Edited by Jason Ross Inczauskis and Amanda Artemisia Forrester
Price: $16.99
Publication Date: 30 June 2021
Place of Publication: Asheville, North Carolina
ISBN: 979-8515893538
Pages: 408pp
Binding Type: US Trade Paper
Trim Size: 5×8
Known to the Greeks as Athena, and to the Romans as Minerva, she leapt fully grown from the skull of the Lord of Thunder. Frighteningly intelligent, quick-witted and fiercely loyal, she is a Goddess who watches over heroes, warriors, and artisans alike. A Goddess of the mind, she admires and rewards cleverness and creativity. And, while she inspires intense devotion in ancient and modern polytheists, she also inspires passionate debate. Is she a friend to women, or does she always favor the father? When she transformed Medusa into a gorgon and Arachne into a spider, was she motivated by compassion or something else? And what of her relationships with her fellow Deities, such as Hephaistos, Ares, and Aphrodite? Are they adversarial, antithetical, or complementary?
Within these pages, you will find poems of praise and rites in her honor. You will also find essays and personal reflections that question the Goddess, that challenge her, that analyze the myths around her and what they mean to us, and what they reveal about the Goddess herself. All of these are offered to her with an open heart, and a sincere questioning mind — which we hope she will find as pleasing as any reverent hymn.
All hail Athena, Keen-Eyed and Ever-Curious.
It can be purchased in paperback format through Amazon, and is available in digital format through Barnes and Noble, Borrowbox, iBooks, Kindle, Kobo, Scribd, Tolino, Vivlio, with more to follow soon. All of the proceeds from Shield of Wisdom – as well as many of the other volumes in the Bibliotheca Alexandrina series – will be used to help promote the revival of the worship of the Greek and Egyptian Gods, with a portion of the proceeds given to a worthy charitable organization in their name. So, not only will you be getting a wonderful book about the modern worship of the Grey-Eyed Maiden – but your money will be going to do good work and help the revival of ancient polytheistic religions.
ATTENTION Librarians, Teachers and Retailers: Shield of Wisdom is also available at reduced cost for academic institutions, lending libraries (public and private) and retailers. Check our online store, or email baeditor@gmail.com with any questions.
We are rebuilding the Library of Alexandria one book at a time!
Table of Contents
Athene
by K.S. Roy … 3
Dedication … 4
Acknowledgments … 5
Introduction:
Athena, Goddess of Many Things by Jason Ross Inczauskis … 13
Introduction:
My Winding Journey with Athena by Amanda Artemisia Forrester … 17
Personal Daily Prayer by Odysseus G. Osborne … 22
Hail Athena by Grey Weiss-Markward … 23
Orphic Hymn 32 (To Pallas Athene) by Zachariah Shipman … 24
Minerva by Hendrick Goltzius … 25
The Many Faces of Athena by Heaven Marie Walker … 26
To Athena by Héctor Lugo-Gonzalez … 40
Daughter by Eileen Rosensteel … 42
To Athena by Ariadni Rainbird … 43
Re-Imagining Athena by Heather Kohser … 44
Athena in America: A Poem in Two Parts by Grant … 47
Nine Virtues: Prayer to Athena by Rev. Amber Doty … 49
Offerings to Athena by Literata … 50
Goddess of Bright Mind by Amanda Artemisia Forrester … 52
Athena’s Relationships with Other Gods and Goddesses by Chelsea Luellon Bolton … 53
Parallels by Rachel Iriswings … 60
Athena by Lykeia … 61
Guide Me by Rev. Amber Doty … 62
The Story Behind the Face Upon the Shield by Merit Brokaw … 63
Hail to Athena by Amanda Artemisia Forrester … 68
Bright-Eyed Athene, Most Noble and Serene by Chelsea Luellon Bolton … 69
Athena’s Charge by Viannah E. Duncan … 72
Awaken Wise Weaver by Chrystal Lynne … 73
Athena Altar by Devon Power … 109
Spinnerets by Fern G.Z. Carr … 110
Athena and Breaking Gender Boundaries by Literata … 111
Athena of the Flashing Eyes by Amanda Artemisia Forrester … 117
Athena and the Heart of Truth by Edward P. Butler … 118
Prayer to the Capitoline Triad by Grey Weiss-Markward … 136
Minerva Capta by P. Sufenas Virius Lupus … 137
Of Dragon’s Blood, Cinnamon, and Lavender, I Sing by Amanda Lee Morris … 139
Lady of the Battlefield by Amanda Artemisia Forrester … 147
Streetside Prayer by Jennifer Lawrence … 148
Goddess Athena the Olympian at Olympus by David N. Chmelik … 149
Hymn I by Jen McConnel … 150
Hymn II by Jen McConnel … 151
Guide & Guardian by Rev. Amber Doty … 152
A Weekly Greco-Egyptian Ritual of Adoration for Athena by Amanda Artemisia Forrester … 153
Athena of the Heroes by P. Sufenas Virius Lupus … 159
Hard Lessons by Jennifer Lawrence … 163
War on a Blood-Soaked Field by Jason Ross-Inczauskis … 165
Another War? A Prayer Born of Frustration by Amanda Artemisia Forrester … 170
Athena by Ariadni Rainbird … 171
A Ritual of Freedom Dedicated to Athena by Heaven Marie Walker … 172
To Athena on Panathenaia by Rev. Amber Doty … 174
Finding Athena by Jennifer Lawrence … 175
Let Me Be Yours by Jason Ross Inczauskis … 177
Athena and Nike by Nicole Zamora …. 179
Arakhne and Athena by Amanda Artemisia Forrester … 180
Arachne’s Prayer by Jen McConnel … 184
Visitation by Jennifer Lawrence … 185
Minerva Britannia: Some Syncretisms of Minerva in Roman Britain by P. Sufenas Virius Lupus … 187
Minerva Medica by Grey Weiss-Markward … 205
A Song of Courage by L.E. White … 206
Athena by Sara Croft … 225
Hymn to Athena by Lykeia … 226
Travels with Athena: How to Build a Portable Shrine for the Goddess of Crafts by Rebecca Buchanan … 227
To Athena by Galina Krasskova … 232
The Snake Goddess Reborn by Harita Meenee … 234
Glaucus by Jennifer Lawrence … 244
Deconstructing Arachne by Ashley Horn … 245
Prayer to Athena for Tolerance, for Pagan Day of Remembrance by Ariadni Rainbird … 249
Athena Soteira: An Acrostic by Jason Ross-Inczauskis … 250
The Wrath of a Goddess by Frances Billinghurst … 251
Minerva and the Bell Ringers by Tamara Wyndham … 265
Hymn to Athena by Zachariah Shipman … 266
Athena of Farmers by Amanda Artemisia Forrester … 267
Athens of the South by Sunweaver … 270
Pallas Athena by Parmigianino …. 273
More Than Enough by Jennifer Lawrence … 274
Thrice-Born Athena by Barbara Ardinger, Ph.D. … 275
The Lament of Odysseus by Jason Ross Inczauskis … 289
Minerva by Jacques Louis Dubois … 293
Athena, Defender of Cities by Suz Thackston … 294
Not a Mother, but the Mentor by Grant … 299
Owl Revealed by Eileen Rosensteel … 300
Athena Altar by Devon Power … 301
Athena’s Favorite Citizen: Hadrian, Athens, and the Cultus of Athena by P. Sufenas Virius Lupus … 302
You Stand Strong by Amanda Artemisia Forrester … 316
Goddess of Compassion by D.L. Wood … 317
Ritual to Athena by Chelsea Luellon Bolton … 318
At the Feet of the Goddess by Jen McConnel … 321
The Many Faces of Athena: Warrior, Artisan, Guardian by Amanda Artemisia Forrester … 323
Athena, Lost Then Found by Christa A. Bergerson … 356
Athene’s Grace by Merit Brokaw … 358
Daughter of Zeus by Jason Ross Inczauskis … 362
Appendix A: Festivals of the Goddess Athena compiled by Chelsea Luellon Bolton … 364
Appendix B: Epithets of Athena and Minerva compiled by Chelsea Luellon Bolton … 367
Appendix C: House Shrines, Symbols, and Offerings to Athena compiled by Chelsea Luellon Bolton … 380
Appendix D: Our Contributors … 384
Appendix E: About Bibliotheca Alexandrina — Current Titles — Forthcoming Titles … 403
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