That is an up to date encore publish from my previous years of campaigning for a unique sort of Feb. 14 festivity. Within the identify of blessed Aphrodite, allow us to reclaim at the present time of affection within the true spirit of celebration, honoring the divine reward of all love. All pleasure. Consensual unions solely, of each type. Warmest merriments and blessings to you! ~ Beth
O, Aphrodite! Heavenly, illustrious, laughter-loving queen, sea-born, night-loving, of terrible mien; artful, from whom Ananke first got here; producing, nightly, all-connecting dame.
‘Tis thine the world with concord to affix, for all issues spring from thee, O energy divine.
Orphic Hymn 55 to Aphrodite, composed someday between the third Century B.C.E. to 2nd C.E.
Felicitations and good needs to all, on this most historic day of Love!
Sure, I do know. The patriarchy calls it Valentine’s Day. However you see, for a few years, I’ve been campaigning to rethink whether or not we actually need to align at the present time with a bunch of obscure martyred Christian monks named St. Valentine.
As an alternative of a day that’s steeped in our tradition’s fascination with loss of life, consumerism, conflicted sexuality, and tragic love, I favor to have fun the items of highly effective Aphrodite, whose focus is on the life-affirming pleasure, sanctity, and pleasure of the erotic.
Pre-Christian Origins
The Parentalia, an eight-day Roman pageant honoring useless ancestors, was celebrated right now. All temples had been closed, no marriages occurred, and authorities officers didn’t present their rank. Folks visited the graves of their dad and mom and different relations, bringing choices of milk, wine, honey, oil, and spring water.
Sundown tonight is the time that will have begun the portion of the Parentalia known as the Lupercal. It is a day of fertility devoted to Juno-Lupa, the Goddess Juno within the guise of Mom She-wolf. After all, Juno can be thought of the Roman model of Hera, Goddess of clever counsel, love, and marriage.
Ladies’s pleas for kids had been granted by Her, which is how She could also be linked to the origins of Valentine’s Day. The customized of sending love notes might have originated from the observe of casting tons to attract the names of companions throughout these celebrations.
(Later the Church tried to abolish this observe, suggesting that the names of saints be substituted, however because the beloved, late Waverly Fitzgerald as soon as famous, unsurprisingly, it was not successful).
Celtic Parallels
Coincidentally (or maybe not), based on some interpretations of the Celtic calendar, at this time can be the holy day when Arianrhod was ordered to step over the magical truth-discerning wand of Her uncle, Math, to show Her virginity.
Some Neo-Pagans additionally have fun at the present time as the marriage between Danu, Mom of the Land and Cernnunos, God of Nature and the cycles of Life.
However as a result of at the present time fell throughout such an vital and well-documented pageant time for honoring the Greek Goddess of Love, for a few years I’ve known as for us to reclaim this vacation within the identify of Aphrodite.
Historical past of the Love Goddess
There are a lot of incarnations of this nice Olympian Goddess of delight, pleasure, magnificence, love, and procreation. Her energy transcends tradition and time. She is named “Aphrodite Marina,” “Maiden of the Sea,” “Aphrodite Urania,” and easily the “Goddess of Love.” Her Roman identification is Venus.
Though one of the well known of the Greek Goddesses, She most likely didn’t originate in Greece, however was initially a side of the Mom Goddess that got here from the ocean merchants of the japanese Mediterranean. Some students consider that Aphrodite is a model of the older Goddess, Astarte.
After all, Aphrodite is well-known for Her amorous affairs, which had been quite a few and reasonably spectacular, and resulted in lots of offspring, together with Her son, Eros. Her most notable lovers had been the Gods Ares, Dionysius, Hermes, Poseidon, and the mortal, Adonis.
Nonetheless, She was not usually considered a Mom Goddess by the Greeks. As an alternative, She was an important consultant of the Maiden side of the Triple Goddess.
Keep in mind, although, that the Maiden is not often an untouched virgin, and Venus Aphrodite is an apparent instance. As an alternative, this time period refers to the truth that She is free of ties to marriage or relationship, and isn’t depending on a lover or husband for Her energy, identification, or safety.
The Golden One
Though Aphrodite is gorgeous, and beloved by all the Gods and Goddesses of Olympus (no small feat in itself!), She isn’t any wimp. She may be very severe about honoring the items of affection and sexuality, and will be harsh in opposition to those that thwart the pure move in all dwelling beings.
To punish Glaucus for refusing to let his mares breed, She induced the mares to throw him from his chariot throughout a race, after which they ate him. Ethical of the story: don’t trifle with Aphrodite!
Typically referred to as “The Golden One,” She is worshiped with items and ornaments of gold, which, like Her everlasting youth and wonder, by no means tarnish. Doves, snow geese, and lovebirds are additionally usually related to Her due to their mild natures. She is a Goddess of flowers, as properly.
The echoes of at the present time for honoring love and the selecting of companions have remained in people customs and celebrations for 1000’s of years now, resembling these within the Center Ages, when folks believed that birds selected their mates on at the present time.
In honor of the wedding of the birds, and for the favor of Aphrodite, you may want to set out particular treats for the birds on at the present time. Or be part of the annual, worldwide Great Backyard Bird Count coming in a number of days.
After all, any different methods chances are you’ll want to have fun at the present time are solely restricted to your creativeness!
Rise for Freedom
Create the New Tradition
Immediately particularly, allow us to reject the violent messages and grim subtexts of the Valentine martyrs. As an alternative, embracing the messages of mighty Aphrodite, I as soon as once more ask you be part of me within the One Billion Rising revolution.
Like most ladies, I’ve endured the bigotry, profanity, and even violence heaped on us, simply because we’re feminine. The truth is, one in each three women and girls on this planet — one billion ladies and ladies — will probably be raped or overwhelmed in her lifetime.
Since my observances started numerous years in the past by way of my web site, we now have had many highly effective breakthroughs. I give because of nice Aphrodite that our prayers, braveness, and struggles to alter the systemic abuse, assault, and shaming of ladies, ladies, and gender-fluid individuals are lastly being heard.
However we’re nonetheless up in opposition to an ongoing, more and more determined system of patriarchy, imperialism, capitalism, and racism in our world at this time.
In a Middle for Illness Management report released last year (Feb. 13, 2023), one in 5 teen ladies mentioned they’d skilled sexual violence prior to now yr. This is a rise of 20% since 2017, the primary yr the CDC began monitoring this measure.
As well as, a couple of in 10 feminine college students, about 14%, mentioned they’d been compelled to have intercourse, up 27% from 2019, marking a rise for the primary time because the CDC has been monitoring this statistic.
“If you concentrate on each 10 teen ladies that you recognize, a minimum of one and probably extra has been raped, and that’s the highest degree we’ve ever seen,” mentioned Kathleen Ethier, director of the CDC’s Division of Adolescent and College Well being, who mentioned the rise of sexual violence nearly actually contributed to the obvious spike of depressive signs. “We’re actually alarmed,” she mentioned.
Particularly, the American state of Texas noticed an estimated 26,313 rape-related pregnancies in the course of the 16 months after the state outlawed all abortions, with no exceptions for survivors of rape or incest, based on a examine printed January 24, 2024 within the Journal of the American Medical Association.
This should not be ignored. We’re rising up as a result of, prefer it or not, we’re engaged in a damaging, all-out battle for energy being fought over trans- and cisgender ladies’s our bodies, in addition to the physique of our Mom Earth.
Taking Again Our Sovereignty
We can and should impact change. Educate your self as to who, each politically and in our client tradition, truly helps the causes that matter for us.
Unfold the phrase to your sisters and allies, be part of collectively in unity, and starve the facility of those that proceed to hurt us!
And collectively, with the 2024 program from One Billion Rising, allow us to rise for freedom and create a brand new tradition! One Billion Rising is predicated on a number of research that say that 1 in 3 ladies throughout the planet will probably be overwhelmed or raped throughout her lifetime. That’s ONE BILLION WOMEN AND GIRLS.
So, in solidarity allow us to be part of them.
In 2024 we’re escalating the decision to Rise For Freedom due to the persistent intensification of violence – ongoing rape, hate, exclusion, killing, discrimination, exploitation, abuse, wars, division, occupation and management. Management over our our bodies, minds, and assets. Of unprecedented fascism and of fascist governments destroying all freedoms. We should not cease now.
Let’s expedite a profession change for the scum who’re gutting medical protection, overturning fundamental rights, stealing our assets, shredding public faculty cash in favor of their elite, non-public enclaves, and who don’t have a clue about ladies’s our bodies and girls’s selection.
A Manifesta
Within the identify of Aphrodite, this yr I once more declare:
Ladies’s our bodies are holy. We’re not ashamed. We won’t conceal who we’re.
Our our bodies belong solely to us. We’re not commodities. Our sexuality is a divine reward and we share it solely when and with whom we please.
We’re sacred and have a proper to schooling and security. The entrenched tradition of tolerance for violence, misogyny, intimidation, and exploitation should change.
I recommend that we battle again by obeying Aphrodite’s directive that we acknowledge as good and blessed the erotic forces inside ourselves and all of life. That we honor our our bodies and declare our energy to find out how our our bodies are handled.
After which resist and wage a warfare of affection in each means that we will.
And each day, particularly on this celebratory day, strut your stuff, no matter your gender could also be, and be glad of your sacred sexuality! Get pleasure from at the present time of lovely liberation and celebration.
Reside as if the Love in you issues.
All acts of affection and pleasure are Her rituals.
Blessings this Aphrodite’s Day.
