In Praise of Venus

"Venus healing Aeneas" by Blondel (19th century)

In Greco-Roman mythology only Venus has the power to disarm Mars, whom we associate with violence, or to sooth Vulcan’s destructive and potentially life extinguishing fires. Even today, the white doves of Venus are the foremost symbol of peace. Venus also shared her love with the quick-witted Mercury and thereby bore he whom we think of as the masculine aspect of love – Cupid. Interestingly in Germanic mythology we see a related pairing – Woden, God of wisdom (equated in ancient times with Mercury), is paired with Frija, Goddess of love – surely Venus in another guise. It seems to me that when the two Gods merge we find the highest state of being arises – the Buddha himself said that wisdom (prajna) and love (maitri) are conjoined paths to enlightenment.

This ability of love to lead to a higher spiritual state was expressed in the ancient world most famously through Plato’s writings on a higher and ennobled form of love, from which the concept of “platonic love” derives. This was a species of Eros (ie, Cupid). Likewise, Apuleius wrote of love’s ability to transform in his Metamorphoses, whereby, through love, Psyche achieves spiritual ascent. In Hinduism we find a similar vehicle of divine love, known as bhakti (devotional love for a God, guru, etc, which leads to spiritual ascent).

Of course, as Plato’s musings suggest, love need not be sexual, but that does not mean we should despise sexuality, for sex is a legitimate and natural expression of love. Except of course when love is not love but a mask for something else, something that is perhaps cruel or depraved. Love is compassionate, generous and kind – always, otherwise it is not love, but a sick and deranged imposter wearing the mask of love but lacking her substance.

How much sweeter is the world when we feel loved, and when we give it generously. Though we crave it and we need it, so often we give it all too little. Small-minded, frail egos imprison us in this profane human realm, but if we are receptive and our egos are not too bruised we see that Venus lights the path to the divine through her healing love, kindness and compassion.

“Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, and therefore is winged Cupid painted blind [Shakespeare].”

"Venus preventing Aeneas from killing Helen" by Ferrari (c. 1650)

Written by M' Sentia Figula (aka Freki), find me at neo polytheist