Years ago, while separated from my husband, I ventured into the world of online dating. I created an alter ego email whose username was Venus, followed by my favorite number. Venus, the liberated, fabled Roman goddess of beauty and love, is my archetype.
I mean, of all the goddesses, she was the ultimate man magnet. A talented seductress, she had affairs with both mortals and gods, including the original Adonis. Not only is her goddess name a planet, but it’s the one considered the most brilliant object in the heavens next to the sun and the moon.
Thousands of years before the first male deity, goddesses were the only game in town. All seemed to exude feminine sexual power and courage and were often given a bad rap, yet the seductress is one of the most potent female personas in existence.
These women personified life force, energy and vitality. To me, they all seem to be filled with joie de vivre. They knew the true meaning of freeing the spirit. Betsy Prioleau says in her book, Seductress, “Another secret weapon enchantresses deployed was joie de vivre, the goddess’s yes energy that animated heaven and earth.”
Google seductress and you’ll find way too many sites, hundreds of Hollywood how-to tips, and a boatload of ads for clothing, scents and music. But what is a seductress?
First, it is not all about sex. Most of the great enchantresses across time were not dim-witted or desperate women using their physical wiles to entice. They were fearless beauties and non-beauties alike: intellectuals, seniors, adventurers and leaders.
To enchant a mind, a woman needs to use her head. Take the great seductress, Cleopatra. As we know, she wore way too much eyeliner, but then again, was not known to be a classic beauty. When Julius Caesar came to Egypt, the 18-year-old made her entrance by rolling herself out in a carpet. Enticing him with a stream of captivating conversation, she addressed him in Greek and then in perfect Latin. She was the ultimate charmer and a brilliant woman who was happiest in a library. Caesar was lusted after by every female and quite a few males as well, but he’d never encountered such a woman as Cleopatra and welcomed her as his mistress and political confidante immediately.
Humor is a potent aphrodisiac that seductresses often employ. Take Mae West, another non-beauty. Barely five feet tall and possessing a slight overbite, she started her killer charmer career at almost 40 and exemplified the senior enchantress. The diva was known for her insatiable sexual appetite, especially with younger men, and often seduced with pure charisma. She was a talented artist who wrote numerous plays. Although ticket sales were outstanding, the venues were often raided for indecency. Her charm allowed her a long career and a lifestyle lived in her belief that, “Too much of a good thing can be wonderful.”
Although I only use my Venus email now to sell random things on Craigslist, I enjoy this connection I have with my favorite goddess and I’m sticking with her. After all, seductresses are often the best things to come along for a man. They can lift a man’s spirit, encouraging growth, creativity and authentic masculinity. Some women are just seductive, especially when it comes to the art of enchanting and the challenge of keeping someone enchanted.
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