Serving the Goddess of Love with Ferocity and Compassion
This meditation (or some variation of it) was one of the first ways I connected with Aphrodite in a tangible sense - to actually speak with Her, to see Her physical form, and to go beyond impressions and feelings. It incorporates elements from both guided meditation and journeying.
Aphrodite is not only a Goddess of Love, She is also a Goddess of Pleasure. Pleasure comes in many forms, but one everyday experience of pleasure is consuming food. Like many of our most intense pleasures, food is very primal. We need it to survive, but we are also capable of drawing immense enjoyment from it. Finding joy in cooking a meal, savoring it, and sharing it with others is one of the ways I connect with Aphrodite.
I am an extroverted empath. I know to some that may sound like an oxymoron, but I promise it is not. Being an extroverted empath presents some unique challenges - Challenges that most of the resources for empaths don’t address. Here are some tips I’ve picked up in my time as an extroverted empath.
Let me be clear: The type of surrender I am talking about is not the surrender of defeat (though it sometimes may feel like it). It is not giving up. It is not ceding victory. It is not yielding to the authority of others. It is not relinquishing your power. It is not sacrificing your values or morals. It is not martyrdom. The Divine Surrender I speak of is a surrender to bliss. It’s yielding to the natural flow of the universe. It’s a forfeit of the ego. It is a loss of inhibitions. It’s letting go of the edge of the pool to see how deep you can swim. It is faith in the Gods. And, first and foremost, it is trust in yourself.
The decision to “come out of the broom closet” (modern parlance for going public with your Paganism) is a highly personal one. Wherever you are in your Pagan journey, public or not, I encourage you to take a look at how you share your Paganism with others. Whatever your choice, the decision to stay in or come out of the broom closet should be a conscious one - not just a default based in fear.
How do we stay in touch with our spirituality in a world that doesn’t value dedicated time for spiritual practice? Here are some tips for maintaining your Pagan practice, even when you are busy!
Sometimes all you need before going into Circle is a quick swipe with a selenite wand, and you’re good to go. Other times, a more thorough cleansing is in order. Whenever I need some heavy-duty cleansing, I like to call on the four elements (and Deity) to perform a comprehensive purification.
“Worship” is a really charged word for a lot of Pagans, and rightfully so. A lot of us are converts who came from religions where worship was a requirement, and was more about debasing yourself instead of celebrating the Divine. I worship Aphrodite because I adore Her, because I want to feel and be all of the beautiful things She represents in my life, because She is worthy of honor and respect, and because the act of worship brings me that much closer to Her.
I (somewhat) recently returned from the Mystic South Conference (July 19th-21st), and I had a blast! It was so much fun meeting other Pagans, attending workshops, and generally being in a spiritual space. Here were my biggest takeaways from Mystic South 2019:
This story about the sacred fool hails from ancient Greece. There is very little historical text written about Baubo, so this tale is a compilation of what research I could find and my own imagination. I first told this story during a ritual in September of 2017. I hope you enjoy this retelling of the Baubo myth!
Priestess of Aphrodite 