Aphrodite is commonly associated with gold and the finer things in life. Her relationship to gold can be seen as being symbolic of perfection, warmth and love. Her jewelry glistens and sparkles and calls to us just as her sensual nature and flawless beauty catches our eye. The Birth of the Goddess One depiction of her birth symbolizes the sexual nature and sensual allure of the Goddess. Hesiod, the ancient author, wrote that Aphrodite was created from the violent acts of Cronos, who took a sickle and cut of the genitals of his father Uranus, and threw them into the sea.
Some writers interpret the birth from the sea itself as being representative of human sexuality.
The ebb and flow of the tide metaphorically mimics the act of lovemaking, as do the salty odors of the sea. In Homer's epic version of Aphrodite's birth, she was born from a union between Zeus and Dione, a Titan goddess. Aphrodite is thus also referred to as Dionaea , after her mother. This portrayal of Aphrodite, Aphrodite Pandemos, or Common Aphrodite, is concerned primarily with physical satisfaction. The Goddess in Art Artists depiction of the Goddess of Love and Beauty have varied immensely, although one of the most recognized interpretations is Sandro Botticelli's Birth of Venus, which interprets the goddess in such a way as to have her standing on a scalloped shell, floating upon the sea.