Greek/Roman Deities: Aphrodite/Venus

 Aphrodite is one of the most largely worshiped deities in Mediterranean culture. She took in some aspects of Middle-Eastern goddesses of love like Ishtar, Isis, or Astarte, as can be seen from her miraculous birth from sea foam (“aphros”) and her quarrel with the netherworld’s queen Persephone for the love of the handsome Adonis. Many were her dalliances, mostly with Ares, who sired at least six of her numerous children. Her only mortal son was the Trojan prince Aeneas, whose father, Anchises, became lame as a punishment for boasting about his affair with the goddess.

In general, Aphrodite was seen as a capricious deity, prone to vengeance if a girl boasted to be prettier than her, and likely to send her son Eros to arouse violent and even prohibited passions among mortals that could often end in tragedy. It always was wise not to provoke her wrath. This is a version of her updated and improved compared to the one I wrote for The Book of Passion.

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Aphrodite (CG)

Favored Weapon dart

Sacred Animal: Dove, dolphin, sparrow, swan

Symbol: Mirror

Sacred Color: Gold

Domains: Chaos, Charm, [Fertility] Good, Liberation, [Pleasure] Trickery

Subdomains: Azata, Captivation, Deception, Freedom, Innuendo, Love, Lust, [Generation], Revelry, Revolution, [Tantra] Self-Realization

Druidic Domains: Aquatic [Swan]

Inquisitions: Conversion, [Emotion], Fervor, Heresy, Possession, Seduction

Mysteries/Spirits: Intrigue, [Joy] Life, [Passion] Waves, Whimsy

Witch Patron: Decadence, Devotion, Enchantment, [Fertility] Recovery, Water

Variant Channeling: Beauty/Love/Lust, Envy, Self-Perfection, Sexuality

Spells: charm monster (each clergy member adds it to his/her spell list)

Clergy: bards, clerics, inquisitors, oracles, shamans, witches

Many minor cults worship different aspects of Aphrodite; in Sparta she can be Aphrodite Areia, protector of warriors (domains of Community [Home, Family] and Glory [Heroism] instead of Liberation and Trickery), while Aphrodite Euploia or Pontia is the protector of navigation at sea (domain of Water [Flowing, Oceans] instead of Liberation). Aphroditos was her male, bearded aspect in Cyprus as protector of all queer persons (sometimes this is instead identified with her son Hermaphroditos). Other aspects of Aphrodite’s cult came to be identified with various minor deities of her court, like the Charites or the Herotes.

Venus (NG)

Favored Weapon dart

Sacred Animal: Dove, dolphin, sparrow, swan

Symbol: Mirror

Sacred Color: Gold

Domains: Charm, Community, [Fertility] Good, Healing, Plant

Subdomains: Angels, Captivation, Family, Friendship, [Generation] Growth, Love, Lust, Restoration [Tantra]

Druidic Domains: Aquatic [Swan]

Inquisitions: Conversion, [Emotion], Fervor, Recovery, Restoration, Seduction

Mysteries/Spirits: Ancestor, Intrigue, [Joy] Life, [Passion] [Spring] Tribe, Waves

Paladin Oaths: against Grotesquery, Charity, [Love] Loyalty

Witch Patron: Devotion, Enchantment, [Fertility] Healing, Mercy, Peace, Recovery, Spring, Water

Variant Channeling: Beauty/Love/Lust, Envy, Self-Perfection, Sexuality

Spells: charm monster (each clergy member adds it to his/her spell list).

Clergy: bards, clerics, inquisitors, oracles, paladins (few), shamans, witches

For the Romans (whose gods are, on the whole, always a little more on the lawful side than their Greek versions), Venus was the goddess of everything that grows and blooms, and also their ancient ancestor (as mother of their mythic progenitor Aeneas) and the keeper of peace (keeping at bay with her guile the warmongering Mars). She also watched over married couples and protected marital love. Flora (goddess of flowers and spring) and Maia (goddess of growth and abundance, who gave her name to the month of May) can be seen as her servants or aspects.

Her mortal lover Anchises could be portrayed as a Lame Oracle with the Ancestor mystery. Her son Aeneas is most definitely a Paladin (Oath of Loyalty).