Aphrodite Made Me Do It
Aug 2025 · Central Avenue Publishing
4.8star
35 reviewsreport
Ebook
191
Pages
family_home
Eligible
info
reportRatings and reviews aren’t verified Learn More
About this ebook
Voted one of the best poetry collections of 2019 by readers on Goodreads! Bestselling and Goodreads Choice Award winning poet Trista Mateer pulls out some tarot cards and asks for help in her goddess-themed poetry collection, Aphrodite Made Me Do It.
It starts with a dream...
Employing tools like lucid dreaming and tarot reading to set the stage, Mateer approaches myth here through a witchcraft-inspired lens, not a traditionalist textbook view; and like many poets before her, she allows herself the room to reinterpret. Part mythology retelling, part healing manifesto, this empowering and feminist collection tackles the timeless topic of love--romantic, platonic, and self-love--while also exploring various pieces of myth from Aphrodite's perspective.
"In Troy they fought over Helen like children but Achilles mourned Patroclus the way a soul mourns a body."
Using the framework of a conversation, with sections alternating between the perspective of the poet and the goddess herself, Mateer explores issues like: heartbreak, sexuality, trauma, and the restorative power in taking control of your own lore, speaking your truths, and rewriting your origin story.
"Like everyone called a woman, they say I had no childhood. They say I rose from the sea fully formed, forced to bear the weight of other people's desire. It's not the truth, but it's close enough."
Similar to the witch doesn't burn in this one by amanda lovelace and You'll Come Back to Yourself by Michaela Angemeer, this collection of short powerful poems from Instagram and TikTok poet Trista Mateer will have you believing in the possibility of your own healing.
It starts with a dream...
Employing tools like lucid dreaming and tarot reading to set the stage, Mateer approaches myth here through a witchcraft-inspired lens, not a traditionalist textbook view; and like many poets before her, she allows herself the room to reinterpret. Part mythology retelling, part healing manifesto, this empowering and feminist collection tackles the timeless topic of love--romantic, platonic, and self-love--while also exploring various pieces of myth from Aphrodite's perspective.
"In Troy they fought over Helen like children but Achilles mourned Patroclus the way a soul mourns a body."
Using the framework of a conversation, with sections alternating between the perspective of the poet and the goddess herself, Mateer explores issues like: heartbreak, sexuality, trauma, and the restorative power in taking control of your own lore, speaking your truths, and rewriting your origin story.
"Like everyone called a woman, they say I had no childhood. They say I rose from the sea fully formed, forced to bear the weight of other people's desire. It's not the truth, but it's close enough."
Similar to the witch doesn't burn in this one by amanda lovelace and You'll Come Back to Yourself by Michaela Angemeer, this collection of short powerful poems from Instagram and TikTok poet Trista Mateer will have you believing in the possibility of your own healing.
Ratings and reviews
4.8
35 reviews
Anna Beatriz Tan
- Flag inappropriate
- Show review history
July 29, 2021
it's relatable and gives you a diff angle in things i'm not one for the poems and prose, but I think this is exceptional
Ashley Beverly
- Flag inappropriate
March 14, 2020
So Empowering & Such a Good Read!
About the author
Trista Mateer is a visual artist, poet, writer and freelance editor who began putting words on paper at twelve and never found a good enough reason to stop. Known for her eponymous blog, she is now the author of multiple poetry collections, including When The Stars Wrote Back (2020), Aphrodite Made Me Do It (2019), Honeybee (2018), and The Dogs I Have Kissed (2015) which won a Goodreads Choice Award the year of its release.She currently lives in a house by the sea in New Jersey; and when sheís not wrangling her cat, Honeybun, she stares out at the water and waits for the words to wash ashore.You can keep up with her @tristamateer on Instagram and Twitter and visit her website at tristamateer.com
Rate this ebook
Tell us what you think.
Reading information
Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can listen to audiobooks purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.
eReaders and other devices
To read on e-ink devices like Kobo eReaders, you'll need to download a file and transfer it to your device. Follow the detailed Help Center instructions to transfer the files to supported eReaders.
