In the Philosophical History, Damascius writes that he saw an agalma of Aphrodite in armor and that the image struck him. I had a similar, much less intense experience recently when I came across this secular-function image of Athene, La Danse Triomphale, created in 1925 by Carlo Sarrabezolles. The plaque on the image's base reads, … Continue reading Athene, Dancing
Tag: athene
For Athene
Athene of the summit, blazing with intellectual fire,Goddess who burns the perimeter around material desires,quenching them to embers, awakening the soul’s seedto grasp for the highest summit, may you hear this prayer,O daughter of Zeus and Metis, virginal and chaste,adorned with the aegis, shaking your shield,your spear reaching down into matter's deep recesses,a sign and … Continue reading For Athene
Olive Branches for Athene
Yesterday, about half an hour after sunset, a package arrived with the olive branches I had ordered to put on the shrine for Athene. I pulled them from the box, slashed into the tough stems, and put them in a vase with water. The vase filled with olive branches. Regarding my current main icon of … Continue reading Olive Branches for Athene
From a Professional to a Professional/Creative/Bookworm Shrine
This is a shrine update post. If you haven't followed this blog for a while: One year into the pandemic, I finally decided to hang the wall shelf cubby that I have had since college and that usually just sits as a prop on a shrine for items. The purpose was to make a professional … Continue reading From a Professional to a Professional/Creative/Bookworm Shrine
A Brief Post on Birthday Offerings
On my birthday every year, I give an offering to the Gods. It's often something small — until the pandemic, my birthday usually happened while I was at a library conference, so the most I could do was a quick prayer with my travel ritual tools (a small libation bowl) and images of the Gods … Continue reading A Brief Post on Birthday Offerings
Heavy Reflections on Athene and Arachne
When I think of Athene, I think of strength, determination, and stubborn tenacity. She is the Goddess born from Zeus even after he swallowed Metis, her mother, and her birth is a symbol of the resilience and persistence of birth, life, and womanhood in the face of tremendous adversity — being swallowed by history and … Continue reading Heavy Reflections on Athene and Arachne
Think, Pray, Swim.
For many months now, when I pray to Athene in the morning, I ask her to extend her goodness down here to stave of the worst of suffering, illness, death, and calamity — on my mind is everything from human-caused climate change to political unrest to social inequality and injustice, not just in my country, … Continue reading Think, Pray, Swim.
To Athene, In Apology
So, last week, I gave a service at my local Unitarian Universalist Society about Athene, in honor of the beginning of the new calendar, the democratic process, and many other things I hold dear. To prepare for that service, I read the Gods and Heroes of the Ancient World volume on Athene (well, actually, about half … Continue reading To Athene, In Apology
Religion in Daily Life, Part II: Hermes is Klepsiphrôn, Athene is Apatouria
In which I discuss my professional work in the context of Hellenism and provide an introduction to how Athene and Hermes relate to library and information science.
KALLISTI 