I was drawn to Aphrodite: Encountering the Goddess of Love & Beauty & Initiation because the name Aphrodite invokes beautiful associations – the human form, love, Grecian art, classical literature, history, and mythology – and I am a person who is ever in pursuit of the Beautiful. Reading the first page of this book, I discovered that Irisanya Moon also understands that beauty is that part of life which makes it worth living, which lifts the mind above the commonplace issues of survival, suffuses being with joy, and evokes the greater-than-self. In her book, Moon chronicles her relationship with Aphrodite, chiefly the processes by which she has allowed the qualities of the goddess – softness, self-love, determination – to blossom in her own life, potentials which the author had hitherto not sufficiently nurtured. Moon describes how, at various Pagan workshops, she and Aphrodite became acquainted and were drawn to each other; subsequently, through “aspecting,” a process of inviting the divine into one’s self, Moon incorporated the goddess into her being. She examines several origin stories of Aphrodite – three narratives which are at odds with one another – encouraging her reader to consider the motives of the various patriarchal authors, when attempting to make sense of these disparities; she follows this discussion with meditations and exercises for a practical application of these tales to the reader’s own domestic experiences. And, probing various episodes in which Aphrodite meddles in other people’s business and love affairs, Moon gleans wisdom that empowers herself, opening her mind to a greater understanding of human will and motivation, and our need to be loved. After describing a number of ancient and modern rites for venerating Aphrodite, Moon tells her reader that her own practice is “personal,” conducted through an intimate, meditative relationship with the goddess; and, yet, she states that she has also participated in public rituals, such as Beltane, organized by various groups (called “Temples” and “Churches”), which involve offerings and blessings. Moon continues with a survey of Aphrodite’s characteristics, preferences, and historical feast days (predominantly occurring in the spring and summer, the months of fertility) — as well as both historical and modern interpretations of the rituals and the traits ascribed to the Goddess of Love. After that, Moon reviews a catalogue of epithets commonly assigned to Aphrodite, explaining that certain of the titles among the very long list of appellations will resonate with different devotees; for, the goddess is a complex being, as is each of us, and some of her characteristics may call to one person, while others may speak to someone else. Moon recommends taking a look at the historical contexts of these epithets — as well as the current context of one’s own life — when integrating Aphrodite’s titles into one’s own spells, altars, and prayers; and she discusses appropriate ways to erect altars to Aphrodite, utilizing the goddess’s favorite things, and also how to dedicate and bless her altar. The last part of the book provides examples of rituals whereby a person may attain beauty and self-love, through interactions with Aphrodite; these include meditations and purposeful bathing. For enhancing fertility/creativity (in all the permutations of these words), she suggests the nurturing of a plant. For increasing the beauty in one’s life, she proposes increasing one’s awareness of the beauty which surrounds us. And for learning assertiveness, or for learning to tame that quality when overabundant, she offers several remedies. Thus, dedicating oneself to Aphrodite is creating a partnership, a love affair, a commitment – for a limited time or a lifetime. Moon’s account concludes with a depiction of her own personal devotional practices. Aphrodite: Encountering the Goddess of Love & Beauty & Initiation is a loving, sensual, beautiful reading experience, and Moon’s inviting style woos the reader into a joyful place, a world of love and loveliness accessible to each of us: “For what is the world without love? How can we live without love?” Through Aphrodite, one can allow love to infuse oneself and one’s world, perhaps even to banish the dark in which we have been imprisoned. As a person who possesses no personal spiritual beliefs of her own, I find myself drawn to Wicca, to the independent journeyings of souls in search of truth and divinity in life. I stand outside a window, marveling at these mystical experiences, returning, time after time, to look through the glass and learn more. I find Moon’s explorations of a life lived with Aphrodite a compelling vision – a soft, beautiful, joyful compelling experience. ~ Katherine Krestman, M.A., Authoress and Cosmic Explorer, Coreopsis Journal of Myth & Theatre Spring 2023 - https://societyforritualarts.com/coreopsis/spring-2023-issue/review-aphrodite/

Aphrodite is an often misunderstood goddess, one who is easy to relegate to the love goddess role, but she is a goddess who also shows up as an initiator and, some might say, troublemaker. In this book, we seek to explore the complexity of a goddess who was born on sea foam and who inspires beauty and love, all the while offering a hand toward each one of us to celebrate our full hearts. A big thank you to the publisher for gifting me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! I'm always so thankful to have these opportunities! The cover of this book is absolutely gorgeous. I really love the simplicity of the statue's pose, yet it is so evocative of Her that it just pulls you in. 10/10 there! I adore the deity Pagan Portals, because I know I'm going to get a great overview and introduction to the God in question. This is 104 pages of primer material, and like always, I was not disappointed. We have myth, we have lore, we have correspondence, we have everything you need for a nice introduction to Aphrodite, and the final chapters are a lovely launching board into a more in depth practice, which I always recommend. Nothing irks me more, as a Pagan, than to have fellow Pagans be wishy washy with their deity work. I find it so rude to pantheon hop, and to just flit from deity to deity like a wishing vending machine. Pagan Portals, as a whole, will help you cultivate at least the bare minimum necessary before you reach out and take take take. As my teacher, Danielle Dulsky has said, working with Deity is like being around wells of water and power. Each act of honor and servervice (offerings, prayers etc) is a small deposit. Each time you call upon a deity for Their service in spellwork or ritual you're making a much larger withdrawal. If your ancestors have been making deposits it's much easier for you to be able to make a withdrawal. If you're just dipping your hands into the pots you've not given into...well we can see how that would be an issue. I bring all that up because I think that Pagan Portals are a nice way to give little deposits into the wells of the Deities that you might have interest in, but do not yet have enough energy stored up in that well. I appreciated reading the author's encounter/meeting story, which makes Her feel accessible and more real. Moving further into Her mythology, I really appreciate the author's challenging of patriarchy, and posing some difficult things to ponder, such as: "I would encourage ongoing study of where stories come from when looking at deities in general, and possibly especially in societies where power structures shifted." It's not just enough to give bare bones information on Deities in Pagan Portals, and I think the author there understands that. Overall, for such a small book, we have a great deal of information to learn about, and think about if we want to start work, or even deepen work with Aphrodite. 5 Triquetras here! ~ Triquetra Reviews, https://triquetrareviews.blogspot.com/2021/03/review-pagan-portals-aphrodite.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+blogspot/jmWXp+(Triquetra+Reviews)&m=1

Irisanya Moon's passion for and knowledge of Aphrodite shines through in this book which is a beautiful mosaic of compelling personal stories, research and hands on tools. Pagan Portals: Aphrodite shows us that the Greek Goddess of Love is far more multi-faceted than she is typically made out to be. The author provides the reader with a multitude of techniques for getting to know Aphrodite better, including methods for writing personal devotional chants, altar and offering ideas, and powerful immersive exercises. This book is a treasure for both long time Aphrodite devotees and those just beginning to hear the call of the Goddess of Love. ~ Robin Corak, author of Persephone: Practicing the Art of Personal Power

Irisanya brings her own personal interactions along with the ancient myths and stories of this fascinating goddess. Full of interesting details and suggestions on how to work with this many faceted goddess, this book is a must have for anyone wishing to embark on a journey with Aphrodite. ~ Rachel Patterson, author of Moon Magic, The Cailleach and the Kitchen Witchcraft series