Aphrodite's Rite of Passage is a rite that all demigod children of Aphrodite were expected to complete. As explained by Drew Tanaka, it was the "tradition" of an Aphrodite camper making a person fall in love with him or her and then breaking that person's heart. It was abolished by Silena Beauregard, later resurrected by Drew, and once again abolished by Piper McLean.
History[]
In The Lost Hero, after Piper told her cabin-mates about the truth of her dad, Tristan McLean, everyone was asking questions, but the one that caught her off-guard was about the rite of passage.
Drew explains to Piper about the rite of passage and how it works. For a child of Aphrodite to prove themselves worthy to their mother, they must fall in love and break that person's heart (in Piper's case, it was supposed to be Jason Grace, who, ironically, she would end up breaking up with). It was based on Aphrodite breaking people's hearts. This act is supposed to be romantic. Piper thought it was absurd, and it was not all about Aphrodite.
At the end of the book, Piper decides to get rid of it once and for all after she becomes Head Counselor. According to Drew, Silena deserved what she got, since she refused to do the Rite of Passage, saying, "She got her fate, she deserved what she got since she didn't complete the rite of passage," referring to when Silena fell in love with Charles Beckendorf and stayed in love.
It is implied that Aphrodite approves of this rite. During Percy's conversation with the love goddess in The Titan's Curse, she states, "I wish all of my daughters could break the heart of a boy as nice as you."
It is assumed children of Venus do not perform this rite or have an equivalent.
Children of Aphrodite Who Didn't Complete the Rite[]
- Silena Beauregard, who was in love with Charles Beckendorf.
- Piper McLean, who was in love with Jason Grace.