our powers, our vision, our grace,
where does she dwell?
In our dreams, our inspiration,
Our breath, our space?
Who is your Goddess?
in the sweep of your work, in the grace of your home?
This is will be 1st of a series of posts where I will share with you in brief one Goddess and how you can honour and represent her in your home. I've been debating which Goddess to post about 1st Athena or Artemis? Athena it will have to be- The Goddess of the Arts, Wisdom & Civilisation. 
"Legend has it that Athena sprang out in a shower of gold from her father Zeus’s head resplendent in gleaming armour, brandishing a spear and emitting a fearsome war cry. Immediately she won Zeus’s favour- she was without question her father’s daughter and some say his equal. Only to her did he reveal the secret hiding place of his thunderbolts. Although clothed in accoutrements of war Athena is not warlike. Instead she represents a just and compassionate strategist, mediator and protector.”
“Architecture falls under this goddess’ domain, with its combination of precision, mathematics, science and beauty. Add classically inspired molding columns or a pediment to a room or doorway for a note of dignified grace. Place a potted violet on your desk to connote wisdom.”
Bring order and brightness to your workspace with neat and colourfully organised storage devises.“Crafts and handiwork were of special importance to Athena. She taught cooking and weaving to Pandora the 1st woman. She taught the craftsmen how to make chariots of bronze.” We may not all be artists but we can surely appreciate the beauty in a beautiful painting or a sculpture and notice how it changes in lamplight and daylight.
“Athena was often called grey eyed or ‘owl eyed’ goddess. The greeks believed that the owl had a magical inner light that enabled it to see in the dark. Call on this bird of prey’s powers to hunt down those elusive ideas that scurry in the corners of your imagination.” You can find owl motifs in artwork or use a small figurine to invoke these powers.
From Aggstatic’s flickr photostream
“Athena illuminated those she protected by clarifying their thoughts or quite literally lighting their way along a dangerous path. Her insight and intelligence pierced doubt and ignorance like a beam of light in darkness. "
from Alexix Wheeler’s flickr photostream
"The symbols of Intellect: Crow, Crystal, Flute, trumpet, music, Loom (productivity, strategy, intricacy of thought), Owl (nourishment, victory, peace, well-bein, honour), Thunderbolt (flashes of inspiration, power, realisation, ideas.
The colours of creativity: Blue (imagination, truth), Orange (communication), Turquoise (insight), Yellow (wisdom, power, illumination)
Women who have exemplified Athenian focus and accomplishment include Joan of Arc, Queen Elizabeth, Eleanor Roosevelt, Katharine Hepburn, Coco Chanel, Margaret thatcher and Erin Brockovitch. "
And among Indians I would include Indira Gandhi, Shabana Azmi, Arundhati Roy and Sania Mirza- who can you think of? And I'd love it if you could share with me how you already do or intend to bring in the Athenian spirit to your home :)
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