Celebrating Goddesses of Love

February is a month that is associated with love. No matter where you live you might see schools and businesses decorated with hearts and various other symbols depicting love. To start this month off let us explore several goddesses around the world associated with love.

Oshun

One of the most venerated orishas from the Yoruba and Ifá religions is Oshun. She is the goddess of pleasure, sexuality, fertility, beauty, and love and is associated with the colors gold, yellow, white and green. Also, she is seen as the mother of humanity. When Olodumare(the supreme god) sent the Orishas to populate the Earth they all failed. Oshun was the only female orisha and the only one who was able to fulfill the task. The male deities asked for her help, so she used her powerful waters to give life to all species on Earth.

Oshun is also a river and freshwater goddess and many of her devotees will leave offerings to her in areas of freshwater. Offerings to her can be fresh fruit, honey, wine, song, dance, and incense.

Aphrodite

Aphrodite is probably the first goddess that comes to mind for many people when we talk about goddesses of love. She is the Greek goddess of beauty, pleasure, procreation, and sexuality. Her primary symbols are myrtles, roses, doves, sparrows, swans, conch shells, pearls, apples, and pomegranates.

There are many stories about her origins, but one version says she was born from the foam in the sea after Cronus severed the genitals of his father Uranus and threw it into the sea. From there she walked onto the island of Cythera and flowers bloomed beneath her feet. As she walked Eros and Himeros accompanied her to the assembly of the gods.

Offerings to Aphrodite can include perfumes, roses, apples, honey, and wine. You can also read a poem written about her to honor her.

Hathor

Hathor is one of the major Egyptian deities. She had many roles in Egyptian society but she also presided over love, sexuality, beauty, and maternal care. Her symbols are the cow, sun disk, cobra, a Menat necklace( also another name that she was known as) and the sistrum.

She was also the preferred deity for artisans and she loved the arts so you can offer her poetry, song or dance. Other offerings can be cows milk, perfumes, alcohol, mirrors, and sweet foods.

Freyja

In Norse mythology, Freyja is associated with sex, love, beauty, and fertility. She drives a carriage drawn by cats riding across the sky and she wears a cloak made of falcon feathers. She was considered very beautiful and often would use her beauty to get what she wanted.

Freyja loved songs, poetry, jewels and anything that is high quality. You can incorporate these into offerings to her and also give her honey, mead, beer, flowers, and berries.

Inanna(Ishtar)

Inanna is a Mesopotamian goddess associated with love, sex, beauty, desire, and fertility. Her symbols are the lion, rosette, dove, eight-pointed star and a hook-shaped knot of reeds. She was associated with the morning and evening star and was also called the Queen of Heaven.

Inanna is a dual nature goddess and is sometimes depicted as a young girl under patriarchal control or as a sensual and powerful woman. Many images of her depicted her naked or standing as a gatepost with a bundle of reeds or vegetation in her arms.

You can offer her wine, wheat, apples, dates, figs, roses, honey, myrrh, and cedarwood.

Xōchiquetzal

Xōchiquetzal’s name means precious feather flower. She is depicted as richly attired and surrounded by flowers and other vegetation. She is the Aztec goddess of beauty, sex, love, and fertility.

Xōchiquetzal is always surrounded by vegetation, butterflies, feathers and vivid colors so these things should be incorporated into offerings made to her. You can also offer her chocolate, gold and traditional Mexican art.

Chuang Mu

In China, Chuang Mu is the goddess of love, sex, and the bedchamber. She is often depicted wearing red flowing robes and is often accompanied by her husband. Chuang Mu also teaches couples sexual techniques and how to let go of anything restraining them from enjoying sex. You can offer her tea, wine, rice, flowers, and fruit.

Before working with any of these goddesses consider your needs, the characteristics of the goddess and the connection you feel with them. If you are working a lust spell, then you may want to work with Aphrodite or Freyja. Or, if you are working on a spell to improve your sex-life between you and your partner then you might want to work with Chuang Mu. Choose the goddess whose energies best align with your desired outcome.

However you choose to celebrate February, Valentines Day or any other day, take time to recognize the goddess within and honor and love yourself.