Which goddess are you? Wise women Saraswati and Athena

April 4, 9:42 AMAstrology ExaminerMaria Barron

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Painting of the Goddess Saraswati by Raja Ravi 
Varma (Wikimedia Commons)  

If you’re on Facebook or MySpace, you’ve probably seen those quizzes that help you figure out everything from which Mean Girl you are to which Greek God or Goddess. The symbolism of the planets is tied into that same human urge to relate to something ideal, or at least something that’s a vivid example of a quality. Some of those ideals, though, are just too big or too pure to assign to a planet.

In both Western and Eastern astrological traditions, the wisest divinities of the pantheons are only indirectly linked to the revolutions of the spheres. Athena and Saraswati, Goddesses of Wisdom, don’t have planets named for them, but they do have their starry associations.

Saraswati, Hindu goddess of learning, wisdom and the arts, is a feminine water deity associated with the Saraswati River of the Vedas. The ancient and now invisible river in India is said to join the Ganga and Yamuna Rivers at Allahabad. The goddess of flowing wisdom, holy waters, dance and music is said to have a face like the full moon, pale and round. Her four arms represent mind, intellect, alertness and ego each being involved in the process of learning.

Athena in a helmet bearing a winged lioness, 
holding an owl and her spear, on 480 BC pottery 
at the Vatican Museum (Wikimedia Commons)  

Athena, Greek goddess of wisdom, heroism and strategic warfare, probably began as a creature of the air: a bird goddess. She is accompanied by an owl and is sometimes pictured with wings. As far back as 700 BC, she was described as born of a Titan named Metis, who ruled the fourth day and the planet Mercury. Centuries later, when zodiac signs were classed by the four elements, Mercury, represented by the winged messenger, was recognized as an airy planet ruling airy Gemini (but also earthy Virgo).

The philosopher Plato linked Athena with a Libyan war goddess and her associations grew more strategically warlike and fiery. She even became goddess of metalworking.

But at the base, we have two elementally different goddesses of wisdom. We have the essence of water – a liquid, flowing Eastern ideal of wisdom – and the essence of air in a windy, soaring Western ideal. So, how about it? Which wise goddess are you? Do you flow through difficult situations in a nurturing way that helps wisdom grow … or do you blow through in gusts, ruffling people’s hair and calling their attention to things best seen from a bird’s eye view?

Wisdom walk with you, whichever way.