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 8: Cultivating a Relationship with Athena

And then Athena gave to Diomedes
courage and energy, so he would win
great glory and shine bright among the Greeks.
She kindled on his helmet and his shield
a fire that never flagged–just like the star
that shines the brightest around harvest time,
when it emerges freshly washed from the Ocean–
so brightly shone the fire the goddess lit
on Diomedes, from his head and shoulders.

Homer, Iliad, Book 5, lines 1-9, translated by Emily Wilson

To be in Athena’s good graces was wise. She was a cunning strategist, an advisor to the godds, and a loyal being in battle. But if she didn’t like you or if she saw another choice to be the better one, you were not in a good spot. Later in that same scene in the Trojan War, she turns to her brother mid-battle.

“Now Ares! Ares! Plague on human life,
blood-spattered killer, city-wall destroyer,
why do we two not leave the Greeks and Trojans
to fight each other? Let us both draw back
and let our father Zeus decide who wins,
so we avoid his wrath.”

With this, she led
impetuous Ares from the battlefield,
and made him sit beside the sandy River
Scamander. Then the Greeks began to rout
the Trojans, and each leader killed a man.

Homer, Iliad, Book 5, lines 39-48, translated by Emily Wilson

If you want to be in a relationship with Athena, you need to be clear about what you want, what you can do, and how you will stand by her in battles. This is a fierce goddess who can help you remember your own power, but with great power comes even greater responsibility.^[1]

Know & Name Your Intention

While you can’t predict the future, you can decide today what you want your relationship with Athena to look like. Whether you have heard a call from her or you have been drawn to her stories, it is important you are clear about your intentions for this journey. It can help to begin with setting aside time to welcome her into your space to have a conversation. This doesn’t have to be an out-loud conversation; it can be a conversation of journaling with her, maybe asking questions or introducing yourself to her. You might write to her before you sleep and then see what your dreams might offer you. Or you might drop into her energy, allowing her to inspire you and to guide you to the answers she wants to share.

I encourage you to make time in your life for Athena, even if only fifteen minutes a day. This dedicated time is something you can commit to showing up for, allowing her to trust you and helping you to decide what you can offer to her. In these meetings, you can list the things you want from her and see what she might ask for in return. As you continue to grow comfortable in this space together, you will likely uncover what you want the relationship to look like and what you can offer in return.

Once you have found clarity, write down what you want and what you will offer in return. So many Greek rituals include not only invocations of deities, but also a moment where you sacrifice to the godds. What I do in these moments is to give an offering of my time, my energy, my intention, a physical offering, etc. What do you sacrifice from your life right now, so the deity knows you are serious about reaching out to them? Again, it doesn’t have to be something big, but I do encourage you to offer something important. When I work with godds, I will offer my attention to them during the time we have together. Or I will offer to share their name or their stories when I’m out in my everyday life.

The godds want to know they are remembered and cherished, just like humans. They want to know you are serious in your intentions. If you have any doubt about what you want to offer or what you want from Athena, take more time to get clear. While you don’t have to be perfect, you do want to be ready for the relationship you take on with a goddess of war.

Creating a Space Together

Athena is a strong presence so she should have space in your home. How you choose to create a space for her is up to you, and here are some suggestions to get started. You may choose some or all of these items, depending on the focus of your relationship.

Statue or picture — Find a figure or image of Athena. These can be found at thrift or op shops, as well as through small retailers. You can also find a nice picture and put it into a golden frame. Some might choose to make a figure of the goddess, as a devotional offering. And if you need to be more discreet, an item that represents her, e.g., yarn, a tapestry, a plastic shield or helmet, etc. will work too.

Weapons — If you have a sword, a shield, or a helmet, any of these can be a great addition to your altar space. They don’t have to be life size; they can be from a children’s toy store or even jewelry pieces. Maybe you can find items that you decorate with the Gorgon head.

Weaving — When you work with Athena as an expert in weaving, you can have a spinning wheel or spindle as well as different yarns. Sometimes you can find images of or actual tapestries with Athena-inspired imagery.

Art — Or you can place art supplies on your altar, as well as unfinished and finished pieces. This speaks to the creativity of Athena as well as how she might inspire you.

Offerings — You can turn to the list of correspondences for other ideas. I have many owl figurines as well as a small Minerva owl from Bath, as that’s the owl of Athena. I have also included pictures of her temples, books about her, poems about her, etc. Consider what she likes and what she responds to. These offerings can change over time.

While this may sound like you need to invest money into an altar to Athena, this is not the case. You can also write out her name and her epithets in Greek to decorate a space. You can find stones shaped like an owl or write poems to her. Creating a space for Athena’s energy doesn’t need to be complicated, only heartfelt and authentic. I find that making spaces beautiful is also helpful as it beckons me to look at her again and again.

Working with Tools

In your relationship with Athena, it makes sense to consider her weapons of war and art. These might become regular practices you share with Athena. You can learn to use a sword or spin yarn as part of your dedication. Some that I know have created shields that include images of Athena, the Gorgon face, and other goddess themes. But the shields can also include descriptions of battles you’re facing that you want Athena’s help with. You might choose to decorate a helmet or a sword with her name and spells. Each time you use those sacred tools, you might call on her and draw her wisdom all the closer.

Crafting & Creativity

Making art and crafts with Athena is something we’ve already described, as it is a great way to build a relationship with her and others. Battles aren’t things you face alone, so having collaborative craft times not only reinforces your relationship with Athena, but it also helps you better know who joins you in your life’s battles. You can create art that speaks to your battles or art that reminds you of your power on the battlefield. Or you might create art for others to help them in their dark times, crafting spells of connection and closeness.

The Magick of War

What you might notice in some of these suggestions is the attention on the warrior aspects of Athena. This is intentional. Though war is often damaging and destructive, it is also happening in public and hidden ways. By focusing on the truth of war, its complexity, and its metaphor, you can expand your ability to hold multiple truths. Yes, it could be better if no wars ever happened, but there are conflicts that happen every day. The more you can focus on how you can navigate these tricky moments, the more capacity you build. Indeed, you might face wars within yourself, wars of confidence, imposter syndrome, and existential dread. These all exist, and to avoid them is to avoid the wisdom of battles well fought.

Strategies for Relating to Athena

Thinking about strategy when building a relationship may seem a strange suggestion, but when you think about Athena, who is known for her expertise in strategy, it makes sense. She is a goddess who views collaborations as being beneficial, or not. Having a plan of action when building a relationship with her is a way to increase the odds of success.

Show Up Consistently

If there is anything that Athena likes, it’s consistency. She wants to know when things will happen, how they will happen, and that they will happen on a regular basis. It’s hard to make choices in battle when people act inconsistently, but in relationships, it’s easier to make choices when you know what to expect. Consistency also builds trust. This doesn’t necessarily mean you need to do the same thing all the time, every single day or you will upset her. Instead, I encourage you to look at what you can commit to–and make sure you do that. If you can meditate with her three days a week, great. Make sure you show up for those three days. When you have something that gets in the way of a craft time with Athena, be sure to reschedule it as soon as you can. The more you show up, the stronger the relationship. Be realistic about what you can do and do it.

A good piece of advice is to promise less than you think you can manage at first. It’s often far easier to add more to a commitment than to scale it back. Get honest with yourself and with your current life situation. Even a few minutes a day is better than a lot one day and then two weeks without any interaction.

Trust & Tend to Your Fierceness

As you work with Athena, be willing to be fierce. This fierceness can look like setting strong boundaries with yourself and others, being willing to ask for more from yourself and Athena and showing up for the battles within and outside of yourself. Athena is a goddess who will have your back and who will remind you of your power, and she will expect you to show up in your own power. Like any relationship, you can turn to those you care about when you need support, but you also need to show up for yourself and learn how to take care of yourself.

A relationship with Athena is one that requires you to be battle-ready, which might mean you need to care for your mind with journaling, therapy, exercise, sleep, nutrition, and more. You can’t be as fierce as you want to be without caring for your body. Again, this isn’t a practice of perfection, as you will have times when you will fall out of step with your promises. When this happens, just get back to your schedule as soon as you can.

Admit Your Mistakes

Power isn’t being perfect or knowing how to do everything right the first time. Instead, power comes from making the best choices and then accepting feedback when you get things wrong (and you will). Taking the time to learn from your mistakes is a way to grow. Athena invites us to look at what we have done, consider what went wrong, and go back to fix what we can. If we can’t fix things, we can learn from our decisions and try not to repeat the same patterns.

There will be times when you can’t keep up with your promises. You might notice you don’t feel Athena’s presence as strongly or she becomes quiet. When this happens, it’s a time to reflect and to take accountability for what you have done (or not done). If you want to repair things, reevaluate your commitments and decide if they need to change or if you need to create new commitments with this deity.

Ask for What You Want

One of the most challenging parts of working with Athena is stepping into your power. While feeling self-possessed and powerful is ideal, it is not an easy process all the time. This sort of growth requires you to learn who you are and what matters to you. You will need to let go of what society wants from you, what your family wants from you, and what you have wanted in the past. Set down the armor that has kept you safe to pick up the tools of your authentic self. When you can live your life truthfully, your power knows no bounds. You will need to have hard conversations about relationships, about your habits, and about your perceptions. Athena can help you see what is working for you and what you may need to leave behind. Once you begin to see what you desire, you need to ask for it and fight for it. Hopefully, this fight doesn’t require swords, but it can certainly feel like it some days. The battle for your truest self is worth it.

This also means you may need to step away from the relationship with Athena if it doesn’t feel right to you anymore. You do not need to stay with any deity for your entire life, as you may find you need to work with someone else or you don’t have the same connection as you once did. If you find this happens, know you are making the best decision for yourself and for the deity. Even if you need to end the relationship because you can’t keep up with your commitments, this is good information to have. You can grow and learn from this too.

Practice: Becoming Your Own Wise Counsel

To begin to understand your own power, it is wise to become your own counsel. Often, we are taught we need to ask others for advice first before we consider what we think and want. Instead, it helps to step away from others to hear yourself. There are a variety of practices you can use to get into the habit of turning to yourself first.

Journaling — Writing about worries or questions can help you distance yourself from an issue. If you write about what you feel, what you think, and what the next steps are, it helps you begin to get perspective. When you are in a difficult situation with another person, it can help to write a letter to the other person with all of your feelings, fears, and stories. You’re not sending this to them, you’re just getting your feelings out. Write until you have said all you can say, then take a breath, step away, and return to the situation later or the next day. When you come back, think about how you feel in the present moment and what the next best steps are.

Art & Creation – When writing isn’t the thing that helps, create something. You don’t have to have a goal for what you’re doing, just create. You can make a collage, a sculpture, a painting, a chalk drawing on a sidewalk, etc. Some might like to create a playlist with songs that feel related to your questions or feelings. You might dance and move your body in the way the situation makes you feel. And when you are done creating or dancing, drop into your body to see what wisdom arrives. Do you have an idea of what you need to do next? Do you need to do anything at all?

Silence – One of the most challenging, and thus most helpful, practices is to sit with all of your feelings and questions without saying a word. Just feel what is happening in your body. Feel what the sensations are, e.g., burning, warmth, cold, numbness, etc. Let those feelings be what is true and real. Try not to tell any stories. Just think about what your physical body feels like, and watch how it shifts over the time you spend in silence. You could be on a walk during this practice or you could be sitting down in a chair. Being with your feelings allows them to move through you without attaching themselves to, often, unhelpful narratives. When the feelings have calmed down, then decide what the next action is.

Advising Yourself – For a fun practice, you might write yourself a question as though you were writing into an advice column. And then answer the question as though you were the columnist. See what happens when you step into your own perspective, as well as outside of your own perspective. The more you can practice this, the easier it becomes to realize you have some really good advice.

There will be times, of course, when you want to ask for outside support. You might do all of these practices and still be unsure of what to do next. But these practices are still important as they center your experience and your feelings. By giving yourself this time and attention, you can figure out and understand your feelings. From there, if you want to get advice, you can, and you will know what advice aligns best with your experience.

You can do all of these practices while in sacred space with Athena, or not. Some find it helpful to be near or at their altar to build the connection and energy. But I would also suggest taking practices out into the world as sometimes you need to call on your power when you’re not in the ideal circumstances or in perfectly safe places. Sometimes, you need to do the magick you need to do when you’re on a plane or at work. Let your practice become adaptable and flexible.

Ritual: Dedicating Yourself to Athena

For those who like to ritualize their relationships, here is a ritual to dedicate yourself to Athena, goddess of war and wisdom.

What you will need:

• Altar to Athena
• Candle
• Paper
• Markers, pens, etc.
• Libation, e.g., water, wine, etc.

Following the ritual structure I most often use for devotional rites, here is something you can use and tailor to your own desires.

Hestia – Take a small plate of food or light a small candle to acknowledge Hestia, goddess of hearth, home, and community.

Preparations – This can include setting up the altar to Athena, taking a shower or bath, and putting on a nice outfit.

Procession – Make your way into the ritual space, envisioning it as it might have been in ancient Greek times.

Cleansing & Purification – You may choose to cleanse yourself with a few drops of water on your head and heart, as well as do a grounding practice to allow yourself to be present.

Hymns to the Muses – Acknowledge the Muses with song or poetry, inviting their inspiration to guide you.

Offering / Sacrifice – Take the paper and markers or pens to create a shield. Write on this shield all of the ways you will honor Athena, what you ask of her, and how you will show up for her. Add images of offerings and sacrifices.

Prayer (Invocation) – Call to Athena

Athena Día, you of heavenly wisdom,

Athena Glafkóhpis, you who are owl-eyed,

Athena, Meter Techne, you who are mother of the arts,

Athena, Pancrates, you who are all-powerful.

I call to you to join me in a journey of relationship

Stay by my side in my battles, whisper your wisdom into my ear

Show me what I need to see and how I need to act

Aid me in my growth and teach me to use power wisely

(You can include other words relevant to the shield you made and the relationship you want to create with her.)

            I vow to honor you and all of your names,

            I vow to show up consistently and honestly,

            I vow to listen and learn of your magick,

            I vow to carry your wisdom in my heart and hands.

Hail Athena, Hail Athena, Hail Athena

Libations – You can choose to drink at this point in celebration and to seal your promises.

Gratitude – Take a few moments to sit in this energy and thank Athena as you feel is right. When you are complete, clean up the area, thank the Muses and Hestia, and leave the ritual space.

This ritual can also include a promise of a particular timeframe in which to be in relationship with Athena. You do not need to commit to a lifelong relationship, instead you can commit to a period of time that feels right for you. When you reach that time, you can recommit to Athena or thank her for her time and end the relationship.

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^[1] A sentiment whose source comes from the Bible, William Lamb, Winston Churchill, and the first issue of Spider-Man.

Thanks for reading this WIP by Irisanya Moon but there’s more to the book that will be revealed when it’s published. I’ve gotten inspired along the way and will be adding more to the previous chapters, including some pieces about patriarchy, feminism, and more magickal practices.

Stay tuned for announcements about that and more at www.irisanyamoon.com.

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