Venus is the Roman Goddess of love, beauty, lust, luxury, fertility, victory, and prosperity. It is believed that Venus is 'the most original creation of the Roman pantheon'; she was considered to be an ancestor of the Roman people after her son, Aeneas, survived the Fall of Troy and fled to Italy. Julius Caesar even claimed her as his ancestor. She eventually became conflated with the Greek Goddess Aphrodite, and took on a lot of her attributes and mythos.
She had no origin mythos until this conflation with Aphrodite, at which point it was said that Venus was born from the sea foam, after the genitalia of Uranus was discarded into the sea. Interestingly, her counterparts of are often considered to be Vulcan or Mars, both deities who are associated with fire; through this we can see that Venus is also associated with balance, as she is a deity associated with the element of water through her birth.
As such a long-standing and important Goddess, she had many epithets. These included:
Venus Anadyomene (Venus 'rising from the sea')
Venus Caelestis (Celestial Venus)
Venus Cloacine (Venus the Purifier)
Venus Euploia (Venus of the Fair Voyage)
Venus Pontia (Venus of the Sea)
Venus Felix (Lucky Venus)
Venus Obsequens (Indulgent Venus)
She had no origin mythos until this conflation with Aphrodite, at which point it was said that Venus was born from the sea foam, after the genitalia of Uranus was discarded into the sea. Interestingly, her counterparts of are often considered to be Vulcan or Mars, both deities who are associated with fire; through this we can see that Venus is also associated with balance, as she is a deity associated with the element of water through her birth.
As such a long-standing and important Goddess, she had many epithets. These included:
Venus Anadyomene (Venus 'rising from the sea')
Venus Caelestis (Celestial Venus)
Venus Cloacine (Venus the Purifier)
Venus Euploia (Venus of the Fair Voyage)
Venus Pontia (Venus of the Sea)
Venus Felix (Lucky Venus)
Venus Obsequens (Indulgent Venus)
There are several festivals dedicated to, or associated with Venus. April was considered her month, and is related to the opening of spring flowers. Veneralia was held on April 1st, and dedicated to Venus Verticordia (Venus the Changer of Hearts). Vinalia Urbana, held on April 23rd, was a wine festival shared between her and Jupiter. Vinalia Rustica is believed to be the oldest festival associated with her, and was centred around wine, vegetable growing, and fertility.
As is expected with such a popular deity, there are many depictions of her. Some show her rising from the sea, others show her naked, emphasising her associations with lust, desire, and the feminine. In others, she is shown in full Roman regalia, wearing a mantle. She has also been depicted in more 'playful' poses, such as holding a fishing rod.
Other symbols associated with Venus include roses, hearts, the colours pink and green, and myrtle (which was believed to be an aphrodisiac). I personally have worked with Venus a fair bit in my practice. I have found (and this is purely my own, unsubstantiated gnosis) that whilst Aphrodite has a bit of a jealous streak and can be quick to anger, Venus is much more balanced and calming, and is especially great to call upon for romantic love, self-love, and helping you find the space you need to indulge a bit and treat yourself.
As is expected with such a popular deity, there are many depictions of her. Some show her rising from the sea, others show her naked, emphasising her associations with lust, desire, and the feminine. In others, she is shown in full Roman regalia, wearing a mantle. She has also been depicted in more 'playful' poses, such as holding a fishing rod.
Other symbols associated with Venus include roses, hearts, the colours pink and green, and myrtle (which was believed to be an aphrodisiac). I personally have worked with Venus a fair bit in my practice. I have found (and this is purely my own, unsubstantiated gnosis) that whilst Aphrodite has a bit of a jealous streak and can be quick to anger, Venus is much more balanced and calming, and is especially great to call upon for romantic love, self-love, and helping you find the space you need to indulge a bit and treat yourself.
