#athena devotion

[fabledfoxglove]

⭒✧ᴀᴛʜᴇɴᴀ • ɢᴏᴅᴅᴇss ᴏғ ᴡɪsᴅᴏᴍ, ᴋɴᴏᴡʟᴇᴅɢᴇ, ᴡᴀʀ sᴛʀᴀᴛᴇɢʏ, ʜᴇʀᴏᴇs, ʜᴇʀᴏɪsᴍ, ᴄʀᴀғᴛs, ᴄɪᴛɪᴇs, ʀᴇᴀsᴏɴ, ᴊᴜsᴛɪᴄᴇ & ʟᴀᴡ✧⭒

[ivettaflowerblooom]

I begin to sing of Pallas Athena, the glorious goddess, bright-eyed, inventive, unbending of heart, pure virgin, saviour of cities, courageous, Tritogeneia.

Homeric hympn to Athena.

[odetothewise]

Athena Subtle Worship: Symbols and Domains

Wisdom:

— 📚 Read greek mythology books

— 📚 Study daily for university

— 📚 Devote my study session to her

— 📚 Learn Chess

— 📚 Research Ancient Civilizations, Especially Ancient Greece

— 📚 Put your education and university above romantic relantionships

Animals

— 🦉Research, support and watch documentaries about owls

— 🦉Become a night owl

— 🦉 Research and Learn about snakes

— 🦉 Have plushies of snakes, owls.

— 🦉 Have a amulet of an owl

— 🦉 Research about owl as a spirit animal

Crafts

—🧵 Learn sewing and knitting

— 🧵 Grow a plant in her honor

— 🧵 Cook with olive oil or create something with it (own essential oils)

War

— 🗡️Learn how your area was used in past wars

— 🗡️ Read dystopian novels of war

— 🗡️ Have a self-defense tool in your bag

Justice

— ⚖️ Learn about the history of women’s rights

— ⚖️ Practice Fairness with yourself and others

— ⚖️ Study the laws and politics of your country.

Misc.

— 🩶 Honor her every 3rd of the month

— 🩶 Put boundaries in relantionship, learn your boundaries

— 🩶 Stand up for yourself

— 🩶 Practice self-confidence

[just-helpol-things]

Little thing I made for Lady Athena 🩶

[rainyyelijah]

May Lady Athena

Help clear your mind

When you need it most.

[yanny09]

me studying with athena is like "FUCK WAIT NO WAIT NO NONONONO!!! IM GOING TO FAIL!!! NO I DONT HAVE TIMMMMMEEE!!" athena sitting quitley in the background knowing damn well ill be fine

[rue-with-the-tarot]

✨Incorrect Greek Mythology Quotes✨

[god-blog]

I’m starting a tag game!

People are always saying they need more witchy/pagan mutuals so I thought this would be a fun way to find them while getting to talk about your practice!

Who, if anyone, was the first deity(s) you worked with?

Hermes was the first deity that I made the conscious decision to worship though I had always been drawn to paganism. I made a tiny altar, devotional drawings, playlists, and a journal to him. I quickly added Athena and Apollo after that, but it became too overwhelming, and I got burnt out. I stopped practicing for about four years until I started again this year.

Who, if anyone, is the deity(s) you’re working with now?

Artemis was the one who reached out to me this time. She had been sending me a bunch of incredibly obvious signs that took me abt six months to finally notice (my bad lol) but I'm very happy with her now. Athena has also been more present, whereas she was more in the background the first time I tried Hellenism, and now she sits with me at work. Hermes dips in and out and Apollo's the one who's been more in the background. I would like to strengthen my relationship with them because I miss them.

What’s your favorite aspect of your practice? (Ex: doing tarot, celebrating holidays, casting spells, etc)

I like getting things for my altar. It makes me so happy knowing that my gods will like whatever I'm getting; I love getting presents for ppl I care abt. I haven't collected everything into one central altar yet but I'm very excited for when I do.

What’s something you want to get better at?

I want to get better at tarot. I've been doing it for a few years now but I'm still 100% reliant on the guidebook the cards came with and am not very good at making my own interpretations. I'm hoping I'll get better at it with time but it has been quite a while...

Tagging: @buriedpentacles @kore-siciliana @anne-the-witch-ish @serpent-among-vines @khaire-traveler @princesmeadow @hunters-moonlight-serenade @huntingkyrie

[seaofwine]

my altar to Athena - 22.07.24

[aesthicalmess]

Lady Athena

Lady Pallas Athena, goddess of war, good counsel, and wisdom, protector of cities

[divinationsanctuary19]

I begin to sing of Pallas Athena, the glorious goddess, bright-eyed, inventive, unbending of heart, pure virgin, saviour of cities, courageous, Tritogeneia. Wise Zeus himself bare her [5] from his awful head, arrayed in warlike arms of flashing gold, and awe seized all the gods as they gazed. But Athena sprang quickly from the immortal head and stood before Zeus who holds the aegis, shaking a sharp spear: great Olympus began to reel horribly [10] at the might of the bright-eyed goddess, and earth round about cried fearfully, and the sea was moved and tossed with dark waves, while foam burst forth suddenly: the bright Son of Hyperion stopped his swift-footed horses a long while, until the maiden Pallas Athena [15] had stripped the heavenly armour from her immortal shoulders. And wise Zeus was glad.

And so hail to you, daughter of Zeus who holds the aegis! Now I will remember you and another song as well.

[abyss-king444]

Digital Offering for Lady Athena. Wise daughter of Zeus and Metis. Bright-eyed Goddess of Wisdom, War, Weaving, Courage, and craft.

[ivettaflowerblooom]

La Danse Triomphale de Pallas Athénée

Statue of Athena in Paris. She is also supposed to be holding a spear in her hands

[stars-on-the-water]

This is actually based on a reading I got.

[0wl3tt3]

I'm an Athena devotee, of course people call me wise after giving some advice

I'm an Athena devotee, of course I make sure to stand for my ideals and ideologies

I'm an Athena devotee, of course I read history books and would want to walk through the historical architects we have left

I'm an Athena devotee, of course I also get into media that revolves around war and how the character develope because of it

[citrineandrosmarin]

🦉Athena Masterpost🦉

This masterpost will cover very basic information with links to further posts or resources (otherwise it’s super long) and may be updated in future with extra sections. Basic bibliography at the end. I welcome you to share your UPG and resources in the comments - I won’t differentiate between mine and others’ UPG.

UPG = Unverified Personal Gnosis, SPG = Shared Personal Gnosis, H = Historically Inspired association

Last updated: Date of Publishing

Overview

Athena is the Hellenic goddess associated most commonly with wisdom, war, weaving, and in modern times, education and knowledge. She was a goddess who occupied both masculine and feminine roles in a highly patriarchal society, standing outside the societal binary. She is a fascinatingly variable and nuanced deity who has adapted and persisted in the mind of western society until this day. This masterpost is in dedication to her.

“Through our investigation of [Athena’s] role within the pantheon, she has emerged as a power of technology and creativity who promotes creativity and order, but with another side to her power, that of the storm bringer and warmonger.” -Susan Deacy

Athena, Goddess of…

Metis (Cunning)

Skill

Crafts

Invention

War

Civilization

Hero Mentorship

Education and Knowledge [SPG]

🐍Find out More!🐍

Symbols, Colors & Tarot Cards

Traditional: Owls (Specifically the Little Owl, Athene noctua), Snakes, Horses, Gulls, Crows (In Messenia and Boeotia, though elsewhere she was not fond of them), Olive trees, the Aegis, the Gorgoneion, Spindle, Spear, Helmet (Particularly with gryphons and/or sphinxes on it).

Other symbols: Spiders [Roman & SPG], Books and Scrolls [SPG], Pens or Quills [UPG]

Colors: Saffron/Yellow/Orange/Gold [H], Murex Purple [H], Hyacinth Blue [H], Red [H?], Bronze [H], Green [UPG]

🐍Find out More!🐍

Tarot Cards (All UPG/SPG of course): The Emperor, The Hierophant, The Chariot, Strength, Justice, The World, Knight of Pentacles, Queen & King of Swords, Queen & King of Wands

Name & Epithets:

Athena has some variations in name. The Attic form was “Athenaia”, which was contracted to “Athena,” the Ionian form was “Athenaie,” the Doric form “Athana,” in Aeolic, “Athanaa,” and in epic she was “Athenaie,” shortened to “Athene.”

A few common epithets:

Areia - Warlike

Ergane - The Worker

Glaukôpis - Bright/owl-eyed.

Pallas - Refers either to the myth of Athena’s childhood friend Pallas, or of the giant named Pallas whom she slayed.

Parthenos - Maiden

Polias - Of the City

Polymetis - Cunning in many ways

🐍Find out More!🐍

Offerings and Devotional Acts

This section was super long! Only including a few here but check out the link!

Gemstones & Metals - Gold, Lapis Lazuli, Onyx, Iolite

Plants - Olive, Ivy, Thyme, Rosemary, Cypress, Peppermint, Orange

Incense and Fragrances - Frankincense, Thyme, Bay Laurel, Amber, Myrrh, Dragon’s Blood, Orange, Citrus, Cedarwood, Cinnamon, Cypress, Bergamot & Sage

Food & Drink - Olives and Olive Oil, Honey, Milk, Cheese, Cereal Grains, Diluted Wine, Bread, Baked Goods, Fish, Meat, Fruit/Fruit Juice, Water

🐍Find out More!🐍

Athenian Festivals

Athena’s main festivals were the Panathenaia, Khalkeia, Kallynteria and Plynteria. It is up to individuals to decide if and how to include these celebrations in their practice. 

Panathenaia: The biggest festival for Athena taking place annually, but with a bigger version every fourth year. Mainly a festival with athletic, poetry and musical competitions.

Kallynteria and Plynteria: Sacred days centered around cleaning.

Arrephoria: A mysterious festival that took place at night and is theorized to have been a fertility rite.

Khalkeia: The festival of artisans, which celebrated Athena and Hephaestus.

🐍Find out More!🐍

Family & Connections

Parents: Athena’s father was Zeus (Except in Libya, where she was known as Poseidon’s daughter) and her mother was the personification of wisdom, Metis. In some sources she was raised by Triton alongside his daughter, Pallas.

Children: Athena had no children as a virgin goddess but she did adopt and raise Erichthonius, who later became king of Athens.

Retinue: Athena was often associated closely with Nike (Victory), an example being the famed statue Athena Parthenos, which held Nike in its hand. The aegis which Athena wore also contained the personifications Phobos (Fear), Eris (Strife), Alke (Strength) and Ikoe (Panic) as noted in the Iliad.

Companions: Pallas is perhaps the most famous of Athene’s companions, as the two girls grew up together until Athena accidentally killed Pallas and afterwards took on her name as an epithet. However, in the Homeric Hymn 2 to Demeter it is shown that Athena, Artemis and Persephone spent time together and were playing and collecting flowers before Persephone was abducted. The Greek historian Diodorus Siculus claims they were also raised together.

Heroes: Athena was a mentor of Heroes and had a hand in assisting heroes such as Herakles, Odysseus and Diomedes, but also Achilles, Bellerophon, Perseus, Theseus, Kadmos and Tydeus.

🐍More of my Info Posts!🐍

Athena and Childbirth

Athena Hippia / Khalinitis

On The Nature of Metis - Excerpts from “Cunning Intelligence in Greek Culture and Society”

On the comparison of Athena and Ares

Athena and Herakles: Excerpt from Susan Deacy’s book

Myth of Athena's Birth

🐍Extra Links🐍

Prayers, Hymns and Poems

Homeric Hymn to Athena 11 [Tumblr - Mine]

Homeric Hymn to Athena 28 [Tumblr - Mine]

Poem for Athena [Tumblr - Mine]

Adaptation of the Orphic Hymn [Tumblr - wisdomweaver]

Ode to Athena: A Birth of Wisdom [Tumblr - panjackdaw]

Prayer to Athena [Tumblr - rue-with-the-tarot]

Hymn to Athena [Tumblr - entricacies]

Praise to Athena [Tumblr - piristephes]

Prayer for Clarity and Sound Intuition [Tumblr - crimsonsongbird]

Prayer for Athena [Tumblr - hisfleur]

Prayer for Athena [Tumblr - evilios]

Prayer to Athena [Tumblr - ranger5000]

Chin Up - A Message From Athena [Tumblr - crimsonsongbird]

Assortment of Prayers [Website - greekpagan.com]

Battle Armor Poem [Tumblr - crimsonsongbird]

A Prayer to the Wise Short Poem [Tumblr - crimsonsongbird]

Learning Short Poem [Tumblr - Mine]

Additional Links

Theoi.com [Website]

Iliad - Athena dons the Aegis [Tumblr - Mine]

Reconstruction of Athena Parthenos statue’s colors [Youtube - Museum of Fine Arts, Boston]

Bathing of Athena in Argos [Tumblr - verdantlyviolet]

Subtle Athena Worship [Tumblr - khaire-traveler]

A response to the “Athena is a victim blamer and hates women” crowd [Tumblr - rightwheretheyleftme]

khaire-traveler on their snow leopard UPG [Tumblr]

Parthenon 3D Reconstruction [Youtube - Ancient Athens 3D]

Parthenon in AC: Odyssey [Youtube - Invicta]

Bibliography

Barber, E.J.W. - The peplos of Athena

Burkert, Walter - Greek Religion

Deacy, Susan - Athena

Deacy, Susan & Villing, Alexandra - Athena in the Classical World

Deacy, Susan & Villing, Alexandra - What was the colour of Athena's Aegis?

Detienne, Marcel & Vernant, Jean-Pierre - Cunning Intelligence in Greek Culture and Society

Drees, Ludwig - Olympia

Larson, Jennifer - Ancient Greek Cults

Mansfield, John Magruder - The Robe Of Athena And The Panathenaic "Peplos"

Maurizio, Lisa - Classical Mythology in Context

Mikalson, Jon D. - Ancient Greek Religion

Ogden, Daniel - A Companion to Greek Religion

Theoi.com