Aphrodite in Jeans - Aphrodite Group Discussion Topics

Aphrodite Groups are springing up all over!

What is an Aphrodite Group, you wonder? It's a combination salon, book group, afternoon tea and pajama party. It's an easy way to add a little passion, laughter, expansion and meaning to your daily life. It's cheaper than a spa weekend, more fun than Disneyland (although one could argue that just about anything is), and a great way to connect with your fellow travelers.

Typical gatherings are composed of 8 - 12 women (and men) who want to engage in a lively conversation about current issues in their lives: relationships, creative pursuits, children, parents, work, womanhood, meaning, calls to adventure, paths with heart ... the list goes on.

Feel free to use the following questions with your existing book group or as an excuse to start a juicy conversation with friends met and unmet.

Discussion Questions

1. In this book, the author talks about a “call to adventure” in midlife, prompting her to make significant life changes. How would you live your life if you knew you had one year left? Five years left? Ten? Given that you don’t know whether you have five minutes or fifty years left, how is that different from how you currently live your life?

2. In the beginning of the book, the author meets someone who changes her life. Who in your life challenges you to change or grow? Does what someone stands for, or how they live their life, sometimes force you to look at your own life in a different way?

3. In “Love Before First Sight,” the author describes online romances. Have you ever flirted with someone via email? Were you more (or less) honest with that person because of the safety of email? If you wrote before you met in person, how did “reality” differ from what you had imagined?

4. Describe the “ideal” you, in terms of physical appearance. To what lengths would you go to get to that ideal? What benefit(s) would you get by looking like that? Would it be worth it?

5. In “The Delicate Art of Lying” the author talks about lying by being honest. Do you consider omitting part of the truth a true lie? Can you tell when someone is lying to you? How? Do you want your partner to be really honest with you, even if it would hurt your feelings?

6. What is your checklist in looking for a potential mate? Of the good relationships you’ve had in your life, how many matched up to that checklist? Do you think what you want and what you need are two different things?

7. The media implies that younger bodies are attractive and more beautiful than older ones. However, in “The Aphrodite Phase” the author describes an increased comfort, freedom and acceptance as she grows older. Where does beauty and attractiveness come from? Does it come from physical attributes or mental attitude? Were you happier in your skin when you were younger? Or have you grown more comfortable as you’ve aged?

8. The title “Aphrodite in Jeans’ refers to a contemporary, down-to-earth version of the Greek goddess of love and sexuality. If Aphrodite were your roommate, what would you want to ask her? What would she teach you about yourself? How would she challenge you to live?