The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum

I like the name Eros and thought he was an interesting god. I heard that Pan and Aphrodite also represents sexuality. What are the differences in your opinion? Which you would you consider the god of sexuality?

Have any of you had experiences with Priapus? I do not have much about him.

The ™ God of Sexuality? None of them, as I personally don't believe there's a such thing as *the* god of anything. There's so much more to them than that.

 
What about Eros whose name represents erotic love? Plato's version of non-sexual "eros" was a later idea. The mythos calls him primordial, one of the first gods.

I understand what you're saying though, especially with Pan because he also represents nature, not just sex.

But maybe Eros is a force (primordial form) that can appear human (son of Aphrodite form)?

I think Priapus is about sex and nature, but I don't think he is as wild as the screaming, running, dancing, pan-flute playing Pan. I think there is also a protective quality to Priapus.

As for Aphrodite, honestly, I don't know much about her, but she seems kind and I get the feeling that she is like a mom who wants people to relax, enjoy the beautiful things in life, and love yourself.

I would like to her of others experiences to probably gain an even deeper understanding.

No offense but a 'mom' figure she was not :eek:.

 
The being seemed peaceful like a mother, liked flowers, beauty, love, and I even got the sense that her spirit was an influence for the hippie movement, or at least the basics like the focus on love and peace, nature, and the flower symbolism.

When you said Aphrodite isn't motherly, I thought "maybe it's just a different aspect/quality of her I tapped into?", but I decided to do more research on Aphrodite and found another Greek goddess named "Antheia" who is associated with flowers, gardens, and human love and is close to Aphrodite. Maybe it was actually her.

I like the name Eros and thought he was an interesting god. I heard that Pan and Aphrodite also represents sexuality. What are the differences in your opinion? Which you would you consider the god of sexuality?

Have any of you had experiences with Priapus? I do not have much about him.

All the gods you mentioned are gods of sexuality. And I agree with Lux Nocturnalis. It's somewhat inaccurate to say or imply that there is a single pre-eminent god among them to rule over the domain of love. City-dwellers pray to Aphrodite and country folk pray to rustic Pan, too. While Aphrodite is regarded as a queen (as most goddesses are), Cupid regularly disobeys her.

EDIT: I do think, however, it's perfectly okay to say "Name is god of thing." While others may think it an oversimplificaiton of the god, I think it's a simple and easy way to identify with a god and approach them. Hopefully, it'll lead to a deeper understanding of the god upon further contemplation or study.

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I think Priapus is about sex and nature, but I don't think he is as wild as the screaming, running, dancing, pan-flute playing Pan. I think there is also a protective quality to Priapus.

As for Aphrodite, honestly, I don't know much about her, but she seems kind and I get the feeling that she is like a mom who wants people to relax, enjoy the beautiful things in life, and love yourself.

Also, it is interesting you mention Priapus' protective quality. The Romans considered the phallus (of which Priapus has a large one) as a way to counter bad luck or a safety charm.

I worship both Eros and Aphrodite so my UPG is coming in. I don't necessarily feel that same way you do about her (or the being you think could be her). I never felt her want me to relax (I don't believe the gods want me personally to do anything). I feel the exact opposite really. I feel nervous and excited because that's what I associate with her. I would have a smile on my face for a while when I see something or read something exceedingly beautiful and know that Aphrodite was smiling with me. The kind of smile you get when a loved one would leave you a little unexpected gift to brighten your day.

Eros is the god I interact with more directly. He is the one I petition more than any other god I think and it's because he answers. But, of course, I only pray for things possible :whis:

No offense but a 'mom' figure she was not :eek:. She was not above murder and cruel mayhem when her will was tested or her amour-propre was was disregarded.

So just because Aphrodite in myth can be extremely aggressive it means she can't be perceived to be motherly? Never mind her trying to protect her son Aeneas during the the Trojan War and being wounded trying to do so. Or eventually relenting and allowing her son Eros to marry Psyche because she saw his love for her. She even choreographed the dances the Muses performed at his wedding.

If anything, Aphrodite's early ill treatment of Psyche and grudging acceptance of her can be "mom-like" in today's standards.

We are all, of course, free to interpret myths in our own ways. But what is in myth isn't always in worship or the other way around. While she may not seem "motherly" to some people because of myth, she was worshipped as a "mother" goddess in Aphrodisias.

Interesting! That was actually from a dream I had. I didn't know about The Phallus being a symbol of protection, only sexuality.

In that dream Priapus had a red aura. I had another recent dream, although I don't know if it were Priapus himself, Pan or another sexual deity. There was red light all around, and I heard conversations of a sexual nature.

 
The latter sounds like Big Red (Set) to me.

I thought Set was a darkness/shadow being?

I saw a shadow being in my dreams before, too but I don't think it was sexual (except possibly one dream). I will talk about that more in another thread, I don't want to distract from the topic of this thread.

 
No, Set is one of the netjeru, a god of Ancient Egypt.  He rules the Red Lands and the Eastern Desert, is Lord of the Storm, Destroyer of Apep, Bringer of Change and Transformation, and god of Outsiders.

Several of us here worship him, and I belong to him.  To me, he is Neb.y.

No offense but a 'mom' figure she was not :eek:. She was not above murder and cruel mayhem when her will was tested or her amour-propre was was disregarded.

 
I love her. :

"Eros" literally means "love". He is the personification of love.

This is a problem I think affects modern paganism as a whole. We often use a deity's name and try to seperate it from its cultural and linguistic context.

Such as the fact that "Eros" doesn't really mean love like modern westerners would think.