Your Goddess Archetype is Aphrodite

Goddesses and Personal Archetypes

Archetypes are inner images that embody universal characteristics and experiences. They are responsible for the persistent themes we see surfacing in our own lives. Myths and fairy tales, many artistic images, and many of the characters we encounter in our dreams are expressions of these archetypes. As inner guides that exist in your personality, the goddess archetypes influence how you behave, how you think and feel, and how you relate to others. Since the goddess stories that are passed on in the mythology of human cultures embody the expression of female character, they provide us with a rich and fascinating way to gain access to the personal archetypes that are active in our lives.

How to Use Your Personal Goddess Type:

The interpretation of your goddess quiz begins on the next page. Each section starts with a brief guide to understanding the information, followed by your personal results. Before you begin to study it, take a few minutes to review a few basic concepts that will help you use the goddess report to:

Understand/accept yourself as the unique goddess you are meant to be.
Learn how to use the guide on the goddess path to personal fulfillment.

The results of your goddess assessment can be used in several different ways. One is to treat your report simply as interesting reading to be enjoyed. As the 100-year-old woman answered, ‘ Sure, Sonny, I believe in horoscopes. At my age I believe in anything that makes life more interesting!’ Have fun with the report. Use it, and information available at the website, as an entrance to the fascinating world of mythology and personality type. Learn to recognize patterns of behavior among your family, friends, and coworkers while you gain a better picture of your own strengths, abilities, and vulnerabilities.

A second approach is to use your results to learn to relax and accept yourself for who you really are. Recognizing the strength and beauty of your own personal goddess type can be a deeply empowering experience. If your goddess type is not one that is valued highly by society, your sense of self-esteem will almost certainly have been threatened. Take comfort from learning about the richness of your goddess type and realize that, even if it seems you are often ‘marching to the beat of a different drummer’, you share your type with many others and don’t have to try to force yourself into the mold of a more socially acceptable type. You are not alone.

The third approach is to use the report as a guide on your path to personal growth. It can help you see and understand the underlying reasons for the patterns of your life. Each goddess type has both strengths and weaknesses. Knowing about your goddess type, you can capitalize upon those strengths (and guard against the weaknesses) while you begin to work on your underdeveloped traits. The more you function within your inherent goddess type, the stronger and more confident you will become, the more control you have over your life, and the better prepared you are to make the choices that create the life you want. You can enlist the help of other, less well-developed goddess types, thereby enlarging your repertoire of attitudes, feelings, and behaviors. You will be less rigid and more flexible, better able to meet the wide variety of challenges and demands that your life may present. Your report highlights ways you can assist this process of ‘becoming’.

Your Personal Goddess Type:

Her Story and Her Symbols

Each one of us is born with an inherent temperament that predisposes us to develop as one of a number of goddess types. These ‘goddess gifts’ reveal themselves at an early age and remain fairly constant throughout our lives. They influence how you learn and think, how you decide and act, who you select as friends and mates, even where your talents lie, in short, everything that makes you unique and guides the direction of your life. This gift, your personal goddess type, is your favored, most trusted style in dealing with the outer world.

Aphrodite

Goddess of Beauty, Romance, and Transforming Change

The original ‘Golden Girl’, perfectly attired for the occasion in a simple string of pearls and a couple of strategically placed scallop shells, stepped out of the ocean on the island of Cypress and set the ancient world on its ear. Never had there been such sensual beauty and impeccable taste. A new standard had been set, and the world would never be the same! Henceforth there would be candlelit dinners, heart-rending arias in operas, high-heeled shoes and bright red lipstick (not to mention soap operas) – romance was here and planning to stay.

It is not clear how the goddess Aphrodite came to be ‘sea-born’, stepping out of the ocean and walking onto the Greek island of Cyprus. One legend was that she was the daughter of the Titan Uranus, formed from his genitals that had been severed and tossed into the sea by his son Cronus who was in the process of usurping his fathers throne. What is certain is that her arrival caused quite a stir! The Horae (Hours) welcomed her to step ashore and adorned her with the finest gold ornaments and cloth, then brought her to Mount Olympus to present her to Zeus and the other gods and goddesses.

To his credit Zeus instantly realized that this captivating creature could become the source of all sorts of trouble, her radiance stirring every man’s passion and leading to constant fighting for her attention. To head off this possibility, Zeus decided she must be married at once (‘taken off the market’, so to speak) and awarded her to his son, Hephaestus, god of the forge. It goes without saying that Hephaestus must have thought himself the luckiest man alive, especially since he was lame and ‘no great looker’ himself. But he was reliable and hard working. Overjoyed with his good fortune in acquiring this stunning bride, he did his best to please her, designing and creating for her the most beautiful jewelry and furniture that had ever been seen. He even went so far as to make her a magical golden girdle that made her irresistible to men when she wore it. Whatever could he have been thinking?

Needless to say, their marriage had its ups and downs. Aphrodite felt she had married below her ‘class’ for Hephaestus was decidedly ‘blue collar’ even though he was a god . . . not at all what she, with her impeccable tastes, had in mind. Aphrodite insisted upon an ‘open marriage’ (at least for her) and indulged in numerous love affairs with both mortals and other gods. Except for a few occasions when he was overwhelmed with jealousy or resentment, her husband seemed to accept this arrangement, happy to just have and hold her when he could. Indeed, their marriage seemed companionable, with little passion perhaps, but little conflict as well.

It was as if everyone recognized that Aphrodite had one gift and one gift only . . . to make love. And that one gift was so special that no one seemed to resent it. While all the other gods and goddesses had lengthy lists of divine duties to perform, Aphrodite was assigned only one . . . to bring love into the world. Athena once caught her weaving and reprimanded Aphrodite for encroaching upon her area of responsibility. Aphrodite was quick to apologize and vowed never to do any work ever again! Although they were surely envious of Aphrodite’s beauty and her exciting, but easy, life, other women weren’t usually jealous or resentful of her charms. Although none were what could be called really close friends, they found her to be quite friendly and extraordinarily generous. She even went to the extent of loaning Hera her magic girdle to help her keep Zeus’ wandering eyes where they belonged. She was always ready to help both the deities and the mortals to win the loves they sought.

However, Aphrodite is best known for her own love affairs, which were numerous and varied and resulted in many offspring by her various lovers. Her most notable loves were the gods Ares, Dionysius, Hermes, Poseidon, and the mortal, Adonis. The willingness of the community to suspend their norms for Aphrodite is clear. Her flagrant affair with Ares, the god of war, was obvious to all and the cause of much embarrassment for her husband. Hephaestus fashioned an invisible net made of bronze and captured them while they were in bed together. Hauling the pair in front of a jury of the Olympians, he demanded their punishment. Reluctant to get involved, the court instead chided Hephestus for being so silly as to give her an outfit that rendered her irresistible in the first place!

Aphrodite had begged Adonis, her beloved mortal, to give up the dangerous sports he enjoyed because she could not bear to lose him. But he ignored her advice and was killed by a wild boar while hunting. When he died, Aphrodite heard his cries and hastened to his side in her swan-drawn chariot. She cursed the Fates that had ordained his death and, with Adonis still in her arms, turned the blood drops that fell from his wounds onto the soil into windflowers, also known as the short-lived anemone, as a memorial to their love.

Aphrodite’s most famous son was Eros, the god of love, who helped her with her work. A talented archer, his job was to shoot arrows dipped in Aphrodite’s love potion, hitting her unwitting victims, causing them to fall madly in love with the next person they saw. Many of the great love stories began this way, but many respectable homes were broken up as well.

Although she was most often loving and generous, Aphrodite could be quite malicious and vindictive as well. She insisted upon being given the honor she felt was due her and was quick and harsh in punishing those who weren’t sufficiently appreciative of her efforts. Ares, Medea, Psyche, and Atalanta, to name but a few, could attest that her power was immense.

Often her punishments, though sometimes severe, held important lessons embedded within them. These were lessons that sparked growth and ultimately improved the life or extended the vision of the person she was punishing, as was the case in the story of Psyche. Accordingly, the influence of Aphrodite can be seen as generative, far beyond that of romance, love, or desire alone. She is associated with the life-giving sea. Just as the waves lapping on the shore refresh and renew the beach, Aphrodite brings us hope and the awareness of the transforming power of love and beauty.

Aphrodite’s Symbols

General:

Scallop shell, seashells, mirror, evening star, and the Number 5

Animals:

Dolphin, swan, dove, sparrow, bees, and goat

Plants:

Rose, quince, myrtle, mint and grape (fruit, leaves, and vines), apples, artichokes, laurel, ash and poplar trees

Perfume/Scents:

Stephanotis, musk, verbena, vanilla, incense, vervain,rose

Gems and Metals:

Pearls, gold, aquamarine, rose quartz, jade,sapphire, silver, copper

Colors:

Red, pink, violet, silver, aqua, pale green (seafoam, and any shade of blue

The Aphrodite Archetype

Every woman’s personality is actually influenced by numerous different goddesses (traits that exist in her personality, or roles that function in her life). One goddess, however, predominates. It is this goddess, your personal goddess type, that is detailed in this report because she represents the core part of your personality that establishes your identity and most influences how you express it to the outer world. Think of it as your own personal ‘comfort zone’ your personal goddess type represents your basic, in-born core, the way you ‘really’ are. When you are functioning within the boundaries of your goddess type, you feel ‘at home with yourself’. Anxieties will be dissolved, priorities clearer, and you will feel energized, resilient, and capable. If your circumstances are well matched to your goddess type, your normal coping mechanisms will work well, and you will feel a sense of control over your destiny.

Aphrodite Characteristics

Aphrodite radiates warmth, an enjoyment of life, and an incurable optimism. She is witty, charming, and clever. Very responsive to her environment, she is great fun to be with, and is one of the most generous of all the goddess types.

It’s always easy for an Aphrodite to find company since others find them highly charismatic and entertaining-which is a good thing because you avoid being alone for very long. An Aphrodite loves excitement and tends to create it wherever she is. Your joy in living is contagious, and your flowing conversation is often witty and amusing. It’s no wonder you create a mood of gaiety wherever you go.

Like the Aphrodite that you are, you are extroverted, friendly and sociable. You enjoy being with other people and find that it energizes you, heightening your natural enthusiasm for life and all its possibilities. Exuberant, optimistic, and energetic, you are at your best in a social situation.

An Aphrodite like you radiates an attractive warmth, and enjoyment of life, and an incurable optimism. You are likely to be active, witty, charming, and great fun to be with. Aphrodites are also one of the kindest and one of the most generous of all goddess types.

You are an entertainer and love to bring people together. You also don’t mind being center stage. Talkative and witty, you are a born storyteller, full of jokes, and quick with wordplay and wisecracks. There is nothing so sacred that you can’t make fun of it, but, thanks to you kind nature, others are rarely hurt by your remarks.

Most Aphrodites have an air of sophistication about them. You’re likely to be dressed in the latest fashions and display a fondness for all the good things in life-gourmet food, fine wines, beautiful surroundings, and happy times. You probably dress in original (and frequently boldly colored), eye-catching clothes that are somewhat casual in style. You appreciate the feel of fine fabrics, and are up-to-date on all the latest trends. ‘Variety is the spice of life’ seems to be your motto, and anything new seems to attract your attention.

Though others often don’t realize it because of an Aphrodite’s outgoing and outspoken personality, Aphrodites are often rather ‘private’ people, unwilling to reveal intimate details or their innermost feelings to anyone except those in their closest circle of friends.

Aphrodites do not spend much time or energy being angry, but they can react with considerable hostility when they feel challenged. They become very irritated when criticized for acting insensibly and when others try to impose rules or limits on their behavior.

Your Personal Characteristics

The goddess Aphrodite needed to live and work with a lot of companionship and excitement in her life. Most
Aphrodites enjoy being with people, are full of energy, and tend to be enthusiastic. They genuinely like other
people and openly demonstrate positive feelings toward them, finding it easy to form close relationships and tending
to make friends quickly. Your responses on the quiz indicate that, while you may not be as friendly as some, you are
still well within the range of the typical Aphrodite type.

Aphrodites usually find the company of others pleasantly energizing and enjoy the company of others and the
excitement of crowds. Your quiz indicates that you are somewhat less gregarious than most Aphrodites, needing to
occasionally have some privacy and some time for yourself.

Like Aphrodite, you’re a woman who approaches life realistically and who isn’t inclined to engage in much fantasy,
idealism, abstractions, or anything else far removed from concrete experience. Details, technical precision, and
practical applications are far more appealing to you. You are not particularly impressed with people who ‘may be
smart but don’t have much common sense’.

Although you respect tradition and the time-honored ways of doing things, you prefer novelty, variety, and change.
The physical atmosphere of your surroundings greatly influences how you feel. When you enter a room you instantly
form a first impression that takes in every detail. Ownership may give you a strong sense of security, creating an
attachment to your possessions.

You are definitely not one who wears her heart on her sleeve. Unlike Aphrodite, your head usually rules your heart.
Although you care a great deal about other’s opinions of you and crave love and acceptance as much as anyone else,
others might not notice it from your somewhat detached appearance; you aren’t one to freely express your emotions.

Unlike Aphrodite, your needs are fairly simple, and you are not usually difficult to please. You have a strong desire
for stability and peace. Although you may enjoy occasional travel or the adventure of new experiences, you do not
require them to feel fulfilled like Aphrodite did. Instead, you are comfortable with familiarity and routine and do
not find them intrinsically boring, consequently you are not compelled to seek adventure or thrills at every turn.

Like Aphrodite, your levels of excitement- and thrill-seeking are average, indicating you have neither a tendency
toward either high or low levels of risk-taking behavior. You can tolerate a fairly high level of noise and
commotion without feeling over-stimulated.

Unlike your goddess Aphrodite, you are not particularly prone to challenging authority, convention, or traditional
values. But neither do you insist on the security and stability brought by strict conformity to tradition that is
noticed in other goddess types. You are about average in the extent to which you experience ambiguity, chaos, and
disorder as stressful.

Many of the legends of Aphrodite recount stories that demonstrate her ability to act quickly and spontaneously, if
not impulsively. Most Aphrodites prefer to remain somewhat flexible and spontaneous in their general approach to
life.

The advantages of this approach are readily apparent-not being rigidly ‘bound’ by schedules, planners, and a wide
variety of other organizational aids gives one a freedom to ‘seize the moment’, to make a snap decision, and to act
on their first impulse. At play this spontaneity and impulsivity can be exciting and great fun. Others usually see
spontaneous people as colorful, wacky, and fun to be with. The accompanying tendency to put off unpleasant tasks
until the absolute last minute may not win her many awards, but at least she doesn’t have to worry about becoming a
serious ‘workaholic’ who leaves her friends and family in a state of serious neglect.

Planning, on the other hand, leads to consistent success in projects that require organized efforts during stages in
a sequence. Without it her accomplishments will likely be rather small, scattered, or inconsistent. However much she
may be criticized for unreliability, lack or ambition, or failure to ‘stay within the lines’, one thing she’ll never
be called is stuffy!

In her myths Aphrodite is usually depicted as someone who is fairly confident in her ability to accomplish her goals,
someone who believes she has the common sense, the drive, and the self-control to overcome the obstacles in her
path. Your level of confidence in your ability to succeed is also moderate like hers.

You are well organized and like to live according to routines and schedules, your attention keenly focused on what
you have to accomplish. But short of spontaneity, sometimes you may be so bound up in your lists of ‘Things To Do’
that you overlook valuable opportunities to enrich your life.

Aphrodite was not widely known for having a strong sense of duty and moral obligation. Unlike her, your sense of
obligation is average. You usually honor your commitments and seldom find contracts, rules and regulations overly
confining.

The goddess Aphrodite was often impulsive. You, however, usually take your time before speaking or making decisions,
considering your alternatives and carefully weighing the consequences of your actions. Impulses are not inherently
bad; acting on our impulses can be an effective response in situations requiring snap decisions. Additionally,
acting spontaneously and impulsively makes play possible. People who are impulsive are often seen as being colorful,
exciting, and fun. Nonetheless, excessive impulsivity can lead to trouble, examples include using illicit drugs that
eventually destroy one’s health, responding with an insult during an argument leading to the destruction of an
important relationship, or excessive socializing that results in being fired from one’s job. Your level of
impulsiveness is lower than average. Aphrodite rarely paused to think things through carefully before she sprang
into action. And often wasn’t very deliberate or cautious when making decisions. Unlike her, you usually take your
time before deciding and seldom say or do the first thing that comes to mind without deliberating your alternatives
and their probable consequences.

Living in the moment as you do, you find that if your current task is not interesting your attention wanders. This
tendency is particularly noticeable when you’re involved in everyday household tasks. Letting the pot boil over and
forgetting to turn off the iron are frequent occurrences in an Aphrodite’s household. A domestic goddess you are
not! On the other hand, you make up for these shortcomings with an impeccable sense of style and your keen eye for
beauty. The bed may be unmade, but the linens are so gorgeous that no one even notices!

You may be generous to a fault, having not a stingy bone in your body. You give freely of yourself and your
possessions without expectation of any return. Likewise, you may give love freely with few expectations and demands.
Since you’re inclined to be impulsive, you may give in too easily to the demands of others are especially vulnerable
to psychological seduction. In short, you may frequently be tempted to follow your generous impulses and find your
bank account overdrawn and your credit card perilously near it’s limit.

Your tolerance for anxiety is very low. You are not, by nature, a worrier (even when it would be well-advised to be).
When you begin to get anxious, your tendency is to ignore the warning signs for as long as you can. When you finally
force yourself to face the unpleasant facts, you’re not likely to make a scene by fighting or dissolving in tears .
. . instead you simply go your own way to find something more enjoyable.

How An Aphrodite’s Mind Works

Your goddess type is largely determined by the neurological hard-wiring you received at birth. It governs the way you
think and learn. Unfortunately, most of us have been exposed to a ‘one-size-fits-all’ educational system that fails
to take into account that not everyone has the same style of learning. Understanding how you think and learn best
can help you be more productive at work or in school.

An Aphrodite woman is seldom deeply interested in scholarly pursuits. Knowledge is important to her only to the
extent that it’s useful. Theories are of little interest, and most Aphrodites avoid fields such as science,
mathematics and engineering. Many, however, find themselves drawn to business. This is fortunate, because they are
often very successful in sales.

Like Aphrodite, you’re a woman who approaches life realistically and who isn’t inclined to engage in much fantasy,
idealism, abstractions, or anything else far removed from concrete experience. You are not particularly impressed
with people who ‘may be smart but don’t have much common sense’. You wish others would be as direct and
straightforward as you are, that they would stick with what is real or realistic.

Details, technical precision, and practical applications are far more appealing to you. You have a good sense of what
will work and what will not, especially if it involves people. You like to jump right in and attack a project,
hoping for immediate results. Since an Aphrodite lives mostly for the present moment and is always ready for action,
you find postponements or having to wait for something rather frustrating.

Although Aphrodite is generally portrayed as being a realistic, practical, and down-to earth type, your quiz reveals
that you are more imaginative and creative than the typical Aphrodite. While most Aphrodites are more oriented to
facts than fantasy, you often use your imagination, and keen sense of what is possible. You are also able to use
your imagination, and keen sense of what is possible, to create a richer, more interesting world.

One area in which you differ from your personal goddess type Aphrodite is in your cognitive style. While Aphrodite
preferred dealing with people or things rather than ideas, your level of interest and comfort in thinking abstractly
is average instead of low like hers.

Aphrodite was certainly not famous for her self-discipline or will power. Like her, your level of self-discipline is
fairly low. You often find it difficult to complete tasks, even those you very much wish to finish. Your level of
self-discipline is rather low, revealing a tendency to procrastinate and to easily become distracted from your
mission.

At odds with most traditional educational settings and procedures, an Aphrodite learns best through experience. She
doesn’t share the teachers’ agenda of ‘preparing for the future’ as much as wanting to discharge the impulsive of
the moment, being free for physical activity, being surrounded by beauty, sounds, color, and motion. Book learning
is seldom enough for her. Aphrodites need the pleasure of hands-on and active learning situations to inspire
them–they need the freedom to act spontaneously and chafe at restrictions and constraints. Simply sitting and
listening to a lecture is seldom inspiring for the Aphrodite type. Opportunities to operate, construct, and
manipulate objects help fulfill the Aphrodite’s need for physical involvement in her learning.

An Aphrodite thrives on competition and risk. She finds contests, instructional games, role-playing, drama, and media
presentations stimulating. Traditional lesson plans that require paper and pencil work tend to make her bored. She
does not perform as well as others in tests of verbal ability where speed is a factor and can usually benefit from
courses on test taking methods.

Aphrodites often find it difficult to maintain interest in rigidly controlled learning environments, and may create
their own excitement through unconventional means if they are under-stimulated in the setting.

Aphrodite At Work

Just as your inborn goddess type impacts the way you think and learn, it also greatly influences your life at work.
When your goddess-given strengths and patterns of behavior have become habitual, certain jobs or careers will be
more ‘natural’ for you. When your job allows you to capitalize on your goddess type, it is interesting and
energizing, almost fun. So if you’re about to enter the job market, use you knowledge of your goddess type as a
guide to selecting an ideal position that is a good match for your goddess type.

None of this means you can’t be happy in other fields. Lots of other factors influence job satisfaction, your boss
and coworkers, the pay, the dress code, for example. Most people manage to adapt, to develop and strengthen their
less developed skills and interests when working in a job, unless other factors introduce too many problems in the
setting.

Finally, if you aren’t satisfied at work or don’t feel you’re very effective, you can use what you learn about your
goddess’ strengths to examine the match between your goddess type and your current job and career.

In comparison to the goddess Aphrodite , whose quest for achievement was low, your level is high. Those with a drive
to be recognized as successful often have a strong sense of direction in their lives and strive hard to achieve
excellence in their chosen pursuits. Taken to the extremes, high achievement-seeking may result in an individual who
is too single-minded and obsessed with her work-or at the other extreme, an individual content to get by with only a
minimal amount of work, even if it means being seen by others as lazy. Your level of achievement striving is high.

Aphrodite at work tends to be:

A People Person

Curious

Warm & Friendly

Talkative

Observant

Open-minded

Responsive

Outgoing

Optimistic

Sensitive & Caring

Spontaneous

Informal

Active & Energetic

Impulsive

Like Aphrodite, you pay great attention to facts, valuing what has been proven by experience. You can usually be counted on to be accurate. You like to do tasks that you’ve learned to do well and to see the results of your work quickly. You may excel at jobs that require paying a lot of attention to detail.

As an Aphrodite, you probably enjoy setting up systems that improve how a process works and like to proceed in a logical step-by-step fashion, following established procedures so that everything runs smoothly. You seldom mind having to repeat a task or use a skill once you’ve mastered it. Boredom is rarely a major issue for you in your job.

Aphrodite types flourish in active jobs, working with people. You won’t be able to stay for long if you’re placed at the desk in the corner, away from all traffic, or given many long ‘solo’ assignments. Solitary work is not for an Aphrodite like you. For one thing, you tend to ‘think out loud’ and may actually need to talk to be able to do your best thinking. Brainstorming sessions and committee meetings are often where you have your best ideas. It’s as if a thought forms in your head but becomes ‘fleshed out’ as you discuss it with others.

Aphrodites are usually fiercely loyal to, and anxious to please, the ‘boss’. If they do not relate well to you on a personal level you are not apt to stay at that job for long. Your warm, friendly approach and sensitivity to the feelings of others often inspires your coworkers to look to you for guidance and support. You often engage in small talk and tend to be very diplomatic, although not very assertive. Others may think your ‘welcome mat’ is always out and sometimes distract you from completing important tasks.

An Aphrodite does not flourish in a work environment that is full of conflict, arguments, and confrontation. It is important to your job satisfaction that your work be personally meaningful for you, allowing you to help others in an environment of cooperation and support.

An Aphrodite like you is likely to function best in a job that allows you to be your casual and spontaneous self, able to just ‘go with the flow’, jumping from one task to another with great aplomb. After all, for an Aphrodite, reaching the goal is not always as important as enjoying the process of getting there! You don’t mind working at a rapid pace, moving quickly from one task to another.

Although you occasionally lash out and invest in a calendar, date books, and other aids to help you get organized, you usually find that choosing an elaborate system is a lot more satisfying than using one, and abandoning it as soon as the novelty wears off. Instead of discarding paperwork or promptly filing it away, it tends to build up on your less-than-tidy desk. (Although you may have an almost uncanny ability to find your ‘stuff’, your co-workers aren’t likely to view you as well organized!)

An Aphrodite doesn’t like to be pressured into making decisions until she feels she’s amassed enough information . . . after all, she likes to keep her options open until she’s sure. Besides your great strength is your adaptability. This can, at times, lead to procrastination and missed deadlines. At other times this willingness to leave things unresolved for the time being is an advantage. It makes it easier for you to quickly change tack, diverting your efforts into new directions that are more likely to succeed.

You are a ‘natural’ for public relations work and sales. You can be counted on to have accurate information about the people around you, gleaning this information effortlessly through continuous observation. Your fine sense of the dramatic also makes you an effective teacher, especially at the elementary level. Since Aphrodites are especially good at working with people in crisis, many flourish if fields such as nursing, mental health, and social work. Not surprisingly, an Aphrodite’s love of being in the limelight, leads many to successful careers in the performing art.

Aphrodite Women Often Find Careers in These Fields Rewarding:

Athletic coach

Physical therapist

Caterer

Producer, special events

Child care provider

Public relations

Coordinator, special events

Public relations specialist

Counselor

Real estate agent

Dental assistant

Receptionist

Designer

Retail: sports merchandise

Emergency room nurse

Sales

Entertainer

Secretary

Exercise physiologist

Social worker

Flight attendant

Social worker: home health

Florist

Teacher: elementary

Fundraiser

Teacher: preschool

Hospitality

Tour guide

Information services

Trainer

Labor relations

Travel agent/sales

Musician

Veterinarian

Nurse

Waitress

Occupational therapist

Writer/journalist

Aphrodite’s Relationships

When we encounter people whose god or goddess type matches our own, people who have similar traits, we are usually attracted to them and often make them a part of our social circle. This is not surprising for they tend to think like you, have similar interests, treat you as you treat others, and are easy for you to communicate with. You feel comfortable and energized when you are with them. When you spend much time with someone of an opposite type, you may feel drained of energy if it becomes a struggle to find common ground. Other types truly see the world through different eyes and approach life from a very different perspective. Depending on the situation in which you find yourselves, you may be able to recognize your differences and essentially ‘agree to disagree’.

Try to learn more and use your understanding about different god and goddess types, remembering that even though they differ, each type has its unique strengths and beauty. After all, it is the incredible diversity that makes life so colorful!

The natural expression of a spirit of cooperation and friendship is your goddess gift. Like the goddess Aphrodite, you are a natural diplomat-you are reasonable, tolerant, and fair. Willing to listen to everyone’s viewpoints, you are always ready to see their side. Harmony in your social relationships is important to you, so you generally go out of your way to be considerate, friendly, generous, and helpful. Endowed with an optimistic view of human nature, you tend to believe that others are basically honest, decent, and trustworthy.

At times your generosity can seem excessive and may cause you problems. You may need to set limits on your giving nature and learn not to trust others so readily. Because of your strong desire to be liked, and your need for acceptance and approval, you can easily be influenced by the opinions and desires of others-and suppress your own needs and values in order to please them.

You usually take a friendly, cooperative approach rather than a forceful ‘we-should-do-it-like this’ position.
You’re more likely to use your charm in an understated, non-combative fashion to try to reach your objectives. But
if all else fails (or if the stakes are high or you’ve just been pushed-too-far) you are perfectly capable of being
assertive since your quiz reveals that your assertiveness level is neither high nor low, but within the average
range.

You approach your relationships as if they were an art form, and like Aphrodite, are very skilled in this area since
you possess both a high sensitivity to the needs and feelings of others as well as a genuine concern for their well
being. Others see you as an agreeable, cooperative, and nice person for this is the face you choose to show to the
world . . . even though there is much more to you than this. Because of your harmonious disposition you usually get
along easily with others and have a pleasant, agreeable manner that most find appealing.

Aphrodite was not one of the goddesses who were well known for being altruistic, always helping others in times of
need. Unlike her, you find helping other people genuinely rewarding and have a strong need to be of service to
others. For you, helping others is a form of self-fulfillment rather than sacrifice. Your level of altruism is high.

Aphrodite was noted for being moderate, neither high nor low, in terms of her agreeableness, her willingness to lead
or participate in group efforts. Although she, like most of us, preferred to avoid conflict or confrontation, she
would not easily abandon her own needs and interests just to avoid a confrontation. Realistic and pragmatic, you
tend to be an excellent strategist who attains success by relying on your tactical strengths rather than on tact and
charm. You do not run away from confrontations and, like Aphrodite, are usually unwilling to deny your own needs and
interests simply to get along with people. As a result, sometimes others may find you a bit intimidating or
uncooperative.

Like your personal goddess type Aphrodite, you are not affected strongly by the suffering of others. Priding
yourself on your ability to judge objectively, you are more concerned with impartial justice, truth, and fairness.
It is not that you are uncompassionate, but that you do not, as a rule, vicariously experience the pain of others as
readily as do some other goddess types. This average level of tender-mindedness is advantageous in situations that
require tough decisions or objectivity.

As an Aphrodite you experience a strong, almost passionate, attachment in all your relationships. You show what you feel, and are emotionally involved. Nothing that occurs in your relationships is ever taken lightly. Even though you are comfortable telling others how you feel, you prefer offering information rather than telling others what they should do. Terminating unwanted relationships is not easy for you, so your social circle tends to enlarge over time and your social obligations multiply.

Aphrodite As a Child

What you were like as a child and the messages you received from your parents have undoubtedly influenced your development, for better or worse. Lucky for you if your family enjoyed and encouraged you to develop naturally as the Aphrodite that you are -chances are you felt good about yourself and got a big head start in developing all your Aphrodite strengths.

Sometimes, however, having ‘too much’ family support can cause a problem. When parents give their little goddess unlimited approval for the traits of her natural goddess type to the exclusion of helping her develop the helpful traits of the other goddesses that exist as potential in her personality, she can grow up too one-sided. Take, for example, the young Artemis who is a natural athlete and fierce competitor. While her parents are busy applauding her for all her trophies and carting her to competitions, they may forget to similarly encourage her to keep up with her assignments and she fails to sufficiently develop her intellectual skills.

Also unfortunate is the girl whose goddess type meets with her parents’ disapproval. Their opposition won’t change her inborn type; it just leaves her feeling bad about herself for being who she is, feeling inauthentic if she tries to conform to their expectations by pretending to be ‘the other girl’ that she sensed they would have preferred, or even making her rebellious.

A natural ‘flirt’ from infancy, an Aphrodite instinctively knows how to ‘goo and giggle’ and how to gaze adoringly in everyone’s eyes to get their full attention. In short, you were probably born affectionate, sensitive, playful, high-spirited, and rather dramatic in your efforts to be the center of attention. Your parents probably called you their ‘Little Chatterbox’ because you were full of questions and a never-ending stream of comments. You were active, fearless, and energetic-at times this translated into reckless and daring. You probably tested your parents’ patience at times with your tendency to ‘forget’ your commitments (or even the rules).

Aphrodites often work hard to receive attention and appreciation for their accomplishments. Well-liked by other children and by adults, you were probably among the most capable and responsible children in your class. Most likely you were active in school clubs or student government. Odds are that you never failed to impress others with your happy-go-lucky enthusiasm for life!

The expression ‘She’s seven, going on thirty’ was coined for an Aphrodite child. By the second grade she’s usually begging to have her ears pierced, is adept at applying eye shadow, and is receiving correspondence from a rock band’s fan club.

Not surprisingly, adolescence and young adulthood are crucial stages in the life of a young Aphrodite. Between hormonal upheavals and the urgings of her Aphrodite archetype, this happy-go-lucky young lady faces many major choices that can have profound consequences on her future life. Her affectionate and responsive nature, coupled with her tendency to only see the good in others, leaves her vulnerable to manipulation. If she’s also a bit impulsive, she doesn’t always slow down to weigh the possible consequences of her choices . . . bad reputations, unplanned pregnancies, and damaged self-esteem may result. It is the lucky Aphrodite teen who has the guidance and protection of caring adults who help her express her boundless enthusiasm for life while helping her learn how to safely navigate in the world around her.

Remember that your parents, like most, probably assumed that you, their child, were pretty much like them. All parents have a different view of the ‘right way’ to rear a child, one that reflects their own god or goddess type.

Aphrodite As a Parent

Armed with your new understanding of how the goddess types work, you will not be surprised to hear that one other factor, the goddess or god- type of your child, will play a big part in how well you will fare in your role as a parent. Bear in mind that, whichever little gods or goddesses reside in your pantheon, the wise goddess avoids trying to reshape them and allows them to grow into their true goddess-given selves with her understanding and support.

Aphrodites live in the present and lend excitement and unpredictability to the role of parent. As a parent, an Aphrodite will be entertaining, generous, a good friend, and a source of great fun and excitement. She is usually very loyal and expects her children to be both responsible and organized.

An Aphrodite’s children will shine brightly as she focuses her charismatic attention on them, making them feel incredibly special. But they sometimes feel acutely disappointed as she moves ahead to her next enthusiasm. And when there is sickness or trouble, she’s likely to get impatient and want to absent herself. Never a hovering mother, her greatest strength is her innate ability to be nonjudgmental and accepting, allowing her children to thrive as they develop their own unique personalities.

Aphrodite and Her Mates

Is there one perfect match for your goddess type? Some types may be naturally better suited than others. After all, the more similar two types are, the more they understand each other for the more values and interests they have in common, the easier they can communicate, and the less work they have to do to get along. They may, however, have to make an extra effort to stay interesting to each other.

But what about opposites? Opposites may attract, but too often they don’t manage to stay together. When a person from a very different type comes into a romantic relationship with you, you may find yourself drawn to them because you are intrigued by their difference. (Sometimes this may be a sign that they have a quality or strength you admire that isn’t a part of your goddess type and that you need to develop in your self.) Too soon the magical courtship stage is over and you begin to notice that the differences between you are less appealing, maybe even a source of annoyance and conflict. Perhaps you start seeing signs that there isn’t good chemistry between you, or that you need to pull back and not invest so much of yourself. If you think there is enough positive about the relationship and can thoughtfully examine the differences objectively, you may decide to live with the differences between you. Sometimes, though, the differences are just too great to overcome or do not justify the amount of energy it takes to maintain the relationship. If you choose not to deal with the differences, it is wise to move on and find other mates who are more compatible with your goddess type.

But if you’re already deeply invested in such a relationship, or if you simply like a challenge, much can be gained in a mating of opposites. Rather than unintentionally turning your differences into a source of frustration and dissatisfaction, you can learn to celebrate them. Unfortunately, the tendency is to instinctively follow the path of the Pygmalion archetype. In this legend the sculptor Pygmalion, unable to love any of the women he met, carved a statue . . . a perfect and beautiful image of his ‘ideal woman’. Over the course of his labors he grew madly in love with her, but fell into despair because, as a lifeless statue, she could not love him in return.

Like Pygmalion, we (in ways subtle, and not so subtle) try to make our partners change, to become more like us. Chipping away at our loves and marriages with constant tension, criticism, and complaints, we try to pull our partners out of their own god- or goddess- types. Such efforts are destined to fail. Even if it could be successful, it would extinguish their personality, leaving them as lifeless and cold as a statue. Although Aphrodite took pity on the poor sculptor and brought his statue to life in the legend, we must make our own miracles . . . by understanding our differences and seeing them not as problems but as incredible opportunities to breathe life into our own relationships.

This section will guide you to a general understanding of how your goddess archetype exerts a profound influence on the course of your love life. Perhaps the most important aspect of this report is the recognition that the very same differences that attract a woman and her mate to each other can also be the cause of most of the conflict between them, and that it is how these differences are handled that really matters.

Long-term commitments don’t always come naturally to the Aphrodite woman. Unless she has a strong Hera or Demeter archetype present in her personality, she is apt to follow the goddess Aphrodite’s example by following a pattern of serial romances (or marriages). Her own warmth and attentiveness, combined with her lust for life, understandably makes her very attractive to men-her attention makes them feel sexy and special. Learning how to reject the advances of those responding to her charisma, and how to dampen the ardor of those who have misread her intentions, are an important undertaking for an Aphrodite woman. Many Aphrodite types are especially attracted to unconventional partners, especially men who are complex, creative, and moody.

But once they finally decide to settle down, Aphrodites are usually exciting partners, affectionate and fun to be with. Easy-going by nature, an Aphrodite is usually supportive of her mate and tries to see that her family is happy and well cared for. Since they usually have a wide circle of friends and love socializing, their homes are often filled with guests. Every Aphrodite’s goal is to be sure her home is a harmonious and a fun place to be.

Sometimes an Aphrodite will see the relationship as a ‘task’, something that can be created, a role to perform, and will adopt the role of the perfect love with a ‘script of romantic things to say. But under all this, she needs to feel loved, not for her performance, but for who she really is.

Often an Aphrodite finds it easier to be responsive to her mate’s physical needs than the emotional ones. An Aphrodite’s dislike of confrontation can present problems. Sometimes it leads her to avoid conflict at any cost, even the healthy discuss of problems with her mate. She hopes any problem will simply go away if she ignores it long enough.

Because she has little patience for ( and doesn’t much see the need for) lengthy soul-baring conversations, an Aphrodite often tends to keep communication on a rather superficial level that can prevent her partner from feeling that she is truly caring and understanding.

An Aphrodite partner needs to know her mate appreciates her for being a responsive and helpful partner. Even more importantly, she needs to know that she is loved for herself, and not just for her winning image and style. Feeling that she is being listened to and treated with respect by her mate is a major factor influencing her satisfaction with the relationship-just as important to her as the fact that they are having fun together.

Visit the reference section at www.goddessgift.com to find valuable resources that will help you ‘love the one you’re with’, getting past the ancient conflicts and behavior patterns that have the power to destroy relationships. Learn to appreciate, even honor, each other’s complementary, but differing, ways of being. By developing insight into the ways the god and goddess archetypes interact, you can learn how to make your differences complement one another as intensely as they might otherwise clash.

Aphrodite Under Stress

Your goddess type impacts every aspect of your life, including your health and sense of well-being. In fact, recent research suggests a direct link between personality and illness. Your goddess type represents the orderly arrangement of your personality that helps you deal with life. If your life is highly compatible with your goddess type, all is well. If, however, your circumstances force you to function largely outside your personal type, you will view your life from a negative perspective and experience stress and emotional discomfort. Our thoughts and emotions are deeply intertwined. Negative thoughts provoke negative feelings that rob the body of the energy it needs to remain in healthy balance, leaving us susceptible to illness.

Consider this example: Amy’s goddess type is one that finds it very difficult to say ‘no’ to anyone. Consequently, she is always trying to do too much and is frequently behind schedule. Missing deadlines and being late for appointments causes her to feel guilty, so every time she is late creates additional stress for her. That stress results in a negative chemical reaction in her body, which, if continued over a long period of time, can ‘wear down’ her body’s natural defenses, leaving her accident prone and vulnerable to infections and a number of other stress-related illnesses.

Another body of fascinating research suggests that each personality type is linked to its own specific areas of vulnerability, or ‘weak sites’, within the body . . . an Achilles’ heel, so to speak. It is thought that these particular areas may be more sensitive to stress-related chemical imbalance.

This section will help you identify:

Typical ways your type functions under stress
Characteristic negative thoughts (fears and anxieties) that produce stress
Vulnerable areas of the body and major health issues for your goddess type
Behavior patterns that may put you ‘at risk of developing a specific health problem

As an Aphrodite type, you need to feel secure and much prefer the familiar to the unfamiliar. When this need is not met, you are likely to become anxious. Aphrodites are usually big worriers who often live on a day-to-day basis with a low level of anxiety in their lives. Generous to a fault, you tend to take on too much responsibility, working too hard to see that the needs of others are met while you put your on needs on the ‘back burner’. You may frequently feel the strain of trying to juggle your competing responsibilities of work, family, and friends.

When stressed, many Aphrodites become suddenly erratic, displaying their distress in dramatic emotional outbursts. Since you usually hold your strong emotions in until they threaten to overflow, these eruptions of strong emotion only add to your distress, making you feel guilty for burdening others with your problems. It is typical for an Aphrodite to respond to ongoing stress by becoming rather depressed. Your view on your situation might become very negative, colored by a sense of helplessness and defeat. Food is often used to provide a sense of comfort, and you may have a lifelong struggle with weight issues.

An Aphrodite quickly becomes restless and overcome by feelings of emptiness when her seen of freedom becomes threatened. She can become quite defiant . . . usually expressing her displeasure over restrictions in the form of passive resistance and doing small things to annoy those she sees as being oppressive. When such stress becomes longstanding, an Aphrodite may turn to self-destructive behaviors such as sexual promiscuity, compulsive shopping, or alcohol/drug abuse in an effort to bring excitement back into her life to counter the restlessness and emptiness she feels. In short, an Aphrodite is most likely to respond to continued high levels of stress in ways that are both counterproductive and potentially harmful to herself and others.

Physical illnesses frequently seen in Aphrodite women include hormonal imbalances and various disorders of the female reproductive system (including frequent yeast infections and menstrual disorders), urinary tract infections, sexually transmitted diseases and unplanned pregnancies, fibromyalgia, thyroid problems, and back (mid- and lower) pain.

Situations most likely to trigger an Aphrodite’s level of stress are those that evoke:

the fear of being unsupported (or even abandoned)
frustration at feeling restricted, controlled or otherwise manipulated
feeling unvalued or unappreciated
feeling victimized and powerless to take control of one’s life.

Major stressors that arise in the lives of an Aphrodite are often related to her:

need to socialize, sometimes at the expense of her other obligations
attempts to resist regulations and control over her behavior, which she experiences as a loss of freedom, and
a tendency to focus primarily on her subjective impressions while ignoring objective information that suggest they might be in error.

Aphrodite’s Personal Goddess Path

While your goddess type is the strongest, most developed, preferred, and ‘natural’ to you, you potentially have aspects (or traits) of all the goddesses in your personality. They are willing to come to your rescue if needed. As your life unfolds over time, you will be presented with different challenges that are not in your goddess’ ‘area of expertise’, challenges that another goddess would be better equipped to handle. You can recognize when this occurs because you may feel drained of energy, ‘mentally fuzzy’, and less sure of your ability to cope. Your life may feel out of control, or you may even have a strong sense of being ‘numbed’ or detached from what is going on around you. Here is where those other goddesses can come to your rescue.

Aphrodite’s Allies

Your allies are the goddesses Persephone and Athena. Already present in your personality, they can be called into play to help you adapt and grow. Which goddess is active at any given time depends on a combination of factors that interact-how many (and which) goddesses are in your repertoire and your predisposition to use them. The situation you find yourself coping with and the roles it calls forth in you, even your hormones, and your stage of life are also important factors.

Think of your life as an improvisational play with several actresses in the cast, each with different roles. One actress (your personal goddess type) will play the lead and be on-stage most of the time since she is your strongest, most experienced performer. However, the others will be called on-stage occasionally when the play takes a direction that calls for their ‘special’ skills or attributes.

You can also activate a goddess archetype intentionally, by consciously focusing on her (through study, meditations, rituals) or by ‘doing’ those activities with which she is associated, such as taking a college course to ‘activate’ the logical Athena. All you need do is honor her and consciously invite her presence, a process called ‘invoking’ a goddess. This section identifies the other goddesses in your makeup and some of the ways you can summon, or invoke, these goddesses in your life-to solicit their aid during times of crisis or to strengthen their impact and increase your psychological flexibility.

Your ally Persephone is, like you, warm and friendly and greatly values her relationships with others. But she can offer an Aphrodite help in learning to making lasting commitments and give her the motivation to work hard to preserve and improve her relationships (not just when they are enjoyable) and to face hard truths and resolve conflicts. Aphrodites rarely use objective analysis in their decision-making, instead relying mostly on their personal experiences, feelings and values unless there is a goddess like Athena present in their personalities.

Once Athena’s presence is activated, an Aphrodite develops greater objectivity and tends to take everything less personally. She becomes more assertive about getting her own needs met and finds it easier to be tough when the situation calls for it. In addition, the logical Athena can be particularly helpful in helping an Aphrodite begin to set her priorities, plan, and work for some long term stability in her life as she grows older. Making commitments also becomes easier when Athena’s archetype is strong.

To develop a healthy balance you need to integrate characteristics of each of the goddesses into your life. By so doing, you can recognize needs you’ve left unfulfilled. Then by attending to those needs, you can become happier and more self-confident. Visit the website again (www.goddessgift.com) to learn more about the different goddesses and to learn specific ways to strengthen their presence in your life.

Recognizing Your ‘Missing Goddess’

Just as your goddess type is dominant in your makeup, there is also one specific goddess that will be the weakest in you. Psyche is your missing goddess. Recognizing this goddess, and honoring her presence, is critical to your well-being because, if she remains neglected, she is apt to appear at the most unexpected time to create havoc in your life.

Most of us have witnessed, at one time or another, an acquaintance who, in the face of some seemingly trivial irritation, explodes into a tirade, ready to ‘take the skin off’ the offender. Normally a sweet-natured, compliant and somewhat self-effacing type, she pays for ignoring her missing goddess (in this case one who is more demanding or judgmental than her own goddess type). Had she acknowledged these needs within herself and developed a few simple assertiveness skills, she would have been spared this embarrassment.

You’ve probably encountered the motif of the ‘uninvited guest’ that appears in many fairy tales and legends. Usually the story begins with a celebration to which everyone in the kingdom is invited, everyone that is except for one certain person (often a witch or a troll who is disliked because they seem ugly or evil). This uninvited guest, understandably miffed at having been excluded, invariably shows up anyway and places a terrible curse on the hosts, the infant who is being christened, or even on the entire kingdom! The terms ‘uninvited guest’ or ‘missing goddess’ refer to the neglected or rejected side of our selves we’ve forced out of our conscious awareness. In Jungian psychology, these disowned aspects of the self, forced to reside in the darkness of the unconscious mind, are called the ‘shadow’. It is the part of our self that we feel least comfortable with and have rejected as not being a part of ‘who we really are’.

The goddess Psyche is your missing goddess, the goddess least represented in your personality. This suggests that you do not find it natural, or easy, to embody or demonstrate many of Psyche’s traits, especially her intuitive spirit, her appreciation for the intangible, theoretical, and mystical.

Psyche can help you be more authentic, your behavior more congruent with your true values. An Aphrodite who has neglected to develop her Psyche archetype can be deceptive and devious at times, with an opportunistic eye toward ‘looking good’ even if it means violating her own principles. Honoring and developing Psyche will help you be true to your inner self, to act is ways that align with what you really think and feel (instead of just projecting an image so you will be accepted and applauded).

Psyche was a beautiful young mortal who became a goddess when Zeus ordained her marriage to Eros, the god of love who was the son of Aphrodite. Psyche had to prove her worth by accomplishing a series of seemingly impossible feats required by her demanding mother-in-law. In so doing, she embarked on a remarkable journey of self-discovery and personal growth. Having learned to confront all the dark and mysterious places of the soul, Psyche was well prepared for her eventual reunion with her beloved. Read the story of Psyche @www.goddessgift.com. Make it a point to remember her and honor her regularly. Practice her strengths. She would like to become one of your allies, so welcome her into your life.

Approaching the Triple Goddess

Before the Titans and the Olympians (the gods and goddesses with their very human-like traits and personalities) appeared in Greek mythology, and long before the 5,000 year reign of male deities, people recognized a Triple Goddess who symbolized the three faces of the original Great Goddess. Often depicted in association with the changing phases of the moon, the Triple Goddess moves between her many roles with the changing seasons of her life. In Greek mythology her three faces are described as the:

Maiden/Virgin Skilled,self-defining, achieving, and focused

Mother/Matriarch Relationship-oriented,nurturing, loving, generous

Wisewoman/Crone Contemplative, spiritual, compassionate, able to laugh,an agent of transformative change in society

In Native American mythology the Triple Goddess was represented by the benevolent Changing Woman who could change back and forth from an infant to a young or old woman at will. She reminds us that a full life is rooted in our own nature as well as the seasons of our particular stage of life. Although recent social changes such as our ability to control the timing of childbearing have loosened the ties of the various stages to a woman’s chronological age, it is still common for most women to develop psychologically following this age-old sequence.

The major developmental task of the young woman, in her maiden stage, typically is to claim and embrace her own personal goddess and to fully develop and strengthen the character of her personal goddess type. Having done so, at mid-life (the phase of the mother/matron), her personal growth is enhanced by nurturing the presence and the strengths of the other goddesses who have remained less developed in her personality. With her primary goddess now strong and experienced, she can now afford to attend to the areas of her life she has heretofore neglected. And in the third phase of her life, generally occurring when she is postmenopausal, she reaches the stage of the wisewoman or crone. Her task at this stage is to pull back some from the more external and active involvement of her earlier years, to integrate all that she has learned, and to draw inward, finding her own voice and purpose. She emerges more spontaneous and less restrained by convention, more contemplative, more compassionate and self-accepting. She can be quite outspoken, in touch with her anger on behalf of herself and others. She is fully capable of forcing social changes that are needed. Using the wisdom she has gained, she now is able to weave her unique perspective into a tapestry that is a full expression of the sacred feminine.

Ways to Grow

As an Aphrodite you have probably developed your social skills and creativity. You may have done so at some sacrifice of the more tender, nurturing qualities that are often considered to make a woman ‘vulnerable’. It is likely that you have perhaps neglected developing some of the traits, which are associated with autonomy and independence. Your journey toward completeness will center on the need to more fully develop your potential in these directions.

Learn to appreciate solitude and silence. Turn off the TV and the stereo. Learn to live with less external stimulation.
“Be careful what you pray for, because you might get it” the old saying goes. It is important that an Aphrodite makes sure that what she wants will actually be good for her in the long run because she is particularly susceptible to wanting things intensely and is often a bit impulsive. Give some thought to the long term consequences of your goals and be sure they will bring you the happiness you seek.

Closing the Circle: Finding Completion on the Goddess Path

Even before the appearance of the Triple Goddess, humankind recognized the existence of a ‘Oneness’, a creator, a ‘giver of life’, a spiritual presence who was complete, in and of herself. She was known by many names, among them the Great Goddess, Ishtar, Gaia (Mother Earth). All powerful, she was life energy itself, and a goddess unafraid to venture into the underworld, the symbol for the soul. She reminds us that we must ground ourselves in the reality of our nature and incorporate all sides of ourselves, whether they be light and pleasant or dark and wrathful. She demanded that we connect to the inner wisdom inside our selves and that we manifest that wisdom in the world.

A Final Note

Although in contemporary times we are more likely to speak of mental health, self-actualization, or even spiritual enlightenment, the quest remains the same – growth that leads to personal authenticity. Recognizing and nurturing your goddesses within is a good beginning. As you continue on the goddess path in your quest for a meaningful life, we at Goddessgift wish you good luck and . . . well, Goddess-speed!

We wish to gratefully acknowledge the contribution of Dr. John A. Johnson for allowing the use of comments he authored concerning the description of personality traits measured by the IPIP items contained in the goddess quiz, and to Steven E. Brenner who authored the original IPIP analysis program on which our program is based..