Dove has a strong connection to the Divine Mother and she is often depicted in images with Ishtar and Mother Mary. This is because she is perceived as nurturing (Dove is the only bird to produce milk for its young and she sacrifices her diet for the sake of her offspring) and because she is a symbol of hope, peace, purity, and care. She is often depicted with Aphrodite, and in this sense she is equated with a higher love, one that transcends earthly limitations and reaches for the heavens.
