Pallas Athene #2 (Asteroid Athene #881)

Pallas Athene #2 (also Asteroid Athene #881) orbits the main asteroid belt, is the second asteroid to be discovered. It is named for and represents the modern woman. She is the female who is is smart enough to make it on her own and apologetically brings home the bacon. This goddess sprung forth from her father's head as a fully formed adult female, clothed in armor and bearing a sword. This chick is a bad-ass.
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Possessed of self-determination and ultimate self-confidence she is, in a word, BOLD. Athena is the archetypal woman in a man's world. She was so centered in herself that her ideals and beliefs could not be moved and if she could be accused of any negative trait, it was her blindness of self-faith. Pallas Athene could not be moved by emotion, but by logic and reason. She is masculine in the way she deals with choice and crisis. This is a woman who is not going to waste her time on needless displays of emotion. She is just going to cut through the crap and cut you down to size using words and reason as a weapon. She is hard to argue with because she sees to the heart of the issue and makes her decisions on facts.

Men often relate to women with this goddess' energy as the buddy at work, the smart but seemingly emotionally aloof female they casually know and respect but would never see as "dateable", the capable and austere acquaintance that exudes self confidence to the point of being intimidating, the capable "bitch" at work who is always getting the promotion ahead of him. Some men welcome competition from females, some men disparage it. Pallas can reveal these attitudes. Men, on some level, generally fear the female with the traits of Athene.

This is the woman who can make it on her own and so does not NEED a man. In mythology, she was alone throughout her life and never paired with anyone. She did not need any other to make her complete and chose to remain alone, and as a result, agile with her own power. Her virginity was a great source of her autonomy, as she did not bend to even her own desires, lest she cleave off parts of her own self. Modern women who are smart, capable, self sufficient and strong are often the ones who remain alone. These women bring up the insecurities in a man around issues of his own worth and capability. It takes a confident and brave dude to land an Athene. Typically, men will choose a weaker female that can be cared for and controlled. Athene will take you downtown if you coddle or manipulate her. She wants equality. Pallas Athene was the first feminist.

For a man, this asteroid shows logic, reasoning and decision-making skills. Where he is supportive or condemning of women and his attitudes towards females in general can be shown by the placement of this cool asteroid. Many political planners, engineers, mathematicians and those who use reasoning and left-brained thinking to accomplish their task have Athene prominent in their chart. I have a male friend who has this asteroid quintile to both the North Node and Venus. He is an unapologetic feminist who will verbally beat down any man who disrespects a female. Furthering the causes of women is a deeply felt pursuit for him.

In a female's chart, Pallas Athene is about level-headedness and modesty, perseverance, equality, and logical decision making. She is where we cut through the gender roles that hold us back. Insensitivity to emotion is something females must learn and employ in appropriate situations if we are going to compete with men on their turf and win. She guides us to make fewer choices based on feelings alone in order to truly make a bigger impact in the workplace; she carries a sword that says "I will NOT sacrifice ALL of who I am just to prove how feminine and desirable I am." The non-manipulatable woman is the one who does for herself and often, therefore, by herself.

Love and respect are not the same thing but go hand in hand. Love is only truly possible when respect is there. Athene understood how men work. Unless respect flourishes, love means nothing and is a waste of time. Self-respect is the key to love. When we will not settle for less than we deserve, we are displaying our values and showing who we truly are. The people who can handle our strength are drawn to us OUT OF RESPECT, not the possibility of getting something from us. Equality cannot be reached if we are afraid to be alone. One must be prepared, as Athene always was, to back up demands for equality with action, and that can mean NOBLY bearing the title of "single."