as in Judeo-Christian, Moslem, and other patriarchal cultures, the
woman who embodies Aphrodite the lover is considered a temptress
or whore. Thus this archetype, if expressed, can put a woman at
odds with standards of morality. Aphrodite women may be ostra-
cized. For example, in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s classic novel about
Puritan New England, The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne was forced
to wear a large red “A” for adultery. And the actress Ingrid Bergman
was condemned by public opinion and forced into exile for her affair
and subsequent marriage to Italian film director Roberto Rossellini.
In biblical times, such women were stoned; and in contemporary
Islamic countries death is still the penalty.
FALLING IN LOVE
When two people fall in love, each sees the other in a special, en-
hancing (Aphrodite-golden) light and is drawn toward the other’s
beauty. There is magic in the air; a state of enchantment or infatuation
is evoked. Each feels beautiful, special, more godlike or goddesslike
than their ordinary selves. The energy field between them becomes
emotionally charged and erotic “electricity” is generated, which in
turn creates a mutual magnetic attraction. In the “golden” space that
surrounds them, sensory impressions are intensified: they hear
music more clearly, fragrances are more distinct, the taste and touch
of the lover are enhanced.
When a person falls in love with someone who does not return
that love, however, she feels possessed by a cruel desire and unmet
longings. She is repeatedly drawn to the loved one and repeatedly
rebuffed. The intensity—which is wonderful when love is re-
turned—now amplifies the pain instead.
ACTIVATION OF APHRODITE
Just as there are two mythic versions of the birth of Aphrodite, so
also there are two ways in which this archetype comes into conscious-
ness.
The first is a dramatic initiation, when Aphrodite emerges sud-
denly, full-blown and awesome, as a commanding presence from
the waters of the unconscious. When sexuality
Aphrodite: Goddess of Love and Beauty, Creative Woman and Lover