Your Goddess Archetype is Atalanta

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.

Atalanta

Goddess of the Hunt, Travel and Adventure

Her name means “Unswaying” and she certainly lived up to it . . .Atalanta was a girl with attitude! She was born to a father who was hoping for a son and put the infant Atalanta out in the forest where she was raised by one of Artemis’ she-bears, but eventually reappeared in his life bearing no grudge against him. She never seemed to fall in the trap of “buying into” trying to win approval or fit into any conventional mold. Atalanta stood ready to defend her personal values, and was perfectly capable of doing so. Saying her polite goodbyes, she left home at an early age to see the world before settling down . . . if she ever decided to settle down, that is. One thing was certain, no one else would be doing her deciding for her. Not now, not ever! Home was fine, but there was simply too much out there to see and do to get stuck in one place for too long.

Atalanta was one of the warrior goddesses, those who were known for their fierce independence, competitiveness, and physical skills. She became famous as an adventurer, the only woman to join the band of heroes that accompanied Jason, sailing to distant countries to capture the Golden Fleece and bring it safely back to Greece, a quest that entailed considerable danger as they faced numerous tests and perils along the way.

Atalanta was a marvelous huntress. Expert with her bow and arrow, she was sometimes included as “just one of the boys” in various sporting events. The most famous of these exploits was the Hunt for the Calydonian Boar. In retaliation for some affront against her by the king of Calydon, Artemis had loosed her gigantic, foul-tempered boar in the kingdom to wreak havoc throughout the countryside. And wreak havoc he did, trampling all the crops, gobbling up all the livestock, and making the residents fearful of leaving the safety of their houses.

Several talented hunters had been employed to kill the beast, but had failed miserably, losing their own lives. Eventually the king had the clever idea of advertising a hunting competition that would attract all the great hunters; surely having them all there at the same time, and the boar vastly outnumbered, would tilt the odds in his favor. Since the boar’s rampages had already brought the kingdom close to bankruptcy, the winner’s prize would be humble (just the boar’s pelt and elephant-size tusks), but the fame and glory that went to the one who killed the beast, not to mention the undying gratitude of the people, would be enormous.

As it happens, Meleager, the king’s son who would be joining in the hunt that day, was taken with Atalanta and invited her to join the men. Although he was already married, he was quite smitten with her, attracted both by her beauty and her prowess. The other men, however, weren’t very happy to have a woman included in the hunt. As it turned out, they were lucky to have her there. The men’s initial clumsy moves did nothing but enrage the boar and result in injuries to several in the party. Just when the boar had two of them penned down and was ready to charge, Atalanta stepped up to the boar, looked him straight in the eyes, and managed to get off the perfect shot, stunning him and”saving their bacon”. Mealeager rushed in with his javelin and killed the stunned pig, becoming the hero of the hunt. Whether motivated by his infatuation with the young huntress or in genuine appreciation for her critical role in felling the boar, Meleager did the right thing and insisted that, since it was Atalanta’s first blow that had allowed him the victory, she should have the pelt and he would keep the tusks. Never mind that she had literally saved them from becoming pig-feed, the chauvinists in the party were sore losers and protested the pelt being given to a woman. (This led to afight between them and, eventually, to the death of Meleager…but let’s get back to the story of Atalanta.)

By this time Atalanta was becoming quite a celebrity, known for both her beauty and her bravery. There were plenty of men seeking her hand in marriage, though she swore to remain single until she was ready to marry and vowed that she would pick her own husband, thank you very much! Her father, the king, finally put his foot down and insisted she marry, but she negotiated a compromise. She agreed to willingly marry any man who could outrun her in a race and that she would even handicap herself by giving him a head start and by running while she was weighted down by her heavy sword. Hoping to dissuade men from even applying for the privilege of competing with her, she added one stipulation. . . that she would behead the hapless unarmed suitor if and when she passed him in the race. So the stakes for a man were very high indeed!

But she was so lovely and even-tempered that countless young nobles signed up torace for her anyway. Atalanta, determined to make her own choices about who and when she would wed, ran like the wind, her long golden hair waving in the breeze behind her. Many men perished in the race against her.

But one young man, Hippomenes, who was helping judge the races thought that the suitors must be fools to risk their lives; at least that’s what he thought until Atalanta disrobed and approached the starting blocks in her appropriate, but scanty, running togs. Now he too was enamored, but since he was more of a thinker than an athlete he knew he’d never stand a chance of winning. A smart lad, though, he pleaded his case with Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love, and asked for her help. Aphrodite was a bit miffed with Atalanta anyway since she’d always seemed so reluctant to fall in love (which made Aphrodite look bad at her job, so to speak), so she was more than happy to oblige.

Aphrodite gave Hippomenes three golden, magical apples she picked from her own garden and gave him instructions to toss them in Atalanta’s path when she drew close to him in the race. This he did, and each time Atalanta was intrigued by the radiant objects and slowed down to scoop them up. In some versions of the story, the handsome young man and his innovative strategy already impressed Atalanta so she intentionally slowed down and let him win. When he collapsed in exhaustion after being the first to cross the finish line, Atalanta helped him up and told the spectators that she was glad that he’d won.

They walked hand in hand to the king who married them and gave them a large her of valuable horses as a wedding present. Atalanta and her husband then traveled to his country where great celebrations were held to welcome them.

With all that they had to do they overlooked something important: they forgot to pay homage to one of the gods or goddesses. In one account it was Zeus, the mighty king of the Olympians. In another, and saucier, version there was not even a brief thank-you note sent to Aphrodite for the role she’d played in arranging their togetherness. Aphrodite was miffed by their neglect and decided to play a prank on them, inflaming them with insatiable desire for each other. Unfortunately, the trick got out-of-hand and they ended up making mad, passionate love right in the middle of a temple. Rhea, the goddess whose temple they had profaned, was furious and persuaded Zeus to turn them into lions, which she yoked to pull her chariot. In both accounts Zeus, recognizing the greatness of their love for each other, showed some compassion and allowed the couple to remain together, racing side by side forever.

 

 

Atalanta’s Symbols

 

 

General:

Golden apples, bow and arrow, spear, wind.  

Animals:

Lions, boar and pigs, horses, and the she-bear.  

Plants:

Apples, rhododendron, geranium, carnation, dandelion, juniper, birch and oak trees  

Perfume/Scents:

Orange, rosemary, lime, mulberry, eucalyptus, carnation  

Gems and Metals:

Gold, opal, tiger’s eye, topaz, peridot, steel, iron, tin, ivory  

Colors:

Magenta, crimson red, orange, maroon, dark blue, purple

 

 

The Atalanta 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.

Atalanta Characteristics

The nature of an Atalanta is most easily seen when she goes into action. When she is involved in an activity, she gives it her all, racing on for days or weeks (with little sleep if need be) while she is held captive by whatever interest has captured her attention. Hers is a life of adventure. Living in the present, an Atalanta feels few regrets about the past and does not worry much about the future. She lives in the here and now.

Atalantas tend to have a demeanor that suggests a calmness or inaccessibility, her face showing little sign of emotion. She generally prefers ‘sporty’ or informal styles of clothing that fit her well, valuing comfort over style.

An Atalanta enjoys her solitude. She is fairly well contained within herself She may be hard to get to know. She primarily connects with others through shared activities; therefore, except for a few close friends, her ties with others may be somewhat superficial.

Atalantas, 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.

Atalantas seldom share their feelings, even with their friends, and never with strangers. An Atalanta 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 Atalantas 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 an Atalanta a bit distant or reserved.

Atalantas tend to have very strong opinions from which they are difficult to budge. Sometimes they can be seen as quite obstinate. They tend not to be very impressed with authority and independently judge any idea by what they see as its truthfulness, not its source. For the most part, however, they tend to keep their opinions to themselves. However, an Atalanta can be quite persuasive, drawing others to ‘see it her way’ by the sheer magnitude of her conviction and her stubbornness in getting her point across.

Although she normally presents a face that is calm and unemotional, those who wish to threaten her lifestyle had best beware that an Atalanta can unexpectedly erupt with an emotional outburst, or a dramatic sudden rage.

Precision and tireless energy are the hallmarks of an Atalanta type, whether she is at work or involved in a creative project. When she is inactive, an Atalanta becomes uneasy, her anxiety escalating as she feels time stretching out in front of her with nothing to do. Sedentary activities like sitting, reading, or idle chatting don’t engage her. She’d much rather be working on an interesting project; it’s not that she’s so committed to the outcome of the project as she is to the process itself. For Atalanta the activity is the goal, an end in and of itself. With her ability to be tirelessly focused, an Atalanta is often an excellent mechanic or an artisan that devotes her attention and skills to the crafting of furniture, weaving or pottery. Tools are her forte, and she wields them with expertise whether she is changing the sparkplugs on her motorcycle or helping her friends remodel their house.

An Atalanta’s perfectionism doesn’t always carry over into all areas of her life, and she may tolerate considerable disorder in her life. She may also be quite sporadic, even impulsive, in her enthusiasms, causing others to think her unstable or unpredictable. She may leave many of her projects unfinished as she races onward to embrace her next exiting endeavor.

For Atalantas, education is not always of great interest, at least not early in life. Theoretical knowledge, knowledge just for the sake of knowledge itself, isn’t enough to maintain her interest. It is how that knowledge can be used that’s important to an Atalanta. Besides, she would rather be doing something and learning from experience rather than sitting in some stuffy classroom.

Like the goddess, an Atalanta is likely to be involved in sports (especially individual sports like acrobatics, skiing, running, or racing) either as a competitor or a spectator. Equestrian activities are also likely to appeal since they require a tolerance for solitude combined with the need to perfect a performance. She loves the excitement of facing challenges and having adventures. Atalantas often live on adrenaline; indeed, many are prone to engaging in high-risk activities.

Touched with a bit of wanderlust, an Atalanta finds it hard to settle down. She needs to explore, to move on to new and different things. Often she sees rules and regulations as unnecessary impediments to her freedom to act spontaneously. Many Atalantas have a period of being rebellious hell-raisers, or even delinquents, especially when they are teenagers.

Just as the goddess Atalanta obstinately followed her own course, women who have Atalanta as a predominant archetype, usually follow their own convictions rather than social norms. They are not very judgmental and tend to not worry too much about what others do or think of them, for they expect other people to be responsible for themselves. An Atalanta is a free spirit, one who is courageous and bold and will not hesitate to defend her own internal values.

Your Personal Characteristics

Like the Atalanta 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 Atalanta 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 Atalanta, you are
still well within the average range for all individuals.

Atalantas 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. Atalantas typically need a fair bit of privacy and time for
themselves. Your quiz indicates that you are somewhat more gregarious than most Atalantas, rarely needing to have
some privacy and some time for yourself.

Like Atalanta, you’re a woman who approaches life realistically and who isn’t inclined to engage in much fantasy,
idealism, abstractions, or anything else far removed from concrete experience. Details, technical precision, and
practical applications are far more appealing to you. You tend to approach life in a rather conservative manner and
are not particularly impressed with people who ‘may be smart but don’t have much common sense’.

The physical atmosphere of your surroundings greatly influences how you feel. When you enter a room you instantly
form a first impression that takes in every detail.

You, unlike Atalanta, are someone whose ‘heart rules her head’, for you have good access to your feelings and find
it relatively easy to express them openly Sometimes you do so even though it would be wiser not to. Though it may
leave you vulnerable on occasion, wearing your heart on your sleeve usually makes others feel comfortable in talking
to you about their feelings and in sharing confidences with you.

Unlike Atalanta, 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 Atalanta 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.

Like Atalanta, your levels of excitement- and thrill-seeking are average, indicating you have neither a tendency
toward either high or low levels of risk-taking behavior.

Unlike Atalanta, 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 Atalanta recount stories that demonstrate her ability to act quickly and spontaneously, if not
impulsively. Most Atalanta women 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 Atalanta is usually depicted as someone who is 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 not quite as high as hers but still well within the
range of average.

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.

Atalanta was not widely known for having a strong sense of duty and moral obligation. Unlike her, your sense of
obligation is average. You usually honor your commitments and seldom find contracts, rules and regulations overly
confining.

The goddess Atalanta was often impulsive. Unlike her, 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. Your level of impulsiveness is lower than average. Atalanta seldom thought things through carefully before she sprang into action. She was seldom deliberate and cautious when making decisions. Unlike Atalanta, you take your time before deciding and seldom say the first thing that comes to mind without deliberating your alternatives and their probable consequences.

How An Atalanta’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.

Although Atalanta is generally portrayed as being a realistic, practical, and down-to earth type, your quiz reveals
that you are more imaginative and creative than the typical Atalanta. While most Atalantas are more oriented to
facts than fantasy, you often use your imagination, and keen sense of what is possible, to create a richer, more
interesting world.

One area in which you differ from your personal goddess type Atalanta is in your cognitive style. While Atalanta
enjoyed playing with new and unusual ideas, you would prefer to deal with people or things rather than abstractions.
You tend to regard theoretical discussions and purely intellectual exercises of any sort (e.g., puzzles and
brain-teasers) as a waste of your time.

Atalanta’s will power was a central feature in her myths. Her self-discipline enabled her to persist at difficult or
unpleasant tasks, seeing them through to completion. Your level of self-discipline is moderate, and you are usually
able to overcome any reluctance to begin a task (even a disagreeable one) and to stay on track despite distractions.

At odds with most traditional educational settings and procedures, an Atalanta learns best through experience. She
doesn’t share the teachers’ agenda of ‘preparing for the future’ as much as wanting to discharge the impulsive of
the moment, being free for physical activity, being surrounded by beauty, sounds, color, and motion. Book learning
is seldom enough for her. Atalantas need the pleasure of hands-on and active learning situations to inspire
them–they need the freedom to act spontaneously and chafe at restrictions and constraints. Simply sitting and
listening to a lecture is seldom inspiring for the Atalanta type. Opportunities to operate, construct, and
manipulate objects help fulfill the Atalanta’s need for physical involvement in her learning.

An Atalanta thrives
on competition and risk. She finds contests, instructional games, role-playing, drama, and media presentations
stimulating. Traditional lesson plans that require paper and pencil work tend to make her bored. She does not
perform as well as others in tests of verbal ability where speed is a factor and can usually benefit from
courses on test taking methods.

Atalantas often find it difficult to maintain interest in rigidly controlled learning environments, and may
create their own excitement through unconventional means if they are under-stimulated in the setting.

Atalanta 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.

You, like the goddess Atalanta, score highly in your 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 her work-or at the other extreme, 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 high.

 

Atalanta at work tends to be:

 

Contemplative

Objective and Unemotional

Factual

Quiet

Flexible

Realistic

Independent

Efficient

Logical

Resourceful

Matter of fact

Sensible

Pragmatic, Practical

Productive

 

Like Atalanta, you pay great attention to facts, valuing what has been proven by experience. You can usually be counted on to be accurate. You like to do tasks that you’ve learned to do well and to see the results of your work quickly. You may excel at jobs that require paying a lot of attention to detail.

As an Atalanta, you probably enjoy setting up systems that improve how a process works and like to proceed in a logical step-by-step fashion, following established procedures so that everything runs smoothly. You seldom mind having to repeat a task or use a skill once you’ve mastered it. Boredom is rarely a major issue for you in your job.

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 just as Atalanta did.

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 an Atalanta like you. You would prefer to work at a steady pace, not being interrupted by having to switch back and forth between tasks.

An Atalanta like you 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 an Atalanta, 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 abandoning it 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!)

An Atalanta like you 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.

 

Atalanta Women Often Find Careers in These Fields Rewarding:

Accountant

Marine biologist

Attorney/judge

Medical technician

Carpenter

Military service

Chiropractor

Optometrist

Clerical

Paralegal

Coach/trainer

Pharmacist

Commercial artist

Pilot

Commercial cleaning service

Police officer

Computer programmer

Private investigator

Computer repairs

Protective services

Cosmetologist

Purchasing agent

Crafts/artisan

Radiology technician

Dental assistant

Residential cleaning service

Electrical engineer

Sales

Emergency medical tech

Secretary

Horticulture

Securities analyst

Information services

Farmer

Landscaper

Software developer

Legal secretary

Surveyor

 

Atalanta’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 Atalanta, 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 (or if the stakes are high or you’ve just been pushed-too-far) you are perfectly capable of being
assertive since your quiz reveals that your assertiveness level is neither high nor low, but within the average
range.

Beware of your tendency to become too impersonal and too intellectual at times. Deep empathy doesn’t come easily for many Atalantas. 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 Atalantas 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. An Atalanta’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, an Atalanta’s levelheaded, logical approach is often exactly what is needed to help others find solutions to their problems. It is important, though, that Atalantas 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.

Atalanta was not one 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.

Atalanta was not noted for her agreeableness, her desire to participate in group efforts, or her preference for
avoiding conflict or confrontation. 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 Atalanta, the extent to which you value cooperation
and the avoidance of conflict is average. Your ability to tolerate confrontations is also average. You are usually
cooperative, but you will not automatically abandon your own needs and interests just to avoid a confrontation In
other words, you are not a ‘push-over’.

You are not affected strongly by the suffering of others. Priding yourself on your ability to judge objectively, you
are more concerned with impartial justice, truth, and fairness. 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. Your level
of tender-mindedness, which is low, is advantageous in situations that require tough decisions or objectivity.

Atalanta 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 Atalanta that you are -chances are you felt good about yourself and got a big head start in developing all your Atalanta 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 Atalanta 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 an Atalanta child you were probably even-tempered and pragmatic. Highly energetic and always on the go, you tended to live on nervous energy even when you were a toddler. The other children on the playground surely envied your energy and daring. They, like your parents, were probably exhausted trying to keep up with you.

Very logical and realistic, your favorite saying probably was ‘Please, I’d rather do it myself!’. You weren’t very demonstrative and were usually reluctant to show others your emotional reactions.

Even as a young girl you were showing your independent streak, puttering around on your own all day ‘doing your own thing’. You may have appeared somewhat shy to others, as you were often reticent about joining social activities. You also tended to be a bit skeptical about anything ‘fantastical’ or otherwise outside the realm of your direct experience. Hopefully your parents didn’t interpret your lack of emotional expression as a lack of affection and rewarded you for being the independent, competent Atalanta that you were.

You probably had a wide circle of friends, both male and female. Your tendency to be reckless and daring (not to mention your being rather cavalier about remembering the rules or your commitments) may have been a legitimate cause for concern for your parents and other authority figures, particularly during your teens. You probably had several romantic attachments, but most of them ended when you became restless or bored with the relationship or when your partner started to stifle you with possessiveness or jealousy.

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.

Atalanta 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.

An Atalanta 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 an Atalanta it’s often ‘my way or the hit the highway!’ Given her cool, unemotional nature an Atalanta may also be challenged to be tolerant and understanding of her children expressing strong emotions.

Atalanta’s children have little doubt about who is in charge. They know what is expected of them and will be expected to obey. Some Atalantas can be a bit rigid and demanding or controlling of their children, but rather than making an angry or tearful scene that provokes guilt in the child, the Atalanta mother is likely to issue a low-key, but firm reprimand which she expects to be followed without hesitation.

Since an Atalanta needs 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.

Atalanta and Her Mate

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.

In love, an Atalanta 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.

Like the goddess Atalanta in her myths, the woman with Atalanta 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. A possessive, jealous partner is particularly stifling for her. Neither would she find a ‘clinging’ type, one who constantly required her presence or wanted to ‘take care of her’, to be very appealing. The type of partner who could win her heart is one who, like Meleager, would respect her boundaries.

An Atalanta 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. Like the goddess Atalanta, she enjoys expressing her love sexually because this allows her to stop ‘living in her head’, getting her feelings into her body instead.

Atalantas as partners are hardworking, dependable, and usually frugal. They are fairly predictable, usually wanting for things to be done in a certain way-their way, of course. In their eagerness to get everything organized and done, they can sometimes be reluctant to examine and embrace their partners points of view and suggestions.

With a strong need to be in charge and to have her home organized, an Atalanta partner can be rather overwhelming. Although she likes 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 Atalantas are uncomfortable dealing with emotions so they may dismiss their partner’s feelings when they do not seem logical.

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.

Atalanta 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

As an Atalanta you tend to work hard and play hard, continually pushing yourself, often to the point of exhaustion. Consequently your health behaviors may be less than adequate – skipping meals, ignoring the need to stretch or empty your bladder, finding it hard to fall asleep with so many thoughts in your head. You probably even find it to relax when you’re on vacation!

Your anxieties center around fears that you may not be able to make things happen the way you need them to in order for you to achieve success. Atalantas feel a strong need to earn their place in society and are prompted to make considerable efforts to prevent and control disorder.

For an Atalanta woman, anything that tends to violate her sense of privacy, or threatens her autonomy, will be experienced as very stressful. Any situation, which is overly regimented, can be stressful. Like the goddess Atalanta, you tend to be very action-oriented and may become easily bored when things become ‘routine’. An Atalanta often reacts rather strongly against any restrictions she sees as unwarranted. However, your reaction may cause those in authority to be less trustful of you and to increase the controls even further. Often an Atalanta woman will express that she experiences feelings of ’emptiness inside’ in such situations. As a rule, she will either attempt to turn and ‘run away’ from the problematic situation or will decide to turn and fight her adversary face-to-face, placing her freedom at an even greater risk by demonstrating further rebellion.

Under the stress of prolonged and undesired restrictions, Atalanta women have been known to lash out at their ‘oppressors’ in retaliation, defiling what is valued most, much as happened in the story of Atalanta and Hippomenes in the temple. The feeling of the excitement and risk-taking involved seems to reinvigorate them. But this strategy usually proves self-defeating in the long run, leaving the Atalanta feeling guilty and isolating her from others who would otherwise be supportive.

When an Atalanta is ‘stressed out’ or overly tired, she can become emotionally overwhelmed, even to the point of becoming distraught. In this state you may literally feel unable to think clearly and barely able to cope. You may become repetitious in what you say, or even blaming of others for what you see as their ‘failure’ to pick up their share of the load. In this frame of mind you may succeed only in driving them to further withdraw when what you actually need at this time is their reassurance and support.

If stress is not quickly resolved, it is common for an Atalanta to feel fatigued, beset by unusual and unpleasant sensations in their bodies, or even to succumb to an illness. When incapacitated, even for a brief time by a minor illness, an Atalanta usually begins to feel increasingly left out and unappreciated. Feeling ‘powerless’ and ‘out of control’ is very uncomfortable for an Atalanta like you.

An Atalanta’s weak sites include her pelvic area, digestive and circulatory systems, and her immune system, particularly the adrenal glands. Health issues likely to be of special importance to her include: accidental injuries, frequent colds and viral infections, urinary tract infections, high blood pressure, osteoarthritis, low back pain, leg cramps or sciatica, gastroesophageal reflux (symptoms of heartburn), indigestion, ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety disorders or panic attacks, alcohol abuse, and insomnia. It is important for you, as an Atalanta type, to recognize the extent to which your goddess type may be encouraging you to neglect your own health needs and to consciously attempt to remedy this situation.

Situations most likely to trigger an Atalanta’s level of stress are those that evoke:

• fear of being unsupported (or even abandoned)

• frustration at feeling restricted, controlled or otherwise manipulated

• resentfulness about feeling unappreciated or misunderstood

• feeling victimized and powerless to take control of one’s life.

Major stressors that arise in the lives of an Atalanta are often related to her:

• need to socialize, sometimes at the expense of her other obligations

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

• tendency to feel anxious about life, whether or not she will ever have enough or be ‘good enough’.

Atalanta’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.

Atalanta’s Allies

Aphrodite and Psyche are your special 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 a different role. 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 Psyche, like you, is curious, self-contained, and greatly desires personal autonomy. Most Atalantas are, by nature, cool and rather unemotional, rarely attempting to control others. Instead they prefer to be left alone to live their lives on their own terms, having little desire to please others at the cost of their own freedom. But Psyche can offer an Atalanta help in learning to open up, communicate, and to pay closer attention to the needs of others.

An Atalanta with her calm and fierce independence is often at a disadvantage in social situations unless there is a goddess like Aphrodite present in her personality. Once the presence of Aphrodite is activated, an Atalanta can develop her social skills and leadership, becoming more personal and charming. More comfortable in the social realm, she is in a position to share her ideas and creativity with others.

To develop a healthy balance you need to integrate characteristics of each of the goddesses into your life. By so doing, you can recognize needs you’ve left unfulfilled. Then by attending to those needs, you can become happier and more self-confident. Visit the website again (www.goddessgift.com) to learn more about the different goddesses and to learn specific ways to strengthen their presence in your life.

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’.

Your missing goddess is Demeter, the most emotional, soft-hearted, and nurturing of all the goddesses. An Atalanta can be too dispassionate, ‘out of touch’ with (or unable to express) 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 an Atalanta 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 Atalanta 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” Atalanta, 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 an Atalanta 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 an Atalanta 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 an Atalanta.

• 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 Atalanta’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 for an Atalanta.

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..