by Milky Way Maid
Recently I posted some brief entries on the asteroid goddesses; one was on a historical note regarding responsibilities held by the Vestal Virgins. Today I want to go back to the original myths and try to tease out some themes pertaining to each of these goddesses. (For this series of articles I am using the excellent “Goddesses in Every Woman,” by Jean Shinoda Bolen, M.D.)
Next up: Ceres, also known as Demeter. Let's go up close and personal with the goddess of the grain.
PEDIGREE: Second child of Rhea and Cronos, and therefore second in being swallowed by father Cronos. Zeus and Demeter's only child was the girl, Persephone aka Proserpine. Want to hear the sticky part? Her daughter was abducted by her brother, Hades. Yuck. No wonder she went into a funk when Hades took her daughter away.
HABITAT: Cultivated fields. Chiefly found at home or the day-care center taking care of the kids. Also her need to provide food and drink to her guests means that natives with a strongly placed Ceres may have a talent for the restaurant or bakery business.
FASHION STATEMENT: Usually pictured in a blue robe. Carries sheaf of wheat around. Everything has wheat-ear motif. Is that monotonous, or what? Really needs to break out and try on different outfits for different occasions.
SYMBOLOGY: Wheat and cereal grains in general. (The word cereal comes from the word Ceres.) Pictured as a woman holding a sheaf of wheat in one hand. Animals: Dolphin, pigs. Birds: Dove and crane. Insect: The industrious ant. Emblems: scythe, torch, or sacrificial knife. Special fruits of the earth: wheat or bread, of course, but also honey. Pictured as British nanny, nurse, farmer. Chakra: Thyroid. Colors: Green and gold fields. Direction: West. Element: Earth. Number: 49. Ray: Third ray of intelligent activity. Icon is a circle enclosed by an equilateral triangle.
RULERSHIPS: Ceres or Demeter were long worshiped in ancient Greece and Rome as the goddess of fertility and agriculture. The Eleusinian mysteries, established by the Goddess herself, “ensured not only fertile wheat fields, but also the ennoblement of human life on earth and the cultural gifts which enrich earthly experience.” Ceres is most at home in the earthy signs Taurus (which rules farming) and Virgo (which rules the domestic arts like bread-baking and is symbolized by a woman holding a sheaf of wheat). Not only are Ceres people devoted parents, they are natural conservationists who a concerned with environmental issues and saving our mother earth.
MARRIAGE: Demeter was the fourth royal consort of her brother Zeus, the one who had rescued all his siblings. (She preceded Hera, who was seventh and last in the series of royal wives.) Zeus and Demeter's only child was the girl, Persephone aka Proserpine. The fact that Demeter had only one child, upon which she invested her whole being (since she separated from her erstwhile husband), led to a very unbalanced psyche. Geez, you'd think that she could've adopted a dog or cat from the local shelter or something.
WOMEN FRIENDS: If a Demeter-type woman is childless for whatever reason, she will feel pangs of envy towards women friends who get pregnant easily or who have several children, who have close relationships with their children, and who gather a skein of grandchildren. So this tends to poison her friendships with those other women.
CAREER: On the other hand, if she is psychologically healthy, can be very supportive of women's issues, may be a doula or provide prenatal massage services, run a shelter, manage or serve as chef in a restaurant, or provide food service in any number of settings, or run a motel/hotel.
POLITICAL LEANINGS: Resents the “women's libbers” for devaluing motherhood. On the other hand, she is very supportive of things like shelters for abused women or children, and protecting children from all types of abuse. May also be an ardent conservationist or animal rights activist. Can be the type who becomes the crazy old cat lady if she's not careful.
PERSONALITY: Tends to feel depressed and useless after her children leave the nest. May not act supportive of her kids as they develop independence. Defines herself mainly as Earth Mother-type who takes care of other people's kids when their mom is laid up in the hospital or whatever. Really needs to develop other aspects of her personality and identity.
The keyword here is NURTURING. She feeds the people of the planet with the fruits of the fields and orchards. She raises and protects children. She conserves and protects the earth itself as the source of our sustenance. Women who have a large Ceres component in their personality feel incomplete without being able to feed someone or something, and can end up overfeeding themselves or terribly depressed. I recommend feeding birds, taking care of a pet, becoming a foster parent or getting involved in child-protection issues or women's shelters to restore a sense of purpose to one's life. One might go into the hotel or restaurant/catering business, too, as another option.
So what themes can we deduce from all this? We can list some of them here:
1- Needing to be needed
2- Not encouraging independence on the part of her children, ie wanting her kids to stay children and never grow up
3- Defining herself solely as a mother
4- Generally does not have close, supportive women friends who help each other grow as people
5- Narrow interests include the kids, the home, hubby, and mom, probably in that order
6- Can be politically or socially active in support of social services or environmentalism.
How might Ceres, the asteroid, operate in the various houses? The question becomes, where does she nurture others? First House: Really likes to play the earth mother role. Simplicity of dress with a minimum of adornment. Usually little makeup if any.
Second House: A careful conservator and saver of money and other resources, with steady growth. May have lots of flowers or house plants if in Taurus, lots of children if in Leo.
Third House: Great organizer of local events, block parties, family picnics. They often talk to their pets or house plants.
Fourth House: Quite good at meal planning with proper nutrition in mind; may be a professional nutritionist. May put up preserves, have a well-stocked freezer and larder, buy cases of canned foods on sale.
Fifth House: Usually have a couple of children naturally but may adopt if not fertile. Bird-watching or pet care or training appeals to them. Often has healing ability.
Sixth House: May be a nutritionist or in the health sciences. May work in a spa environment in any capacity. Is often the one who cleans up the business office even if they are not a cleaning lady.
Seventh House: May be called upon to nurse mate through a serious illness at some point in their relationship.
Eighth House: May work as a doula (midwife) or practice prenatal massage. Some possibility that they are very curious about topics like reincarnation or other esoteric matters. Interested in health foods as cures for various illnesses or disease conditions. May have career in the medical or biological sciences, often in the research wing.
Ninth House: Practical application of philosophical ideas, usually ones related to social or legal status of women, children, and the homeless. May have a career in higher education. Likes long trips or camping out in the country.
Tenth House: As an executive is very organized but may be dull when it comes to inspiring the troops. Best chance of advancement is in civil service where their conscientious service is recognized.
Eleventh House: Involved in humanitarian, non-profit, social welfare, or New Age causes and projects. Not a rabble-rouser kind of activist, but one that is good at getting corporate and governmental support.
Twelfth House: Often found in hospitals, nursing homes, hospices, and other care facilities. May choose a religious calling although this is a less popular option than in past eras. Supports mental health initiatives but prefers that patients not be committed to institutions as was done in less-enlightened eras.
PLEASE ALSO SEE: Article on the Pallas Athena myth and archetype at http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2011/07/28/the-goddess-archetypes-the-pallas-athena-myth/
or http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2011/07/28/the-goddess-archetypes-the-pallas-athena-myth/?sn=l
AND article on the Vesta-Hestia myth and archetype at:
PLEASE ALSO SEE: Article on the Vesta/Hestia myth and archetype at
http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2011/07/31/the-goddess-archetypes-the-vesta-myth/
Showing posts with label archetypes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label archetypes. Show all posts
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Sunday, July 31, 2011
The Goddess Archetypes: The Vesta Myth
by Milky Way Maid
Recently I posted some brief entries on the asteroid goddesses; one was on a historical note regarding responsibilities held by the Vestal Virgins. Today I want to go back to the original myths and try to tease out some themes pertaining to each of these goddesses. (For this series of articles I am using the excellent Goddesses in Every Woman, by Jean Shinoda Bolen, M.D.)
Next up: Vesta, aka Hestia. Let's go up close and personal with Vesta, as we trace her life from birth onwards.
Vesta was the oldest Olympian, just as Mercury was the youngest. She was the first to be swallowed up by her father, and the last to be disgorged when Zeus rescued them all (Bolen, p. 118). Therefore she spent the most time sequestered away from the world, and this became her preferred milieu you might say.
PEDIGREE: First child of Rhea and Cronos. Was oldest sister to first-generation Olympians, and maiden aunt to the second-generation (including Mercury). She had a claim to a home on Mount Olympus yet was never found there; her spot was eventually claimed by the upstart Dionysus, but she did not protest.
HABITAT: At home, always at home. Never shopping in the agora, I mean mall. Quite happy puttering around the house doing chores, or focusing on her own spiritual development. Lets the world go away, far away. As the spirit of the home, she represents home and family as a sanctuary from the cares and stresses of the world.
FASHION STATEMENT: Never depicted in in human form, at least, by painters or sculptors, so we have no portraits per se; she is more a spirit than a living goddess. Young girls' heads were clipped when they first entered the temple, and all of them were dressed in the same simple robes. Sorry, no fashion plate here, no jewelry, no nothing. We could call it ashram chic, I suppose.
SYMBOLOGY: Her symbols are often found together with those for Mercury aka Hermes. Often her symbol, a circle, hearth or ring, became a symbol for the feminine principle itself, while the pillar (adorned with male genitalia, the pillar was called a herm) became the paired symbol for the masculine principle. (Hearths and her first temples were round.) A Hindu counterpart that expresses this yin-yang pairing is the yoni (ring) and lingam. Hestia is the soul, and Mercurius was the alchemical spirit envisioned as elemental fire; together the represent spirit setting the soul on fire. This mystical fire “was considered the source of mystical knowledge, symbolically located at the center of the earth” (Bolen, p. 115).
She might be thought of as a candle in the wind, lighting her little fire one at a time to bring warmth, order and light to every household. She is a spirit yet grounded in the reality of earth-bound life, grounded by her rituals that make what would be drudgery, into sacred duties.
Another symbol besides the circle is the mandala, an aid in meditation to take one further into one's real, inner self.
Animals: Deer and donkey. Bird: Nightingale, ibis. Insect: Spider. Tree: Laurel and oak. Emblem: Tripod. Pictured as nun or monk. Chakra: Pineal gland. Color: Ruby or lilac/amethyst. Direction: North. Element: Fire. Number: 144. Ray: First ray of will to do good, or the seventh ray of ritual. Icon: five-pointed star (which also happens to be Venus' symbol).
RULERSHIPS: Hestia-Vesta is the goddess of the hearth, or more specifically the sacred fire itself in the hearth. A house or temple was not consecrated until the sacred fire (Vesta) entered. A bride's mother lit a torch from her hearth, which was carried to the bride's new home to consecrate it as it lit the home's first fires. Another ritual was conducted when infants were five days old, followed by a huge banquet.
In my earlier brief post, I related how the Vestal Virgins also had the duty of guarding the wills of citizens. Final testaments were stored all over their temple, with different sections for Romans, Italians, and those further afield. Furthermore, the VV's guarded the absolute privacy of the contents of these documents; no one could get a sneak peak at who was getting what from rich old Uncle Ned. So rather than security being under the domain of Vesta, I prefer to think that privacy itself was held inviolate by her maidens.
What other duties did she have? Geez, you can only do so much sweeping; but then again she finds a Zen-like harmony in putting a house in order. She also meditated; she focused on the “inner subjective experience” to use the words of Dr. Bolen. Like nuns, she performs all her work in the service of God. But we need to be able to get in touch with our real, inner selves to keep from being swept away in the onslaught of stimuli, phone calls, emails, advertising, and everything else that assaults our senses and judgment. Tranquility and solitude are preferable to the hustle-bustle of our cities. As the spirit of the home, she represents home and family as a sanctuary from the cares and stresses of the world.
MARRIAGE: Well, here it gets sticky. A Vestal Virgin who had relations with a man was guilty of desecrating the goddess, and was buried alive. Yikes! Hestia was courted by both Poseidon and Apollo, both suitors having had spells cast on them (by Aphrodite) to find demure Hestia desirable. But Hestia said nay to both and vowed to forever stay celibate.
However, Vesta-Hestia and Mercury-Hermes had a very unusual partnership. His pillar stood at the doorway, just as nowadays an intercom or some kind of communication or alarm system marks the threshold of public and private space. In many homes the family dog is the furry alarm, barking to announce a visitor. Mercury-Hermes not only announced visitors but kept distraction away so she could focus on her duties.
Taking care of her house and family provides meaning for Vesta; she notices that children are calmer and do better in school when the house is run in an orderly fashion. She is not generally ambitious for herself or her husband, but is content with what they have. She is not a servant to her family, let me make that clear. She serves but is not a servant. She does not need a husband or children to be fulfilled, and yet family life is fulfilling for each member of the family.
Dr. Bolen notes that “many contented traditional marriages are unions of a Hermes husband, who is a businessman-traveler-communicator-entrepreneur agilely negotiating the outside world, and a Hestia wife, who keeps the home fires burning” (Bolen, p. 123). Each spouse is allowed to do what makes them happy and trusts that their partner is holding up their end of the deal.
PERSONALITY: A Vesta-like girl may be very good at not being noticed! She may seemingly disappear even when in the same room with you. These daughters may seem to be pliable and compliant; they will do their chores and homework and then amuse themselves in their rooms quite happily.
Parents would do well to allow her some solitude, but also coach her in manners and deportment. Tell her what to say to Uncle Joe when they go visit, and so forth. She is quite capable of learning to be comfortable in any social situation, with people of all ages. She just doesn't get too worked up if someone appears to not like her. She appears to be detached, sometimes even apathetic, but what she is, is centered in herself.
Assuming she does not enter a convent or ashram, a modern Vesta-type woman needs to acquire other skills and personas, usually via another goddess archetype like Ceres, Juno, Athena, Aphrodite, etc. The goddess Hestia, as Dr. Bolen points out, did not compete for golden apples or choose sides in the Trojan War. Now it can be very useful to be the one person in the office who stays above the fray; the office politics will probably not target you, and you can gain the trust of all your coworkers.
No one person is a pure example of any one goddess archetype. We are all combinations of two or three major components and possibly some secondary modes. Vesta women do need to learn how to express those other aspects of themselves in a healthy way in order to feel at home in the world. Parents should given their children a variety of experiences, including outdoor sports, summer camps, hobby clubs, music, academics, and creative outlets.
But Vesta will ever be in the world, but not of the world. And there is nothing wrong with that.
How might Vesta, the asteroid, operate in the various houses? The question becomes, where does she sacrifice herself in service to others? First House: Insecure in her own ego, Vesta in the first is self-effacing and self-abnegating. May give all the credit to her staff or crew or assistants. Second House: May be better at managing other people's money than her own, because it is a sacred trust. May be good at being club treasurer, accountant or banker for that reason. Third House: Often gives the impression of being very solemn as a child, or older than her years. Becomes a good scholar as she matures. May teach children with learning disabilities. Fourth House: This is where she prefers to be, where she can uphold the traditional values of home and family. May wind up taking care of a senior or invalid family member at some point. Fifth House: This position may deny one children or the pleasure of children. If she has children, is kept too busy with work or other commitments to spend much time with them. May lose the ability to have fun, becoming less interested in amusement parks, spectator sports, etc. as she gets older. Sixth House: These natives will serve and sacrifice for their work. May be involved in remedial education, public health, visiting nurse, etc. Is usually very dedicated to her students/patients/wards. Seventh House: May take on the responsibility for the success or failure of a relationship, rightly or wrongly. Quite willing to be the silent partner in marriage or business. Eighth House: Spiritual lessons in relying too much on pooled resources (insurance, estate bequests, lotteries, the partner's money). Again, may be better at managing others' money than one's own. Ninth House: Less likely to travel for pleasure; this is the type who will give away her boarding pass to someone who has to go somewhere on an emergency. Has ability with philosophy, law, and higher education, generally turned toward civil rights and fighting for the poor and down trodden. Tenth House: More likely to go into public service rather than the private sector, and non-profit or service organizations rather than manufacturing, etc. Eleventh House: Is willing to sacrifice personal ambitions and pleasures for humanitarian goals, for a group or club or organization. Twelfth House: May be involved in hospice or hospital service corps. May visit prisoners or people in other kinds of confinement.
PLEASE ALSO SEE: Article on the Pallas Athena myth and archetype at http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2011/07/28/the-goddess-archetypes-the-pallas-athena-myth/
Recently I posted some brief entries on the asteroid goddesses; one was on a historical note regarding responsibilities held by the Vestal Virgins. Today I want to go back to the original myths and try to tease out some themes pertaining to each of these goddesses. (For this series of articles I am using the excellent Goddesses in Every Woman, by Jean Shinoda Bolen, M.D.)
Next up: Vesta, aka Hestia. Let's go up close and personal with Vesta, as we trace her life from birth onwards.
Vesta was the oldest Olympian, just as Mercury was the youngest. She was the first to be swallowed up by her father, and the last to be disgorged when Zeus rescued them all (Bolen, p. 118). Therefore she spent the most time sequestered away from the world, and this became her preferred milieu you might say.
PEDIGREE: First child of Rhea and Cronos. Was oldest sister to first-generation Olympians, and maiden aunt to the second-generation (including Mercury). She had a claim to a home on Mount Olympus yet was never found there; her spot was eventually claimed by the upstart Dionysus, but she did not protest.
HABITAT: At home, always at home. Never shopping in the agora, I mean mall. Quite happy puttering around the house doing chores, or focusing on her own spiritual development. Lets the world go away, far away. As the spirit of the home, she represents home and family as a sanctuary from the cares and stresses of the world.
FASHION STATEMENT: Never depicted in in human form, at least, by painters or sculptors, so we have no portraits per se; she is more a spirit than a living goddess. Young girls' heads were clipped when they first entered the temple, and all of them were dressed in the same simple robes. Sorry, no fashion plate here, no jewelry, no nothing. We could call it ashram chic, I suppose.
SYMBOLOGY: Her symbols are often found together with those for Mercury aka Hermes. Often her symbol, a circle, hearth or ring, became a symbol for the feminine principle itself, while the pillar (adorned with male genitalia, the pillar was called a herm) became the paired symbol for the masculine principle. (Hearths and her first temples were round.) A Hindu counterpart that expresses this yin-yang pairing is the yoni (ring) and lingam. Hestia is the soul, and Mercurius was the alchemical spirit envisioned as elemental fire; together the represent spirit setting the soul on fire. This mystical fire “was considered the source of mystical knowledge, symbolically located at the center of the earth” (Bolen, p. 115).
She might be thought of as a candle in the wind, lighting her little fire one at a time to bring warmth, order and light to every household. She is a spirit yet grounded in the reality of earth-bound life, grounded by her rituals that make what would be drudgery, into sacred duties.
Another symbol besides the circle is the mandala, an aid in meditation to take one further into one's real, inner self.
Animals: Deer and donkey. Bird: Nightingale, ibis. Insect: Spider. Tree: Laurel and oak. Emblem: Tripod. Pictured as nun or monk. Chakra: Pineal gland. Color: Ruby or lilac/amethyst. Direction: North. Element: Fire. Number: 144. Ray: First ray of will to do good, or the seventh ray of ritual. Icon: five-pointed star (which also happens to be Venus' symbol).
RULERSHIPS: Hestia-Vesta is the goddess of the hearth, or more specifically the sacred fire itself in the hearth. A house or temple was not consecrated until the sacred fire (Vesta) entered. A bride's mother lit a torch from her hearth, which was carried to the bride's new home to consecrate it as it lit the home's first fires. Another ritual was conducted when infants were five days old, followed by a huge banquet.
In my earlier brief post, I related how the Vestal Virgins also had the duty of guarding the wills of citizens. Final testaments were stored all over their temple, with different sections for Romans, Italians, and those further afield. Furthermore, the VV's guarded the absolute privacy of the contents of these documents; no one could get a sneak peak at who was getting what from rich old Uncle Ned. So rather than security being under the domain of Vesta, I prefer to think that privacy itself was held inviolate by her maidens.
What other duties did she have? Geez, you can only do so much sweeping; but then again she finds a Zen-like harmony in putting a house in order. She also meditated; she focused on the “inner subjective experience” to use the words of Dr. Bolen. Like nuns, she performs all her work in the service of God. But we need to be able to get in touch with our real, inner selves to keep from being swept away in the onslaught of stimuli, phone calls, emails, advertising, and everything else that assaults our senses and judgment. Tranquility and solitude are preferable to the hustle-bustle of our cities. As the spirit of the home, she represents home and family as a sanctuary from the cares and stresses of the world.
MARRIAGE: Well, here it gets sticky. A Vestal Virgin who had relations with a man was guilty of desecrating the goddess, and was buried alive. Yikes! Hestia was courted by both Poseidon and Apollo, both suitors having had spells cast on them (by Aphrodite) to find demure Hestia desirable. But Hestia said nay to both and vowed to forever stay celibate.
However, Vesta-Hestia and Mercury-Hermes had a very unusual partnership. His pillar stood at the doorway, just as nowadays an intercom or some kind of communication or alarm system marks the threshold of public and private space. In many homes the family dog is the furry alarm, barking to announce a visitor. Mercury-Hermes not only announced visitors but kept distraction away so she could focus on her duties.
Taking care of her house and family provides meaning for Vesta; she notices that children are calmer and do better in school when the house is run in an orderly fashion. She is not generally ambitious for herself or her husband, but is content with what they have. She is not a servant to her family, let me make that clear. She serves but is not a servant. She does not need a husband or children to be fulfilled, and yet family life is fulfilling for each member of the family.
Dr. Bolen notes that “many contented traditional marriages are unions of a Hermes husband, who is a businessman-traveler-communicator-entrepreneur agilely negotiating the outside world, and a Hestia wife, who keeps the home fires burning” (Bolen, p. 123). Each spouse is allowed to do what makes them happy and trusts that their partner is holding up their end of the deal.
PERSONALITY: A Vesta-like girl may be very good at not being noticed! She may seemingly disappear even when in the same room with you. These daughters may seem to be pliable and compliant; they will do their chores and homework and then amuse themselves in their rooms quite happily.
Parents would do well to allow her some solitude, but also coach her in manners and deportment. Tell her what to say to Uncle Joe when they go visit, and so forth. She is quite capable of learning to be comfortable in any social situation, with people of all ages. She just doesn't get too worked up if someone appears to not like her. She appears to be detached, sometimes even apathetic, but what she is, is centered in herself.
Assuming she does not enter a convent or ashram, a modern Vesta-type woman needs to acquire other skills and personas, usually via another goddess archetype like Ceres, Juno, Athena, Aphrodite, etc. The goddess Hestia, as Dr. Bolen points out, did not compete for golden apples or choose sides in the Trojan War. Now it can be very useful to be the one person in the office who stays above the fray; the office politics will probably not target you, and you can gain the trust of all your coworkers.
No one person is a pure example of any one goddess archetype. We are all combinations of two or three major components and possibly some secondary modes. Vesta women do need to learn how to express those other aspects of themselves in a healthy way in order to feel at home in the world. Parents should given their children a variety of experiences, including outdoor sports, summer camps, hobby clubs, music, academics, and creative outlets.
But Vesta will ever be in the world, but not of the world. And there is nothing wrong with that.
How might Vesta, the asteroid, operate in the various houses? The question becomes, where does she sacrifice herself in service to others? First House: Insecure in her own ego, Vesta in the first is self-effacing and self-abnegating. May give all the credit to her staff or crew or assistants. Second House: May be better at managing other people's money than her own, because it is a sacred trust. May be good at being club treasurer, accountant or banker for that reason. Third House: Often gives the impression of being very solemn as a child, or older than her years. Becomes a good scholar as she matures. May teach children with learning disabilities. Fourth House: This is where she prefers to be, where she can uphold the traditional values of home and family. May wind up taking care of a senior or invalid family member at some point. Fifth House: This position may deny one children or the pleasure of children. If she has children, is kept too busy with work or other commitments to spend much time with them. May lose the ability to have fun, becoming less interested in amusement parks, spectator sports, etc. as she gets older. Sixth House: These natives will serve and sacrifice for their work. May be involved in remedial education, public health, visiting nurse, etc. Is usually very dedicated to her students/patients/wards. Seventh House: May take on the responsibility for the success or failure of a relationship, rightly or wrongly. Quite willing to be the silent partner in marriage or business. Eighth House: Spiritual lessons in relying too much on pooled resources (insurance, estate bequests, lotteries, the partner's money). Again, may be better at managing others' money than one's own. Ninth House: Less likely to travel for pleasure; this is the type who will give away her boarding pass to someone who has to go somewhere on an emergency. Has ability with philosophy, law, and higher education, generally turned toward civil rights and fighting for the poor and down trodden. Tenth House: More likely to go into public service rather than the private sector, and non-profit or service organizations rather than manufacturing, etc. Eleventh House: Is willing to sacrifice personal ambitions and pleasures for humanitarian goals, for a group or club or organization. Twelfth House: May be involved in hospice or hospital service corps. May visit prisoners or people in other kinds of confinement.
PLEASE ALSO SEE: Article on the Pallas Athena myth and archetype at http://milkywayastrology.wordpress.com/2011/07/28/the-goddess-archetypes-the-pallas-athena-myth/
Thursday, July 28, 2011
The Goddess Archetypes: The Pallas Athena Myth
by Milky Way Maid
Recently I posted some brief entries on the asteroid goddesses; one was on a historical note regarding responsibilities held by the Vestal Virgins. Today I want to go back to the original myths and try to tease out some themes pertaining to each of these goddesses. (For this series of articles I refer to the excellent Goddesses in Every Woman, by Jean Shinoda Bolen, M.D.) First up, Pallas Athena. Let's go up close and personal with Pallas Athena, as we trace her life from birth onwards.
PEDIGREE: Most of us know that Athena sprang full-grown from her father's (Zeus's) head. Most of us do NOT know that she did indeed have a mother, Metis, who had been swallowed by her father. So while Athena had a nonexistent relationship with mom, I am going to posit that her father incorporated some feminine or nurturing qualities in order to be a complete parent to his daughter. He carried her to term, he suffered labor pains, presumably he felt a parental bond. One might say that Zeus gave her life twice, once in impregnating her mother, and second when birthing her. That's a powerful bond.
Her mother, Metis, was the first consort to Zeus. She was known for her wisdom, a trait passed on to her famous daughter. By swallowing Metis, Zeus not only took on the role of mother to his daughter, he also made wisdom part of his own personality.
HABITAT: Definitely a city girl, Athena is not found wandering the wilderness or forests like Artemis, nor tending the hearth (and home) like Vesta, nor playing with the wild animals, nor the cultivated fields like Ceres. Her special city is Athens, the most civilized and democratic city of its time.
SYMBOLOGY: Often shown carrying an owl, a symbol of wisdom. Animals: Unicorn. Birds: Owl, cock. Insect: beetle or scarab. Emblem: shield or lance. Chakra: Heart center, representing philosophy. Colors: Indigo and lilac. Direction: East. Element: Water. Number: 72. Ray: Second ray of love and wisdom. Icon: six point star with a small triangle centered inside the inner pentagon.
FASHION STATEMENT: The only goddess portrayed wearing armor, she was charged with protecting her city, Athens. Only the visor of her helmet is pushed up to show her classically beautiful face. Therefore I feel that security matters are under the rulership of Pallas, in addition to military strategy. Does armor represent emotional invulnerability? Keeping her personal problems under wraps? I suppose it is akin to the general professionalism expected of most people in the workplace, ie no temper tantrums, no yelling or other outbursts, no talking about stuff outside the job, and all that.
She carries both spear and shield, with the other hand holding a spindle in the other (denoting her rulership of weaving and other domestic arts). This is an odd combination: martial and domestic arts, but she took civilization to a new level.
RULERSHIPS: Athena is the goddess of weavers, goldsmiths, potters, dressmakers. She invented the bridle to tame the horse and the yoke for oxen, plus taught the human race how to plow, build ships, and drive the chariot. She is also the goddess of hygiene, safeguarding public health. She is one smart cookie. And on top of that, she gave Athenians the olive tree.
SMARTY JONES: Athena took on her parents smarts, and became a sort of military advisor, counselor, campaign strategist, and personal cheering section. She helped Perseus, Bellerophon, and Jason to become the heroes that they are. She was involved in the strategy for fighting the Trojan War--- and she was not above planting a bit of misinformation to the other side.
WOMEN FRIENDS: Now, since she is completely her father's daughter, she rarely has close friendships with other women --- not with her mom Metis, not with any mother figure like Persephone with her mother Ceres, not with sisterly women like Artemis does. There was only one exception: Pallas. Pallas was a sisterly companion who was the victim of an unfortunate accident. They were playing a competitive game, and Athena's spear accidentally hit and killed her friend Pallas. After that, Athena took her friend's name as part of her own. Dr. Bolen feels that Athena's competitive drive can be fatal to her female friendships; she needs to find another gear, you might say, when hanging out with her women pals.
MARRIAGE: Athena types may or may not get married. Career women flock under her banner, whether they have their own business, work for a corporation, work in the political realm, or are in the halls of academia. But they do often get married to an up-an-comer type in business or politics, in which case they sublimate personal ambitions to provide key support in their husband's career. Jacqueline Kennedy was an example of the behind-the-throne type.
SISTERHOOD?: Dr. Bolen is quite clear that despite Athena's career ambitions, she is frankly NOT a women's libber type nor does she feel any sense of sisterhood with other women. That is the province of Artemis. Moreover, Dr. Bolen feels Athena is very much a supporter of the social/political status quo, as evidenced by her vote to acquit Orestes in the murder of his mother Clytemnestra. Back to that in a moment. She also condemned Arachne to life as a spider after she submitted her weaving in a contest with the goddess. This punishment was not meted out because of Arachne's temerity to challenge Athena in a contest of skill; it was because of the controversial subject matter of her tapestry. It depicted Zeus' peccadilloes in seducing Danae and Leda and Europa. How dare she point out the feet of clay of her personal hero, Zeus! So not only does Athena worship her father, she also has no sympathy whatsoever for whistle-blowers in general.
CRAFTY N SAVVY: Athena was the go-to person if you had a riddle or problem that your poor, feeble human brain could not figure out the solution to. She told Perseus how to master the fearsome Gorgon (look at it only via a mirror). She gave the equestrian and general, Bellerophon, a golden bridle to tame Pegasus with. She helped Jason and his crew build the famed ship Argo (no, not nailing boards together; with technical advice). She whispered tips and encouragement to Achilles. Like I said, she is one smart cookie. Athena might be compared to the frontier women who not only helped plow the fields but also wove the fabric for their clothing, as they and their mates wrested the land from the wilderness into a homestead.
LEGAL EAGLE: Now, back to that trial of Orestes. This is a very muddled issue in my mind because unfortunately Athena did not write a legal opinion on the case explaining her reasoning. Did she vote to acquit because this was a revenge killing? (Orestes' mother had killed his father) Did she sympathize with anyone who was faced with the death of a father? Did she think that perhaps Orestes was crippled by temporary insanity, and let him off on that plea? Or did she think that women should never strike out against their own husbands, no matter what the provocation?
A closer look at the story of Orestes: The house of Atreus was one of those supremely dysfunctional families. Orestes' mother, Clytemnestra, was cheating on her husband, King Agamemnon. Agamemnon returns from the Trojan War with his booty, the girl Cassandra. King and Queen go into the palace and the queen comes out all bloody after killing the king, saying it was revenge for his killing one of their children. Son Orestes is in the same boat as Hamlet, wondering if avenging his father extends to even the crime of killing a mother. So he goes to the oracles of Delphi, where Apollo himself tells him to kill both mom and her lover. Orestes does so, then wanders for some time in the wilderness before he goes to Athena to explain himself. Apollo is beside him to vouch for the fact that he ordered this vengeance killing. Athena, establishing a new order of mercy, acquitted Orestes, and the curse on the Atreus family was lifted.
So by looking closer at the story of Orestes, I believe we can say that Athena's brand of justice was tempered by MERCY, and that she realized the only way to end a cycle of murder was to stop the shedding of blood, both illicit and licit. She realized that even legally sanctioned murder must stop. Oh, it just occurred to me that Athena would be against the death penalty for that reason.
So there you have an overview of the legendary goddess Pallas Athena: smart n savvy, a skillful weaver and crafter and shipbuilder, a tamer of large animals (animal husbandry), a merciful judge, a military strategist, a political analyst, an ombudsman or consultant, city girl, ambitious career woman, competitive athlete and business-woman. Not a warm, fuzzy type with a dozen cats, and not a fashion plate who lives for the New York fashion shows. But a smart, wise woman of the world.
So many modern women who eschew marriage or just do not set a priority on getting married and having kids are accused of trying to be men. That is NOT TRUE. They follow another drummer, a female drummer who loves the challenges of trying to uphold civilization with laws, industry, education and high-quality craftwork. Oh, and olive trees.
Dave at AstroAmerica stated in a recent newsletter that Pallas Athena represents how we gained the father's approval. I might add that clues to HOW we were rewarded with that approval may be gleaned from the sign and house position of the asteroid. For example, my Pallas is in Aries; I feel that part of the meaning of this placement is that I was rewarded for taking the initiative in some things, in my childhood. For getting on that bike and learning to ride, for venturing down to the corner park alone, for upholstering that old chair, etc.
How might Pallas, the asteroid, operate in the various houses? First House: you feel rewarded for speaking up for yourself, for putting yourself out there and introducing yourself. Sometimes spread self too thin over too many projects. Second House: Pallas is not interested in wealth per se is good at saving and conserving. Will never sell out their reputations for personal gain. Third House: Pallas here might prompt you to go into education but probably not in the primary grades. Third House also rules the city, her favorite place, so you may be quite involved in local politics.
Fourth House: Pallas is not very domestic but she does run an organized household, like a military operation. She may be the pioneer type who not only weaves the fabric for clothing but also puts up food and helps with the plowing. Also rules security systems. May start a home-based business. Fifth House: Geez, Pallas is not much into fun n games nor into romance, so that leaves the arts. Particularly textile arts, but any work that is equal parts skill and craft like shipbuilding. Enjoys strategy games like chess and bridge rather than golf, etc. Sixth House: OK, now you're talking. Pallas is very much at home with any career where one wears a uniform: the military, nurses and doctors (especially public health personnel), and police. Also working in civil service may be the sort of Confucian duty that appeals to her.
Seventh House: You may be a very public person, someone who perhaps investigates consumer problems brought to your attention. You may be more known for the person you marry, and prefer to be the “power behind the throne.” In one case the placement of Pallas in the seventh showed the husband's occupation (Scorpio: he was a police detective). Eighth House: Management of pooled funds such as insurance, state lotteries, joint accounts. Also good for surgeons. Ninth House: Another one of Pallas' fave houses, where she can exercise her Legal Eagle savvy, get involved in academia, national or world politics, or heck, rule the world. She could do that.
Tenth House: Pallas here can easily handle being high in the executive boardrooms of major corporations. Eleventh House: here is a difficult place for Pallas because she is just not really chummy, doesn't hang out at the mall with friends, doesn't care too much for pure socializing. But she does excel at heading, organizing and fund-raising for charitable or non-profit groups. Twelfth House: Hmmm, not likely to be a fave place for Pallas although her rulership of hygiene may help her to run large hospitals or other medical facilities.
Next up: Vesta, aka Hestia.
Recently I posted some brief entries on the asteroid goddesses; one was on a historical note regarding responsibilities held by the Vestal Virgins. Today I want to go back to the original myths and try to tease out some themes pertaining to each of these goddesses. (For this series of articles I refer to the excellent Goddesses in Every Woman, by Jean Shinoda Bolen, M.D.) First up, Pallas Athena. Let's go up close and personal with Pallas Athena, as we trace her life from birth onwards.
PEDIGREE: Most of us know that Athena sprang full-grown from her father's (Zeus's) head. Most of us do NOT know that she did indeed have a mother, Metis, who had been swallowed by her father. So while Athena had a nonexistent relationship with mom, I am going to posit that her father incorporated some feminine or nurturing qualities in order to be a complete parent to his daughter. He carried her to term, he suffered labor pains, presumably he felt a parental bond. One might say that Zeus gave her life twice, once in impregnating her mother, and second when birthing her. That's a powerful bond.
Her mother, Metis, was the first consort to Zeus. She was known for her wisdom, a trait passed on to her famous daughter. By swallowing Metis, Zeus not only took on the role of mother to his daughter, he also made wisdom part of his own personality.
HABITAT: Definitely a city girl, Athena is not found wandering the wilderness or forests like Artemis, nor tending the hearth (and home) like Vesta, nor playing with the wild animals, nor the cultivated fields like Ceres. Her special city is Athens, the most civilized and democratic city of its time.
SYMBOLOGY: Often shown carrying an owl, a symbol of wisdom. Animals: Unicorn. Birds: Owl, cock. Insect: beetle or scarab. Emblem: shield or lance. Chakra: Heart center, representing philosophy. Colors: Indigo and lilac. Direction: East. Element: Water. Number: 72. Ray: Second ray of love and wisdom. Icon: six point star with a small triangle centered inside the inner pentagon.
FASHION STATEMENT: The only goddess portrayed wearing armor, she was charged with protecting her city, Athens. Only the visor of her helmet is pushed up to show her classically beautiful face. Therefore I feel that security matters are under the rulership of Pallas, in addition to military strategy. Does armor represent emotional invulnerability? Keeping her personal problems under wraps? I suppose it is akin to the general professionalism expected of most people in the workplace, ie no temper tantrums, no yelling or other outbursts, no talking about stuff outside the job, and all that.
She carries both spear and shield, with the other hand holding a spindle in the other (denoting her rulership of weaving and other domestic arts). This is an odd combination: martial and domestic arts, but she took civilization to a new level.
RULERSHIPS: Athena is the goddess of weavers, goldsmiths, potters, dressmakers. She invented the bridle to tame the horse and the yoke for oxen, plus taught the human race how to plow, build ships, and drive the chariot. She is also the goddess of hygiene, safeguarding public health. She is one smart cookie. And on top of that, she gave Athenians the olive tree.
SMARTY JONES: Athena took on her parents smarts, and became a sort of military advisor, counselor, campaign strategist, and personal cheering section. She helped Perseus, Bellerophon, and Jason to become the heroes that they are. She was involved in the strategy for fighting the Trojan War--- and she was not above planting a bit of misinformation to the other side.
WOMEN FRIENDS: Now, since she is completely her father's daughter, she rarely has close friendships with other women --- not with her mom Metis, not with any mother figure like Persephone with her mother Ceres, not with sisterly women like Artemis does. There was only one exception: Pallas. Pallas was a sisterly companion who was the victim of an unfortunate accident. They were playing a competitive game, and Athena's spear accidentally hit and killed her friend Pallas. After that, Athena took her friend's name as part of her own. Dr. Bolen feels that Athena's competitive drive can be fatal to her female friendships; she needs to find another gear, you might say, when hanging out with her women pals.
MARRIAGE: Athena types may or may not get married. Career women flock under her banner, whether they have their own business, work for a corporation, work in the political realm, or are in the halls of academia. But they do often get married to an up-an-comer type in business or politics, in which case they sublimate personal ambitions to provide key support in their husband's career. Jacqueline Kennedy was an example of the behind-the-throne type.
SISTERHOOD?: Dr. Bolen is quite clear that despite Athena's career ambitions, she is frankly NOT a women's libber type nor does she feel any sense of sisterhood with other women. That is the province of Artemis. Moreover, Dr. Bolen feels Athena is very much a supporter of the social/political status quo, as evidenced by her vote to acquit Orestes in the murder of his mother Clytemnestra. Back to that in a moment. She also condemned Arachne to life as a spider after she submitted her weaving in a contest with the goddess. This punishment was not meted out because of Arachne's temerity to challenge Athena in a contest of skill; it was because of the controversial subject matter of her tapestry. It depicted Zeus' peccadilloes in seducing Danae and Leda and Europa. How dare she point out the feet of clay of her personal hero, Zeus! So not only does Athena worship her father, she also has no sympathy whatsoever for whistle-blowers in general.
CRAFTY N SAVVY: Athena was the go-to person if you had a riddle or problem that your poor, feeble human brain could not figure out the solution to. She told Perseus how to master the fearsome Gorgon (look at it only via a mirror). She gave the equestrian and general, Bellerophon, a golden bridle to tame Pegasus with. She helped Jason and his crew build the famed ship Argo (no, not nailing boards together; with technical advice). She whispered tips and encouragement to Achilles. Like I said, she is one smart cookie. Athena might be compared to the frontier women who not only helped plow the fields but also wove the fabric for their clothing, as they and their mates wrested the land from the wilderness into a homestead.
LEGAL EAGLE: Now, back to that trial of Orestes. This is a very muddled issue in my mind because unfortunately Athena did not write a legal opinion on the case explaining her reasoning. Did she vote to acquit because this was a revenge killing? (Orestes' mother had killed his father) Did she sympathize with anyone who was faced with the death of a father? Did she think that perhaps Orestes was crippled by temporary insanity, and let him off on that plea? Or did she think that women should never strike out against their own husbands, no matter what the provocation?
A closer look at the story of Orestes: The house of Atreus was one of those supremely dysfunctional families. Orestes' mother, Clytemnestra, was cheating on her husband, King Agamemnon. Agamemnon returns from the Trojan War with his booty, the girl Cassandra. King and Queen go into the palace and the queen comes out all bloody after killing the king, saying it was revenge for his killing one of their children. Son Orestes is in the same boat as Hamlet, wondering if avenging his father extends to even the crime of killing a mother. So he goes to the oracles of Delphi, where Apollo himself tells him to kill both mom and her lover. Orestes does so, then wanders for some time in the wilderness before he goes to Athena to explain himself. Apollo is beside him to vouch for the fact that he ordered this vengeance killing. Athena, establishing a new order of mercy, acquitted Orestes, and the curse on the Atreus family was lifted.
So by looking closer at the story of Orestes, I believe we can say that Athena's brand of justice was tempered by MERCY, and that she realized the only way to end a cycle of murder was to stop the shedding of blood, both illicit and licit. She realized that even legally sanctioned murder must stop. Oh, it just occurred to me that Athena would be against the death penalty for that reason.
So there you have an overview of the legendary goddess Pallas Athena: smart n savvy, a skillful weaver and crafter and shipbuilder, a tamer of large animals (animal husbandry), a merciful judge, a military strategist, a political analyst, an ombudsman or consultant, city girl, ambitious career woman, competitive athlete and business-woman. Not a warm, fuzzy type with a dozen cats, and not a fashion plate who lives for the New York fashion shows. But a smart, wise woman of the world.
So many modern women who eschew marriage or just do not set a priority on getting married and having kids are accused of trying to be men. That is NOT TRUE. They follow another drummer, a female drummer who loves the challenges of trying to uphold civilization with laws, industry, education and high-quality craftwork. Oh, and olive trees.
Dave at AstroAmerica stated in a recent newsletter that Pallas Athena represents how we gained the father's approval. I might add that clues to HOW we were rewarded with that approval may be gleaned from the sign and house position of the asteroid. For example, my Pallas is in Aries; I feel that part of the meaning of this placement is that I was rewarded for taking the initiative in some things, in my childhood. For getting on that bike and learning to ride, for venturing down to the corner park alone, for upholstering that old chair, etc.
How might Pallas, the asteroid, operate in the various houses? First House: you feel rewarded for speaking up for yourself, for putting yourself out there and introducing yourself. Sometimes spread self too thin over too many projects. Second House: Pallas is not interested in wealth per se is good at saving and conserving. Will never sell out their reputations for personal gain. Third House: Pallas here might prompt you to go into education but probably not in the primary grades. Third House also rules the city, her favorite place, so you may be quite involved in local politics.
Fourth House: Pallas is not very domestic but she does run an organized household, like a military operation. She may be the pioneer type who not only weaves the fabric for clothing but also puts up food and helps with the plowing. Also rules security systems. May start a home-based business. Fifth House: Geez, Pallas is not much into fun n games nor into romance, so that leaves the arts. Particularly textile arts, but any work that is equal parts skill and craft like shipbuilding. Enjoys strategy games like chess and bridge rather than golf, etc. Sixth House: OK, now you're talking. Pallas is very much at home with any career where one wears a uniform: the military, nurses and doctors (especially public health personnel), and police. Also working in civil service may be the sort of Confucian duty that appeals to her.
Seventh House: You may be a very public person, someone who perhaps investigates consumer problems brought to your attention. You may be more known for the person you marry, and prefer to be the “power behind the throne.” In one case the placement of Pallas in the seventh showed the husband's occupation (Scorpio: he was a police detective). Eighth House: Management of pooled funds such as insurance, state lotteries, joint accounts. Also good for surgeons. Ninth House: Another one of Pallas' fave houses, where she can exercise her Legal Eagle savvy, get involved in academia, national or world politics, or heck, rule the world. She could do that.
Tenth House: Pallas here can easily handle being high in the executive boardrooms of major corporations. Eleventh House: here is a difficult place for Pallas because she is just not really chummy, doesn't hang out at the mall with friends, doesn't care too much for pure socializing. But she does excel at heading, organizing and fund-raising for charitable or non-profit groups. Twelfth House: Hmmm, not likely to be a fave place for Pallas although her rulership of hygiene may help her to run large hospitals or other medical facilities.
Next up: Vesta, aka Hestia.
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