“Magic to make the sanest man go mad”

The "Birth" of Aphrodite

We generally consider this story as "canon" in the Hellenic Polytheist community: Kronos cuts off Ouranos' genitals which fall into the Mediterranean and voilà, Aphrodite. While I myself also consider this story, I also wonder what it means on a more philosophical and spiritual level. So I pose this notion: Aphrodite wasn't born out of the Sea, she created the Sea and emerged from it.

Aphrodite is eternal, she is the motherless Mother of All. Aphrodite fell into Chaos, the primordial void, and created the Sea.

Not just any Sea, the Eternal Sea. The Sea of Matter.

The Sea of Eternity

It's basic physics knowledge that matter cannot be created nor can it be destroyed. Matter is eternal. It's not exactly correct to say that Aphrodite created matter, but rather coaxed it into existence. She gave a pre-existing concept form. In the previous part of 'A Theological Analysis' I discussed how Michaelangelo's 'Creation of Adam' can be interpreted as Adam contemplating the concept of God and giving him an image. Aphrodite, I believe, did the same. She contemplated the concept of Matter, and gave it an image: The Cosmic Ocean.

Now, I'd like to mention. There's two layers to this: Matter is eternal, and matter occupies space. "Matter is Eternal" can be personified in the person of Aion, the personification of eternity and cyclical time. "Matter occupies Space" can be personified as Nyx, the personification of Night. Nyx and Aion emerged out of Chaos with the contemplation of Aphrodite.

Aphrodite is less a creatrix than a thinker thinking ideas. Which can mean the same thing, actually.

However, Aphrodite created the Cosmic Ocean. She conceived Eros, not made him. Similar to the Christian doctrine of Jesus being begotten by God, not made (My small detour in Christianity did give me some interesting ideas).

Eros, Conceived Uncreated

So, who's his father? Aphrodite. Aphrodite is his father, just as She is his mother. Aphrodite is self-sufficient and doesn't need a counterpart to create with. Eros along with being her Son, is also her complete dominion. Love is Aphrodite's dominion. Eros is the god and personification of pleasure, love and s-x. Aphrodite holds full authority over him. Eros is the archer, Aphrodite guides the arrow.

Eros is similar to Jesus, not the same. Jesus acts naught outside the will of the Father, Eros acts naught outside the will of the Mother.

Speaking of which, Eros is dual, so is Aphrodite. Plato knew of this, but Xenophon had a considerable idea about it.

Ourania and Pandemos

Xenophon believed that Aphrodite Pandemos was an extension of Aphrodite Ourania. Pandemos was the goddess of carnal desire, simple love, unity, political stability, civil order and family. Ourania on the other hand was a goddess of the 'purer' intellectual and soulful love. Plato believed these two to be different goddesses, but Xenophon believed them to be extensions of each other. You may fall in love with someone for their intellectual maturity and their kindness but then develop s-xual feelings towards them and vice versa. These two epithets merely describe two aspects of a multifaceted complex divinity. Aphrodite is, in essence, the eternal love the divine hold for their creation. She loved us enough to make us.

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Apollon's Conflation with the Sun

A common misconception in the majority pagan community is that Apollon was for all of his history a sun god. This of course is not true. Apollon was originally a god of prophecy, healing, light and music. As his worship grew he became conflated with the Sun God, Helios. This was because Helios too was a god of divination through his affiliation with sorcery along with being the Sun itself, which is the most prominent source of light. This affiliation was further enhanced during the time of the Roman Empire where he was syncretised with the major Sun God, Sol Invictus.

History aside, the question is: were the Romans wrong? Simple answer: no. Apollon as the god of light, can also be the god of the sun. The Sun is only the sun because it gives us Light. Does this mean we erase Helios? No. The two can work together.

Disolar Theory

Let me pose a controversial point, what I have dubbed the Disolar (Two-Suns) Theory. Now before you scientists come at me, what I mean is that there are two 'types' of Suns. The Archetypal or Universal Sun, and the physical nuclear fusion factory of a star in outer space which we all depend on, the Physical Sun.

The Universal Sun

What is the Universal Sun? I don't mean a object/entity around which the cosmos revolves. I mean the Archetype of the traditional sun gods. Let's look at the Sun tarot card for this one.

The Sun card is associated with the following: generosity, truth, illumination, power, abundance, success, life-giving energy, healing, nourishment, protection and knowledge.

The Archetypal Sun is not a physical entity, but rather all the qualities we commonly associate with the physical entity of the Sun. The physical sun is limited and impermanent, it's qualities however are eternal and universal. The Archetypal Sun, I propose, is Apollon.

So, which came first: The Archetype or the Entity?

Depends on how you look at it. Humanity looked at and experienced the Sun and attributed certain qualities to it. In that regard, the Entity came first. This is why in popular mythos, Apollon is younger than Helios; and in some cases his direct son (pun intended, hah) through syncretism with Zeus. However, the Archetype of the Sun existed long before humanity. These qualities weren't born only when humanity perceived it. They were always there. They are eternal. So if Apollo is the Archetypal/Universal Sun, then wouldn't he be older?

Hi, Michaelangelo

We all know this painting right? It's the Biblical God giving life to Adam. But there's more to it, an interpretation Michaelangelo himself wouldn't have liked.

If you look at the veil surrounding God, you'll notice it looks eerily similar to the human brain. Another thing to note is that Adam is relaxed. He's relaxed and he's thinking, represented by the floating brain veil. Contemplating a concept. Contemplating the Concept of 'God'. Adam gives God form. He perceives God and gives him appearance, thus the image of God is coming out of the brain of Adam. Adam wasn't made in the image of God. God was made in the image of Adam, but that's besides the point.

Does this mean that God didn't exist before Adam? No. God is eternal. However, God was perceived by Adam, and thus painted to look like him.

The case is same with Apollon. The Universal Sun is the Eternal Apollon. However, the son of Zeus/Helios is the Perceived Apollon. Apollon as Humanity saw him.

Then, What of Helios?

Do we abandon him and worship only the Archetypal Sun? No. The Physical Sun is the reason we know of the Archetypal Sun in the first place. The Archetypal Sun depends on the Physical Sun and vice versa. Besides, without the Physical Sun (Helios), humanity wouldn't exist in the first place. We depend on Helios, might as well honour Him.

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