Aphrodite is the goddess of sex, beauty and bliss. Her Latin name is Venus. Thus she is patron of what, to modern eyes, might seem a collection of opposites: betrothal and prostitution, marriage and adultery, love and passion. Aphrodite especially helps lovers. The poems of Sapho are mostly directed to Aphrodite, begging her help to seduce her lovers.
At La Ville, the Field of Aphrodite is in the most secluded part of the site, furthest away from the house. The Field is surrounded by trees, giving privacy. In the centre is a stone circle within which is a sacred may tree. If you enter the circle you must worship the goddess by some sexual act, so take your beloved with you and at least share a kiss. This is a place for declarations of love, and for examining one's longings and sexual impulses. It is also a place for laying in the long summer grass and enjoying all of one's senses.
Aphrodite is the goddess of the island of Cyprus where I was brought up. The goddess came ashore there near to the town of Paphos. She was born out of the spray (aphros). When you stand on the beach and the spray comes ashore you can easily imagine the goddess.
Research suggests that the cult of Aphrodite was actually brought to Cyprus by the Phoenecians who came from what is now Syria.
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Marble statue of Aphrodite from the Hellenistic era.