Aphrodite and Her Nation of Love and Beauty

Anyone with the most rudimentary understanding of classical mythology will recognize the goddess Aphrodite, she who was born of sea foam and reigns as queen of all things loving and beautiful. With all due respect to the goddess, Aphrodite has never been one of my favorite figures. I see her importance, of course, but when looking at the goddesses of the ancients, I’ve always been a more Athena (wisdom) kind of person. For whatever reason, I realized that the patroness of Iphis would have to be Aphrodite–and that I would need to get to know her better in order to construct the Iphisiad civilization.

What would be the most likely manner of propitiating Aphrodite? Ritual and sacred sex was not a new concept to me, nor would it have been strange to the ancient world. One example is the tradition of temple “harlots” (a common expression) in Sumeria. These women were actually in the role of priestesses to the divine, in this case to Inanna, the Sumerian version of Aphrodite. Lovemaking was a kind of thanksgiving–reveling in the great gifts of pleasure and fertility.

In considering the importance of sex, all puritanical fetters were tossed aside. Sex was communication and communion with Aphrodite and as such was the foundation of Iphisiad society. I took the expression “All acts of love and beauty are my rites” and applied it as Aphrodite speaking to her people.

Sex and love were not mutually exclusive, but Iphisiad love had become something far greater than the sex act. That is, an Iphisiad did not need to love in order to make love, but once an Iphisiad found love it was a love for life. No matter how many ladies an Iphisiad gentleman may have taken to bed, once he has found his love, they slip away as pleasant memories.

The path to absolute love began with the temple initiation, a coming of age rite between the people and the celebrants attending one of Aphrodite’s many temples. This may or may not have been the first sexual encounter for the young people involved, but it is the act that brings Aphrodite into their hearts (and wherever else).