Asteroid Pallas Athena # 2
Zeus, in a panicked attempt to avoid his own karma, swallowed his wife, Metis, the goddess of Wise Counsel, whole. He had hoped to prevent any more children that might later overthrow him. Unbeknownst to him she was carrying a child which then grew within him until he suffered such headaches that he begged Hephaestus to split his head with an axe. From this wound sprang Athena, fully grown and clad in battle armor. In place of an infant’s first life affirming whimper, she let out a war cry so savage it was said to have frightened even Gaia and Uranus. Zeus was immediately pleased with “his” creation, and Athena quickly became his favorite child. She was every bit as powerful as her brother, Ares, god of war, but where he was blind rage and brute force, his sister was strategic warfare and practical reason. She is where intellect and intuition meet. Due to the conditions of her birth, she is said to have lacked a mother and therefore, her location in our charts will point to our relationship with our fathers or, if male, how we father others (Ceres is our mothers).
In astrology Pallas Athena represents our brand of wit and reason, our natural talents, and how we problem solve. Here is where we find clues as to what it is we instinctively understand from birth, or gifts and talents. In the natal 4th house or the sign of Cancer as well as conjunct your natal Moon, you might have a natural understanding of emotional processes, have a natural understanding of how to run a home, or have an emotional relationship with your mother. Conjunct your natal Mars or found in the sign of Aries, one might master aggression, passion, and/or may be or have an aggressive or passionate father. It tells us how we go about making difficult decisions and plans. Chess – never checkers.
Often depicted with her spear, her shield, Aegis barring Medusa’s head, and a wise Owl, she is perpetually ready because she knows what’s coming. Most likely it was her plan all along. Just as an owl flies high above the fray, able to see in all directions, as are we when Athena is present.