Aphrodite Made Me Do It

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 of 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."

Endorsements

Voted one of the best poetry collections of 2019 by readers on Goodreads!

Trista Mateer is a Goodreads Choice Award–winning poet.