Good morning! I hope you enjoyed the three-day weekend wherever you were and whatever you were doing. Today I have a little something for you about another one of the planetary symbols—from a few weeks ago. The symbol for the planet Venus is a circle with a cross underneath it, as follows:
This symbol is from the shape of the handheld mirror Aphrodite (Venus) uses to admire her beauty. Aphrodite, with her symbolic mirror, is shown in both the mosaic and photo of a painted krater, below.
Aphrodite Mosaic
Aphrodite on Krater
Not only does the symbol of the mirror (♀) represent the planet Venus, it represents females (the goddesses of love and beauty, incarnate), and the alchemical symbol for copper (the material used to make mirrors, in antiquity).
Now, for some vocabulary connections (rated M for Mature):
· krater: (Greek) Large vase in which wine and water were mixed
Minoan Dolphin Krater
· venereal: (from Roman Venus: when the goddess of love and beauty goes bad) Of or related to sexual pleasure or indulgence; of or related to disease contracted by sexual contact [KC – This term is antiquated and considered politically incorrect since the root of this word indicates it comes from females only.]
· aphrodisiac: (from Greek Aphrodite) An agent (as a food or drug) that arouses or is held to arouse sexual desire
Kara Church
Senior Technical Editor
619-542-6773 | Ext: 766773
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