were seen in Demeter and her mythological
descents into the underworld equated with
Demeter’s daughter Persephone. In addition,
Athena was the Greek holder of wisdom as well
as the patron goddess of righteous warriors, asso-
ciations formerly held by Inanna/Ishtar. Howev-
er, the volatile temperament of Ishtar was fully
present in the Greek Aphrodite as indicated by
myths displaying her jealousy, anger, and posses-
siveness.
The planet Venus was called the star of
Aphrodite in fourth century B.C.E. Greece, rec-
ognizing it as the home of the goddess. Some-
time during the Hellenic period of Alexandria,
the flourishing Greek astrology began referring
to the planet as simply Aphrodite. Vettius
Valens, who recorded an Anthologyof Hellenis-
tic astrology in the second century C.E., wrote
that the nature of Aphrodite was desire and
erotic love, and that it signified the mother and
nurse. The star represented priestly rites, parties,
weddings, friendships, jewels and ornaments,
music, beauty, the arts, as well as a variety of
colors. It gave gifts of businesses, involved mar-
kets and weights and measures, bestowed favors
from female royals or relatives and assured an
excellent reputation. It was lord of the neck,
face, and lungs, and ruled sexual intercourse. It
also indicated the giving of nurturing or plea-
sure to another. It was the lord of precious
stones and the oil of fruits, its color was white, and it belonged to the nocturnal
(lunar) sect, along with Ares (Mars) and Hermes (Mercury, as evening star).
Hellenistic astrology included basic functions of the planets, and if one is to
assume that Ptolemy’s record is representative of astrologers for that period, then a
relationship was present between the basic qualities of matter and each of the planets.
Aphrodite is listed as temperate (slightly warm) and moist, meaning that it has an
active power that attracts as well as a passivity that can include others within its
boundaries. Its basic nature was unification and reconciliation. In a solar (daytime)
chart Aphrodite is out of, or contrary to, sect so the unions it represents do not come
together naturally, but through thought and choice. Whereas in a lunar (night) chart
Aphrodite is in sect and relational things come together more easily.
Just as in modern day, Aphrodite ruled the zodiac signs of the Bull (Taurus)
and the Balance (Libra), and was exalted in the Fishes (Pisces). It had additional
rulerships of Trigons, Bounds, and Faces—divisions that for the most part do not exist
in astrology today. Aphrodite as a nocturnal planet was a trigon lord only in a night
THEASTROLOGYBOOK [719]
VenusA seventeenth-century illustration of the birth of Venus
entitled “Imagini Dei Dei.” Reproduced by permission of
Fortean Picture Library.