and then some guy named Praxiteles looks at you and goes, “I'ma make you a naked statue, but not just any statue, a naked Aphrodite statue,” sells it to Knidos and calls it “Aphrodite of Knidos.”
Whichturns you into such a legend making so much moneythatyour ex lovers are suing you and your current lovers are defending you,and you get acquitted by showing off your breasts to the judges to prove you have the favor of the gods:
But you showing off your bits is debatable because so many ancient people are writing stories about you, so we don’t know if you showed off your bits, your lover did, the judges requested it or what but we do know you went to court.
You are literally the face of Aphrodite
and your statue is so famous that it breaks the minds of ancient Greek people who have never seen a goddess depicted naked before.Your statue also gives Praxiteles massive fame and the invention of the Praxitelan S-curve.
Your statue hasa famous legend attached to it:
about a young guy who commited suicide after breaking into a temple to try to have sex with your statue and getting caught by the priest:(LINK)
Also everyone is trying to buy your statue and putting the small town that bought iton the mapbecause every one and their mother is going to see this statue, so it becomes a big tourist attraction and a major source of income for the town.
And if that’s not all, evenafter you DIE the Romans become OBSESSED with your statueand they make different versions and poses with your FACE on themand canonize your face as Aphrodite to future generations forever.
and you were just this poor sex worker trying to live in a world that hates you and the women who are in the same boat as you,but Aphrodite looked at you and inspired Praxiteles to be like “Yup, that’s her, that’s the face of Aphrodite”which proves the idea of Aphrodite being known as the oldest fate: (The one that changes your fate in an instant because going from poor to rich AF in ancient Greece for an independent woman was practically IMPOSSIBLE).
And people still believe that Aphrodite does not protect or even likes sex workers while they look at the literal face of a sex worker whenever they look at a traditional statue of Aphrodite like…
As are many herbs, this one is also in the mind Lamiaceaefamily and is native to south-central Europe, the Mediterranean, Iran, Central Asia and is now naturalized in the Americas. Pictured above was harvested from a plant originally foraged from wild growth in Western Washington state (Pacific Northwest). This herb has a generous scent of lemon and mint and is beloved by bees in addition to humans for it’s flowers. It grows in clusters and spreads both vegetatively and by seed. Stems will die off in winter but shoot up again in spring.
Historical use in medicine includes several traditions. Into antiquity it has been recorded as used as a wine-infused liniment by the Greek physician Dioscorides. In the middle ages in Western Europe was used as a tea or external topical for treatment of the GI tract, nervous system and liver. Carmelite Water, itself has origins as far back as the 14th century then known as “Eau de Carmes” created by nuns in the 14th c from the Abbey of St Just. In 1826 a nun named Maria Clementine Martin made her own variation known as “Klosterfrau Melissengeist” . It is an herbal tonic/toilet water, similar to the more well-known Florida Water which contains several different ingredients and is popular still in Europe (image below). Carmelite Water is believed to have contained lemon balm in addition to gentian, cardamom, cinnamon and ginger and is presently used since the 1800s for cold and GI disorders. There is also a long history of use in the Middle East, with reference to Azerbaijani folk practice of bathing in Lemon balm tea to support healthy skin. It also has uses in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). In current production today, in addition to Carmelite Water and similar products it can also be found in certain liquors including Benedictine and Chartreuse.
Current herbal medicine considerations are numerous, often attributing Lemon balm to use for mood, cognition and indigestion. Modern medical research has been done primarily in the Middle East, Asia and Western Europe. Noted effects of Lemon balm include anti-anxiety and antidepressant effects, enhancement of cognitive capacity with regards to memory function, and even improve sexual dysfunction in women. There is additionally ongoing study with some evidence of improvement of cholesterol/lipid profile with oral supplementation and decreased cardiovascular inflammation.
In ancient Greece the association is strong between Lemon balm and honey bees and ancient beekeepers would rub the hives with Lemon balm to encourage bees to come rest Lemon balm is in some respects believed to be associated with the goddess Aphrodite . Additionally there has been a long belief through the middle ages with belief in longevity attributed to the plant. It also represented sympathy in flower language.
Modern symbolism and correspondence for attracting love, finding love, healthy sexuality, finding happiness and mental wellness all seem appropriate given the precedent from history and our current knowledge of this plant. If bees have important meaning to you it is also something to be considered to enhance a relationship with bees or associated magickal properties. Below are included a variety of recipes and sources if you’re interested in utilizing Lemon balm in your own medicinal or magickal practices.
Make Your Own Carmelite Water (from Mountain Rose Herbs - LINK)
Ingredients
½ cup fresh lemon balm leaves or ¼ cup dried lemon balm
¼ cup dried angelica root
1 Tbsp. dried coriander seed
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon zest (about 1 small organic lemon)
1 tsp. (cassia) cinnamon chips
2 hole cloves
1/8 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1 bottle dry white wine (or cold water)
Directions
Combine all the herbs and spices into a glass quart jar.
Pour the wine into the jar.
Stir well.
Cover with a lid.
Steep for 4 to 6 hours.
Strain through several layers of cheesecloth or a coffee filter and compost the herbs.
Place the infused wine in an airtight container and chill for several hours.
Enjoy within 3 to 5 days.
A Relaxation Tonic (from Judy Griffin’s Mother Nature’s Herbal)
2 tbsp hops
2 tbsp chamomile flowers
2 tbsp lemon balm
1 tbsp spearmint leaves
1 tsp lavender leaves, chopped (or flowers)
DISCLAIMER:
Do NOT use any natural medicine without consulting your healthcare provider or researching the potential interactions it may have with your current medications or health conditions. It is also recommended that any essential oil used topically be tested in a small spot first and diluted so as not to irritate the skin. DO NOT use in lieu of other medical attention. For all consumption or topical application ensure that what you are using has not been treated with pesticides that can be harmful to humans.
Kennedy DO, Wake G, Savelev S, Tildesley NT, Perry EK, Wesnes KA, Scholey AB. Modulation of mood and cognitive performance following acute administration of single doses of Melissa officinalis (Lemon balm) with human CNS nicotinic and muscarinic receptor-binding properties. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2003 Oct;28(10):1871-81. doi: 10.1038/sj.npp.1300230. PMID: 12888775.
Haybar H, Javid AZ, Haghighizadeh MH, Valizadeh E, Mohaghegh SM, Mohammadzadeh A. The effects of Melissa officinalis supplementation on depression, anxiety, stress, and sleep disorder in patients with chronic stable angina. Clin Nutr ESPEN. 2018 Aug;26:47-52. doi: 10.1016/j.clnesp.2018.04.015. Epub 2018 May 19. PMID: 29908682.
Darvish-Mofrad-Kasani Z et al. “Effect of Melissa officinalis (Lemon balm) on Sexual Dysfunction in Women: A Double-blind, Randomized, Placebo-controlled Study” Iran Journal of Pharm Res. Winter 2018;17(Suppl):89-100. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5958328/
I may or may not be thinking about running a little anthology centred around Aphrodite, and I’m very familiar with the fact that there’s a very large overlap of xwp fandom and interest in classics so have a little peek maybe
I will be more active on the twitter account rather than here, but I’ll see at least share all the important stuff on the tumblr
(Also i know the form asks for a twitter account if you want to be known but a tumblr is totally fine too dont stress!! It’s just an interest check after all)
Greek goddess associated with love, beauty, pleasure, and procreation. Ptolemaic Period, 3rd-2nd century BC. Now in the Graeco-Roman Museum, Alexandria, Egypt.
[image description: two photos of a bronze statue of aphrodite. she is nude and bent slightly at the waist. the sculpture lacks a head and lower arms, but long locks of hair are still visible on the neck.]
You all have been asking for this since my tattoo series first came out - SAVYSAMI Temporary Tattoos launch 5/24 10 pm EST!! I’m so excited to share this with you homies. They’ll all be on savysami.com
Each tattoo set comes with the tattoos worn by a character from the Olympian Collection or the Phoenix Collection -
Without Ceres and Bacchus, Venus would freeze by Hendrick Goltzius 1599-1603. Ink and oil on canvas, 105 x 80 cm. Museum of Art, Philadelphia.
“The Goltzius drawings that his contemporaries admired above all were his highly finished pen and inks drawings that simulate the swelling and tapering lines of engravings - they were called ‘penwerken’ (pen works). Dazzling examples of these virtuoso performances depicting Without Ceres and Bacchus, Venus would Freeze are at the British Museum, London, and the Hermitage, St. Petersburg). They illustrate the popular adage that without food (Ceres, the Roman god of agriculture) and wine (Bacchus), love (Venus) is left cold. Venus’s need for the assistance of food and drink for invigoration was one of Goltzius’s favourite themes, he represented the subject in various ways and media at least ten times. His most stunning illustration of the proverb is now at Philadelphia.
Drawn with elaborate pen lines in ink that give the effect of an engraving, half-nude Venus is seen close-up accompanied by an adoring young satyr bearing fruit and a smiling old one with his hands full of luscious grapes, obvious representatives of Ceres and Bacchus. Handsome Cupid who turns sympathetically to us, holds a large flaming torch that warms as well as illuminates the figures. Unlike most of Goltzius’s penworks which are done on paper or parchment, this one is on canvas with a grey-blue oil ground that is an integral part of the scene’s nocturnal effect. Unique is the conspicuous addition of flesh tones in brush and oils that are literally and figuratively warmed by the vivid red, orange, and yellow flames of Cupid’s torch, also done in oil paint. The mixed media makes the work hard to classify. Is it a pen work or a painting?”
deep violet or blood red? sunshine or moonlight? 80s music or 90s music? orchids or dahlias? garnet or ruby? moths or butterflies? aphrodite or athena? grapefruit or pomegranate? angel’s halo or devil’s horns? sirens or banshees? lorde or florence + the machine? the mona lisa or the starry night?
