Athena
Athena is the Greek goddess of wisdom, just war, weaving and crafts, civilisation and the strategic city. Born already armed from the head of Zeus. Patron of the city of Athens, gave its name and was honoured with the Parthenon. Roman equivalent: Minerva. Archetype of integrated rational feminine, of the wise woman with strategic mind.
Mythology
According to myth, Athena was born directly from the head of Zeus already armed and adult, after Zeus had swallowed her pregnant mother Metis (goddess of practical wisdom). Hephaestus split Zeus's head with an axe (or similar variant), and Athena emerged whole and grey-eyed. Symbolism: pure intellectual wisdom, born of the head not of the body, not the result of biological gestation but of pure thought.
Athena does not marry, does not have lovers — but she is not "rejecting feminine" like Artemis nor "neutral feminine" like Hestia. Her femininity is in her productive intelligence: she protects civilisation, technical crafts, applied philosophy. She invented the loom and weaving — feminine creativity that organises the world. Famous mythological adventures: helps Odysseus return home (her favourite hero), gives Perseus his shield to defeat Medusa, defeats Poseidon in the contest for Athens (offers the olive tree, more useful than the salt water that Poseidon gave).
Symbolism
Symbols: helmet, shield with the head of Medusa (the aegis), spear (warrior aspect), owl (wisdom; the famous "owl of Athena flies at dusk" of Hegel — wisdom comes when the day ends), olive tree (civilisation, productive peace), weaving loom. Sacred colours: silver, white, deep blue. Sacred numbers: 7 (her birthday).
Athena represents integrated rational feminine: combines rational masculine intelligence (warrior, strategist) with productive feminine creativity (loom, agriculture, civilisation). She is patron of scholars, philosophers, artisans, weavers, lawyers, judges, scientists. In modern Wicca and feminist neo-paganism: archetype of woman who develops her intellectual gifts without renouncing femininity, the wise woman who guides with strategy more than physical force.
Also known as
- Minerva (Roman)
- Pallas Athena
- Athena Parthenos