Bearded Venus - Aphrodite Rosary

Our Bearded Venus rosary is handmade in honor of the goddess Aphrodite in her aspects as Venus Barbata or Aphroditus.

Aphrodite can be presented as a high femme goddess, the most traditionally feminine of cis women, yet her gender was not always so simplified. Ancient statues show her fully bearded, yet in feminine dress; others depict her revealing a phallus from beneath her skirt. In Rome, she is Venus Barbata, the Bearded Venus—the name ‘Venus’ itself always includes a masculine ending. In Cyprus and Athens, she was ‘Aphroditus’, often seen lifting her skirt to reveal a phallus; these statues of her were considered apotropaic, warding off malice and il malocchio (the evil eye).

Aphrodite’s limitless heart has always held space for her children who, like her, cannot be contained in neatly gendered categories. This rosary honors this aspect of Aphrodite, drawing on the modern trans flag colors. Each bead is hand-wrapped with love and intention as they are worked. Rose quartz in soft pink is for self-love and her gentle, loving acceptance of her children. Amazonite in seafoam blue is for her strength and the boundless sea she arose from that is as expansive as she is. Between each section are real freshwater pearls, the white of the flag, protective and luxurious—taking the grit of a less-than-accepting society and creating enduring beauty from it. The cross piece is a golden heart, for her love that knows no bounds. The pendant is a gold-dipped clam shell, with a gold-accented relief of Aphrodite as a mermaid nestled inside.

It measures 25 inches around the neck and 8 inches from the top of the cross piece to the bottom of the pendant.

This rosary is made using primarily gold-tone stainless steel, which is tarnish resistant and can withstand greater exposure to water, sunlight, and heat without damage. However, it is possible for these metals to tarnish with prolonged use; this can be avoided with care. To avoid tarnishing, avoid contact with liquids whenever possible and let any cosmetics, lotions, or perfumes/colognes dry completely before putting on your necklace. Store in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight. Keeping your jewelry in a sealed container, such as a jewelry box or plastic bag, can prevent tarnishing by limiting exposure to air, sunlight, heat, and moisture. This is best done if air is pushed out of any plastic bag before sealing and with something included to remove moisture, such as a silica pack or anti-tarnish strip. This is not an exhaustive list of anti-tarnish measures, nor are these measures a guarantee that tarnishing will not occur when worn.

For an additional way to work with this piece, please consider our Aphrodite prayer card. It features a fully illustrated front, hand-drawn by one of your local tricksters, while the back includes a prayer written by your other local trickster in the Lady's honor. The prayer can be used to consecrate this piece and deepen your connection with Aphrodite, while the card itself is an excellent altar card and portable way to keep Aphrodite close to your heart as you go about your day. It is available here: https://trickstersapothecary.myshopify.com/products/aphrodite-prayer-card