#minerva deity

Goddess of Wisdom, justice, law, victory, the sponsor of arts, trade, strategy and of strategic war.

Requested by @sillycathorrors

Fun fact : )

Athena is a Goddess who by nature is very masculine. She is a War Goddess, a Goddess of the Palace, a Goddess of the Kings, a Goddess of the Heroes. All of these are uniquely masculine, she is a War Goddess, and for the Ancient Greeks this is odd. They did not give women the same position as men, the women had their place and the men their own.

She is a Goddess of Culture, both men and women, she is a Goddess of Wisdom, used by men and women alike, she is a Goddess of Women's Arts, but also of Men's Arts. While her womanly aspects exist, they are balanced neatly by manly aspects. In turn, she has many more aspects beyond those womanly aspects that were and are far more associated with men.

She was a contradiction, a combination of man and woman nature, yet far more associated with men than woman. Alongside that, however, she was a woman which is strange. Some have suggested it is because she was meant to be beyond anyone, man or woman. Her being a woman makes her unlike the men, meaning they could not aspire to be her as they could one like Ares, yet her being so masculine meant that she was still in their field of being. Her being a virgin Goddess meant she was unattainable by any means, she was beyond them.

And Athena has been a virgin Goddess for her entirety of existence from what can be seen, at the very least since very very early in her existence. Pallas Athene, Athene Parthenos- she is a virgin and beloved as one. She cannot be dominated, she is a Goddess of War, she cannot be conquered, she is a Palace Goddess. She is a wily Goddess of Wisdom and cannot be tricked or cajoled.

Her very nature means that she cannot lower herself, lessen herself, to be under the power of another. While I have found some claims to her being a motherly Goddess... it is not towards children, but instead towards patroning cities, arts, and even heroes. She mothers nations, but she does not mother them as a parent. To be a mother would be to put another, man or woman, in a position of power over her, no matter how small.

Her very nature denies that, she is a unique Goddess, she is beyond reproach, she is unattainable by men or women, yet presides over arts of both. For her to have a child would be in defiance to everything she represents. She is too independent as a Goddess to have a child. It is a defining characteristic for her to be Virgin, in all manner. She is independent, she is a figure of power and authority standing on her own. Her closest relationship is her Father, the King of the Gods, the only one with authority over her.

It means that it's... not right for her to have children, it isn't in her nature at all. But that is not the same for Minerva.

Of all the Roman Gods and Goddesses, Minerva is the one who I would argue represents Rome the most. In the beginning she wasn't even really comparable to Athena. I wrote a piece on her before, but she came from Menrva and was not a war Goddess.

Yes, she was still a virgin, but her association with Athena, her Hellenization, didn't come till later, and as it came she superseded Ares as the War God of Rome. And because of this, while she would still be unlikely to have a child, she is still more likely than Athena. Athena was no part of her till much later in her existence, she was a different Goddess entirely, and while having children is not her nature... it is because she is a virgin, not because of her unique balance of positions, her necessary independence, her defiance of all norms. Minerva is more of a Womanly Goddess than Athena, and as such having a child would be more her nature than Athena.

Walk away.

Lady wisdom who walks the streets

Order and knowledge are her craft

She strikes down the foolish and lifts up the wise

Cloaked in majesty, pouring her favor on her acolytes

Where she treads; progress follows and where she leads is success

this is a list of small devotional acts to honour and bond with athena, greek goddess of wisdom, war, battle strategy, and the arts

» read

» take up sewing, weaving, or knitting

» research something! this is actually a hobby of mine, i’ll randomly research something of interest to me. you can do podcasts (i love the killing of marilyn monroe), youtube videos, books, online articles, through anything.

» stick up for yourself and those you care about

» voice your beliefs

» ...learn proper grammar if you haven’t already lmao

» study, if you’re in school, or even if you’re not, learning is a lifelong journey

» exercise! not necessarily for appearance reasons but for your overall physical and mental health

» take a self defense class (especially if you’re female)

» can’t take a self defense class? utilize the internet and research pressure points and other overall safety tips (again, especially if you’re female)

» wake up early

» do chores, even just making your bed can make a huge difference (...i say white writing this from an unmade bed)

» pay attention in class

» pay attention to the arts, too. athena is a matron of the arts too

» write or read poetry

» use olive oil products

» incorporate cinnamon, geranium, cedar wood,  and patchouli into your life

» offer her coffee, she really likes it

» journal

» study up on history (even if it’s just listening to hamilton, i get the feeling she really likes it)

» spend time in bookstores and libraries, even if you’re not reading

» work on your self confidence

» take care of your mental health (i.e. taking pills, resting when needed, etc)

» to add on to the previous point, focus on self care! try to focus on the inside more than the outside, but let’s face it: who doesn’t love a good face mask and bubble bath

» volunteer for leadership positions (if you’re in school, student council, MUN, etc and if you’re at work, offer to supervise or organise an event)

» use crystals like amazonite, sodalite, tourmaline, tiger’s eye, and blue howlite

»  play strategy games