When I was twenty years old, I saw the “Birth of Venus” by Sandro Botticelli in a neighbor’s house for the first time. I was fascinated by the beauty of the painting and the mythology behind it. There was something so magical about the scene. The depiction of  Venus (Aphrodite) emerging from a seashell born of sea foam, as Zephyrus (God of the Winds) blows her towards the shore while holding Aura in the beautiful breeze. Lastly, Hora, one of the personifications of Spring, stands off to the side, waiting to cloak Venus with a cloth decorated with flowers. When I saw it, I knew I had to go to the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy, to view Botticelli’s masterpiece. It called to me and woke my inner goddess, and I felt that Italy was my destiny.

Love Deities

Love deities appear in many myths worldwide because it is human nature to seek love. Love is beauty, and beauty is love.

Aphrodite’s Spawn…

I am passionate about mythology and stories that delve into human nature through the divine. When I first discovered the folklore of Aphrodite, I was enamored. I felt connected to the myth and imagined that I knew Venus (Aphrodite) in a past life or that I was her reincarnated.

Many of us ‘Love Goddesses’  can relate to her through our independence and wildness. Some of us even here deem we are Aphrodite’s spawns. We are passionate, seek divine love,  embrace our beauty within and out,  and look for the love and beauty in everything around us. Aphrodite was also a seductress and coy; we also embrace that side. We embody every aspect of Aphrodite, the dark and the light.

The Goddess Aphrodite (Venus)

I bet you are wondering who Aphrodite is.

In Greek Mythology, Aphrodite was the Goddess of Love and Beauty. She is the mother of Eros (Cupid), for those who don’t know.

Her name originates from the Greek word (aphros), meaning sea foam. Many love Goddesses in different cultures bear characteristics similar to Aphrodite. For example, Ashoreth of the Phoenicians, the Goddess Ishtar in Mesopotamian civilization, and Inanna to the Sumerians.

To learn more in-depth about Aphrodite, click here Aphrodite.

A Dream Come True

In 2016, I finally made it to Florence, Italy. I went on a trip with Mom, which was the trip of a lifetime. I walked into the Uffizi Gallery in Italy and saw the “Birth of Venus.” I met a woman on the plane ride to Italy who wanted to see the painting. That afternoon my Mom went out to lunch with people on the same tour as us, and I set out to my dream gallery, the Uffizi. It was a few blocks away from our hotel. I met the woman outside the gallery, and my heart was excited. I could not wait to get inside to see the painting. It was a dream come true. I had arrived at my destiny.
The room was crowded, with many people trying to view the painting. I wanted everyone to disappear from the room so I could view my beloved Venus, but I knew we were all there for the same reason.

Finally, after waiting for a break from all the patrons taking photos, I made my move. I found an empty spot in front of the painting, and there we were, Aphrodite and I. My eyes traced every delicate stroke of the paint that created her, and I looked at every detail in amazement. I absorbed the craft of Botticelli, and I understood the intention he wanted to convey through his work. He wanted us to look within and explore the true meaning of love and beauty. I silently thanked Botticelli for sharing the spirit of the divine with the world, and then I prayed to Venus and told her all my love goddess wishes. I inhaled the moment, and I was reborn.

I almost forgot that the woman I came with was there until she called me out of my trance. I turned around, and she snapped a picture of me in front of the “Birth of Venus.” It was a dream come true.