Venus, the god of beauty, some time ago morphed with Aphrodite to become the god of love. The planet with her name will, some time this evening where I'm situated, begin to slide across the Sun in a transit which won't occur again for 100+ years. Venus will align with Earth, between it and the Sun, and appear as a tiny dot as it moves. Scientists, from what I gather, are exercised beyond ecstasy at the prospects of gathering data to assist in searching the universe for other planets, some of which might support life.
I find the science fascinating but the myths much more appealing, compelling.
This rendering of the goddess in a realm of fantastic surroundings high above Earth still challenges me in the sense that she continues to ask questions about what it means to be human, with or without love, how we see our relationship with objects in the universe but mostly how we constantly try to reach understanding.
It also reminds me of a favorite work: "Eros, the bittersweet" by Anne Carson, a philosophical examination of erotic love with chapter titles like "What does the lover want from love?" , "Finding the edge" and "Ice- pleasure."
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