love affairs, so Aphrodite the creative force can draw a woman from one intense creative act to another. When one project ends, another opportunity arises that attracts her.

Muse
It is known that Aphrodite gave inspiration to poets, musicians, artists, and sculptors. Likewise, women in whom this archetype is strong play the role of muses for creative, intelligent and educated people.
Such a woman plays a special role in making a man’s Dream come true. It gives you the opportunity to give shape to your Dream and helps you live for it. She shares it, believes in him as the hero of the Dream, gives her blessing and provides refuge, helping to express his ambitious desires and nurture his hopes.

This particular woman is similar to Toni Wolfe's description of the "heterosexual woman" (the ancient Greek equivalent of courtesans, who was educated, cultured and unusually free for those days; in some respects she was similar to a Japanese geisha), whose close relationships with men have both erotic and friendly overtones. She could be his muse. According to Woolf, the hetaera fertilizes the creative side of a man and helps him in his creativity. Sometimes a woman has the gift of attracting several or many men who perceive her as a special woman; she has the ability to see their potential, believe in their dreams and inspire them to achieve.

Breaking the rules
Sometimes both aspects of Aphrodite are present in one woman - both creative and romantic. In this case, she enters into intense intimate relationships, moving from one relationship to another, and immerses herself in creative work. Such a woman follows her enchanting passions in love and creativity and can lead a life alien to convention, like the dancer Isadora Duncan and the writer George Sand.

Aphrodite breaks the rules. The goddess not only cheated on her husband, shared men with other women and indulged in love even with mortals, but also forced other gods to do this.
“It is better to be a bad woman, but happy, than a decent woman, but unhappy,” is, of course, the motto of Aphrodite.

Aphrodite Woman
The Aphrodite archetype radiates personal charm - magnetism or electricity - which, combined with external characteristics, makes a woman an “Aphrodite”.
An ordinary-looking woman does not attract men from a distance, but if her active archetype is Aphrodite, then when they get closer, they find her charming and charming. Many women with Aphrodite qualities who are not particularly beautiful attract men with the magnetic warmth of their personality and their natural, unconscious sexuality. These "simps" are always surrounded by men, while their more gifted, really pretty sisters may be waiting by the phone or sitting alone at a dance, wondering, "What does she have that I don't have?"

Childhood and parents
As a child, little Aphrodite can be an innocent little flirt. She has unconscious sexuality, the ability to arouse interest and response in men. She enjoys being the center of attention and enjoys wearing nice clothes and dressing up. She is not usually a shy, timid child, and may even be called a "little actress" for her impromptu performances and other attention-grabbing acts that even then captivate her audiences.

By awakening the Aphrodite archetype, parents can raise a girl like a little princess, dressing her in the most wonderful dresses, or inspire her to perform creative feats such as reading poetry or singing songs in front of guests. If both loving parents do this, then the girl grows up in an atmosphere of friendliness and acceptance. Sometimes this is the result of one parent's vanity efforts. By imposing on the child the role of “mom’s (or father’s) sunshine,” parents demand that the girl always look content, joyful and happy, otherwise she will be reproached for malicious ingratitude. Parents can also wish their child fame and glory, literally “pushing” him onto the stage or podium, tormenting him from an early age with discipline, training and hours of vigil in front of the mirror in the hands of a hairdresser or makeup artist.

Unfortunately, the vigorous encouragement of the development of this archetype ina girl can lead to too early “adulthood”, to experiences and experiences that are appropriate at an older age. Including traumatic experiences. In order for a girl to begin to show direct interest in sexual life too early (not a naturalistic one, like asking “Where do children come from?”) interest in sexual life, there usually must be someone who will provoke her to this, teach her, perhaps force her. This does not happen as rarely as one might think. And close relatives are most often responsible for this.

The best parents do not overestimate or place too much importance on Aphrodite's qualities and do not treat their daughter as a pretty object. Parents rate their daughter's attractiveness in the same way as other qualities, such as intelligence, kindness, and artistic abilities. In the case of a dating situation, parents impose restrictions appropriate to the age and maturity of the daughter. Attractiveness to men is seen as a fact that a girl should be aware of (not condemned).

Adolescence and youth
Adolescence and young adulthood are a crucial time for the Aphrodite woman, who may find herself caught between the excitement of Aphrodite within herself and the reactions of those around her.
Young women receive little help in dealing with their persistent inner Aphrodite. Their main choice, which can have serious consequences, is how to express their sexuality. Some of them simply suppress it. At the same time, those who feel strong religious pressure may in any case feel guilty, blaming themselves for “unacceptable” feelings. Others express sexuality in a stable, intimate relationship - a good choice if Hera is also a strong part of the personality, although early marriage may result.

If both Athena and Aphrodite are both strong elements in a young woman, she can use a combination of strategy and sexuality, including for self-defense.
When an Aphrodite woman goes to college, perhaps the social aspects will be most important to her. She may choose a "party school" - a college marked by social activity rather than academic pursuits.

She usually does not focus on long-term academic goals or career goals. Her renewed interest in a professional career is undermined by the dull prospect of accepting the difficult conditions required. She is able to plunge into college work only by shining in some - most often creative - field, including interaction with people

Job
Work that does not emotionally captivate the Aphrodite woman is of no interest to her. She enjoys variety and intensity, and finds repetitive tasks, like housework, office work or laboratory work, boring. She only does a job well when she can be completely creative in it. Thus, she can be found in the fields of art, music, writing, dance, drama, or among people who are especially significant to her, such as a teacher, therapist, editor.
Forced to choose a profession for herself (or having decided to do so because “otherwise it’s boring”), a young woman will go where she has the opportunity to communicate with a large number of people, shine with her appearance and make an impression.

As a result, she either hates her job and probably does a mediocre job, or she loves it and puts in the effort and time. She almost always prefers a job that she finds interesting to one that pays better but is not as attractive to her. She can achieve success, but, unlike Athena and Artemis, she is not focused on achievement.

Relationships with women: friendship or rivalry
A woman who vividly embodies the Aphrodite archetype has many friends and many envious women. Her friends like her spontaneity, dynamism and charm. Some can only dream of such a life and therefore live it indirectly “through a friend.” Others have the same qualities of Aphrodite, perhaps “diluted” properties of other goddesses, and live the same cheerful and joyful life, welcoming each new day.

Other women tend not to trust the Aphrodite woman, which is especially true for women of the Hera type. The less Aphrodite is aware of and responsible for her effect on men, the more destructive she becomes. When women (especially the jealous and vindictive Hera) are angry with her, the Aphrodite woman is often shocked. She rarely shares the hostility of other women, and since she is not jealous or possessive herself, it is usually difficult for her to understand the reason for the hostility towards herself.
Envious women can also be found among the same Aphrodite rivals, perhaps fixated on their own appearance and the presence of fans more than anything else.

Relationships with men:
Aphrodite women are attracted to men who are not necessarily suitable for them. If not influenced by the archetypes of other goddesses, their choice is often similar to the choice of Aphrodite herself - these are men who are creative, complex, easily susceptible to mood swings or emotional, like Hephaestus, Ares or Hermes. Such men do not strive for professional heights or positions of power, do not want to head a family or be husbands and fathers.
Sometimes all the attention of a woman, dominated by the Aphrodite archetype, can be concentrated on herself: her appearance, success with the opposite sex and on a well-deserved reward - a “beautiful life.” A partner or lover is valuable only when he can provide for her, give her the life that she believes she deserves. These women know what they want and know how to get it.

There is a type of Aphrodite woman who loves many. This is a very bright and, perhaps, the most famous type of woman. Often they seem to live one day at a time, abandoning permanent relationships and stability, in a thirst for new hobbies and adventures. In each new romance, they can be extremely passionate and emotionally demanding. They enjoy the intoxication of love - they expect constant confirmation of their sexual attractiveness from their partner.

But there are women with a strong Aphrodite archetype, who fall in love quickly and passionately, but are able to find themselves, if not good husbands, then some “special” lovers. They choose charismatic, bright, strong men. Often these are “the powers that be” (or about the same thing, but on a smaller scale). These may also be the “great talents” of their time. Women are not looking for benefits here - they are attracted by the special strength and energy of a powerful or talented man. Like a true Aphrodite, such a woman knows how to see, understand and appreciate the beauty, strength or genius of a man.

If Aphrodite is one of several powerful archetypes, including Hera, then her presence enhances and enlivens the marriage with sexuality and passion. However, it can be very difficult for an Aphrodite woman to endure a monogamous marriage. If the other goddesses have little influence over the married Aphrodite, or the marriage is simply a casual coupling, she will likely follow the pattern of a series of intimate liaisons.

Children [ 1 ]
The Aphrodite woman likes children, and vice versa. The child feels that this woman is looking at him with eyes that do not judge, but are able to appreciate. She brings out the child's feelings and abilities in such a way that the child feels beautiful and accepted. Often she gradually instills in him a feeling of being chosen, giving the child confidence and helping to develop abilities and talents. She can very easily get into the spirit of play and fantasy. She charms children with her demeanor and inspires them with her infectious enthusiasm for everything that interests her. These are wonderful qualities for a mother. The children of an Aphrodite woman thrive and develop their own individuality, especially if she also has Demeter-like qualities.

Mother Aphrodite can enchant her children, who see her as beautiful and seductive, but if (due to the lack of the Demeter archetype) she does not take into account their needs for emotional security and constancy, she will be inconsistent, contradictory, which threatens negative consequences for them. In this case, her children revel in her full attention one moment, but when her attention shifts to something else at another moment, they feel abandoned and unhappy.

Average age
The inevitability of aging can be a devastating reality for an Aphrodite woman if attractiveness was her main source of satisfaction. In her middle years, the Aphrodite woman often makes mistakes in her choice of partners. She may realize how often she is attracted to unconventional and sometimes unsuitable men. Now she may want to calm down, a possibility she previously dismissed with contempt.

However, middle age is not difficult for Aphrodite women engaged in creative work. It is typical for such women to retain their enthusiasm and still throw themselves headlong into the work that interests them. And now they have more experience to feel inspired and more highly developed skill to express themselves.

Old age
Some Aphrodite women retain the ability to see beauty in the object of their focus and always be a little in love. They enter old age with grace and vitality. Their interest in others or involvement in creative work remains the most important part of life. They continue to be in a youthful position as they unconsciously move from experience to experience, from person to person, fascinated by what comes in the next moment. Young at heart, they attract others and have friends of all ages.

Psychological problems s
It is not easy to have Aphrodite as a leading archetype. Women who follow the instinctive sexuality of Aphrodite are often caught between their own desire for sexual intimacy and the tendency to generate erotic energy in others, on the one hand, and a culture that views women as promiscuous , if she acts according to her desires, on the other.

Aphrodite woman growing into an atmosphere of condemnation of female sexuality, may try to suppress her interest in men, downplay her attractiveness, and consider herself bad for her sexual desires. But the guilt and inner conflict that accompany the manifestations of her Aphrodite nature lead to depression, anxiety and depression.

Aphrodite women tend to live in the present, experiencing life as if it were only a sensory experience. Under the pressure of the moment, such a woman can react, being unaware of the consequences of one’s actions, and/or not being faithful, thereby giving rise to conflicts. This orientation entails impulsive actions that are destructive to everything it touches.

Men can become victims of an Aphrodite woman when she "loves them and leaves them" . She falls in love very easily, convinced every time that she has found the perfect man. The magic of the moment allows him to feel like a god, loved by a goddess, until she leaves him and starts dating someone else. As a result, she leaves behind a chain of wounded, offended, indignant, depressed or angry men who feel used and abandoned.

Modern victims of Aphrodite are women bound by their unhappy love . Some of them seek psychiatric help to free themselves from suffering.
A woman may be in a loving relationship with a man who treats her poorly or humiliates her . She makes her whole life dependent on the “crumbs” of attention that fall from him from time to time. Her involvement may be short-lived, but it can also last for years.

Also sometimes a woman in love with a man who makes it clear he doesn't want to be with her . He avoids her as much as possible and feels the curse of her unrequited love. Once again, her tormenting obsession with him can continue for years, effectively preventing the possibility of any other intimate connection.

It takes great effort to avoid the temptation to see it and get caught in your own snare again. But she must do this in order to be able to direct her emotions to another goal.

One of the twelve great Olympian gods. She was the most beautiful of goddesses. Poets sang of the golden color of her hair and shining eyes, the beauty of her face and body, the softest delicate skin, and beautiful breasts.

Aphrodite was born, according to Hesiod's Theogony, near the island of Cythera from the seed and blood of Uranus castrated by Kronos, which fell into the sea and formed snow-white foam (in Greek - aphros, hence the nickname “foam-born”). The wind brought her to the island of Cyprus, where the goddess emerged from the sea waves and was met by Ora.

Aphrodite arose near Cyprus naked from an airy sea shell - hence her nickname “Cypris”. Oras in golden diadems crowned her with a golden crown. The image of Aphrodite emerging from the sea foam is captured in Botticelli’s immortal painting “The Birth of Venus.” This is Hesiod's version.

She is merciless to those who reject love.

Aphrodite was not only the patroness of love, but also the goddess of fertility, eternal spring and life. In myths, Aphrodite was the goddess of marriage and childbirth.

Smitten by her beauty, many of the Greek gods vied as suitors for her hand in marriage. She chose Hephaestus, the lame god of fire and blacksmithing. Aphrodite and Hephaestus had no children. Their marriage may represent the union of beauty and craftsmanship from which art is born. Hephaestus worked in his forge, and Aphrodite, basking in the bedchamber, combed her curls with a golden comb and received guests - Hera and Athena. She often cheated on Hephaestus.

Aphrodite delighted in instilling love feelings in gods and people and fell in love herself.

An indispensable attribute of the goddess’s attire was her famous belt, which contained love, words of seduction, and desire; he made anyone fall in love with his mistress. The death of her beloved Adonis, a passionate hunter, brought Aphrodite great grief. He dies from the fangs of a boar sent by the jealous Ares.

Hephaestus found out about her connection with Ares and was very angry. The jealous husband forged a golden net, thin as a cobweb, but surprisingly strong, which, lowered from the ceiling, he discreetly attached to the foot of the bed, and then announced to his wife that he was going to rest a little on his beloved island of Lemnos. As soon as her husband left, Aphrodite sent for Ares, who immediately appeared. In the morning, the lovers discovered that they were lying entangled in a net - naked and helpless. Hephaestus appeared along with the other gods who had been invited by him to stare and laugh (the goddesses remained at home out of delicacy). Only thanks to Poseidon Ares gained freedom. Aphrodite returned to Cyprus, where, after swimming in the sea, she regained her virginity.

Aphrodite and Ares had three children: a daughter, Harmony, and two sons, Deimos (terror) and Phobos (fear), who accompanied their father in battle alongside the goddesses Eris and Enyo. Aphrodite and Ares represent the union of the two least controlled passions - love and war, which, being in perfect balance, could create harmony.

Aphrodite's lover was Adonis.

The myth of Aphrodite and Adonis

(Ovid. Metamorphoses. X, 529–739)

Retelling by Georg Stoll

Aphrodite loved no one more than the wonderfully beautiful Adonis, the son of the Syrian king. Pathos, Knidos and metal-bearing Amafunt, where the goddess so willingly visited before, are forgotten by her; for Adonis she forgot the sky itself.

She did not dress up and pamper herself as before: having picked up her clothes to her knees, she wanders with the young man through the mountains, forests and rocks overgrown with thorny plants; With dogs she chases deer, hares and other harmless animals, but avoids the powerful boar, bear and wolf and advises Adonis to stay away from these animals.

“Oh my dear! It is good to be brave before those who flee; courage is dangerous. Do not be recklessly courageous: do not attack an animal to which nature has given a dangerous weapon. Neither a lion nor a bristly boar will regret, as I would, neither your youth nor your beauty. Beware of them: your courage can be dangerous to me and you.” This is what the goddess said - and more than once - and the young man followed her advice while the goddess was with him.

But once, in Cyprus, moving away from her for a while, Adonis forgot about her advice. The dogs drove him out of the thicket into the clearing of a terrible boar, and Adonis threw his hunting dart at him. The wounded, enraged boar turned around and rushed at the young man; Flight did not save the unfortunate man. The boar inflicted such a wound on him with its fangs that he instantly fell, giving up his spirit, to the ground. From afar, Aphrodite heard the groans of the dying man and, in a chariot drawn by swans, hurried to the place where the misfortune happened. Seeing the murdered young man, she quickly gets off the chariot, tears her clothes, torments her chest and sobs bitterly. But screams cannot resurrect the dead.

So that the memory of the young man would not perish completely, Aphrodite mixed his blood with divine nectar and turned it into a flower red as blood. Briefly, like the life of a young man, the time of its flowering, the wind soon blows away its rapidly fading leaves, and that is why they called it anemone, anemone.

Aphrodite through the eyes of artists

Venus with a mirror. Painting by D. Velazquez, 1657, London, National Gallery

Adolphe William Bouguereau "Aphrodite"

Artist Eugene-Emmanuel Amaury-Duval. Aphrodite.

D. Engr. Birth of Venus

- (ancient Greek Ἀφροδίτη, in ancient times it was interpreted as a derivative of ἀφρός - “foam”). She was one of the twelve great Olympian gods.

Born from sea foam

Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love and carnal passion, as well as female beauty, born from sea foam. Kind to those who respect her, but unmerciful to people who do not treat her with due respect. The priestesses of Aphrodite were never virgins and performed sexual rituals, but men were not allowed into the temple. Totem animals are heron, parrot, swan and dove. The goddess is addressed during rituals of the following orientation: love, beauty, physical love, sensuality, passion, generosity, cooperation, friendship, mutual understanding, creativity. Plus, all kinds of flower magic.

Goddess Aphrodite

Goddess of love Aphrodite

Beautiful Aphrodite is considered the goddess of love, beauty and personifies sensuality and charm. She is the patroness of sea voyages and travel. Her name is translated as ‘born from foam’. Aphrodite is considered the goddess of the sea and the fertility of the earth. According to ancient Greek mythology, it brings only love, awakens it in the souls of people, as well as gods. Only Athena, Hestia, and Artemis did not succumb to her powerful influence. It is considered a symbol of relationships and marriage, love and beauty. Aphrodite was cruel to those who did not accept love. According to legend, Aphrodite, the daughter of Uranus, was reborn in the sea waters near about. Keefers. Getting into the water, the blood of Uranus formed foam, from which it came. A strong wind carried her to the island of Cyprus, where Aphrodite, emerging from the water, was met by oras. In addition, she was considered the daughter of Zeus and Dione, she was the wife of Hephaestus, the mother of Eros, Anterot, Deimos, Phobos, Harmony, Hermaphrodite. In Ancient Greece, residents worshiped the goddess Aphrodite; her sacred temple was located in Paphos.

Goddess of beauty

Beautiful Aphrodite was a seductive and sensual person mainly because of her numerous love relationships with the gods, these were Adonis, Ares, they occupied a special place in the legend. She was also known to everyone as Urania and was truly a kindred spirit with spirituality and grace. According to legend, Eros is the god of love and romantic relationships, one of her many children, sending his love arrows at those on his list. The beauty of the lovely goddess was conveyed by many poets and musicians, singers; the golden color of her hair, beautiful eyes, lovely skin and beautiful breasts were sung by them. She was also associated with doves, birds of love, with beautiful swans, known for being in pairs all their lives, with roses, with the aromas of fruits, berries.

Greek goddess of beauty

There are several mythological versions about the birth of the goddess herself. Hesiod and Homer tell two opposing versions in legends. In many myths, the goddess appeared only when praying men needed her help; she came to those who needed her. At the request of Hypomenes, she came to the rescue before his speed competition with Atlanta. The goddess represents the motivation and union of lovers. Thanks to her, attraction and reunion of all lovers occurs. Having met the ideal girl on Olympus, the gods often fell in love with her. According to myths, she walked with her nymphs, oras and charites. In many legends, she is the goddess of beauty, marriage and birth. Due to the fact that she was of eastern origin, she was identified with the goddess Astarte, Isis. The ancient Greeks believed that the goddess patronized all heroes; they sought her blessing to clarify their feelings and relationships. She was one of the goddesses who argued about the beauty of Paris. A distinctive attribute of the goddess was her belt and, according to mythology, she had some kind of power of love. She gave this belt to Hera in order to distract Zeus himself. Numerous temples of the goddess were located in the regions of Greece-Corinth, Messenia, Cyprus, and Sicily. In Rome, she was identified with the goddess Venus, who was their ancestor through her son Aeneas, the ancestor of the Julius family, according to legend, Julius Caesar belonged to him.

Ancient Hellas... A land of myths and legends, a land of fearless heroes and brave sailors. The homeland of the formidable gods sitting on high Olympus. Zeus, Ares, Apollo, Poseidon - these names are familiar to everyone from school history lessons.

Today we will talk about their wives and daughters - the all-powerful ancient goddesses of Greece, who cleverly manipulated their husbands, being the real mistresses of Olympus and mistresses of mortals. These great beings ruled the world, not paying attention to the pitiful people below, because they were producers and spectators in the greatest theater in the world - Earth.

And when the time came to leave, the proud goddesses of Hellas left traces of their presence on Greek soil, albeit not as noticeable as those of the male half of the Pantheon.

Let's remember the myths about the beautiful, sometimes incredibly cruel daughters of Olympus and take a short trip to the places that are associated with them.

Goddess Hera - patroness of the hearth and family life

Hera is the goddess of ancient Greece, the highest among equals and the nominal mother of almost all the other goddesses of Olympus from the fourth generation (the first generation is the creators of the world, the second is the Titans, the third is the first gods).

Why? Because her husband Zeus is very far from the ideal of a faithful man.

However, Hera herself is good - in order to marry then not even the supreme god, but only the killer of Kronos (the strongest of the titans), Hera fell in love with Zeus, and then refused to become his mistress until he did not vow to make her his wife.

Moreover, the oath featured the waters of the Styx (the river that separates the world of the living and the dead, and has enormous power over both gods and people).

In the madness of love, the oath was pronounced and Hera became the main goddess on Olympus. But Zeus soon became fed up with family life and happily made connections on the side, which embittered Hera and forced her to look for ways to take revenge on those whom her unfaithful husband preferred, and at the same time on his side children.

Hera is the guardian goddess of the hearth and family, helps abandoned wives, punishes unfaithful husbands (which often brings her nose to nose with her flighty daughter-in-law, Aphrodite).

Hera's favorite son is Ares, the god of war, despised by his father for his love of battles and constant killing.

But the hatred of the first lady of Olympus is shared by two creatures - the daughter of Zeus Athena and the son of Zeus Hercules, both of whom were not born by his legal wife, but nevertheless ascended to Olympus.

In addition, Hera is hated by her own son Hephaestus, the god of crafts and the husband of Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty, who was thrown by Hera from Olympus as an infant for his physical deformity.

The largest trace of this cruel lady can be considered the Temple of Hera in ancient Olympia.

The religious building was built at the end of the 7th century BC. e. The massive temple fell into ruins long ago, but thanks to the efforts of several generations of archaeologists, the foundations of the temple and its surviving parts have been restored and are now open to tourists.

In addition, in the Olympia Museum, you can see fragments of statues dedicated to Hera and understand exactly how the goddess was portrayed by her admirers.

The cost of a ticket to Olympia is 9 euros, which includes entry to the excavation area and the museum. You can take a ticket only to the excavation area, it will cost 6 euros.

Aphrodite – goddess of love in Ancient Greece

Beautiful Aphrodite, whose beauty could only be matched by her frivolity, is not the daughter of Zeus or Hera, but comes from a much older family.

She is the latest creation of Uranus, the first of the Titans, castrated by Kronos during the first war for Olympus.

The blood of the titan, deprived of a certain part of his body, mixed with sea foam and from it arose an insidious and cruel beauty, who hid in Cyprus from the gaze of Kronos until he was overthrown by Zeus.

Thanks to Hera's cunning plan, Aphrodite married the powerful but ugly Hephaestus. And while he was working in his workshop, the goddess either basked on Olympus, communicating with the gods, or traveled around the world, falling in love with gods and people, and falling in love herself.

The most famous lovers of the windy beauty were Adonis, a beautiful hunter in body and spirit, with whom the goddess fell in love so much that after his tragic death from the tusks of a boar, she threw herself down the Lydian cliff.

And Ares, the god of war and destruction, secretly sent the boar to Adonis.

It was Ares who overflowed the patience of the proud Hephaestus, who set a trap for the lovers - he forged a strong net, so thin that the lovers simply did not notice it when the net was thrown onto the bed. In the midst of the “meeting,” Hephaestus’ trap entangled the lovers and lifted them above the bed.

When the god of crafts returned to Olympus, he laughed for a long time at the unlucky lovers, and the disgraced Aphrodite fled for a while to her temple in Cyprus, where she gave birth to the sons of Ares - Phobos and Deimos.

The god of war himself appreciated the elegance and softness of Hephaestus’s trap and accepted defeat with dignity, leaving the beautiful Aphrodite, who was soon forgiven by her husband.

Aphrodite is the goddess of love and love madness. She, despite her youthful appearance, is the oldest goddess on Olympus, to whom Hera often turns for help (especially in those cases when the hearth of love for her wife begins to fade in Zeus again). Aphrodite is also considered the goddess of fertility, and also one of the sea goddesses.

Aphrodite's favorite son is Eros, also known as Cupid, the god of carnal love, who always accompanies his mother. She has no permanent enemies on Olympus, but her frivolity often leads to quarrels with Hera and Athena.

Aphrodite's greatest legacy is Paphos, a city in Greek Cyprus located in the place where she once emerged from the sea foam.

This place was appreciated not only by women, but also by men - in some parts of ancient Greece there was a belief that a girl who visited the temple of Aphrodite and entered into a relationship with a stranger in the vicinity of the temple received the blessing of the goddess of love for life.

In addition, the temple housed the bath of Aphrodite, into which the goddess sometimes descended in order to restore her beauty and youth. Greek women believed that if you entered the bathhouse, there was every chance of maintaining youth.

Nowadays, only ruins remain of the temple, open to tourists. Not far from the Temple of Aphrodite in Paphos you can always find both newlyweds and single people, because according to legend, those who find a heart-shaped pebble on the coast will find eternal love.

Warrior Goddess Athena

The goddess Athena is the owner of the most abnormal birth myth.

This goddess is the daughter of Zeus and his first wife Metis, the goddess of wisdom, who, according to the prediction of Uranus, was supposed to give birth to a son, who, in turn, would soon overthrow his thunder father.

Having learned about his wife’s pregnancy, Zeus swallowed her whole, but soon felt wild pain in his head.

Fortunately, the god Hephaestus was on Olympus at that time, who, at the request of the royal father, hit him on the sore part of his body with his hammer, splitting his skull.

From the head of Zeus came a woman in full battle garb, who combined the wisdom of her mother and the talents of her father, becoming the first goddess of war in ancient Greece.

Later, another fan of swinging a sword, Ares, was born and tried to claim his rights, but the goddess, in numerous battles, forced her brother to respect herself, proving to him that battle madness was not enough to win.

The city of Athens is dedicated to the goddess, which she won from Poseidon in the legendary dispute over Attica.
It was Athena who gave the Athenians a priceless gift - the olive tree.

Athena is the first general of Olympus. During the war with the giants, the goddess fought alongside Hercules until she realized that the gods could not win.
Then Athena retreated to Olympus and, while the sons of Zeus were holding back the hordes of giants, she brought the head of Medusa to the battlefield, whose gaze turned the surviving warriors into stones, or rather, into mountains.

Athena is the goddess of wisdom, “smart” war and the patroness of crafts. Athena's second name is Pallas, received in honor of her foster sister, who died due to the oversight of the then-girl Athena - the goddess, without meaning to, accidentally killed her friend.

Having matured, Athena became the most perspicacious of the goddesses of Olympus.

She is a perpetual virgin and rarely gets into conflicts (except those involving her father).

Athena is the most faithful of all the Olympians and even during the exodus of the gods she wished to remain in Greece in the hope that one day she could return to her city.

Athena has neither enemies nor friends on Olympus. Her military prowess is respected by Ares, her wisdom is valued by Hera, and her loyalty is valued by Zeus, but Athena keeps her distance even from her father, preferring solitude.

Athena repeatedly showed herself as the guardian of Olympus, punishing mortals who declared themselves equal to the gods.

Her favorite weapon is a bow and arrow, but often she simply sends Greek heroes to her enemies, repaying them with her favor.

Athena's greatest legacy is her city, which she defended many times, including personally entering the battlefield.

The grateful Athenians built the goddess the most incredible sanctuary in Greece - the famous.

An 11-meter statue of her, made of bronze with a large amount of gold by the famous sculptor Phidias, was installed in the temple:

The statue has not survived to this day, as has a significant part of the temple itself, but at the end of the twentieth century, the Greek government restored the legendary ruins and began searching for the removed relics, which are gradually returning to their places.

There were miniature copies of the Parthenon in many Athenian colonies, in particular those on the Black Sea coast.

A long time ago, the all-powerful gods and goddesses of ancient Greece sunk into oblivion. But there are temples dedicated to them, and their great deeds are well remembered by the descendants of those who worshiped them.

And even though Greece no longer honors the mighty Olympians, having become the homeland of the Orthodox Church, even though scientists are trying to prove that these gods never existed... Greece remembers! He remembers the love of Zeus and the treachery of Hera, the rage of Ares and the calm power of Athena, the skill of Hephaestus and the unique beauty of Aphrodite...
And if you come here, she will definitely tell her stories to those who want to listen.