Athena and Sex

[Antoninus]

What do you think Athena's views on sex would be? I know I should be asking her myself, but my ability to read signs and sort out answers has gone down about 20 points in the last week or so from stress/depression. Since shes one of the three Virgin goddesses, I dont know how favorably she would look uppon sex, ritual or otherwise.

[Hoot]

What do you think Athena's views on sex would be? I know I should be asking her myself, but my ability to read signs and sort out answers has gone down about 20 points in the last week or so from stress/depression. Since shes one of the three Virgin goddesses, I dont know how favorably she would look uppon sex, ritual or otherwise.

Look into the origins of Athena and almost all "virgin" goddesses (or historical virgin queens for that matter) and you will discover their images were adjusted quite a bit in order to (imo) make their appeal more widespread to men. In my opinion, these feminine symbols of power were transformed and "desexed" in order to make them more trustworthy to men - that they were women/icons who did not yield or submit and so could maintain the gravitas their mantles of power lend them - in other words, they never take off the mantle.(As if men don't ever yield or submit in sex :rolleyes: so quite a double standard there.)

Here's an interesting article from the web to give you an example of what I'm talking about, and help you look for more information on this if you're interested:
http://www.moonspeaker.ca/Athena/athenamain.html

[dipstick]

Also, you might want to research at what time period she became known as a "virgin" goddess. At different times, to different cultures, "virgin" meant different things. Perhaps she just hadn't had children, or had no sons. ::shrugs::

[Kadynas]

There are some people who will say that anything sexual is an offront to her, or repulsive to her... I tend to follow the idea that virgin probably meant unmarried or having no children...as well as the ideas Hoot suggests. As Athene is my Matron I don't feel she's in any way offended by my sexuality; but I think she would advise keeping your own identity in relationships; ie: not to "lose yourself" and deny who you are for love. She also likes to remind you not to lose sight of your goals... she tends to give you a playful "nudge" every now and then if you're not doing what you should be, and in my case she's been bugging me to get my latest painting started! :)

[Kaylara]

From The Encyclopedia Mythica: www.pantheon.org (http://www.pantheon.org) Entry on Hephaestus:


"Hephaestus is known as the son of Hera and Zeus, although Zeus had nothing to do with the conception. Hephaestus was parthenogenetic, meaning he was conceived without male fertilisation. Hera was jealous of Zeus after he had an affair with Metis (http://www.pantheon.org/articles/m/metis.html), from which the goddess of prudence was pregnant with Athena (http://www.pantheon.org/articles/a/athena.html). However, Gaia had warned Zeus that Metis would bear a daughter, whose son would overthrow him. To prevent this, Zeus swallowed Metis, so he could carry the child through to the birth himself, although Zeus could not give birth naturally. For retribution Hera produced (parthenogeny) Hephaestus, and legend says, that Hephaestus split the head of Zeus with an axe, from which Athena appeared fully armed.

One particular legend says that Hephaestus wished to marry Athena, who was also a patron of smiths, but she refused because she found him ugly. Another legend says that Athena disappeared from their bridal bed but Hephaestus did not see her vanish, and spilt his seed on the floor. In a similiar version the semen fell from Athena's thigh and from it was produced Erechtheus (http://www.pantheon.org/articles/e/erechtheus.html), who became a king of Athens. (This relates to Erechtheus being the son of Gaia (http://www.pantheon.org/articles/g/gaia.html), Earth.) Aphrodite, in some versions, was the wife of Hephaestus, and he was suspicious that Aphrodite had been committing adultery. To catch her being unfaithful he fashioned an extraordinary chain-link net, so fine and strong no one could escape from it. Then one day he surprised Aphrodite and the war god Ares (http://www.pantheon.org/articles/a/ares.html) as they lay together in bed. He threw his magic net over them and hauled them before the Olympian gods and exhibited them as they were, naked and wrapped in each others arms. Hephaestus asked the assembled gods for just retribution, but they did the total opposite. The gods roared with laughter at the sight of the naked lovers, after which they allowed the couple to go free. According to Homer's Iliad Hephaestus had a wife called Aglaea (http://www.pantheon.org/articles/a/aglaea.html), who was one of the Charites (http://www.pantheon.org/articles/c/charites.html) (Graces). "

So the sources are varied and differing... I guess that you really have to see what you think she's telling you.

[Ben Trismegistus]

At the time, the term "virgin" had nothing to do with sex. It meant an independent woman who did not rely on husband or father.

[DebLipp]

My personal experience with Athena is that she values propriety a great deal. By "personal experience" I mean the amalgamation of study, meditation, and trance. She isn't comfortable with skyclad at all. My sense is that, as the patron of cities and civilizing arts as well as law, she cares a great deal about what is proper. She might be very happy with married sex but I doubt she'd be happy as a witness to sexual activity.

[Athena-Nadine]

My personal experience with Athena is that she values propriety a great deal. By "personal experience" I mean the amalgamation of study, meditation, and trance. She isn't comfortable with skyclad at all. My sense is that, as the patron of cities and civilizing arts as well as law, she cares a great deal about what is proper. She might be very happy with married sex but I doubt she'd be happy as a witness to sexual activity.
This has been close to my experience as well. It should be noted, however, that while She chose to remain a virgin, She does love men, and does not carry the disdain that Artemis holds (which is not to say that She hates men--just that She generally doesn't want anything to do with them).

She is not against sex and romantic relationships, yet they hold no appeal to Her.

[Hoot]

I agree that she tends toward propriety. I would not consider appealing to her in sex magic... although traditionally women who wanted to become mothers did appeal to Athena, but I think that is more because she, Hephaestos (and Prometheus) created the first people, than anything to do with sexuality. To me she simply considers sex more trivial than acts we pursue for "the greater good."

What others have said in defining "virgin" is probably true as well, and I do believe that Nallia is correct that Athena's not against relationships and sex. She doesn't seem to hate sex, it's just not terribly significant to her. My experience is that she wants each to live up to his or her best first, and sexuality is secondary, or even further down the list of priorities in achieving that. Her primary concern is creating order and peace, and unreined sexuality can have a way of messing that up (she did after all create the bridle, too :) ).

[Kadynas]

I agree that she tends toward propriety. I would not consider appealing to her in sex magic... although traditionally women who wanted to become mothers did appeal to Athena, but I think that is more because she, Hephaestos (and Prometheus) created the first people, than anything to do with sexuality. To me she simply considers sex more trivial than acts we pursue for "the greater good."

What others have said in defining "virgin" is probably true as well, and I do believe that Nallia is correct that Athena's not against relationships and sex. She doesn't seem to hate sex, it's just not terribly significant to her. My experience is that she wants each to live up to his or her best first, and sexuality is secondary, or even further down the list of priorities in achieving that. Her primary concern is creating order and peace, and unreined sexuality can have a way of messing that up (she did after all create the bridle, too :) ).
I totally agree... :)