reverence and awe that were due the goddess, which offended
Aphrodite.
In this myth, Psyche sought out the goddess whose wrath she had
incurred. Aphrodite gave her four impossible tasks, each of which
seemed initially beyond her abilities. In each instance, with help
from unexpected quarters, Psyche was successful. Aphrodite acted
as the transformative agent by providing the tasks through which
Psyche—a mortal who had characteristics of the vulnerable god-
desses—grew.
Aphrodite was also the transformative agent in the myth of
Atalanta—a mortal who was compared to the virgin goddess
Artemis. As noted earlier, Atalanta lost a footrace and gained a
husband when she chose to pick up the three golden apples of
Aphrodite.
APHRODITE THE ARCHETYPE
The Aphrodite archetype governs women’s enjoyment of love
and beauty, sexuality and sensuality. The realm of the lover exerts
a powerful pull on many women; as a force with a woman’s person-
ality, Aphrodite can be as demanding as Hera and Demeter (the
other two strong instinctual archetypes). Aphrodite impells women
to fulfill both creative and procreative functions.
THE LOVER
Every woman who falls in love with someone who is also in love
with her is at that moment a personification of the Aphrodite arche-
type. Transformed temporarily from an ordinary mortal into a
goddess of love, she feels attractive and sensual, an archetypal lover.
When Aphrodite is present as the major archetype in a woman’s
personality, she falls in love often and easily. She has “it”—what
the silent screen star Clara Bow was known for—namely sex appeal.
She has a personal magnetism that draws others closer into an
erotically charged field that enhances sexual awareness. The
“voltage” goes up, and both feel attractive and vibrant as they are
drawn toward each other.
When sensuality and sexuality in women are degraded—
Goddesses in Everywoman