11.
The Alchemical
Goddess
APHRODITE
Aphrodite, Goddess of Love and Beauty, I place in a category all
her own as the alchemical goddess, a fitting designation for the
magic process or power of transformation that she, alone, had. In
Greek mythology, Aphrodite was an awesome presence who caused
mortals and deities (with the exception of the three virgin goddesses)
to fall in love and conceive new life. For Pygmalion, she turned a
statue into a living woman (in contrast, Athena turned people into
stone). She inspired poetry and persuasive speech, and symbolizes
the transformative and creative power of love.
Although she has some characteristics in common with both virgin
and vulnerable goddesses, she does not belong in either group. As
the goddess who had the most sexual liaisons, Aphrodite was defin-
itely not a virgin goddess—although she was like Artemis, Athena,
and Hestia in doing what pleased her. Nor was she a vulnerable
goddess—although she was like Hera, Demeter, and Persephone in
being linked with male deities and/or in having children. Unlike
them, however, Aphrodite was never victimized and did not suffer.
In all her relationships, the feelings of desire were mutual; she was
never a victim of a man’s unwanted passion for her. She valued
emotional experience with others more than either independence
from others (which motivated the virgin goddesses), or permanent
bonds to others (which characterized the vulnerable goddesses).