What has the Goddess Athena got to do with the women of today? Don’t we know her from the Greek legends? True! Only if we understand what archetype she stands for and what female part Athena represents in us women, can we learn to know more about ourselves. We can explore our behaviour, our needs and our qualities in a better way.

The American psychologist Jean Shinoda Bolen has been fascinated by the female soul and its facets for many years, and, therefore, she has entirely dedicated her professional life to women. She wrote down her knowledge on the different female archetypes, which is based on her work with thousands of women, in her world bestseller ‘Goddesses in Everywoman. Powerful Archetypes in Women’s Lives’. With her observations she could help her clients to discover and reawaken their strengths.

The so-called Goddesses have all along been symbols for the different aspects of the female soul. All the Goddesses-archetypes together, such as Aphrodite, Artemis, Athena, Demeter, Hestia, Hera and Persephone symbolize the different landscapes of a woman’s soul.

HOW MUCH OF ATHENA IS IN YOU?

If you want to get to know yourself better, feel within you. Which Goddess is particularly strongly pronounced in you? This time Athena is in focus.

Whilst thinking about the Goddesses-aspects of Athena within you, take care that you do not slip into judgements and stereotyped thinking. My information should only serve as inspiration:

ATHENA-SOUL ASPECTS: A BRIEF SUMMARY

Women with typical Athena-aspects are for instance intellectuals, scientists, politicians, artists and other career women

Typical topics of the Athena woman: well-groomed appearance/classic dress style – intellect – success – career – art and aesthetics – imparting of knowledge – reduction to the essential – self-control – efficiency

Typical for the Athena woman: loves intellectual challenges – only ‘heroes’ are possible partners – striving for her own career and success – critical – choosy – distance to other women – children do not play an important role – self-sufficient – very practically-minded

Shadows: weakly developed body sensation – dominating mind – control freak – emotional distance – intolerance

In my next and last blog of the Goddesses I will introduce you to the Goddess-aspects of Hestia.