Guest Blog Post: Filling your Cup- An Introduction to Aphrodite Magic by Myrto Daskaloudi

Make sure you catch Myrto's upcoming workshop, Sacred Rites: Birth, Harvest & Inner Bloom on August 7th, 2021!

Aphrodite is known as the Goddess who offers great Love, beauty and harmony to the world. Aphrodite’s first appearance takes us to the Levantine island of Cyprus wherein she appears upon the shores in all her splendor. She is a predecessor of Ishtar, a cousin of Hathor, Oshun, Astarte and Asherah. Aphrodite is the carrier of Life Force essence; she is the energy which renews and begets all life. 

“As Goddess of Love she recreates life through the arousal of sexuality. The impulse to Love is brought forth as magnetic desirability through the irresistible attractive power of her divine beauty. Because she is the source of all the reproductive energy in the Universe, she is known as the giver of Life.” 

~Demetra George (Asteroid Goddesses) 

Beloved Demetra explains to us the true meaning of the Spark of Desire which Aphrodite maintains in the silken petal folds of her magic. Aphrodite is held as a potent fertility magic Goddess because she aligns us with the pure Love that is required to feed a seed to bloom. I think of her energy as fertilizer for my life. Whether in relationship with humans, plant, project or place, Aphrodite is the agent of transforming, liberating Love which aids in my relationships to thrive. 

As Goddess of sensual sovereignty, Aphrodite encourages us to follow our desires, but requires us to do some reckoning with the shadow of that. It is through understanding her three forms~Ourania, Pandemos and Apostrophia, that we may truly connect with her guidance. Aphrodite Ourania represents heavenly, cosmic Love. Aphrodite Pandemos represents earthly love, friendship, community and humanity. Lastly, perhaps most importantly, is Aphrodite Apostrophia, she who turns herself away. Representing the process of going inward to process the grief involved with loss, rejection and endings.

The more modern/patriarchal notions of her are essentially a depiction for how patriarchal violence, capitalism + the colonial mindset have conditioned all humans (particularly in the ‘western world’) to be disconnected from the depth of their desire. Desire/being desired is a commodity instead of an internal artform/way of living and leading through life. Aphrodite guides us deep into the passageways of the Soul to arrive first, at pure Love for oneself. When this is radiated outward, from an authentic place, that is when attraction towards us occurs. Opportunities for blooming and growth arrive in your medicine basket. This Love is deeply nourishing and life giving. The Spark of Desire are the seeds we sow into our life and it is through Aphrodite worship that I have found immense sources of creativity, Love and the ability to Bloom into Being. 

~Create an Altar to Aphrodite~ 

★ Colors~Red, Yellow, Gold, Pink, White 

★ Symbols/Animals~Sea Shells, Swans, Shellfish, Dove, Hare, Sparrow, Fish, Goose, Dolphin, Pearls 

★ Adornments 

★ Herbs~Myrtle, Rose, Rosemary, Anemone, Myrrh, Lettuce, Yarrow, Daisy, Olive, Jasmine,Queen of the Night, violets, lady’s mantle ★ Offerings~Honey, Apples,Chocolate, Wine, Olives, Olive Oil ★ Strawberries, figs, plums, peaches (all fruit!), Olives, salted fish ★ Always have a cup or bowl of salt water on the altar! 

★ Rose quartz, selenite 

★ Burn incense of Myrhh, Rose, Jasmine 

Begin building a relationship to being in prayer to Aphrodite. 

See your altar as an outer reflection of your inner altar and your connection/communion with the Goddess. 

See this as a place to offer devotion to yourself + all that you are gestating to fullness. 

I invite you to work with this Self-Love spell~ 

To be done around the Full Moon 

“Aphrodite Ourania 

Sweet Goddess, Khruse, Ourania, Abundant Mother of Heavenly Love I offer you this sweetness and my prayers 

I ask for the star bridges of heavenly love with myself to weave into me 

I call upon my most honorable ancestors to help me seek out and take back 

All parts of myself I have left elsewhere 

I am Whole in myself. In the Shadows and the Light. Melainis Aphrodite, Khruse Aphrodite, 

I am integrated in heavenly Love on this Night. S’agapo”

Make sure you catch Myrto's upcoming workshop, Sacred Rites: Birth, Harvest & Inner Bloom on August 7th, 2021!

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Myrto Daskaloudi of Moons of Aphrodite offers learning and teaching experiences which are a combination of her studies of plant medicine, sexual healing, astrology and ritual. She connects students predominantly through medicines and spiritual teachings from her Mediterranean lineages. Find Myrto on instagram here.