The Gods and Goddesses are so polite. They always say thank you for our offerings. Even Athena. The monsters aren't always quite so courteous. Although a battle Goddess Athena is really very kind but it takes a while to earn her kindness. 
    Athena is a Goddess who tests and tests, like Ares and Enyo her tests generally take place on a battlefield. We have spoken before about Ares and Enyo, and the apparent differences between them. Athena can be as cruel as Enyo but she can also be as kind as Ares. On first encounter she gave me a hug, and although she didn’t do that again for a very long time, I always remembered my first encounter because it gave me comfort and reassurance during the periods when her tests seemed so harsh and relentless.  

I think the tests were made more severe for us both because of what was to come, and because the various deities were so angry with humankind for turning their back on them.
    We did find some opposition to what we were doing and I think Athena's relentless battle drill prepared us. The tests of holding on to each other helped us and all those experiences with the Titans and the monstrous deities were far worse than anything the opposition could throw at us. Although dangerous they were more of an irritation than frightening and I think that's the frame of mind the different Gods and Goddesses wanted us to adopt.

To all the priestesses and priests to come I will say this. The Goddesses and Gods will test you, and they do test for all sorts of things, courage in the face of fear is part of it, but they probably tested us with more ferocity than normal, though one cannot always expect a monster to be gentle in the way we would like, fluffy soft clouds and such, it is not in their nature. 
    However they now are so gentle with me, even the monsters, AND even the Devourer mostly appears in human form. But in those early days we had to learn to defend ourselves against dark forces that fought both viciously and sneakily. The tests prepared us in every way, except perhaps for just how long we had to endure. Nica thinks that too was why Dionysus sort of threatened us as he did. Had we turned back we would have lost even their support at a dangerous time. 

*  

As with most times with Athena, having sternly thanked us for our homage and offerings, she wrenched me from the temple again and next I was standing in the middle of a battle. It was a chaos of screams and clanging metal and shrieking horses. Athena stood towering above everyone as the fighting raged all around. She glared at me then thrust a broadsword into my hand.
    “Kill! Kill!” she roared.
    There were men everywhere, some on horses, some on foot and I didn’t know which side I was supposed to be fighting on, there was screaming all around. I just stared at the sword and tried to run from the hell of fighting all around me.
    Athena snarled at me. “I commanded you to kill!”
    I shouted above the noise: I can’t take another person’s life like this. I don’t want to harm anybody. 

Then one of the soldiers seized my arm and started twisting it and I tried to knock him away with the sword though not to kill or hurt him, I felt it would be wrong. Then she really yelled at me.
    “Kill! Kill!”
    And a man on a horse galloped close and swooped me up and I still had the sword in my hand.
    “Kill this man, then!”
    But I couldn’t.
    “Kill the horse and bring him down!”
    But no way could I do that either. 
    There was so much noise and confusion and I kept struggling to get out of it. Then I watched as Athena turned her back and walked off. The battle that had raged all around us simply vanished and I was standing in the temple. I felt so close to tears and thought, What a mistake! I should have done what she said. I thought she would never forgive me. But then she appeared in the temple in front of me, smiling.
    “I had to test you to see if you really are a gentle, peace loving mortal. You did right to refuse. You will now come and enjoy yourself at my feast day and bring the priest.”

I didn’t know whether to or not. Wondering whether this was part of another test.
    “Do you not trust me? Why do you hesitate to bring him?”
    I asked is it just the feast or is it going to be another test? Forgive me but I do have to be careful where I lead him.
    She smiled. “You are very wise priestess, but no harm will come to him so let his astral body join in the festivities.”

I saw the Parthenon. It was very hot but we stood beneath canopies, Nica beside me, grinning as usual like the cat who had the cream. I noticed that everyone was wearing wreaths of flowers in their hair. Then two young girls carrying flowers came up to us and one said: ‘you two haven’t got a crown of flowers.’ They put one on Nica’s head and one on mine. They were very sweet smelling, tropical flowers and we were given goblets of wine. 
    As I took a sip Athena appeared.
    “Drink your wine, you always offer me wine.”
    I drank and it tasted so refreshing.
    “Now you have to return, taking the priest with you. I give you the gift of great strength in mind and body and the gift of serenity but with awareness of all that goes on and now you have my very special blessings, both of you.”