I remember reading somewhere that knitting helped invent binary and algorithmic patterns, and that's what launched humanity up the J curve in technological advancement.
I think it's also interesting to look at it from the ancient perspective; as you've mentioned before, weaving was something women did in the home to pass the time, socialize, and tell stories via tapestries. Kind of like a holdover from the hunter-gatherer days when we would sit around the communal campfire and tell stories. I think this is part of what ties Athena to weaving; it was a communal behavior in the ancient world, something you did with your peers. And it's something that's indicative of humanity's presence just like pottery and tools. Pair that with stories being told via tapestries woven by women, and you have the wisdom of knowing the past and knowing traditions.
There's also the craftsmanship of weaving! It takes attention to detail and keeping track of many threads at once in order to bring about the larger picture. I've seen a bit of this in researching Brigid, an Irish goddess of fire, healing, and craftsmanship, particularly the forge, and also wisdom. Unfortunately there's not as much known about Irish mythology as there is Greek and Roman, since the pre-Christian Irish didn't write such things down. But I like the similarities and differences between Athena and Brigid, as they show wisdom in different ways. Athena is strategic and cunning, she's the glorious side of war and not the bloodshed and conquest Ares ruled over. Brigid is a fire goddess and her fire fuels creativity, it's the passion for life, and she's the wisdom you earn from perfecting your craft. A novice blacksmith might fear ruining their work at the forge, while an experienced blacksmith would know how to fix it, or failing that, to just start over.
Brigid is apart of my Oracle deck and I pull her quit often. I did a deep dive on who she is and why I keep pulling her. I’m still learning to weave my story into the Gods of old and how I relate. I’m about to do another deep dive just because you reminded me of her again and see if I catch even more information. As well as Athena. 😊
Brigid is an amazing goddess to work with! I worked with her a few years ago, she taught me to have patience with my artwork (I would try to finish a piece in one sitting, which isn't really the best method lmao) and patience with myself. Good luck in your deep dive!! 😁
The weaver. And dream weaver come to mind. Pulling on the threads and turning them into something deeper, more intrinsic. Athena has shown up many times throughout my journey. Especially the times when I need to channel some deeper wisdom into a decision I have to make.
You know she's my primary goddess! Why does this piece make me want to pick up a piece of knitting? What does it mean for the sweater I abandonned? I think I've mentioned it before. My college classmate Julie started me on it, years after we graduated. She died at 30 of breast cancer, diagnosed when we were juniors. I lost the pattern ...
What I love about Athena is how she started out. She didn't get some soft, easy, cushy life. She came out of the gate fully armed, standing on a battlefield, and ready to fight from her very first breath. She’s the perfect example of what it takes to survive when you're dropped straight into a mess.
When people go through really heavy stuff, or their lives get turned upside down by a ton of chaos, they have to build up that exact same kind of thick armor just to get through the day. But you can't just walk around in heavy armor forever, or you’ll lock yourself in a cage. That’s why she balances the shield with her other gifts.
I don't know much about weaving or how a loom works—if you don't get the threads right, I guess the whole thing just gets weak and saggy and breaks. But I do know how you forge a sword. You have to take the metal and put it through absolute fire, and then plunge it into ice-cold water. It’s that brutal back-and-forth pressure that changes the metal and makes it unbreakable.
Real survival is just like that. When the trials and tribulations of life hit, the old pattern of your world might completely unravel or melt down on you. But Athena's whole story shows us that you don't let the fire destroy you. She went through her own massive battles against giants and chaos, and she always used strategy and wisdom to outsmart the mess. A smart person uses those same gifts to change their mindset and forge a brand new path from scratch. It means you don't look at the worst, most painful parts of life as a dead end. You look at them as the fire you have to walk through to build something completely unbreakable."
I was thinking about Athena the other day and how I feel like she is present in one of my sisters' lives, so once again the synchrony always seems to surprise me with the concepts you speak about on social media I indeed experienced some family conflicts this past weekend so this post couldn't have come at a better time! Thanks for suggesting to light a candle for Athena. Il'll give it whirl!
I remember reading somewhere that knitting helped invent binary and algorithmic patterns, and that's what launched humanity up the J curve in technological advancement.
I think it's also interesting to look at it from the ancient perspective; as you've mentioned before, weaving was something women did in the home to pass the time, socialize, and tell stories via tapestries. Kind of like a holdover from the hunter-gatherer days when we would sit around the communal campfire and tell stories. I think this is part of what ties Athena to weaving; it was a communal behavior in the ancient world, something you did with your peers. And it's something that's indicative of humanity's presence just like pottery and tools. Pair that with stories being told via tapestries woven by women, and you have the wisdom of knowing the past and knowing traditions.
There's also the craftsmanship of weaving! It takes attention to detail and keeping track of many threads at once in order to bring about the larger picture. I've seen a bit of this in researching Brigid, an Irish goddess of fire, healing, and craftsmanship, particularly the forge, and also wisdom. Unfortunately there's not as much known about Irish mythology as there is Greek and Roman, since the pre-Christian Irish didn't write such things down. But I like the similarities and differences between Athena and Brigid, as they show wisdom in different ways. Athena is strategic and cunning, she's the glorious side of war and not the bloodshed and conquest Ares ruled over. Brigid is a fire goddess and her fire fuels creativity, it's the passion for life, and she's the wisdom you earn from perfecting your craft. A novice blacksmith might fear ruining their work at the forge, while an experienced blacksmith would know how to fix it, or failing that, to just start over.
I love this addition and expansion of what I wrote. Thank you. :)
You're welcome 😁 these posts are really great starting points for the ideas and themes you're presenting!
Brigid is apart of my Oracle deck and I pull her quit often. I did a deep dive on who she is and why I keep pulling her. I’m still learning to weave my story into the Gods of old and how I relate. I’m about to do another deep dive just because you reminded me of her again and see if I catch even more information. As well as Athena. 😊
Brigid is an amazing goddess to work with! I worked with her a few years ago, she taught me to have patience with my artwork (I would try to finish a piece in one sitting, which isn't really the best method lmao) and patience with myself. Good luck in your deep dive!! 😁
The weaver. And dream weaver come to mind. Pulling on the threads and turning them into something deeper, more intrinsic. Athena has shown up many times throughout my journey. Especially the times when I need to channel some deeper wisdom into a decision I have to make.
You know she's my primary goddess! Why does this piece make me want to pick up a piece of knitting? What does it mean for the sweater I abandonned? I think I've mentioned it before. My college classmate Julie started me on it, years after we graduated. She died at 30 of breast cancer, diagnosed when we were juniors. I lost the pattern ...
What I love about Athena is how she started out. She didn't get some soft, easy, cushy life. She came out of the gate fully armed, standing on a battlefield, and ready to fight from her very first breath. She’s the perfect example of what it takes to survive when you're dropped straight into a mess.
When people go through really heavy stuff, or their lives get turned upside down by a ton of chaos, they have to build up that exact same kind of thick armor just to get through the day. But you can't just walk around in heavy armor forever, or you’ll lock yourself in a cage. That’s why she balances the shield with her other gifts.
I don't know much about weaving or how a loom works—if you don't get the threads right, I guess the whole thing just gets weak and saggy and breaks. But I do know how you forge a sword. You have to take the metal and put it through absolute fire, and then plunge it into ice-cold water. It’s that brutal back-and-forth pressure that changes the metal and makes it unbreakable.
Real survival is just like that. When the trials and tribulations of life hit, the old pattern of your world might completely unravel or melt down on you. But Athena's whole story shows us that you don't let the fire destroy you. She went through her own massive battles against giants and chaos, and she always used strategy and wisdom to outsmart the mess. A smart person uses those same gifts to change their mindset and forge a brand new path from scratch. It means you don't look at the worst, most painful parts of life as a dead end. You look at them as the fire you have to walk through to build something completely unbreakable."
I was thinking about Athena the other day and how I feel like she is present in one of my sisters' lives, so once again the synchrony always seems to surprise me with the concepts you speak about on social media I indeed experienced some family conflicts this past weekend so this post couldn't have come at a better time! Thanks for suggesting to light a candle for Athena. Il'll give it whirl!