Goddess Athena reminds us to keep giving even in another storm

  As winter storm Athena draws near, I can't help but compare this goddess's qualities with the valuable lessons we have learned from Hurricane Sandy.  Hurricane Sandy hit the east coast hard and furious.  She was a large mass that covered the east coast causing devastation and leaving most of us in the dark struggling with day to day activities that we had oh so taken for granted in the past.  As each day was a struggle for most, we saw emotions flare as anger and bitterness shined its' ugly face.  People started to believe it was their right to have power as it seemed that they turned a blind eye to the ones that had lost everything.  I think as time went on and people learned about the devastation in other area's something shifted.  Hearts started opening up and people starting helping and contributing.  The attitude of most changed from "so what I have no power, these people have nothing." People in my area started donating anything and everything they had in order to help those less fortunate.  Most of us learned that we can come together and generously give and graciously receive from others with smiles of gratitude.  It is there in that moment that we learn we truly are as one.
  Now as I think of the goddess Athena, (and as winter storm Athena nears) I have learned that she was the goddess of wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, law and justice,  mathematics, strength, strategy, the arts, crafts, and skill. Athena is also a shrewd companion of heroes and is the goddess of heroic endeavour.
So how can we utilize this goddesses powers and apply to this upcoming storm?

     That is a graver matter, and there, my friend, the modern interpreters of Homer may, I think,        assist in explaining the view of the ancients. For most of these in their explanations of the poet, assert that he meant by Athena "mind" [nous] and "intelligence" [dianoia], and the maker of names appears to have had a singular notion about her; and indeed calls her by a still higher title, "divine intelligence", as though he would say: This is she who has the mind better than others. Nor shall we be far wrong in supposing that the author of it wished to identify this Goddess with moral intelligence, and therefore gave her the name etheonoe; which, however, either he or his successors have altered into what they thought a nicer form, and called her Athena.   —Plato, Cratylus, 407b

      Did you know?..She is the symbol of the United States Women's Navy and was depicted on their Unit Crest. A medal awarded to women who served in the Women Army Auxiliary Corps from 10 July 1942 to 31 August 1943, and to the Women Army Corps from 1 September 1943 to 2 September 1945 featured Athena on the front.

  Athena is as benevolent in peace as she is redoubtable in war, and rends valuable service to mankind,   But above all she excelled in woman's work.  The art of weaving cloth and embellishing it with wonderful embroidery has no secrets from her. In Lydia there lived a girl named Arachne who was renowned for her skill in handling needle and spindle.  One day she dared to challenge the Goddess to compete with her.  Athena arrived in the guise of an old woman and asked Arachne to withdraw her impious challenge.  Arachne refused.  Athena reassumed her divine form and accepted the challenge.  Arachne at once drew threads across her loom and with cunning hand guided the shuttle through the taut netting.  As a subject, she had chosen to weave the loves of the Gods.  When she had finished she submitted her work to Athena for examination. Furious with her arrogance, Athena changed Arachne into a spider and condemned her eternally to spin, and to draw from her own body the thread with which to weave her web.  Athena also at times fills the role of Goddess of health: everyone knew how the architect Mnesicles who, while working on the construction of the Propylaea, had fallen and was in danger of death, had been miraculously healed by Athena who was called for this reason Hygieia.   
      
   Athena demonstrates peace and courage and we have already learned this "divine intelligence" before her arrival.  We are preparing ourselves for another battle with mother nature and now we are a little more equipped.  We have our armour, supplies and each other, and if we listen she is telling us to apply what we have learned from Hurricane Sandy and keep going.  Have courage and open up to your neighbors, family and friends, invite them in, keep each other warm and help those less fortunate then yourselves.  Keep giving and you will stay strong because that is how you heal and overcome this battle. This is just another storm passing as we are reminded to learn the lesson and as everything always does... this too shall pass.