Greek goddess of logic, intelligence, wisdom, battle strategy, law, justice, order, good counsel, skill, and handicrafts
In her mythical origin, Zeus, learning that his wife, Metis, may birth his successor, swallowed his first wife who was already pregnant. When the time came, Zeus started feeling tremendous headaches. As even he couldn’t bear them, Hephaestus struck him with his axe and Athena leapt out of Zeus’ head, fully armed and with a cry so mighty and fearsome that Uranus and Gaea were shaken to their bones with terror. Zeus, however, was delighted and full of pride. In this story, Athena is described as being born from the head of her father as a representation of her connection to logic, and is always ready to defend her people. In Rome, she was equated with Minerva, their goddess of knowledge, crafts, science, poetry, medicine, and magick.
Despite Athena’s connection to war, she moreso represents the strategy behind it and the ability to protect and bring about order. While on the other hand, Ares represents force and battle-lust and Aphrodite was called upon for strength and victory. Athena, like Aphrdodite, was also known to bestow victory in war, as she is at times seen accompanied by Nike, the goddess of victory. According to Homer, she does not even bear arms, but borrows them from Zeus; she keeps men from slaughter when prudence demands it. She does not love war for its own sake, but simply on account of the advantages which the state gains in engaging in it; and she therefore supports only such warlike undertakings as are begun with prudence, and are likely to be followed by favourable results. Through this connection, Athena was the patroness of heroes and is known to wisely advise them in their quests.
Other than the art of battle, Athena was known as a skillful inventor and even held the title of ‘protectress of agriculture’. She is represented as the inventor of the plough and rake: she created the olive tree, the greatest blessing of Attica, taught the people to yoke oxen to the plough, took care of the breeding of horses, and instructed men how to tame them by the bridle, her own invention. At the beginning of spring, thanks were offered to Athena in advance for the protection she was to afford to the fields. Besides the tools of agriculture, Athena was thought to be the inventor of numbers, science, hand-made crafts, chariots, and other such helpful things.
Just like Artemis and Hestia, Athena was never swayed by love or lust, as she wished to remain completely in the matters of the mind. Thus, she stayed as a Virgin Goddess and never had any children. Some say that Erichthonius was an exception, but, in fact, Athena was only his foster-mother. True, Hephaestus did try to violate her, but Athena fought him off, so he spilled his semen over the Earth, after which Gaea was impregnated. When Erichthonius was born, Athena took him under her wing, just like she would do afterward with the hero Heracles.
A popular myth of Athena is the story of Arachne, a mortal craftswoman who boasted that she was more skillful than Athena herself. Athena offered her a chance to repent, but after Arachne refused, she challenged her to a weaving duel. The goddess fashioned a beautiful tapestry which illustrated the gruesome fate of the mortals who had the hubris of challenging the gods. Arachne, on the other hand, chose to depict stories of the mortals unjustly victimized by the gods. But she didn’t even have a chance to finish it for the enraged Athena tore Arachne’s fabric to pieces and turned her into a spider. As such, Arachne is doomed to weave ever since.
In my personal experiences with Athena, she is very wise, calm, responsible, straightforward, courageous, and determined. She has a very strong sense of morality and is able to keep calm and collected under a great deal of pressure. She loves to teach and help others as much as she loves to learn, and can be quite patient as long as her student stays responsible. Athena can be rather motherly at times, but not too much in a “soft” way but more like a quiet and dedicated mother who wants the best for you. She is very uplifting and knows exactly what to say when you feel down or lost, for she can see past clouded emotions and into the clarity of truth. For me, Athena appears as a long haired brunette woman with gray eyes, and wearing either a white dress or silver armour.
Chalinitis (Tamer of Horses)
Mêchaneus (Skillful Inventor)
Polias (Protector of the City)
Nikephoros (Bringer of Victory)
Tea, coffee, white wine, olive oil, milk, bread, wheat, lilies, myrrh incense, olives, almonds, honey, cakes, fruit, cooked meat, rice, non-fiction books, fancy pens, quills, pottery, paintings, daggers, owl feathers, clear crystals, silver jewelry, wool, knitting tools, artworks, poetry, and imagery of her sacred animals.
