Aphrodite

Book of the Goddess, by Anna Livia Plurabelle, [© 2002 Anna Livia Plurabelle, All rights reserved], at sacred-texts.com

8. Sexuality is Her sacrament; enjoy this gift and bless those who you share it with love and affection. Remember that overcoming jealousy is the cause of cessation of the cycle of rebirth.

The Goddess in her form Aphrodite is the spirit of the eighth principle.

Any act of sex which is done with pleasure and love is beloved by the Goddess. Pleasure is the striving of the body to merge with the inner beauty of the Goddess. Love is the emotion which draws two or more people to experience pleasure together.

Jealousy is the cause of rebirth. You should at all times strive to eliminate jealousy in word, thought and deed. This does not imply infidelity. You must be honest with your lover or lovers. Likewise, you cannot own their hearts. If they decide to break off with you, do not hold onto them in your heart, as this also makes your spirit heavy. The Goddess loves all of us and in her enfolding love we are all together in infinity.

Women and men were divided by the patriarchy on the basis of gender; these distinct roles were enforced so that the domination of men over women could take place. The patriarchs dictated that marriage would be a mirror of their hierarchical world, with men set over women. Eventually this was followed to its logical conclusion and love between persons of the same gender was oppressed. Furthermore, fixed gender roles were enforced. Males who acted like females or females who acted like males were ridiculed, beset with difficulties and if recalcitrant, murdered. A new civilization of the Goddess will have none of this.

Keeping aware of the civil legality of a particular expression of love, lovers of the Goddess will engage in sexuality without exploitation and with transparency. If civil laws are broken, the intent of the Goddess must be not broken. The Goddess does not want this gift to be wasted or stolen; it must be given in freedom and total mutual trust.

The Invocation of Aphrodite: "Blessed Aphrodite, gladden our bodies with your embrace. We honor your gifts of love and pleasure, and will not be jealous of your other lovers. Blessed be."