Athena's Messenger Bag

I don't really share my pagan practices with my children, much. We sometime talk about myths or about different ways to think about spirituality, but I pretty much leave them out of most of it.

Having said that...

We recently bought Tiny Daughter M a new lunch box. School starts a little early here so we are starting to get ready. It is shaped like a tiny messenger bag covered with owls, her favorite bird, all in her favorite color. She is so in love with it that she wears it all over the house. Because of its shape and pattern, The Husband declared that she was "Athena's Messenger". After reminder her who Athena is, she really liked the title. She now declares that it is her Athena's Messenger Bag. At least until it starts hauling food to school.

Nothing about this encounter was especially deep, but I just really liked the idea of spreading wisdom. Maybe I just like it when the girls like things that I like and I have always resonated with Athena. My daughters have certainly helped me to become wiser. I like the goal: to become Athena's messenger maybe just even to myself.

On Being Artemis

Ever since I was a very young little Christian girl attending Christian school, I have identified strongly with Athena. She seemed so strong and so much like who I wanted to be. Later, when I learned about Irish myths, Brigid was the goddess for which I felt the most affinity. No coincidence there.

So it struck me with some surprise this morning when it occurred to me that I am having an Artemis year. This doesn't mean I want to be totally independent, or that I am not still fanatically attached to my husband, but lately I have been more comfortable with doing things on my own terms. In many different little ways, I have been putting myself forward more like I am and less how people think I should be. Or maybe how I think they think I should be.

Anyone who knows me knows that I have never been a Stepford-anything, I've always enjoyed being a little bit of a contrarian. I've been putting more of an emphasis on embracing and honoring the real me. Maybe it started with feeling more financially stable, and therefore, capable. It now ranges from everything from my appearance to dealing with a difficult co-worker. I don't feel like making excuses anymore. I don't want this to sound like everything is my-way-or-the-highway, but I feel a lot less like apologizing for my choices.

We have made some unconvential choices in our life: we are still a one-car family, my husband was a stay at home dad for 5 years and still works part time, we don't enrole our kids in group sport, we are gamer geeks who enjoy the company of other gamer geeks. I was confortable with these decisions, but sometimes concerned about how they looked to others. Well, I am much less concerned lately and it feels good.

It's time to brush up on Artemis/Diana myths and some meditation on them. My view of deities is that of archetypes, so there is something for me to learn or develop there. I know that Athena will always be the mythic role model closest to me, but maybe she won't mind if I take some guidance from Artemis for just a while.