Please bear in mind these notes include personal research done for a better understanding on aspects of Athena that are not usually touched upon in most works, upg or academic. They are a broad mix of whatever aspect caught my eye. Yet, they are the sort of things that many reconstructionists would want to instinctively know about. As such, some material is good enough as a stand alone article, others have a sketchy feel to them and may feel incomplete. I have many more notes derived from quotes from academic works, but these belong to those professors and I can't just repeat them here. I'd like to thank a number of fine academics, firstly Burkert for being a genius and providing some amazing information, Deacy whose books are detailed and very current, all the many archeologists and wonderful researchers of the Hellenic history, anthropology and mythology. I'd like to suggest that it's better to look for academic sources for anything you might find on the internet, you could use this pile of notes as a pointer or springboard to deeper and more solid information. There's information stretched all over the place and running through lots of sources...it just seemed like a good idea to try to put them all in one handy place. Best not to use these as sources, but to use them as signposts to study in the area. Part of knowing Goddess Athena is the search for her through the information. It's somehow wrong to detract from that. Think of it as a quest. A test. 

Mythology seems to attract a disproportionate amount of fickle perusers and modernites who are ambivalent to fact, a problem that makes the more academic orientated want to smash their own head open on a rock. If you are new to mythology, please don't view it as pliable and arbitrary. They are the remnants of sacred stories, much of which are easily vandalised and twisted. Much of what Hollywood offers in their movies is twisted beyond any sense and the disservice this does outweighs the boon of movie fame. If we always say "this is from this source, quote  'blah blah' ",  then that's very good. If it is unverified personal gnosis, then always say so.  I have seen lots of very very strange stuff offered on the web, and even being very unhappy about it, there's nothing anyone can do. This has to make the Greeks mad. I've seen hate sites, wildly erroneous claims and things that are simply misinterpreted. Please be careful. 

The notes below don't all have their sources made available. This is because in the early days of the site, I kept finding sections lifted into other people's works. That's not the idea, and much of the connecting information is my opinion (sometimes flawed!) so not providing all the sources makes this less likely to be copied. 

1) ATLANTIS 

Atlantis has been sought for as a geographical place for a long time, and it's about time that people began to think allegorically about it rather than physically. The War of Athens against Atlantis, and the sinking of Atlantis beneath the waves signals it's becoming of an underworld kingdom, it's position in the western ocean, similar to the Egyptian Kingdom of the West, the place of migration for souls. There have been mentions that "Athena was the daughter of  Poseidon, but she was adopted by Zeus" in one ancient legend. This may be true or false, if true, the war of Athens  against Atlantis would have been a war of independence by Athena, or a bloody revolution of the city against a powerful empire. The famed competition over Athens between Athena and Poseidon is further indicative of this possibility. A very different perspective by A. Alford in his book "The Atlantis Secret" ISBN 0-9527994-1-3 shows us that the allegorical aspect far outweighs the geographical aspect, and that Atlantis is an inverse of Olympus - that Olympus is the allegory of the Holy Mountain and Atlantis is the opposite. Alford nurtures a new theory called "the exploded planet theory" which offers a grand scale appreciation of the deeper facts of ancient religion, based of the fragmentation of an entity into smaller parts, which is essentially, playing things into the hands of the orphic and the shattered Dionysus. The Orphic idea fits in well with the Athenic creation of man, showing that man has indeed a dual nature. The destroyed ashes of the titans were therefore animated by Athena and Prometheus into new beings in which the shattered fragments of the god Dionysus were placed - he was a dying and rising god in the model of Osiris. Perhaps the only way of keeping him alive was to keep him fragmented, so that a continuous cycle of life and death could take place with him never either fully alive or fully dead. Despite the associations with after world, Atlantis was described as a beautiful place with broad plains, mountains and a clean geometric city - a far cry indeed to Odysseus's trip to the underworld. If this association (that Atlantis is underworld) is true, then Plato's Orphic description of the afterlife in the final texts of the republic are more in line with Atlantis than Hades. I don't go for the Dionysus idea, instead I'd go for the purely pneumatic aspect of spiritus - Athena as sharing some part of her divine nature with her creations. Atlantis remains a mystery to me.

2) BOOK LIST - GOOD BOOKS (Currently Under Revision)

Athena in the Classical World (Deacy & Villing 90-0412-142-0)

Cutting edge Athena conference book discussing many aspects. An expensive but brilliant volume.This is an important work for any cult member - you could try to get it from your library. 

Athena, A Biography (Lee Hall, 0-201-87046-0)

An excellent overview of the aspects of Athena, covering most of the spectrum. I sense a certain friendly enthusiasm from the author on this topic and it makes it somehow  more than just an academic publication. 

Sorrows of the Ancient Romans (Barton, ISBN 0-691-01091-9) 

Analysis of the collective psychology of the Romans; a modern science applied to the ancient people - especially the "Gladiator". Awesome! 

Worshiping Athena (Neils, ISBN 0-299-15110-7) 

Under Review. On a first glance, it is a hugely informative work covering many aspects of the Athenic Cultus. University of Wisconsin Press. 

The Iliad (Homer, Fagles translation, 0-14-044592-7)

This is a brilliant translation keeping the poetic form. Highly reccommended. WOW! :) 

The Iliad (Homer, Hammond translation, 0-14-044444-0)

A story version of the worlds most awesome book. 

The Odyssey (Homer, E.V.Rieu Translation, 0-14-044556-0) 

Another epic starring Athena. 

The Laws (Plato, Saunders Translation, 0-14-044222-7) 

Mostly mundane, Book 10 however is essential reading. 

Old Stones New Temples (Drew Campbell, 0-7388-3201-4)

 A must have. You will never be the same after reading this! Available as a PDF for those that join Hellenion.

Greek Religion & Society (Easterling & Muir, 0-521-28785-5) 

Some powerful revelations about Greek Religion. 

The Romans & Their Gods (Ogilvie, 0-7126-6703-2)

A short book with some good outlooks. 

The Wrath of Athena (Clay, 0-8226-3069-9) 

A must have for students looking at the Odyssey. Looks at the many-mindedness of Odysseus and Goddess Athena.

Athenian Constitution (Aristotle, Rhodes Translation, 0-14-044431-9)

His political examination of the Athenic City State 

Athenian Democracy (John Thorley, 0-415-12967-2) 

Excellent. Terse but very pertinent. 

The Greeks (H.D.F. Kitto, 0-14-013521-9) 

A brilliant introduction to ancient Greece. This book, a healthy 252 page "intro" is packed with accurate and relevant information and written in a way that left me wanting for more. Impossible to put down, this is an enchanting little gem. 

The Greeks (Cartledge, 0-56353764-7) 

A BBC Book. Nice reading. A look at individual people in neat sections. Some sections are interesting.

The Age of Alexander (Plutarch, 0-14-044286-3) 

Plutarch, Priest of Apollo. Historical records. 

The Rise and Fall of Athens (Plutarch, 0-14-044102-6) 

Plutarch, Priest of Apollo. Historical records. 

The Peloponnesian War (Thucydides,0-14-044039-9)

Historical records. 

The Persian Expedition (Xenophon, 0-14-044007-0) 

A firsthand account of an excellent commander who went on and returned from an expedition deep into the Persian Empire with only 10,000 men. Astonishing. 

Creation of the Sacred (Burkert, 0-674-17570-0) 

Traces of biology in ancient Greek religion. Priceless examinations of the evidence. 

Homo Necans (Burkert, 0-520-05875-5) 

Anthropology of Ancient Greek Sacrificial Ritual and Myth. Another work that shows the truth behind what the Greeks pagans did, and did not. 

Witchcraft & Magic (Flint, Gordon, Luck & Ogden) VOL 2, Greece & Rome (Athlone, 0-485-89102-6) 

Covers lead prayer tablets and their contents, from a Cult of Minerva-Sulis aspect. 

The Nature of The Gods (Cicero, 0-14-044265-0) 

One of Rome's  most inspired thinkers takes a look at the awesome spectrum of pagan religions. 

The Aenid (Virgil, 0-14-044457-2) 

A Roman Epic, intended to be perhaps a 3rd Volume, turning the Illiad, Oddesey and Aenid into a Trilogy! 

Protagoras & Meno (Plato, 0-14-044068-2)

Philosophical work. Early Socratic Dialogues (Plato, 0-14-044447-5) Philosophical work. 

Theatetus (Plato, 0-14-044450-5) 

The analysis of what knowledge actually is. No man can be a philosopher without this. 

Meditations (Marcus Aurelius, 0-14-044140-9) 

The diaries of one of Rome's most favorite Emperors. 

Campaigns of Alexander (Arrian, 0-14-044253-7) 

Arrian was a provincial governor and commander of numerous legions. A most trusted man who gathered together as much as he could about Alexander. 

Ethics (Aristotle, 0-14-044055-0) 

The thinker analyses all the aspects of  ethics and morals. 

Histories (Herodotus, 0-14-044638-9) 

There's some wild stuff in this work but how much is just hearsay is another thing. Good entertaining read with lots of color. 

Placing the Gods (Alcock/Osborne, 0-19-815060-1) 

A look at "Sacred Space" in Ancient Greece. Positions of temples and their geographical factors. 

Timeus & Critias (Plato, 0-14-044261-8) 

Covers the legendary Atlantis conversation. People have speculated ever since. 

The Republic (Plato, 0-14-044048-8) 

The ideal state according to Plato. 

Olympia (Drees, SBN, 269-67015-7) 

Old publication from 1967, this is "beautiful" with masses of information and loads and loads of color & b/w photographs illustrations and maps. They just don't do books like this anymore - combines in depth knowledge of all aspects of this ancient city-state.  

Black Athena (Bernal, 0-09-988780-0) 

Ill fated attack on "the western establishment" some or all of Bernal's ideas have met with some sort of battering. Featured here because it is full of other things, which are wondrous and wise, even though not maybe the main purpose of the book. I will, even though not in agreement with Bernal's main idea, be keeping it on hand, because it's packed with a lot of valuable, suggestive and provocative academic information and observation. 

7 Daughters of Eve (Sykes 0-593-04757-5)

 (Gene research) Prof. Sykes shows the evidence of the origins of the native European peoples, which come from 7 locations and 7 clan mothers. It shows the % spread of gene types and the age that they fragmented from the main pool. This book is the "forensic" evidence. If any religion claims to be true, it needs to examine and incorporate this truth. 

Jesus Mysteries (Freke & Gandy, 0-7225-3677-1)  

Astonishing book that as good as proves that the church has been fabricated from ancient pagan religions that it tried to exterminate. In practice it is very taboo among the Christians I've met, who simply say it's wrong because they don't like it, but also, the Dionysus pagans also seem to reject it, because it doesn't serve their purposes either. I suppose it's shocking, like finding out your related to Hitler, or that the local vicar is a witch. Shocking but Brilliant with a caps B and may I just say, this book is fabulous (unless you're a Christian or Dionysian transvestite). 

Jesus and the Goddess (Freke & Gandy, 0-00-710071-X) 

(Secret teachings of the early church) More from the two geniuses, these guys can produce world rocking books. Maybe not as shocking as the Jesus Mysteries, but continues with a look at the "Goddess" aspect of the ancient Christians and Jews. 

Plutarch's Lives Vol. 1 (Dryden translation, 0-375-7576-0) 

A full bodied and acclaimed version of the Priests work. 

The History of the Decline And fall of the Roman Empire (Edward Gibbon, 0-14-043764-9) 

Powerful historical book which is packed with loads of amazing things. A great read but 795 pages is only for the initiated I'm afraid. Hardcore history! 

Myths of Greece & Rome (Bullfinch, 0-14-005643-2) 

A very beautified book with loads of pictures. Done in a very storyteller way, it lacks some accuracy and comes over in a slightly condescending way. To quote line 2 of Chapter 1 "The so-called divinities of Olympus have not a single worshipper among living men". This is of course simply WRONG. Nevertheless, valuable because of its easy reading. 

History of Western Philosophy (Russell, 0-415-22854-9) 

Magnum opus. 842 pages of philosophical odyssey from the most ancient thinkers to modern day dragons like Nietzsche. Valuable for its perspectives on the ancient Greek thinkers and views on Pythagoras, Aristotle etc. 

Illustrated Encyclopedia of Traditional Symbols (J.C. Cooper 0-500-27125-9)

 This is illustrated with b/w line drawings and art, the strength of this is in it's wide spanning research across most world cultures. If it's an ancient symbol, this book will have a lot on it. A symbol "bible". 

The Greek World Vision (Pan. Marinis) Issued by Societas Hellenica  Antiquariorum 

This is a full look at the Cosmos, Cosmopolitan religions,  Cosmogony, Evolution, Psychogony,  Soul, The Golden Age, Theogony, Mysteries, Higher Worlds, Form of the Gods, Dodecatheon, Mythology, Structure, and basic principles of the Dodecatheon. This is an excellent handbook to help reconstructionalists to stay in tune with the ancient beliefs. A must. A book also for intelligent readership. 

Theogeny / Works and Days (Hesiod, 0-19-283941-1) 

Systematic genealogy of the Gods. Prophecy. A book that is dynamic 2800 years after its writing. 

Greek Religion (Burkert, 0-631-15624-0) 

This has been a recent addition. It looks like it is by far the most important general book. How can you do without this massive and shining work? True brilliance. 

The Homeric Hymns (Jules Cashford, 0-140-43782-7) 

Very readable 33 Hymns to the Gods - only 2 are of any real incidence to the Athenic Cult. 

Portrait of a Priestess ( Joan Bretton Connelly, 0-69112746-8, Princeton) 

Magnum Opus. A look at the ancient priestess in great detail. A wellspring of authentic information needed by anyone studying the roles of the woman in priestess roles. Five stars! 

Ancient Greek & Roman Religion (By H.J.Rose, Barnes & Noble, ISBN 1-56619-981-6) (Added Oct 2018)

This is an informative, formally written academic introduction to Greek religion from 1948.  Rose takes a neutral to skeptical outlook, delighting in the high points and calling out the irrational. He’s a bit of a curmudgeon perhaps and where the beliefs examined are primitive or agrarian, his disappointment is obvious and he names it ‘simple’ and the people that could fall for that or believe that, also simple. Initially offended as a Hellenist, the evaluation of these things over a week of reading, the question arises, is he actually correct? There are high points, we all love these glittering images from history. But what about the person who doesn’t realise that the sun does in fact rise the next morning despite not offering to the gods? So despite finding gems of information, it can be tough to read. Rose calls the BS out. And if you are not committed to truth, this will sting and wring you out. The message is perhaps that Greek Religion is scattered through many subjects and times. It’s rationale breaks down and by the time of the Roman Empire, much of what may have been rational thought is now no more than ritual for the sake of it, and the reasons for them have long been forgotten.  Recommended for the battle hardened but this might cause an uncommitted reader to consign Hellenismos to the ‘dead religion’ shelf. Americans might find the old fashioned British writing style pompous and demeaning instead of charming.

More books to come...

3) COMBAT

Learning some form of combat is most likely central to being a guardian, and being a guardian is central to being an 'Athenic' person. If a man has opinions, it doesn't matter if they are good ones, without the capacity and threat of martial action, they count for nothing. As with the ideal of the Olive Goddess, peace is always desirable and preferred.  One must be prepared however to defend freedom, democracy and social order. Hence the ideal of  'Fore fighter' should be maintained in the life of the religious follower. Whereas the original fighting technique of the ancient Greek is as good as lost, there are some clues left. Hoplites fought with spears and did so in ranks. The polis financed the teaching of the spear but not the sword (xiphos) as the spear art was effective defending the society as part of a ranked army. The xiphos was financed on a private level, showing perhaps that keeping combat training controlled in use and on the battlefield was thought a good idea. Finance of sword use would have brought many weapons onto the streets in the hands of trained fighters who could have used them for their own reasons, such as feuding and revenge. It is possible to use the spear effectively in single combat. It's deadly reach and power are not to be scoffed at. The spear has to be the cultic weapon of the Athenic martial art. Xiphos, or sword has to be next in line, perhaps with a shield (dipylon or buckler). There's also the ritual Pyrrhic Dance, done with spear and shield. This was attributed to being firstly performed by Goddess Athena after her victory in fighting the titans. I'm working on this, but the modern versions are knife fights, not quite the same and certainly Byzantine in flavor. For me, I entered a 14 year study of KdF, a medieval unarmoured weapons system from Germany and also ran my own sword combat school for 8 years. It's an eye opener, requiring a lot of focus and thoughtfulness. I made a suit of armour and specialised in Sword & Shield, (Buckler, Heater and Viking) and the 48 inch Long Sword. Goddess Athena is a Guardian Warrior, who has the mindset of both a nurturer as well as a fighter. In one prayer session, I received (I believe) some advice which now functions as a footer to my mail: "Victory is never found. It is always seized." If you internalise that, it might seem obvious that knowing how to fight, to defend yourself and all you hold dear, is part of the mindset of the cultus. Defend. Not make war. I've placed something at this page foot that might inspire you to take up a martial art or HEMA (Historical European Martial Art) as a devotion to the Goddess Athena. I'm available to chat!

4) EPIPHANIES

As Athena is a rational, logical goddess, I've always been careful not to ascribe a manifestation to every bumping noise or strange light in the sky. Most events have an engineering explanation. For instance, one 3rd day I was placing the offering meal onto its plate and the plate  suddenly moved 3ft down the counter. I was stunned. But rather than simply regard this as a sign of the goddess (it was her meal plate and food that scooted off)  I came to a solution. There were three factors here:

1) The counter has been damp wiped about 10 minutes before.

2) There was a very slight slope in the counter.

3) The meal was piping hot.

The action: The hot food was put onto the plate, it heated the plate. The heat then transferred through to the small air cavity under the plate (there was a rim there) and this caused the air to expand, and the moisture caused a seal, creating enough lift to begin the plate sliding. So usually, before I consider something like that a manifestation, I think it out if there was more than likely a physical cause for it, and this usually then debunks many myths.   There are things that I have never been able to explain, such as candles flaring, hearing the goddess speak, a vivid unforgettable dream where Athena visited my room in intense beauty and grace, and the temporary receiving of a long blonde hair I found wrapped around the icon on the household shrine.  A powdered pile of glass was also found in my kitchen, the remains of a glass beaker that could only have been destroyed by a high powered sonic attack after I'd asked for a sign. This was certainly a sign...but more than often, it's impossible to present these things to you, she took the hair back quickly, the glass dust went into the bin, the candles burnt out a long time ago. The visitation by ball lightning after making my first libation cannot be reproduced for you.  However, I have managed to catch something that happened and it is a reflection of light. There's no doubt that this is physical light reflecting. What makes it special is that I built an aegis from steel and chrome plated it, mounting a pewter medusa head on the chest area. It was corded to be worn as a religious item, design based from an ancient pottery fragment depicting Athena at war. So this was worn about the house. Luckily I had my mobile phone with me, and I managed to snap a single picture of the wall reflection. The pattern that appeared on my wall has been identified by independent researchers as being an image similar to the Athena Parthenos designed by Phidias, holding what could be either a winged Nike, a flower, an axe or chalice. This is not certain, but winged Nike seems the likely item.  I have put the picture below. It's merely reflected light off a sacred artifact. Judge for yourself !  It could be a torch...what do you think? The blue and saffron are just filters added to the B&W to make things more visible to the eye. Of course, when it happened, it was very visible indeed, and the camera has lost a lot of impact. I mean, it was breath taking when it shone there on the wall. The photo is a drab fragment. See photograph positioned at the end of this page.

5) EPITHETS 

Knowing these epithets, or some of them, was important in prayer. We compiled a list over a year or so. Some are really sketchy. If you know of any let us know as we want a full list. 

Nike - Victorious 

Promachos - She who fights at the fore front, or defender 

Glaukopis - Owl eyed, or blue-grey eyed 

Ergane - Craft worker 

Mechantis - Doer of deeds 

Parthenos - Virgin maiden 

Polymetis - Of many counsels 

Soteria - "Saviour" 

Salpynx - Patron of the Salpynx 

Athana - Doric Version 

Polias - Of the Polis 

Polimitin - Patriot 

Chalkiokis - (Sparta) Of the copper temple 

Hephaestia - Friend of Hephaestus 

Halea - Of the sea 

Hippia - A Tamer of horses 

Hugieia - The Health giver 

Pallas - Disputable, possibly not "maiden", as boys had the name in Virgil's Aeneid. Name is linked with the Palladium, and the sacred shield of Rome. The name Paladin is also linked in with this name. 

Atana Potinja - Minoan Version of Athena. This is not certain however. 

Athenaie - Ionic Version 

Tritogenia - Third born, or even thrice born 

Doritharsis - She who use the spear 

Nikiforos - She who brings victory 

Eirinoforos - She who brings peace 

Akria & Eptapirgitis - Defender of castles 

Damasipos &  Halinitis - She who bends (tames) horses 

Tavropolos - Because she helped Orestis in Tavrous 

Itonia - Some believed that Iton was her educator 

Alalkomenis - Some believed that Alalkomeneus was her educator 

Agistratos - Wielder of the Agis 

Areia - The warlike 

Chalinites - Of the Bridle 

Elaterbrontes - Hurler of Thunderbolts 

Adamatos - Unconquerable 

Axiopoinos - She who gives fair punishments 

Afaia - I'm not sure. Faia = dark colour, a=non, so maybe means shining 

Voulaia - With strong will 

Kourotrofos - She who protects or grows up young men. 

Oxiderkis - With strong abillities 

Ofthalmitis - Seeing everything 

Persepolis - Conqueror of Persepolis 

Telhinia - From a cult in Rhodes 

Fratria - Perfection (or Auspice of Phratriai?) 

Gorgopis - Sometimes wearer of the Gorgon Mask 

Cecropia - After the Cecropidae, the original Ionic Athenians

Cydonia - Kydonia - Goddess of Heroic Action 

ATHENA SCYLLANIA - Plutarch, Life of Lycurgus chapter 6: "[Lycurgus] brought back an oracle...from Delphi, which they call a rhetra. It goes like this: 'After dedicating a temple to Zeus Scyllanius and Athena Scyllania, forming phylai and creating obai, and instituting a Gerousia of thirty including the founder-leaders, then from season to season apellaze between Babyca and Cnacion so as to propose and withdraw. But to the people should belong the right to respond as well as power." (trans. R. A. Talbert) 

SO CLOSE BUT...? 

Sophia - Wisdom (undeniably) but this will lead to foreign confusions with 'bride' goddesses. This seems like a close call superficially only. Looking deeper, nah, no way. 

Phosphoros - Light Bringer (statues with torches seen but evidence of "Athena Phosphoros") as a direct epithet  not seen anywhere. This worries me! 

Onga - Very tenuous. Don't get me wrong. There's a slight chance. But I did hear from a reputable historian that this has been published 'as wholly true' when it 'is most likely wrong'. 

The problem with internet publishing, is that anyone can publish anything without an editor or even a second look. This Onga link MUST be proven before I will agree with it.   

Synoyia - Could this be an epithet of Goddess Athena? The name is: συνοecία, synoecía, pronounced like Synoyia, meaning "Cohesion". It appears on p.99 of Kitto's The Greeks and is stated in sub-notes as "Union of Houses", either invented for the festival uniting Attica or inferred from the occasion. -- Could the existing Goddess have been invoked and referred to as this to seal the unification with a holy pledge?

FOREIGN EPITHETS & SYNCRATISED 

Please note these are NOT 'Athena in other nations/cultures' but close matches and lose matches. Consider them similar in positional relationship - a good way of thinking is to compare Presidents of two different nations. Or even of the same nation, but different presidents at different times (that is, they are not the same but have the same job).  There's also some advice from Plutarch in Moralia 377.

"In the second place, and this is a matter of greater importance, they should exercise especial heed and caution lest they unwittingly erase and dissipate things divine into winds and streams and sowings and ploughings, developments of the earth changes of the seasons, as do those who regard wine as Dionysus and flame as Hephaestus. And Cleanthes says somewhere that the breath of air which is carried (pheromenon) through the crops and then suffers dissolution (phoneuomenon) is Phersephone; and a certain poet has written with reference to the reapers,

“Then when the sturdy youth come to sever the limbs of Demeter.”

The fact is that these persons do not differ at all from those who regard sails and ropes and anchor as a pilot, warp and woof as a weaver, a cup or an honey mixture or barley gruel as a physician. But they create in men fearful atheistic opinions by conferring the names of gods upon natural objects which are senseless and inanimate, and are of necessity destroyed by men when they need to use them. 

It is impossible to conceive of these things as being gods in themselves; (67.) for God is not senseless nor inanimate nor subject to human control. As a result of this we have come to regard as gods those who make use of these things and present them to us and provide us with things everlasting and constant. Nor do we think of the gods as different gods among different peoples, nor as barbarian gods and Greek gods, nor as southern and northern gods; but, just as the sun and the moon and the heavens and the earth and the sea are common to all, but are called by different names by different peoples, so for that one rationality which keeps all these things in order and the one Providence which watches over all of them and the ancillary powers that are set over all, there have arisen among different peoples, in accordance with their customs, different honours and appellations. […] (68) Wherefore in the study of these matters it is especially necessary that we adopt, as our guide in these mysteries, the reasoning that comes from philosophy..."

Mycenaean (Early Greek) Equivalent: 

Shield Goddess - the earliest appearances of the Goddess Athena in Greece can be linked by the appearance of Autolycus' boar tusk helmet from Homers Iliad on a fragment of a decoration found in the Shield Goddess temple. The omega shaped altar symbolic of Nin.Khursag also appears here. By  chance the symbol of the Mycenaean kings were two lions, as seen on the Lion Gate - both symbols of Sumerian Nin.Khursag. 

Spartan Athena: 

Asana - Athena of the Copper House  - Sparta is mentioned here specifically. Athena was never in Sparta what she was in Athens. However here is a special chunk of information: The Maidens apartment, the Parthenon, was built Doric style. The sculpture by Phidias was also, if you note, created with a special skirt, complete with a split leg OR a leg that shows through the material as if it was showing. This would have been regarded as 'improper' behavior for any respectable Athenian woman. Why then was it done like this? Two possible reasons, a) to tempt the man to be at his absolute best.  b) This style of dress was the normal thing for the Spartan woman, who frequently went to their own sports and minimalised their clothing to allow for movement etc. as we do today. Complete the message, Doric temple designed for a martial goddess who is also sculpted wearing a Spartan 'style' dress. Which leads me to dismiss another claim I've had made to me, the Danaans are not the Jewish Tribe of Dan. And my nickname, Ozzy, is not because I am Australian. Asana is the Doric name for Athena, and it just so happens to appear as the Sanskrit word for 'seat' or 'sacred position'. It could be interpreted 'throne'. Which then links us to the Isis connection.

Roman Equivalent: 

Minerva - intellectual capacity. As Minerva, Patron of the Roman Army, and "Owner" of the iron hard "1st Legion" "Flavia Minerva"  the image and banners of the Goddess were taken across Europe and Arabia. In Cratylus by Plato, he gives an etymology, 'Etheonoa' meaning 'The Mind of God'. Two quotes here taken from the section “Minerva” in “Warriors of Arthur” (John Matthews, Bob Stewart and Richard Hook) p.82 they quote Geoffrey of Monmouth, Vita Merlin) : Meanwhile Taliesin had come to see Merlin the prophet who had sent for him to find out what wind or rainstorm was approaching, for both drew near together and the clouds were thickening. He drew the following illustrations under the guidance of Minerva his inspirer: “Out of nothing the Creator the world produced Four Elements as a prior cause and root material for all creation joined in harmony...”

and...

“Bladud the son of Hudibras succeeded his father and ruled for twenty years [as king of Britain]. He built the town of Kaerbadum which is now called Bath, and constructed the hot baths there so well suited to the needs of mortals. He chose the goddess Minerva as the deity of these baths. In her temple he lit fires which never died or turned into ash, but as they declined became balls of stone….” (Geoffrey of Monmouth, History of the British Kings).

Hittite Equivalent: 

Arinniti - The Sun Goddess Arynna  - Promachos Goddess of the Charioted Kings running afore them in battle, shielding them and sending terror and woe into their enemies hearts. Hittite Arynna becomes Hellenic Athena via Luvian mispronunciation? (see Athena In The Classical World - Ch. 19 - Greek Athena and the Hittite Sungoddess of Arinna by Annette Teffeteller). Troy was part of this Hittite culture and many Greek traditions were the same as the Trojan.

Japanese Equivalent: 

Ameratsu - Sun Goddess.

Celtic Equivalents: 

Brigid / Sulis - Goddess of War, Healing and Smithcraft. May have been "Lady of the Lake" as Aqua Sulis  is but a few miles north of the accepted site of Avalon at Glastonbury, UK. This links the Grail with Minerva and Athena, back to Nin.Khursag, viz. 'Minerva-Sulis'. See Roman equivalent, Minerva and the links. If we look at the Welsh name for Sunday, Dydd Sul, we can see Sulis and the Sul rooted in the same word for sun. Sulis was most likely a sun goddess connected with water, similarly, the parthenon of Athena has a long rflecting pool afore the cult statue. 

Sumerian Equivalent: 

 Nin.Khursag - Mother of Mankind Not Innana, who is separate! The altar of  the Shield Goddess was found to be Greek Omega in shape, and this is the symbol of Nin.Khursag.  Many other Sumerian titles but the most famous is "Lady of the Mountain" ties in with Minoan peak sanctuaries and the  Utnapishtim/Noah of the Bible. Different spellings and double names used for the same gods and goddess gave me a nightmare that I'm not likely to return to. 

Tiamat  - See Neith below. Uncertain of the Tiamat possibility.

Scandinavian Equivalent: 

Sunna - Chariot borne Goddess of the Sun. Echoes of Athena's position in her famous dragon propulsed chariot bearing the flaming fennel of sacred heavenly light carried by Prometheus. Some statues of Athena bear solar swastica designs linking her with the sun and possibly the wheels of the solar chariot. 

Egyptian Equivalents: 

These two following equating Goddesses are very difficult, but all the points that show the relationship can be found in the page "Mother."

Maat - Parthogenic daughter of Ra  (Worshipped by all the Gods, Bright Wisdom aspect of  Neith via Ra opposite to Thoth who  is Dark Wisdom aspect of Neith via Set) 

Neith - First Born of the Primal Mound mentioned in Plato Timeus. Bright and Dark aspects combined. 

May equate cross culturally of Metis and Tiamat. EGYPTIAN GREAT COSMIC MOTHER OF ALL GODS. Athena would not directly be  "the Goddess Neith, Tiamat or Metis"  but rather be inheritor of the positional powers of them after their slaying (Tiamat)  and incarceration (Metis). Medusa also fits the position of another "mother" figure and wife of Poseidon, who after death, provides Athena with ancient chthonic powers in the form of the glaring head of Medusa. The snake  haired Medusa may be the representation of the Tiamat or  Neith, and the parthogenic birth of Athena and Maat signifies the rebirth of the First Born Goddess, slain in battle, now within the sphere of creation. 

Isis  - Plutarch refers to the followers of Isis in Egypt who maintained that Isis was Athena. However we know that Isis is in fact a Greek word, as is Typhon (Set). There are problems with this link, but as we can see from the Doric 'Asana' name for Athena, which means 'seat' or 'sacred position' in Sanskrit, Isis as a name is interpreted to mean 'throne'. Very similar. The problems are rife. Here are mentions from Plutarch 'Moralia' - From the section called 'Isis and Osiris' I have taken note of all the mentions made of Athena. 

 351-352 - 'For Isis is a Greek word and so also is Typhon' 

my note: btw, we know now that however the word Athena is pre-Greek! This makes me wonder if Isis is an Egyptian version of Athena who in turn was version of Neith. Convoluted? 

354 - 'In Sais, the statue of Athena, whom they believe to be Isis, bore the inscription; 'I am all that has been, and is, and shall be, and my robe no mortal has yet uncovered'. 

354-355-  'the hebdomad Athena' 

my note: http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/hebdomad 

That Athena is in fact partitioned into SEVEN personalities? This merits lots of research! 

361 -  'In fact, men assert that Pluto is none other than Serapis, and that Persephone is Isis.' 

mynote: So we have a big problem developing in that Athena would be linked as Persephone through the Isis connection. 

363 - 'At Sais in the temple of Athena was carved a babe and an aged man, and after this a hawk, and next a fish, and finally an hippopotamus. The symbolic meaning of this was; 'O ye that are coming into the world, God hateth shamelessness'.  The babe is the symbol of coming into the world, the old man departing, by the hawk they indicate god, the fish hatred, and as already been said, because of the sea, and by the hippopotamus, shamelessness; for it is said that he kills his sire and forces his mother to mate with him.'  

my note: So the fish is symbolic of hate? So much for the Christians using it then. LOL.

 365-366 - 'That Isis was daughter of Prometheus and was wedded to Dionysus'.

'The Dog star is the star of Isis'.

mynote: ok, so if Isis is supposed to be Athena, then Athena is married to Dionysus? This is the 'bedification' again. It's not supposed to exist right, but here's clear evidence of matrimonial claims...

 372 - 'that Isis is a deity that presides over love affairs'. 

mynote: Not Athena then. Athena is duty over emotions. 

373-374 - ' the Egyptians hold in high honor the most beautiful of the triangles, since they liken the nature of the universe most closely to it'. (See 381 below) 

376 - 'For they often call Isis by the name of Athena, expressive of some idea as this, 'I became of myself' which is indicative of self-impelled motion. 

mynote: yes, this is a similar. But this doesn't mean they are the same.  I can see this notion as very important however. As in 'The Shakti of Shiva' 

- Shiva being linked with Dionysus by the way. 

379 - 'The dove is the sacred bird of Aphrodite, 

that the serpent is sacred to Athena, the raven to Apollo, the dog to Artemis.' 

381 - 'The equilateral triangle they called Athena, born from the head and third-born, because it is divided by three perpendiculars from it's three right angles'. Why not Isis? In the 18th Cent. B.C. the  Cult of Isis was syncretised with Ashtoreth - the Aphrodite of the Hebrews. Why?  Especially when Egypt already had a Cult of Aphrodite by the name of Hathor? Before this odd move, Isis may have been a link with Neith, and her name was Aset. But as unknown forces made this move on the identity of Isis, this popular Goddess cannot be representative afterwards. As Priestess Nike mentioned, 'in Athens in the heyday of Isis worship, the temple of Isis was separate to the temple of Athena. It's a different goddess' (shrugs). If the name Athena means something like a special quality, such as 'undying' (Athenatos) then Isis could claim that name too as she is also immortal. Perhaps this is the source of the confusion. 

Hindu Equivalent: 

Durga - Invincible Warrior Goddess. Born fully formed she was the warrior of the gods who slew Mahisha. Beautiful and with terrific power, she is represented as having 8 arms each with a divine weapon but with a main weapon of the spear. Durga means "inaccessible". An aspect of the shakti of Shiva, she may also, when sent purely to destroy or dismantle, project Kali in another parthogenic head birth. There is shown in the Hindu religion many similar ideas as Olympianism, but a lot has changed over 6000 years of separate evolution. The Hindu religions are directly related to the Greco-Roman Gods despite their separation including a real likeness between the Iliad and the Mahabharata. 

Modern British Name: 

Britannia - Masonic adaptation of Athena to symbolize the enlightenment period and the British nation. One of the Lions of Nin.Hursag appears on the back of the British 50p piece along with a olive branch bearing, trident wielding and Aegis bearing Athena type. Twin Leopards and Three Lions remain a badge of the English Kings even today, and the origins of these symbols can also be seen on the Mycenaean Lion Gate. The trident however symbolises either the seas or Poseidon, Amphitrite. Only the masons would know for certain about their usage. 

LIMITED or NO EVIDENCE FOR... 

Anat  - People seem to keep on coming up with this name but have yet to provide me with any evidence. Anat the "Destroyer" was a virgin female war goddess and features in the Baal Mythos.  The evidence that I have been provided with makes a tenuous link, if at all, that is that Anat was Bride of Baal and Anat was identified (sometimes) with Neith - therefore, Neith identified with Athena, Anat = Athena. But NO! In the mythos of Egypt, Neith gave a number of brides to Baal, one of them was her daughter, Anat. I've come across researchers who have simply ignored this mother/daughter problem. Anat was most likely warring Aphrodite. There are similarities, but nothing really locks in. One thing I have noticed, the name for Asia minor "Anatolia" may show us that this region was associated. The arguments show that this is a wrongful association. Anat was Baal's lover, and this locks (for me) Anat as an ancient Aphrodite in armour.  There was ONE town far on the north coast of Cyprus, Idalion and  Larnaka-tis-lapethou where Athena was associated (syncretised might be the wrong word?)  with Anat of the Phonecians. Deacy p135 of 'Athena' mentions that 'The connection between Athena and her Phoenician counter-part seem to have been confined largely to Cyprus." Quoted from the Anat Wiki entry "In a Cyprian inscription (KAI. 42) the Greek goddess Athêna Sôteira Nikê is equated with ‘Anat (who is described in the inscription as the strength of life : l‘uzza hayim)." 

Aphrodite - This is a total and diametric opposite of Athena. Aphrodite is not Athena and Athena is not Aphrodite. The usual idea is for modern trad to weld all gods into "Father God" and all goddess into "Mother Goddess". To polytheists, this may be just another syncretic move towards monotheism. There's even strong evidence to suggest foam born Aphrodite is not Greek Aphrodite, as Hesiod's foam born one was most likely Astarte, another bride of Baal. But Greek Aphrodite was born of Zeus and Dione as mentioned by Homer. 

If you have any names to add,  if there's a book reference for it or authentic mythos I'll be very indebted for it. 

6) HEPHAESTOS AMBIDEXTER "VULCAN" 

Why is a Hephaestus paper here in an Athena book? It's because Athena always honored him as a great friend, and so, as her temple bore his flame within atop the altar, so this page will shed some light on this fabulous and most ancient deity. 

OVERVIEW 

It has been quite a revelation that tokens of Hephaestus were always found in Athena's temple. Usually, it seems the God of Creative Fire, Hephaestus, was represented by an ever burning lamp upon the Athenic Altar. In return, Great Hephaestus allowed the statue of the Goddess Athena to preside there with his own. This also crosses cultures, as the Celtic followers of Brigit maintain an eternal flame on her altar too. Together, the  temple of Athena and Hephaestus formed a  visual axis across ancient Athens, noted by Burkert in the amazing book called Greek Religion. Hephaestus was a well thought of God, he was "The Smithy" and the "Artificer". In the original creations of mankind, Prometheus and Athena made the first men. Later, Hephaestus and Athena made the first woman but the details are somewhat sketchy here. There were many ages and many destructions, natural and otherwise, so these events may have been a long time ago. Geneticists place the original tribe of men at about 150,000 BC somewhere in Africa. He was not thought of so well in Rome, to the pompous Roman aristocrats he was too much like a commoner than an Olympian. Vulcan was an ancient Roman God from the very dawn of Rome, and whilst not as revered as most, he was strongly represented in the technical classes, such as Blacksmiths, Builders and other manly trades, such as Masons and Wagon-makers. This God, like his friend Athena, is an active participant in human technological mobilization. 

THE MYTHOS 

Hephaestus was born to Zeus and Hera. Some say only by Hera as revenge for Zeus birthing Athena. If so we have male Zeus creating female Athena and female Hera creating male Hephaestus. This is something for future speculation. So she suffered a fit of rejection and in a moment of shame, she threw the fire god out from the lofty heights of Olympus, and he fell into the sea near Lemnos. He lived in the sea, feeding off fish until finally being washed up and rescued by nymphs. The Lemnians adopted him as their patron God. His bad leg supposedly came from the other story where Zeus grabbed him and threw him out. But in actuality, Hephaestus  is no lame God. He is the creative fire that sits here on earth, and his separation from the heavens means very much that he is now an earthbound god. There are some myths about Hephaestus gaining revenge against his mother Hera for flinging him out. He made a throne of gold which was made a gift to her. When she sat on it, she stuck to it and Dionysus had to get him drunk to enable the release.  In the myths, Hephaestus made all sorts of amazing  creations, such as the thunderbolts of Zeus, the shield of Achilles and the golden net in which he trapped Ares and Aphrodite. The wild and wonderful Aphrodite was given by Zeus to Hephaestus, who has been called "the most unfavored of the Gods". Yet is was said that Ares was the least favorite. What I translate this as is that even though Ares is the most disliked, Hephaestus is liked more, but rewarded less than Ares. Ares remains a resident of Olympus. Hephaestus is here on earth, and he was forced to build his own Holy Mountain  which is regarded as being in the heart of Mount Etna. Great strong armed Hephaestus has huge forges under these volcanoes, hence the name of the fiery mountains is named after Vulcan. This may also show some odd connections with Egypt and the Pyramids. This word describes literally a "House of Fire" and it's my idea that the Pyramids were artificial volcanoes spouting flame - desert temples of Vulcan. This may have been created by the sucking of water up from the Nile and separating the hydrogen and oxygen, the oxygen spare being clean and the entire system pure. This is just my theory! The Holy Forge of Vulcan was situated under Etna, where no doubt he utilized the fiery breath of Typhon, who was imprisoned underneath. Rumored to have created giant sized servants who may have been Cyclops, at the moment, I have also heard that he created a brigade of skilled workers to help him in his creative mission.  In the Iliad, Hephaestus was pitted against the minor water god Scamander. He therefore fought on the same side as Athena. Sulphur, sacred to Athena, is a commonly found substance around the volcanic springs and thermal vents of volcanoes. 

WAS VULCAN DERIVED FROM HEPHAISTOS? 

It seems that the Sintians were not originally the same people as those of the areas around the mainland. They have been shown to be an Etruscan colony from central Italy - and so it would seem that the forge of Vulcan was placed by default in Italy under Mt. Etna.  So Vulcan could have been the original one, and Greek Hephaestus the later version. This information can be found in Walter Burkerts  "Greek Religion" page 167 - 2.11. This is very unexpected for me, but just goes to show that migrations from western Europe were possible, but this doesn't prove that Vulcan was first unfortunately. Oddly, the Etruscan name for Vulcan was Sethlans. A link with Set? 

Festival of Hephaestus/Vulcan 

The Volcanalia - August 23rd 

A bonfire was set up in one of the old sacred areas of Rome and fish were given as burnt offerings. Small animals were also sacrificed here, and this may be because these small animals are emblematic of the earth, as they live in holes in the earth or very close to it. Fish as a sacrifice may come from his time with Themis and Eurynome who, as nymphs, may have fed him on fish whilst he lived with them. 

Holy City of Hephaestus / Vulcan 

Hephistu, Capital of Lemnos (up to 600 BC) This was inhabited by the Tyrenoi. The people of Lemnos were the Sintians. 

Sons of Hephaistos / Vulcan 

Erichthonius - King of Athens 

Servius Tullius - King of Rome 

Cacus - a prodigal son 

Kabeiroi - a group of sons who were all blacksmiths. 

Foster Mothers of Hephaistos / Vulcan 

Thetis & Eurynome 

Wives and Girl Friends of Hephaistos / Vulcan 

Aphrodite / Venus 

Aglaia 

Athena/Minerva 

Animated Creations of Hephaistos 

Pandora (Eve?) 

Mankind (Men and Women) 

Talos (Massive Guardian Robot) 

Gold Female Servant Robots 

Foreign Equivalents & Syncretised Deities 

There are many fire and forge gods around the world, from Ireland to Japan. Here are some that I think are very close. 

- Ptah from Egypt 

Hephaestos was thought of as Ptah. Ptah was pictured rather differently but I understand the association was quite accepted in the past. As Ptah, Vulcan used the form of the Ox to hide from Typhon who has to be Apep. 

- Atash (Fire) Puthra (Son) 

Of Dadar Ahuramazda or Dadar Ahuramazda. Hephaistos basically means "fire" (Walter Burkert Greek Religion, Page 168) and so could be Atash of the Zorostrians. As earthbound "fire" taken from the sun (Zeus-Ammon-Ra) by Promethius and Athena,  Promethius also stole away the flame from the sacred forge of Hephaistos on Olympos, meaning either that Hephaistos is Atash and Zeus-Ra as Ahuramazda or Hephaistos is Ahuramazda himself. This is like many other similars, open to thought. 

Hindu God Agni 

The Hindu God of Fire. Too much to put anything here! 

Hittite Alalu 

Alalu was directly thought of as Hephaistos. This links directly with the term, H-alalu-ea, meaning ALL the pointers now go to Ea-Enki and Jehovah. 

Next! 

Is Hephaistos Jehovah? (Speculative Look) 

It's not as bad as it seems. Vulcan was the husband of Venus and she abandoned him - and we know that Astarte was the bride of Baal. However, Baal as a dying and rising god is almost certainly Dionysus. So if Dionysus is Baal (see amendment below), who is Jehovah? Well, as Charmer of Making, En.ki, he fits very well. If En.ki then he fits as maker of man,  with Nin.khursag as Athena. There are many things that point to this, such as the burning bush (fire dragon wrapped around tree) and the "glory of the lord" atop the Sinai mountain (volcanic activity or natural gas fire) and also the Temple of Hathor (Aphrodite)  located there.  We have in Ezekiel a mad contraption rolling across the sky embellished with flame, the typical sort of Vulcan creation. In fact, he was rumored to have made a vehicle of bronze to move around on.  We have the Trinity associations with Athena,  (see symbolism, Trinity and the Number 3) and the claim by Sumerians that En.ki was the father of Cain, known as "The Vulcan".  Quain was Serpent King of Kish, like Erechthonious was "Erech" (Uruk) "chthonic" (Earth) born of the earth of Erech, and he too was denoted as having a serpents tail.  The King of Rome, Servius Tullius claimed his descent from Vulcan. King Erichthonious of Athens claimed his descent from Vulcan. A line of Pharaoh claimed their descent from En.ki and so do the Royal court of Dragon Knights who might term themselves "Desposyni" IF Jesus existed at all.  These pointers all strongly point to Vulcan as En.ki and Jehovah. This not only has massive implications for Judaism and Christianity but for Muslims and Hellenismos as well. But for the most, the implications are huge for the Masonic Orders. The Hebrews also have some explaining to do - why did they write En.ki out of the bible? Why did they write Nin.khursag out of the bible? Why did they steal the seed of Pharaoh? Why did Christians wipe out the Hellenic pagan religions? Why did they wipe out Jews all over Europe and why did they hunt down and destroy the Knights Templar and the Masonic Orders? It would seem that all these people except the church claim that they are related to "Jesus" and/or the line of Vulcan/En.ki.  There's also the potential here for use of Athena  as "Sophia" but this presumes that the "Lord" who cursed the "Serpent"  and trashed the Tower of Babel was Jehovah, but this is a  reversal that has been held as a common misconception - Ea is Enki, not En.lil. So I see the pointers here, but lack certain proof.  If however this is a true association, then there has to be, by default, a syncretisation of Ptah and Jehovah. This would also deny any association of Jehovah as Typhon as Ptah was enemy of Typhon and Vulcan used the Typhonic breath to fuel his forge. However, I have found that there was a composite trinity type god merger - that of Ptah-Seeker-Osiris. This would have created a god of creation, judgement and death. This seems to show an awareness of creative fire (of Vulcan) and the destructive fire (of Typhon). If the Fire Dragon "Enki" Jehovah is as I think, (Dragon from the description of the Lillith episode, where she lay with En.ki, so En.ki is a dragon!). This also seems to show that the episode of the angry god who visits the "Garden" of Eden is the antithesis god Dionysus, who did not want Adam & Eve to know of their nudity, and wanted to keep them in ignorant bliss as his simple minded fruit eating pets. Pointers may indicate that Dionysus (Non-Olympian) could match , with the aspects of insanity and madness, the destructive fire of Typhon. This would match Dionysus with Baal and of course, Astarte-Aphrodite who had left Vulcan in the lurch. This then would match Dionysus-Baal with Set, and from what I can tell, Set was the incarnation of Apep. There's something that doesn't match however, in that Dionysus was supposed to be the son of Zeus - however, he was not an Olympian. Dionysus was a reject in Hellas and was not a public God. It was only in the later years after Hellas had flooded with immigrants from the east that weight of public opinion forced them to honor him as an official God. Very suspicious - later the Roman Senate banned the Bacchanalia in 186bc (Titus Livy Book 39.13) and destroyed  the sanctuaries, but even with the might of the Roman Imperium, they could not rid Rome of what was regarded as an obnoxious cult. So as a reject from the entire Greco-Roman society it was essentially an underground cult based on depravity and obnoxious sexuality. Mystery religions came from the east and seemed to have superimposed over indigenous vegetation gods and their bringers were termed "Magi" - odd cults that drank blood and tore Orphic flesh with tooth and nail. So, it would seem that it is possible that "Liber" was over-layered by the foreign mystery religions and that native Hellenic Dionysus, son of Zeus and Semele, was also over layered by the foreign obnoxiousness. It certainly, in my own mind, puts the case forth for the eastern Dionysus as Set, En.lil and Apep leaving Jehovah as Ea, Enki, and Vulcan, father of Tubal Quain "the Vulcan". 

Amendment: 

"Some say he was Dionysos, others say another - who was dismembered by the daimon Typhon [equated with the Set] and became a great sorrow for the Egyptians, they kept the memory of his dismemberment for all time". From Osiris by Suidas (Lexicon) The idea that Osiris was Dionysus is OK - it's just that the Set-Typhon assimilation truthfully weighs. The thing is, there's something in the nature of Set that's "brother" to Osiris, and I firmly believe that the Hyksos God Set (who equates with Baal) was worshipped by the Hebrews in much the same way as their version of  Dionysus - and that many of the symbols were shared and stolen. There has to be an explanation why the Jewish temple was covered in Ivy and why all the pointers go to Dionysus as "The Lord". Asses (rode by  judges and priests) were emblems of Set. The pig, rendered unclean to  eat, was symbolic of the body of Set. Ass worship was one of the many suspicions against the Jews. Almost like the Setian cult with it's  six pointed star somehow took to using the symbols of Osiris after his dismemberment. Perhaps that Typhon-Set took over the emblems of Osiris  after the usurpation of the throne as part of the trophy.  After all he captured Isis and turned her into his wife.  My idea is that the Setian Cult was merely the Hebrew version of the Osirian cult, hence Set brother of Osiris,  and the symbols were shared and usurped. So Typhon = Set =The Hebraic Doppleganger Cult of Osiris? This then would have been pushed by the Magi and layered over other indigenous cults such as Hellenic Dionysus and Roman Liber adding an extreme eastern flavor to western pagan religions bringing them under the control of the Magi. It seems to fit well. 

There is a large positional chart available on the Sumerian Line of Gods and how the Canaanite, Egyptian, Hellenic and Roman fit in - BE WARNED HOWEVER, THIS IS MY OWN EXPERIMENT (AND NOT AN OFFICIAL ISSUE). I HAVE TRIED MY BEST BUT READILY ADMIT THE CONNECTIONS ARE PROBLEMATIC - AND FOR THE MOST ARE HEADACHE PRODUCING!  You need Corel Draw 7 or better to view this. If you wish to mail me for a DXF or AutoCad DWG please do so. I've not seen anything like this on the www or in any book. The attempts I have seen left me stunned that some massive connections had been simply not taken into account. I wanted to see how far it could be pushed, and I was reasonably satisfied. You need to view it! Also, this positional chart is not "perfect". There's room for error and many people will disagree with it and I expect that. No hard feelings! I'm just searching for truth and show my research as a gift - please receive it in good faith and comment if you would. I would like to let you know that I have once come across someone of the Christian faith who published his own unsymmetrical version of this after seeing it, but you know, the symmetry is sometimes a proof of something. Take a look in the mirror sort of thing! 

Get it from: odysseusosborne@gmail.com

7) INVOCATION 

This is a specific method of "invoking" the Goddess Athena - it is a sacred method that the ancient cult MAY have used to invoke Athena. Bear in mind that it's completely Athena's choice if she listens to the suppliant prayer. You need to get bathed and with clean clothes if it is at all possible. But if you are in DIRE trouble, then pray as you are, I will highlight how you can pray like Odysseus, and get the best possible chance of obtaining her help. 

Book 13 Verse 320 of the Odyssey says: (Rieu translation) 

-----HANDLE WITH CARE----- 

"No, I was left to wander the world with a stricken heart, till the Gods put an end to my sufferings and the day came, in the land of the Phaeacians, when you comforted me with your talk, and you yourself guided me to their city. But now I beseech you in your Father's Name..." 

-----HANDLE WITH CARE---- 

So Homer shows us how to invoke Athena. Like I said, it's not to be taken lightly. Use it wisely. 

8) MAGIC 

DIVINATIONS "Livers & Guts" 

Divinations in the modern context seem odd and out of place. The old way of doing things smacks of sorcery. There are however some differences between the sorcery of man and the power of the gods. With such hot topics as divination, and the mess this creates due to hapless merging of the mortal and the divine, we have to understand that central to the concept of hubris is the attempt to blur/crossover the dividing line between man and god. Witchcraft n. - the use of magic; the definition says it all really. Theurgy - magic performed with the help of beneficent spirits; again says a lot. These both are not sanctioned anywhere as part of Olympian religion - we should not call pure physical ritual magic nor the power of the gods magic either. 

Divinations performed by priests or by generals by examining the intestines or livers of birds and goats seemed to  have divine sanction. The sacrificial animal was correctly sacrificed to the god or goddess. The results were not "magic" from the priest. The results were sanctioned from the respective deity, or so it would seem or be claimed. However, there are other angles.  From a rational point of view, based on reason rather than a perception that has been bred into us, if you would for a moment  consider that there is no magic except for the power of the gods. The magic of man doesn't exist. It's called hypnotism and illusion. What haruspex style divinations went on, were not magic, but a scientific principle of examining the organs of  animals that were precursors in the environment - today they use frogs to register pollution. In those days they used birds, or the entrails, or liver. All these show that, if there's an anomaly in the environment, the birds have it, the next bird has it too, then the population from that area is likely to be doomed from bad water, intestinal problems, too much natural fluorine (deadly) bacterial infections etc etc. and the priest could give a medicine to counter that illness. Remember when Alexander went into India, the Indians were quick to adopt the advanced methods of Greek medicine. The doctors were not wizards, and I'd bet that the haruspex was not a wizard either. Works such as the writings of Hippocrates show that there was  little resembling the shaman in operation, but of rational scientific observation. But after the middle ages, we are met with the problem that all things of the pagans were regarded as wildly superstitions and almost funny, but usually disgusting in some way. So we can see an ideal of observation, and many people can and do see patterns in their life, in their flowers, the cycle of weather and the activity of animals, it may be that the bird-watchers were really looking for diving birds in a scientific way. Other activities are harder to justify, such as the leaf -listeners hanging around the base of trees interpreting their rustles. But then we start leaping from the springboard of observational methods into the madness of the manteis. The other things that I've noticed are the mistakes made by modern observance of ancient ritual. Proper ritual is perhaps sometimes magical looking. But perhaps many rituals are simply rituals.  Some have a potential to try to see magic in everything, but we end up with problems - is sex for instance a magical ritual that creates babies? When rowing a boat, is this a magical ritual that transports the boat? They are physical activities that produce effect from cause. Excessive desire to "get something" could result in some crazy ideas and I get the drift that rather than people await the divine response, they force the issue by fabricating "a" response. 

      One of the main problems of the last years of the pagan religions as a whole was the use of Theurgy. This was easily unearthed as sham by critics who knew what to look for, and this must have led to the inevitable death of the religions. An example of the interference of the Theurgists can be found in the temple ruins at Corinth, where archeologists dug up a concealed grated area afore the altar where a priest would reply "as if the god". This is a good example of what I mean when I say magic users are tampering and have no place in religion. Truth and honesty have to be paramount and illusion is the reverse of these. Yes, the animal livers were examined. Yes, hoplites used spears. We don't have to use them today, as we have things called AK47's and also, advanced medical science and effective medicines. My idea is that these divinations are simply out of date rituals designed to create good cheer, hope and a feeling of direction for people stressed enough to grab at straws.  Like horoscopes however, people will continue to believe them for many thousands of years to come. 

ATHENIC "MAGIC" Sulis-Minerva Tablets 

The topic of "curse tablets" within the ancient religions are best discussed in the book by Flint, Gordon, Luck and Ogden, called "The Athlone History of Witchcraft and Magic in Europe" Volume 2 "Ancient Greece & Rome, ISBN 0-485-89102-6. It offers a detailed, accurate and complete look at the subject in one sturdy volume. The concept of "magic" within the Athenic religion is derived incidentally - there's no real system of magic as one may expect with a religion that invokes a Goddess of Wisdom and practical methods. There's something that I  have noticed is that Roman Legion stationed in Britannia adopted a sacred spring at Aquae Sulis, (Modern day Bath City) which was originally used by the Celtic Cult of Sulis. The Romans instantly recognized Sulis as the Britannic Minerva - so much that the springs became the springs of Sulis Minerva.  The Roman bathhouse still stands, and the sacred springs still flow, and are used still for medicinal purposes. What was found in the spring however, shows that, as with all over the ancient world, some magic was being used.  The ubiquitous lead "curse tablets" were found to be in service within the legion at the Aquae Sulis springs, but in a rather odd way, contrary to the way they were used in other places. In short, the writings on the folded curse tablets found at the Minerva springs were not curses, but requests for justice and the return of stolen property. There are no calls for injustice or attempts at "black magic". "Athenic Magic" is "Justice Magic". 

Quote: 

Page 59. "The Bath tablets were all prayers for Justice, to the making of which no shame or danger attached, so that the finding of a willing literate helper by illiterate petitioners will have constituted no great difficulty". 

From what I can gather is that it may be acceptable to say a prayer, or write it down and place it at a place sacred to Athena. The throwing of the prayers into the pool was perhaps precursor to the way we throw coins into the wishing well whilst making a wish (but don't quote me!) This really does say something about Roman Minerva. That she was petitioned to right the wrong and defend the victim.  There really isn't much more to say on this subject except get hold of the book from the library and have a good read, because it is loaded with academic fact. 

ORACLES - "So sayeth whoooo?" 

There have to be millions upon millions of books written on these subjects. There are as many perspectives as can be possible. So I go to my newspapers and find three different horoscopes for Aquarius. I look on the www and find five more horoscopes and they too, are all different. So I get to the tarot cards and get a reading - its different from the rune reading I got or the palm reading. My conclusion is that the huge differences between the readings is that there is nothing but nonsense in these stand alone oracles. Long time ago I used to attend a church with four pastors. There was a woman there who used to ask a pastor a question, to which he said no. So she then went to the next one, and he said no. The third one said no, so she waited an hour at the porch till number 4  turned up and said yes. Then she went off and did what she had already decided to do. The potential for abuse of good advice is very high and with human oracles, "manteis" as the Hellenes called them, we have to really find out if the person is divinely empowered to be safe from charlatans, forgery or simple error. 

"Insofar as the seer speaks in an abnormal state, he requires someone who formulates his utterances, the prophetes. The word for seer itself, mantis, is connected with the Indo-European root for mental power, and is also related to mania, madness". (Burkert, Greek Religion, p.112) 

So considering the insanity of the person who "contacts" the divine power, or receives the divine word, how can we resolve the madness with a goddess of truth and reason? Apollo, god of knowledge, perhaps the most sober of the gods, has an oracle who smacks of this mania. What do we do?  There are for me, but two answers. One is for Hellenismos as a whole, the other specifically for the Cult of Athena. 

1) Hellenismos - Most gods and goddess had their specific oracle. The best example is the Delphic Oracle and I'd say stick with these central proper oracles by trusted official priestess and prophetess.  As no cult has an operable oracle today, we are left with the wandering manteis or which there are few or none within our religions.  Best of luck. 

2) Cult of Athena - Athena has given I believe a powerful message in her guidance of Odysseus. Lost on the open sea, bounced from place to place, hopeless and weary.  She spoke to him at the crucial junctures. She helped him home and to return him to his world. Athena will,  if your prayer is hearty and  true, guard and guide you. This is the best of options.  I have heard that there is a normal twelve week waiting period for a response from a number of people seeking guidance from Athena. 

MAGIC AS HUBRIS? "A  HOT TOPIC" 

Is magic "Hubris"? It depends what we mean by magic - I cannot for the life of me find anyone with a straight definition. There seems to be an awful lot of rebranding of magic and lots of different facets to magic. Generally, magic may fall into three broad categories for this article, a distinction that I feel is needed. The whole idea is to try and get some criterion. Avoiding "hubris" is a start. 

a) Hubris magic 

b) Non-hubris magic 

c) Superstition 

a) Hubris magic could be termed to embrace all forms of trickery, ventriloquism, illusion, and anything to deceive or heighten the caster to a position or status greater than his self. This could also include using any spell to obtain things outside the correct reach of the user. If the spell causes any twist or misfortune to another, or attempts some kind of harm, illness or effect on another or trying to effect the free will of another. This could include all forms of what was termed "vagabond" like activity by people like Vettius Valens. At Olympia, victors statues were erected at the altis. If a statue was examined and found to be bigger than the person, then the statue was toppled over as "hubris". In my personal opinion, any attempt to cast a spell is an attempt to make the caster bigger than he actually is. 

The root of this magic is ENVY. 

BASKANIA. 

"According to some modern scholars, envy is, in fact, at the root of all magic." 

From p99 Witches and Sorcerers in Classical Literature. 

Envy magic seems to be a human construct. 

b) Non hubris magic - magic intended to protect, heal and facilitate remedies is beneficial to someone, at least in theory. Placebo drugs are still a form of trickery, albeit one that helps. I suppose, reiki and acupuncture could fall into these areas, including the use of internal chi. This may not be magic if we find them to be science in the future. I personally cannot decide if these are sciences, arts or magic! Still, the countering and restorative qualities of these magical practices, providing they do not act as false lights, (when the ill person should be getting medical help) are not hubris, because they do not elevate the recipient to levels that could be objectionable to the gods and merely restore the man to man level. 

The root of this magic is HOPE. ελπίδα, elpida.

As one of the contents of the box of Pandora, we may conceive hope as legitimate for human use. 

There are problems, such as using hope in an evil way, such as hoping "that someone dies" etc. 

Hope magic seems to be related to inner chi. 

c) Superstition 

In the UK, people have strange superstitions, such as crossing their fingers, touching wood, not having pictures of birds in the home, etc. Some of the older generations carried a rabbits foot for luck, or a string of lucky silver shamrocks, charms etc. These were beautiful and weird to us kids. These ideas are not bad, not good, and seem harmless. There are instances of destructive superstitions, like shooting owls because they are "birds of death".  What is a problem is that these simple superstitions could be categorized as "full-scale magic". This is I think a stance that looks like the "thin end of the wedge" - people should think deeply really about whether the common existence of innocent superstitious items or actions or sayings means its admissible to open the flood gates and go the whole bundle. Walking around with all our pockets full of salt "to fend off sorcery" or even wearing strings of garlic around our necks is just flub-jub. It is however, this exact incidence of flub-jub that practitioners of hubris magic seize on to say it's all correct to use any magic. "If we are all using magic anyway, then let's all become sorcerers!" could be the typical argument that comes our way. Crossing fingers is focus of HOPE. Having a lucky charm is a focus of HOPE. Touching wood is supposed to bring / facilitate an expected happening, again, a hope focus. But these are merely remnants of some forgotten tradition and can in no way can this be regarded as an attempt at sorcery. 

WITCHCRAFT - "SOME HELLENIC OBJECTIONS" 

Witchcraft is a modern composite of esoteric beliefs that whilst not incompatible with most of general paganism is very  incompatible with the Olympian and especially the Athenic religion. It depends on what you're doing - most new agers are not going to have problems mixing Olympianism with "crystals" if you know what I mean. Mixing it with Crowleyism is another thing. Here are just a few objections - they may be food for thought. But you have to use your head. Some ancient sorcerers used them, as methods of controlling the spirits of the dead. I cannot see many modern witches walking round dragging rotting heads and stinking limbs. This sort of horrific sorcery did happen in the past, but rarely I hope these days - sometimes a mutilated body turns up that looks ritually slain even today - some relate them to voodoo murders based on the methods of African witch-doctors. And the gruesome stuff of the past caused authorities such as the Roman Senate to react very badly towards the practitioners of ancient magic. Thank goodness there's little in comparison with modern shamanism. This is not a popular message for some. 

Some objections: 

GREEKS AND ROMANS DID NOT LIKE SORCERERS 

a) That sorcery was frowned upon and very stigmatized in ancient Greece and Rome - the words "evil doer" meant "sorcerer" in legal terms. - Use of magic was taboo. Where is a person's faith in their God or Goddess if they cast spells? Are they trying to maliciously hurt someone? This is outside the general sense of what was termed "good". 

SACRED SEX HATED 

b) "Sacred Sex" / "Temple Prostitution" was an abomination to the Greeks. Herodotus Book 1 V199  - Many pagan nations had this. The Greeks did NOT however. Sex with a priestess or priest and tantric sex seems to fall into this area. Medusa had sex with Poseidon willingly within the Athenic sanctuary - the vengeance of Athena burnt brightly! 

INTERCOURSE IN TEMPLES PROHIBITED 

c) Intercourse in temples and sacred precincts an offence for both Egyptians and Greeks. Herodotus Book 2 V64 Sexual fluids even if alone created Miasma. If the Witchcraft Great Rite is performed in the Athenic precinct, or in the name of the Goddess Athena, this Miasma defiles the sacred area and the Goddess' name. 

SORCERERS METHODS CREATED DEFILEMENT 

d) Use of dead fingers, skulls and even severed heads have been used frequently by sorcerers throughout history. Decaying flesh produces a chemical capable of causing violent revulsion. ALL dead human body parts defile the Hellenic and Roman sacred areas! This was why the Christians buried their dead around the pagan temples and why sanctuary for human life was invoked there - no human blood must be shed and no human gore! 

WORSHIP OF FOREIGN GODS PROHIBITED (PRIVATE SHRINES) 

Plato: The Laws Book 10 v 910 

These laws were not "actual" and were written by Plato for implementation in his ideal state. It does however show how he thought about what could be termed "mix and match religion". 

The possession of shrines in private houses is forbidden. If a man is proved to possess and worship at shrines other than the public ones, and the injustice committed is not an act of serious impiety (whether the possessor is a man or woman), anyone who notices the fact must  lay information before the Guardians of the Laws, who should give orders for the removal of the private shrines to public temples. 

62. (a) If the culprits disobey, they must be punished until they carry out the removal. (b) But if a man is proved guilty of a serious act of impiety typical of an adult, and not just the peccadillo of a child, either by establishing a shrine on private land or by sacrificing on public land to gods not included in the pantheon of the state, HE MUST be punished by death for sacrificing with impure hands. The Guardians of the Laws, after deciding whether the crime was a childish peccadillo or not, must then take the matter straight to court, and exact from the culprits the penalty for their impiety. Exact wording taken from ISBN-0-14-044222-7 Penguin.

This is serious stuff. I rest my case on "improper practice". There are other actual examples that I have to re-find, such as the punishment for priestess intentionally innovating the sacred traditions. The general sexual miasma caused by these male-female polarity rituals and sexual magic are so prohibited as to make ritual/sacred intercourse an almost opposite to the Athenic sense of religious purity! 

MY PERSONAL THEORY ON MAGIC 

Does magic exist? An attempt to show "Yes" Disproving "Causality" Proving the Elemental Conceptual, Proving MAGIC exists... well, erm, maybe not. I think time has proven my logic is flawed here, but read on if you dare anyway!

God-like forces seem to conflict with everything we know about science, cause and effect. Modern thought has no room for non materialist explanations and tries to reduce them to physical effects, or at least a chain of effects from some prime mover. The truth is that both the spiritual and the physical are not linked by cause and effect, as you might expect it to be. A physical cause must be the prime mover for the physical effect. But this is NOT actually so. Science has followed this primarily atheistic methodology since its inception. Religion, threatened by this attitude, has tried to eliminate scientific thought. But the two are linked in Athenic sphere of dominion. Soul moves the universe. See Plato The Laws Book 10. But as for proving magic exists, well, this is a bit shaky as it's my own  personal idea. Please take the magic argument with a pinch of salt - they may well prove yes or no. The search for "dark matter" and maybe even the "graviton" could be linked here. Someone mentioned to me that this was literally  "god of the gaps" type stuff.  OK, here we go!

To bear in mind: That substances have different densities, that differing states of matter are not objectively categorical, and that we cannot link imagined perfect triangles with real triangles (which cannot be perfect). Locke's primary and secondary qualities of substances, (mass, extension) (color, smell) can be applied to cause and effect. Without mass, color cannot exist. An orange smell without an orange smelling substance is a state of delusion. To quote Plato in the Theatetus: And whenever I become a perceiver, I become a perceiver of something: I mean perception of nothing is impossible. The argument: The abyss is black, and nothing is there (a secondary quality without a primary). This destroys the concrete argument that all effects must have causes and that perception of nothing is impossible. 

Some thinkers might say, that the abyss is NOT empty, and this is a reasonable objection. Cold dark matter is suspected to be there. But why draw these distinctions, when there is a vast amount of space between molecules in a solid substance like wood?  That cold dark matter might exist is a possibility, but human life doesn't live there, and we cannot eat or drink it, or experience it in any way. We pass through it as though it was NOT there. And neither can I walk through a lead wall. From a human perspective, drawing a perfect picture of blackness and whiteness is impossible. As is a perfect picture of molecular solidity or molecular emptiness. This is a prime argument for the existence of "non material" beings and forces beyond physical constraints that DO NOT need to appreciate the physical cause for physical effect law.  The same argument also smashes the "spiritual" gods down - they cannot exist - the universe is self-perpetuating and eternal and no cause is needed for the effect.  No gods are needed! But this brings the ancient Greek gods into perspective. They were the personified forms of  ELEMENTAL forces, of CONCEPT powers. Elements are indubitable in the world of logic - there are no incomplete symbols. With the realm of concepts, Knowledge, Wisdom, Justice and so on, these take the place of the ousted "spiritus" gods. And that's a logical, solid and non-imaginary basis of a very strong religion!!! 

Why I personally reject magic ...

There shouldn't be a need to practice it in the first place. For me, if my life needs fixing, I fix it. I have to say that this is, of all the solutions, the solution that builds and maintains great civilizations. As a philosopher, I've been told by Socrates that I should be completely immune to sorcery. I'd say, with estimation, that Goddess Athena will protect her people from sorcery.

9) MIND 

"Minerva" comes from an ancient root word meaning "Mind". What does this tell us? Do we, as followers of Athena, worship "the mind"? Please remember I am not speaking of the fleshy brain here. No, I don't think we are worshipping the mind as such. But there is in fact a strong, undeniable connection. Wisdom can be called Reason, and it is the mind that reasons and gives us the solutions to problems. The brain is the physical nexus where the electrically charged ganglions do their gangling - note that the neurons are electrically charged - another connection with elemental electricity - that seems to point to the lightning throwers action on the human. So, we have a Goddess who is linked with reason and wisdom, electricity and the mind. The modern Latin dictionary speaks of mind as "Anima" from where we get the word "Animate" and "Animation", to "make alive". What is going on? All the pointers and road signs are pointing to some sort of activity on the human mind that was regarded as directly the work of the Goddess, in the same way that "love" was referenced as the work of "Aphrodite". What I reckon, from some thought, is that the mind is "touched" by Athena as her gift in the scheme of life. This is the animating power - yet - it is not her. This is her domain, not her. This has massive implications. It links the philosopher to the goddess, by reasoning, he networks with her. The craftsman building a boat using his skill is networking with her, using her to make his boat. I use this in the psycho-parallelism way. We reflect the mind of Goddess like iron dust being dragged around by a magnet on the other side. We are spiritual in the way that anima and spiritus are so linked. We believe in deity, whether abstract or anthropomorphic. But we are, at our most elemental, HUMANIST. We have been given minds, and the virtue of Arete, we have been given the capacity to do things that enable our comfort and survival. When we "do" wise things, excellent things, when we practice the "good", we reflect the mind of the Goddess Athena. Yet, we have to undertake the works that ensure our wellbeing - our solution is a humanist one. Without our compliance, we cannot reflect the mind of the Goddess. If we comply, we worship as we undertake. Hence Athena is Ergane, the Goddess of Workers. I place a caps W there for a reason. It is our major precept. 

10) MORALITY

Over the last few months there have been many instances of my finding obscure and inaccurate references to the sexuality of Athena and the members of the Cultus. Many of the following are IMPLICIT. The ideals are drawn from what I know as Athenic practice. There IS therefore room for error. Forgive me for any errors, I learn as I get more studied. Hopefully, this will address some of the more obvious questions, but this in no way is meant for people involved in other cults of the Dodecatheon, only for Athenic Reconstructionist readers: 

1) Athena is Parthenos 

Athena is above and beyond sexuality. She does not have therefore any restrictions for her followers except those that cause disorder and warfare, whether on a family or social level. Athena chose  Parthenos. Athena is not "married" to anyone. She is served by female priestess and not male priest. 

2) Athena is Indifferent 

Athena and the cultus accept people of ANY persuasion in the same way that ALL of mankind is acceptable to her. However, there is a clause to this (3) This also does NOT mean that the cultus "approves" or "condones" anything. Individuals choose their own sexuality and must live with the consequences. 

3) Medusa & Poseidon 

Sex MUST be kept OUT of Athena's temple. She gets offended by sexual display. Sexual activities have no place in Athenic Ritual. This is because Athena is above and beyond sexuality. To show, Burkert mentions in Homo Necans P60. "Suppliants at a sanctuary were inviolable, especially at an altar, precisely because that is the place where blood must be spilled. In a similar vein, Greeks were STRICTLY prohibited from "having intercourse in a sanctuary". (Herodotus 2.46)" See Chapter 17, Medusa ? The Truth.

4) Stability and Beauty, Fruitfulness 

Athena prefers stability, order and beauty. The High Priestess at Athens was nearly always a married, middle aged woman. This shows that Athena respects the settled down aspect of marriage, and sides against the dishonest and treacherous in marriage viz. Clytemnestra. 

5) Rape & Abduction 

These are hideous events - Athena has gone to extreme lengths to punish people who commit these acts. Helen was ONE woman, and Athena motivated the entire Greek fleet to retrieve her. Again, when the Athenic Priestess was raped by Ajax in Athena's precinct at Troy, there was a divine retribution. Essentially, use of force, aggression and threat to achieve sexual gratification seem to be ways obnoxious to the Goddess. As with the case of little Ajax, if the Greeks had punished him, there would have been no call for any form of retribution from the Goddess...Athena prefers that her followers use the state legal system to seek justice it would seem. 

6) Nudity 

i) Segregation of males and females. 

Traditionally, athletes were allowed to go nude for very good reasons (see ii) , but in other instances, nudity may have been used as a punishment. Plato mentions in his idea of a corrective punishment for celibate men was not only to force them to pay an annual fine to Hera's temple, but also to force them to walk naked around where young women congregated. Spartan girls also stripped off to exercise but there was never any sexual assault recorded. In all, the general consensus is that nudity was ok in the right context. Appearing nude at Athenic ritual would have been bad manners. But to appear nude at an Olympic race would have been alright. If I may just quote some info from Kitto and his book "The Greeks" Page 219, "It is the accepted view, challenged so far by nobody except A.W.Gomme, that Athenian women lived in almost oriental seclusion". ibid, "The Athenian house was divided into the men's rooms and the women's rooms; the women's rooms were provided with bolts and bars. (Xen.,Oeconom). Women did not go out except under surveillance, unless they were attending one of the women's festivals. Twice in tragedy, (Sophocles Electra and Antigone) girls are brusquely told to go indoors which is their proper place; Jebb, commenting on Antigone 579, quotes a poetic fragment; "nor permit her to be seen outside the house before her marriage". As one can plainly see, for true Athenian women, life was orderly and clothed. It may be that the ATHENIC sense of decency for women's behavior was very high indeed. 

ii) "Nudity" at the Olympic Games - A look at some of the reasons The "nudity" aspect many have of ancient Hellenic life seems to have sprung mainly from the perceptions we have of the arty sculptors of both ancient times and renaissance era. The ancient sculptures are far from being homo-erotic, as may be supposed by viewers unaware of the reasons. We shouldn't transpose any idealized or homo-erotic ideals onto the ancients simply because the renaissance artists may have had this nostalgia. Sculptors from the ancient times created idealized forms of victorious athletes, and these were nude, essentially because the athletes were nude. They were idealized because victors were spending a lot of money on their image, which championed their town or city. It was a matter of honor - carefully placed too as if an image was "bigger" than the real person; they toppled it as - "hubris". So we have to ascertain why athletes went nude.  Drees mentions in "Olympia" (1967) p. Ch6. "The Spectators" 1. The Ban on married Women: That, "the one married woman allowed to attend the games was the priestess of Demeter Chamyne, who sat enthroned on an altar of marble".  "Virgins were not refused admission". So what was in play here? Why would married women be banned from the Olympic games as competitors and spectators? They were not even allowed as trainers. The need for nudity is most likely found in the need for adjudicators to ascertain the sex of the person - an account of one Callipatira whose husband had died, and her sons could not attend without a trainer. So she dressed as a man and took them to the games. After one of her sons won his race, she jumped over a fence to greet him and exposed herself - the punishment was avoided on account of the huge influence of her family. Otherwise the sentence for a married woman being at the games was death. Again, we see a huge price to pay for breaking this law. What was so horrible that it could deserve death? 

Drees mentions "It is to be assumed that that this ban was tied up with the religious reform whereby the old fertility games of the sacred marriage were transformed into competitive games in honor of Olympian Zeus. One of the results of this reform was that, in the strictly patriarchal climate of the new tribal system, the married woman was deprived of the religious pre-eminence which she had formerly enjoyed. As a mother it was the married woman who had symbolized fertility and not the young girl". 

Previous to the arrival of the Olympian Cults and the rule of Zeus, the Olympic games were held at Olympia (another name for Ge apparently) and there was a culture of barbarity that the new order of Olympian Gods had abolished - there were some sadistic rites held there in ancient times - Pelops was "a god who gives abundance" symbolized by the seed corn. 

p.30 "After his marriage with the Magna Mater, the seed had to die in the womb of the earth before it could be reborn. In the anthropomorphic view of the universe, this phase of the vegetation year could only be expressed if Pelops was personified by a small boy who was murdered in a ritual ceremony and devoured by other members of the cult in a sacred meal. Subsequently, however, the murderers of the divine child had to submit to trial by ordeal, and had to oppose one another with naked swords in mortal combat. Plutarch, who was himself a sacrificial priest at Delphi, confirms that such duels were performed at Delphi." 

(Tantalus was the father of Pelops - and the punishment Zeus metered onto him was where we got the word Tantalized, for being teased forever for his crime). 

And... 

p31. "When Olympian Zeus usurped Pelop's position in Olympia the funeral games of the old fertility god underwent a complete transformation. Thenceforth they were held in honor of the new god, who exacted no blood sacrifices." 

That is it then - the old pre-Olympian games were bloody and involved fertility rites and "sacred marriage". The Greeks were keen to avoid married women at the games for reasons of association with the past , and were prepared to go nude to make sure everyone could see there was no question that married women had been banned, and no fertility rites were being undertaken. It was effectively not given any chance of slumping back into it's pre-Olympian form. 

11) MOTHER 

The following text is a broad look at Athena as "Mother Goddess", "Creator of Man". Does she fit into the same mind set as other religions have placed their "Mothers"? Bear in mind that there are more than one mother type in view here - even the Hellenic mythos describes three mothers. There was Athena as "pneumatic mother", then there was Gaia as the "material  mother", and Aphrodite and the other Goddess as "teleological" mothers along with some of the gods providing educative "programming". I am fairly sure of the direct links of Athena with Sumerian Nin.Hursag, Aphrodite as Sumerian Innana, and the body of Tiamat as Gaia. 

"OFFICIAL"  ORIGINS OF ATHENA 

Without repeating the obvious, where can we start? I think we have to begin with the origins of Athena. There is ONE answer.  There are NO debates. Athena came directly from the head of Zeus. She was born by the pure mind power of mighty Zeus, and made from concept-element.  Perhaps the Gods are made, like mortals, of mixtures of rarefied elements, powerful and pure. Athena is made from something purer yet again. Hence she is a wearer of the helm of invisibility, that even the gods cannot pervade. No one seriously thinks that mathematics is nonexistent. It is a reality that seems to penetrate everything. Even Chaos throws up patterns mathematical. So Athena, as Parthenos, chaste and honorable is made in this pure, inviolable form. She is the perfect thought of Zeus. She emanated from Zeus - perhaps she is the overflowing wisdom of Zeus, that wisdom which Zeus gives freely as a guiding light to others that need. She has to be a "mercy" from Zeus, sent to guide human society and keep it from collapse. There grows a special relationship between the people and the mighty Zeus, through the intercession of Athena Soteria. 

SPECULATIVE ORIGINS OF ATHENA 

Many academics have thought about this, and none have come up with a successful answer.  Martin Bernal in his book "Black Athena" tried to relate Athena's origins purely to Egypto-African sources. I personally see Athena as a world experience, with all European and Levant sharing a similar creation story. The ancient times after the last flood, Deucalions flood as it was known, is well documented by the Babylonians, who passed on and integrated some of their legacy with the Egyptians. To say that Egypt has all the answers is untrue, there are European answers that could be true, we are lacking some evidence though. There are some striking Celtic and Nordic Athena's; namely Brigid whose steel working aspect fits in with her Greek title of "Hephaestia", and Madderakka, ancient Finnish Goddess "Mother of Man".  To top things with the Celtic version, the Celtic Welsh word for wisdom is "Doethineb" giving us  "Ethine" within it's make up. 

THE DEEPER ASPECTS - ATHENA AS "SPIRITUS" or "ANIMATOR"? 

A lot of people who hear my words "Athena Great Mother" wince in a rather negative way. I fully understand this sentiment that Athena doesn't represent "motherhood" today in the same sort of way that "Gaia the Great Mother" does. That is because there is a Mobius type profile to the roles that Hellenic religion has ascribed to her. Athena has been represented as "having the sphinx on her helmet" as an emblem of wisdom, the ability to understand mankind and the  riddles that life can pose him. This role of being everything to everyone, an instant solution, is a very difficult concept. How can a single man for instance, know or even comprehend what wisdom is? Yet, then, how can he understand Athena? As Neith, Athena was the original  "Great Mother" of the Egyptians. But then some more complications come from this. Very problematic complications. It is beyond the mortal man to own wisdom, Socrates said always that he was the most unknowing person in the world. Perhaps that is the first secret - that wisdom comes like a baby, we can only nurse it through into this world, and care for it the best  we can. According to the Hellenic mythos, Athena and Prometheus decided to make humans - for what purpose and for what reason, it doesn't say. In previous years, the Olympians had  conquered Earth, by defeating the monstrous beasts and giants in the Gigantomachean war.  There was a battle against the Titans, I'd presume they were the more powerful of the giants, and that the horrid beasts were none other than the dinosaur. This was achieved by throwing large planet killer asteroids onto the surface of the world causing a decade long period of  darkness. When they were dead, with the exception of the immortal Titans, the world was soon  re grown by the natural forces and the remaining allied Titans. The Titans were punished for their resistance except for Prometheus, Epimetheus and Metis, and the world was positioned in it a similar state to now. The first race of men was created by Prometheus (known as Aforethought) and Athena  (Wisdom). Perhaps this indicates that the reason for the creation of man was not known yet -  might not be known until long after his demise even. Prometheus knew why - and his actions were a rebellion against the new Olympian order. Prometheus molded clay people with great detail, each one with an identity and a name - each one fully grown, and able to fulfill a purpose. Perhaps the mortals were to be servants, or even toys for their amusement.  It is not known. When Prometheus had finished, he handed the clay forms to Athena. She then animated them, some say "breathed her life into them". This indicates that there is one "Teleological" Father to humanity by merit of human design". This mythos also indicates that man has 2 mothers. The first is the provider of the body - Gaia. She is technically the "Great Mother" of the human body. The flesh  is her flesh. This, in Sumerian terms is the dead body of Tiamat. The second, less obvious mother, is Athena who is the "pneumatic" mother, the  provider of "spiritus", or "breath". She is mother of the human mind, and sentience (Minerva literally means a "minds capacity"). Prometheus had given his brother Epimetheus the task of thinking up designs for many of the animals to re-stock the world, when it came to man, who was last, there were no remarkable ideas left. Man was to be unclothed and without a means of defense. Prometheus had an idea. He ascended to the heavens and lit a brand upon the sun, in Athena's chariot he rode by her side. (Another version which I  personally discount was that they rode to Olympus to steal a flame from the sacred forge of Hephaestus. Since this forge is supposed to be under Mt. Etna, where Hephaestus lives with his Cyclops, and not on Olympus, this version is for me, inaccurate.) Then on returning to earth with the brand, he gave this to man, his creation. Man was able then to begin to use that sacred flame as his ascent to make a life of good things rather than to live as an animal. (The chariot ride may also signify Prometheus was a champion Titan from the previous age, and that his preservation was because of his elite position as Athena's  champion. The riding in a chariot by male and female was, even in Pelops time, something that only happened in a marriage ceremony). Some say that man is made from the ashes of the Titans, and that because of this there is an element of evil in man. It is a possibility that the cursed Titans who had died passed on this curse from Zeus onto man. (The Sumerians mention that man was made from mixing the blood of Kingu with clay hence the line of Kings was formed). But still, Gaia was still mother of the body, Prometheus the designer and Athena the animator. (Now, if we begin with Tiamat as "Cosmic Mother" and then, slay her, and throw one half to the earth to form the ground, and the other upwards to make the sky, we have an odd predicament. If the soil and air is the divided body of Tiamat, where is the immortal spirit of Tiamat?) Zeus heard of this thing called man, and was quite interested. When he found out that he had got a brand of sacred fire, he raged. He decided to punish Prometheus, and went about some gory punishment. Whatever it was about fire that had offended Zeus, it was important and Zeus knew it. Not wanting to slay the "man" for no reason, Zeus decided that it was also wrong for the man to be alone. Zeus decided that for man, there must be woman, as a father Zeus knew that mans offspring would be problematic and needed extra care. So, as Prometheus was undergoing punishment, Zeus ordered Hephaestus and the other Olympians to  make woman, in the image of the many goddess of Olympus. Man wasn't made in any divine image and he didn't have any divine powers. Only Zeus could bestow those gifts. And Zeus saw the potential for man, and decided that only the best would do. Pandora was the most sweet of the things that the Olympians had made since their stay on earth began - until then, Mother Gaia had been busy replenishing life after the arrival of the young Olympians. Aphrodite taught Pandora seduction, Hermes taught her diplomacy, Athena taught her craft, Apollo taught her to play music, and when all the gods were done, they send Pandora to earth with a huge chest of divine gifts, all good and full of promise. Pandora was staying in the care of Prometheus's family. This may give some clues, that "man" was a remnant from the Titan race, in that the Titans were obviously amongst mankind and some still alive. Pandora (meaning "all-gifted") became very curious, and opened the chest full of gifts to see what was inside. All the wonderful gifts leaped out of the box and flew off, leaving only one thing left in the box, that was "Hope". So when man and woman married each other,  their gift was hope, this would not leave the box, and so as mortals we have this faculty when all else can seem lost. Again, where was this man? Was Pandora a bride to Epimethius?  If so, then the Titans were somehow "compatible" with human females. This creation of man went on to create the Golden race of Man, which one day caused huge insult to the Gods. Their travesty incited the wrath of the Gods, and it was found that the dark seed of the Titans had grown within them. The Gods called them all to judgment, and they were then replaced with the Race of Silver. These too were found failing, after a huge amount of time and guidance, they were stopped, and called to judgment. They were replaced by the Race of Bronze, and these men too were called judgment after many thousands of years of testing the patience of the Gods. Finally, as Plato mentions, we are the Race of Iron. Each time in between each race, there has been a deluge, a great flood that has erased the dark habits of the failing race of man. Perhaps the Gods will grow angry with us and destroy us too. But as they say "Race of Iron" is the name for the ancients given by the ancients, perhaps today, we could rephrase ourselves as "Race of Plutonium". As we are made from clay perhaps "Race of Clay" might be a better descriptive word. 

After Deucalions flood, (which has to be the last flood that is remembered) and the total fall of human civilization, the Gods relocated to  various places across the world. Athena relocated to Attica 9,400 BC, (dates calculated from Plato Timeus) and then according to the Egyptians, she moved in 8,400 BC to Set up Sais on the Nile delta. Rather than sharing one creation, perhaps the Gods undertook the similar processes across the world re stocking mankind onto the surface. This is about 4,000 years before Sumeria. I'd like to say now we come to how the Hellenic people got to hold onto pre-deluge information and why the official explanations for these things is so widely out of synchronicity with the simple "facts" if there are any facts. No doubt someone will shout "Atlantis!" at this point, and it is time to shut the topic. I know nothing of Atlantis! (yet!) The Saisean priests mention that the Greeks are much older as a race than the Greeks themselves remember, and they therefore gave implied information that the Greeks were older than the floods...as a matter of fact, genetic analysis of mitochondrial type-U traces the descent of 17% of white Europeans to the slopes of Mount Parnassus at a date of 45,000 years ago. This is the oldest gene pool in Europe, and it stretched across central Europe to Britain. There may have been only wooden buildings, with wooden utensils, or stone tools, there may have been only small communities of hunters and gatherers, but these predate the Sumerians by about 43,000 years. There is plenty of time for the imagination to get to work with. 

ATHENA AS AVATAR OF THE COSMIC MOTHER? 

Plato puts all this down to the "soul" of the planet, as with the soul of all things, see "The Laws Book 10". It contains a highly valid argument for multiplicity of gods and goddess and their  roles as cosmic movers. Athena as a source of spiritus for man, has to be linked somehow to the life spirit of mankind. As the animating spirit, and referred to by the Romans as "intellectual  capacity" in their use of the name "Minerva", the mind and spirit may be linked. This takes the argument into the difficulties of dividing soul, spirit, brain and mind. A mind without spirit is but a brain. If we could look cross culturally, we might find that Neith was the Great Mother, identified with Athena by the Egyptians themselves. As the originator of all things, she was the most inaccessible to mortals too. But why then would they have related her to being Athena, who by her nature seems to be the creator of humans, cities, politics and the promoter and guardian of the crafts? Maat is a much closer Goddess, and Maat fits other things too as we shall see. Neith was said to "weave the tapestry of the universe on her loom"; a clear indication that Athena and her loom were responsible for the weaving of galaxies and man too. It seems that Athena is the Cosmic prime mover for the Egyptians. In Athens she has taken a nose dive -  here she becomes "Daughter" of Zeus-Ammon-Ra, instead of the "Mother" of  Zeus-Ammon-Ra. Why the change? This to me signifies that whereas the Egyptians knew of her as the cosmic soul, to the Greeks, Athena was a very physical reality to them - this is the avatar of the cosmic soul as it came amongst Olympians and mortals alike.  So somehow we have Tiamat and Neith as "Athena" sitting as the "Cosmic Mother" at the beginning, before the birth of the Gods, and before the birth of stars and planets. Then through the kiss of the Goddess, a "Pneumatic Mother" is apparent to humans, who is daughter of Zeus-Ra, that makes us partakers in the harmony of the spirit of the Goddess. The anomaly comes in where Neith is not slain by Marduk in Egyptian mythos, like her Sumerian counterpart. The implication of this for man are many, "Athena breathed her life into man" giving us a portion of the cosmic soul. Perhaps this was what made Orpheus sing so. It's also caused some misdirection - yes, Athena is Neith. But she is only one part of Neith. This part of Neith is  Maat, and the other is Thoth.  I've put the following information in point form because after writing a section on it, found it was too heavy to actually make the connections. In point form, things are much clearer. These points show similarities and links between Greek, Egyptian and Sumerian mythos. Enjoy! 

First was Neith of the Egyptians / Tiamat of the Sumerians who gave birth to Ra (An), and the other Gods and Goddess. Neith is known to be consulted by all the Gods and Goddess. She is Goddess of Gods. Ra (An, Zeus) did not marry, but his closest ally was Maat, who was worshipped by all the Gods and Goddess (and therefore is a strong candidate to be SOLAR aspect of Neith, Maat was also daughter of Ra, but no mother is mentioned.) Marduk and the Gods slays Tiamat and divide her BODY into the ground and the sky. Where then is the immortal soul of Tiamat? Gods cannot die! Metis is swallowed by Zeus and she is alive but imprisoned within Zeus. Metis is complete wisdom, bright and dark wisdom. Apep, evil brother of Ra (later Set) had many "wives" but did not procreate. Apep-Set was driven from the barque of Ra. Set has Neith attributed to him as a wife. But Neith is the mother of Set, and gives Set the virgin Anat and Astarte as wives in compensation for loosing the throne of Horus. Another wife of Set is Nepthys. Astarte is not an original Egyptian Goddess, she enters Egypt in the 18th Dynasty and her cult overlapped with the Cult of Isis. The interpenetration of cultures confuses the early clarity. Zeus (An, Ra, Ammon) has a gnawing headache. Athena leaps from his head fully armed and armored. The entire universe is panged and trembles. Why? This is a bright birth from a bright, solar God. Zeus laughed and adopted Athena as his favorite daughter. Athena makes lightning bolts. She then gives them to Zeus. Why would she resign or share the divine throne of power? Because the Neith-Tiamat Cosmic Mother planned and knew all about the overthrow? That she let it happen so that the world would come about? I think so. Thoth leapt from the head of Set - he was occult knowledge. Thoth is born of a dark birth from a dark shadow God. Thoth is the Egyptian Hermes. Thoth is in Egyptian mythos, the consort of Maat. Maat and Thoth "judge humans" after their death. What we have here is a failure of the Egyptians to slay their Tiamat - Neith. This then leads to problems with comparisons. Let's slay Neith for a moment, and divide her. Now we have her body as the ground and sky as the Sumerians did. Remember that Tiamat was slain in battle, and Gods cannot be kept dead for long. I am fairly certain that the soul of Tiamat - Neith was drawn asunder and divided into two, a male dark aspect (Hermes-Thoth) and a female bright aspect (Athena-Maat). Knowing that these are both direct inheritors of the Tiamat-Neith mother power, we have a female knowledge that pre-dates the Ra-Zeus aspect of male patriarchy. Sumerian tablets say En.ki made humans this at the express command of the Dragon Queen Tiamat. The divided Goddess knew not only her fate, but she planned her future. Her soul would return "within" the world, instead of outside creation.Sumerian En.ki and Nin.Hursag makes man from clay and the blood of Kingu. Hellenic Prometheus and Athena make man from clay and Athena animates them. In Egypt, Maat was "the breath of life". Whoever worshipped Maat became a "spirit", capable of joining the Gods. Sumerian En.ki and Nin.Hursag make the Adapa and the Hawwa, as Priest King and Priestess Queen. Hellenic Hephaestus and Athena make, via Gaia and Olympians, Erichthonious and Pandora. The alter of the Shield Goddess was found to have been a baked clay alter shaped in the form of the Greek "Omega" symbol.(Burkert Greek Religion P32) The Omega symbol is the symbol of Nin.Hursag direct from Sumeria. Burkert shows some suspicion that the Cretan Goddess of the peak sanctuaries is Nin.Hursag (Greek Religion P 28) Walter Burkert "Greek Religion" Page 32 "The inner room contained a painted limestone tablet which has long been famous, the Shield Goddess; the same room must also have contained the fresco fragment found nearby, a Goddess wearing a BOARS TUSK HELMET, and carrying a griffin on her arm". In the Iliad, the Kings all decide to go on a spying mission and as they outfit themselves with lion skins, leopard skins etc. Odysseus however, puts on a BOARS TUSK HELMET. (Iliad Book 10 lines 304 - 318.) 

So we can go right from Neith to Maat, from Tiamat to Nin.Hursag, all aspects are primary "Mother Goddess" in opposition to the Caananite Ashtoreth, Astarte, Diana, Isis and Aphrodite sex goddess types. In the Sumerian mythos, Innana helped Nin.Hursag with the offspring. Just like Aphrodite helped Athena create Pandora. Nin.Hursag is very very likely Athena, and Athena is the bright solar aspect of the divided soul of the cosmic mother, Tiamat-Neith, as Maat in Egypt, closest ally and parthogenic daughter of Ra, (birthed only from Zeus in Hellenic mythos as well). Athena and Hermes are not mentioned in any myths as a pair in ancient Greek mythos, but, they are seen as dual participants in the Mysteries...also, the alchemical formula connected with the philosophers stone was Sulphur and Quicksilver. Sulpher is symbolic "Spirit" and Quicksilver is the volatile substance in need of fixing. Together, they represent symbolically the generative forces of the universe. Sulphur is a material that was considered sacred to Athena. 

APPENDIX - SOME THOUGHTS ON THE NATURE OF THE COSMIC EGG AND COILED SERPENTS 

Message posted on the Yahoo Group: Shrine To Athena Promachos mid 2002 

"There have been some thoughts running through my skull today. If you want to share them, read on... A site I have just read has labeled Neith (and therefore Athena) as "The great dark mother of the Greeks and Romans".  This is profound and frightening. Athena is a very well rounded personality with many aspects as would be accepted of a powerful and spirited Goddess. Something I have never considered is her Yin side, having always been dazzled by her Yang side. But she has a Yin  too. Whereas the statement on the website mentions Neith as "great dark mother" this overlooks the other half of her aspect. She is also the "great light mother" also - she is not yin or yang, she is both yin and yang in one. This is the paradox from which light and darkness springs forth, this is for the Egyptians "She who birthed RA (Light) and APEP (Darkness)." So what of Athena as Daughter of Zeus? Her importance as a direct emanation of Zeus, primary Storm and Sun God, placed her  3rd in the Triad of Roman Gods after Zeus and Hera (Jupiter and Juno). What could this transition from daughter to mother mean symbolically, or mother to daughter. Previously I explained this as the transfer of thunderbolts from Athena to Zeus, her "superior".  But what I'm thinking now is that there something else going on here, in the cosmological sense. In the heat of solar combustion, everything burns. All chemicals give off heat and light to various degree's in the combustive heat of the star. The photon travels outward and transfers heat and is registered by the eye as it reflects off objects at different frequencies. The universe, peppered by stars giving off light, is not lacking in light. As humans we may perceive "darkness" but in fact we are blinded not by darkness but by the blast of total cosmic light.  There is no cosmic darkness, only our human limitations in comprehension. A few years ago, there was a theory doing the rounds that all substances are different degree's of condensed light.  How far this went it has not yet come to my ears. Considering there is no darkness, we are therefore left only differing degree's of light. This Neith then, has to be not the darkness that gave birth to Ra, but the infinite ambient cosmic light, which in it's areas of low distribution, is perceived as darkness by the human mind. The light of Zeus-Ammon, Ammon-Ra is once more sent out, this light is regenerated Neith, but now symbolic of Athena, as daughter light not mother light. Neith gave birth to Ra without a husband, and so Zeus gave birth to Athena without a wife. This is, I believe the sacred bond between Zeus and Athena and both are dependent on the cosmic harmony. Stars, like the gods are perhaps immortal, the stars merely deplete and then regenerate in other universes. These same entities provide the ambient cosmic light, viz. cosmic rays, that strike and penetrate living things at a startling rate, causing genetic material to mutate. It even penetrates deep into soil and through rock...so I see the egg as the single celled creature, and the fiery serpent entwined about it as the mutating background radiation and the photon providing tropism. These stars are analogies however, and i think, for me, I have cracked finally the mystery of the mobius mother / daughter relationship of Athena. Finally in response to the "Great Dark Mother" label, I have a poem response;

                   Athena is no Dark Princess 

                   She is no Queen of Night 

                   She is the Star Shine Mother 

                   Reborn the Daughter Bright, 

                   Mortals have been blinded 

                   Not in blackness but by white, 

                   Her radiance is not shadow, 

                   But ambient Astral light. 

                   She is no Great Dark Mother 

                   She is no purest YIN, 

                   She is the bright side 

                   Of wisdoms circle so complete 

                   That YIN-YANG fits within. 

                   When I stare into the starry sky 

                   I always gasp with awe, 

                   To see the Goddess all about 

                   Brightness, Darkness and more..."

12) OATHS

Oaths were very important in ancient Hellas. To break an oath was an outrage and may have been considered in some cases as a sin against the Gods. At the end of the world, the oath breakers would proliferate to a majority and impending destruction would follow... 

"For Oath at once runs level with crooked judgments; there is angry murmuring when Right is dragged off wherever bribe swallowers choose to take her as they give judgment with crooked verdicts; and she follows weeping to those people's town and territories clad in darkness; bringing ill to me who drive her out and do not dispense her straight". 

Hesiod "Works & Days" 221-227 

--- 

THE EPHEBE OATH 

Copyright Drew Campbell 

From Old Stones New Temples 

(P. 169) Reproduced with kind permission.

 Elder: Today you stand before us, [name], no longer a child. Some of us were with you when your parents carried you around the fire at your Amphidromia; we were there when they spoke your name for the first time at the Dekate. At that time we pledged to stand by you, to love and protect you as family, as friends, as Hellenes. Now you are no longer a boy, but a man. Your actions are your own; no one will speak for you now. So we ask you, Who are you? What is your will? 

Ephebe: I am [name], son of [parents' names]. As you have protected me, now in turn I will protect you. I shall not disgrace my sacred weapons nor shall I desert my comrade at my side, wherever I stand in the ranks. I shall fight in defense of both sacred and secular things and I shall not hand down a country that is reduced in size, but one which is larger and stronger as far as it lies within me to do so with the assistance of all. I shall be obedient to those who on any occasion are governing prudently and to the laws that are established. If anyone tries to destroy them, I shall resist both as far as it lies within me to do so and with the assistance of all, and I shall honor the sacred ancestral rites. These gods are witnesses: Agraulos, Hestia, Enuo, Enualios, Ares and Athena Areia, Zeus, Thallo, Auxo, Hergemone, Herakles, the boundary-markers of the nation, the wheat, barley, vines, olive trees and fig trees.[5] 

The young man is presented with a symbol of adult responsibility such as keys or his draft card, and a copy of the Iliad. 

Elder: Now bow your head, so that you may make sacrifice to the gods. 

The young man kneels or bows before the leader, who snips off a lock of his hair. The hair is placed upon the altar. Sacrifices to the young man's patron/matron gods and a feast follow. 

[5] Adapted with slight changes, from Garland, Life, p.184 A version of this oath can be found in the Florilegium of Stobaeus, 43, 48, and is reprinted in Crosby & Schaeffer "Introduction to Greek" (Boston: Allyn & Bacon 1928) p 261.  My thanks to Drew Campbell for the above section. 

OATH OF GLAUCUS 

Athena! Great Goddess, Favorite Daughter of Zeus! 

Bear witness to these words. 

I, Glaucus Osborne, Son of Ray and Helen, 

Descendant of Osbern, Make this my Oath; 

To adore and worship thee as my favorite In this life and if able In the next too, To be your loyal student and seek Wisdom And seek Excellence as befits your student. In my life, I promise to try to preserve what is good within, And try to amend what is bad to make good. The noble parts of my life I dedicate to you Athena. I swear to live my life with chastity before and within marriage To live with modesty And to deal honestly within business and my personal life as befits your student. I will try to promote democracy, responsibility and equality in my dealings of everyday life, as far as it is possible for me to do so, and to seek your pleasure in other things as befits your student. If I am a bad student, This is to be no reflection of my teacher. But rather that the faults will be mine And mine alone. I call on Hephaestus Ambidexter to bear witness to this oath along with his Sacred Hammer and Anvil of Power. The Altar holds a lock of hair from my head - G. Odysseus G. Osborne (28/02/02) 

OATH OF JASON (Copyright to Athena's Knight)

Reproduced with kind permission. Thank you!

Wise Athena, 

Guide and Guardian to Heroes, 

I ask that you grant me the honor of your sacred presence. May I have the wisdom and courage to do great and noble deeds. I hereby pledge to act always with honor, and to seek justice in all matters. May my heart and actions be pure and just, and my courage strong enough to do that which is right. Great and Noble Athena, may I prove worthy of your favor. Written on 7th/12th/2001 

13) OLD MONSTERS 

A LOOK AT THE HATE , LIES AND DECEPTIONS DIRECTED AT THE ANCIENT AND MODERN PAGANS

RANT - WARNING!

In the attempt at bastardizing the old religions, the Christians destroyed temples, shrines, and had mass burning of all educational material including the religious tomes of the sages. Books on science, mathematics, craft processes and medicine all burnt on the bonfires of hatred, and anyone found reading a book was tortured. Holders of books were frequently burnt at the stake. The Christians were quick to take over temple land, use temple gold and silver and re-write as much of the old knowledge in their own crass way - to formulate a new version of the old religions. The religion of the Greeks is what could be called pagan in that it is not Christian, Jewish or Muslim. It is pagan as Buddhism or Hinduism is a pagan religion. As with other religions, to find oneself being branded a witch or a warlock or a wizard (with the attached negative connotations) is a severe insult. This is not because of any ideal of  superiority or inferiority, but purely on the grounds that as we respect other traditions, we demand we too have respect for ours, and the differences that make it what it is.  The Athenic religion is one based on ancient and modern knowledge and we have no system of magic indigenous to our religion. The devil exists in forms the likes of Stalin and Hitler, in the forms of inquisitors and bent bishops of totalitarian religion. It doesn't exist in the form of people with birth marks, or eyebrows that meet in the middle. Pagans are NOT in league with the devil. Its seems however that holders of "Monotheist Philosophy" really, really have been, more than often.  Monotheism is soaked through with human blood and gore - a head count places the murdered at 60,000,000 by the western catholic church alone since its rise to dominion. This excludes the orthodox and Coptic head count. To get a scale of this, the second world war has been placed at 50,000,000 and the first world war, 8,500,000. The total head count for mainly military casualties of the entire Pagan Roman Empire was 4,000,000 stretched over its entire duration. 

Pagans are not idol worshippers 

Do the Christians worship crosses? Rosaries? Do they bow before the many images of Christ crucified? Do they worship bibles? Or in the case of Muslims, do they worship the Kaba or the Black Stone, or the Koran? NO. No-one believes that they do. Why? Because its silly to think that they do. So why is the worship of images accredited to Pagans? As a worshipper of Athena, I can pray anywhere. My concept of worship is as image less as any of the many current religions. This is not an issue, except that established religions continually attempt to bastardize everything that isn't under their control. Cult statues were made as gifts to temples, made by mortal hands, by craftsmen. They were not worshipped. They were made to beautify and inspire awe. Art has that effect - and anyone accusing an art lover of idolatry is a quaint, happily touched idolater of very bad manners. 

 The Christians have bastardized Ancient Religions 

The mad monks of the middle ages have had their fingers in many ancient books, inserting disinformation, error, bias, and downright lies. Inserting shocking things into the ancient texts they have sought to alienate the masses from the glories of Rome and Greece. All texts should be analyzed and cross referenced. Only when texts are cross referenced, these insertions will come to light. Myths that they tried to perpetuate are those of human sacrifice, orgies, gladiatorial combat, mass homosexuality and cannibalism. Let's just dismiss these as the works of propaganda...and Hollywood...especially Hollywood. 

1) Human sacrifice: was regarded as totally evil and disgusting by the Gods. The story of Tantalus was that Zeus was so horrified by the Kings disgusting behavior that he sent him straight to Hades for eternal psychological torture. Also, as mentioned in Hesiodic Catalogues, in the event of King Lykayon sacrificing his son to Zeus and his family of gods, the entire collective of gods went berserk, smashing the place up, and invoking the great flood (mentioned in the bible) as a punishment for this most disgusting of human behavioral regressions. The Kings palace was lightning bolted to the ground and the King was morphed into a wolf. The grove of Zeus at Acadia was still improperly treated thereafter, and Zeus kept transmuting the people there into wolves, who remained as wolves forever if they tasted human flesh or blood thereafter. This is a huge negative sanction - and could have been the beginning of the werewolf legends. The occurrence of human sacrifice by Agamemnon of Iphegenia and of Polyxena by Achilles are part of a theatrical PLAYS, written to invoke horror on their audiences. These are not historical documents! To accuse an entire nation of some ghastly act because it appears in a play, is wildly out of line. Again, these legends suddenly have their place in Nebuchadnezzar's madness, in that affliction of lycanthropy as a punishment from God lasted about ten years. The fate of the Locrean maidens who did not reach Troy - frequently they were butchered by Trojans. Let's just remember that Troy was destroyed by the Greeks and the Pallas removed, also, that no matter what the Trojans did, Athena was against them - perhaps really, the golden apple was the last straw in a haystack of transgressions. But for the persistent, the Locrean maiden "problem" can be easily disproved. Firstly, there was not enough room at Troy to house 2 maidens a year forever. There's also a  big problem. After Troy was sacked, and brought down to the ground, there was no Troy to send maidens to. A third more interesting response to this is that the word for "child" is also "interest". 

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Message 3161 of 3214  

     From:   "Glaucus" Date:  Sun Nov 16,

    Subject:  Miss-Translations? 

Eirene, It has come to my notice that the ancient word for "child" was also the same word for "interest". This is mentioned in Plato Republic in the section "Philosopher King" in the notes by the author. This was because the "offspring" of a loan was "interest". Applied to the Locrian punishment, where "Trojan robbers" would try to ambush the "children" sent to Athena's Temple in Troy, it adds a new slant - the Locrian maidens may have been two chests of money. This is not only far more likely, considering robbers were waiting for them and that the logistics of housing 2  maidens a year every year would have meant that the small temple of Athena at Troy would have been jam packed  with maidens. Not only could they not have been housed, they would have been a massive drain on the local economy. This is potentially the best answer to the Locrian maiden problem that I have ever considered - treasure would have been a far more suitable and sensible offering - and these two chests of "child" would have been in tune  with the original "loan" which was the price for the violation by lesser Ajax of Locria. 

Sophisticated... 

G. 

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We also have some extreme hypocrisy as modern people accusing the ancients of "human sacrifice". For instance, wherever the "death penalty" is used, via hanging, lethal injection or firing squad, this is no doubt, human sacrifice to the god of that society. In the case of monotheists, human sacrifice is committed in the name of the god of Abraham. In ancient Hellenic times, this was done in the name of Justicia or Dike, Goddess of Justice perhaps. So, especially with lofty self indulgent finger pointing, we come to a wild problem, modern societies have been sacrificing humans to their gods in the name of their gods for a long time. They have merely changed the name to make it acceptable and holy. There are millions of examples of how Christians have sacrificed innocent people by burning at the stake and flaying, boiling and spine snapping, all in the name of God and Jesus. And the same goes for other monotheist nations. In response to the malicious claims spouted by monotheists (who actually do not have any evidence) I can securely point at this as slander and incitation of religious hate, as part of the continual demonization process against Hellenismos and other persecuted religions. 

2) Sexual impropriety: has existed in every nation at every time. Orgies might have gone on, but they also went on in the Papal Palace after Christianization. However, Roman Law prohibited even kissing ones wife in public. Roman intention and Greek intention was therefore decent. Women Citizens of Greece and Rome had the highest morality. The foreign women known as Hetaerae brought sexual impropriety with them from their barbarian kingdoms. This is NOT an issue. Sex in a temple or sacred sex was an abomination to the Greeks. The Cult of  Aphrodite was not originally Greek, neither was Dionysus, they were from the east - Cicero identified foam born Aphrodite with Astarte, wife of Adonai. See sexuality. 

3) Gladiatorial Combat: No-one who has studied the history of the middle ages has accused the Kings and  Lords of England, France and Germany of cruel gladiatorial combat. Yet, jousts and mock battles between full sized armies frequently resulted in hundreds of deaths from over enthusiasm and plain contempt for safety. Gladiatorial combat took place: criminals were trained and pitted against each other. In modern society, who hangs the hangman? Moral hangovers were avoided by this process. But the main thing I notice here is the way the gladiators were awarded a wooden sword, a rudius. Why would they reward with a wooden sword if they were all users of blades and spears? A wooden sword is the prop of an actor, and I have suspicions that for the main, its intention was not slaughter but entertainment. Like a knife thrower - sometimes the woman on the wheel is hit. If there was not a risk of this, it would not be a show. There is a much darker side to the people who undertook gladiatorial combat - it seems they were "sacramentum" and actors who had exchanged their masks for helmets. Each spent his/her life after taking a voluntary oath to be mutilated and slain in the arena, their life a sacrifice to their emperor and their loved ones - a blasting sign that "Christianity" was not only around before Jesus but that the concept of shedding blood for the sins of others was a common one, picked up on by Hellenized Jews and turned later with the sacramentum of their leader into a final sacrifice to atone for their sins as a nation. This would unite the armored gladiator with his naked combatant, volunteer slayer and volunteer prey, in a fully sacred event. 

4) Mass homosexuality: Blaming homosexuality on the Greeks viz. "Greek Love" is an attempt to alienate via bastardization. Again, the attempt by the Church is a case of the kettle calling the frying pan black. This allegation by the church is another witch hunt of minority groups. Homosexuality has existed from the onset of humanity and will do so till the end. It has played a role in every society at every time. Not an issue! However... 

We could take a few examples and show them as lacking evidence - Let's look at the celebrated Alexander. I have heard numerous digs by historians that he was "homosexual". Actually, Alexander married and had a child. He had what...300 wives? Not only that, but Alexander took up the Amazon Queen on her gift of elongated days and nights of rampant sex. Is this the usual thing for a homosexual? Ah! I see. I do see it now. He had a friend. We all know that men who have a friend of the same sex are homo. (What absolute rubbish!). If these stories are not true, and homosexuality was rampant, why did the stories get around, since they were not ashamed? There is on analysis, only one reason that these stories were about is to show Alexander was not gay. Again, I watched a very cheaply put together documentary on the celebrated King Leonidas and the battle of the 300 Spartans. Almost immediately as the bright red cloaks and dashing theatrical props begin to draw the watcher into the scene and win the admiration of the viewer, a plum mouthed narrator says "they were all homo!" and then goes on about how they combed each other's hair like dandies. Hold on a minute! This is starting to sound like some gay fantasy of the late 20th cent genteel establishment. Long hair in Persia was the sign of royalty, and there are records of  this confusing them - who were these warriors, armored like gods, undefeatable like gods, and having the symbolic long hair of kingly race? This is not a homosexual symbol - many men have long hair without being homosexual. There are many other problems with interpretation by genteel historians. It's impossible to get nits out of your own hair. It has to be done by another. My interpretation is that the Spartans were getting the nits out of their hair so that they were not irritated in the battle coming up. This was not a homo love ritual! It's a misunderstanding by a class of people who "never have nits". 

5) Cannibalism: Ah, the wild women of Dionysus! Well, as I mentioned above, Olympian religion hated human sacrifice, and also cannibalism. When we talk of the Cult of Dionysus, we have to remember that Dionysus's cult was not indigenous to Hellas, it was a foreign deity and Dionysus was NOT an Olympian God. 

Walter Burkert (Greek Religion) (Page 176) "The cult of the dying god Adonis is already found fully developed in Sappho's circle of young girls on Lesbos about 600; indeed, one might ask whether Adonis had not from the very beginning come to Greece along with Aphrodite. For the Greeks it was well known that he was an immigrant from the Semitic world, and his origins were traced to Byblos and Cyprus. His name is clearly the Semitic title Adon, Lord. For all that there is in Semitic tradition no known cult to say nothing of a counterpart to the Greek Adonis myth. The cult in Byblos is known only from the late Greek reports. What can be identified is the spread of the Mesopotamian Dumuzi-Tammuz cult. Old Testament prophets speak of it as an abomination; women sit by the gate weeping for Tammuz, or they offer incense to Baal on rooftops and plant pleasant plants. These are the very features of the Adonis cult, a cult that is confined to women and celebrated on flat rooftops..." 

Russel dates the ascent of the cult of Dionysus as a classical period happening, and that it first appeared legitimately in Hellas no earlier than the age of Pythagoras, about 600 BC.  Drees mentions that (p23 Gods, Artists and Athletes : Olympia) "it is striking to find that Dionysus was virtually disregarded at Olympia. Once a year a dance was staged in honor of Physcoa, his mortal mistress, but he himself, the god of wine and ecstasy, was obliged to share an altar with the Graces. True, in the late days of the festival he received an altar of his own, but this was erected by private individuals, and was outside the altis. Although by the time of Pausanias visited Olympia, the monthly ritual had been extended to include Dionysus, originally, he had not belonged to the circle of Olympian gods. On the contrary, there was open hostility between them, for the ivy which was sacred to Dionysus, was not tolerated within the Olympic sanctuary." 

Dionysus was around from the most ancient times, but, he was rejected in the west, as seen in Titus Livy, History of Rome (Book 39,13) where it is recorded that the Roman Senate prosecuted about 7000 cult members and destroyed the sanctuaries of Dionysus, making the cult illegal in 186 B.C. - and these were pagan senators rejecting the Dionysian mystery cults as utterly perverse and obnoxious. The people pushing these religions were  from the east, they were dubbed "Magi" - people who brought new and radical ideas. The native cult of Dionysus in Hellas was merely a wine cult, simple and unperverted, as was the Roman cult of Liber innocent and untouched -  until the eastern cult spread and superimposed itself over the top of them. In Greece it was Pythagoras who hi-jacked the cult, in Rome wave after wave of eastern Magi, usually Canaanite in origin, tried incessantly to subvert law and order with secret societies based on illicit sex, drugs and blackmail. 

From the Athlone Volume 2 Page.115 "Ostanes (Vishtana) was religious advisor to King Xerxes and accompanied him on his disastrous campaign against the Greeks. He is supposed to have introduced the occult sciences of Persia into Greece. Apuleius mentions him as a great magician next to Carmendas, Damigeron and - Moses. [...]  These Persian Magoi live on somehow in the "three wise men" from the orient who come to pay their tribute to Jesus. They are priests or kings or both, and astrologers as well." I find it shocking that Moses and Solomon are mentioned as "sorcerers" by the ancients. Supposed patriarchal prophets, they were merely sorcerers it would seem. Moses was brought up in the lands of Egypt, and many historians also mention that Jesus would have learnt his arts there too. Such as  Daniel, in Babylonia and the Court of Nebuchadnezzar, was head of the "Wizards". Daniel 1:20 says that the occultists associated with Daniel were ten times more powerful than the Kings own wizards. 

We have, in many comparisons, huge swathes of similarities in the religions of Dionysus and Mithras - the Freke & Gandy from their book "The Jesus Mysteries" is the ultimate work that shows the whole connectivity of the godmen  - ranging through slightly modified types from Egypt to Persia to Greece to Rome. The comparisons are so close that they have to be unified. Dionysus and Mithras, both types of Osiris? Absolutely. 

From the book: "The baby Jesus is visited by the "three wise men" and three shepherds. In the gospels, "the three wise men " are called "Magi". The Magi were the followers of the Persian mystery godman Mithras. His birthday is celebrated on December the 25th , exactly the same date that is celebrated as the birthday of Jesus. Mithras' birth was even said to have been witnessed by three shepherds!" 

Some thoughts on "The Magi " 

Ra, God of Light, The Sun, has been numbered as "666" by certain esoteric societies. Why would this be later called "The number of the beast"? Why would the sun, provider of life on earth, be regarded as EVIL? My opinion, for what it's worth, is that the Hyksos nomad moved at night over the desert. In the day, the heat and the frying desert sands were too much to bear. Light, and the source of the light, the sun, was to them the strangling, thirst making evil. In the desert, it caused illusions in the form of mirages. It set fire to wheat fields and made people insane through stroke. Is it any wonder that Ra, the God of the Sun was to them evil? Inversely, Set, God of the Darkness, and Poseidon, the God of Water and the Sea, the En.ki and the Capricorn, were GOOD because of the ease of movement, the stars that navigate, dying plants suddenly regenerated by watering. Jesus had a claim that a  "river of life" ran out of him. Baptism in water is another symbol that can track the evolution of the water cult of Poseidon. To the water cultist, the burning sun of Ra must have been the epitomy of evil. Hell, then was made like  a burning desert and full of flames. Heaven, was like clouds bearing water and the oasis where verdant plants existed, where Osiris could be imagined to live. When translated into the temperate zones, where heavy rain means  merely more rain floods and destroyed crops, and the sun becomes sought for, water cults somehow change to sun cults, and indeed, the sun and warmth become GOOD and floods and storms become evil. We have, with the inversion of the climate, an inversion of perception. With the sun's return to the northern hemisphere, the life returned to the land. The storm became merely a symbol for brutal anger and raw power. Storms flattened crops, set fire to barns, temples,  and struck people down and with whirlwinds, threw them about. So what we have here,  in the modern west is a foreign set of symbols brought by people who maintain the symbology of the burning desert. The sun, according to the Druids, is the object of wise veneration. This in my mind shows somehow that not  only are the monotheist religions not applicable outside their natural origins, they become insensible. An Eskimo in search of warmth will see holiness in his hearth. An Arab burning out in the sun will see holiness in a drink of cool water. Both perspectives are correct. Both are good. But the symbology of the desert peoples did not adjust - the  layering of one over the other created a strata of visibly eastern hyksos-hebrew-judaic masters in the form of the church and an under strata of indigenous, demonized, pagans. This could only happen if there was a massive influx of people from the Levant and/or North Africa, actively bringing desert symbology into the temperate lands of Europe. I believe there was a constant stream of immigrants and the turf wars that struck up fragmented and brought down the entire Roman Empire. But mainly, the church that was elected to become the monotheist religion of the struggling Roman Empire was dominated by a caste of foreigner priests. 

* The facts show that it was Enki who forms the Ea link with Yahweh, not Enlil. But hey, I'm just agreeing with the swap over from Enki to Enlil for a moment because that is what the monotheists did. They swapped not me!

14) SOPHIA? ATHENA AS SOPHIA?

THE TRUTH ABOUT SOLOMON'S WISDOM? 

This article is purely provisional. This does not constitute P-Org doctrine, such things require deep analysis. Just enjoy the speculation. PLEASE READ FULLY TO AVOID MISINTERPRETATIONS 

Athena, First Born Daughter of God, in the Bible !?

Christian reasoning can be applied to many things, and the following is one of them. Jesus was the son of god. His father was God and his mother, though a virgin, was Mary (Therefore, Adam, whose father and mother was God, was the double son of God??? LOL). Pagans tend to believe that all living things are sacred, and that all humans are sons and daughters of god and or goddess. All that pagans require is that laws which are claimed to be universal laws are available, universally, for universal people to universally quote. Cosmopolitan religion makes many a universal claim, then tries to prohibit anyone else from uttering it. Sorry, but the same sun shines on all of us. So let's use the same reasons that the Christians use to place Jesus at the right hand of God, to place ATHENA at the right hand of GOD. Athena, First Born Daughter of God, Deus, Zeus, was born of Zeus and Zeus alone.  She came from his holy skull, and leapt fully grown and armed for war.  This is Hellenic religion in full metaphorical sway.  She was not the created daughter like Eve, or the half offspring like Jesus. There is a powerful genetic link here as a daughter, and she is the incarnation of the GOD-HEAD. Now let's look at the Jewish book of proverbs, as it stands, and by applying an Athenic perspective (My notes underneath each verse). 

KING JAMES VERSION 

The Proverbs Chapter One

21. Wisdom crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the opening of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying: (A place where a concourse, or pathway, leads through gates, not at the edge of the city but in the heart of the city, later in Proverbs the highest place of the city; is directly translated as the Acropolis) 

22. How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and the fools hate knowledge? 

23. Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you. (Rebirth - wisdom promises rebirth, Athena is the prima pneuma, or breather of life into mankind according to the Hellenic religion) 

24. Because I have called, and ye refused: I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded: 

25. But ye have set at nought  all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: 

26. I will laugh at your calamity: I will mock when your fear cometh: 

27. When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. 

28. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early but they shall not find me. 

29. For that they hated Knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord: 

( Chapter 9 v 10: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom, moreso, The Fear of Zeus, Athena, embodiment of wisdom, was the wielder of the Aegis, and the thunderbolt. The daughter of Zeus could take up delegated power of Zeus himself at any time.) 30. They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. 

31. Therefore they shall eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. 

32. For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them. (Salvation is by loving Athena, embodiment of reason, knowledge and wisdom. It is quiet solidly declared that rejection is doom). 

33. But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil. (Also being called a  comforter-spirit later mentioned in the new testament, wisdom here proves to be the immunizing agent against evil. Athena is looking more like the what the Christians  envision the holy spirit to be the more we study). 

Chapter Two 

13. Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. 

14. For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. (The philosophers stone is one which is fabled to turn base metals into gold. This stone I put forward here as the stone of Athena Parthenos). 

15. She is more precious than rubies, and all the things thou canst desire are NOT to be compared to her. (She makes a man richer than anything the earth can give) 

16. Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left are hand riches and honor. (She controls the fate of humanity - SHE, Athena has total vice regency over the world) 

17. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, all her paths are peace. (Her war is the Just war, to restore peace and prosperity) Harmony is her best friend! 

18. She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her; and happy is everyone that retaineth her. (The tree of life is different to the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Knowledge is knowing, but wisdom remains intangible - the tree of life is forever barred to those that seek to eat the fruit in their own way. Athena remains quiet - her warning is quite apparent to those that hear the call, but they are that show to eat the fruit in HER way. This is a two tier test - those that do not eat the fruit of knowing are merely beasts of the garden, they are blameless. Secondly those that do are human. Thirdly, the love shown for HER after the eating the fruit of knowing will place them in alignment for receiving her gift - to eat of the tree of life.) 

19. The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens. (God, Deus, Zeus - his right hand is Athena, his daughter.) 

Chapter 4 

5. Get wisdom, get understanding; forget it not; neither decline from the words of thy mouth. 

6. Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee; love her, and she shall keep thee. (Become a philosopher, a lover of wisdom, and SHE is authorized by God-Deus-Zeus to preserve and keep) 

7. Wisdom is the principle thing; therefore get wisdom; and with all thy getting get understanding. (Speaks so plainly the ultimate aspiration) 

8. Exalt her, and she shall promote thee; she will bring thee to honor, when thou dost embrace her. (Athena is authorized to guide the life of the worshipper, to ascribe honor to the skein of the life Zeus has already set, to embellish any life that is given to her) 

9. She will give to thine head an ornament of grace; a crown of glory she shall deliver thee. (She is authorized by God to make her worshippers Kings and Queens over the earth, and she is authorized to intercept and destroy any of their enemies. Also, an olive wreath was worn around the head of the worshipper of Athena on the Athenian festivals) 

10. Hear, O my Son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many. (It is thought that this is Solomon talking to his son? Athena was co-creator according to Greek legend, and this passage will make sense - my son; indicates the maternal claims of the goddess over mortals) 

11. I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths. (The Books of Plato and others have been well preserved through 2,500 years of persecution) 

12. When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straightened, and when thou runnest , thou shalt not stumble. 

13. Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life. (Again, she is thy life; she is the breath of humankind - Athena is the prima pneuma of man according to the Hellenic legends.) 

Chapter 8 

14. Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom; I am understanding; I have strength. (Words of Athena - Polymetis, she of many counsels and Metis is Counsel. Metis is mine (my mother) and sound wisdom: (Metis more specifically crafty wisdom, sound wisdom is more logic). 

15. By me kings reign and princes decree justice. (Declaration : Athena can put Kings in power, Justice is a given thing. On many old coins and cameo, Athena/Minerva is seen depicted sitting next to kings and emperors!) 

16. By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth. 

(Declaration: she claims a host of promoted) 

17. I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. 

(She delights in the philosopher. She promises them that that those that seek early shall find me. Early as in as a child? There are a surprising amount of Athena worshippers who came to her as children. But perhaps early merely means as someone untouched by the greed's of life or fed up with them an seeking answers.) 

18. Riches and Honor are with me; yea, durable riches and righteousness. 

(Wisdom the fount of human success, in this life and the next). 

19. My fruits are better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver. (Again, effect is more embellishing than fine gold, and the trading of wisdom (philosophy) is better than choice silver). 

20. I lead the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment:(She is the guide in righteousness and justice, the foremost one at that). 

21. That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures.(Again, material wealth promised to those that worship her!) 

22. The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. (Zeus owns Athena, she is his daughter, before creating humanity and the gardens) 

23. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. (The mind of god, incorruptible, and Athena is incorruptible therefore. Orphic hymns indicate she was incorruptible, coming from the mind of god). 

24. When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water. (Water as firmament - space, when space didn't exist Athena was there with God, her father. This directly draws from Greek Cosmology, there was before all things CHAOS and within the abyss were Platonic forms. Wisdom was one of these forms. She was brought forth on a cosmic level here.) 

25. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills I was brought forth: (This suddenly brings her closer to home. A second coming forth, when Zeus, or God, brings her forth on a worldly level, during the creative phase of the world (que Adam and Eve). Would mountains exist in a settling phase but hills not yet exist? Two uses of settling are made here. Firstly, that the mountains had not yet been settled, earth was tectonically unstable still. Before the hills I was brought forth - She was birthed near the hills. 

26.While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world. (Denial of God-Deus-Zeus as creator of the world- immediately drawing from Greek legend, that Gaia and Uranus were the creators, Zeus the inheritor of Cronus's realms. 

27. When he prepared the heavens, I WAS THERE: when he set a compass on the face of the depth. (Athena ascribed as co-designer of the heavens, the court of God.) 

28. When he established the clouds above; when he strengthened the foundations of the deep: 

29. When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth: 

 (The order of precedence being designed on earth and the forces balanced, Neptune subjugated) 

30. Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him. (Perfect - Athena was Zeus's most loved - All the Greek legends speak of the total love he held for his daughter Athena. As one brought up with him, almost a companion, a co-equal, or as a daughter, rejoicing always before him worshipping her father.) 

31. Rejoicing in the habitable part of the earth; and my delights were with the sons of men. (Suddenly, She is now in Eden. God was in Eden too, where he walked. Bear in mind, the rest of the earth was still unstable and was NOT inhabitable). 

32. Now therefore hearken unto me, o ye children; for blessed are they that keep my ways. (Not Gods ways, MY WAYS, Athena's ways. Why? Because SHE made you according to Greek Legend) 

33. Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not. 

34. Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. (SHE has a VOICE which utters to mortals. And SHE has a TEMPLE) 

35. For those that findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain the favor of the Lord. (SHE is the eternal pneuma of mankind. Finding her obtains her fathers favor. According to the love bond between them, Zeus grants her permission to give immortality to those people that she knows love her. We are her children, but only the ones that love her can be kept - in Greek legend, mortals were made by Hephaestus and Athena, old Vulcan himself creating the clay puppets out of the dust and ashes remaining of the Titans. Then Athena breathed her breath into mankind.  The puppets were living and moving as their parents planned. But the evil of the Titans pervaded man, and so distinctions were to be drawn up to draw the two creeds asunder.) 

36. But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul; all they that hate me love death. (Again, Athena draws a comparison, those that sinneth against me sinneth against his own soul because the prima pneuma is the same. Hating HER is a way of designating oneself into the nature of the Titan. 

Chapter 9 

1. Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars: 

(This is a powerful reference to an actual spiritual temple. The temple built by Pericles has eight front pillars and seventeen side pillars resulting in fifty pillars. This is just a formality as the Periclean temple was the second one to be built on the same site. The first one might have had seven pillars on the front, and none around the sides and back. But this might be Semitic 7-ishness  taking hold again. 7 is used in Semitic religious thought to indicate Gods Truth. It is his trademark. Saying the temple had 7 pillars is like saying it was built with Gods approval. That fits fine too, as Athena was designated Athens as her precinct by Zeus. The possibility that the temple of wisdom is purely spiritual is strong.  Although this might be a reference to the holiness of wisdom. 

2. She hath killed her beasts; and she hath mingled her wine, she hath furnished her table. (Greek legend again: the sacrifices have been made, her table has been set. Mingled wine is a total give-away: the Greeks gave sacrifice by mingling wine and honey, before pouring it on the temple brazier of temple alter.) 

3. She hath sent forth her maidens: she crieth upon the highest places in the city, (The Arrephoroi! Athena's maidens were virgins and the temple served by married priestess. Women were regarded as totally unacceptable to serve in Jerusalem's temples as priestesses. The women were regarded as unclean chattel, NOT to wait upon their God. So the writer was NOT talking about the Jewish Temple at all. This is totally obvious because the Jews would not use such a reference to their own temple. None of these verses refer to Jesus. He would not be referred to as a Woman. Acropolis means "High part of the city.) 

4. Whoso is simple, let him turn hither; as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him. 

5. Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled. (This is a communion BEFORE the time of JESUS. The writer is speaking of a pagan Temple here. Bread was a common offering at temples, and honey mingled wine is a thing offered by people at PAGAN temples. HERE King 

Solomon (obviously under possession of the divine wind of Goddess Athena) invites her children to her home to share in the glories of her table.  Again, I stress, this is NOT JESUS. It cannot be referring to Jesus. Jesus is a MAN not a WOMAN. There are too many coincidences here: either the Jewish God had a first born daughter called Athena who secretly had the dominion of  heaven, earth and mankind, or the Jews plagiarized the Goddesses image for their own purposes, or they secretly worshipped Zeus and Athena!)  Of course, this is all rubbish! Total rubbish! It was ASHTORETH. But pointing out a few of these things also the relationships with some of these verses should really throw the Christians and Jews and maybe Muslims too, right off their feet!!! But it proves a few things, that the Hebrews were not monotheist, that they worshipped the same gods as everyone else, and that they MAY HAVE WRITTEN IT THIS WAY TO UNDERMINE OR INCORPORATE THE ATHENIC CULTUS. The Catholic Encyclopedia mentions that the Cult of Zeus Hypsistos was used to bridge the gap between Judaic paganism and Roman paganism and has been accredited as greatly assistive in helping the new religion of Christianity to spread. It is possible to see that the Hebrews assimilated a whole mass of ideas and symbols from Sumer, Babylon, Canaan and Egypt, notwithstanding Greece and Rome. Is this above section of Solomon's pen an attempt to assimilate Athenic religion as it did with others? 

15) SYMBOLOGY

Helmet Symbol - Used also by Freemasons 

The Helmet is a primary Athena symbol, and is the main method of visual recognition. Few Greek women ever wore a helmet, this was considered odd for a woman, and even anti-social in the Amazonian sense. But Athena is not a human, and is not bound by social limits. The helmet is the helmet of Hades. It bestows the power of covert movement amongst the Gods and mortals alike. Adopted by Freemasons under Francis Bacon, the Helmet became known as "The High Hat" and the Order of the Helmet was the primary user of this symbol in Elizabethan England. Athena is the helmeted Goddess, as opposed to Aphrodite who is the tiara wearing Goddess. According to some, the helmet of Hades is "Darkness" and if so, to fool the Gods, this darkness is very dark!

Owl Symbol -Demonized by Hebrews and Christians 

The owl symbolically represents the primary association of Athena with Athens. A huge parliament of little owls (Athena Nocta) lived upon the acropolis rock before it had been crowned with temple structures. The colony was maintained throughout the classical times. The owl could signify the elemental aspect of Athena as sky goddess. Deeper associations of darkness and night exist with these nocturnal creatures - it has been said by Hegel that "the owl of Minerva spreads its wings only with the coming of dusk". Scientifically, serotonin, a vital chemical essential to healthy brain activity has "problems" under the effects of sunlight. People with high serotonin tend to be "night owls" doing all their best work and art only at night. This also links with the lunar, feminine aspect of Athena as "reflective light", the wisdom given to the world as opposed to the direct knowledge of solar illumination. Zeus as symbolic eagle dominating the day sky, Athena as symbolic owl dominating the night sky gives us an idea of the relationship between the Father God and the Daughter Goddess. Though the moon itself is more Hera and Dianic - the Athenic aspect may have been lunar reflective light. Ancient Egyptian Queens and Princess used the owl as their emblem, naming themselves "Neith" in honor of the first Goddess Neith, the primary Goddess of Sais, Supreme mother goddess of Egypt. The link also drives back to Sumer where the owl is found as a badge of some of the Annunaki Goddess, including the demonized Lillith. Astonishingly, 80% of wildlife is nocturnal,  yet we still fear night creatures. Even more astonishingly, the owl was the first symbol awarded  to the Christ as they were apparently overseers of the crucifixion - and the early Christians adopted it to show the Christ seeing through the darkness. 

The Python - Demonized by Hebrews and Christians 

Plato mentioned in Timeus that Athena was represented in Sais, Egypt, as the Goddess Neith. This most ancient Goddess set her Egyptian colony on the Nile delta. The Python was almost certainly symbolic of the Nile. The association with the Hindu guardian spirit, the naga, is also very strong. Certain deities were guarded directly by multi-headed spirit snake guards, fire spitting and ethereal, "hydra". But for the most part, Athena is the tamer of the chthonic feminine earth powers, the snake is in the Greek symbolic library most noted as the power of the life principle and healing - the snake forms one part of the Caduceus and is from the Sumerian perspective, is the symbol of En.ki, the creator of Man. Oddly, both owl and snake are protectors of human interests, both ridding their hunting territory of disease spreading mice and rats. There are many perspectives, but as most rational people will tell you, these creatures were useful benefactors of humanity and that they are not evil spirits. Snakes are generally symbolic of "crafty wisdom". This may also be representative of the divine child, Erichthonius. But that links with the divine child myths, which Athena shares with the Osiris and Isis myth, the Joseph and Mary myth as well as other divine child myths across the world. The python  however is a universal symbol meaning many different things to different cultures. There are  many psychotic websites on this courtesy of the demonization process, attempting to link "serpent" and "evil".   

The Spear - Universal Symbol 

The great spear in the hands of the statue of Athena on the acropolis was frequently seen vibrating in the wind, shining and possibly humming. Known unofficially as "the spear shaker", Athena was the active holder of the thunderbolts of Father Zeus, so the spear of Athena is most likely representative of the thunderbolt or lightning bolt of the sky gods. In Greek Mythos, Athena first invented the lightning bolt, and then Hephaestus crafted them, she gave them as a gift to Father Zeus who used them to defeat the forces of chaos. In indo-European religions, the trident and spear would be representative of thunderbolts. Neith taught the first humans to use the spear to defend themselves. The spear is also the "world axis" symbol, and is a primary symbol but also an overlooked one. The Roman spear was stuck into the crucified Christ and also is used to catch fish, it may be viewed therefore as slightly demonized by Christians.

The Aegis - Shifting nature defies classification 

Known as a shield and a piece of extra armour, some confusion has been shown over the exact nature of this object. Owned by Zeus, Athena frequently used this in war with great consequences.  In most representations of Athena, she is shown wearing a type of circular neck guard, common to Celtic druids and Egyptians of history. Now, my opinion says that this is in actuality  a Parablemata, worn around the neck and when entering combat against arrows is  hung around the  lower half of the circular shield.  After the slaying of medusa, the chthonic powers of the snake  haired elemental serpent woman were attached to the aegis, the power of the petrifying eyes of that  creature was commandeered to the purposes of law and order. This could have been a primary symbol, but remains at Athena's feet as a symbol of defense in warfare. 

The Olive - Universal symbol of peace and prosperity.

This is symbolic of the beneficence of the Goddess Athena. It was a simple symbol representing fruitful peace, prosperity and the olive tree of the acropolis was itself was referred to as holding the life and fate of the people. Odysseus built his bed with an olive tree as one of its posts, this was the foundation of his world and served perhaps to sanctify his palace - after years of abuse by wicked suitors, Odysseus' bed was not defiled and his Penelope kept safe. Olive oil was later used as a symbolic anointing fluid by Christians to signify the blessing of God. This symbol is the most Athenic of them all perhaps.

The Dove and Olive Twig - Used also by Christians.

This is a definite secondary symbol, stolen by Christians and used in the story of Noah. This symbol originally referred to the Golden Age, a time following the original creation of mankind  by Athena and Prometheus, and later Hephaestus and Athena. The use by Sumerian, Babylonian and Hebrew cultures of this ship, dove and twig, may show that it was NOT En.ki or En.lil who saved Utnapishtim-Noah, but the mother Nin.Khursag-Athena (Lady of the Mountain) who then brought the Ark to rest on a mountain. This olive twig was perhaps from her mountain, the sacred grove of olives was the sacred garden planted by Athena. This also has a connotation of Eden and the settlement of Sumer. The dove and eight pointed star are Aphroditean symbols, but the dove and olive twig is most defiantly Athenic. Maybe this emblem could be reclaimed. 

 The Bumblebee - Used also by the Hebrews 

This was the symbol of Neith as the Queen Bee. Neith was the supreme and primary Goddess of the Saisean Egyptians. As I said earlier, Socrates and the Egyptians referenced Athena and Neith as one. The bee as a symbol is awesome, and was adopted by the Jews in reference to the two biblical Deborah. The name Deborah means "Bumblebee" and the story of the two maidens is a stolen story like most of the bible. But BOTH Deborah are taken from the dual aspects of the Goddess Neith, one who was "warrior-defender", and the other "weaver-potter " Deborah. In the late 18th Cent. AD Napoleon Bonaparte, the greatest strategic commander who  ever lived perhaps, adopted the bumblebee as his personal emblem as part of his Greco-Roman fantasy. The Cult of Athena has lost this emblem. 

The Loom - Universal symbol of female power, Plagiarized by Hebrews 

This is the most obvious symbol shared between Athena and Neith. To both Greek and Egyptian, Athena was "Weaver of Worlds". This is a "distaff" or purely female emblem of enormous power significant of destiny, fate and the ultimate creative power of the Goddess. As Athena weaves, life is created, and as she unweaves, life is returned once more to thread to be reused in another tapestry. There is a message in the great poem by Homers Odyssey, where Penelope weaves and unweaves her tapestry awaiting the return of Odysseus. Her palace has been turned into a Dionysian orgy, and the symbolic destruction of Penelope's loom by the wicked revelers precedes the return of Odysseus. The destruction of the Loom comes over as a sacrilegious event, and again, as in the Iliad and Lysistratos, puts Athena into conflict with the Aphroditean. The loom as a virtue is the opposite of the orgy as the vice of the suitors. 

The Sun - Solar Aspect - Universal symbol of many "Primary" Gods and Goddess 

The solar aspect of Zeus and Athena are parallel to the storm aspects. They are both valid aspects. Athena is the daughter of Zeus. Ra is the son of Neith. We have already ascertained Athena and Neith as one. For Zeus, we will use the connection Zeus-Ammon/ Ammon-Ra. Ra is the Sun, and Neith the Cosmos. The solar aspect was known to the Druids of the Celtic nations, the Oak and the Sun were both symbols of their gods. So the solar aspect is not southern or Semitic. The storm aspect is not northern or aryan. Sun and storm run parallel all over the ancient world. According to some cutting edge research by Annette Teffeteller in "Greek Athena and the Hittite Sun Goddess Arinna" shows that Arinna might have been the same as Greek Athena. The Trojans have been proven to be part of the Hittite culture, and indeed, via the Luwian tongue the name can be translated from Athena to Arinna; 

Mycenaean - Athena 

Luvian - th becomes r 

Hittite - Arinna 

This is NOT proof, but a close call with it! We do know that Athena was worshipped at the Trojan acropolis, and the transfer of the wooden Pallas from Troy into the hands of the Achaeans may have signified a removal or transfer of divine power. It is noted that the Hittites are said to have adopted the indigenous Hatti Goddess, but this doesn't take into account that across Europe Brigid, Brigit, Brigantia, Sulis, and similar types of goddess who incorporate steel craft, wells, springs, healing, weaving and war abound. The Hittites were indo-Aryans and could have shared a common link with this bronze age European goddess type in this form of Arinna. Other clues are found abroad as far as Ameratsu, Japanese Goddess of the Rising Sun. 

The Sphinx - Demonized by Christians and Misogynists

The Sphinx is not only an Egyptian symbol. Remarkably, the Sphinx was also a Hittite symbol. This was not adopted from the Egyptians, but existed alongside as a common image, and of course, there is the Greco-Roman Sphinx too. In looking for the meaning of the Sphinx, we can go to modern sources or to ancient. In Greek legend, the Sphinx was a creature of deadly riddles. The Sphinx may be the symbol of the point in anyone's life when they must use everything in their mind to escape their doom, but there are powerful and recognized meanings to clarify this. Coopers Illustrated Encyclopedia of Traditional Symbols (ISBN 0-500-27125-9)  (Thames and Hudson) mentions of the Sphinx as : "the mysterious, the enigmatic, power" and "royal wisdom, vigilance, strength." Apparently the combined animal parts symbolize the unified elemental powers and if given a human head, it shows the spirit in governance of the animal body - the royal association of the Sphinx for Egyptians and Hittites shows that this was a potent international statement. In the Cult of Athena, the Goddess is shown in some depictions as having the Sphinx on the crown of her helmet. But regardless of its origin, Hittite, Egyptian or Greek, this signifies that Athena is the "Goddess of Civilization." The use of the Sphinx shows her claim to eternal royal power over mankind's ascent to civilization, as a Goddess of the thesis, as Athena Polias "Of the City". There were many other types of Sphinx, usually these were not Royal Sphinx, but hideous monsters symbolic of wayward, repellent forces waiting to waylay the traveler and give a kiss of death. This is of course, the antithesis to the story of the creation of man, where Athena blows the breath of life into the first people through a kiss. 

The Pentalpha/Pentangle/Pentagram/Pentacle - Demonized by Christians 

It would seem that Athena and Aphrodite have a claim to this symbol. In ancient days, Athena was awarded "The Morning Star" as Phosphoros, "Eastern Star" and "Light-bringer". "The Evening Star" was awarded to Aphrodite. Also, in the naming of the physical planet Venus, Athena was overlooked in favor of the Goddess of Love. The ancients also made the mistake of calculating that both appearances of the physical planet Venus, morn and eve, were different planets. This may have caused huge confusions when it was found that they were appearances of the same planet. Of course, this planet is NOT Goddess Athena or Aphrodite, but was a symbol awarded to them. The pentangle is a demonized symbol today and the badge has been heavily abused and customized to mean odd and varied things. But the facts remain, this is a geometric symbol originally used in Hellas, Egypt, Babylon and Sumer. However the Revelations of St. John the Divine 22 v 16  claims the actual words of Jesus Christ is that his origins are of the "Bright Morning Star".  This would conclude that Christianity is part of the pan pagan god-man mythos. 

The Torch and Lamp - Demonized by Christians 

Sometimes holding a torch, in a similar fashion to Diana, Athena has the role of spiritual guide to many. The torch is part of the light bringing symbolism - and it has been heavily demonized by Christians. Translating into Latin as "Lucifer" (meaning "Light-bringer") this can be proven to be a total abuse by medieval translators. How can what is obviously a Latin word be found in use in early Hebrew scriptures in Isaiah? It has in fact, been inserted by theologians to bastardize the role of light bringer - and the torch bearing goddess. The name Lucifer was a beneficial name, and it has been attached by idiots to ancient scriptures in a clown like manner worthy of heaps of contempt. The title of "Light Bringer" simply cannot be used, but "Phosphoros" could after this sort of treatment.  The Lamp that was found sitting on the Athenic altar at the acropolis was no doubt made from some metal, be it bronze, copper or silver I have no idea. It may have been olive oil powered, or some pitch may have been used. Because of it's windy location, and the need to keep this alight continually, I'd suspect that a storm glass was used or it simply would not be perpetual. This flame was not "Athenic" however. It was almost certainly the symbolic presence of Vulcan, and in return, Athena was allowed to have a statue at the Temple of Hephaestus. 

The Trinity and No.3 - Pagan Universal Symbols, Adopted by Christians 

Athena was "third-born" of the Gods or "Tritogenia" and this is also symbolic of perfection. It also throws lots of questions up about Athena's birth. If Zeus and Vulcan were 1, and 2, then where was Hera and the Cronos and the others? Too difficult for me to unravel, this "3" also pops up in the form of the divine family and trinity. I'm not making statements about other faiths, merely pointing the similarities. This way, we may be able to make some sense of the involvement of Athena in one of these triads. 

TRINITY FAMILY "SIMILARITIES" 

Christianity has: 

Joseph (the Carpenter human) 

He was however not the biological father according to the Christians even though there's 

an entire line accredited through Joseph. Joseph was not the real father. 

Mary (the Virgin human) 

Jesus (the Divine child) 

Christians also have: 

Father (God Jehovah) 

Son (God Jesus) 

Holy Ghost 

Hellenismos has: 

Hephaestos (the Blacksmith God) 

This was the biological father. 

Known also as Ptah - Alalu- Cronos 

Athena (the Virgin Goddess) 

Not the biological mother - Ge however, was the real mother, Athena as "Foster mother" 

Possible Neith Connection as "Mother" of Ra and Apep. 

Ericthonious (the Divine child) 

This links Hephaistos as Cronos and Ge as Rhea. Due to Athena as foster mother, she positions herself confusingly. She shouldn't really be implicated! But there are possible links of Athena with Almatheia. 

The Egyptians have: 

Father (God Osiris) 

In Greek mythos as The Giant Orion 

Mother (Goddess Isis) 

Artemis, The Huntress 

Horus (the Divine child) 

Pharaoh of Egypt 

(Some texts ID a link between Pharaoh and the God Horus) 

Romans have: 

Father (God Vulcan) 

The Blacksmith 

Mother (Ocrisia - Mortal) 

(The Servant Girl) 

Son (Servius Tullius) 

(King of Rome) 

(This trinity is the best match as the God-Father uses a mortal woman to produce a son, also, as she is dead, due to integral human mortality, she is absent from the modern family and said to be a ghost?) 

The Sumerians had: 

Father (God En.ki) 

Lord of Earth and Water 

Symbolic Capricorn 

Mother (Goddess Nin.hursag) 

Lady of the Mountain 

Symbolic Virgo? AstaRHEA? :) 

Son (Adapa or Adam) 

Priest King of Sumer 

The Hebrews had: 

Father (God Jehovah) 

Can be identified with a composite of Osiris, Seeker and Ptah. Osiris is also prototype for the Dionysus / Baal / Tammuz "dying and rising cults". 

Mother (Goddess Astarte) 

Son  - Missing, may be symbolic of "King of the Jews" which would fit the other patterns and finish the trinity for this line. 

SO: 

What I have come to in my studies is that these are DIFFERENT trinity families. I used to think they were different versions of the same one. But you see, there were ALSO 3 "primary" daughters of Zeus, that is, 

APHRODITE - ASTARTE - VENUS 

(Of the Hebrew Trinity) 

ARTEMIS - ISIS - DIANA 

(Of the Egyptian Trinity) 

ATHENA - MAAT - MINERVA 

(Of the Hellenic Trinity) 

I hope none of this is offensive, a few words on the page are certainly heated - I do get emotional when I see how much of what once was has simply been grabbed and abused. Shockingly, pre-Islamic paganism in Arabia allocated 3 daughters to the main god. This is a common pattern in paganism. This also would mean that there are 3 main lines of divine Kingship/prophecy in descent from these, not merely one, as monotheism would suppose. 

16) WHAT IS WISDOM? 

From the Oxford Popular English Dictionary 

WISDOM: 1 Experience and knowledge together with the power of applying them; Sagacity, prudence, common sense. 2 wise sayings. 

 WISE: 1 having or showing , or dedicated by wisdom; having knowledge; suggestive of wisdom. 2 (US slang ) Alert, crafty. 

 - none the wiser, knowing no more than before. 

 - wise man, a wizard; each of the Magi 

  WIZARD: 1 a magician 2 a person of extraordinary ability 

 WISDOM is a word we may hear often, yet we fail to touch upon what its meaning really is. We have for the main part no idea what we are saying when we say wisdom - even at its simplest, true wisdom is BINARY, and at its most complex, it can only be the province of the Gods. Even more so, as society advances, new disciplines and technologies arrive with new knowledge compounding our struggle to learn. Getting left behind in the technology escalation is very easy; I know that my software for work is on revision 16 at this moment. That's 16 training courses in as many years. So in advancing societies, WISDOM becomes more and more valuable. Wisdom is in essence, one half of the sum. Wisdom is transferable from one genre of thought to another. Knowledge is learnt, obsolete knowledge is forgotten. Wisdom is not forgotten. Wisdom accumulates in our minds until the moment we  die. And what tears there are for the truly wise! It is a massive loss to humanity when a wise person dies especially if their knowledge is lost. Knowledge is part of wisdom - it is the raw material that crafts the solution from the premises. To understand Knowledge, you have to read Plato's Theatetus. It will go through, step by step, all the components that show what is knowledge and what is not knowledge. Only when we know what our materials are can we begin to be wise. Experience also is part of the process of becoming wise, doing something over and over makes a person reliable and trustworthy - and people who have never been wise can and do reach a position of experience where they are thought to be wise. We can be trained in many activities to become wise in certain ways. Some never learn. LOL. For the most part, our mortal wisdom is gotten via this process of gaining experience. For the most part the ancient Greeks too had little time for fancy due to workload, despite their artistic achievements. The divine wisdom was only ever alluded to in their poems and ideas. The U.S. Slang entry in the dictionary is very interesting. It says "Alert and crafty". This was close to what the ancient Greeks thought of "Manly Wisdom". I am going to draw a distinction here on a sexual basis, mainly because it is convenient to do so and because the ancient Greeks had a distinction in play too. This is essential to understand what wisdom meant in those days. A man in ancient Greece was most likely a warrior, a statesman and a craftsman all in one. He'd have a place in the council, he'd fight in the defense of his town, and he'd have to make a living in some way. Wisdom for the man was strategic, political and logistic. A woman in ancient Greece was most likely a housekeeper, a craft worker with weaving skills as well as an educator of the children, rolling all home activities into one job. For the woman, Wisdom was domestic, productive, academic, socially organizing. So we can see a BINARY aspect to Wisdom, the "Sneaky" male aspect, and the "matronly" female aspect. On a basic social level, mortal wisdom is monotropos. In Jenny Clays "Wrath of Athena" (ISBN 0-8226-3069-9) she discusses the double minded aspect of Odysseus, who is regarded as wise. What I believe she detected here, is the fact that Odysseus owned not only the male minded aspect but also the female minded aspect of wisdom, meaning he had the BINARY as owned by Athena herself. In the Orphic Hymns, it says of Athena "Male and female in one". This has been previously been translated as a type of androgyny, but, humans being overtly sexual and full of sexualization processes (optical studies showed that the human eye views another humans private parts 80% of the time, not their faces). This thus was received as a type of sexual hermaphrodite thing, when in truth, it merely indicates that the highly singular engendered mind CANNOT be Polytropos. (Please note I said mind, not brain, and nowhere did I say body!) Athena is celibate; she is a virgin and has no plans for marriage. She is good at womanly things and manly things too. Odysseus owns a peculiar state of mental stability formed by two counterbalancing spheres. The other way of saying it might be more familiar to us, a basic unification of Logical and Intuitive. Essentially, Odysseus was wise because he used both sides of his brain. This indicates that the ancient Greeks were well aware of the composition of the image of Athena, garbed for war, strategic and adventurous, and yet maidenly and hearthside in one. Athena  is complete in this sense. Odysseus is also complete.  An interesting chapter on wisdom can be found in Aristotle's Ethics, where he discusses a similar result in his 5 modes of thought. I wonder if pentalpha fit with this? LOL. 

To finish, Aristotle had a great write up on what he deduced to be wisdom. 

Athena The Logical Goddess? 

Some definitions from the Athlone History of Witchcraft and Magic in Europe: Vol. 2 Ancient Greece and Rome (Flint - Uni.Hull/ Gordon-Uni East Anglia/, Luck - John Hopkins Uni/ and Ogden. University of Swansea) ISBN 0-485-89102-6

Goeteia: "Witchcraft", hence goes, "Wizard, Sorcerer". Pagans and Christians alike use these terms  to denote lower forms of magic, and there almost always is a connection of fraud and deceit.  In this respect, goeteia is practically synonymous with "manganeia" which, originally, meant  something like "engineering". Hence, it would imply natural explanations of seemingly supernatural  phenomena and, at the same time, draw attention to fraud and deceit. Alexander, the  Pseudoprophet, used "manganeumata" to orchestrate the cult of his god, Glycon.

Theourgia: "Working on the gods" or "making the gods work", a higher kind of magic, performed in a religious context, by philosophers and priests. They were supposed to make the statues of the ancient gods smile and talk, etc. Some mystic experiences resemble s‚ances and presuppose a medium in a trance. These techniques were used by the defenders of paganism in their struggle against the ever growing popularity of the new faith.

What I want to make a point of here is that Aristotle's description of WISDOM is: (from The Ethics of Aristotle by prof. J. Koterski, Fordham NY) P.29

Wisdom (in Greek Sophia, one of the root words in "philosophy") is the habit of uniting the intuition  of first principles with science (the habit of knowing how to demonstrate the link between effects and their causes).

Therefore, my opinion is that, WISDOM is directly used in the art of overthrowing witchcraft by exposing the fraudulent use of "manganeia". This doesn't mean that I am against DIVINE power. The Gods have their ways and make revelations to individuals as they see fit through prayer and personal "pax deorum" (peace of the gods). People who are genuine with their relationship with the gods shouldn't by nature, feel upset by this statement, as they are not engineering anything! It's worth reading up!

17 ) MEDUSA ? THE TRUTH

Not all things are clear with mythos, especially as these things can be twisted and mutilated by many factors. One is the arrival of Christianity and the other is the simple act of forgetting. After seeing the whole Medusa 'thing' blown out of all control by parts of the media (such as Hollywood's 'Clash of the Titans' where Athena is attacked as some kind of malicious bitch, even documentaries such as A&E Television Networks 'Medusa'), I decided to take look at how this received myth might contain errors, and how they may have really been. 

Myth as received:

"Medusa was a virgin priestess of Athena serving in her temple. When Poseidon 'raped' her, Athena's wrath focused on Medusa (not Poseidon) and she turned her into a gorgon where she was hideously cursed with evil looks and had to live out her life as a monster."

Logical problems:

1)Traditionally, while two of the Gorgons were immortal, Stheno and Euryale, their sister Medusa was not, and was slain by the mythical hero Perseus. Why would Medusa be the odd one out? And why would Medusa be pretty but the gorgons otherwise ugly, (daughters of a monster mother?)

2)The Gorgons were said to be the daughters of the sea god Phorcys and sister Ceto the sea monster. This would mean that Medusa was in fealty to Poseidon, King of the Sea Gods, not Athena. And what was Medusa doing amidst humans and serving as a virgin priestess when Poseidon so obviously had claim to her?

3) Athena punished Medusa not Poseidon for the 'Rape'? Punishing the victim is NOT logical nor just. As a patron of justice, Athena could not have possibly done this.

I could simply say 'Was this act not rape and was Medusa complicit?' but we shall put this aside. Let's not debate this yet as there's hardly any evidence.

Bearing in mind these inconsistencies, a more likely 'logically correct' version of the myth could be reconstructed from the 'bloody wreck'.

Medusa was the daughter of Phorcys and Ceto, and lived in Poseidon's realm as a gorgon, with her sister gorgons. Due to her friendship with Athena, and her virtue, she was offered and chose, or asked for, priestesshood of Athena. It was granted and Medusa went to live at the temple of Athena. Poseidon was incensed that his future concubine had tried to cheat him of his passion, demanded her return to his realm. Medusa hid in the temple. Poseidon came to the temple and defiled it by having rape sex in the sanctuary of the virgin goddess. Medusa was no longer a virgin, and the appearance of her beauty faded, as her office had expired. She also was to return to Poseidon's realm in her original form, hence she went to an ISLAND, as all islands belong to Poseidon. Medusa also lost her immortality when she spent her time amongst the mortals or when she was raped, immortality and divinity are connected, this could have been removed by Poseidon for her attempt at evading him. However, she was to live eternally on the island, suggesting she was in fact immortal still and would only be killed by decapitation (as seen by the blow of Perseus.)" Homer in Odyssey III: 6 refers to Poseidon the Earthshaker, as 'of the sable locks' and Hesiod at Theogony: line 278 as mating with Medusa as a willing partner. I can only assume such matings were normal. Medusa was a bride of Poseidon. 

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When Odysseus went home to Ithaca, another instance of transformation came about where Athena CHANGES the appearance of Odysseus to enable him to move into a spy role in the palace. This didn't mean that Odysseus was cursed with old age. It was a change of appearance for the purpose. Hence it is very within Athena's ways to mutate a gorgon like Medusa into a beautiful young woman so that she could move about without hostility. There's also the war between Athens and Atlantis to consider. When did the war happen and why? We can only begin to imagine what this war was about, was Medusa something to do with this?

Please would readers reconsider the myth of Medusa and think deeply of the above explanation. Athena is not a vicious dumb-ass and something may have been tampered with or lost in time. If Medusa was complicit, for instance, Athena would have known in an instant even when physical proof was lacking. I admit that the constant attacks by the media on the mythos of the Hellenes as a whole smacks of FEAR and another attempt to control something through MISINFORMATION. It would seem with the role of the media in modern political machinations, there's a machine at work in this.