Your Goddess Archetype is Rhiannon

Goddesses and Personal Archetypes

Archetypes are inner images that embody universal characteristics and experiences. They are responsible for the persistent themes we see surfacing in our own lives. Myths and fairy tales, many artistic images, and many of the characters we encounter in our dreams are expressions of these archetypes. As inner guides that exist in your personality, the goddess archetypes influence how you behave, how you think and feel, and how you relate to others. Since the goddess stories that are passed on in the mythology of human cultures embody the expression of female character, they provide us with a rich and fascinating way to gain access to the personal archetypes that are active in our lives.

How to Use Your Personal Goddess Type:

The interpretation of your goddess quiz begins on the next page. Each section starts with a brief guide to understanding the information, followed by your personal results. Before you begin to study it, take a few minutes to review a few basic concepts that will help you use the goddess report to:

• Understand/accept yourself as the unique goddess you are meant to be.

• Learn how to use the guide on the goddess path to personal fulfillment.

The results of your goddess assessment can be used in several different ways. One is to treat your report simply as interesting reading to be enjoyed. As the 100-year-old woman answered, “Sure, Sonny, I believe in horoscopes. At my age I believe in anything that makes life more interesting!” Have fun with the report. Use it, and information available at the website, as an entrance to the fascinating world of mythology and personality type. Learn to recognize patterns of behavior among your family, friends, and coworkers while you gain a better picture of your own strengths, abilities, and vulnerabilities.

A second approach is to use your results to learn to relax and accept yourself for who you really are. Recognizing the strength and beauty of your own personal goddess type can be a deeply empowering experience. If your goddess type is not one that is valued highly by society, your sense of self-esteem will almost certainly have been threatened. Take comfort from learning about the richness of your goddess type and realize that, even if it seems you are often “marching to the beat of a different drummer”, you share your type with many others and don’t have to try to force yourself into the mold of a more socially acceptable type. You are not alone.

The third approach is to use the report as a guide on your path to personal growth. It can help you see and understand the underlying reasons for the patterns of your life. Each goddess type has both strengths and weaknesses. Knowing about your goddess type, you can capitalize upon those strengths (and guard against the weaknesses) while you begin to work on your underdeveloped traits. The more you function within your inherent goddess type, the stronger and more confident you will become, the more control you have over your life, and the better prepared you are to make the choices that create the life you want. You can enlist the help of other, less well-developed goddess types, thereby enlarging your repertoire of attitudes, feelings, and behaviors. You will be less rigid and more flexible, better able to meet the wide variety of challenges and demands that your life may present. Your report highlights ways you can assist this process of “becoming”.

Your Personal Goddess Type:

Her Story and Her Symbols

Each one of us is born with an inherent temperament that predisposes us to develop as one of a number of goddess types. These “goddess gifts” reveal themselves at an early age and remain fairly constant throughout our lives. They influence how you learn and think, how you decide and act, who you select as friends and mates, even where your talents lie, in short, everything that makes you unique and guides the direction of your life. This gift, your personal goddess type, is your favored, most trusted style in dealing with the outer world.

Rhiannon

Goddess of

Endurance, Inspiration, and Dreams

Rhiannon, a British sun goddess whose name meant “Divine Queen” of thefairies, had an agreement to marry a man she did not want, although he was young, handsome and rich. Instead Rhiannon, a British sun goddess whose name meant “Divine Queen” of the fairies, had an agreement to marry a man she did not want, although he was young, good looking and rich. Instead she chose the mortal Prince Pwyll as her husband. However, to get free of her first contract she would have had to pay an immense penalty to him, so she devised a clever way to get out of it by using Pwyll’s strength of arms placed at her command.

She appeared to Pwyll one afternoon, while he sat with his companions on a great grass-covered mound above his castle. These mounds were thought to be magical places, perhaps covering the entrance to the Otherworld beneath the earth. It was thought that those who sat upon them would become enchanted, so only the brave did so.

It is no surprise that prince Pwyll was enchanted by the vision of the beautiful Rhiannon, who was dressed in glittering gold silk as she paced calmly by on her powerful pale-white horse. Pwyll was intrigued and enraptured. Pwyll twice sent sent men riding his swiftest horses to reach her and ask what was her desire.

But the men soon returned and reported that she was unreachable. It seemed her horse’s feet scarcely touched the ground, and although she moved slowly and peacefully the fastest horses could not get near her.

The next day, Pwyll returned with his company to the mound where, once more, Rhiannon appeared. Mounted on his horse, he pursued her himself, but could not come up to her no matter how fast he rode. The distance between them always remained the same.

Finally, after his horse trembled with exhaustion, he called out for her to wait. She did so, but when he drew close she rebuked him, telling him that it would have been much kinder to his horse had he simply asked her before.

Rhiannon then let him know that she had come to find him, seeking his love. Pwyll welcomed this for the very sight of her was more wonderful than any other woman in the world.

She told him to wait a year then she would marry him, then she departed.

A year later Pwyll presented himself at her father’s court. As he and his company rode there the trees suddenly parted before them, clearing a path, then closing in behind them when they passed. Three songbirds swooped playfully in the air around them showing them the way, and carolling beautiful music which induced a deep calm. Her father’s palace was a magnificent site surrounded by a lake. The castle, unlike any they had ever seen, was built not of wood or stone, but of pure gold. Its spires soared and glistened into the heavens. For Rhiannon was not a mortal but a fairy princess, ruler of the sun itself.

The wedding took place as a great feast, where Rhiannon organised all that the hundreds of people there could possibly desire in food, drink, comfort and entertainment. Her household and people were both welcoming and merry, but trouble soonarose. The man she’d once been promised to marry, asked Pwyll for a wedding gift, and Pwyll was honour bound to agree. The other man then asked for Rhiannon herself!

Rhiannon directed Pwyll on how to outwit the other man. She cleverly made a plan to appear to comply but Pwyll, following her commands, tricked his rival into stepping into a magical bag she’d created. He was trapped.

Pwyll’s men then held a boisterous game pretending the captive was a badger, kicking him and beating him until he was forced to ask for mercy. Rhiannon commanded he must give her up, and also pay for her great wedding feast!

The next day Rhiannon left with Pwyll as his equal and queen, to go to Dyfed, their home in the west of Wales. When they emerged from the great forest and the trees closed behind them, Rhiannon took a moment to glance lovingly behind her. She knew that the entrance to the fairy kingdom was now closed and that she could never return to her childhood home. But she didn’t pause for long and seemed to have no regret.

Rhiannon was welcomed enthusiastically by her husband’s people. They admired her great beauty and her lovely singing, as well as her great wealth for she gave luxurious gifts to all. But when two full years had passed without her becoming pregnant with an heir to the throne, the question of her bloodline, her “fitness” to be queen began to be raised. Fortunately, in the next year at May Eve she delivered a fine and healthy son. This baby, however, was to become the source of great pryder (anxiety) for Rhiannon and Pwyll.

As was the custom then, six noble maidens had been assigned to stay with Rhiannon in her lying-in quarters to look after her and the babe. Although the young women were supposed to sit vigil throughout the night, they all fell asleep on the job. When they woke the newborn child was gone.

They were terrified they would be punished severely for their carelessness and their families ruined by it so they devised a plan to cast the blame on Rhiannon, who was, after all, an outsider, not one of their own people. They killed a hunting hound’s puppy, smearing its blood on the sleeping Rhiannon’s face, and scattering its bones in her bed. When she awoke, they accused the queen of eating her own child.

Rhiannon did all that she could to persuade them to speak the truth. But she had always been proud and aloof so they felt no loyalty to her. Rhiannon swore her innocence, but she could not stand against six witnesses on oath. Even so, Pwyll, suffering from his own shock and grief, stood by her, saying he would not divorce her, and agreeing to her request for a penance.

The penance Rhiannon devised was to last for seven years. She was to sit by the castle gate at the horse block, greeting guests with the story of her crime and offering to carry them on her back into the castle. This penance was cleverly designed to spread her story far and wide so that eventually someone might recognise the lost child. So she bore her humiliating punishment without complaint. Through the bitter cold of winters and the dusty heat of four summers, she endured with quiet acceptance. Her courage under such humiliating conditions was such that few accepted her offer to transport them into the castle.

The honour Pwyll showed her also had its effect. Every night he welcomed her to the high table to sit beside him as his queen. Theirs was a strong marriage. Respect for her began to spread throughout the country as travellers talked of the wretched punishment and the dignity with which she bore her suffering.

In the fourth year seven strangers appeared at the gate: a well-dressed nobleman, a young boy, and their retainers. Rhiannon rose to greet them saying, “I am she who killed my only child and this is my punishment, to sit here and tell my tale to all comers. I must also offer to carry each of you into the court.”

The boy particularly refused to allow it, and so they all went inside. There they sat at the high table where all were sad and quiet, mourning the lost baby prince, and Rhiannon’s public shame. But all that changed when the strangers told their tale. Riannon welcomed her son, now almost a grown young man for her grew up fast as hero children were known to do.

The story was told. Four years earlier, during a great storm, the nobleman had taken his favourite mare into his hall to care for her as she went into labour. He fought a monster to protect her, and rushing out, he then found an infant lying abandoned by the door, wrapped in gold silk. His wife was unable to bear a child so she welcomed the foundling, and mothered him as her own.

When the rumours of Rhiannon’s fate reached the lord’s ears, he saw how the boy looked like the famous king Pwyll and realised what had happened. After discussing it with his wife and getting her approval, he set out to return the child to his birth-parents. A curious possibility is that the monster he fought was the insulted badger lord from Rhiannon’s wedding feast who had taken revenge by kidnapping her son.

Everyone now recognised the boy for Pwyll’s son from the resemblance. Rhiannon was restored to happiness and Pwyll’s faith in her was vindicated.

The story of Rhiannon reminds us of the great power of female will and determination. It speaks of loving loyalty, clever planning, and dignity in adverse circumstances. It also shows how, in history, women took command, managing money and resources in their own right, and getting their way in spite of it being the men who were in charge.

Rhiannon is a goddess who remains steadfast, comforting us in times of crisis and of loss. Above all else she stands for loving loyalty.

 

 

Rhiannon’s Symbols

 

General: Sun, horses, horseshoe, songbirds, gates, and the Numbers 3 & 7  

Animals:

Pale horses, badger, frog, dogs (especially puppies), canaries and other songbirds, hummingbirds  

Plants:

Narcissus and daffodils, leeks, pansies, forsythia, poplar and pine trees  

Perfume/Scents:

Sandalwood, neroli, bergamot, lavender, narcissus, geranium  

Gems and Metals:

 

Gold, silver, crystal quartz, ruby, red garnet, bloodstone, turquoise, amethyst

Colors: gold, dark green, maroon, silver, rich brown, white, black, charcoal grey, ruby red

 

 

The Rhiannon Archetype

Every woman’s personality is actually influenced by numerous different goddesses (traits that exist in her personality, or roles that function in her life). One goddess, however, predominates. It is this goddess, your personal goddess type, that is detailed in this report because she represents the core part of your personality that establishes your identity and most influences how you express it to the outer world. Think of it as your own personal “comfort zone” your personal goddess type represents your basic, in-born core, the way you “really” are. When you are functioning within the boundaries of your goddess type, you feel “at home with yourself”. Anxieties will be dissolved, priorities clearer, and you will feel energized, resilient, and capable. If your circumstances are well matched to your goddess type, your normal coping mechanisms will work well, and you will feel a sense of control over your destiny.

Rhiannon Characteristics

Intensely private, Rhiannon women are motivated by a drive to observe and understand the world around them. More than any other goddess type, the Rhiannon is innately self-assured, positive that she can attack any problem and logically work her way through it. Once caught up in a thought process, a Rhiannon cannot let go and will persevere until she feels she understands it in all its complexity.

By nature, a Rhiannon is intensely curious. She is very quick, finding connections that others do not see, and imagining the possibilities inherent in any situation. Able to sense any distinctions and inconsistencies the moment they present, her intellectual scanning is principled for she searches for what is relevant and is not easily fooled by a glib approach.

She is likely to be very skeptical of people, including those in positions of authority, who are too effusive or friendly. She’s also not likely to be overly impressed with authority based simply on office or rank and has a tendency to do things her own way rather than follow rules and regulations that don’t seem logical to her. It is almost impossible to intimidate a Rhiannon! Usually she is so successful that authorities are content to leave her to do it her own way rather than insist on conformity to ‘the rules”. She generally gets along well enough with coworkers, even though she is not one to socialize, and is considered a valuable employee. She is seen as reserved only until the first time that one of her principles has been violated, and then she can be seen as a formidable opponent indeed! Otherwise she is remarkably adaptable and tends to avoid office politics!

Like the goddess Rhiannon, a woman with her archetype can have little need for companionship and prefers to spend considerable time alone. She may be so self-contained that she remains unaware of the opinions and needs of others and may, at times, seem insensitive. A Rhiannon is usually more concerned with ideas than with people. She is often so preoccupied with her thoughts or projects that she does not welcome interruption. She is perfectly happy when she has retreated from the world and sometimes finds it difficult to remember the presence of others. Her tendency to think in such a complicated fashion, combined with her preference for precise and accurate words, often makes it difficult for others to follow and understand her communication. She is difficult to get to know for she usually seems quite shy except when she is with close friends.

Rhiannons, however, value their friends and friendships a great deal. Although she needs her “personal space” and lots of time to herself, she is wonderfully generous and loyal to her friends. Although she is not one to express her affection verbally, she does so with her actions. Because of her tendency to say little, some people fail to notice her excellent sense of humor, especially her mastery of the one-liner or a clever comment that emerges just in the nick of time to defuse a tense situation.

Rhiannons seldom share their feelings, even with their friends, and never with strangers. Rhiannon will usually try to avoid someone who makes too much effort trying to get inside her emotional world. She demands complete independence and only allows people to get close up to a certain point. Most Rhiannons have noticeable physical boundaries, disliking close physical contact, especially with strangers. Consequently they don’t feel comfortable shaking hands, hugging, or other embraces as a form of greeting. More gregarious types may find her a bit distant or reserved.

A Rhiannon truly values intelligence and can, in fact, become a bit of an intellectual snob, showing impatience with those less endowed in intellect. Needless to say, most Rhiannons are natural scholars. Logic, math, philosophy, and the sciences may all appeal to them. As a rule she does not pay nearly as much attention to mundane details as she does to the “big picture”, and may simply ignore things she considers trivial. Her errors are more likely to be due to overlooked details than they are to faulty logic. A Rhiannon tends to spend quite a bit of time “second-guessing” herself, searching for alternate plausible explanations. Sometimes she will postpone making a decision, continuing to study the issues involved until she finds that she has delayed so long that she no longer has the opportunity to act.

Like the goddess, Rhiannon women show an amazing ability to remain calm in a crisis and are seldom unnerved even when they seem to be facing insurmountable odds. They remain calm and unflappable, fully able to quickly think through the situation and find solutions.

Creative and self-confident, a Rhiannon faces the world with a strong sense of integrity, doing what she believes is right and not influenced by social pressure.

Your Personal Characteristics

Like the Rhiannon that you are, you tend to be quiet, low-key, and often disengaged from the social “flurries” that go on in the world around you. Somewhat introverted, you prefer the company of a few close friends or an intimate to a loud and lively party or to interacting with a wide circle of friends. It’s not necessarily that you’re unfriendly or shy; you simply need less social stimulation than other types. You generally prefer to be alone because you find yourself easily overwhelmed by large or noisy crowds, your energy being depleted by such social situations. Although some may mistake your independence and reserve as aloofness, you actually need time on your own to recharge your emotional “batteries” and to restore your energy.

The goddess Rhiannon seemed quite content to live and work without needing a lot of companionship or excitement in
her life. Your responses on the quiz indicate that, while you may be friendlier than the typical Rhiannon, you are
still well within the average range for all individuals.

Rhiannons usually find the company of others somewhat draining. They don’t enjoy the company of others and the excitement of crowds as much as extroverted types do. Rhiannons typically need a fair bit of privacy and time for themselves. Your quiz indicates that you are somewhat more outgoing than most Rhiannons since your level of gregariousness is average.

Like your goddess Rhiannon, you have a rather unconventional soul. Although at times you may seesaw between adhering
to the traditional and the unorthodox, the practical and the idealistic, you are by nature imaginative, creative,
and somewhat individualistic.

Tolerant and broadminded, you have considerable impact on the people you encounter, even though you seldom may
recognize it. Your tendency to be freedom-loving and somewhat independent leads you to insist upon living your own
life as you see fit, even if that means ignoring convention.

Although you care a reasonable amount about other’s opinions of you and crave love and acceptance as much as anyone else, you are neither as expressive of your emotions (or as sensitive to those of others) as Rhiannon usually was. You have an average level of emotionality.

Like Rhiannon, your needs are fairly simple, and you are not usually difficult to please. You have a moderately
strong desire for stability and peace. Although you may enjoy occasional travel or the adventure of new experiences,
you do not require them to feel fulfilled like Rhiannon did. Instead, you are comfortable with familiarity and
routine and do not find them intrinsically boring, consequently you are not compelled to seek thrills or adventure
at every turn.

Your level of excitement-seeking is high. Like the goddess Rhiannon, you are not easily overwhelmed by noise and
commotion, but you are likely to be a bit more of a risk-taker, or a thrill-seeker, easily bored without high levels
of stimulation.

Unlike Rhiannon, your level of excitement-seeking is low, indicating that you are not likely to become bored in
situations that do not offer high levels of stimulation. You are unlikely to be a risk-taker or thrill-seeker and
are probably easily overwhelmed by noise and commotion.

Unlike your goddess Rhiannon, you are not particularly prone to challenging authority, convention, or traditional
values. But neither do you insist on the security and stability brought by strict conformity to tradition that is
noticed in other goddess types. You are about average in the extent to which you experience ambiguity, chaos, and
disorder as stressful.

Many of the legends of Rhiannon recount stories that demonstrate her ability to act quickly and spontaneously, if not
impulsively. Rhiannon women often prefer to remain somewhat flexible and spontaneous in their general approach to
life.

The advantages of this approach are readily apparent-not being rigidly ‘bound’ by schedules, planners, and a wide
variety of other organizational aids gives one a freedom to ‘seize the moment’, to make a snap decision, and to act
on her first impulse. At play this spontaneity and impulsivity can be exciting and great fun. Others usually see
spontaneous people as colorful, wacky, and fun to be with. The accompanying tendency to put off unpleasant tasks
until the absolute last minute may not win her many awards, but at least she doesn’t have to worry about becoming a
serious ‘workaholic’ who leaves her friends and family in a state of serious neglect.

Planning, on the other hand, leads to consistent success in projects that require organized efforts during stages in
a sequence. Without it her accomplishments will likely be rather small, scattered, or inconsistent. However much she
may be criticized for unreliability, lack or ambition, or failure to ‘stay within the lines’, one thing she’ll never
be called is stuffy!

In her myths Rhiannon is usually depicted as someone who is moderately confident in her ability to accomplish her
goals, someone who believes she has the common sense, the drive, and the self-control to overcome the obstacles in
her path. Your level of confidence in your ability to succeed is also high.

You are well organized and like to live according to routines and schedules, your attention keenly focused on what you have to accomplish. But short of spontaneity, sometimes you may be so bound up in your lists of “Things To Do” that you overlook valuable opportunities to enrich your life.

Rhiannon was known for having a sense of duty and moral obligation that was moderate, neither remarkably high nor
low. Unlike her, your sense of obligation is fairly high. You reliably honor your commitments and do not find
contracts, rules and regulations overly confining.

The goddess Rhiannon was seldom impulsive. Your level of impulsiveness is low, like hers. You usually take your time before speaking or making decisions, considering your alternatives and carefully weighing the consequences of your actions. Impulses are not inherently bad; acting on our impulses can be an effective response in situations requiring snap decisions. Additionally, acting spontaneously and impulsively makes play possible. People who are impulsive are often seen as being colorful, exciting, and fun. Nonetheless, excessive impulsivity can lead to trouble. Examples include using illicit drugs that eventually destroy one’s health, responding with an insult during an argument leading to the destruction of an important relationship, or excessive socializing that results in being fired from one’s job. Rhiannon usually thought things through carefully before she sprang into action. She was deliberate and cautious when making decisions. Like Rhiannon, you tend to take your time before deciding and seldom do or say the first thing that comes to mind without deliberating your alternatives and their probable consequences.

How A Rhiannon’s Mind Works

Your goddess type is largely determined by the neurological hard-wiring you received at birth. It governs the way you think and learn. Unfortunately, most of us have been exposed to a “one-size-fits-all” educational system that fails to take into account that not everyone has the same style of learning. Understanding how you think and learn best can help you be more productive at work or in school.

A Rhiannon thinks in broad terms, is forward-looking, and progressive. They have a natural facility for thinking in symbols and abstractions and may greatly be moved by music and the visual and performing arts as well as the raw beauty of nature. Undisturbed by complexity, ambiguity, or subtlety, they tend to enjoy novelty, variety, and change. They usually have several different “projects” underway at the same time, though you may leave some of them incomplete when they abandon them for newer interests.

Sometimes Rhiannons form an opinion of a person or situation without much factual knowledge, and their intuition is often correct. It may be hard to explain to others but intangible forces seem just as real to them as anything in the concrete world. They are quick to sense the possibilities in any given situation and are more likely to focus on them that on any of the specific details of “what-actually-is” that others observe. They tend to have restless minds and a thirst for mental stimulation, preferring to see the “big picture” and what it might mean rather than discovering how all the little pieces fit together. This “broad-stroke” approach can become a bit sloppy at times, so in some situations it’s a good idea to have a co-worker one can rely upon to handle any details that require technical precision.

Your level of creativity and imagination is fairly high. Like Rhiannon you are blessed with the capacity to imagine
the possibilities. Your quiz reveals that you are oriented both to facts and fantasy. You are also able to use your
imagination, and keen sense of what is possible. Your quiz reveals that you are oriented both to facts and fantasy.
You are also able to use your imagination, and keen sense of what is possible, to create a richer, more interesting
world.

Though your goddess Rhiannon was known for her open-mindedness to new and unusual ideas, your scores indicate that
you are less likely than her to enjoy purely intellectual exercises or games. Your level of ability and comfort in
thinking abstractly is average rather than high like hers.

Rhiannon’s self-discipline or will power was easily recognized in her myths. Your level of self-discipline is
average. You are often able to overcome any reluctance to begin a task (even a disagreeable one) and to stay on
track despite distractions. You are usually able to persist at difficult or unpleasant tasks, seeing them through to
completion.

A Rhiannon is born with a hunger for knowledge and a burning desire for competence. She wants to be competent and to understand . . . able to predict, explain, and control her world. Her eye is always focused on finding the way to gain mastery of her self and her environment, constantly seeking solutions to problems, no matter how complex they might seem. She is typically involved with projects that call for innovation, creativity, and vision. A Rhiannon enjoys learning for its own sake. Never satisfied, she is motivated to continually improve, always raising the standard by which she judges her own success. Typically she is her own worst critic.

Lectures that are logical and evidence-based appeal to most Rhiannon types . . . even more so if they are followed by assignments requiring relevant, long term or extensive independent papers or projects. Intellectual exploration through experimentation, analysis, and problem solving are her forte. She collects theories, laws, principles, and concepts to give structure to her understanding of the world.

Rhiannon At Work

Just as your inborn goddess type impacts the way you think and learn, it also greatly influences your life at work. When your goddess-given strengths and patterns of behavior have become habitual, certain jobs or careers will be more “natural” for you. When your job allows you to capitalize on your goddess type, it is interesting and energizing, almost fun. So if you’re about to enter the job market, use you knowledge of your goddess type as a guide to selecting an ideal position that is a good match for your goddess type.

None of this means you can’t be happy in other fields. Lots of other factors influence job satisfaction, your boss and coworkers, the pay, the dress code, for example. Most people manage to adapt, to develop and strengthen their less developed skills and interests when working in a job, unless other factors introduce too many problems in the setting.

Finally, if you aren’t satisfied at work or don’t feel you’re very effective, you can use what you learn about your goddess’ strengths to examine the match between your goddess type and your current job and career.

Rhiannon was moderate in her quest for achievement. Those with a drive to be recognized as successful often have a
strong sense of direction in their lives and strive hard to achieve excellence in their chosen pursuits. Taken to
the extremes, high achievement seeking may result in an individual who is too single-minded and obsessed with his
work. At the other extreme, is an individual content to get by with only a minimal amount of work, even if it means
being seen by others as lazy. Your level of achievement striving is average, not at either extreme.

 

 

Rhiannon at work tends to be:

 

Abstract 

Intellectual

Analytical

Intuitive thinker

Competent

Logical

Contemplative

Private

Impersonal

Problem-solving

Independent

See the “big picture”

Innovative

Unemotional 

 

Like Rhiannon, you are usually attracted to what is new and different. The fact that something is unproven isn’t likely to put you off. Simply taking someone else’s good idea and making it work isn’t your style. You’d rather do the creating and leave the mundane chore of working out the details (or following the procedures manual) to someone else. As a Rhiannon your interest dissipates once a task becomes repetitive or routine . . . after all, a Rhiannon prefers a challenge!

You are an innovator in your approach. Your strength lies in the very way you can make intuitive leaps, instinctively sensing what might work best in a given situation. You may sometimes err when success depends on detailed factual data or on accuracy. For you, by nature, are seeing the “big picture”, not the little details.

Your business-like demeanor and professional approach often inspires others to look to you for leadership. You tend to be fairly assertive, matter of fact, and impersonal . . . getting right to the point without a lot of chitchat. As a result some of your coworkers or customers may think you are blunt, or even tactless. Your natural abilities in logical analysis and objective decision making allow you succeed in a competitive environment.

Like Rhiannon, you don’t mind working at a rapid pace, moving quickly from one task to another. Your ideal job would give you ample privacy and “quiet time” to think things through. Having to talk a lot, to explain your ideas to others before you’ve had a chance to carefully think them out is not a comfortable thing for you. You would prefer to work at a steady pace, not being interrupted by having to switch back and forth between tasks.

A Rhiannon is likely to function best in a job that allows you to be your casual and spontaneous self, able to just “go with the flow”, jumping from one task to another with great aplomb. After all, for a Rhiannon, reaching the goal is not always as important as enjoying the process of getting there! Although you occasionally lash out and invest in a calendar, date books, and other aids to help you get organized, you usually find that choosing an elaborate system is a lot more satisfying than using one; and abandon them as soon as the novelty wears off. Instead of discarding paperwork or promptly filing it away, it tends to build up on your less-than-tidy desk. (Although you may have an almost uncanny ability to find your “stuff”, your co-workers aren’t likely to view you as well organized!)

A Rhiannon woman doesn’t like to be pressured into making decisions until she feels she’s amassed enough information . . . after all, she likes to keep her options open until she’s sure. Besides your great strength is your adaptability. This can, at times, lead to procrastination and missed deadlines. At other times this willingness to leave things unresolved for the time being is an advantage. It makes it easier for you to quickly change tack, diverting your efforts into new directions that are more likely to succeed.

 

Rhiannon Women Often Find Careers in These Fields Rewarding:

Administrator

Network integration specialist

Architect

Neurologist

Artist

Pharmaceutical researcher

Attorney

Photographer

Banker

Physician

Biologist

Physicist

Chemist

Private investigator

College teacher

Psychologist

Database manager

Research/development specialist

Economist

Scientist

Electrician

Software designer/developer

Engineer

Graphic designer

 Financial analyst

Staff development specialist

Financial planner

Strategic planning specialist

Journalist

Systems analyst

Manager

Technician

Mediator

Web site designer

Musician

Writer

  

Rhiannon’s Relationships

When we encounter people whose god or goddess type matches our own, people who have similar traits, we are usually attracted to them and often make them a part of our social circle. This is not surprising for they tend to think like you, have similar interests, treat you as you treat others, and are easy for you to communicate with. You feel comfortable and energized when you are with them. When you spend much time with someone of an opposite type, you may feel drained of energy if it becomes a struggle to find common ground. Other types truly see the world through different eyes and approach life from a very different perspective. Depending on the situation in which you find yourselves, you may be able to recognize your differences and essentially “agree to disagree”.

Try to learn more and use your understanding about different god and goddess types, remembering that even though they differ, each type has its unique strengths and beauty. After all, it is the incredible diversity that makes life so colorful!

Like the goddess Rhiannon, you are less concerned with issues of pleasing others, or being popular, than you are with upholding your own personal values or in reaching your own goals. You are not very emotionally demanding of others and may find it difficult, if not actually unpleasant, to try to understand and deal with what you see as the emotional “neediness” of others. You are not easily distracted from your pursuits by concern for the well being of others and aren’t particularly likely to extend yourself for others solely out of a sense of “ought to”.

Since you rely considerably on your rational judgment, you do not naively trust others to have good intentions and to behave honorably; hence you are unlikely to find yourself being frequently “victimized” by others.

You usually take a friendly, cooperative approach rather than a forceful “we-should-do-it-like this” position. You’re more likely to use your charm in an understated, non-combative fashion to try to reach your objectives. But if all else fails and you’ve just been pushed-too-far, you are perfectly capable of being assertive since your quiz reveals that your assertiveness level is average.

Beware of your tendency to become too impersonal and too intellectual at times. Deep empathy doesn’t come easily for many Rhiannons. They are more apt to think, analyze, and respond rationally in emotionally charged situations where others are apt to lose their heads. This “coolheadedness” is very useful in situations requiring tough or objective decisions, but it can make it difficult to develop intimacy with others. You may need to learn that logic and reason, valuable as they are, are only part of the story-that the subjective and emotional (sometimes even the irrational) are often equal in importance as the pure “facts” of the matter.

Other people tend to see Rhiannons as strong and decisive women and are attracted by this quality, seeking to make them leaders, sometimes conferring upon them a responsibility that they may not wish to have. A Rhiannon’s tendency to be so task-oriented that her impatience to reach the goal may unwittingly trample on the feelings of others. On the positive side, a Rhiannon’s levelheaded, logical approach is often exactly what is needed to help others find solutions to their problems. It is important, though, that Rhiannons be cautious with this power and try to be sensitive to the possibility that what other’s want and need from them may simply be a sympathetic audience and not an actual solution to their problems.

Rhiannon was not one of the goddesses who were well known for being altruistic, always helping others in times of
need. Like her, you are not highly motivated by a need to serve others by doing things for them. Requests for help
often feel more like an imposition than an opportunity for self-fulfillment. Your level of altruism is moderate.

Rhiannon was not noted for her agreeableness, her preference for participating in group efforts, or her desire to avoid conflict or confrontation at all costs. Unlike her, you are concerned with getting along well with others and have a pleasing, agreeable manner that others find appealing. You tend to use tact and charm, rather than strategy, to accomplish your goals. Rather unlike your personal goddess type Rhiannon, you place the highest value on cooperation and the avoidance of conflict and greatly dislike any kind of confrontation. Much of the time you seem perfectly willing to deny your own needs in order to get along with others. Your ability to tolerate confrontations is average. You are usually cooperative, but you do not automatically abandon your own needs and interests just to avoid a confrontation. In other words, you are not a “push-over”.

Priding yourself on your ability to judge objectively, you are more concerned with impartial justice, truth, and
fairness. You are not affected strongly by the suffering of others. It is not that you are uncompassionate, but that
you do not, as a rule, vicariously experience the pain of others as readily as do some other goddess types. This
average level of tender-mindedness can be more helpful than high levels are in situations that require tough
decisions or objectivity

Rhiannon As a Child

What you were like as a child and the messages you received from your parents have undoubtedly influenced your development, for better or worse. Lucky for you if your family enjoyed and encouraged you to develop naturally as the Rhiannon that you are -chances are you felt good about yourself and got a big head start in developing all your Rhiannon strengths.

Sometimes, however, having “too much” family support can cause a problem. When parents give their little goddess unlimited approval for the traits of her natural goddess type to the exclusion of helping her develop the helpful traits of the other goddesses that exist as potential in her personality, she can grow up too one-sided. Take, for example, the young Artemis who is a natural athlete and fierce competitor. While her parents are busy applauding her for all her trophies and carting her to competitions, they may forget to similarly encourage her to keep up with her assignments and she fails to sufficiently develop her intellectual skills.

Also unfortunate is the girl whose goddess type meets with her parents’ disapproval. Their opposition won’t change her inborn type; it just leaves her feeling bad about herself for being who she is, feeling inauthentic if she tries to conform to their expectations by pretending to be “the other girl” that she sensed they would have preferred, or even making her rebellious.

As a Rhiannon child you were independent, curious, and strong-willed. Even as a young child you had a strong need for privacy and a tendency to be very reserved in expressing your emotions, especially your worries and your fears. You probably tested your parents’ patience on occasion because you could often be critical or argumentative, questioning their rules or authority. You were very creative and logical-a born innovator. Hopefully your parents accepted you as the unique and private Rhiannon you were and provided you with a broad range of life experiences to challenge your developing imagination and independence.

“Reverse psychology” was probably invented by the desperate parents of a little Rhiannon. Strong-willed and determined since infancy, this is a child who will, without meaning to hurt anyone’s feelings, argue, complain, or simply just ignore the rules or directions. When mother sent you to clean up your room, she probably came back an hour later to check on your progress and found you sitting in the middle of the untouched mess cutting confetti out of the construction paper you found under your bed. It’s not that you meant to be disobedient; you just got sidetracked by something more interesting!

Curious and independent, Rhiannon girls who are given a little privacy and plenty of raw materials can occupy themselves for long periods of time. They usually have many ideas, some of them quite outlandish, and can be very imaginative and creative. A Rhiannon child would rather do something “original” than play some game where you have to “go by the silly rules”. Although she’ll usually keep her feelings to herself, a young Rhiannon can be easily hurt or frustrated when the interest and appreciation of her parents or teacher in her projects is lacking. It’s a lucky Rhiannon whose parents enjoy her dramatic fantasies and her inventive play.

Remember that your parents, like most, probably assumed that you, their child, were pretty much like them. All parents have a different view of the “right way” to rear a child, one that reflects their own god or goddess type.

Since she is a very “private” person and seldom shares her innermost thoughts, fears, and emotions, a Rhiannon is seldom a social butterfly. Usually she has a few, but very close, friends during her teen years. Depending upon her specific situation, she may find herself categorized by some of her “more traditional/conservative” peers as a nonconformist or rebel. This isolation from her peers may be painful. Fortunately, she is often endowed with a strong sense of uniqueness and talent that enables her to weather the storms of adolescence with her natural optimism still intact.

Rhiannon As a Parent

Armed with your new understanding of how the goddess types work, you will not be surprised to hear that one other factor, the goddess or god-type of your child, will play a big part in how well you will fare in your role as a parent. Bear in mind that, whichever little gods or goddesses reside in your pantheon, the wise goddess avoids trying to reshape them and allows them to grow into their true goddess-given selves with her understanding and support.

A Rhiannon mother is usually devoted to her children and is often able to perceive their needs and desires before they are even aware of them. She can, however, become rather authoritarian and demanding because with a Rhiannon it’s often “my way or the hit the highway!” Given her cool, unemotional nature, a Rhiannon may also be challenged to be tolerant and understanding of her children when they express strong emotions.

Since a Rhiannon needs peace and quiet and a lot of time alone, she may find the mothering of infants and toddlers who constantly demand her attention the most trying stage of motherhood. Sometimes this translates into her being in a hurry to have them grow up and she may actually even expect more intellectual achievement on their parts than is developmentally appropriate. Once they enter school, however, she is very involved in helping them learn and succeed.

A Rhiannon mother enjoys her children, is a good friend to them, and is serious about their upbringing. She is generally low-key about discipline. Her children have the good fortune of being raised in a home that is calm, well-run, and orderly.

Rhiannon and Her Mates

Is there one perfect match for your goddess type? Some types may be naturally better suited than others. After all, the more similar two types are, the more they understand each other for the more values and interests they have in common, the easier they can communicate, and the less work they have to do to get along. They may, however, have to make an extra effort to stay interesting to each other.

But what about opposites? Opposites may attract, but too often they don’t manage to stay together. When a person from a very different type comes into a romantic relationship with you, you may find yourself drawn to them because you are intrigued by their difference. (Sometimes this may be a sign that they have a quality or strength you admire that isn’t a part of your goddess type and that you need to develop in your self.) Too soon the magical courtship stage is over and you begin to notice that the differences between you are less appealing, maybe even a source of annoyance and conflict. Perhaps you start seeing signs that there isn’t good chemistry between you, or that you need to pull back and not invest so much of yourself. If you think there is enough positive about the relationship and can thoughtfully examine the differences objectively, you may decide to live with the differences between you. Sometimes, though, the differences are just too great to overcome or do not justify the amount of energy it takes to maintain the relationship. If you choose not to deal with the differences, it is wise to move on and find other mates who are more compatible with your goddess type.

But if you’re already deeply invested in such a relationship, or if you simply like a challenge, much can be gained in a mating of opposites. Rather than unintentionally turning your differences into a source of frustration and dissatisfaction, you can learn to celebrate them. Unfortunately, the tendency is to instinctively follow the path of the Pygmalion archetype. In this legend the sculptor Pygmalion, unable to love any of the women he met, carved a statue . . . a perfect and beautiful image of his “ideal woman”. Over the course of his labors he grew madly in love with her, but fell into despair because, as a lifeless statue, she could not love him in return.

Like Pygmalion, we (in ways subtle, and not so subtle) try to make our partners change, to become more like us. Chipping away at our loves and marriages with constant tension, criticism, and complaints, we try to pull our partners out of their own god- or goddess- types. Such efforts are destined to fail. Even if it could be successful, it would extinguish their personality, leaving them as lifeless and cold as a statue. Although Aphrodite took pity on the poor sculptor and brought his statue to life in the legend, we must make our own miracles . . . by understanding our differences and seeing them not as problems but as incredible opportunities to breathe life into our own relationships.

This section will guide you to a general understanding of how your goddess archetype exerts a profound influence on the course of your love life. Perhaps the most important aspect of this report is the recognition that the very same differences that attract a woman and her mate to each other can also be the cause of most of the conflict between them, and that it is how these differences are handled that really matters.

Being married, or in a committed relationship, has great significance for you. Finding the right person to share your life with, and maintaining that relationship, is very important for being part of a couple seems natural to you.

Like the goddess Rhiannon in her myths, the woman with Rhiannon as her predominant archetype may have turned down several prospective suitors before finally settling on “the one”. Most likely she found their intrusions, and coercions too demanding. She would hardly find a clinging type, one who constantly required her presence or needed to “be taken care of”, to be very appealing. The type of partner who could win her heart is one who will respect her boundaries.

In love, a Rhiannon is most interested in a person’s sense of humor and intelligence. She likes a partner who is mentally lively and who keeps her guessing a little bit for she becomes restless and bored with someone who never asks questions, never changes or surprises her. Talking, sharing ideas, traveling or otherwise having adventures together, and learning new things together are very important to her happiness.

Rhiannon takes her commitments seriously and is usually faithful and devoted to her mate. She doesn’t welcome frequent social activity and can’t tolerate disorganization in the home, after all her home is her retreat! She needs a space of her own, a private place where she can concentrate without intrusions, interruptions, or noise.

Rhiannons as partners are hardworking, dependable, and usually frugal. More than any other goddess type, she is likely to protect both her time and money; most Rhiannons handle their finances prudently and manage to save.

Unfortunately, the knowledge and self-confidence that makes you so successful in other areas can suddenly abandon a Rhiannon in her personal relationships, especially romantic ones. Because you are an intensely private person and seldom display them, your emotions are often hard for your partner to decipher. Since you are rarely expressive of your deepest emotions and may not enjoy physical contact as much as your partner, your mate may become uncertain about your appreciation and affection. Most Rhiannons find it difficult to admit their vulnerabilities and, consequently may have to push themselves to share themselves with their partner. Some mistakenly think that Rhiannons are distant, even cold. In actuality, a Rhiannon woman is almost hypersensitive and vulnerable to any expressions of disappointment or rejection from those she holds dear.

You have a strong desire for harmony and order in your home and in your relationships. Rhiannon’s value trust and good communication in their relationships, but often find communication difficult because they hate to have to repeat themselves and also strongly dislike listening to their partner sort out their own emotional conflicts. Although they greatly enjoy having creative and intellectual connections with their mates, Rhiannons often need to be reminded to nurture their intimate relationships.

Although she would prefer to confront problems immediately so that they can be resolved and allow her to move on, she tends to be impatient and unwilling to take the time to listen patiently and give her partner the chance to fully express their viewpoint. In addition, many Rhiannons are uncomfortable dealing with emotions so they may dismiss their partner’s feelings when they do not seem logical. A Rhiannon is always devoted to her partner, but she may not always respond positively to sexual and physical approaches. She will be physically demonstrative at times, but these are the times of her choosing, when her mood is right.

A Rhiannon is a woman of action, not words. When she is alone with her feelings, they seem quite clear and intense but when she attempts to express them to her partner, she can have a hard time finding the right words. She will usually express her intimacy in nonverbal ways since her feelings surface more easily if they don’t have to be spoken. Given her reluctance to discuss her emotions in depth, the partner of a Rhiannon may not receive a lot of verbal assurance of her love. Most Rhiannons enjoy sex, but do not suffer in its absence as they are not usually driven by strong sexual needs. Although a Rhiannon’s love usually runs very deep, her expressions of affection will often be rather subtle and light, sometimes even playful.

Visit the reference section at www.goddessgift.com to find valuable resources that will help you “love the one you’re with”, getting past the ancient conflicts and behavior patterns that have the power to destroy relationships. Learn to appreciate, even honor, each other’s complementary, but differing, ways of being. By developing insight into the ways the god and goddess archetypes interact, you can learn how to make your differences complement one another as intensely as they might otherwise clash.

Rhiannon Under Stress

Your goddess type impacts every aspect of your life, including your health and sense of well-being. In fact, recent research suggests a direct link between personality and illness. Your goddess type represents the orderly arrangement of your personality that helps you deal with life. If your life is highly compatible with your goddess type, all is well. If, however, your circumstances force you to function largely outside your personal type, you will view your life from a negative perspective and experience stress and emotional discomfort. Our thoughts and emotions are deeply intertwined. Negative thoughts provoke negative feelings that rob the body of the energy it needs to remain in healthy balance, leaving us susceptible to illness.

Consider this example: Amy’s goddess type is one that finds it very difficult to say ‘no’ to anyone. Consequently, she is always trying to do too much and is frequently behind schedule. Missing deadlines and being late for appointments causes her to feel guilty, so every time she is late creates additional stress for her. That stress results in a negative chemical reaction in her body, which, if continued over a long period of time, can ‘wear down’ her body’s natural defenses, leaving her accident prone and vulnerable to infections and a number of other stress-related illnesses.

Another body of fascinating research suggests that each personality type is linked to its own specific areas of vulnerability, or ‘weak sites’, within the body . . . an Achilles’ heel, so to speak. It is thought that these particular areas may be more sensitive to stress-related chemical imbalance.

This section will help you identify:

• Typical ways your type functions under stress

• Characteristic negative thoughts (fears and anxieties) that produce stress

• Vulnerable areas of the body and major health issues for your goddess type

• Behavior patterns that may put you ‘at risk of developing a specific health problem

For a Rhiannon, the search for perfection is a major source of stress. Constantly pushing yourself and others for improvement, and having a deep inner fear of failure, a Rhiannon’s life can become very stressful. With her ability to focus intensely on one thing, her tendency to overwork and inability to relax, a Rhiannon woman under stress can become extremely judgmental and critical of herself and others. Her high standards for herself and others can be self-defeating. Expecting yourself to be competent and knowledgeable, your stress builds when your ideas become overly abstract and impractical. A Rhiannon woman under stress tends to become generally “nit-picky” and likely to “work a problem to death” (i.e., to overdo simple issues).

A Rhiannon finds it very stressful to deal with people she feels is being over-emotional or illogical, anyone who questions her integrity (or otherwise suggests she does something unethical), or any situation that pushes her to make a decision before she’s had time to fully analyze it and weigh her options. In short, you, as a Rhiannon, probably often find yourself caught in the middle of a conflict between your heart and your head.

Situations involving the possibility that you might face criticism, intimidation, a loss of autonomy, or appear incompetent are very stressful for you. When operating under high levels of stress, a Rhiannon woman’s self-confidence may suddenly abandon her, leaving her feeling confused and full of self-doubt. Under chronic stress, a Rhiannon’s minds seems to just shut down, creating a “thinker’s block”. Deprived of your usually masterful quick and ingenious thinking, you may experience performance anxiety, something akin to stage fright. Your creative juices frozen, you become very self-conscious and feel distracted and incompetent – even your normal fluency of speech seems to desert you. Desperate to remain competent and to prevent failure, a Rhiannon may even avoid attempting to “perform” at all, a situation often referred to as “burnout”.

Your typical reaction when stressed is to become “nit-picky” and even indignant. At times, a Rhiannon may change her behavior abruptly, becoming very aggressive and openly hostile, surprising those who are frustrating her. Your natural inclination is to withdraw into yourself. Those close to you may find it hard to understand that you need to do this to restore your sense of balance.

The most vulnerable areas of a Rhiannon’s body include her central nervous system, digestive system, immune and musculoskeletal system, especially her midback (thoracic spine). Muscular tension, skin disorders, allergies, autoimmune diseases, liver disorders, indigestion, ulcers, tendonitis, and headaches are potential health issues of special concern for women who are Rhiannon types.

Situations most likely to trigger a Rhiannon’s level of stress are those that evoke:

• the fear of being rejected or criticized

• fear of failure

• frustration at feeling restricted, controlled or otherwise manipulated

• feeling entrapped in a relationship that is emotionally complex or “needy”.

Major stressors that arise in the lives of a Rhiannon are often related to her:

• tendency to expect perfection from herself and others

• attempts to resist regulations and control over her behavior, which she experiences as a loss of freedom, and

• tendency to be single-minded and focused, leaving little time or energy for relaxation or other people.

Rhiannon’s Personal Goddess Path

While your goddess type is the strongest, most developed, preferred, and “natural” to you, you potentially have aspects (or traits) of all the goddesses in your personality. They are willing to come to your rescue if needed. As your life unfolds over time, you will be presented with different challenges that are not in your goddess’ “area of expertise”, challenges that another goddess would be better equipped to handle. You can recognize when this occurs because you may feel drained of energy, “mentally fuzzy”, and less sure of your ability to cope. Your life may feel out of control, or you may even have a strong sense of being “numbed” or detached from what is going on around you. Here is where those other goddesses can come to your rescue.

Rhiannon’s Allies

The goddesses Artemis and Hera are your allies. Already present in your personality, they can be called into play to help you adapt and grow. Which goddess is active at any given time depends on a combination of factors that interact-how many (and which) goddesses are in your repertoire and your predisposition to use them. The situation you find yourself coping with and the roles it calls forth in you, even your hormones, and your stage of life are also important factors.

Think of your life as an improvisational play with several actresses in the cast, each with different roles. One actress (your personal goddess type) will play the lead and be on-stage most of the time since she is your strongest, most experienced performer. However, the others will be called on-stage occasionally when the play takes a direction that calls for their “special” skills or attributes.

You can also activate a goddess archetype intentionally, by consciously focusing on her (through study, meditations, rituals) or by “doing” those activities with which she is associated, such as taking a college course to “activate” the logical Athena. All you need do is honor her and consciously invite her presence – a process called “invoking” a goddess. This section identifies the other goddesses in your makeup and some of the ways you can summon, or invoke, these goddesses in your life-to solicit their aid during times of crisis or to strengthen their impact and increase your psychological flexibility.

Your ally Hera is, like you, serious and responsible and greatly values her close relationships. Many Rhiannons spend so much time wrapped up in their own thoughts, that they may miss noticing some important realities that are present in their own environments. But Hera’s presence in a Rhiannon’s personality can help her become more conscious of the details available to her, better attuned to what is going on around her. Hera offers to assist you to become more practical and realistic about yourself and your undertakings.

A Rhiannon with her calm and intense independence is often at a disadvantage in social situations unless there is a goddess like Artemis present in her personality. Once the presence of Artemis is activated, a Rhiannon can develop her social skills and leadership, becoming more personal and charming. Once she is more comfortable in the social realm, she is in a better position to share her wealth of ideas and creativity with others.

Recognizing Your “Missing Goddess”

Just as your goddess type is dominant in your makeup, there is also one specific goddess that will be the weakest in you. Demeter is your missing goddess. Recognizing this goddess, and honoring her presence, is critical to your well-being because, if she remains neglected, she is apt to appear at the most unexpected time to create havoc in your life.

Most of us have witnessed, at one time or another, an acquaintance who, in the face of some seemingly trivial irritation, explodes into a tirade, ready to “take the skin off” the offender. Normally a sweet-natured, compliant and somewhat self-effacing type, she pays for ignoring her missing goddess (in this case one who is more demanding or judgmental than her own goddess type). Had she acknowledged these needs within herself and developed a few simple assertiveness skills, she would have been spared this embarrassment.

You’ve probably encountered the motif of the “uninvited guest” that appears in many fairy tales and legends. Usually the story begins with a celebration to which everyone in the kingdom is invited, everyone that is except for one certain person (often a witch or a troll who is disliked because they seem ugly or evil). This uninvited guest, understandably miffed at having been excluded, invariably shows up anyway and places a terrible curse on the hosts, the infant who is being christened, or even on the entire kingdom! The terms “uninvited guest” or “missing goddess” refer to the neglected or rejected side of our selves we’ve forced out of our conscious awareness. In Jungian psychology, these disowned aspects of the self, forced to reside in the darkness of the unconscious mind, are called the “shadow”. It is the part of our self that we feel least comfortable with and have rejected as not being a part of “who we really are”.

The goddess Demeter is your missing goddess, the goddess least represented in your personality. This suggests that you do not find it natural, or easy, to embody or demonstrate many of Demeter’s traits.

A Rhiannon can be “out of touch” with her emotions, even to the point of not realizing that she is (or should be) feeling angry or hurt and needs to act on that feeling in some fashion. Just as Demeter’s dramatic display of her anger and grief eventually led to her daughter’s being returned to her, Demeter can help you bring those “buried” emotions to the surface so that they can be resolved.

Approaching the Triple Goddess

Before the Titans and the Olympians (the gods and goddesses with their very human-like traits and personalities) appeared in Greek mythology, and long before the 5,000 year reign of male deities, people recognized a Triple Goddess who symbolized the three faces of the original Great Goddess. Often depicted in association with the changing phases of the moon, the Triple Goddess moves between her many roles with the changing seasons of her life. In Greek mythology her three faces are described as the:

Maiden/Virgin            Skilled,self-defining, achieving, and focused

Mother/Matriarch       Relationship-oriented,nurturing, loving, generous

Wisewoman/Crone     Contemplative, spiritual, compassionate, able to laugh, an agent of transformative change in society

In Native American mythology the Triple Goddess was represented by the benevolent Changing Woman who could change back and forth from an infant to a young or old woman at will. She reminds us that a full life is rooted in our own nature as well as the seasons of our particular stage of life. Although recent social changes such as our ability to control the timing of childbearing have loosened the ties of the various stages to a woman’s chronological age, it is still common for most women to develop psychologically following this age-old sequence.

The major developmental task of the young woman, in her maiden stage, typically is to claim and embrace her own personal goddess and to fully develop and strengthen the character of her personal goddess type. Having done so, at mid-life (the phase of the mother/matron), her personal growth is enhanced by nurturing the presence and the strengths of the other goddesses who have remained less developed in her personality. With her primary goddess now strong and experienced, she can now afford to attend to the areas of her life she has heretofore neglected. And in the third phase of her life, generally occurring when she is postmenopausal, she reaches the stage of the wisewoman or crone. Her task at this stage is to pull back some from the more external and active involvement of her earlier years, to integrate all that she has learned, and to draw inward, finding her own voice and purpose. She emerges more spontaneous and less restrained by convention, more contemplative, more compassionate and self-accepting. She can be quite outspoken, in touch with her anger on behalf of herself and others. She is fully capable of forcing social changes that are needed. Using the wisdom she has gained, she now is able to weave her unique perspective into a tapestry that is a full expression of the sacred feminine.

Ways to Grow

As a Rhiannon it is likely that you have developed the side of you that is independent and goal-focused at some sacrifice of the more tender, nurturing qualities that are considered to be “traditionally feminine” traits. Your journey toward completeness will center on the need to develop your relationships and your potential for being more aware of your feelings and those of others.

Other Recommendations:

• Given your ambition and desire for self-development, you can drive yourself and others to exhaustion in your relentless pursuit of your goals. Be sure to take rest periods in which you refresh and reconnect with yourself more deeply. Sometimes taking a few deep breaths is all it takes to recharge your batteries and improve your outlook on life.

• You have much to teach others and are probably a good teacher, but you may expect too much of others. Some will agree with you in theory, but for various reasons (perhaps they’re not as self-disciplined as you) do not find it easy to change right away. Your words and your example probably do more good than you realize, but you need to be patient with those who do not move as quickly as you.

• Many Rhiannon women have a “short fuse” and are easily angered or offended by what seems to them to be the off-handed refusal of others to do “the right thing”. If you note this tendency in yourself, try to step back and analyze your feelings. Make it a point to learn to deal with them in a more effective manner than either just “blowing up” or by ignoring or repressing those feelings.

• If you are a “typical” Rhiannon, you may find it difficult to truly trust people, to open yourself up to them emotionally. You may worry too much about potential problems in a relationship and reject people in advance by withdrawing from them. If this is your tendency, you might want to do some reading and thinking about conflict management, because it is healthier to work out areas of conflict within a relationship than to simply withdraw from it.  Having one or two close friends whom you trust enough to disagree with could enrich your life considerably.

• Decisive action is important to a Rhiannon and build her self-esteem. Pay attention to the extent to which you are getting involved intensely in activities that do not support your confidence or self-esteem. It is easy for a Rhiannon to get excited about a variety of different subjects, activities, or hobbies that can become distractions from what she knows she really should be doing.  Learning to focus on those areas where she can use her strengths is especially important for a Rhiannon.

• Your ability to see numerous possibilities in a situation is one of your great strengths, but you may often find it difficult to judge which is most important or to choose one option among several.  It can be helpful at such times to seek the advice of someone whose judgment you trust while you gain some perspective on your situation. This may also help you learn to rely on someone else, something that is not always easy for your goddess type.

• Your intensity and nervous energy makes it difficult for you to relax.  Exercising, meditation, yoga, and dancing are particularly helpful for your type. Obviously, it is important to choose healthy ways to unwind rather than to rely on drugs or alcohol.

• Sometimes an Rhiannon’s own thoughts and speculations distract her from what is actually going on around her. Your intellectual capacity is a wonderful gift, but it can also be a problem when she “lives in her head” so much that she retreats from contact with others. Staying connected to the immediate moment and her physical sensations can be very important.

Closing the Circle: Finding Completion on the Goddess Path

Even before the appearance of the Triple Goddess, humankind recognized the existence of a “Oneness”, a creator, a “giver of life”, a spiritual presence who was complete, in and of herself. She was known by many names, among them the Great Goddess, Ishtar, Gaia (Mother Earth). All powerful, she was life energy itself, and a goddess unafraid to venture into the underworld, the symbol for the soul. She reminds us that we must ground ourselves in the reality of our nature and incorporate all sides of ourselves, whether they be light and pleasant or dark and wrathful. She demanded that we connect to the inner wisdom inside our selves and that we manifest that wisdom in the world.

A Final Note

Although in contemporary times we are more likely to speak of mental health, self-actualization, or even spiritual enlightenment, the quest remains the same – growth that leads to personal authenticity. Recognizing and nurturing your goddesses within is a good beginning. As you continue on the goddess path in your quest for a meaningful life, we at Goddessgift wish you good luck and . . . well, Goddess-speed!

We wish to gratefully acknowledge the contribution of Dr. John A. Johnson for allowing the use of comments he authored concerning the description of personality traits measured by the IPIP items contained in the goddess quiz, and to Steven E. Brenner who authored the original IPIP analysis program on which our program is based..