This is the kind of thing that I don’t often talk about… I am enough of a scientist to feel uncomfortable looking superstitious, and I’ve been around the pagan community long enough to roll my eyes whenever some chick with weird hair starts talking about her visions of divine guidance. For that matter,as a child growing up in a fundamentalist church I would shudder whenever someone started ranting about what God had said to them. So, er, I hate to say this, but I had a vision of, er, divine guidance.
I was half asleep one night thinking about all the things that I’ve been trying to do, all the projects that I’ve started, feeling like I’m slowly choking on half-realized ambitions. Trying to be an artist and a writer and a statistician (not even getting into being a mother and a wife and all the other things in life), thinking that if I could focus on one thing maybe I could come closer to success at something, but desperately not wanting to give anything up. For years, I’ve been thinking around these same circles — how can I possibly achieve even a fraction of what I’m trying to do? As I drifted off to sleep, I saw Athena, goddess of wisdom and the arts. She said that if it was all dedicated to her, then it would work. I realized that all of my interests might sound odd to a modern person, but they are all sacred to Athena. In a way, my life had been dedicated to Athena all along without my realizing it.
I don’t know if I actually believe that Athena came to me and told me that I could succeed, but I choose to believe that this is true. Picturing her there, taking an interest in my work whether I’m designing a research project or knitting a sweater, gives me a feeling of rightness that I haven’t had in a long time.
This web magazine was designed with this dedication to Athena in mind… she is behind the name and the logo. I’ve been struggling with the right way to describe the material that it will include, but it will all be the wisdom and science and arts and magic that evoke her image to me, that I think she’ll enjoy.
And so, this magazine is dedicated to Athena. Athena, may this offering please you.
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