Rose of Sharon Collection: Aphrodite and Adonis

“Never provoke quarry with nature, my love,” Aphrodite pleaded with Adonis. “The strongest weapon in your artillery could not calm the pride of a lion nor tame the tusk of a wild boar.”

“Shall I accept only as much as I’m easily given?” Adonis whispered lovingly. “Who would I be if I didn’t hunt for just a little more?”

The strongest weapon that Adonis wielded, of course, was charm. 
His smile penetrated Aphrodite’s heart, leaving her quite disarmed. 
A heart could not be persuaded, the Goddess of Love very well knew. 
And Adonis’ heart was as determined as it was true. 
Adonis’ heart yearned for adventure, for the thrill of chase and fear. 
Her lover would not be satisfied hunting only for rabbits and deer. 

The nature of a scorned beast is to survive, and survival is not always kind. 
Aphrodite told Adonis so, but he did not keep her warnings in mind.
As Adonis speared a wild boar, the beast struck back with its tusk. 
And suddenly, the bountiful summer day in the forest turned into a barren wintry dusk.

A goddess cannot change the course of nature, but a creative remedy can always be found. 
Aphrodite beheld Adonis as he lay dying on the ground. 
Into his blood she sprinkled nectar, the sugary seed of life’s force. 
She watered the seed with tears of compassion and remorse. 
So that every spring, Adonis might bloom from the Earth to spend the season up above, 
in the fleeting embrace of his eternal love.

Photographed August, 2025