by Irisanya Moon

These Pagan Portals are all current works in progress, serialised here on the Pagan Collective blog with each chapter being open for comment. In due course the entire script will be published as a Pagan Portal book.

Chapter 1 – Encountering Athena

I sing of the glorious goddess Pallas Athena,
owl-eyed deity with crafty wisdom and steady heart,
revered virgin, stalwart guardian of the city,
Tritogeneia. From his august head, cunning Zeus
himself gave birth to her, born in warlike armor
of gleaming gold. Awe seized all the gods watching.

She sprang quickly from his immortal head
and stood in front of Zeus who bears the aegis,
shaking her sharp spear. Great Olympos reeled
violently beneath the might of her shining eyes,
the earth let out an awful cry, and the deep shifted,
churning with purple waves. Suddenly the sea
held still and the shining son of Hyperion halted
his swift horses a long while until the maiden
Pallas Athena lifted the godlike armor
from her divine shoulders, and wise Zeus rejoiced.
Hail, child of aegis-bearing Zeus–
but I will remember you and the rest of the song.

Homeric Hymn 28 to Athena, translated by Diane J. Rayor

I’m often drawn to deities who embody a quality or a story that resonates with me. It’s unclear if I call them or if they call me sometimes. Athena is one of those deities. I remember the first time I invoked her in a ritual space, and I learned about her birth story.

To this day, I still use a phrase like ‘born fully armed and ready for battle’ whenever I invite Athena into a magickal container. This is something I want for myself: to be born into each moment with the ability and the tools to fight whatever battles might lay ahead.

The nuance of Athena is not the fighting; anyone can learn that. Anyone can learn how to move their body to defend themselves. Most people have an instinct for self-protection, one that arrives when needed. The nuance lies here: when to fight and when not to fight.

I started to write this book shortly after the 2024 United States presidential election. Breaking news stories arrive every hour, it seems, about the horrors of the incoming administration. Of course, these are horrors and injustices on top of the ‘everyday’ oppressive structures and systems. It’s hard. It’s exhausting. It’s unending. It’s understandable to arrive in this question: When do I fight?

It’s not a question I can answer right now. While my activist heart believes in doing all that I can, my wise self understands I cannot do everything all the time. But there are things to do. But there are limits to my resources and energy. I am at war with myself.

Athena arrives again in this moment for me, a person living in the world. I imagine she has something to offer to this conversation, to the next battle plan. And I remember that Athena is not just is wisdom and war; she is also a patron goddess of crafts during peaceful times. There is somehow a promise of peace and joy in her armor.

This promise sounds like hope and trust in the wisdom of time and humans. This might make me sound like an eternal optimist, which may not align with your perspective or feel good in your reality. This is the weapon of my battles right now: hope beyond reason. And I turn to Athena to help me learn what I can do next.

Arriving in Athens

When I stepped out of an escalator from the Akropoli metro station, I found myself on Athanasiou Diakou, a street named for a Greek military commander and hero of the Greek War of Independence, pulling a small suitcase behind me. It was early evening, the sun was still hot on my skin and I was hungry after a long day of travel from the West Coast. But I was in Athens. Finally.

There is an indescribable feeling of homecoming when you land in the place of your godds. I have talked about this place, dreamed about this place, and written about this place for more than a decade. My mind focused on finding my accommodations, but there were images of the godds everywhere. Athena was everywhere. Apollo was everywhere.

After finding my room, I set my things aside and looked for a grocery store. By then, it was later in the evening, and all I wanted to do was eat and sleep. I walked past the feral cats and turned to the left to walk through a restaurant with outside seating. Hearing voices speak in Greek was musical to me, and while I couldn’t translate their conversations, I could feel the emotions, the worries, the joys, and the contentment.

Once I found a few snacks, I left the store and looked up from the sidewalk. I could see the Acropolis, with the Parthenon (a temple dedicated to Athena) easily viewable from nearly anywhere. The glow of the sunset followed the sharp marble edges, and I started to cry.

There is a story of Poseidon and Athena wanting to name this city for themselves. Some versions speak of Poseidon striking his trident into the ground to create a spring, while Athena decided to plant an olive tree. The people preferred Athena’s gift of a symbol of peace and prosperity, and the city was named Athens.

Hearing the Call of Athena

I wonder if you have heard the call of Athena and this is why you’re reading right now. I wonder if you have wanted to connect to an energy, a being with the strength to face conflict and unrest. I wonder if you are tired of facing so many battles alone.

I encourage you to sit with the circumstances that brought you to this moment. You may want to find a journal now to collect your thoughts and questions about Athena.

Why do you want to work with her?
What do you want to know?
What battles are you facing in your life now?
How do you relate to what you already know of Athena?
What do you expect to learn or gain from this journey?

When you tap into this beginning moment, it can help move you toward connection and collaboration with Athena. While there are many stories of Greek godds (and oh-so-many humans) that take action without thought, you may want to try something different. You may wish to invoke Athena’s wisdom and role as an advisor. Maybe this isn’t a time to jump right into the battle. Perhaps it’s time to consider what is happening before making new decisions and pulling out your sharpest sword.

Practice: Journey to Athena

(I hope you have enjoyed the start of this book! A new section will arrive next month, including this section’s practice. Please note that these pieces will shift as I edit and add as things progress.)

For more information: https://www.collectiveinkbooks.com/moon-books/authors/irisanya-moon