Aphrodite Candle

Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, beauty, and desire, was born fully formed, emerging from the sea-foam off the coast of Cythera. Well, to be more precise, she was born of the "foam" created when Uranus's castrated genitals were tossed into the sea...but that doesn't project the air of beauty that Aphrodite is known for. Later depictions in Homer's Illiad reimagines her as the daughter of Zeus and Dione.

Aphrodite governs not only romantic love, lust, and sensuality, but also the appreciation of art, adornment, and the pleasures of life. Often depicted with roses, doves, or a seashell, she represents the magnetic pull of attraction and the transformative power of love. While often seen as lighthearted and playful, Aphrodite's domain is far from superficial—she reminds us that beauty sacred and that love, in all its forms, holds the power to heal, create, transform—and even destroy.

One of the most iconic myths of Aphrodite centers around the Judgment of Paris, an event that set the Trojan War in motion. When Eris, the goddess of discord, tossed a golden apple inscribed with “to the fairest” among the goddesses, Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite each claimed it. The goddesses promptly began to argue who it was for. Zeus, "wisely" avoiding the drama, appointed Paris, prince of Troy, to choose the most beautiful goddess.

Each goddess offered him a gift—Hera promised power, Athena wisdom and victory, but Aphrodite offered him the love of the most beautiful mortal woman: Helen of Sparta. Desiring Helen's hand, Paris awarded the apple to Aphrodite, and true to her word, she helped him steal Helen away, sparking a decade-long war. This myth reflects the power and consequences of love, and reminds us of Aphrodite’s unparalleled power to sway hearts and shift the fates of gods and mortals alike.