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The Goddess Venus in Mythology
Indulge Thyself!
 Roman Venus and
Greek Aphrodite
Roman Goddess Venus and the Greek Aphrodite are usually known for beauty, love and grace. Yet ironically,
the Goddess
of Love was born of violence. In Greek mythology, Aphrodite was born when Kronos
(Saturn in Roman mythology) castrated his father, Ouranos (Uranus),
whose semen fell into the ocean. From this, Aphrodite (Venus) instantly
rose full grown from the sea. The name Aphrodite comes from the Greek
aphros, which means the "sea foam" produced by the violent churning of the ocean waves. Although we use the Roman names for the planets, some
of the richest mythology and insight about the corresponding gods and goddesses come from the ancient Greeks. (At the bottom of this article you'll find a list of recommended books on Venus,
Astrology and Mythology.)
The Mayans and Aztecs of Central America also saw the planet Venus
connected to violence. They believed that when Venus goes retrograde,
she morphs from a woman into a man, gets seduced by the goddess of love
into tarnishing "his" purity, and fathers a sea monster child. Then "he"
loses in a ritual game of ball and must be sacrificed by the Sun, after
which "he" is reborn as a "she." This sequence was mirrored by the
Mesoamerican cultures through real-life competition, warfare and human
blood sacrifice leading to fertility rites. (For more about this
fascinating astrological system, read Bruce Scofield's
Signs of Time: An Introduction to Mesoamerican Astrology
and
Day-Signs: Native American Astrology from Ancient Mexico .
See the bottom of this webpage for more recommended
reading about astrology and mythology.)
Oh, Those Golden Girdles!
In modern day Western culture, we tend to focus on Venus' gentle side ― and who wouldn't! It's so
much easier to deal with someone who is diplomatic, fair minded,
beautiful, graceful, soft and sexy. To the Greeks, Aphrodite was the
goddess of sexuality, desire, love, joy and beauty. To the Romans, Venus
was originally an agricultural goddess of gardens and vineyards, and
later adopted more of Aphrodite's traits as these cultures merged.
Aphrodite/Venus is well known for her Magic Girdle or embroidered belt,
made of gold filigree crafted lovingly by her husband, the smith god Hephaestus/Vulcan.
When she wore it, she was irresistible! Other goddesses sometimes
borrowed this girdle when they wanted to turn on their love light. When
we wear the Girdle of Venus, we surround ourselves in an aura of love,
desire, beauty, magnetism and charm. This is the natural beauty of our
spirit that shines through, no matter what our physical appearance looks
like. (There is also an atmospheric phenomenon called The Belt of Venus,
in which the horizon glows pink just before sunrise or after sunset.)
When Bunnies Go Bad
Sexy
Aphrodite might be compared to a Playboy bunny, but she's no fluffy bunny! She was one of the central figures in
the terrible Trojan War, which began as a competition between Aphrodite, Hera and
Athene to determine who was the most beautiful. When Aphrodite
won, chaos ensued and the Trojan War resulted.
And she was not one to trifle with or ignore! In Greek mythology, anyone who
scorned her worship was struck with some kind of curse or perversion
from her domain. For example, Narcissus was made to fall in love with
his own reflection in a pool of water because he had belittled the love
from others. Anyone who spurned Aphrodite or preferred others over her
could be cursed with "unnatural passions," sexual misbehaviour, unrequited
love, tragic love and other similar forms of punishment. When we
disrespect the sanctity and importance of love and intimacy, the result
can be that we lose touch with our heart and therefore the Heart of
Life.
Follow Your Heart
Loyalty and fidelity were not high on her priority list, but following
her heart was. She was unhappy in her marriage to Hephaestus, who was
reportedly lame, weak and ugly. (She had not chosen him, but the
marriage had been arranged
by Zeus as a reward to him.) She had an affair with Ares/Mars and was caught in the act by her husband,
whose plea to the Olympian gods for justice was laughed off. Hephaestus
divorced her as a result.
Following one's heart is not without its
consequences, but without it we are only going through the motions that
are put on us by others. We have to make a choice ― to pay homage to
Aphrodite/Venus or risk the consequences of her wrath. Her central message seems to be: It is crucial to honour love above all
else. If you dishonour or disregard the workings of the heart, you will
eventually suffer for it.
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© 2005 Wendy Guy, All rights reserved. This
content may not be copied or used without the expressed permission of
the author.
Recommended Reading on Venus
in Astrology and Mythology
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There's something for everyone in this book! For the beginner, Anne Massey has several
chapters to understand Venus' basic meaning in the natal chart. For the more advanced astrologer: Did you know that Venus Retrograde has a complex 5-point cycle that repeats in the same 5 signs every 4 years?
This book explains the intricate and fascinating cycles of Venus, with case studies and an ephemeris. This book is highly recommended!
Venus: Her Cycles, Symbols & Myths
by Canadian astrologer Anne Massey.
Mythic Astrology
and
Mythic Astrology Applied, by Ariel Guttman, both
give information on the Greco-Roman gods and goddesses.
Mythic Astrology has a more spiritual information focus,
whereas Mythic Astrology Applied shows how you can work with
these energies in your life.
I've heard excellent reviews about Caroline Casey's book,
Making the Gods Work for You .
She introduces you to each of the planets and shows you how
these mythical energies manifest in your life and how you
can work with them constructively.
No library
that includes astrology and mythology is complete without at
least one book by Liz Greene! Her
Astrology of Fate
gives an in-depth exploration of the myths behind the 12
modern Zodiac signs. Her book
The Mythic Journey : The Meaning of Myth as a Guide for Life ,
written with Juliet Sharman-Burke, focuses on mythology
rather than astrology. But it gives an excellent way to
learn more about how mythical archetypes are expressed
through us. Mythic figures from many different cultures are
used. Beautifully presented with colour pictures of mythical
art. Both books are highly recommended.
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Bruce
Scofield is recognised in astrological circles as probably
the foremost authority on Aztec and Mayan astrology. These
ancient civilizations created fascinating calendar systems
and shaped their cultures around the Venus retrograde cycle.
His books,
Signs of Time: An Introduction to Mesoamerican Astrology
and
Day-Signs: Native American Astrology from Ancient Mexico
are excellent reading for anyone wanting to learn more about
this fascinating astrological system.
Raven
Kaldera provides an extensive tour of mythology in
Mythastrology.
Spanning many different cultures and pantheons, she gives a
mythological view for every planet-in-sign combination. Even
if you think you know a lot about mythology, you'll learn
something new about yourself with this book!
Asteroid Goddesses: The Mythology, Psychology, and Astrology
of the Re-Emerging Feminine
is an enduring classic on "the Girls" - the goddesses whose
names grace the asteroids. This is an expanded edition of
the original book, with updated ephemerides of 16 asteroids from 1930
to 2050. Highly recommended.
Although not exclusively about Venus, Joseph Campbell is an excellent resource
for mythology
in general. Campbell was a brilliant mythologist who left a priceless legacy of books, interviews and knowledge. It was Campbell's book, The Hero with a Thousand Faces ,
that inspired George Lucas' legendary Star Wars
series. And Campbell's
The Power of Myth
is a classic that belongs in every library. To explore the passion of mythology, you can't do better than Joseph Campbell.
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