The Wild Hunt (https://wildhunt.org/tag/aphrodite)
I was twenty-one, and that was the first time I had ever seen the ocean. I slept that night as close to the window as I could, straining my ears for the sound of waves. The ocean was a poetic trope, the longing of Tolkien’s elves, a setting for adventure and tragedy. I loved the idea of it, and I wanted to be lulled into sleep like the heroes of my favorite books, but that was all I knew of the water.
Who do I find the gods that fill my life now so restful?They are terrifying. The kindest of them is streaked with blood and prone to fits of violence. Their characters are complicated and often petty, their stories filled with the sorts of vengeance that humans can only feint at. Which is why I trust them. At least they’re honest about it.
In this week’s Pagan Community Notes, a statue thought to be a water nymph turns out to be Aphrodite, upcoming Samhain events, tree sounds, and more news.
This is the first place that has been entirely mine, where every piece of art or display has been chosen because it represents something important to me, something that makes me happy. Trying to see it with another set of eyes feels distancing, like a particularly unpleasant magic trick. I suppose that’s fitting.
In this week’s Pagan Community Notes: Parliament of the World’s Religion’s Declaration for the Dignity and Human Rights of Women is re-circulating; due to overwhelming crowd sizes, Salem, MA is asking visitors to leave their cars at home and arrive by train, ferry, or broom; Mountain Rose Herbs announces winners for “Grants 4 Plants” program; burial site of a priestess of Aphrodite found in Russia; and more news