Venus: the Roman Goddess of Love, and What She Means to Me
Valentine's day in America is a day to celebrate love, and with the holiday having just passed, I thought it would be a good time to discuss the goddess Venus and some ways to connect with her. Born of the sea, she is the Roman goddess of sexual love, passion, beauty and fertility. Venus is a very intriguing goddess to me; she represents the sensual, loving and fluid sides of us that are important to get in touch with. She reminds me that romantic, platonic, and self love are all equally important and ought to be tended to with care and dedication. I have always viewed Venus as being associated with the heart chakra (Anahata) because of the qualities and symbolism associated with the heart chakra. The heart chakra represents pure love, balance, and connects the upper and lower chakras. This are aspects Venus can help us embrace. Venus is a powerful divine feminine archetype, and we can all connect to the divine feminine within through connecting to, and working with, her.
Venus (Aphrodite) has two consorts, Vulcan (Hephaestus) and Mars (Ares). Venus’ lover Mars is the Roman God of War and military tactics, righteousness, bravery, courage, and strength. They had many children together including, Timor (Phobos) the personification of fear, Metus (Deimos) the personification of terror, Concordia (Harmonia) the goddess of harmony and concord, and the Cupids (Erotes) whom represent the different aspects of love. Venus was also married to the god Vulcan, the Roman God of craftsmanship, blacksmithing, the forge, and earthly fire.
Venus’ attributes and symbolism are present in various forms of art. She is often depicted as holding a mirror which can be seen reflected in the alchemical symbol for Venus. The circle with a cross underneath being the most popular version after Christian influence. The Venus symbol is shown in the Rider-Waite tarot deck on the Empress card and can be seen inside a white heart beside the Empress. The alchemical Venus symbol represents love and romance, and the white of the heart symbolizes purity. Venus is also universally associated with the sea, as she was born of the sea, as well as with the Morning and Evening Star. Other symbolism that surrounds the goddess Venus includes the dove, flowers (especially rose), berries, and grape vines.
There are many ways to can connect the symbolism of Venus to your everyday practice. Flowers or floral wreaths make a wonderful offering in her name as flowers and berries are sacred to Venus. You can also drink and offer wine in her honor. Another way of connecting with her is through crystals. Rose Quartz being one of the most popular because of its connection with beauty, compassion and universal love.
I hope you all are able to connect to Venus, not only for Valentines day but also through out the year. Valentine's day doesn't need to be just for romantic love, familial love, or love in friendships, it can also be to celebrate self-love. You can connect with Venus through self-care routines like healthy eating, taking a relaxing bath, taking yourself out to a special dinner, and connecting with yourself body, mind, and soul. I wish you a blessed and happy Valentines day with your significant others, your friends, your family, and most importantly yourself.
Love always , Airamidt Daimonikos
Photo credit: Airamidt, Daimonikos Venus talisman
