I know that some of my readers are Christian and this may be something you feel is not appropriate, but I try to include different religious points of view in each e-zine, so if this is something you are uncomfortable with, I won't be upset if you skip these pages on the various Goddesses.

Aphrodite (Venus)

Behind her moved
Grey wolves, fawning on her,
And fierce-eyed lions and bears
And swift-footed leopards,
Ravenous for deer,
She felt joy in her heart to see them,
And she filled their hearts with longing,
So that they all went in twos
Into the shade of the valley
And made love with each other.

~~Homer~~

Symbols associates with Aphrodite

• SWEET FRUIT.... Fruit is the consumation of a natural process in plants; as a symbol it is the consumation of lovemaking.
• DOLPHIN.... This sleek and slippery mammal symbolizes playfulness and the productivity of the sea.
• GOLD COINS.... These tokens symbolize richness, fullness, and satiation. Anyone who has true love has riches beyond compare.
• SCALLOP SHELL.... The scallop shell, a symbol of femininity, also symbolizes the intimate parts of a woman's anatomy.
• SWAN.... This graceful bird with the slender, sinuous neck symbolizes elegance and beauty. The soft down of the swan reminds us of all things sensual, like Aphrodite's presence.
• MYRRH.... Myrrh, a well-known aphrodisiac that is also used in the making of perfume, symbolizes one of Aphrodite's primary pleasures--fragrance.

Aphrodite fuels the libido, and is best known as the goddess of sexual love. She awakens our erotic feelings. When we fall in love, our whole identity changes. When we love another person, we undergo a metamorphosis. We see the world through different eyes. We feel alive and alert; new sensations and emotions fill our bodies, minds, and souls. We vacillate wildly from emotion to emotion and back again. Being in love feels like a spiritual awakening; we are drawn out of isolation, humbled, and enveloped by a force greater than ourselves. At the same time, we expand; we feel larger than we were before. Falling in love can be a stepping stone on the way to the awareness of divine love.

The sixteenth century Indian poet, Mirabai said:

O friend, understand: the body
Is like the ocean,
Rich with hidden treasures.

Open your inmost chamber and light its lamp.

Within the body are gardens,
Rare flowers, peacocks, the inner Music;
Within the body a lake of bliss,
On it the white soul-swans take their joy.

How to get in touch with Aphrodite

Reveal your inner and outer beauty

• Display a picture of yourself that you love in a prominent place in your home, where you can see it every day; send it loving thoughts.
• Treat yourself to a complete makeover. Have a makeup artist do your makeup and photograph the results or take advantage of the free makeovers at your local department store. Experience yourself looking your best.
• Go to an elegant shop and try on the most beautiful gowns available. Look at yourself in the mirror and try to form a new images of yourself as beautiful, and worth the expense.
• Buy yourself a luxury item you can afford: beautiful lingerie. elegant slippers, an exquisite scarf, or a new perfume.

Pamper Your Body

• Treat yourself to a day at a spa or beauty salon, where you can indulge yourself with a massage, facial, herbal wrap, or milk bath.
• Decide to spend a day in bed without guilt. Have breakfast in bed. Read your favorite books or magazines. Listen to soothing music. Dream.
• Take a long, scented bubble bath. Fill the bathroom with candle light and music you love.

Change your Routine

• Your bedroom is your sacred, aphrodisiacal sanctuary. Introduce more sensual elements into the decor--satiny fabrics, small pillows, scented candles, pictures of romantic places.
• Design an aphrodisiacal evening with your husband or lover. Share a luscious meal, candlelight, and relaxing music. Wear your softest, most sensual clothes.
• Take your time in whatever you do. Rushing cuts off your sensuality.
• Ask yourself, "What can I do to incorporate more of Aphrodite in my life?" Write down the answers that surface in your mind. Allow them to be personal and specidic.
• Write down your feelings about doing things that please you. Do you normally judge yourself as unworthy of experiencing pleasure? If so, you may want to trace these judgements back to yout childhood. How did your parents behave with each other? How did they behave with you? If you have negative thoughts and beliefs about pleasure, replace them with positive affirmations--e.g., "I give myself permission to feel beautiful, lovable, and sensual, and to do those things that please and delight me."

Next month I will discuss Artemis

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