ATHENA

As the Greek goddess of war and patron of the civilized arts, Athena balances inner feminine intuition with outward masculine action. This dichotomy is symbolized by her odd birth. When Zeus‚s first wife, Metis the wise, was pregnant, it was prophesied that she would give birth to a child greater than Zeus himself. To prevent being usurped, Zeus swallowed Metis whole, and later, Athena sprang from his head, fully grown and armored for battle. She immediately became his favorite, and was his counsel through all of his trials and tribulations. Thus, she represented the guiding female spirit within his inner wisdom.

The owl was her sacred familiar and signified her far-reaching inner sight. As a great mediator she prevented much bloodshed by her wise counsel, and in disputes she held the honor of casting the deciding vote in the event of a tie.

As a deity of defensive war she detested Aries, the war god, for his love of battle as sport, and became his adversary. She used strategy, surprise and magic to win her cause. To Athena, war was a necessity, won by skill, and her foes were paralyzed at the sight of the frightful snake-covered head of Medusa the Gorgon that she wore on her aegis, or breastplate.

As the protector of civilization she was the teacher of the peacetime arts - spinning, weaving, agriculture and all the sciences. Her greatest contributions were her gifts to mankind. She invented the bridle, the ship, the flute, the yoke and the plow, all of which subdue nature to the will of man. She created the olive tree in a contest with Poseidon, to see who could make the most useful gift. She won the city of Athens, named for her, as the prize.

Athena was a virgin goddess and free of male attachment and dependence. She lived among men as their equal, fighting with them and for them. She championed many great individuals, such as Achilles, Heracles and Odysseus. By helping Prometheus to steal fire she helped place mankind above the animals. She taught men to tame their savagery, use intelligence over strength and become skilled masters of the elements.