Aphrodite is the ancient Greek goddess of love, power, beauty, pleasure, passion, and femininity; and as her syncretized Roman goddess counterpart Venus, desire, fertility, prosperity, and victory. Aphrodite's major symbols include seashells, myrtles, roses, doves, sparrows, and swans. Her main festival was the Aphrodisia, which was celebrated annually in midsummer. In Laconia, Aphrodite was worshipped as a warrior goddess. She was also the patron goddess of prostitutes, an association which led early scholars to propose the concept of "sacred prostitution" in Greco-Roman culture, an idea which is now generally seen as erroneous.
In Hesiod's Theogony, Aphrodite is born off the coast of Cythera, which also resonates with the belief that the sea or Water element is a symbol of beauty. In Greek mythology, Aphrodite was married to Hephaestus, the god of fire, blacksmiths and metalworking. Aphrodite was frequently unfaithful to him and had many lovers; in the Odyssey, she is caught in the act of adultery with Ares, the god of war. In the First Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite, she seduces the mortal shepherd Anchises. Aphrodite was also the surrogate mother and lover of the mortal shepherd Adonis, who was killed by a wild boar. Along with Athena and Hera, Aphrodite was one of the three goddesses whose feud resulted in the beginning of the Trojan War and she plays a major role throughout the Iliad. Aphrodite has been featured in Western art as a symbol of female beauty and has appeared in numerous works of Western literature. She is a major deity in modern Neopagan religions, including the Church of Aphrodite, Wicca, and Hellenismos.
Aphrodite normalizes natural beauty & occurances on oneself's body, such as body hair and stomach rolls. She also praises & encourages love, creativity & self-love. In witchcraft- especially Wiccan witchcraft, she appears to aide witches in witchcraft and works with them at times. Some witches create altars & offerings for Aphrodite as appreciation. Aphrodite not only aides them in witchcraft, but daily life as well. Aphrodite helps oneself appreciate themself & their body, reminds them to take breaks, and reminds them of their control over their body & how others cannot take advantage of it if there's no consent.
