Relationships/Poseidon-Athena

Poseidon

Celebrities

George S. Patton, Che Guevara, Fidel Castro, Jack Kerouac, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bob Dylan, Bob Marley, Larry Flynt, Kurt Cobain.

Hairstyle

Not recently cut-a roughneck.

Shoes

Cowboy boots.

Favorite Movie

Death Wish, starring Charles Bronson (1974).

Mythology

Poseidon ruled the seas. He was discontent that Zeus controlled the earth. Poseidon repeatedly-and always unsuccessfully- rebelled against Zeus. The Romans knew Poseidon as Neptune.

Poseidon's sons were monsters-giant Cyclops. But father and sons were loyal to each other. After Odysseus blinded Poseidon's son Polyphemus, Poseidon vindictively pursued Odysseus for 20 years.

Poseidon's animal was the horse. Horses symbolize masculine emotions. The prairies are like oceans. ; Emotional Control System : Poseidon symbolized intense, irrational emotions-limbic emotion unmediated by cerebral cortex cognition.

Life Purpose

A Poseidon man's life purpose is to lead a band of rebels. He needs friends who are loyal to him, but rebellious against society's rules.

Poseidon men experience deeper emotions than other men. Other men express emotions as if they're splashing in the waves at the beach. Poseidon men experience the depths of the soul. Poseidon men can be great artists or poets.

Poseidon energy is the "wild man" of the mythopoetic men's movement. The women's movement is about careers, power, and justice. The men's movement is about feeling and expressing emotions. The wild man is instinctive, untamed, and in touch with nature. Robert Bly, in his book Iron John, shows contemporary men how to get in touch with their wild man. Bly shows how to use this strength to become a courageous and loving man.

Shadow

Poseidon men live in two worlds: the ocean depths of emotion, and the dry land of society. A Poseidon man lives in the civilized world by repressing his emotions and presenting a calm, smooth surface. But sooner or later his bottled-up emotions become a furious storm.

Kurt [Cobain] was a complicated, contradictory misanthrope....He professed in many interviews to detest the exposure he'd gotten on MTV, yet he would call his managers to complain when the network didn't play his videos often enough. He planned every musical or career direction, writing out ideas in his journals years before he was able to execute them. Yet, as soon as he was bestowed the honors he had sought, he acted as if they were a terrible inconvenience. He was a man of imposing will, yet he was equally driven by a powerful self-hatred.

—Charles R. Cross

Poseidon men resent Zeus men. E.g., a Poseidon man may experience disaster when he attempts to run a business. And Poseidon men aren't good losers. Zeus men believe that they play by the rules-with the help of Apollo lawyers-and win fair and square. But a Poseidon man who doesn't understand the rules feels that he was cheated.

Under Stress

Under stress, Poseidon becomes Zeus. When "the going gets tough," Poseidon men seek power and status-and often fail. E.g., on March 30, 1981, a mentally ill gunman shot President Ronald Reagan. Vice-President George H. W. Bush was in an airplane.

There was chaos in the press room....[Secretary of State Alexander] Haig went directly to the rostrum. Until that moment he had been intensely focused on the crisis and had been steady, although testy and combative. Now I could see his knuckles turn white as he grasped the lectern; his arms shook and his knees began to wobble.

PRESS REPRESENTATIVE: Who is making the decisions for the government right now?

HAIG: As of now, I am in control here, in the White House.

The Constitution passes control to the Vice-President, and then to the Congress. Americans ridiculed Haig for his gaffe. He suddenly resigned several months later. (Haig now is "in control" of infomercials in Boca Raton, Florida.)

When Safe

When safe, Poseidon becomes Dionysus. Find Poseidon cowboys down at the honky-tonk, imbibing libations to Dionysus, selecting emotionally wounded country-western songs on the jukebox, and attracting women.

Other Personality Type Systems

Poseidon is represented in astrology by Aquarius (rebellion) and the 11th House (of Friends). Poseidon is Enneagram personality type #6, the Devil's Advocate.

Sex

an interaction between two people, that generally creats a child unless there is protection involved to stop this case.

Meeting

To meet Poseidon men, take up sailing, get a horse, or go to a blues club.

Athena

Celebrities

Judges, prosecutors, executives, teachers.

Hairstyle

Athena wore a helmet. Athena women wear their hair styled to look like a helmet.

Shoes

Low-heeled pumps.

Favorite Television Series

The X-Files, starring Gillian Anderson.

Mythology

Athena was the goddess of cities, military and political strategy, and crafts (e.g., weaving, pottery, metal smithing). She protected and advised heroic men, e.g., Perseus, Jason, Odysseus, and Heracles (Hercules). The Romans knew Athena as Minerva. Her animal was the owl.

Emotional Control System

Fearful anticipation of the future. Athena was born wearing armor. Athena energy is worry, fear, vigilance, and defense. Athena is active when you put on a helmet for a bike ride, change the battery in your smoke detector, and lock your door at night. Too little Athena energy is reckless or "happy go lucky."

Life Purpose

An Athena woman's life goal is perfection. She's judgmental, critical, conscientious, clean, thrifty, and efficient. She expresses criticism, but her criticism of others is minor compared to her inner self-criticism.

Things have to be a certain way. "Love" and "perfect" merge. She expects to feel love only in a perfect relationship, in a perfect home.

Shadow

Overactive Athena energy becomes paranoia or phobia.

Ethics problems.

Athena women can't stand people who break the rules. This isn't the same as being ethical-ethics require compassion. Athena women will follow (or enforce) the rules even when the result is unethical. E.g., in 1979, Hillary Clinton earned $100,000 profit on a $1,000 investment in cattle futures. She never suspected that her brokers were making fraudulent trades to bribe her husband. She didn't break any rules, but allowed questionable conduct to happen around her.

The Medusa effect.

Medusa was a monster with serpents instead of hair. Her gaze turned people into stone. Athena helped Perseus kill Medusa. Then Athena used Medusa's head as one of her symbols. Athena women can intellectually dissect an opponent, making the person feel she is "turning to stone" and unable to think or speak. Athena women can take the life out of a party or conversation. The "Medusa effect" can destroy a relationship.

Gender problems.

Athena girls consider other girls to be silly. They prefer to play with boys. Athena killed her childhood friend Pallas (granddaughter of Poseidon and Amphitrite) in a competitive game. Similarly, Athena women's competitiveness can kill their friendships with other women. Athena executives can be unsupportive of other women, especially lower-status women such as secretaries. But, as Athena grieved for Pallas, Athena women later grieve for their lost friendships.

"Ladies Against Women."

Athena supported Orestes in his trial for murdering his mother Clytemnestra. This symbolized the new patriarchy succeeding the old matriarchy. Athena women defend men against women's interests. E.g., Phyllis Schlafly led the 1970s fight against the Equal Rights Amendment. Athena women support feminist principles as long as the issue is workplace equality. Don't expect support for other feminist issues.

Lack of nurturing.

Athena mothers hire nannies to raise their children. They'd rent surrogate mothers to produce the babies, if they could. They can be good mothers of competitive, extroverted, intellectual children-but not of sensitive, physical, or emotional children.

Under Stress

Under stress, Athena women become Hestia. They become melodramatic. Gardening, nature, children, and pets help them reduce stress. They see in these creatures purity, without rules or judgment.

When Safe

When safe, Athena women become Hermes or Aphrodite. With friends they become charming and happy. They like weekend "New Age" personal growth retreats, if the messages from the gods are upbeat.

Other Personality Type Systems

Athena is represented in astrology by Taurus (security) and the 2nd House (of Money). Athena is Enneagram personality type #1, the Judge.

Sex

Athena was one of the three virgin goddesses., Athena women like men and are happiest in professional relationships with men. But keep your hands to yourself-she doesn't want the emotional entanglements of sex.

Meeting

To meet Athena women, go to professional conferences.

Poseidon-Athena

A Poseidon-Athena tempers emotions with prudence. A couple that successfully uses this energy express feelings without getting into trouble.

Poseidon

Poseidon wanted to marry the sea nymph Amphitrite. He tried to dominate her. She didn't want to marry him, and fled. She agreed only when Poseidon sent a dolphin to talk to her. Poseidon men should work on their ability to communicate with women-or ask a friend to talk for them.

Athena

Athena women go for heroes-e.g., Perseus, Jason, Odysseus, Heracles. Sensitive, compassionate, romantic men don't attract Athena women. They want powerful "alpha" males, preferably waving swords.

Athena women typically marry Zeus men, e.g., Hillary and Bill Clinton. Statues of Zeus and Athena show her standing guard beside her seated king. But this isn't a good marriage choice. The Athena woman will endlessly defend her husband's mistakes- including his endless philandering.

Another bad marriage choice is an Apollo man. They'll have lousy sex.

Athena women should marry Poseidon men-but only heroic Poseidon men. \ One of Athena's gifts to humanity was the bridle, to control horses. He'll keep her emotions active, i.e., stop her from "living in her head." She'll keep him integrated into society, i.e., employed and out of jail. E.g., Athena restrained Achilles from drawing his sword in anger against his leader, Agamemnon. Expect titanic battles, but in the long run they'll balance and mature.

Athena-Poseidon romances are a popular movie and television theme-the cool businesswoman and the troubled-but-passionate man. E.g., on Cheers, Sam and Diane's on-again, off-again romance entertained viewers for five years. In Broadcast News (1987), Athena news producer Holly Hunter chooses between Apollo reporter Albert Brooks and Poseidon news anchor William Hurt. In The Abyss (1989), Ed Harris plays a cowboy-style foreman on a sea floor oil drilling rig. Events bring his ex-wife, an engineering manager played by Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, to his undersea palace.

References

← Zeus-Hera · Apollo-Artemis →