Welcome back to White Rose of Avalon, my Darlings.   Today’s post is about my primary archetype, according to the Goddesses in Everywoman system created by Jean Shinoda Bolen, the Aphrodite Archetype.   Last week, I wrote about my secondary archetype, as I have been feeling very pulled by the energies of both my primary and secondary archetype of this system a good deal lately.    That is why I have chosen to focus on my primary archetype’s energy and how it can be used during the Dark Half of the Year to deepen into greater self-understanding!

Anyone familiar with my blog will likely know that I write about different Feminine Archetypes that I work with in my magickal and spiritual practice regularly.   Some of them have been with me forever, like the Mermaid Archetype and the Enchanted Elf Archetype, while others are newer ways I find to work with archetypal energy.   I have been studying the Goddess Archetypes as used by Bolen for about a decade now, and I really love the way she has interpreted the Jungian Archetypes through the lens of Greek myth.   

It was not a surprise to me the first time that I read the book in college that I immediately realized that Aphrodite was my primary archetype and Persephone my secondary, with a good bit of Artemis and even a little Hera present in varying degrees throughout my life.   This is because other than our primary and, in some cases, secondary archetypes, each of the other archetypes can be present within us to varying degrees as we mature.   When I first took an online test based on this book, my suspicions were confirmed through appropriately vague questions (so you cannot rig the test).   I also re-took the test a few times over the last decade, each time with Aphrodite coming through as primary and revealing the percentage of the others impacting my personality at that time!   I know this has been a long preamble, but I thought it might be interesting to note the journey I have taken when studying this archetype system.   

Now, I primarily embrace this Aphrodite Archetype through the work I do with the Celtic Venus, as I am on an Avalonian Faery Path, and I work with primarily Celtic energies in general.   The Aphrodite Archetype in the Goddesses in Everywoman archetype system is in a category all her own, while the other six Goddesses are either Vulnerable or Virgin Goddess categories, Aphrodite is the only Alchemical Goddess.   This makes her a unique archetype, as she is neither one tied to victimization in some way (like the Vulnerable Goddesses) nor one who is fully independent (like the Virgin Goddesses).   Relating the Aphrodite Archetype with Alchemy shows just how deeply profound the energy of the Creatrix is!   People who fit into the Aphrodite Archetype are both the Muse and the Artist.   Meaning the Aphrodite Archetype is one who nurtures the creative energy within others and within herself!

The Aphrodite Archetype can be seen as warm and nurturing, as well as sexual and sensual, the energy being one that draws others in like moths to the flames.   This Creatrix energy and allure reminds me very much of how Anne Boleyn is often described as being able to draw people to herself, including Henry VIII.   Other real people that are mentioned by Bolen in the book as having a primary Aphrodite Archetype include Elizabeth Taylor and Marilyn Monroe!   So clearly, the energy of being beautiful, a lover of luxury and the arts, and artistically inspired is all part of the Aphrodite Archetype energy.   

At the core, the Aphrodite Archetype is one to nurture inspiration in others.   It is that part of the Aphrodite Archetype that I believe is very present within myself, although I have each of these facets to some extent.   Yes, I adore beauty and having things around me aesthetically pleasing, and I am creative both in writing and in other forms of art, but the ability to inspire others and nurture others on their paths is very important to me!   Of course, part of that love of nurturing others and inspiring them on their paths could be a combination of the energy of the Aphrodite Archetype with the Mature Persephone Archetype, where the Queen of the Underworld nurtures others as they find their way in the darkness. 

So, to end off this post, I want to give some insights on how to embrace the Creatrix energy during the Dark Half of the Year.   One of my favorite ways to nurture the Creatrix within is to work with self-love.   Self-love magick and rituals are many and varied, but I will give a couple of examples.   I love to incorporate Bath Magick Rituals to soothe myself, plus they are very sensual and luxurious, very in line with the Aphrodite Archetype.   I also love to use meditative practices and Bellydance to deepen into my own body, which nurtures the embodied nature of the Creatrix energy!   But, I suggest doing whatever makes you feel good in your own skin, filling your cup so that you have a deep well to draw from as you seek to nurture others.

I hope you have enjoyed this look at deepening into the Aphrodite Archetype during the Dark Half of the Year.   What is your relationship to the Aphrodite Archetype?   Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

Note on Image: The image at the top of the post is Evelyn de Morgan’s painting of Helen of Troy.   This figure of Greek myth is deeply linked to Aphrodite, and her beauty is so profound that I thought it a fitting image for the Aphrodite Archetype. I found the picture on https://in.pinterest.com/pin/989173505652508073/. 

LINK TO AVALONIAN ROSE FAERY MYSTERIES PATREON: patreon.com/AvalonianRoseFaeryMysteries 

Further Reading

• Goddesses in Everywoman by Jean Shinoda Bolen